NP900X3G - Successor to the ATIV Book 9 (not Lite or Plus) with Haswell

A Brazilian NP900X3G is listed by SW Update.

Perhaps Samsung had some stock to move after deciding to stop selling notebooks in Europe.

John

 

Just a quick heads-up that my keyboard is working fine at the moment.
The problem of stuck keys seems to have solved itself without my help just by further using it.
I hope it remains like that for the future.

 

My UP ARROW and DELETE keys are a bit lazy and need a harder push
Can I fix them ?? I guess I have to live with that

 

Sorry, I can only point to the tips given early in the thread or, according to my own experience, recommend further using the keys so they will eventually return to normal use.

Today once again Settings 2.2.0.18 popped up in SW Update.
Just like before it isn't working, so I would advise to stay away an remain using 2.2.0.14.

 

Get a very small screwdriver or a piece of stiff card and run it round the edge of each key and the hole it goes into. Sometimes the clearances are a bit tight or the key cap not fully centred into each hole so there's a bit of extra friction. However, this usually causes any affected keys to be slow to pop up. I once had a key on my X4C which would pop up, with an audible click, about half a second after I released it. However, it loosened up with time and the problem went away.

However, if after you have done the above simple treatment and the keys still require noticeably more effort to push down before they register then, if still in warranty, you can ask Samsung to replace the keyboard. I would note that, like having a noisy fan, they might claim that the technician couldn't notice a problem and don't do the replacement.

John

 

Thanks LouisXIV and John for the responses

Actually, keys have no additionnal friction compared to others, they move freely
Both two keys will register easier when pushed on the left side, much harder when pushed on their right side.
Is there an easy way to remove those keys to clean contact ??

Beyond this (minor) annoyance, this laptop is definitely the best I ever had

Thanks for your help

 

I haven't seen a guide for removing these keycaps so I'm not sure if they are held in place by the usual scissors mechanism.

If you haven't tried already, see if very firmly pushing down on the problem keys has any beneficial effect. it is possible that the mechanism isn't properly clipped together on the right side.

John

 

Removing the key is easy


I tried to blow compressed air without success, as the contact aera is not exposed
Should I try to pull apart the scissor mechanism ??

Thanks

 

Thank you for finding out what is under the key cap.

You should be able to unlatch the scissor mechanism by lifting the pins out of the grooves on the left side.

John

 

--- Edit ---
Oh, found John Ratsey's post where he said his 900 X3B runs on Crucial SSD now. I assume my 900 X3G could do the same.
If you can confirm/deny, would be great

--- Original post ---
Hi all,

Sorry if the answer is somewhere in the thread - I was not able to find it.

I'd like to update the SSD in the machine from 250GB to 500GB. There is a Samsung 840 EVO mSATA available, which should be compatible.

But there is also Crucial mSATA drives available, like Crucial M500 mSATA or Crucial M100 mSATA.

Does anybody tried to upgrade SSDs with Crucial?

I'm asking because I've recently ran into an issue with a Dell where I couldn't use Samsung and Vertex SSDs, could only use Crucial.

Thanks in advance,
Greg

 

I've tried a 240GB Crucial M500, but it runs hot and has high power consumption. There are some fixes you can try, but a lot of hoops to jump through. I switched it out for a Samsung EVO that seems to perform much better. Though I'm only at 250GB, still bidding my time on the 500/1000GB EVOs.

 

I have swapped mSATA SSDs around in various notebooks and and haven't yet come across any compatibility issues. I can't think of a good reason why there should be - it was designed as an interchangeable format.

My 1TB Samsung EVO mSATA is now running in a Dell Latitude E7440 having spent the first few months in a Samsung NP900X4C.

Keep watching the prices and availability: In the UK the EVO mSATA prices seem to be creeping upwards. That might just be pre-Christmas price gouging or it might be an indication of reduced availability. The EVOs are retail parts and Samsung might be thinking that those who wanted to upgrade their SSDs will have now done so and they have cut back on production.

John

 

Hey guys,

do you also experience problems with Settings - fans always running and high power consumption eventhough in eco mode - since the latest Windows 8 updates?

Sadly I also have to report problems with my power connection.
Oftentimes the electric contact doesn't work and I have to pull the cable into awkward positions so the notebook charges.
I am afraid the solder joint of the connection socket is damaged.
I guess it's not that difficult to repair but I neither want to send the notebook in, nor do I want to lose my warranty by opening and soldering it myself.
Does anybody of you have any experience with a problem like that?

 

1. I would double-check that the Windows updates hasn't triggered some serious house-keeping work. What is the CPU utilization in Task Manager?

2. If the X3G is like my much older X3B then the power socket is not soldered but is on a lead. Look inside. The small size of the power jack makes it vulnerable to damage, particularly if you have the straight, not L-shaped, plug.

John

 

Hi John,

always great to hear from you!

Regarding 1. in the office use in which the fans sadly won't stop running the CPU utilization fluctuates between 0 and 30% at a core speed of 0,76GHz so I guess everything is fine at that end.

Regarding 2. I went to a repair cafe on friday and the friendly guy confirmed that my problem looks like a loose contact from too much play in the connector. Luckily the German headquarters of Samsung is not too far away so I will just pay them a visit and see what they have to say about it.

 

The CPU speed / utilisation look reasonable. I would suggest you try reinstalling the Settings program. This might fix the fan behaviour. If not, then try the different Silent Mode options.

After that, try setting the BIOS to defaults.

John

 

Hello dear forum and John
1. Please tell me what type of LCD screen installed in this 900X3G laptop - TN-Panel or PLS?
2. Which laptop is more modern and better for video editing (Vegas, 1080p, 60fps)?
From this list: 900X3E, 900X3F or 900X3G? and why
Thanks

 

1. According to notebookcheck the NP900X3G has a BOE HF HN133WU3-100. The X3E (and probably X3F) have the same panel. The technology used in the panel is not Samsung's PLS, or LG's IPS but an alternative technology that gives much better viewing angles than normal TN panels.

2. The last letter in the notebook name is in sequence, so X3G is the newest of those on your list (but there is a newer NP900X3K). However, which is better will depending on the hardware specs of the individual version. For example, this X3G with 8GB RAM, i7 CPU and 256GB SSD will perform better than most. The Vegas specs indicate that although it will work with 4GB RAM, at least 8GB is recommended.

John

 

I second John's recommendation. If you can find an X3G for a good price, jump on it. Though I'm biased, I would still say it is still one of the best laptops around. The screen is fantastic (it is exceedingly difficult to find a vibrant matte display) and the upgrade to 8GB was long overdue. You can also upgrade the storage up to a 1TB EVO msata. The only issues with the laptop are lack of docking capability, and no displayport connection for high-res monitors. You may have trouble finding one, in which case, I might look at the XPS13 which also has a matte option I believe. I would not go with any of the 4GB models for video editing and unfortunately Samsung has opted for glossy screens in its new models.

 

John, go45cvi
Thanks for answering, very good advices
-------------------------------------------------------
Is it true about screen NP900X3G from notebookcheck?
"Some prospective buyers might have issues with the screen,
as the panel is using TN and not IPS technology
and additionally suffers from display bleeding"

 

I would reiterate that there are display technologies other than IPS or PLS that give good viewing angles. The notebookcheck photographs show that the the BOE display is OK in this respect. Much better than standard TN although it may not be quite as good as the best.

Owners of this notebook haven't complained about the light bleed problem. Perhaps notebookcheck received a bad sample.

John

 

There is some light bleed, worse than my X3B, but really only noticeable when booting.

 

hi dear forum
I decided to install a fresh Win7 on the first partition
what method or program may help to delete the first 2 partitions on the hard disk

 

You can try using Minitool Partition Wizard but personally I wouldn't mess with the system partitions to try to reclaim 400MB in case there is unexpected collateral damage (eg the system won't boot).

John

 

Thanks John
About X3G
What do you think, do I need to install IRST on Laptop for night time and saving battery
or better to just use turn on-off everyday?

 

Are you leaving the computer plugged in to the mains overnight? If so, then Windows sleep is sufficient. If the computer is left on battery then either use Intel Rapid Start (not to be confused with Intel Rapid Storage but is Rapid Start supported on the X3G?) or Windows hibernate. One big advantage of Intel Rapid Start is that it operates at the BIOS level and doesn't get messed up by driver issues which can sometimes cause sleep malfunctions in Windows. However, one disadvantage of Rapid Start is that it bypasses any Windows logon passwords so if you are worried about security then it's not a good idea.

John

 

I could never get it working (I think it may not have made it into the chipset). Which is a shame, because I liked being able to wake the laptop by simply opening the lid. Currently it only works for the 6 hours of sleep before windows hibernation kicks in and I lose a little charge as well.

 

what OS do you prefer for X3G, Win7 or Win8 and why

 

I would avoid Windows 8. Your choice should be between Windows 7 and 10 (which is Windows 8 fixed in response to user feedback).

So which of those? In the long term Windows 10 may be the way to go but judging by the number of updates I've been getting it is still work in progress.

John

 

1 ) sometimes, rarely,
the CPU frequency gets stuck at 0.8 Ghz, helps only a complete shutdown
regardless of the task, the CPU frequency does not change
maybe someone knows why this is happening

2 ) About POR recovery count
It's currently at 59
Every time I shutdown my laptop the number of POR Recovery Counts increases +1
It's happend after this screen

How to turn off this function - displays battery charging level after the laptop turns off

ID # 235 Power Recovery Count
A count of the number of sudden power off cases. If there is a sudden power off, the firmware must recover all of the mapping and user data during the next power on.
This is a count of the number of times this has happened

 

about bios
how would you recommend? to leave it on or off


could this be the reason that the CPU frequency sometimes gets stuck on 0.8 Ghz

 

First check (using HWiNFO or similar) the current CPU speed range for both mains and battery usage, then change this setting and try again. Please report on what you find.

John

 

About 900X3L...
what colors is available?
The mineral ash black looks much better for 900X3L but missing
what is the size for SSD M2 - 22x60, 22x80 or longer?
What you thinking about upgrade to that model

 

There's another thread for the NP900X3L and there's a lot of useful information in Lisa's review (and the internal photo indicates that the M.2 SSD is 2280).

John

 

From Amazon: Review 250GB Samsung 850 EVO mSATA

What do you know about Samsung Magician Software and RAPID for NP900X3G,
do we need install it for better perfomance?
any recommendation about this two programms for 900X3G?
or any others from Samsung download page

P.S. I changed my mind about NP900X3L as there is no "Mineral Ash Black" anymore available,
I don't know why they made only in silver, I prefer dark colors for my laptop
Looking more to LG side now - 15" or 14" Ultrabooks ("Gram")

 

1. Samsung Magician is useful as the interface for drive configuration, statistics and also any firmware updates. RAPID uses some RAM as a cache and makes the SSD appear much faster in benchmarks but real life behaviour can be different.

2. If you want a small dark coloured 13" notebook then look at the Dell Latitude 7370. I bought one recently as the successor to my old NP900X3B. The 7370 isn't exceptionally thin but the weight is about the same as the old X3B and it has a very good keyboard with decent travel plus a top quality FHD panel. However, at Dell's normal prices it's expensive but if you have access to Dell Outlet (or resellers of Outlet stock) then it will be reasonably priced. One drawback is the relatively low capacity battery.

John

 

from samsung update utility - maybe someone know what is this? new spy from samsung?

 

Anyone selling a 13.3" ATIV BOOK 9 NP900X3G (matte non-touch)?