New Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C-S01US Laptop i7 3615QM 650m Review!

At some point my old ASUS Z70Va wouldn't turn on anymore (don't remember what might have caused it, but it didn't involve the HDD). It was fixed by first unplugging AC power, then disconnecting the battery, putting it back on AC, turning it on and eventually reconnecting the battery. YMMV.

 

Thanks for the hint, with the battery disconnected the laptop can be powered on without any problem. As soon as I replug the battery problem raises again : everything turns off (no more LED light).
Either that's a dead battery issue, or more likely a charging circuit issue.
I checked all the cable connections within the laptop, unfortunately I didn't find any problem.

Added back the optical drive, the original HDD and memory module. Will send it back to samsung for repair.

Thanks for your help

 

Yes I tried with almost everything removed
I followed your link's suggestion : remove battery and CMOS battery, press power for a long time and try again after 48 hours.

I'll let you know if it fixes anything, in the meantime my laptop is back to its default condition to allow Samsung to fix it.

Thanks for your help

 

I contacted Samsung over a week ago via email. I got a reply within a day, stating some service tech would give me a call - but so far no one contacted me. So, I plugged in a tiny external USB WIFI adapter, which does the job. Maybe I'll just leave it at that.

One other thing: After my clean Win7 setup, I didn't install the Samsung EasySettings software (or any other Samsung software). According to various threads around here, at least some of the Fn keys should work -- but none of them do. I tried executing dmhkcore.exe as admin (I copied over the EasySettings folder from the previous installation), but that didn't do anything. Any idea what's amiss?

 

Personally I would contact Samsung again about that WiFI, to get it fixed while you have warranty.

Loading dmhkcore.exe (EasyDisplayMgr) the way you describe would normally give you Fn-keys -- I used that a lot with Easy Settings 1.x. However, since Easy Settings 2.x came out, I recommend you fully install that instead. It is better behaved than 1.x, it loads faster, and it does provide some additional features beyond just sideloading EasyDisplayMgr.

You get Easy Settings 2.x by saving using SW Update to export and save Settings for Win8. It includes a Win7 folder containing Easy Settings 2.x.

 

The 48 hours with the battery unplugged and the CMOS battery unplugged didn't change anything.
I'll contact the Samsung support for a repair today...

 

Yeah, I agree, it sounds like a defect battery. As John mentioned, you may want to backup the PC and restore it to factory before sending it in. They may even ask that you try that when you talk to them.

Fingers crossed, keep us posted.

 

Can somone post the stock bios version for the nvidia gt650m? Windows updated my nvidia driver and I want to make sure it didn't flash nvidia bios. Thanks.

 

Hey guys,

I have been having a weird problem with my laptop. When I am playing games my computer will randomly cycle from being plugged in to being on batter (even though it is always plugged in). My screen dims and my computer starts to stutter because I think is trying to force integrated graphics. Any ideas if this is a software or hardware issue? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Perhaps the PSU is dying and is unable to sustain the required power output.

The easy way to check this would be with another PSU. Contact Samsung if the computer is still under warranty.

John

 

I talked with them but they are unwilling to switch out the psu without me sending the whole laptop in for repair. Was hoping they would just switch the power brick for me.

 

Then that's the route you will have to follow. It's possible that they know more than we do and there is a know issue with the internal power board.

What you need to sort out with them is how they will replicate your problem: Do you send it in with your software installation and instructions on how to run the game?

John

 

Loumeer, mostly curious but what BIOS version do yo have installed? Also, are you doing any overclocking? (though I guess you are probably not)

 

Can anyone confirm / deny that the msata drive in this laptop can be upgraded?

 

If you are referring to the 1TB HDD in this model: Yes, it can be replaced -- or supplemented with a second drive.

If you are referring to the 8GB internal SSD (iSSD) used for ExpressCache: No, it is soldered onto the motherboard and cannot be replaced.

Even though the iSSD presents itself as a drive, it really is only usable as a cache, both because of its small size, and because it isn't directly bootable. You can put a Linux installation on there (or even a tight Windows installation) but you have to boot it via a boot partition on the HDD.

Oh, and welcome to the forum

 

Thanks for both the info and the Welcome. I was really hoping to be able to upgrade the 8gb cache drive didn't realize that it was soldered on. I was thinking about upgrading to a SSD but taking that large of a hit in space will kind of suck lol. I am a semi pro photographer and also do video editing so the space is kind of nice.

 

Oh I get that idea entirely. It would be great if the iSSD was large enough to be a system drive. OTOH it's also not as fast as "real" SSDs.

However this 17 inch model allows you to install a second drive, so you could install an SSD as primary and keep the HDD for data storage.

 

Don't you need to remove the ODD to add the second drive?

 

Has anyone tried Ubuntu Daul boot with Windows 7 on this laptop, or at least one with the 8/16 GB on board SSD.

I would like to dual boot it, how ever i would like to do so using the windows boot loader.

Has anyone tried this?

 

Yes, yes, I should have pointed that out. But at least you CAN install both drives in this model because it has ODD.

The new 2013 Series 7 15.6 inch, which in many ways is a legitimate alternative to the Z7C (FHD and full keyboard) doesn't have ODD and you're stuck with either a slow HDD or a small(er) SSD.

 

What all is needed to put a HDD where the original ODD is located?

 

There is a special caddy shaped like an ODD. I am on my phone (Tapatalk) right now, making it hard to find references for you. If you Google site:notebookreview.com/samsung optical bay caddy that should give some answers.

 

The relevant thread is in the sticky list.

John

 

Thank you, John. Of course, how could I forget...

 

Thanks a lot to both of you. I really appreciate the help. What a great community

 

so this is 17 inch cronos and it has dvd drive? Are some people satisfied with default 5200 1tb drive or is everybody upgrading to ssd?

How much does the SSD go for. will any ssd drive fit?

What are your experience with this laptop, does it break oftern over heat???

What are the pros and cons?

 

Has anyone tried to re-paste the CPU/GPU?
With Arctic Silver or other termal paste?

After almost a year now, I get dangerous temperatures: for example: Today in Crysis 2 my GPU hit for the first time 90°C!!
But the GPU didn't throttle down to 745MHz, it was constatntly in boost-mode @835Mhz. So is this temperature still OK? I can't believe that...

so did anyone re-paste, I would love to have lower temps, also for my CPU, which constantly hits 90-92°C in games :-/

 

The repair center informed me that due to marks showing that the previous owner opened without care the laptop they won't repair it under warranty.

The bill they sent to me for a repair was about a full motherboard replacement (for 650€/$800 !), so I refused.

I'll get the laptop back next week, will try few additional things such as testing a new battery to see if it charges well on AC, and if it fails I'll probably keep the laptop for a always on AC power usage...

 

Oh, sorry to hear that. That really sucks

Did they at least confirm whether the battery needed replacement?

Even though it's in their warranty terms, I haven't heard many cases of Samsung denying warranty because a PC had been opened. It sounds like they are OK with it, as long as there is no physical evidence of the break-in.

I hope you can get it working with a new battery -- though spending more money is also tough when you don't know for sure if the motherboard really is finished.

I wonder if a local repair shop might be able to help you out. Just a thought.

 

They did not confirm anything.
The socket holding the memory module only locks the memory from one side (even if the memory is properly locked in place), they considered that it was something broken on the motherboard and it appears it was a dealbreaker for them : warranty denied and automatic motherboard replacement (hoping it would also fix my symptoms).

For sure that's the first and last time that I purchase a previously used laptop.

Last chance now find a local repair shop with a battery, or a website where I can return a newly purchased battery if it doesn't change anything

 

That really is frustrating. If buying used, at least check that the machine wasn't opened by the previous owner. But how can one be sure? Even a new PC could have a sloppily installed memory module.

You could check samsungparts.com for a battery. Once you locate the part number, you can search more broadly for a good price. (That was a tip from John).

I hope it works out for you. Stay in touch

 

Need some assistance if anyone could help. I feel like when I'm gaming, Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 that I should be able to run better graphic settings than what I can. Its almost like the game is using the basic Intel Graphics instead of the Nvidia GPU. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Hi hawkeye, welcome to the forum.

HWInfo can show you whether the discrete GPU is active. Check this post for details. It refers to the AMD GPU on my older model, but the principle is the same.

 

Thanks I will give that a shot.

EDIT: That worked, a little different but everything is running much smoother now. Just had to go into NVIDIA control panel and change it from Automatic to the Nvidia chip.

 

please, can anybody answer that?

 

hey anyone, please help, if i buy laptop with 3rd gen i3 processor and amd gpu with no option of dynamic/fixed mode in bios, will i be able to run crysis 3 with auto switching?

 

I had to delete your cross post in the other thread. Please wait at least 24 hours before you re-post a question (in the same or a different thread).

I cannot speak to Crysis 3 or any other specific game and whether any i3 and any AMD GPU will be fast enough. But generally the Switchable Graphics feature DOES work on Samsung laptops with AMD GPUs. You see many questions about it, because games often THINK they're still using the Intel GPU, even though it is actually switched to the AMD.

Update: I see pranktank also gave you a response here. And hfm responded in the tread you created here. Had I noticed that before, I would have deleted your crosspost here as well. Since it's already here, along with my response, I'll leave it in.

You posted your question in 4 different threads within a few minutes. Absolutely DO NOT DO THAT. It violates forum rules and is very disrespectful of other members. That goes for you and anybody who might see this. Thank you

 

Hi guys , I wonder if any of you encountered the same problem after upgrading to Windows 8 . Everything works smooth even usb 3.0 after doing some research and installing the necessary patch, But wifi seems to have this dropping out problem. Every 2-3 minutes internet connection drops and when you try to troubleshoot it resolves the issue by resetting the adapter and says the problem was something to do with the valid ip configuration and when you give your pc static ip then same thing happens with a different result saying that it was a default gateway problem. I was going crazy and tried everything and the last solution was uninstalling the Intel drivers and using the Windows 8 drivers and it worked like a charm but still wifi has some inconsistent signal problems . Did anybody have the same problem or find another solution ???

 

WiFi issues of various kinds have been common with all models using the Intel 6235, as discussed here and in numerous other threads. And clearly the problem is not limited to Samsung laptops, but is an issue with the 6235 adapter, as discussed in this Intel forum.

For whatever reason, different members find that different solutions affect their particular situation. I am trying to sum them up in this post. And indeed, some have found that reverting to the Samsung-provided driver or the Win8 built-in one worked better -- as you also reported. I still think more people reported improvement going to the latest driver (15.8 as of today). Also significant is whether you use the full PROset driver (which includes some potentially harmful junk) or the slim Driver Only package. Again, it's covered in this post (same as linked before).

Also note that in addition to upgrading/downgrading drivers, several other settings on the PC and the router can affect this. Choice of router channel in particular, but also other, seemingly unrelated settings.

I discovered this myself after getting a new dual-band router a few months ago: While improving speed and connectivity in general, I suddenly began having disconnects with the 6230 adapter in my NP700Z3A -- which had not been an issue for me before. It turned out to be an issue between Android 4.2.2 (on a Nexus 4 phone) and the fact that I don't broadcast SSID on my router. For some reason my phone would cause my router to stumble -- affecting my laptop as well. Keeping the phone turned off would solve it. And so did broadcasting the SSID.

My point is merely that seemingly unrelated changes and settings -- in addition to the driver on the laptop -- can affect WiFi performance and stability.

 

Hey folks. I'm looking into getting the NP700Z7C-S03CA. Canada Computers | Notebooks, Netbooks & Tablets | Samsung Nike Notebook NP700Z7C-S03CA | 17.3" FHD Intel i7-3635QM (2.4GHz) 8GB 1TB HDD| NVIDIA GeForce GT650M DVD/RW HDMI BT Win 8

After all the research I've done this seems like the machine for me, as it's the most portable 17" HD screen out there. And the matte finish is the deal-maker. The only downside is the wifi complaints I've been reading. The machine has been out quite a while now; is everyone still having this problem? If it still is a common problem, can it be easily fixed with a simple USB wifi adapter? Thanks in advance.

 

I've had the same laptop for about 7 months now. It continues to function as well as it did a week after I bought it. I say a week after, because that was when my first forced restart happened. I'm not sure why it needs to be forced, or who is forcing it. Samsung or Microsoft. Probably MS. Basically, I get an update for something downloaded, and the next time I take it out of sleep mode, a message appears telling me the laptop will reboot in x minutes. Usually 15 if I recall correctly. There is no way out of it, unlike with Win 7, and no way to pause it for later. That darn reboot is going to happen, like it or not. Anyway, long story short, the first reboot must have installed the software that made the brightness sensor active. Since then, I can't force the screen to stay at max brightness, even with the laptop plugged in 99% of the time. And occasionally the backlit keyboard gets turned off, so when I exit sleep mode, in the wee hours of the morning, the keyboard doesn't light up until I've logged in. Kinda useless if you ask me. Just let me turn it on and have it on all the time, like it was functioning when I first received it. Does anyone know how to turn the auto light sensor off? I'm assuming I just need to delete a certain driver to fix the problem.

I'm on this thing about 12 hours a day, and it hasn't gotten any louder. A little surprising because of the dusty environment in which I work. The matte screen is great. Good color reproduction, and most importantly, no reflections. It is such a crying shame that just as laptop manufacturers were starting to clue in that this is the better way to go, that frickin' intel started forcing useless touch screen on all of the new laptops. You can do matte touchscreens, but nobody is doing it these days. Really not looking forward to my next purchase. It will be difficult to find another nice matte screen like this one.

Can I offer a complaint as well? This keyboard layout sucks. Seriously Samsung, do us all a favour and stick to the US keyboard layout and just DON'T SELL IT IN QUEBEC!. Forcing all of Canada to use this keyboard layout is a sin in my book.

The touchpad is nice. Not apple nice, but still better than most.

Two changes I'd like to make are putting in a SSD and changing out the wifi module for a dual band version. Yes, wifi does suck on this unit. It is the only laptop I've ever had that had any connection problems in my current location. I've had 5 of them. My 8 year old dell works better for browsing than this does. It is a shame.

Does anyone know if it is possible to change the wifi module in it? I've already found Paul's excellent youtube video for installing a SSD.

Thanks all and I hope this helps with your purchase decision. Quiet, high quality, relatively light, stylish, with some flaws.

 

Thanks for the excellent review, Deep! My machine is on its way.

That's unfortunate about the wifi. I just hope it's fixable to some degree, either with a simple USB adapter or being able to eventually swap out the module as you suggested.

 

Yes, I'd rather avoid the usb wifi adapter if possible. Always getting caught on stuff. It isn't unusable by any means, but it is disappointing. I haven't checked their new laptops yet, but I sure hope they are starting to put in dual band wifi these days. I've been waiting for my warranty to get close to running out before cracking (hopefully not literally) the case to put in a SSD, but I've grown impatient. I'll probably pick one up during the national holiday sales in a couple of weeks and install it. I'll let you all know how it goes at that time.

 

@DeepS6X: Lots and lots and lots of discussion about brightness in various threads here. Try the suggestions in this post to disable Adaptive Brightness and regain max brightness.

 

Hello everyone just picked up this laptop about a week ago and this laptop has done nothing but impress me in every way possible Battery life, performance, looks, and weight, I currently have an asus g75 as well and what a difference in size and weight lol i was wondering tho i remember in the asus form people soldering their chargers onto the alienware chargers to make it fit onto there laptops would this be possible to do if we were to maybe use the series 7 gamer charger (240w). I dont know a thing about soldering which is why im asking, would love to see someone attempt this project so that way maybe temps can cool and pc wont be so bottle necked on high performance games ( i base this statement off of a lot of peoples claims, i myself have yet to try a high demanding graphics game on this laptop but other games run solid for me)

 

Hi everyone,
I have a weird issue about built-in microphone. I'd appreceiate your help. My problem is that when I touch anywhere of the laptops upper body I hear sizzling. If I don't touch anywhere that's ok. Sound is very clear. But otherwisw, it becomes very loudy sizzling. I've never opened up the pc. Any suggestions?

 

Hello.

Does anyone know the model of the battery? My laptop is no longer covered by the warranty and I need to replace it, but as I can't see the model it's difficult to find the replacement. A Google search of the model and "battery" or "battery replacement" as you can imagine is without any luck. I've searched in samsungparts.com, and amazon, but without the part number I can't find anything.

Thanks

 

Hello vatz,

On Samsungparts.com, if you enter your model number and select Part Type=BATTERY you should get the following:



Then search for better prices on that part number on other sites.

 

Thank you!

 

Hello everyone,
I'm not really sure if i have posted here before... But let me say this, I've been following this post for about a year now since i bought the NP700Z7C and it has helped me A LOT. You guys have no idea how much and i'm sure there must be many others like me who keep reading everything you post here to find any solution to any problem they might come up with.

Now, about the WI-FI...
Ever since i bought it I've had trouble with it. Sometimes i did have wi-fi and sometimes i didn't. UNTIL several months ago i managed to disconnect the Bluetooth device (i don't really remeber how i did it... somewhere over Control Panel or Easy Settings i guess) and it suddenly began working EXCELLENT. I don't know why.
I was getting so desperate and I didn't know what to do... so i just though maybe the Bluetooth might be interfering it.

I don't know much about electronics and I don't know if this has been mentioned before. I am sorry if I sound dumb about all this... please understand i don't consider myself someone who knows about computers.
But this has helped me and I hope this can help others.