Samsung 15" Series 9 NP900X4C with Ivy Bridge CPU

There is no issue using a burned DVD from a friend. They could have downloaded the .ISO from a legitimate location like a MSDN subscription then burned the DVD. None of the DVD's have an embedded key. That must be supplied from a legitimate channel.

If you are using an "Open" key, that is a volume license key from the Open program and those activations are hitting someones account.

If you want to be perfectly legal, you should use the key that came with the Samsung NP900X4C you purchased. You should be able to reinstall Windows 7 on that machine many many times legally using that key.

 

Thanks John!

So if you were in a situation where english wasnt supported on your x4c would you buy a brand new full version of english windows or follow the method in the link that you posted? Of course I want to be legit and use my x4c Windows serial code rather than a dvd copy of Windows. I want to be able to freely update etc. without worrying about anything from Microsoft.

Thanks!

 

I saw at few posts about linux in this long helpful thread.

How does the screen look when running linux? I'm guessing it can't be tweaked as much as it can with windows.

I don't want to pay for windows professional, and only need an i5, so am thinking of buying the A01US, and swapping the SSD some day after I see that everything is working properly.

Does that void the warranty? Probably.
How do you transfer the OS to the new SSD? I would probably keep windows around in a small partition, and dual boot, just in case I have to call customer support.

 

To be perfectly clear about this, if that friend of yours gave you that key, what he was doing was illegal. If you use that key to install your OS, what you are doing is illegal, too. If Microsoft figures out what is going on here, both you and your friend will be in trouble. It is mostly your friend, however, who could be in really deep doo-doo. People loose their jobs over stuff like this, since it's your friend's place of employment that purchased this key.

Hope this was clear enough.

 

I definitely dont wanna do anything illegal. I dont use my netbook now and if I pay a large chunk of change to buy an x4c then I surely wanna have it set up properly

Is it even possible to use the samsung key from a new x4c on a different version of Windows like Ultimate? The Ultimate version is in english whereas the x4c Windows isnt.
Just a hypothetical question Thanks

 

Does Linux graphics use the .icc display profiles? If so, you can use the profile I posted that gives a noticeable improvement.

1. It seems that, officially, removing the base from the Series 9 kills the warranty (see here and the related discussion if you haven't seen it already). However, there are no seals. If I need warranty service I will first put back the original SSD.

There are two ways to transfer the original Windows installation: (a) Make a backup image of the original SSD using Acronis True Image or similar; and (b) clone the original SSD onto a new one using one of these and a standard USB - SATA adapter.

The Samsung Home Premium key should work for any language version of Home Premium. It checks the Windows version, not the language. You can download an English version of the Home Premium installer using the link I posted previously.

On a different subject, I contacted Samsung UK support regarding the WiFi in my X4C being noticeably worse than for the X3B and received a reply saying there's nothing wrong and giving a load of advice such as to relocate the router. I'll be getting back to them with some numbers to show how bad it is. Given that you other X4C owners don't seem to be having WiFi problems I have to wonder whether either the antenna module or the WiFi card is sub-standard. I have already checked the antenna cable connections onto the card.

John

 

Thx once again!!
So once I turn the x4c on right out of the box, do I leave it as is and just install the Home Premium english installer? Thx!!

 

I believe it depends on the desktop environment that you use. Gnome (which is the default environment used by Ubuntu and Fedora) definitely allows using an icc profile. I think that KDE supports icc profiles as well, but it has been some time since I last used it.

I am using Linux, Gnome and John's profile and seeing a big improvement in colour rendering! Thanks again John!

 

I use Mint and am running cinnamon, which is based on Gnome.

What file(s) do you alter? There are some in the user's home directories also.

Again, thanks to all for the helpful info. I'd like to find one of these at a store to look at. The big blue store locations seem to get some in and then run out in a day.

> locate *.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/CineLogCurve.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/CineonLog_M.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/CineonLog_M_Knee_10.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/CineonLog_M_Knee_20.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/CineonLog_M_Knee_30.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/CineonLog_M_Knee_60.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/Gray-CIE_L.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/Gray.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/ITULab.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/LStar-RGB.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/compatibleWithAdobeRGB1998.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/sRGB.icc
/usr/share/color/icc/colord/x11-colors.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/default_cmyk.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/default_gray.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/default_rgb.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/gray_to_k.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/lab.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/ps_cmyk.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/ps_gray.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/ps_rgb.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/sgray.icc
/usr/share/ghostscript/9.04/iccprofiles/srgb.icc

 

I had a chance to spend some time playing with a 15" Series 9 at Best Buy today (they didn't have the 13" version). I was very impressed. Not so much with the screen quality, but with the laptop as a whole. And while the screen may not have been amazing, it wasn't really THAT bad.

 

I would definitely go as far in the setup of the installed Windows to see if English is offered as a language option. The benefit of going through with that Windows installation is, if you have a basic grasp of the language, to verify that every is working as supplied and to make a backup of the software and drivers using Samsung Recovery Solution.

Now I have my display tweaked I consider it above average for a TN panel. My two current annoyances are (i) the fan whine when under load (worse than the T420s) and (ii) the worst WiFi I've encountered for a few years (Samsung support's advice is to move the router - try doing that in a hotel or airport!). However, I don't know if I've got a sub-standard X4C because other owners aren't complaining about these two issues.

John

 

It's easier than modifying files. Just open the gnome-control-center, either from a terminal or from the user menu (I am not sure how you can open the settings on cinnamon, but it has to be somewhere). Then, in the control center, find a "Color" entry and click it. There you can find your display listed, and you can add a profile for it. When adding a new profile, select the "Other" menu, which will let you choose the icc file.

Let me know if you have problem finding it!

On my laptop, the WiFi module has acceptable performance, not outstanding throughput, but it works ok, and my router is one floor below my bedroom, and further separated by many walls. It has to be said that performance could be better, and I occasionally experienced disconnects (though it happened also with my previous T420s).

The fan gets surely audible when on load. I am not sure if it is worse than the T420s, the noise seems to be similar, with the T420s' fan having a higher frequency noise. I am not complaining given that the laptop stays silent most of the time, even when watching full HD videos, and I am fine with the fan spinning under heavy CPU usage, I expected such behaviour in a very thin laptop. My T420s was loud, ever, and even when using software for controlling the fan speed I couldn't keep it silent when watching videos.

John, could you record your fan noise, maybe you have a faulty one?

 

To anyone: did a recovery cd come with your x4c ?
My friend bought one over the weekend and no cd came with it.
Just a quick start guide and cloth and pouch

Also did anyone get a vga adapter in their box?

 

Does anyone know when the higher spec version will be avalable in the UK?

 

It does not come with a recovery CD or a VGA adapter. All you need to do to figure this out is to look at the specs from Samsung, or have your friend look at what is listed on the box his laptop came in.

 

Mine came with a recovery CD, however there wasn't any VGA adapter. I had to buy it separately, found it on Ebay.

 

Hi Forum

Update after 4 weeks ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...np900x4c-ivy-bridge-cpu-57.html#post8618995):

Meanwhile I cannot recommend this Samsung product anymore. While the system runs smooth, the display got even worse and has now two faulty pixels (one permanent black, one shiny white). This is not acceptable in the premium class, where Samsung wants to place this laptop.

Here in Germany the pixelerrors are no reason to claim for repair / exchange. So I am stuck after 6 weeks with a 1500 EUR laptop with a display that really sucks in color range, viewing angels and now malfunctioning pixels.

Brgds
Amoebe

 

My T420s is good on the WiFi, partly because I paid extra for the Intel 6300 WiFi.

I don't have a suitable microphone to make a recording which does justice to the fan noise. In my cast the X4C fan has a higher pitched noise than the T420s but agree with your point that the X4C is quieter when not under load (except I used TPFanControl to make my T420s tolerable).

Whether or not a Windows recovery disc is supplied depends on the country. I received one in the UK. I also received a network dongle but have no recollection of Samsung including other dongles with the Series 9.

Currently there are no clues that something better is coming.

And another grumble: For the second time in 3 or 4 days my touchpad has stopped functioning. I suspect a driver problem because a reboot will get it working or maybe it feels neglected because I also use a mouse (yes, I've checked that it is not disabled using Fn+F5).

John

 

Hi peeps,

I am about 90% convinced to purchase this laptop in the next couple of weeks, can I ask a question to anybody who already owns this model (15").

1. Is the i5 processor and 8GB ram up to handling very large spreadsheets and Google Earth with a lot of pre-loaded locations.

2. Does anybody have a photo of the power pack?

Regards,
Potential Samsung 9 convertee

 

If RAM runs short, you can upgrade it to 16 GB. I can't speak for the i5, since I own an i7 version, however despite it being a low voltage processor mine handles kernel compilation without issues.

 

Where'd you get the i7 version in the UK?

 

1. I think you'll struggle to fill 8GB RAM unless you start running Virtual Machines or run several concurrent programs editing high resolution graphics. If you do need more RAM then someone tested 16GB in the X4B so we would expect that to also work in the X4C. You have to remove 10 screws and the base to get to the RAM slots. The speed difference (~15%) between i5 and i7 is unlikely to be noticeable unless you run programs that load the CPU for tens of minutes (ie the i7 does in 50 minutes what takes the i5 an hour to process).

2. The one on the left is the Samsung PSU. The one on the right is a 3rd party PSU.



John

 

I live in Italy

 

Im about to pull the trigger on the x4d and just wanted to know if there was anyone else complaining about the wifi ? I just returned a series 7. 17 inch because it had horrible reception and the only way to use it was beside the router . Hows your wifi in public places ? Libraries ? Airports ? How many walls away from the router before your signal drops ?

 

I see that notebookcheck have looked at the NP900X4C. I see that the reviewer has interpreted the SEC display code as Seiko-Epson. I must query that since my X3B has an SEC0100 panel which we believe to be Samsung's own PLS technology. 1366 x 768 resolution That review suggests that fan noise is not an issue, but then I looked at their T420s review which they found to be exceptionally quiet. Production variability?

My WiFi was OK during a short holiday last week but I was probably only one (solid) wall away from the router (didn't check where it was). My poor performance at home is about 15m away on another floor through a couple of thin walls. It's not just subjectively poor, it is noticeably worse than the other computers I have tried. I should be able to comment on airport performance later this week but I'll have this in my bag as backup.

John

 

I recently got the Samsung micro HDMI to VGA adapter (AA-AH1NAMB/E) and I can honestly say its truly horrendous for connecting to a larger monitor. I bought it for a 24" Dell and although the resolutions go to 1680 x 1050, I just cant get it to display text as crisp as it should be. I only seem to achieve this at 1280x1024, which defeats the purpose of a 24" monitor (more desktop space). This must be to do with the fact that its going from digital (HDMI) to analog (VGA) and just loosing quality somewhere. Just a word of warning for anyone considering this dongle.

This leaves me with two options 1) the VGA dongle from Samsung and 2) a micro HDMI to DVI adapter. My external monitors max resolution is 1920x1200. Which connection would be best? I don't mind a analog connection as long as it can actually give me the space my external monitor is capable of. My connection options on the Dell are VGA, DVI and Display port. Any guidance welcome!

Also a few other niggles with the series 9:
- Has anyone noticed that the function buttons for mute, sound up and down suddenly stop working now and then? This happens to me when I have the function lock on (which I have on all the time) and all the other functions work as normal.
- When on fire fox I somehow manage to get the tab I am on to open up in another window using the touch pad. Not sure exactly how I manage this but before I know it the tab I am on opens a new window. Highly frustrating but I think its to do with the touch pad.

Thanks in advance

 

Unfortunately, no surprise: Micro-HDMI is only rated up to 1080p. The lack of a higher resolution video output is one of the failings of the Series 9. Samsung hadn't anticipated everyone's requirements.

I would try micro-HDCMI to DVI. The digital signal whould be better, but you won't get more than 1080 vertical pixels.

I've not noticed this problem but never use the Fn lock on the X4C. Why do you want to use it> It's not like the 13" where the page navigation keys share the cursor keys.

Clever. Run ETDAniConf.exe (which you will find in the touchpad driver installation package) and see if you can figure out which gesture causes this behaviour.

John

 

Thanks John

I'm going to get both a micro hdmi to DVI adapter and the Samsung VGA adapter and see how both work. I could use my older monitor too on VGA as a second monitor and VGA in general will come in handy.

I use the function lock almost all the time down to pure convenience. I don't have that much use for F1, F2 etc and I find using samsungs function buttons very convenient to change brightness/sound etc quickly.

I'll try that program out soon as it really bugs me!

 

Thank you for your input. Darn, is there no other laptop available that's light, fast and 15 inches? Anyone else experiencing wifi issues?

 

Is there any way to find out which panel model is installed i the x4c?
I dont see it in the control panel

 

hwinfo.com has a great program you can download that will let you look at all sorts of information.

 

SEC0500 according to HWiNFO.

John

 

Cheers for the i5 v i7 interpretation, so yeah I think I can live with an i5, that said I'm still going to seek the i7 out. Yep I probably don't need 16GB RAM and I'm guessing it'll be pretty expensive anyway.

Thanks for the picture of the power pack it looks good, nice and slimline. I hate the thought of a 'premium' notebook only to have a chunky power pack.

 

Lucky I live in Switzerland then
[EDIT - 15" NP900X4? isn't even available in Switzerland according to Samsung.ch]
I was only going to UK for the keyboard layout.

Did you get it online or in store? as according to Samsung.it the only version available is i5

 

I just got mine, and one of the first things I've noticed about it is that the computer emits a high pitched noise when it's on, regardless of whether the power-pack is on/charging or not.

A little research reckons it's something to do with CPUs when they go into lower power mode. Does anybody else have this problem?

 

Online, from Supernotebook.it, and it is indeed the i7 version. Samsung.it seems to be failing very hard both in accuracy and in usability.

Mine is completely silent when idling. No CPU noise, no whatever. I guess you have something defective.

 

It's querty, here is a picture of the Italian layout, so you can judge it for yourself
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ldr8b665vgvu7gb/P1090094.JPG

 

If it is the CPU whine then does using a high performance power plan stop it? I would note that different people have different sensitivity to high frequency sounds - I might not know if my CPU (actually some nearby capacitors) is whining!

John

 

Thanks appreciate the effort

 

Easy Software Manager had detected a new BIOS: P03AAC "improve system stability". It's made no improvement to my fan noise issue.

Note that the BIOS update disable the Samsung Fast Start and Battery Life Extender so you need to go into Easy Settings to change those (if using them).

John

 

Popped up on mine also, along with some other updates about a week ago and i decided not to update all programmes at the time and since then its not reappeared, in fact I'm not now seeing any updates available, are there any known issues with easy software manager not behaving ?

 

I think I've seen some hints that it is erratic. If you just want the BIOS update then get the BIOS update program off the Samsung website and run it (don't worry about the date - the program manages the BIOS download and update).

John

 

I was not able to search this thread properly (kept getting errors), but was wondering if it's possible to install the Windows 7 32-bit OS on the NP900X4C? I have several 32-bit-only programs which would be very expensive to replace. If it is possible, could someone direct me to the order of operations (in relation to driver installations and the Windows OS installation. Thank you!

 

You've already tested them on the 64 bit version of Windows 7 and they fail?

 

John, could you link the website where I can find the BIOS update? I can't find it on Samsung's website.

By the way, I wonder if they improved their UEFI firmware. It seems that the one shipped on my machine is of horrible quality, it breaks on boot in many different ways, depending on how it feels in a particular moment.

 

Most of the Samsung drivers / software are now 32/64 bit but there are a few exceptions (eg Intel graphics). Go to the X4C download site and get what you need.. My work-around for compatibility with a few old programs is to install VMWare player and an old copy of Windows XP. If you install 32-bit Win 7 then you'll have less than 4GB RAM available. The VM approach uses a chunk of RAM, but only when it's running.

Go to downloads > firmware here and run the BIOS update. That should work, but my update was reported and delivered by Easy Software Manager. I can't comment on UEFI.

John

 

Thanks, Thors.Hammer, for your quick reply. I am unable to install them at all. The installer (and the manufacturer of the software) confirms that the software is not 64-bit compatible. Replacement of the software would cost considerably more than the NP900X4C, so if it's not possible to install the 32-bit Windows 7 OS, I would have to return the Samsung. This I'd rather not do, as I like it.

 

See here for my alternative approach. Upgrading Windows 7 to Pro, with its XP mode, is another option if you don't have a copy of XP available.

John

 

John has suggested one form of virtualization. There are other alternative I thought I would suggest. VMWare of course sells it's Workstation product. You could create a 32bit Windows XP or Windows 7 virtual machine (VM) with it.

Oracle also has a product called VirtualBox that I believe is still free. I haven't tried it in a while.

If the applications you are referring to don't have a legacy USB device or something that is required, a VM should do the trick.