Samsung 15" Series 9 NP900X4C with Ivy Bridge CPU

These days...
How do you spend $2000 for a (granted) nice machine but with No GPU beside on-board HD4000.
I find this inadequate for the price and time.

 

The SSD is a U100 yes. Why?

I did a trial of the laptop in a pitch black room.
Turns out that the backlight is working, its just very very dim, and there's no appreciable difference between minimum and maximum setting.
Is that normal?

 

It has notoriously poor results in some tests. See here.

The backlightling is did. It's an electroluminescent sheet not the usual LED due to thickness considerations. However, while the keyboard does not glow, the lettering is visible in poor lighting.

John

 

Thanks.
Shame, might buy a new SSD for it sometime in the near future.

Any idea why my USB 3.0 ports don't work?
The drivers are installed, but any devices plugged in just don't get detected.

 

Odd, reinstalled the USB drivers and it now works!?
So it appears to be all working now.

Anyone else find that the fan noise when it kicks in to be a little "grindy" ?

& any recommendations on SSD replacements, or is the Corsair M4 the way to go?

 

Samsung 830 SSDs should come on sale more and more often now that the 840 is set to release. I would opt for an 830, 840, crucial m4 or Intel 520.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Unless im missing something obvious, are you aware that neither Samsung nor Intel make mSATA SSDs that are available to buy as a consumer?

The M4's are available though, although speed wise they are slower than a normal M4.

 

yes, you are missing... Samsung 830 Series mSATA PCIe 256GB interne SSD-Festplatte: SSD-Speicher Preisvergleich - Preise bei idealo.de

 

I didn't realize the inquiry was for msata. It was late No Intel msata that I know of.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

You can pay a lot less than $2000 for a machine with a discrete GPU, but don't expect it to be as thin as a Series 9. I don't think I'm unique in wanting less thickness and weight but don't need more graphics power.

The driver package also includes a USB 3.0 firmware update. It's possible that this hadn't been applied by Samsung.

Mine's not "grindy" but it's quite noticeable when it speeds up.

Crucial (not Corsair) m4 mSATA seems to be the current best compromise between price and performance.

And if you think everything is now working OK then read this thread about IRST.

John

 

Just bought this laptop but am truely shocked by the appalling speeds of the Sandisk SSD. Has any 900X4C owners actually got a non Sandisk U100 SSD. I am thinking of sending mine back for a replacement to see if I get a non Sandisk SSD. I read that not all series 9 laptops have the Sandisk SSD by default. Is this the case for the 15 inch version?

 

90%, maybe more, of the 128GB X4Cs have the U100 but only a few U100s have been reported in the 256GB version (not available everywhere).

The sequential read / write speeds of the U100 are reasonably good. Its failing is with multiple queued random access. If you can't buy a 256GB X4C then the DIY upgrade is an attractive option because it also gives you a usable amount of space. 128GB is very cramped.

John

 

My 900X4C has a Samsung 128GB SSD.

 

Which model / country / month?

John

 

Not seeing any news on the web about Samsung's NYC Event going on today, Oct 15th. Supposed to be announcing the new Series 9 Windows 8 Models. Anyone here found out anything about it?

Samsung setting stage for Windows 8 at Oct. 15 event | News | TechRadar

edit: looks like it didn't start until 7:00pm EST, late start time for an event! Still not finding any news on it though and we are an hour in...

 

There are only so many news cycles between now and 10/26. I'm sure the gadget sites will spill the beans when the embargo comes off. I am waiting to see if my inside source is right or wrong.

I'm hoping for a silver 15" with a PLS screen. I would settle for a 13.3" in silver with 8GB of RAM.

I'm not picky.

 

Here's the news. Nothing Series 9 related.

Samsung's Ultra Touch Windows 8 ultrabook to start at $809.99 | The Verge

 

900X4C-A01AU. Australian. Maybe around 3 months ago.

 

I was lucky to get one with the Samsung SSD.

Bought it int the beginning of June, first batch that came to Sweden,
and it is the NP900X4C-A01SE model.

Per

 

Hmm I dont know whether to return this laptop. Bought it from amazon for £830 including cashback so thought it was a good price.

I didnt realise this laptop was due a refresh and all this talk of a touch screen silver version coming out wants me to return it even more. However, I would want a HD matte screen and a price tag below £1000.

Is it a bad time to be buying a series 9 right now?

 

I would consider £830 to be a good price. I would consider rumours of a refresh to be wishful thinking (but would like to be proved wrong). I would like the PLS panel but have no use for touch screen on a normal notebook (it's a challenge to keep it clean without encouraging people to touch it).

If you want silver then get the NP900X4D (unpainted magnesium alloy and slightly lighter) but there's a big price premium (and Win 7 Pro). Samsung's support site lists an NP900X4D-A03UK but it's not listed by any etailers.

I would recommend that you ditch any inclination towards buyer's remorse and enjoy the fact that you paid about £350 less than I paid 4 months ago. And when you feel the need for a bit more speed or storage capacity then read this thread.

John

PS: See this report about new Samsung models. I can't see anything different about the new Series 9s apart from "Premium" in the name. A look through the Samsung download site reveals no new X4 series but there's an NP900X3E without any other details.

 

If Samsung is going to announce a silver 15" PLS Series 9, they have until about noon on October 23rd. After that, there's no guarantee I'll have funds reserved.

 

Hmmm no mention of DisplayPort in this vagueish news item. This X3A is going to stay with me until something "X3A"-ish with DisplayPort comes out.

Actually feels kinda peaceful like this not having to worry about buying something.

 

Does upgrading the SSD on the x4c-a01us help significantly with speed, reliability?

I just bought a i5/8gb/128gb Series 9 15" and it sometimes feels glitchy....sort of gets stuck/frozen just for 1-2sec. I wasn't even heavily using it....just MS Word, Outlook, Firefox w/ 10 tabs and maybe chrome with a few tabs on at the same time (plus crashplan/dropbox/symantec on in system tray, but nothing backing up or anything). I ran all this and MUCH MORE on my HP Envy i7 quad w/ 12gb of RAM and 160gb Intel ssd + ATI Radeon and never had any problems.

Thinking upgrading to the Sam 830 256gb SSD will solve this, what do you guys think?

Or will that one not even fit?

 

Hi,

I'm new to this board but have done quite a lot of reading on it today. I have a 900x4c ao1us

I just bought it and love it so far. However I had it hooked up to my tv via mini hdmi. Has anyone every experienced slight sound or video lag and choppiness from time to time? In two hours It probably happened a dozen or so times. Viewing video via windows media player. Any ideas as to why this would be occurring?

Thanks

 

I gotta say I just bought this today from Bestbuy. It was an open box item drastically reduced. But it has very poor wireless reception. I read in this thread that some experienced wireless issues but hoped I got one without issues. I have tried every driver and software update available from Microsoft and Samsung and nothing works so far. does anyone have any suggestions? Would Samsung replace the wireless module if i called and complained? Has anyone tried that route? If it does not get better I am going to return it in then next few days. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

Mine has some wireless issues as well. Maybe I should just return the dam* thing. It just looks good and is slim/light, but the hassle is too much to pay for those features. Unfortunately, the x1c is way too expensive for me....might just go to a reliable t430s....or maybe just wait a week or two for the t430u to come out.

 

I would guess that your SSD is the Sandisk U100 which has notoriously poor performance when doing multiple concurrent input / output. To upgrade you need an mSATA SSD. The Crucial m4 probably gives the best the best price / performance. Read here what it did to my X4C.

We need to diagnose whether the problem is hardware or software.

The first step is to set the WiFi to maximum performance (ie minimum power saving) in the Windows power management. Then use InSSIDer to look at the WiFi behaviour. In addition to showing other conflicting WiFi channels it will show the signal strength. If it's in the -40 to -50dB range then the throughput should be OK (ie suspect the driver settings). If the strength is -70 or -80 dB or worse then you have a weak signal problem. Personally I would be removing the base to check whether the antennae are plugged in correctly onto the WiFi card. But note that the antennae and card are only 2 x 2 and not the 3 x 3 configuration of cards such as the Intel 6300 so you will never match the latter's throughput.

John

 

Thanks for the reply John! My wireless strength is consistently around 50dB. I am only about 15 feet from my wireless router. There are other wireless devices in the house that have no issues at all.
The wireless adapter is the Intel Centrino 6235. The WiFi is set to maximum in the power saving settings for both battery and plugged in. I have tried searching for the latest drivers from Intel using the the Samsung driver utility and manually searching myself. The Samsung utility says it has the latest drivers already installed and there are no further updates available. The drives I downloaded from Intel say the latest drivers for my card are already installed as well. I will remove the back casing later and check the wires and make sure they are seated correctly. Thank for you help. Please let me know if I should try something else. Thanks John....you are huge help on this forum!

 

50dB should give fairly good throughput. What speed are you seeing? I've just run Speedtest on my X4C which is also reporting -50dB and got download speeds of 5.8, 12.5 and 14.9Mb/s (on a 60MB/s connection so I normally used a LAN cable when at my desk).

Did you try using the Intel driver update utility?

The settings in this thread may also be worth trying.

John

 

Thanks John......My internet speeds from the NP900X4C are right around 12 to 15 MBs download. That is about what I get from other laptops in the house. But as soon as I leave the 10 feet radius and direct line of sight the signal drops. Also I use a bluetooth mouse. But if I turn off bluetooth my wireless speed and stability increases dramatically. I did try the Intel driver update utility already to make sure i had the latest drivers but it had no impact.
Thanks for the thread link for the wireless router settings. I think I have my router optimized already. I have other laptops and wireless devices that have no problem connecting throughout the house and even outdoors on my back patio. So the wireless issue is only with the Samsung series 9. I have a XPS 15z and MBP and iPad and iMac and cell phones all connecting without an problems. Thanks for the help. I posted on the Samsung Laptop Facebook page asking for help and am waiting to hera back from them. I am also going to call Samsung tomorrow and see what they say.....
Thank you so much for the help John! You rock!

James

 

What you are seeing is similar to my own experience and I bought an external WiFi adapter as backup in case poor WiFi became a problem during my travels. However, so far it has not been needed (or more accurately it didn't manage to connect at one hotel with a very weak signal).

The underlying problem with the WiFi is that a thin metal case doesn't make it easy to include good antennae (in normal notebook they are usually along the top edge of the display). The X4C's antennae are on the back edge of the chassis between the hinges where the casing is plastic, but there is still a lot of metal in close proximity. It's a compromise that I have learned to live with but hope that manufacturers will figure out ways to improve the situation.

John

 

Thank you so much for all of your help John. I ma going to return the laptop today. I just feel like I should not have to go through this much effort to get the laptop to be fully functional. I was trying to make it work because I got it as an open box item for only $825. But this is the first laptop that i have ever had to jump through so many hoops right out of the box to get it going....and still not fully functional. I can't live with the weak or no signal wireless issue......that is a deal breaker for me. Thanks for your help!

James

 

Wow for $825 I would just buy it directly from you. Brand new, but just opened box, for $825??

 

I think my trackpad issue is also probably a ssd issue. Because sometimes it just works very well and sometimes it's glitchy. Anyway, still about a $200 upgrade from the $1100 I already paid (refurbished) = $1300. And the wireless will still be weird/slow because of, like you're saying, antenna placement. That sounds like too hefty a price to pay for sleekiness/mobility. I'm considering just getting an x230 with a more powerful processor for about $1k after installation of a Sam 830 256gb. If jamezr would sell me his for about $900 including shipping then I'd be at $1100 with the crucial drive...which would be enough of a deal for me.

 

In Task Manager try changing the priority of ETDCtrl.exe and ETDCtrlHelper.exe to "Above normal". I think that reduced the occasional pad non-responsiveness that I used to have. [Note that it may take a few attempts to make the changes to priorities to stick.]

John

 

I've upgraded my ssd to the crucial m4 and it didnt make a difference. Changing the priority of both process to high made a minor improvement, but sometimes my trackpad just stops working completely for a few minutes at a time, often after opening the lid and waking from sleep.

Honestly the only thing stopping me from sending it back (maybe mine is just particularly bad?) is that i need it more a less every day now and cant afford to not have it for a few weeks

 

My pad often doesn't work after resuming from hibernation. The work-around is to shut the lid for 20 seconds to let the computer go to sleep then open it again. This is a basic hardware issue that might be solvable at the BIOS level although Samsung UK support recommend to reinstall Windows (I don't think they have hands-on experience of IRST to appreciate that it works outside Windows). I hope that they passed the issue to HQ, but I doubt it. My pad also occasionally briefly stops working at other times but only for a few seconds.

John

 

John, I believe these are either Windows issues or drivers issues, not BIOS ones. I am using Linux and my pad works beautifully after hibernation, and does never get stuck. On the other hand, lid events recognition under Linux is a pain.

 

I am using not Windows hibernation / resume but Intel Rapid Start Technology which doesn't even prompt for a BIOS password (when set) when it wakes up so it's plausible, in my opinion, that it sometimes wakes up faster than the system level touchpad software. If you are using IRST with Linux then my theory may be wrong.

John

 

That makes lot of sense. I am not using IRST at the moment, but that is a thing that I should be trying to fix in the future. I have seen some docs from Intel about the use of IRST for Linux, I just have to take the bite and try it!

 

I bought an NP900X4C-A01IT one month and a half ago, so far so good, I'm really satisfied.
Glad it came with a Samsung SSD, it's very very fast.



I followed this thread before buying in order to get some relevant information (thanks John!), at least for me - for sure I left out some useful ones... (have them in a txt file not updated since one month and a half, John if you want to take a look at it in order to update the first post I can send it to you).

Question time: I have updated Easy Software Manager today and it warns me there are some available updates (see screenshot below).


I was wondering where they come from since I can't track those version numbers either on samsung.com or samsung.it driver download section (they both list older driver versions...). Is it safe to update?

Thanks

 

Guys, I need some help here...

I need to know if you guys have installed and running, the My Wifi utility (on start menu and on the notification tray) that comes with the Intel PROSet/Wireless Wifi Software?!?!

I'm asking this cause, cause I exposed my problem at the Intel community forums, here --> Why my laptop doesn't have My Wifi installed ?? and a guy supposedly from Intel, respond to me that the Wifi adapter that comes with our laptops, the Intel Advanced-N 6235, doesn't support the My Wifi utility!!!
I found this very strange, cause our adapter is like from the top wifi adapters from intel wifi adapters!!! like you can see here Intel® Wireless Product Selection Guide

Please, tell me about it...

 

You are lucky that the i7 CPU + 256GB SSD is offered in your country.

Easy Software Manager looks in a database somewhere so it is likely to be more up-to-date than the download web pages. I would recommend that you update everything except Easy Support Center and Easy Fileshare (which you may not use). The current BIOS version is P04AAC while you are still on the original P01AAC (I would note that the update resets some options such as the Battery Life Extender).

I would also note that I have just run ESM to check for new updates and it has updated itself to version 2 which has a new user interface which appears to include the facility to download and save all the Samsung software and drivers to an external device.

John

 

Hey John, can you help me out here??

 

I haven't tried using My WiFi and haven't got it installed. However, I agree with you that the Intel web page shows that the 6235 card supports My WiFi. Have you searched in c:\Program Files\Intel\WiFi\bin\ to see if the program is there? (Try running all the .exe files to see what happens).

John

 

Thanks for the answer.
Is there some update I should install prior than others? Maybe BIOS?
Apart from settings like Battery Life Extender, will the update affect other important ones (i.e. IRST, etc)?

 

I would update the BIOS first. The BIOS update may also change other parameters that you can adjust in Easy Settings but will not affect other programs. So first update the BIOS then Easy Settings and work through its options to make sure they are what you want.

And when you run Easy Software Manager you will probably find that it updates itself.

John

 

I run all the exe but none was My Wifi... I guess Intel has made something wrong but don't want admit that... but don't know why the reason....


Another subject, I already received the email from microsoft to upgrade to win8.

What you guys think of it?!?!
Never tried on the this laptop, and I'm not that fancy about win8.... but if you guys for example, tell me that win8 on our laptops increaded the battery life... I will do the update...
Does anyone can tell me if affected the battery life in a good, bad or the same way?!?!

 

Hi guys,

I dont know if youre aware of my saga with this laptop and samsung. Just briefly, bought from amazon US in july and moved to the UK right after. 1 month later the laptop suddenly stopped and of course i went to the repair service, since i had just bought it and had international warranty. After 2 months of trying to fix and even asking for a new laptop, they came to the conclusion that the only option would be getting a new laptop. All fine if samsung accepted, but apparently, because my device was bought in US and im in the UK, they cant give me a new one (warranty limitations).


I dont know what else to do, the repair service seem to be trying but now it came to a point that they cant fix it nor give me a new one. I dont even have to mention that im without a laptop, which i bought to commute to my master everyday. Its been so stressful, so if you know any legal action i could take or any further info about this warranty limitation ill be glad.



Cheers