Samsung 15" Series 9 NP900X4C with Ivy Bridge CPU

I am very happy with my 2 1/2 year old NP900X4C, and I don't see any good reason to replace it in the near future. However the battery is gradually losing it. Does anyone know the part number and sources for quality batteries? I don't mind replacing it myself.

 

There are two part numbers to look for: BA43-00344A as indicated here and AA-PBXN8AR as indicated here.

John

 

I have a NP900X4C-A03CA 15" screen with the i7 and 8GB Ram, 240GB SSD. My question is on quieting the fan.... without kneecapping it using settings which kills the performance by knocking the CPU down to 900MHz.... A lot of times I find the fan is very high pitched... it is clean as I have checked that. Has anyone had any luck cooling these or changing the fan pitch? The fan seems to start at 50C I like to use virtual Box so this does put strain however I am getting very annoyed at the noise. Is there a better program for controlling fan speed than settings?
First time poster
Thanks
Mark

 

No one that I know of has figured out a way to manually override Samsung's fan settings. The 13.3" X3C has two fans and keeps relatively cool and quiet but Samsung decided, for reasons only known to themselves, to give the X4C only one fan.

Possible remedial measures are (i) check the cooling system is clean and repaste the CPU and (ii) go to Power Management > Advanced Options > Maximum Processor State and see the effect of reducing it to 90% or below (use HWiNFO to show the processor speed as you change this value). You will probably find a compromise maximum speed of around 2700MHz (whatever is the fastest non-turbo mode speed) that keeps the fan from entering its noisiest speed range.

John

 

Thanks, anyone have any feedback on laptop coolers for this model? Wondering if that might help?
What is the supposed difference in Settings between auto and low? they both seem to do the same thing....

 

Thanks John for the pointers.

Does anyone have experience of a reliable source? Some of the ones on Ebay state refurbished, so that means the cells will be of unknown quality, and others are generic copies. Is it worth paying the 50% premium to buy one from Samsungparts?

 

Activate 'Silent mode', then use Throttlestop to remove the downclock lock.
More info in this thread: Silent mode

 

Just a few post back I was writing about a screen issue. I took the laptop apart once again. Disconnected the battery, the screen and reconnected everything hoping it was a connection issue but it was not.

Is there any say I could troubleshoot this to figure out if my screen really is the problem?

 

Both the alternatives I can think of will cost money.

The most definitive option is to try a replacement display unit. However, they aren't cheap unless you can find one that is guaranteed OK but has come from a dead notebook.

An alternative is to try a VGA dongle (not the micro HDMI VGA adapter because it is more likely that pure VGA will be picked up by the BIOS and/or using FN+F4) connected to a monitor with a VGA input. However, those dongles are now in short supply and I've seen some silly prices but you might finda source where you can return your purchase without too much hassle if it doesn't work.

John

 

John, Anyone,
I am really happy with my S9, so I plan to upgrade the SSD and I have ordered a new battery. I saw you once mentioned having a 1TB Samsung 840 EVO. Will this part number MZ-M5E1T0BW model 850 EVO SSD fit too? http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TGIVRYU/ I am not sure that all mSata are alike.

 

As far as I know and in my experience, all mSATA SSDs conform to a single standard (unlike M.2 which has a confusing number of varieties).

I cannot think of any reason why the 850 EVO mSATA would not work in the X4C. Also the 850 EVO is preferable to the older 840 EVO as it is thought to not suffer from the read slowdown problem.

John

 

Hi All,

I know I'm late to this party, but I've read nearly from the beginning.

I recently purchased an np900x4c-a07us that I found in a "new old stock" deal for what I felt was a pretty good deal. I've had an np900x3a-b01ub that I got refurbished for a few year, and I've done really well, so I felt like moving up. I've updated the x4c to Windows 8.1 and it came with BIOS version P10ABK.

I put a 1TB Samsung 840 EVO mSATA drive, model mz-mte1t0bw in it which I had in the x3a, along with 16GB of Kingston HyperX ram, model HX316LS9IBK2/16, and an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 wifi card.

So far all seems well with a few weird goings-on.

1st: The keyboard backlight simply will not stay lit. I have every single "adaptive setting" turned off in both Windows power settings and Samsung settings (version 2.0.0.206), but it still goes out. Sometimes it will stay on for a few minutes, and sometimes it turns off almost immediately. If I cover the ambient light sensor it will stay lit, but I'd really rather find the proper solution rather than stick a piece of tape over the sensor. This happens in all but the darkest of rooms, my eyes are old, but I can't believe how sensitive they've made this setting. I would like to just turn it off, but it's really proving hard to do. Any thoughts?

2nd: A couple times the BIOS hasn't recognized the new SSD. Entering the BIOS, and making no changes, and restarting has fixed it, but I'm wondering if anyone has seen anything like that.


Finally, has anyone tried the Windows 10 preview on the x4c? I'm looking forward to Windows 10, but I also have a long history of updates not being all that they're cracked up to be.

 

Welcome.

1. Regarding the keyboard backlight issue, I used the black tape work-around and then forgot there was ever a problem so I've never tried finding a proper solution.

2. I don't recall problems with the computer recognising my 840 EVO SSD but the problem can be caused by the computer trying to boot from the SSD before the SSD has worken up and agreed the interface setting to be used. In the BIOS (tap the F2 key a few times immediately after turning on the computer) on the Advanced page I have the Fast BIOS Mode Enabled and AHCI Model Control set to Auto. You can try the effect of changing those settings. The Fast BIOS mode skips checking bootable USB devices and hence shortens the time before the computer tries to boot. Also, in the Boot Priority list (Boot menu), I have 1. USB CD, 2. USB HDD, 3: SATA HDD (which is actually the SSD).

3. There hasn't been much discussion in this forum about Windows 10. Windows 8 / 8.1 caused Samsung a lot of headaches and cost, particularly for those computers shipped with Windows 7 in the months before the Windows 8 release. However, your computer, with the P**ABK BIOS is not one of those and therefore less likely to have problems with Windows 10. The likely places for problems are with the graphics driver (which needs to be a Samsung version for the brightness controls to work properly) and the Samsung Setting program.

I am planning to not be the first to let Windows 10 install itself but will watch this forum with interest.

John

 

Thanks.

1. Hmm. We'll see. I think I might wait till Windows 10 and see if that miraculously solves the problem. Then I'll resort to the tape.

2. So, funny story: It seems like the SSD not being recognized only crops up after the battery is disconnected or I do a battery reset. On a typical power of/power on cycle the SSD comes just fine. However, my F5 and F6 don't seem active when I get into the BIOS settings (are those "UEFI" settings now? whatever - when I go into setup before boot by pressing F2). I think I read something about someone else having that issue. My Boot order is set to: 1. USB HDD, 2. USB CD, 3. Windows Boot Manager, 4. SATA HDD, 5. USB FDD, 6. Network. I think I read something about using an earlier BIOS for the F-key issue, but at the moment everything seems to be working well, and I'm loathe to foul that up. Maybe I'll do another battery reset and see if that allows me access to the F-keys.

I sort of bought this machine knowing that I'd end up being a Windows 10 guinea pig. After reading lots on both the x4c and Windows 10, along with my experience with x3c, I decided it was worth the risk and should be a fun adventure (I'm sort of masochistic in my computer adventures). My plan is to update the x3c to W10 first and see how that goes, and then update the x4c. I will be sure to report my results.

 

You're welcome to be adventurous of course, but I would recommend holding off on W10 for at least a month. There is nothing game changing (unless you consider Xbox gaming a killer feature) and a lot of potential for problems (drivers). My biggest question is what happens to your W7/W8 key. There have been rumors that once you upgrade to W10, your key is essentially a W10 key and may no longer work for your previous version. I find this hard to believe, but the key issues with W8 were copious, so perhaps. Once I confirm the W10 upgrade does not somehow magically deactivate your W8 license I will kick the tires on my X3G. I only had a couple technical issues when I ran the tech preview, but I found it so unexciting I haven't touched it since last november. Personally, I use WMC which is no longer available in W10, so I will only run it if I can dual boot with one license. I also would want to do a clean install not an in place upgrade.

 

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Your point about the key being converted is a good one, and I will try to research that more before taking the plunge. But, again, I got this box sort of intending to be daring and going for W10 as it becomes available. I'm not really digging W8.1, and a chance to get some of the better elements of W7 with more modern security, performance, and apps of W10 seems enticing enough to go for it. I totally agree about a clean install, and it's my understanding that will be available as part of the update process. But, that's another reason to just get it over with and do it now; I don't want to use the x4c for a month just to have to do a clean install. Again, I'll be sure to report my results, so if it all goes to heck in a handbag you'll get a firsthand report. (And, I would probably even allow an "I told you so" or two.)

 

Could you also report back to this thread that I have specifically started for Windows 10 on Samsung notebooks.

John

 

Definitely will do.

 

I don't think you'll have any problems, but I would mention classic shell brings a very useful start menu to W8.1, but you probably already know that. I'm just wondering if samsung will distribute a W10 version of the elan driver as this was one aspect that didn't work too well for me (and at least one other person IIRC). Maybe W10 will provide the driver as well. Wouldn't mind seeing a W10 Samsung Settings either.

 

Speaking of Settings, I noticed today that my A06US had a slew of Samsung software updates today, including a new "Samsung Update" application. Wonder if that's in preparation for the W10 launch in a few days?

 

So, how is everyone's battery life doing with this machine?
When I got it in 2012 I easily got 6-7 hours out of it. Now I barrely get 3 hours on a full charge. I even used the battery life extender(80% capacity cap) for the first 2 years.
I tried making a battery report with the CMD (powercfg /batteryreport). It shows me that the battery still has a capacity of 59 mWh (Out of the original 62 mWh). So if the report is reliable the battery should be in good shape.
What are you guys' experience with the battery life?

 

My X4C's battery thinks it still has the design capacity but it hasn't had much use on the battery for a while. However, I haven't checked the calibration recently.

Two things you can do:
(i) Run BatteryInfoView and see what it reports. Run time is a function of both battery capacity and the discharge rate. Under light usage with a fairly dim screen the discharge rate should be around 7W.
(ii) Run the battery calibration in the BIOS. To do this properly: Disable battery life extender and fully charge the battery then you can either enter the calibration and leave the computer for some hours (until the computer switches off) or you can use the computer on battery until the charge is low and then enter the battery calibration; once the discharge is complete then fully recharge the battery and check what BatteryInfoView reports.

The battery calibration process resets the empty point on the battery and recalculates the amount of charge it can hold. Over time the stored data for both of these can drift away from the actual situation. Sometimes the calibration results in an increase in the battery capacity. If there is a reduction then it probably means that the battery is wearing out which you can check by running the calibration again.

Now may be a good time to buy a replacement battery if you expect to keep the notebook for a while longer. Prices for these batteries seem to have dropped over the past year but there's the risk that once stocks are gone then they won't be replenished. You can find compatible part numbers from this or this. However, don't get this - that battery is for the X1B and X3A (Digicare, as a main UK service agent, should know better).

John

 

Thanks for the tips.
I've run the calibration. The full charge capacity is 59 mWh according to BatteryInfoView.
I don't know if this is an actual result of the calibration or just confirmation bias, but it seems that the battery is discharging much slower now. I've using 4 to 6 tabs of chrome(Discharge rate between 8-10w) for two hours and forty minutes now and the battery has drained to 60% So that seems much better than before.
Thanks for the help John.

 

Thanks for the update. The battery is looking OK.

John

 

Does anyone updated these models to Win10? Any problems??

 

I didn't have any problems which I reported here. Read the whole thread for more details of possible problems and fixes (note that the X3C is basically the same platform as the X4C and there two BIOS families (P**AAC for pre Windows 8 and P**ABK for post Windows 8).

John

 

Hello,

I'm using np900x4c for almost 2 years now. My avg charge rate is -15W. Can you help me to find the reason why the rate is so high?

Thanks to John Ratsey's messages, I checked batteryinfoview and hwinfo. I modified cpu hz limit, screen/graphic card settings, wifi settings, key lights, bluetooth for maximum battery life. Screen brightness is about %30. In these settings i'm getting 11-12W on idle. I'm getting 15-17W when 10 chrome tabs and a few light weight programs are open. I'm getting 22W when only www.agar.io is open.

I'm using win10. I tried the tests also with completely clean, minimal win8 OS. Almost no difference. I tried the tests with Ubuntu 14.04 OS running from usb. After adjusting power settings via powertop, i get 17W on idle.

Over time the capacity of the battery reduced about %15 but my main problem is charge rate. Can you help me to decrease the charge rate is so high? I appreciate any help!

Also ever since i bought this laptop, the battery never lasted more than 5-6 hours under average use. I checked the OS logs and it says initial battery capacity was 64 which is higher than 62, designed capacity. So the problem is not new.

A side question. If the room temp is higher, would increase in W be considerable?

 

Have you tried resetting the BIOS to the default values?

What CPU speed is HWiNFO showing when the computer is idle, first with no programs except whatever loads on boot and then under light usage? Which power plan have you selected (I always use the Samsung Optimized). What %CPU utilization does Task Manager show? The Sesnors tab in HWiNFO should show the CPU package power consumption. What, typically, is this?

Do any of the websites you use have any Flash content? This can significantly increase the CPU activity.

High room temperature would increase the fan activity, but I wouldn't expect the power used to exceed 1W or 2W.

John

 

I appreciate your help John!

Meanwhile I calibrated the battery, right now the rate is -10W when the mouse is not moving and 5 tabs are opened in chrome, one in notepad++, at 30% brightness. Is it normal? At idle power plan change doesnt improve it more than 0.3W.

>Have you tried resetting the BIOS to the default values?
No. I will do it in the morning. It wouldn't hurt right?

>What CPU speed is HWiNFO showing when the computer is idle, first with no programs except whatever loads on boot and then under light usage?
Do you mean mhz? It mostly depends on power plan. When its high perf at idle it is around 1500mhz. When its samsung optimized or lowest plan, its 800mhz.

>Which power plan have you selected (I always use the Samsung Optimized).
I usually select High Perfermance. At idle power plan doesnt change it more than 0.3W.

>What %CPU utilization does Task Manager show?
On idle <5%. But usually i have around 10 tabs open and i open and close tabs frequently so cpu hits 100% temporarily often.

>The Sesnors tab in HWiNFO should show the CPU package power consumption. What, typically, is this?
On idle it is around 3W. Doesn't chance much when I change the power plan on idle.

>Do any of the websites you use have any Flash content? This can significantly increase the CPU activity.
I use ad blocker. The websites are random so most of them doesn't have flash content I think.

I forget to mention that I use cableless mouse too.

 

I've reset the BIOS. It might improve the rate by 1W. Not sure.

I'm getting 7W on idle when external display is attached.

 

Anyone tried install clean win10?

I am worry abut drivers, because still in SWupdate I don't see drivers for Chipset, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

 

The High Performance power plan is keeping the CPU run faster than necessary, which uses more power. Switch to the Samsung Optimized plan which should allow the CPU to run at 800MHz most of the time.

You can also check the effect of making the display a little dimmer. A reasonable target would be a battery drain of about 6W when on idle. if you still can't get near to that then we will have to start checking if the CPU is not going into the lower power states.

John

 

Under following conditions I get 8W overall and 2.7W CPU package power consumption: I switched to Samsung Optimized. I set the brightness to minimum. I've closed all applications. Wifi and screen settings in power management set to minimum power usage. Bluetooth closed. Wifi open.

When I increase the brigtness to %40, 8W becomes 10W.

Is this normal?

 

I did. External mouse middle click wont work. All else is fine.

 

8W is still a little on the high side. The display backlight has a power consumption range of about 4.5W between minimum and maximum brightness so 2W for 40% brightness is about right.

The next step is to check whether the CPU is going into the low power states. Run throttleStop 6 and press the C1 button. Wait a minute then click on the C state window and press Alt+Fn+PrntSc to capture the Window (or use the snipping tool) and post it in this thread.

John

 

Where is the C1 button?

 

My eyes must be getting worse. Try the C7 button.

John

 

There is no C state window as well

 

You mean this?

 

Yes, and that looks fine. The CPU is having no difficult in getting to the C7 low power state.

Did you check the effect of removing any USB devices, including the mouse?

Which SSD do you have? Check the Link State power management in the power options > PCI Express. Some SSDs are better than others at having low idle power consumption.

John

 

USB device effect is very small. I only use mouse anyway.

Drive Model: SAMSUNG MZMTD128HAFV-000.
Link State power management is set to closed.

 

Hi guys, I have another question.

I never owned a laptop before. This laptops screen cracked without any reason and they replaced whole upper side including keyboard under warranty. When the new keyboard and screen came in, I realized that the laptop I bought was kindof defective. It was very poor quality.

It seems the laptop has inefficient power usage of ~20% and also a 15% decrease in battery life after 1000 cycles. I was wondering if I at least could replace the battery under warranty before it ends? If so, what should I say to convince them?

I actually called samsung support, they said battery must last like 20 minutes for free replacement. Otherwise I have to pay for it

 

Only 15% capacity loss after 1000 charge cycles is very good. Most batteries will be close to dead by then. Are you charging up the battery every night and using the computer on battery in the day time? If so, is this because you have no access to mains power in the day time.

Something else you can check relating to the power consumption problem is to reload the factory image of Windows (after backing up all your files) and see if the same problem occurs with the computer running the operating system and software supplied by Samsung.

John

 

At first yes, then, usually it was over half full at any given time. When I need silence or mobility i remove the charger. I don't let it charge when it reach full. I don't usually let it go 10%.

Battery counts following as 1 cycle I think: "Charge rate of 100>70>100" and that happened a lot of time so real cycle would be lower. Anyway, is it possible to replace it in a way? Battery is dead in 3 hours under normal usage and it might have something to do with the chipset or something else as it is probably a defective device. It would be safer for me to replace the battery than let them inspect other components since samsung support is a bit bad in my country.

I'll try reloading factory image of Windows from my acronis backup. Thanks again!

 

Batteryinfoview will show the current battery capacity.

I would wonder if your battery is down to about half the original capacity: three hours at 8W to 10W power drain combined with Windows never draining the battery would be around 30Whr capacity.

If you can buy from UK ebay then they are selling X4C batteries at reduced price (eg this (the seller is the main Samsung UK service agent)). It's still not cheap but last year they were asking around £150 for this battery. Battery replacement is quite easy. You will need a good quality Philips size 0 screwdriver for the bottom screws and (I think) size 1 for the screws holding the battery.

John

 

Looks like there's a new BIOS update in my Samsung Update program - P11ABK. I'll probably wait until I'm home to do the update tomorrow. Has anyone else jumped on the update? I wonder what changes it makes.

 

I did update, but I don't see any changes.

 

I'm sorry if this is not the proper thread to ask the following question: I own a NP900X4C-A01IT running the original Win7 Home Premium, I would like to know whether upgrading to Windows 10 is advisable (aka fully working in terms of drivers, etc) or not.
Thank you very much.

 

Windows 10 runs OK on this notebook and may be slightly more power efficient. You should uninstall Easy Settings before doing the update and install Settings after the update. Check this thread for any other possible issues. Windows 10 will install most of the required drivers and you then use Samsung's Software Update to do the final updating including Settings.

John

 

Has anyone tried the P11ABK BIOS update? I've become quite sceptical with BIOS updates after past experiences.