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    Samsung 15" Series 9 NP900X4C with Ivy Bridge CPU

    Discussion in 'Samsung' started by John Ratsey, Mar 10, 2012.

  1. crackertime

    crackertime Notebook Consultant

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    Sorry, that was my fault.
     
  2. Beakerzor

    Beakerzor Newbie

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    omg, so envious

    thanks
     
  3. woodpile

    woodpile Notebook Guru

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    Oh, and as for the build quality - every bit as good as a MBA, imo. It's solid, no flex in anything. No mushiness in the keyboard. Lid closes square and tight. This is VERY impressive.

    Wireless signal is "excellent" and that's going thru several walls.

    Just tested SD slot with a class 10 card and 800mb of photos - took about 24 seconds to copy them all to the system.
     
  4. acerbits

    acerbits Notebook Consultant

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    im trying to decide between the 13 and the 15 inch, so hard!
     
  5. Beakerzor

    Beakerzor Newbie

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    I called my local BestBuy about the NP900X4C-A03US and they said if they get them today, it probably won't be on the floor until around 2 or 3pm. Wish me luck.
     
  6. Brian_D

    Brian_D Notebook Guru

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    Thanks...this is great news! I've been waiting for a model with TPM since its release in Feb. Nobody has confirmed the 13" A02 has TPM yet but I suspect Samsung is sticking with their practice of including a TPM on any version that ships with Windows Professional. Now I just have to decide on 13" vs. 15" :confused:

    I'm in the same boat. I prefer the 13" form factor, but I just don't see those specs meeting my needs for very long. I could live with an i5, upgrade the SSD, but the 4GB with no upgrade option is hard to get over.
     
  7. BlakeRoss

    BlakeRoss Notebook Consultant

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    Yeah 4GB is a problem. This thing looks nice, but already at $1800 to have to upgrade the drive, and deal with the slower CPU with limited RAM is a total deal breaker. I'm going with the Z5C for sure
     
  8. acerbits

    acerbits Notebook Consultant

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    I'm considering the updated vaio z as well tbh, it's a tiny bit thicker at 0.66inches, comes with quad core ivy, 8gb ram and 256gb ssd for about 1950.
     
  9. sylvester94

    sylvester94 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Pity that the screen appears to not be PLS, if it had been either PLS or IPS like the 13” it would have been a complete no brainer for me, guess I’ll have to either have to see one in the flesh or wait for the reviews to see what sort of gamut coverage it provides.

    More importantly though has anyone heard when we might expect to see the i7 256GB model ship in the UK ? the larger SSD is going to be as must for me
    Seems that the X03 model is available in the US and also Germany
     
  10. Isira

    Isira Newbie

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    I spotted this while looking at Amazon. [ Link]
    The 13" NP900X3C-A02US is spec'd with 8GB RAM.

    Edit: Nevermind. My eyes are playing tricks on me.
     
  11. Brian_D

    Brian_D Notebook Guru

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    I see "4 GB DDR3 RAM". Am I missing something?
     
  12. M4rauder

    M4rauder Notebook Consultant

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    Thanks, woodpile. Would you be able to take a picture of the screen next to another laptop with the same background as a comparison?
     
  13. Pirx

    Pirx Notebook Virtuoso

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    The one thing that I am really dying to find out is the quality of the screen. All the other specs are pretty much perfect. Heck, it looks like this thing performs close to my main workstation laptop (Dell Dimension M6400), and that's saying something. I have never seen the famed PLS screen of the 13" model, so I don't have a direct comparison. Mine is supposed to arrive sometime after June 07, but so far I have no shipping confirmation from Amazon. We shall see...
     
  14. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    The problem with the NP900X4C isn't the screen. It's the price. The only flaws I can really think of now for the 15" is the lack of DisplayPort, warranty for the price, and the support channel.
     
  15. woodpile

    woodpile Notebook Guru

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    Ok, before you view, I really hate to even put these up here. I took them with Nikon P7000 and the SS9 looks washed out, but it's not at all. Maybe it's because it's so much brighter than the D630 that it's sitting beside. Both are set at 100% brightness. The latitude is *very* dark in comparison.

    Still love this laptop. :D
     

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  16. 2.0

    2.0 Former NBR Macro-Mod®

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    Walk good people. Walk good.
     
  17. Beakerzor

    Beakerzor Newbie

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    thanks for posting pics!
     
  18. woodpile

    woodpile Notebook Guru

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    No problem. They REALLY suck tho. This has better viewing angles than the d630 and better color and better brightness and better ... everything. The pictures don't show it, but I'm not a good photographer, so...
     
  19. Beakerzor

    Beakerzor Newbie

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    too bad its not available above 13.1"
    still, 1920x1080 @ 13.1, wow
     
  20. Pirx

    Pirx Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yeah, but it's hard to get a fair comparison no matter how you slice it. You could try to set the SS9 at lower brightness to match brightness between the two laptops, but then of course you don't see the better brightness of the SS9. Overall, this doesn't look bad, tough.

    Thanks for excising what needed excising! ;)
     
  21. Gromity

    Gromity Newbie

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    Hey guys,

    what are these TPM chips for? A look at wikipedia didn't really help me in understanding their purpose. Do I as a non-professional user need this?
     
  22. CowboyCoder

    CowboyCoder Notebook Evangelist

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    It's basically for disk encryption and VPN authentication etc., so in your capacity as a non-IT professional, in a word - no, you don't need TPM. In fact you need an enterprise setup to even make use of it.
     
  23. Gromity

    Gromity Newbie

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    Ok thanks.
    btw:
    My 900x4c will arrive tomorrow but I only ordered the 128GB SSD version and now I am a bit worried that it will not be enough. What is the best way to extend the space? External HDD, a USB flash drive or this SD-card thing that was descibed earlier in a series 9 thread? I think I would be fine with another 100gb or something.

    I've read that SSDs don't like it very much if you fill them up completely because then only the small free part will be used for saving data all the time and therefore these segments wear down very quickly. To what extend would you fill a SSD with data?
    I thought that besides the OS, some programmes and maybe .doc .xlss, I should place all data (music, video) on an external storage.

    Would that make sense or have SSDs become more robust in the meantime?
     
  24. M4rauder

    M4rauder Notebook Consultant

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    Thanks as well for the pics! I used to have a D620 for work.

    As you said, it's hard to get a true sense of the quality ;) Based on the viewing angles, though, it's obvious that it is not PLS.
     
  25. Beakerzor

    Beakerzor Newbie

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    I called BustBuy about the "NP900X4C-A03US" and they said they don't even see any "in transit" which usually means it they won't have it for at least two weeks.

    : (
     
  26. wulftone

    wulftone Notebook Enthusiast

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    To those that have the "C" (I know there's one or two of you).. a few questions:

    1. How's the battery life in an average day of office use (I'm a programmer)?
    2. Is the screen pretty nice, despite not being the oh-so-fantastic-and-fabled PLS?
    3. Is it usable outside, for example, on a sunny day at a park?

    Everything else about it I already love, having tried the "A" and "B" versions, so if these things pan out well, I'll be ready to buy, even if they come out with a PLS version in three months... : P
     
  27. snoopy1710

    snoopy1710 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Does anyone know when the NP900X4C-A03US is going to be available?

    Thanks

    Snoopy
     
  28. Brian_D

    Brian_D Notebook Guru

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    I believe woodpile ordered his from Amazon and already received it. They currently just show 3-5 weeks on the site though.
     
  29. snoopy1710

    snoopy1710 Notebook Enthusiast

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    How do you buy one with 3 years support (in-home service, next business day)?

    Thanks

    Snoopy
     
  30. go45cvi

    go45cvi Notebook Deity

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    You can buy an aftermarket 256GB SSD ($300) and install yourself. Then sell the old one on ebay.

    MyDigitalSSD 256GB 50mm BP3 Bullet Proof 3 mSATA 6G SSD | My Digital Discount

    I wouldn't worry about SSD wear and tear either. Don't go above 90% obviously, but by the time you've done 100k+ write cycles you can replace the drive for pennies on the dollar. On the other hand the battery wear and tear...

    Battery life for the B was about 8 hours on the engadget test (constant video loop, wifi on). So maybe 8.5 with IVB. Can't say about the screen, seems like it's the same as the B so you could ask on that thread.
     
  31. woodpile

    woodpile Notebook Guru

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    1. Haven't had enough time to tell. Seems fine. Get through a whole day writing code, disconnected, doubt it. But I stay plugged in most of the time.

    2. Yes. Very bright. Good viewing angles. Good enough for me. I'm not picky, but this is good.

    3. Haven't had it out, but I don't see why not.

    Got mine today. Love it.
     
  32. FickleLove

    FickleLove Notebook Guru

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    Does anyone know what the difference is between the 3C's PLS screen and the 4C's 400 nit regular screen? Viewing angle. And?
     
  33. urbanglowcam

    urbanglowcam Notebook Deity

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    I've handled both in person at different Microsoft stores. The 3C's screen is much better. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the 4C for my own use since I'm a graphic designer. It's more dull IMO but probably better than your average laptop due to being matte and 1600 x 900.

    There's an article on the issue where a Samsung exec even admitted to it.

    Samsung exec admits the 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better viewing angles -- Engadget
     
  34. nkhalique7

    nkhalique7 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Does anyone know when the 900X4D will be out in the UK? I assume it will have the same screen as 4C which is very disappointing as this was a very important consideration for me.

    I'll also be checking out the Lenovo carbon X1 which looks like a really nice alternative.

    It's a real shame Samsung couldn't get the screen right at that price.
     
  35. FickleLove

    FickleLove Notebook Guru

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    To people who are not graphic designers, would you say 15" would be good enough so to speak? I'm a bit sensitive towards matters such as this, and I'm being pulled towards the PLS for no real reason. My main concern with the 3C is that the 13" will be too small for mostly table-top use. I watch ALOT of videos as well.

    Also, what exactly was "better?"
     
  36. domovoi

    domovoi Notebook Enthusiast

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    Are you sure it was the 4C? The Microsoft store I went to this past weekend was modeling a 4B, and the 4C's screen is supposedly better (though not PLC). The article you linked to is also talking about the 4B.
     
  37. wulftone

    wulftone Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ditto. I just called the microsoft store, here in Seattle, and they don't know when they'll be getting the 4C. I have tried the 4B there and really enjoyed it, but I'm just biding my time for the ivy bridge version.
     
  38. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    I agree the article is likely talking about the Sandy Bridge NP900X4B, but it isn't conclusive. The executive could have been referring to both the 4B and 4C.
     
  39. John Ratsey

    John Ratsey Moderately inquisitive Super Moderator

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    I think the better viewing angle of the PLS panel is the key difference. See the side by-side photos in my X3B review. The colour gamut is also above-average (but not wonderful).

    John
     
  40. FickleLove

    FickleLove Notebook Guru

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    So it seems that the average person wouldn't specifically need the 3's PLS, though I can't really say since I haven't seen them side by side.
     
  41. wulftone

    wulftone Notebook Enthusiast

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    When I compared the 3B to the 4B, side by side, the difference was noticeable, but not crazily different. The 4B's screen was still much nicer than my Samsung R580's screen, so... they're both still very nice screens compared to stuff that's only two years older. The graphic designers in this thread may want to wait, I dunno...
     
  42. FickleLove

    FickleLove Notebook Guru

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    Now that the 4C has a 400nit screen, it may be even less noticeable?
     
  43. edhawk

    edhawk Notebook Enthusiast

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    I stopped back by my local Best Buy today and they did have the NP900X4C-A01US model on display. $1399.
    The good news it does have 8gb of ram installed.
    The bad news is I wasn't at all impressed by the screen.
    Viewing angles were not great and certainly a major step down from the glass in my Series 7 gamer.
    I loved the feel of it, size, screen size, etc. But I don't think I could justify dropping $1400 on it. They didn't have the 13 inch model on display so I couldn't compare those side by side.
    Patiently waiting now to see the new Asus models in person.
     
  44. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    I've been wrestling with this in my head the past few days. Here we have a couple of chassis with the potential to be the top ultrabook class machines on the market but with limitations.

    The 13.3" machine is limited to 4GB of memory and 1920x1080 output. Bump the RAM to 8GB and put mini DP on it, and it would be perfect. At least for me it would.

    The 15" machine is limited by the screen (which is still good) and 1920x1080 output. Change the screen to PLS and put mini DP on it and it would be perfect.

    By buying either, you have to accept the limitations. Limitations at these prices is a hard pill to swallow.

    So close, yet so far.
     
  45. FickleLove

    FickleLove Notebook Guru

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    I read people saying they weren't impressed by the 4C's screen, but they never go into more detail than worse viewing angle than PLS...............
     
  46. chucrute

    chucrute Newbie

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  47. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Neither has killer color gamut support. The 13.3" PLS shines because it is extremely crisp with the 1600x900 resolution in the 13.3" size. The contrast is excellent so reading black text on white background is very good.

    Because the viewing angles are excellent, you aren't constantly adjusting the LCD lid angle as you move around in your seat. This is a problem on crappy displays like my previous ThinkPad T420. The 13.3" Samsung has no such problem and the 15" is rather minor.

    The 15" unit I received in mid April was not calibrated very well. As a result, the colors were a little too cool. Most people would notice this as a blueish tint. The 13.3" on the other hand was very warm and looked as good as you are going to get it, right from the factory. Calibrating the 15" screen should help quite a bit.

    Both screens are very bright. 400 nits is overkill for most people. Even 340 nits was fine on the Sandy Bridge 15" units. If you work outside or poolside in the summer, the new 400 nit screen will come in handy.

    The 15" screen is above average compared to the rest of the market. I am referring to the 14" market because when you step up to 15.6", there are a number of wonderful FHD screens out there from HP, Lenovo, Dell, etc.

    I would not worry about the 15" screen if you aren't a photographer or video producer. The colors and brightness are plenty good for the majority of the folks out there. Specially for office productivity, surfing the web, etc.

    The 15" machine is more flexible when it comes to expansion since you can bump the RAM to 16GB. With a 256GB SSD, it becomes one powerful machine but it is considerably larger than the 13.3".

    Yea, it's a really touch choice.

    You can buy external optical drives at any computer store. There are many choices and the prices range from really cheap to rather expensive for Blu-ray burners.

    The Series 9 notebooks come with an Ethernet dongle.
     
  48. John Ratsey

    John Ratsey Moderately inquisitive Super Moderator

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    There are few occasions (eg working outside) where a dazzlingly bright 400 nit display is actually needed. I find that 5/8 brightness is fine on my X3B for indoor use. That's brighter than some other notebooks at full brightness.

    John
     
  49. CowboyCoder

    CowboyCoder Notebook Evangelist

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    My NP900X4C arrived today. Initial impressions, love the look and feel. After having a play for an hour or two, here are my main thoughts...

    Keyboard - not as bad as I thought. Shallow depth not an issue at all, but does rattle about a bit - not as refined as my Dell Latitude E6400's but I can live with it.

    Trackpad - nice, big, easy to use. On the downside, I really hate the loud mechanical clunk when you click the 'buttons'. So much so, that I opted to leave the tap to click option switched on. Again, won't really be an issue as I use a wireless Logitech mouse most of the time anyway.

    Screen - definitely not PLS, but on a par with the E6400's (I must have got lucky because some Dell's have awful panels, but that thing was immense).

    I'm now installing my apps and will decide over the course of the evening whether or not to keep it or return it under the distance selling regulations for a refund and get another business grade such as the HP EliteBook. At the moment, my current thinking is that I will keep it.

    One thing I did find annoying is the SanDisk SSD. It scores a lowly 6.1 on the Windows Index - the Intel X-25M SSD in my Latitude was tw years old and that scores a 7.6, so that's a bitter pill to swallow for such a premium machine. Does anyone know how reliable WEI scores are? I did a CrystalMark benchmark and it out-performed the Intel on Sequential Read/Write by a significant margin, but on the 128K and 512k read/write it was significantly slower.

    Disk experts, any comments on this please?

    Final question - recovery partition. I got a Win7 DVD with the documentation so I presume the OS can be restored from that, and it's not just a silly companion DVD to use with the recovery partition? That being the case, I will blow it away and reclaim the disk space. The Samsung utliities don't really interest me, but I can download those again if I need them.

    Any driver updates I should be aware of, out of the box?

    Thanks all.
     
  50. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    CowboyCoder,

    Are you in the US? Who did you order from? Did you get the A03 256GB model?

    Regarding the Windows DVD, it's probably just vanilla Windows 7 with no drivers for the Samsung Series 9. But you can download the drivers from Samsung.com

    Or, you can make the Recover Disks using the built-in backup/recovery solution.
     
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