Samsung 9 Series laptop (ZX310 / 900X3A) unveiled

That did it. Thanks for the help. I spent quite some time trying to figure this out. I think it was mostly because I didn't uninstall the broadcom drivers before swapping the card. well it's all working now.

 

The unfortunate part of testing the wifi from a manufacturers point of view and that of many users is simply that they sit down where their signal is strong and say, "Yup that works".

I have spent the better part of the week with it at Computex and I can state that it simply does not work from a mobility point of view. We just got back from the Kingston release party at the Bellevita in Taipei where complimentary wifi was provided for all media in the restaurant to get the news out quick. I could not. Even though it showed 4 bars, the max was 2.5Mbps.

I have tried wireless on several occasions throughout the week and have yet to get a signal of the quality that I can publish and article. Everything I have done is plug in. My hotel room, where I am writing this right now, has wifi in it but I am stuck using wired.

Simply put, IMHO, if you are static and want the system just to bop around the house or bring to a place with plug in, all the power to you. If you expect to use it for mobility at all, get an external plug in.

Funny eh...an external pulls full power but the laptop wifi wont. That would mean there is something between the internal antenna and the external wifi getting in the way now wouldnt it.

 

Sad story. Intel or Broadcom?

 

It doesnt matter as it is not the adapter for the most part but 3rd Series 9 with 3rd Intel.

 

I forgot you have a CA version, sorry. Well, my only hope now is 6300 that I selected would do slightly better in different environments.

P.S. We have another connectivity option - Wi-Max (Centrino 6250) Where available...

 

Hi

Got my Samsung yesterday, and not knowing about the wifi problem, i was in for a shock.

Started it up in my livingrom and right away had problems connecting to my wireless network. Since i did not know about the wifi issue and my 4 other laptops never had any problems, i started a 5 hour long testing session. I have worked as an computer tech for 12 years, and i tried every trick in the book.

I Updated all drivers avalible for the samsung and my router, turned every possible feature on and off, but nothing helps.

I live in a 4 appartment wood house, and my appartment is 80 m2. I moved around in the appartment and the house, within 5 meters of the router the samsung performed fine, but more than5 meters it dropped radically.

I moved down to the first floor in the house and the samsung could not even see my network, my sons 6 years old Acer dropped 1 bar in the same spot.

I connected 4 laptops side by side in the livingrom Acer 48 mbps, Dell 54 mbps, Hp 54 mbps, Samsung 18 mbps.

I even tested it against my galaxy 9000 phone, my sons Iphone3 and a Sony PSP, even the Sony PSP being the weakest could see my network in places the samsung could not.

After spending several hours reading this tread i see that some of the people in here does not have the problem. But in my case the wifi coverage on the Samsung is BIG time crap.

Over the years i have had my hands on around 1000 laptops, and the samsung has by far the worst wifi coverage i have ever seen

Mine is definatly going back, it is not an issue to change the wifi card.
Common guys, we live in 2011 and this should work flawless out of the box. If you have this problem send it back, dont do Samsungs job.

And if anyone from Samsung reads this, get a grip and start doing something. This is embarrassing.

 

Sorry for your experience, it would appear this laptop is not really suitable for your needs. However, this is clearly not the case for everyone. Case in point: myself.

I work as a portfolio manager, and I travel extensively in Asia and the UK. For my work needs, a stable and reliable internet connection is absolutely crucial; however, huge bandwidth is not. I don't need or want to stream HD video or engage in internet mutlimedia while on the road, but my trading platform MUST work flawlessly.

Thus far, after travels through several countries, I can state that I have had no wifi-related issues. I have used the laptop in offices, apartments, airports, hotels, and coffee shops. Although I have experienced slow connections at times, this has largely been a result of ISP inadequacies rather than Series9-specific wifi problems.

In particular, places such as hotels rarely provide adequate speed for high bandwidth activities anyway. Regardless of my particular laptop, I have regularly had problems with internet connections. Reliability is horrible and the bandwith is typically throttled even when hard wired. This has been a constant struggle at hotels throughout Asia, and owning the Series 9 has made it no better, no worse.

In terms of true mobility, being tied only to wifi hotspots doesn't really qualify, so I always have a 3G/3.5G connection available through my phone or a MiFi device. Obviously this rarely provides super-high bandwidth, but as I said, I don't need this. What I DO require in addition to reliability and stability, in a lightweight machine I can take anywhere, and reasonable processing power.

So, in summary I would reiterate that the definition of "mobility" really depends on your specific needs. For many, particularly those that run extreme- bandwidth applications utilizing wifi hotspots, the Series 9 may not be suitable, nor would comparables such as the Macbook Air.

However, for those with modest bandwith requirements but placing high value on portability with adequate processing power (I am in this category, and I believe there are many more like me), the Series 9 appears to the best laptop currently available.

[Side note: given all of the emphasis on wifi "issues" here, I did order an Alfa external antennae, although I have not yet come across a situation where it was needed. I would still rather go with this solution than the alternative, which would be to continually lug around a much heavier laptop -- from my experience, even an extra pound makes a big difference by the end of the day]

OT: There were earlier comments that the Series 9 is a "rip-off" of the MBA. I disagree, but no point in debating it...however, the upcoming Asus UX21 REALLY looks like a MBA clone, albeit with some Series 9 features as well. It might be a good alternative for those that want a Windows machine, are unhappy with the Samsung, can wait a few months, and don't mind snide remarks about owning a MBA knock-off... http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2386149,00.asp

 

Do you have any suggestions for a decent external plug in then? I do need my series 9 to work when I'm on the go. I work for a tech blog and my previous laptop could never connect to wifi during conferences and keynotes,and now it sounds like I'm going to have the same problem with a much more expensive laptop.

This is pretty much bull, but I do love the computer already and I don't even have it. Mine should be in tomorrow and my work is actually throwing a party sponsored by Samsung. I might be able to get a contact out of it and talk to someone who knows what they are doing about this issue, if anything.

 

ANY external does a much better job. I am trying to find a way around it but have found none thus far. I spent 2 hours with Samsung repair reps in our area and explained the problems in detail, with video as well.

Unfortunately, it was the first they had seen a Series 9 and they were surprised the antenna was not in the monitor area or in the plastic at the base of the monitor.

I asked if they could do that and was explained that it was not a recognized solution so...no.

EPPSING....

Congrats if you have a system where the antenna is not affected by the duralumin as you seem to be alone in consideration to your use. I would love for you to remove the back and show where your antenna mounts are as, well, maybe they have been changed but Sammy is still trying to figure out the speed bumps.

Myself, I have sent video to Samsung displaying the extreme connectivity gain that occurs as I slowly remove the base plate. That video concludes with the sudden drop when it is replaced. Considering I have been through 3 systems, all with Intel 6230s, many here (I am sure) would love for you to exchange notes, video and experience that show that this seems to be a consistent trait of this laptop.

I would truly appreciate a video where you are a distance away from the router (say 3 bars) and then u remove the base plate. while performing a speedtest as we have done.

 

That was exactly my thinking when I decided to keep mine: high bandwidth would be great but isn't a requirement for me. Stability, portability, power, screen and keyboard are much more important, and the Series 9 is wonderful in all those categories.

Thanks for pointing to the Asus; that may end up being the 11" I get to go with the S9 - I don't see how Samsung's 11" can compete with that.

 

I wonder if they would ever recognize a solution that would cost them so much in modifications to all the existing units....

 

Newbie with NP900X3-A01NL here.

Config: Broadcom WiFi, Built date May 2011, Memory upgrade to 8GB.

Did the WiFi tests with LAN_speedtest:
3 meters from router, no walls, writes > 60 Mbps and reads 35-45 Mbps.
6 meters from router, no walls, writes > 60 Mbps and reads 35-45 Mbps.
6 meters from router, 1 solid wall, 1 wooden floor, writes < 10 Mbps, reads < 10 Mbps.

Interestingly the values on battery are consequently 10% lower than on wall power.

Will invest in the Intel 6230 cause I need Bluetooth and report back if anything changed.

For those who value the WEI:
CPU: 6.0
RAM: 7.1
Graphics: 5.5
Gaming: 6.0
SSD: 7.4

With no Aero and optimal performance.

 

Off topic for a bit. For your Series 9 users, do you still carry the power adapter with you when expect to be on the run most of the day? I've been trying to pick between Lenovo X1 and Samsung S9. The X1 however, has a much shorter battery life compared to the S9. So w/ 6 hrs of usable battery life for the S9, it seems like one can comfortably bring it around w/o a power adapter for a day?

 

I would count on a good 5 hours of use and if you have plans for using it less than that, you can ditch the adaptor for your trip. However, the adaptor is one piece, very light itself, and thus easy to carry along.

 

You are unlikely to get 6 hours unless you rarely use wireless. I average about 5 hours (or 4 hours using battery saver function that limits charge to 80%) with wifi on and moderate brightness...battery drops about 10% every 30 minutes. With heavy usage and higher brightness settings you could get significantly less, so it all depends on your usage patterns.

 

I've seen lots of feedback of poor wifi on 2.4ghz. I'm getting between 5-16mbps around my house browsing, which is fine for me. However I do a lot of file copying and streaming between computers in my house. I'm getting the same speeds for that as well, which sucks.

How about 5ghz? I have a dual band router and would like to put it to use. Anyone who has switched to a dual band intel card, what kind of speeds are you getting on 5ghz? I want to see if it's worth it before I go through the trouble.

 

I carried the power adapter but I never needed to use it. I always had about 20% or more power left when I got home. That said, I don't use laptops all the time. You can estimate the battery life as 5 hours. It's possible to extend it to 6 hours, but you need to dim the screen, or disable wifi whenever it's possible. Also keep in mind, if you use an external mouse or keyboard, it always consumes more power.

 

Just an FYI, with Aero turned on, my WEI scores are currently at a high point of:
CPU: 6.3
RAM: 7.3
Graphics: 5.7
Gaming: 6.1
SSD: 7.4

So obviously I'm not seeing any negative impacts after installing the Intel 6230 and updating the Intel Chipset and HD Display drivers to Intel-supplied versions.

 

Hello dear other series 9 users,

I'm canadian and ordered the laptop from J&R in April. I noticed the wifi problems a few days later but could find no information on it. I decided to live with it and could barely get reception from my bedroom (my router is in my office).

I have a WNR1000 netgear router and has been working fine with previous laptops around the house (and outside on the deck).

Using speedtest.net I have done around 50ish test tweaking router settings and laptop (series 9) adapter settings. Anywhere in the office (large room) I get 30-33mbps down and 2mbps up. When I go down the hall, in the bedroom (10m away aproximately?) I barely get a signal and 0.8 mbps down and 1.8-1.9mbps up (weird huh).

Outside on the deck I can barely connect too and get similar results to the bedroom (0.8 down 1.8-1.9up).

Now I'm not too familiar with which bands are down and up, but something seems to be blocking download speed and not upload speed, the deck and the bedroom are at different angles (so it's not a specific wall or anything blocking the signal.

Here is when it gets interesting; when I remove the bottom (aluminum) of the casing, I get 22-23mbps down and 1.8-1.9 mbps up in the bedroom.

It seems clear that the antennas are poorly placed, but this doesn't explain why the upload speed is constant anywhere in the house. This wasn't mentioned and probably insightful to what the problem actually is.

ps: I have not made any hardware modifications to the laptop.

Cheers.

 

My Samsung 900X3A-A04 just came in and I'll be giving my initial impressions once I'm fully up and running. I haven't had a chance to really try out the Wi-Fi yet (I had to return a 900X3A-A03 due to poor Wi-Fi) but will report results soon. I did want to confirm that my A04 has the Intel Centrino 6230 built in instead of the Broadcom adapter, so that gives me some hope. Hopefully I'll have more later today, including Windows Experience Scores with the 8GB of RAM and i7-2617 processor.

 

Is there really much of an advantage to the i7 model vs. the i5 model (assuming 8GB of RAM in both)?

a comparison of the two chips

 

Strongly agree.

I don't see how it's a MBA rip-off, and I won't buy a MBA because I want to run Windows. Simple as that.

 

Slightly off topic, have you guys seen the Windows 8 preview?

Here is a photo of the 9 running Windows 8.

BTW, Win8 looks like it's going to be a winner. Very, very interesting path MS has taken.

 

It's interesting, but it's just a skin. Microsoft demos Windows 8 operating system

Impatiently awaiting the UPS guy to knock on my door with my Series 9. Samsung, don't make me hate you with horrible WiFi.

 

A "skin" - but not really. It's the tablet UI - and it will work on desktops too if you don't like the typical Windows interface. It's evolving.

 

It's very much a skin. It will only work with certain applications and the Desktop interface is just hiding underneath. Microsoft is trying to make it look like Windows Phone 7, and for good reason.

It's off to a good start, and we'll likely see it integrated a bit more when it's good to go.

 

Mind share how much, how long to delivery, and where did you buy it from?

 

A04 is available. That's fantastic. Please share about its performance and more importantly, the battery life. If battery life on A04 is almost the same as on A03, I will probably switch to A04 or A05 too. Thanks in advance.

 

Looks like its available from quite a number of sources now, from about $1860+

Amazon.com: Used and New: Samsung 13.3-Inch 900X3A-A04 Premium Laptop (Black)

I see the A03 price has now dropped to around $1500 including MS Office bundle...

So, about $350 premium for 4gb extra ram, the i7 processor, and apparently the Intel 6230 wireless card.

Haven't seen the A05 (with 256gb SSD) in stock anywhere yet.

 

I just got my A03US from UPS a couple of hours ago and I'm still stunned on this laptop's beauty, even after watching countless videos and reading all the reviews.

The first thing I did (besides install Google Chrome) was test the WiFi speed on Speedtest.net the test was taken about 30 feet away from the router and received about 20Mbps down and 4.24Mpbs up, which is more than acceptable for me and also the limit for my ISP. I already have the Black Diamond Asus router, so I'll probably still install the 6230 for that 5GHz band and WiDi

The only thing I worry about is how the S9, even with the 6230, will perform when in a congested area with a lot of wireless connections going on. I came from an HP TM2t and its WiFi was fine around the house and cafes, but could never hold a connection in conferences like CES for my job. Either way, I'll likely by an external adapter just to be safe.

The WEI score is good enough for me, as I have Aero turned on, but at 4.7, it leaves a lot to be desired even if WEI isn't all that reliable

Processor - 6.3
RAM - 5.9
Graphics - 4.7
Gaming graphics - 5.9
Primary hard disk - 7.4

The only issue I've come across in the little time I've spent with my S9 is that the touchpad wouldn't allow me to click, but moved just fine. I rebooted the computer and it was back to normal, found the new Touchpad driver in Samsung Update Plus, and after it installed my Touchpad stopped working again. Hopefully that was because of the new driver installation, but it does make me worry as I've read that some of the touchpads just completely stop working sometimes.

I never thought I'd mind the screen resolution being what it is, but when I was trying to install Google Chrome, some text was barely legible at all. Whatever, though, I love this laptop and can't wait to upgrade RAM and SSD.

One other thing that concerned me was that when I tried to install the latest intel HD graphics driver - 8.15.10.2361 (I have 8.15.10.2266), it says that the driver isn't validated for the computer and immediately exits. Has anyone experienced this, or am I doing something wrong?

 

Are you using this version?

 

Yes, and it won't install. Is there some prerequisite to it?

 

Warning!!! I ordered and received this power adapter from Samsung (USA). It cost $81 (including shipping) and does NOT include the U.S. plug!!! I was worried that it might not as the description did not mention it.

I have emailed SamsungParts about this.

 

I had read somewhere that one should uninstall the current Intel HD Graphics driver before installing this so I had done that before installing this latest version.

Also, I had installed the updated Intel Chipset version 9.2.0.1030.

 

So I just updated the chipset, but I still can't install the Graphics driver... so strange.

 

That's odd, as having lower resolution on a 'same size' screen makes the text larger and therefore easier to read. That's actually one of the things I like about it.

 

The Amazon price has now dropped to 1449. I wonder if they're partly responding to Intel's Ultrabook announcement:
Intel 'Ultrabook' touts tablet-like features | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News

It looks like this form factor will soon be much more mainstream, and much much cheaper.

I have to say I am once again wondering about returning the Sammy, though I doubt that the Asus or any others would have as good a screen or keyboard.

 

The $1449 one on Amazon is sold by DataVision. If you read their return policy, you will find that they deem all returned merchandise as new, if the manual and package were returned together. So my understanding is, if someone returned a Summy to them in 15 days, they can sell it as new. However on the Sammy page, the condition is new factory sealed. Anyway, I didn't get one from DataVision mainly because they charge 15% restocking fee. For the Sammy, it's too easy to get one with wifi problem that you want to return. I've returned 2, and right now I'm testing the third one. The wifi looks promising but I need to do more intensive test to claim so. The CPU windows index, however, is at 5.5. I'm installing a clean Windows version to see whether I can get a higher processor score. I will update.

Update: after I re-installed Win 7 professional, score dropped to 5.2. Has anyone got a score <5.5 but finally reached 5.9 or above? How did you do it?
I also noticed that the recover time is slower than my previous one. It's supposed to be 3 seconds. but it actually took 5-6 seconds.

Update again: after looking into some settings, as others did, my Sammy indeed recovered to 5.9 (clean win 7 pro). BUT, wifi performance dropped dramatically. It was 16-17Mbps, now it's 5Mbitps again (like my old Sammy). Somehow I think it's a driver or power distribution issue. What do you think?

 

kalahari - You were right. I had to uninstall the Graphics drivers and update with the latest version that way. Thanks.

Apparently the WiFi that seemed decent has gotten worse. From 30 feet away I got 20Mbps down consistently, now 6 feet away from the router I can only get 18MBps. Not horrible but not promising, either.

Cheap places to get a legit 6230?

 

Costco is now also $1449. Not really worth the hassle, but could probably contact them and ask for the $100 difference since they have a 90-day return policy. I personally wouldn't go through a return/repurchase process, but it might make sense to just check the price in another month and threaten a return/repurchase unless they refund the difference [empty threat in my case since I won't be in the US any time soon].

 

I normally usually use Amazon, Newegg or Buy. I got mine from Provantage though along with the RAM. Quick delivery. Also, good status updates and they shipped quickly.

 

Try to play with "Adjust ClearType text" at Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Display.

 

Sammy is today thinner than both Asus and Intel ultrabooks that might be available at the end of the year.

From my point of view, Asus looks ugly because of the sharp and right angles compared to Airbook or Sammy (it might be considered as a metal weapon on an airplane ), crude touchpad, and IMHO might miss back-lit keyboard. It probably will get some polish by release date, but from my previous experience with Asus, it will be better alternative to both Mac Airs and Sammys in terms of money, but definitely not in quality.

 

Anyone have any feedback on speed with Intel 6230 on 5ghz?

 

I believe Phill had said that it performs much better on the 5GHz band. Not sure about range though since 5GHz has more trouble passing through walls.

Either way, if you have a router that supports 5GHz and want WiDi, there should very little stopping you from getting the 6230.

Are there any other comparable Intel WiDi-enabled WiFi cards that don't need an extra antenna? I wouldn't know where to begin on installing one.

 

Does anyone know how to Secure Erase the SSD? I think something is extremely screwed up with my laptop after I removed the recovery partition and I just want to wipe the SSD and restore my Acronis backup back to the original partition table. I've tried using GParted and the like but the disk state is "frozen" which I presume the BIOS does, but I can't find a way to turn that off so I can issue the secure erase command.

 

I think you meant to respond to the person I was responding to - I'm extremely happy with the screen and text as is (the only one I've seen comparable was the X220 with IPS).

 

I think I've given up theorizing about it, hoping that Samsung might eventually say something, though I'm not holding my breath for that.

I've never had a problem with the WEI score (6.2 processor since day 1), but I've thought that was the strangest behavior ever since people reported it. I've found no mention of it with any other computer. On the other hand, there's very little experience with the low voltage Sandy Bridge at this point.

I finally had a chance to do direct comparisons again between the Sammy's wifi and my Acer, which I hadn't done since I first got it in HK (and before I went to Samsung tech). I'm now at a friend's house in the UK, with a single antenna b/g router. Speeds are never more than 11Mbs download and 1 Mbs upload, and become barely functional in the back garden, but there doesn't seem to be any significant difference between the two computers anywhere I've tried it. I'd like to compare at an internet cafe with a better router, but so far Birmingham doesn't seem to have them.

 

I just wanted to pass along that its great to see a thread such as this. I am sitting in Hong Kong airport right now and one computer gets excellent wifi everywhere and the Series 9 will not function in most places with 2Mbps typical.

Right now I am sitting beside the free wifi booth and my wifes M1330 is at 54MBps while I am at 22 Mbps.

 

The bottom line for me: I guess that having weak wi-fi is just one of the trade offs that you will have to make to own this Samsung Series 9. It's akin to accepting that you have no internal DVD player, either. For me, there's enough about this laptop to recommend it -- the weight and speed being more important for my work. The weak wi-fi is irking, but not a deal breaker for me.

If the slow wi-fi bothers you, you will either need to change the internal wi-fi module or buy an inexpensive usb adapter. You can buy an external wi-fi adapter for less than $15 if you are uncomfortable opening the case.

Yes, I completely agree that you shouldn't have to buy anything extra given the price of the laptop, but that's just the way it is. Fairly disingenuous of Samsung to claim that the weak wi-fi isn't a problem, however, but no surprise there really.