Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus - NP940X3G

All with different (estimated) release dates. So if u can wait out the latest, then ull get the reviews before making ur decision.

Sent from a different Galaxy using Tapatalk 2.

 

Is there a reason why the Samsung thread has more interest than either of the other two ultrabooks?

 

For one, the AB9+ has been out for nearly a month. The other 2 will be released next month, presumably. I'm waiting for more information about the new Zenbooks. They're just so beautiful.

 

One at Amazon UK for £1,099. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DM6E62W

Not sure how long that will stay on the shelf, but here's the evidence.



John

 

See Test Asus Zenbook Infinity UX301LA Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.com Tests
It gets a good review.

 

Yes but it will never be worth what they plan to charge for it. Of course that could just be a number they threw out to see what the response would be.

 

How comes it's dropped £200? It's only been out for no more than 2 weeks right?

 

Is the Yoda 2 Pro green with pointy ears? Jokes aside, I am waiting until the end of October to be able to compare the Yoga Pro 2, Surface Pro 2 and the 8GB version of the AB9+. I trust Samsung's and Lenovo's build quality better than Asus', and certainly won't consider an Acer (and sadly now Sony) for the same reason.

 

LOL

/10 chars

 

Review from engadget is out!
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review

 

Question for anyone who has put 8.1 final on it yet -

Are you able to put the computer to sleep or hibernate? I get stuck at a black screen and after a timeout, it will (apparently) bugcheck with a 9f error with a dump looking like this -> https://communities.intel.com/thread/45140.

I upgraded to the beta 8.1 graphics drivers because I wasn't able to install VS2012 on the device (finally a Windows laptop at a resolution I can code at). I'm fairly sure it is an Intel issue.... Everything is current driver wise.

 

you already replied to a question of mine in the Series7 thread, and I'm still all but sure which one to buy.
Do you think the AB9+ is able to handle like 40 tabs in Chrome (two windows), plus one or two office applications open at the same time? The AB9+ seems to be a great ultrabook beside of the power.

 

Yes the AB9+ can handle that with 4 GB RAM.
By the way, I'm in the same position as you are, first i was deciding between the AB9+ and the AB9 and then i started to consider the Ativ Book 7 because of it's RAM slot. But I just did another RAM test on my Thinkpad to see if 4 GB RAM are really enough for me. I opened: Firefox with 10 tabs, Visual Studio 2012, Codeblocks, Notepad++, a PDF file and a Virtual Machine with 1.6 GB RAM and it all worked perfectly fine! It is quite surprising what you can actually do with "just" 4 GB of memory.

And now, after the first test of a "bigger" site, i will finally go and get the Ativ Book 9+ with 4 GB. It has this awesome resolution and a touchscreen which i think for Windows 8 is a must. It also has a very good trackpad and keyboard and decent battery life. Also it's graphical performance is good enough for light gaming in low resolutions and Photosop. This all comes in a quite light and very attractive package. I think we have a winner here.

 

I've had this laptop since the weekend and I absolutely love it. Everything just runs very fast and smooth and the battery life is incredible. I've been using it all day on a single charge, taking notes at school, coding, using autocad, etc... and I am still able to type this post on battery at 12am.

My only gripe is with the 128ssd. With all the extra apps and recovery partition, there is not a lot of free space left over. Does anyone know if the SSD is upgradable and if it actually takes a standard sized SSD drive?

As for opening a lot of tabs with 4gigs of ram, its really not a problem. You have to remember that memory swapping is not the same problem it once was with standard hard drives. With the blazing fast SSD, it can swap things in and out of ram at a very fast speed, so you should not notice any lag with having a bunch of things open.

 

Officially the SSD is not user-upgradable but there's nothing to stop users from doing the swap once they find a compatible SSD. It uses an M.2 (gumstick) format.

John

 

Anyone know what the max resolution of the HDMI out is? I've been trying to find this info but didn't see it listed anywhere. If you already have the AB9+ can you check from video settings please.

It would be best if one could drive an external 4K display throught the HDMI, but I guess that's too much to ask..

Update: Ok found some info from http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/quick-reference-guide-to-intel-processor-graphics

DisplayPort* 1.2 / eDP*
H-Processors: 3840 x 2160@60Hz
(Ultra-HD)
U-Processors: 3200 x 2000
@60 Hz, 3840x2160@30Hz
Y-Processors: 2560 x 1600
@ 60 Hz
HDMI* 4096 x 2304, 3840x2160 @ 24Hz / 24bpp
DVI 1920 x 1200 @ 60Hz

The laptops have U-processors, so they should then support 4K output at 30Hz through DisplayPort and at 24Hz through HDMI?
Can someone check their AB9+ to confirm? Thanks!

 

Just a heads up for those of you outside the traditional markets (US, UK, CA, DE, etc.)...Samsung is not releasing the AB9+ in Spain, and it may be the case with other countries where it was likely to launch. I was told by Samsung's Twitter account here.

Another reason to consider the Yoga 2 Pro

 

This page has disappeared now, but my pre-order is still showing on my account.

 

I just came on the forum to report the same. Webpage gone.... but my pre-order still intact.

The crazies start.

 

Sounds expensive

 

Hello,
the Infinity comes with a Raid0 PCIe format M.2/NGFF 2260 (quoting notebookcheck @ Test Asus Zenbook Infinity UX301LA Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.com Tests ). Are these (AB9+'s and 301's SSDs) 100% identical formats, or are there some differences (PINs etc?) Does anyone know if one can replace the Infinity's hard drive by a standard configured SSD (NO Raid0), and if there currently are fitting SSD models available that will, despite NOT being Raid0, come close or exceed the Infinity's Raid0 performance? (Does the Raid0 config in anyway manifest in the socket?)
Why am I critical of Raid0?
- I read that TRIM often does not work (don't know if it will work on the 301)
- I less secure (higher probabilby of malfunction/death)
- high end SSDs are similarly fast despite not being raid 0
- possible driver issues/other compatibility issues, esp. in context of cloning/imaging?
- Generally I noticed in various tech articles in various contexts phrases like "there was a problem with raid0 configured machines blabla)
The 301 is now announced in Germany for the end of October in the 4500U /8GB version, making it a direct contender to the AB9+ i7/8GB. Price in Germany is 1599 at hardware chain stores on pre-order, 1799 for the Iris/high end model.

This thread has morphed into an "ultrabooks *similar* to AB9+ thread". I wished all readers here would also track the Infinity thread @ http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...inity-ux301la-just-announced-computex-19.html , so one would not be tempted to post here despite being off-topickish. (The Infinity thread is not as frequented.)

 

A user have already tested and reported the 9B+ on a 4K monitor. Somewhere in the thread.

Probably too much demand, too much pre-orders.

 

Amazon did the exact same think with the preorder for the initial AB9+ release. I ordered one before they took the preorder down and reposted it and I got mine just fine. Unfortunately, it's not a good sign for any near future release of the product...

 

Amazon selling at £1099 in the UK at the moment. Frustrating as I bought direct from the Samsung shop on Saturday for £200 more... At least I get a 3 year warranty from the shop

Samsung ATIV Book 9 13.3-inch Touchscreen Notebook - Black (Intel Core i5 4200U 1.6GHz, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, LAN, WLAN, BT, Webcam, Integrated Graphics, Windows 8): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

 

Just waiting on Amazon UK stocking the 8/256 model...

John Lewis have the 4/128 model but its £1299 http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-at...b-ram-128gb-ssd-13-3-qhd-touch-screen/p627241

 

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus Review - YouTube - Finally a video review !

 

And it's from Lisa at MobileTechReview. She does the best reviews. Looks great from this video, only downer is that glossy screen.

 

Very nice review, finally someone shows how good scaling works in different programs. But i'm surprised she says that it's single channel RAM and "only" measures 280 nits. Where is that outdoor mode for additional brightness boost that Samsung still claims on some spec pages?

 

Has anyone seen the AB9+ 8GB/256 version offered for sale anywhere other then the short-lived Amazon presale offer?

 

I got one from Amazon UK for £1299 less than a week ago. I was surprised when I saw the price had dropped by £200 last night so I used Amazon Chat to get a partial refund.

 

If you google NP940X3G-K04US, you will it it listed at many locations, but of course since it is not available yet, no one has it in stock.

 

I wonder if the batter life is any worse due to the i7 processor in that model.

 

Just as a curiosity, with the whole "Samsung cheats at every smartphone benchmark" fiasco going on right now is there any reason to think they might be doing something similar on their laptops? I'm nearly sold on the 9+ regardless (got tons of time to wait, so will see what kinda deals happen between now and 2014) just wonder if something like that is possible for laptops as well.

 

No, not really.
The difference with cellphones is that the whole Android operating system and drivers are open source (or created by Samsung), so they can tweak their drivers to perform better in benchmarks. With a latop, the operating system and drivers are closed source and provided by Microsoft, intel, etc... not much Samsung can do but put the pieces together.

You can also compare the benchmarks of this laptop with another laptop that has a Haswell processor and 4gigs of ram. You should get similar results.

Benchmarks also don't mean a lot. You can take my word that this is a very fast and smooth laptop for school/work/internet use, with very good battery life and a high quality screen. I think just about everyone that has one would agree to that.

 

The conclusion is almost everyone cheats... sorta like Armstrong the top tiers .

AnandTech | They're (Almost) All Dirty: The State of Cheating in Android Benchmarks

 

FYI - Just found the ATIV book 9 on VERY / isme for £1099

http://www.isme.com/samsung-ativ-book-9-intelreg-coretrade-i5-processor-4gb-ram-128gb-ssd-hard-drive-133-inch-touchscreen-ultrabook-ash-black/1281652912.prd

 

I heard some bad things about this company. Not sure if the negative feedback is true but it's probably better to buy from Amazon for £1099.
Samsung ATIV Book 9 13.3-inch Touchscreen Notebook - Black (Intel Core i5 4200U 1.6GHz, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, LAN, WLAN, BT, Webcam, Integrated Graphics, Windows 8): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

 

Got my pre-order in with Amazon a few days ago. But now I'm looking at the XPS 15.
Release date for the 8/256 AB9+ is still unsure, but others are getting closer.
Y2P is still an option too.
I think I'll finally be replacing my 3yo netbook in 2 weeks.

Sent from a different Galaxy using Tapatalk 2.

 

You know something is strange, CPUz and HWinfo reports dual channel, but the WEI is 5.9 and that's standard for single channel. I asked Samsung press relations /product marketing and they said it's single channel. Glad you liked the video. I have a full written review to go with it here: Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus Review - Ultrabook and Laptop Reviews by MobileTechReview

 

That would be most unfortunate if they have not moved back to the dual die package. It could explain some of the display flickering some users have reported. Not sure if that showed up in your review unit?

 

BIOS shows RAM in two 2 gig banks. I really wonder if Samsung is wrong about this and it is dual channel. Brother, they make life hard for us tech reviewers

I have not seen display flickering at all, and I always run at 3200 x 1800 resolution. I've read through the threads here, and it sounds more like a driver bug-- not sure if it's with Intel power management, the display driver or Samsung's color balance overlay. Speaking of that, I leave Samsung's setting to Standard color balance, and my Spyder calibration software loads and switched to a custom color profile at boot (maybe that's the ticket).

 

The photo looks like a DDP module as used on the 2012 Series 9s although it might be a heat sink over the RAM chips.

Could you run the SiSoftware Sandra memory bandwidth benchmark? The result can be compared with my results here (that table is for Sandy Bridge but I don't think there's been a significant improvement in memory access on the newer Intel platforms). That table also suggests that WEI wants more than 4GB RAM in order to give a memory score of more than 5.9.

This wouldn't be the first time that the Samsung support people have failed to give the right information.

John

 

It is dual.

 

Sisoft Sandra reports it as dual channel, as did CPUz. It reports:
17.4GB/s for aggregate memory performance (which certainly looks like dual channel to me)

BTW, my Sony Vaio Duo 13 with i7/HD4400 scores a bit higher on 3DMark 11-- so far it's always the class leader in that test. That of course is a dual channel machine.

So much for Samsung's product manager knowing about the product they developed?

 

17.4 GB/s is definitely dual channel. To put that result in context, the DDP RAM in my NP900X3B (Sandybridge) scores 15.46 GB/s. Digging deeper into the detailed results the X3B RAM is Sanmax PC3-10700U with 9-9-9-24 timings. It looks like the module is designed to sacrifice a little speed in favour of lower power consumption.

John

 

(German) Test Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus 940X3G Ultrabook - Notebookcheck.com Tests
(compare: English UX301LA review) Review Asus Zenbook Infinity UX301LA Ultrabook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

notebookcheck samsung review: they claim samsung has "not yet decided" if there will be an 8GB version. I guess this is just either some incompetent samsung "information", or they indeed don't plan to release the i7/8GB to the German market which would be a tragedy really.

interesting: they say there is a samsung ssd in use, MZNTD128HAGM .

general note: 1. Once again, it's hugely annoying how professional reviewers give high marks to a notebook with 128GB/4GB . This is an incentive for Samsung to continue this craze.
2. I just realized the K04 version, with i7/8GB, also has only 128 GB SSD. Are you SERIOUS?! Samsung should really take a look at what ASUS is doing, they have a perfectly thought-out range of versions of the Infinity. What would make sense would be i5-4GB-128 (budget); i7-8GB-256 (high cpu); i5 (or i7)-8GB-512 (high capacity). I deliberately combined i5 with 8 GB in the last one, depending on power disadvantages of the i7 (?).

 

Matthias some Swiss websites have the i7/8GB for preorder so it will probably come in Germany sooner or later.

 

Thanks a lot for this! Danke! What's even more interesting, the Swiss K04 versions have 256GB, unlike the US versions. Hehe. And this is most likely not a typo, I have seen similar feature/naming patterns in the past with the ativ book 9 np900 in German vs Austrian models.... Great Samsung Switzerland rock!
And even better: This Swiss shop says the i7/8GB/256 is available in ca. 22 days, i.e. Oct 27! Which is a Sunday, but hey...

 

Matt, the pre-order on Amazon USA for the K04 is also 256GB... same i7/8GB/256. I had it pre-ordered for a very good price! Hope it arrives by the end of Oct.

 

Yes. The version numbers and the associated specifications are specific to each country. They represent a specific hardware / OS combination that the country marketing office has ordered from the factory. It is only coincidental if the version number in more than one country has the same specification (but the probability is increased if there are few options offered by the factory).

John