Samsung R700 (17" widescreen)

Various news items have appeared relating to the Samsung R700: 17", 1440 x 900 with Nvidia 8400M GS(?) and weighing 3.2kg.

It has a shiny black display back similar to the other recent R series notebooks. Use Google to find some photos etc.

Google is already picking up model NP-R700-A003UK with "T5450 1.66GHz 2x1024MB 250GB DVDRW LS 17 INCH WXGA HDMI Vista HP". One retailer appears to expect stock in early January 2008.

John

 

This looks like an interesting notebook to follow and good satisfy my search for a cheap notebook that would be able to handle WoW that bit better than my Q35. TrustedReviews.com have estimated that the price will be around £650 based on conversion from Russian rubles.

 

This site suggests near £600.

John

 

Had this machine for a week now and I really like its understated design and excellent keyboard.

However, the fan noise is irritating me.

The fan's exuberance can be tempered by the various function key modes, but even Silent mode causes the fan to be active for about 20 secs every 2 minutes when connected to the mains - once warmed-up.

This is with the machine doing absolutely nothing and with Vista's power management settings set for max battery life - hence, minimum heat.

It is sitting on a table, so no ventilation slots are obstructed.

I'm currently running without Aero (Windows classic) to try and minimise load on the 8400M - but heat and fan behaviour are unchanged.

Things improve slightly when run from battery alone. It would seem that the output from the power supply is further regulated within the notebook with the corresponding heating effect making the fan even more excitable.

The fan has a particularly annoying high-frequency chirping/rubbing quality. As if being generated by the fan's bearings.

Although I've built a few (quiet) PCs, this is my first notebook.

Questions:

- Is the fan noise typical of notebooks in general?

- Is the reliance on fan ventilation a consequence of a keen price and hence rather basic design?

- Is the frequency of fan activation, a function of Vista and or the nvidia 8400M GS - does Powermizer actually work with Vista?

- If so, is there a fix of some sort, or is it worth switching to XP or waiting for Vista SP1?

- Or, should I ditch the Samsung and go for a particular Tosh, HP, Sony or Acer model, better suited for a sensitive soul.

thanks in advance.

 

We need to understand why the fan is being so noisy. It can be caused by either (a) CPU and/or GPU generating too much heat; (b) the temperature / fan speed settings in the BIOS are too low; or (c) the fan is very skinny and has to spin fast (the fans on most Samsung notebooks are quite big and can shift a lot of air while spinning slowly. Is the fan blowing out hot or cold air?

First check in Task Manager (Performance page) that the CPU utilisation is below about 5% when the computer is on idle. If it is more than about 10% you can use the Processes page to see what processes eat up the CPU time.

Next check if you have the latest BIOS which is BIOS 03SR dated 1st Feb 08. While you are that site you may also want to help yourself to the latest versions of the drivers and software.

Then I would suggest that you download the latest version of RMClock and use it to monitor the CPU voltage, temperature and utilisation. You can then report here what voltage range the CPU is using (more volts = more heat) and what temperatures you are getting. I'm sure the CPU volts can be dropped (it's called undervolting) which will reduce the heat when the CPU is under load but not make a significant difference when the CPU is idle.

I would also note that some software such as Flash (used on many web pages) can keep the CPU quite busy. I use Firefox + Flashblock to minimise this problem.

Hope this helps,

John

 

Much appreciated John.

I have installed RMClock and the fan seems to kick in at about 57C - SuperSilent mode.

I'll check the CPU activity again tonight, but when I've glanced at this there seems to be relatively little activity, say 3-6% on one core, the other core hardly registering at all. Though I will take another look.

Will get back to you with regard to the CPU voltages.

I had noticed the temp rise when flash was active, which was the reason I tried switching off Aero.

Thanks for the link to the Samsung BIOS/drivers, I'd looked myself but couldn't find anything.

james.

 

57C in SuperSilent mode looks OK. I would expect a slightly (5C?) lower temperature in normal mode. SuperSilent mode usually means the temperatures are a bit higher rather than the fan running slower. The pictures of the R700 suggest that it is thick enough to have a normal size of fan so it shouldn't be noisier than other Samsung models, which are usually quieter than average.

John

 

Hi John,

Went back to the shop I purchased the machine from and got them to compare the sound of mine with the display model.

Even in Vista's High Performance mode the display model was virtually silent, so the manager reluctantly agreed to swap mine for another.

I can only assume there was a problem with the fan's bearings or that it was catching on something.

Haven't opened the box yet, so fingers crossed!

 

R700 should be almost silent when running, its fans are the same as in a couple of models and it should be exceptionally quiet.

Definately sounds like a faulty bearing, especially if the display one was silent.

 

Cheers for the info.

The shop's demo machine was very very impressive with regard to its lack of noise. This would appear to tally with other peoples experiences of the R700.

I just hope am not saddled with a shop with a bad batch. Seems unlikely, but knowing my luck...

 

Very, very unlikely. Laptops are reassigned 4 or 5 times before they are sent to a retailer and usually they are not concurrent serial numbers.

Very rarely is there a "batch" problem that is isolated to a small number of units.

 

Which reminds me of the first batch of Q70s without their wireless card.

Anyway, we are agreed that the R700 should have a quiet fan. However, there's a significant between the background noise level in a shop and a quiet room: I hear fans running when I am at home but rarely when I am using computers away from home.

Let's hope this R700 is a quiet one. The shop should be sending the noisy R700 back up the chain to Samsung as DOA (dead on arrival - which has me wondering where they end up after being fixed).

John

 

Pleased to report that the new machine is lovely and quiet.

No more noise like a cine projector each time the fan starts up, just a smooth whoosh with no noticeable mechanical vibration.

What a relief. Thanks for the tips and general moral support.

james.

 

Thanks for the update and tell us more about the R700.

Even a review if you feel up to it.

John

 

Hi I am looking at buying the samsung R700, to replace my trust worthy and reliable Samsung X10. I would however like to see the laptop first but unfortunatley no one in my area stocks Samsung laptops (Oxford area). Can anyone tell me where I can go to see one instore? I dont mind if i hae to travel out a little bit

Also if anyone has one of these laptops, can you tell me what the machine is like (i.e Build, performance ergonomics etc..)

Thanks

 

Give your nearest Micro Anvika a call. Be forewarned that the R700 is much bigger than the X10.

John

 

Hi!

Just purchased the Samsung R700 after some time thinking which laptop to purchase. At first glance, it is really solid and clear. I'm still learning what all the apps would do for me and familiar myself with Vista. However, one thing that interested me was the HDMI port; wanted to playback DVDs to my 42" plasma TV.

So, I went out and purchased a HDMI cable and connected it from the R700 to the plasma. Before you ask, yes I did check the ports and yes, I am putting the HDMI cable into the right places

The plasma instantly configured to pick up the laptop desktop on AV channel 6. All is well. Put in a DVD into the laptop and after a few loud noises from the DVD player (which I am concerned about), the film started. However, the image was displayed on the Plasma but NO sound! I've tried to configure the Plasma settings and tried the sound setting on the laptop, but nadda.

Can something explain what I am doing wrong?

Thanks.

 

I haven't had any experience of HDMI but I would start by checking the DVD player software and the audio software (what brand is it) for any option to select digital output.

John

 

Thanks John.

Checked the DVD and Audio (Realtek) firmware against those from the manufacturers. All is well. Tried again last night to playback a DVD - with Sound - onto the Plasma TV.

This time, I tried playing it through different media apps available on the laptop - Media Player 11, Media Centre etc. Video streamed okay, but no sound. Got frustrated as the last thing I wanted to do after sitting in front of a screen for the past 9hrs was to come home and sit hours sitting in front of another..

Then I cracked it. Appears the laptop has two control settings for sound - one non-HDMI and one HDMI. On install, the laptop defaults to the non-HDMI. So, selected the HDMI, and within it you can test the settings (speakers are 'pinged' individually to check sound output is coming from the TV/surround speakers). Restarted the DVD, this time using Media Centre (because I find the controls intuitive and neat) and voila!! Got sound and video. I sat back (at 11pm!!) and admired the setup.

Next is to figure out how to :
- Getting a remote control to the laptop (bluetooth as no IR on laptop)
- burning/ripping my huge collection of DVDs onto the laptop/external h/d, without loosing too much quality
- Catalogue the ripped DVDs (possibly in Media Centre)
- Install another O/S (possible Linux)

Any help on the above would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Thanks for the update on the HDMI audio. Samsung need to improve their documentation to explain this aspect.

1. Remote controls: I've read of people setting up a mobile phone with Bluetooth to work as a remote, but I've never tried it. Perhaps this. Otherwise you could do some basic functions with a Bluetooth mouse.

There are some USB remotes. This one looks interesting but is seriously expensive. Or is this the type of thing you are looking for?

As for the DVD library, I'm sure someone has done it. DVD Shrink will do the ripping (although my may prefer MP3 or MP4 - read this) but I don't know how to make the library.

As for Linux, try the Ubuntu 8.04 beta live CD. I believe that this works OK with the 2007 hardware. The live CD is good because you burn the ISO file to create a bootable CD, put it in and boot (you may need to press Esc at the boot screen to select the optical drive). Linux then loads itself into memory and configures the devices as it loads so you can easily see what works and what doesn't. Better than Windows! And, if it enough works and you like the look, then there's an option to do the Linux installation.

John

 

By the way, I see that there is an updated R700 BIOS, 05SR, dated 20 March 08.

John

 

Can anybody give me any advice weather or not to buy the R700,ive heard good and bad

 

apart from the HDMI problem how are you finding the laptop because i am thinking of buying one shortly

 

Tell us what you have heard. We are then in a better position to comment.

At the moment the pricing is very competitive: Much the same hardware as the R70 at lower price.

John

 

at the moment people seem to be coming across simple problems that can be sorted if they read their manual correct,i wanted to find out as much as i could before i buy and i dont think u can get a better spec for that price,what do you advise

 

Thanks. But hit a hurdle of sorts; Bluetooth is not configured/installed. Did the following:

1. Checked Bluetooth Devices in Control Panel - No Bluetooth identified in tabs for COM Ports and in Hardware. :confused2:
2. Reinstalled through installation CD - which it did, but after restarting, nothing.
3. Downloaded drivers from website. Failed to install the drivers as I get the following error:

"You do not have sufficient privileges to complete this installation for all users of the machine. Log on as administrator and then retry this installation."

Funny thing is, I am logged in admin :confused2:

4. Then trawled through the installation of the downloaded file (#3) and 'forced' installed in the win32/. It went into installation but failed because it could not located the Bluetooth device. Installed WIDCOMM Bluetooth s/w.

After reading all the literature, this laptop has a bluetooth but cannot confirm whether the hardware is installed

Have a small aerial sign just below the FN key, which I presume is the Bluetooth light. Its not a key just imprinted into the chassis. I've trawled the manuals, online literature and most all have indicated this unit has Bluetooth.

Any clues, what next?

 

Installed 05SR BIOS update.

Installation is straight forward. Executed the *.exe and after a few clicks you reboot.

After rebooting, encountered some problems, in that, some of the drivers (e.g. Sound) where missing. Had to reinstall the missing drivers again.

Unsure what the new firmware improves. Anyone know?

 

Are you 100% sure that it has Bluetooth? I think it is a factory option.

One clue is to look at the label on the outer box. What is listed against Communic? Is there a BT? See the attached example for the Q35.

If BT is on the label then check whether the Bluetooth device is controlled by a switch - either a hardware switch (possibly the wireless switch) or via the keyboard (Fn + )

John

 

i am led to belive that you can buy a R700 from tesco direct,is this a scaled down type of this model ?

 

The Tesco R700 is £599 and has the T5450 CPU. It can be bought elsewhere for less unless you value the Tesco points. Tesco had a special deal on the R60 last Christmas - free warranty extension to 3 years - but I don't see anything special this time.

John

 

Just checked the box and no "BT" next to Communic.

Although it would of have been ideal to have Bluetooth, it doesn't deter me from the product I have purchased. In some ways, Samsung should have included the BT card (and IR functionality) inside the chassis, I'm sure there is more than ample space to accomodate it.

Nonetheless, there is a way around this quite easily; purchasing a USB Bluetooth dongle (about £5). When and if I need to use Bluetooth, I can slot the USB dongle into the laptop.

I've got remote control functionality in the mobile devices (mobile and PDA), both of which have bluetooth so can control the laptop (I hope!) from the comfort of the sofa

Thanks John on the advice for Ubuntu. I'm looking at other flavours too, but need to figure out some of the preliminaries first.

Did some digging and haven't found any information on what has been improved in the latest firmware (05SR).

 

If you need information, point yourself to the manufacturers website and search for the R700.

Actually, contrary to someone who hasn't purchased this laptop, you are swift to say simple problems can be rectified if the manual is read. In fact, as someone who has the machine, the manual is not entirely clear in parts. I've read many posts that agree to this statement and Samsung have to do much to improve the manual. However, I see this potentially not improving in the short term as the effort required to correct every nuance is not cost effective to Samsung. The reliance of the peoples' responses on forums such as this give clarity because they possess vast wisdom or a different perspective. If you need to experience it, live it.

Otherwise, the Samsung R700 is a good DTR for the price. You need to understand what you want to do with the machine, then take the leap.

 

I agree that the Samsung user guides could be better but there are worse ones. I guess there could be money in writing an advanced guide, if anyone has time. At least Samsung use much the same approach across the whole product range so that what works on one notebook probably works on another.

I forget how I found out that pressing Esc at the boot screen will bring up the one time boot menu.

There is also additional info in the FAQs on the Samsung websites. I like this one. More FAQs here.

John

 

Another item worth noting is the use of Samsung s/w to update drivers; I have observed this does not update your drivers (Graphics, BIOS, sound, LAN, WLAN etc) with the latest as indicated on there website.

Even updating the Samsung propriety updating software (uninstall/install with the web version), it doesn't update the R700 with the latest software.

The approach I took was:

1. Check the firmware version of your device (Control Panels -> Device Drivers)
2. Compare this with the version on the Samsung website
3. Download the driver if the version number is greater than the one on your system
4. Unzip and execute the download
5. Reboot
6. Repeat step 1 and step 2.

The only one I noticed to not match up is the Chipset and Bluetooth. :confused2: The latter is because there is no BT card installed in the R700. Unsure why the Chipset did not update.

Thanks.

 

thanks for the reply,i understand what you are saying but some of the answers to the questions put seem to have been sorted by user guides miss read.i will take the plunge and buy the R700

 

Interesting point to note, in that, during initial installation of the laptop (from new), not all of the software is installed for the laptop (e.g. Play Camera).

One approach is to:

1. Go through each of the following software apps on the R700 and verify the versions on your laptop with the following versions (taken from Samsung website 03.04.08):

NP-R700 Easy Battery Manager (ver.3.2.1.5)
NP-R700 Easy Display Manager (ver.2.1.9.2)
NP-R700 Easy Network Manager (ver.3.0.1.7)
NP-R700 Easy SpeedUp Manager (ver.2.0.0.14)
NP-R700 Play AVStation (ver.4.1.20.47)
NP-R700 Play Camera (ver.1.0.1.2)
NP-R700 Recovery Solution II (ver.1.0.3.21
NP-R700 Samsung Magic Doctor (ver.5.0.3.1)
NP-R700 Samsung Update Plus (ver.1.3.0.12)

NOTE: Easy SpeedUp Manager may not work on the R700 for a reason which I can't remember now

2. If you note any software version on your R700 to be less than the latest, then download the software from the Samsung website

3. Uninstall the software already loaded on your machine first

4. Reboot

5. Install the latest software

6. Reboot

7. Execute each app to ensure they work

Sounds rudimentary but this isn't in the manual and I wanted this put in this thread to help anyone who needs it

 

For better or worse I've merged the 4 threads relating to the R700 so that the discussion is all in one place.

John

 

I bought my R700 2 weeks ago and I love it. Albeit minus BT!!!

 

have you had problems with this book and if not does it run smoothly

 

thanks john,will it be the same model as it dont give you enough info on the sit,just concerned to weather to buy it from here and find out its a special for tesco

 

Just another observation ref HDMI; The laptop configuration does not change automatically when you connect via HDMI.

You have to toggle your sound settings accordingly. That is, if you are playing a DVD via HDMI to your Plasma/TFT, then you will have to :

1. Open Control Panel
2. Select Sound
3. Select Playback tab
4. Select Digital Output Device (HDMI) - High Definition Audio Device
5. Set to Default
6. Reboot

I have found that you have to reboot after changing the Sound settings otherwise the DVD sound does not play through your Plasma/TFT/AV sorround amp. Going from Digital Output Device (HDMI) to internal Speakers, you don't have to reboot.

Another quirk of this model. Not sure how the other Samsung models with HDMI behave in the same scenario.

 

Not had one problem and its nice and quiet and very nice to look at. The battery lasted 3.5hours this week which is a bonus.
Ive not conected it via HDMI so cant say, probably never will as I like my Bluray films!!

 

That's impressive considering the screen size and dedicated GPU.

Any chance that you have access to some decent kitchen scales and can confirm the weight?

John

 

I will do that when I get home tonight. As it doesnt feel like 3+Kg!!!

 

how have you found your R700 i am about to buy one,thanks

 

Unbeatable for the money imho. Ive tried lots of different ones and the R700 is right near the top for me. A VERY good all rounder.

I havnt got round to the weight yet but its a 17" Wide so its never going to be light!!

 

I installed Crysis and BF2142 today at work. It will play Crysis but there is the odd bit of slow down but not too much tbh. Obviously all settings at low. Im suprised it even played it!!!

It hammers 2142 without any problems at all. Everything at high.

 

Successfully installed Linux (Ubuntu 8.0.4)!

Managed to configure the internet settings to enable me to configure the GUI. It is stable and fast. Have yet to put it through some loading but I'm confident the R700 will cope, especially with the dedicated graphics card.

 

hi mate,bumpy here,have you had any problems with having to update drivers? and could you list exactly what you took of to make it run better please, thanks for your help so far............good sign that you are managing to game on the R700 because so many reveiw say you carn`t

 

Surprised too that Crysis ran on the R700!
Wander how Bioshock would fair on the R700

If you are looking for a games machine, then look at some other model that has a better graphics card. The R700 is capable of running games (has 256MB dedicated, DX10 etc) but if you are eyeing WoW, Starcraft, Bioshock etc then expect performance to be sluggish.

Haven't benchmarked playing gaming under Linux yet on the R700, but I'm optimistic it would be much faster than running under Vista.