Samsung Series 7 Chronos and Series 9 laptops: We Are "Paying Beta Testers" Thread

Who feels this way with the slew of problems plaguing these models?

WiFi
Graphics
Screen
Trackpad
DOA due to various reasons (Backlit not working, Mainboard dead, etc)



EDIT: POLL added

 

I'm near fully satisfied with my Chronos 7. There's just a couple of minor annoyances that come to mind really.

 

Completely happy with my current 15.6 chronos. The opengl problem is my only complaint so far.

 

No complaints on my second Series 7. First one had problems booting up, but all is good now.

 

And those of us that are seriously considering buying one of these thank you all very much!

 

LOL and your search continues... albeit prolonged... HAHAHA

 

No rush. I realized that my desire for a very small laptop is more of a "want" than a "need", so my continued search is mostly for fun these days. But soon enough I'll want to replace my Sony Vaio, and something like this Samsung 14" might be the happy medium -- smaller than my current laptop yet robust enough with all the bells and whistles. So please... beta test away!

 

Interesting thing from today that could support the "beta test" theory. I'm considering the 7 Series despite the fact that I likely will not like the matte screen and the wifi issue would need to be addressed by seeing the issue posts go away or be reduced.



I was in Costco today and the salesperson told me that they recently had a new Series 7model in stock but they "had to send the units back". He did not elaborate but he also could provide no update on when new stock would arrive so I could see the thing in person.



Just a theory but if a large chain like Costco found issues with the Series 7, they may have pulled them from inventory so as not to have to go through thehassles/expense of returns (more of an issue for Costco given their liberal return policies and desire for favorable customer satisfaction). Perhaps some of the Series 7 issues are being addressed by Samsung leading to things like Costco returning stock and delays in other stores getting inventory.

 

Is there a consolidated list of issues floating around?

 

The more likely case is Samsung recalling the laptops back.

 

My laptop has been fine since the beginning. The only problems that occur was my fault for install drivers incorrectly. Other then that it's fine.

 

I've been very pleased, although I'm concerned the switchable graphics issue could become a problem later. I'm (hopefully) assuming that this will be addressed by a driver update in the near future.

 

This issue cannot be resolved by driver updates.

 

I had one for 3 weeks, got a great price with the MS Store's 25% off.

I was in love with the look. Yes, the viewing angles were bad, but the screen had a sharpness my MBP didn't have. I did have issues with the trackpad. I changed setting for weeks and could never get the control I get on my Mac. But damn, was it a better value and faster!!! What was tough was that to get the sensitivity I wanted, I had to live with jumping text while typing due to the palms hitting the trackpad. I did love the numpad, but I thought that a centered typing posture was better than the few numbers I punched in any day.


In the end, I had to take it back because I couldn't get any pro USB audio device to record or play without crackles every once in a while. They weren't big crackles, but you can't have any of that at all when making music. I downloaded a latency checker http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml and coupled with the audiocard's latency scanner, I verified that the each crackle was accompanied by a latency spike. Updating all the latest drivers and BIOS didn't help.

I'm not bashing it. I think most people would never encounter that problem. But that along with the brightness and volume buttons occasionally not working when waking up and the BSOD from watching full screen HD youtube vids made me take it back on the last day I could. I couldn't risk spending all that and not using it for what I bought it for: recording and writing music. Maybe those memory leaks would be fixed one day, but maybe not. Who logically cares about what less than 1% of the public want to do with aftermarket sound cards?

It wasn't without regret. I'm still obsessed over that beauty. Why do you think I'm in this thread, stalking my returned lappy. I have never had a computer boot so fast as this did as it learned my routines. I have never seen such sharpness on the desktop photos. And as I'm typing this now on my old trusty MBP, a machine that's primed for pro audio with my preferred firewire devices (not USB), I can't help but think it's a bit boring looking.

People who say the Chronos was a MBP clone got it wrong... it is far better looking. Those blueish backlit keys still haunt me like an ex-girlfriend's sweet perfume.

 

The DPC latency issue is really one of the problems that cannot be easily resolved. Audio production is almost impossible when you get spikes into the thousands every 10 or so seconds.

 

It can be resolved by software updates, be it drivers or bios or firmware or whatever, and that is what most people mean when they say they hope it will be resolved in the future. Your comment might make them belive that it is impossible for it to be resolved which is not true.

 

Fair enough - a BIOS update. Thanks for keeping it straight.

 

i had tons of notebooks to work with in the last few years and there was and is not a single notebook which is completely flawless. we are all different users with varying demands, impossible to satisfy them all. Everytime a new notebook is released we´ll all be some kind of beta testers overall.

 

Drivers and firmware are totally different things.

 

It seems to be worse in the recent years. Gone are the days where you can simply purchase a notebook and immediately start use without major usability issues.

 

That's because we are doing more with laptops than in the past.

 

I know, but as I said, most people often mix them up, which means they could interpret your reply as it is not possible to fix these issues, which it is...

 

I would disagree. Some manufacturers have faily mature platforms, at least for some generations of their products. Evolutionary products can give few problems but revolutionary products can be troublesome. For example, I lost count of the number of BIOS updates for my Dell E6400 (new Dell E series Latitude platform) whereas the Dell E6410 was well-behaved from the start.

I think the Samsung Series 7 Chronos falls into my revolutionary category with its ATI switchable graphics. Part of the trouble most likely falls on ATI but Samsung will have had the fun of trying to integrate the necessary support into its standard BIOS platform.

There's also the lack of good enough testing of the WiFi performance in some of the recent Samsung models. Unfortuanately, they do not have the charisma of Apple who, when beset with the iPhone signal problem, explained that users were holding the phone incorrectly.

John

 

Just the lack of QC alone has contributed to about 5 to 6 of the DOAs listed in my sig. Cost cutting and the lower general price of laptops probably caused this.

 

Samsung have massively increased their notebook product range in the past few years and I wouldn't be surprised if quality may have suffered as well. It usually only gets addressed after it has become a big problem. Also, too much emphasis on style may produce hardware that is less easy to assemble correctly.

John

 

I feel you were just unlucky, other people have yet to complain of DOA items or defects on their laptops. Compare that to the newly released hp envy 15.

 

There are. They are buried in the launch thread.
DOA due to dead laptop, DOA due to comestic and assembly issues.

 

Beta testers get better responses than I did during my 6 months of owning three Series 9's and testing of the WiFi problems. Most times, the Samsung Support people gave me such "noobie" answers that it was ridiculous. Those Support people that did understood or acknowledge the issues were better but they had no solutions and could do nothing about getting my money back.

I was able to successfully return all three Series 9 but I have lost a fair amount with the all the shipping costs, Samsung parts that I purchased, etc.

Beta testers don't lose money and, usually, their efforts are appreciated.

 

To all Series 7 "Paying Beta Testers" (Notebook Owners)

New: A poll has been added for you to indicate your interest for the OpenGL fix. Please do vote as the page has been posted to Samsung's Facebook page.

How to vote:

You may select one or both options.

Select option 1 if you want Samsung to fix.

Select option 2 if you feel you may wish to return the laptop if no solution is implemented.

Select both if you want Samsung to fix AND feel that you may consider returning the laptop if no solution is implemented.

Samsung Series 7 Chronos All Models (NP700Z3, NP700Z4, NP700Z5): Push for SAMSUNG to implement "FIXED MODE" in BIOS

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...a-push-samsung-implement-fixed-mode-bios.html

 

I collected a Series 9 from PC World yesterday and.... it hasn't gone well.

Anytime upgrade to Pro failed for some random 'this version cannot be updated' reason. I can't find the model on the Samsung UK web page, the US wifi drivers don't work (Intel/broadcom), the hardware id doesn't present anything nice and the full software suite isn't even available. Aggggggggghhhhhhhhhh.

So I've now basically got a naffed up machine as I.... formatted the hard drive.

 

You even reformatted the recovery partition before creating recovery media? You can try pressing F4 (I think, but may be wrong) at the BIOS screen to see if Samsung Recovery Solution can help.

John

 

Do you have a copy of the recovery CD? Samsung did include that on the Series 7, but I'm not sure about the S9.

 

I do.... BUT... I simply need the drivers and I'll be on my way. The wi-fi being the one that I desperately need. I needed to wipe the recovery partition due to space requirements etc

The recovery DVD (Just like the 7 slate) will only return it to the default install WITHOUT drivers which is pretty much useless. (But I'll try that anyway just in case it's different on this machine)

I've been doing this for a LooOoooongg time and this is the first time that all the drivers are not available. I've always been able to clean format and move along.

SOlution:
http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/NP900X3A-A01UK-downloads

Phew. Thanks all.

 

Download the Wlan driver to a USB stick using another PC, then install on your S9. Next time you must remember to download the Wlan driver before reinstalling, because Win 7 does not have default Wlan drivers for most manufacturers.

EDIT: I do not know which wifi card your S9 has, so you have to find the correct manufacturer's driver. But I'm guessing it's Intel 6230N or 6300.
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/notebooks/NP900X3A-A05US

 

4th DOA: RAM problem, BSOD, and AMD GPU dead (totally does not kick in). Verified by Samsung support. What a bummer.

 

I'm gonna lend my weight behind this thread , I'm on my second , the first went straight back with a screen issue. I've got a few too many issues with my current machine .. too many to be just annoyances. Yes the machines inability to render full screen HD content without dropping the res to 1200 beforehand is a big pain but schoolboy stuff like the spacebar not picking up inputs if you hit the spacebar a few degrees off center smacks of very little QC testing.

Just over a week in and now the right click needs pressing quite firmly to register and the major annoyance of losing my Fn + F keys for the second time without being able to get them back without reformatting is the final straw.

I noticed that John Lewis in the UK had a big push on the Chronos advertising it as a flagship model and offering 3 year warranties on it. Now it has totally disappeared from the site , stores and everywhere else. That speaks volumes in my mind.

Another thing i discovered while trying to fix the effin Fn+F issue was that it seems as if my NP700Z5A-S01uk had been upgraded !!
I enabled the devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices in device manager and discovered that it had previously a core i5 processor with a lower spec'd graphics card !!

Anyway , I'm about to call JL for a refund on this machine. It had great potential for being a fantastic machine but just too many flaws issues and non support. I don't hold out much hope but in for a penny and all that.

 

The stock also ran out for Singapore's Distributor. Hmm big conspiracy? New models?

EDIT: How to enable devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices in device manager?

 

Dear Samsung... | Facebook

Dear Samsung Singapore

Open letter to Samsung

I am writing to inform you that my Samsung Series 7 Chronos NP700Z5A-S02SG, serial no HKY993NBA00007P is DOA again.

I brought the S7 down to your service centre at Toh Guan and your tech verified the issues. I am frustrated to to learn that my AMD GPU is dead and the RAM is faulty on my new set purchased on 10 Jan 2011 at Digtal Asia Funan unit 7. My previous three sets all had issues; DOA due to mainboard failure, DOA due to HDD not detected, and DOA due to comestic issues.

Please work with the distributor, SiS Technology, to obtain a replacement set for me ASAP, as the distro says that they have run out of stock and I will have to wait until after Chinese New Year for a replacement.

The serial number of the previous three, as the shop would have recorded are as follows:
HKY993NBA00001
HKY993NBB00031
HKY993NBB00070

Other users have reported similar issues on this line of Series 7 Chronos
Hello Samsung. I... | Facebook

Also noted are issues with OpenGL support.
Samsung Series 7 Chronos Np700z Campaign for 'fixed' BIOS From Samsung - Info | Facebook

It is detailed in the following forum post:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...s-push-samsung-implement-fixed-mode-bios.html

"The Samsung Series 7 Chronos (NP700Z5A) uses AMD Dynamic Graphics automatic switching method.

However, due to this specific graphics switching method, OpenGL games and benchmarks cannot work. One example would be RAGE by ID who has always used openGL to make their games. OpenGL however is much more common in productivity software such as photoshop, solidworks, etc. So the lack of OpenGL support due to AMD Dynamic graphics switching pretty much cripples the Samsung Series 7 Chronos.

I am still a current owner of the HP ENVY 14 laptop. When it first launched, it also utilised the AMD Dynamic automatic switching method, which resulted in users complaining the lack of OpenGL support. The issue was resolved by HP releasing a new BIOS that added a new option for manual switching. The manual switching is the old type of switchable graphics where the screen would go blank for a few seconds while switching.

Since the manual switchable graphics is a fix for OpenGL support, we would like Samsung to work on and implement the manual switching option in the BIOS like HP did.

Some links from HP that would educate you further on the fix:
Official HP statement on Switchable Graphics and Open GL Fun... - HP Support Forum
HP Communities - On OpenGL and Switchable Graphics - HP Communities
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2055821"

Also, other users have complained of the same OpenGL issue.
Wall Photos | Facebook

"This is the 15.6" Samsung Series 7 Chronos NP700Z5A-S02SG that's sold in Singapore.

However all these NP700Z series models have an inherent defect - that is, no manual switchable graphics option. These models employ the AMD automatic switching which fails to switch to the correct AMD discrete card in many situations - OpenGL games, programmes like Adobe After Effects.

It is noteworthy that 65 owners in the NBR community alone have already polled for SAMSUNG to implement a fix, and of the 65, 34 have indicated that they will consider a refund if SAMSUNG chooses to ignore them.
If Samsung would take note and start an investigation on fixing this issue, many more like me would gladly purchase one.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/630666-series-7-chronos-all-models-push-samsung-implement-fixed-mode-bios.html"

Please also forward this email to Samsung for the OpenGL issue to be recorded and for investigation to start. I will accept only one more replacement and if it is DOA again, Digital Asia with Samsung will have to bear the cost of refund for my unit.

Thank you.

Regards
Yong

 

What issues would a user with Intel HD graphics likely experience? Obviously the OpenGL is AMD/Intel interface so that goes away. Is the Flash issue down to AMD drivers too? I mean, are there any other serious recurring issues that an Intel HD-only user would experience? You mention WiFi, but what exactly is the issue? Trackpad?

Thanks.

 

2 ways
way 1) Start>run > set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 , then go to dev manager and view>show hidden devices ( i think that just stays till you reboot ( i could be wrong)

Way 2 , definitely permanent untill you delete the key) Start>Control panel > system >advanced settings settings > environmental variables> In 'user variables' click 'new' .
'Variable name' devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices
'Variable Value' 1

then close and open device manager and select view>show hidden devices

 

John Lewis bless them didn't even cough when i asked for refund. once i explained the list of issues. I have had to go back to them a couple of times now with this particular model of laptop and to be fair JL have been nothing but a pleasure to deal with.. it's quite refreshing Well Done !!

Final thoughts from me before I order my Dell XPS

Dear Samsung ( PC division) ,

I'd be talking like a politician if I said that I have enjoyed your flagship model laptop experience. In times of austerity like we have now , continuing to drive for profits at the expense of EVERYTHING else and by that I mean design , functionality , build quality , technical support , software design and most importantly testing is fallacy . Something your returns department has probably already worked out

It's 2012 ... YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER

 

I sent my xps back because of the fan on/off issues. That has not been acknowledged by dell yet. If it were fixed I would buy another. I even got to speak to someone in the dell director's office. I said that I wanted to keep the laptop and wanted to work with them to get a fix, and he couldn't care less. Had no choice but to return it.
Just be careful anyway, it isn't just Samsung, nobody cares these days, and the organizations are so big that it has got to the point where the various departments don't even talk to each other.
as for me, I don't know what to buy. The xps was great, thought this was going to be the one, hoping something else is around the corner without the 768 resolution screen everyone is selling to the sheep who don't know any different. Never considered it before but apple now looks an option.

 

I've been lurking on this board for a while interested in other's experiences with this S7. I also have the i7 model from John Lewis and I'm also on my second as the first one was returned immediately with a faulty trackpad. The replacement also has the same fault (the trackpad has a complete mind of it's own when the the computer is plugged into mains and on a hard surface-lift the back of it up or put it on my lap and it's fine)!

I also have the spacebar problem. The finalstraw for me is the lack of OpenGL support given that I wanted the laptop to work with Adobe CS.Now knowing that there won't be a fix for this means I'll return this for a refund rather than having it repaired. What's the point of paying for a graphics card that some applications can't use?

I agree with Timbo that it's very telling that John Lewis have not restocked this laptop.

It's a shame because the laptop was perfect on the face of it and I love the backlit keyboard, the design and the price (but maybe the price tells it's own story in terms of R&D/QC)

Just for the record mine (1 of a batch of 630 from John Lewis) also shows up that it had an i5 and lower spec graphics card originally once hidden devices are revealed!

 

Never mind...

 

Mine also has the same. It is an image Samsung installed. All the i5 and i7 processors, along with the 6490M are possible options for the S7..

 

Thanks for explaining this yknyonh1