Samsung Series 7 Laptops - 15.0" and 15.6" Models (NP700Z4 & NP700Z5)

Hey just got back from Best Buy. I have been following this thread from almost the beginning and I couldn't wait to see it. I am however waiting for the more expensive one for the better GPU, keyboard, and express cache.
Anyways this will be my next laptop. I kept running back and forth between it and a MBP to compare. The build quality is very good. I pressed pretty hard and flex was not a problem. Also for a 15.6 inch, it doesn't seem big or hefty, it is pretty thin. Now I have heard conflicting things about the screen and I just want to say it is wonderful. It was my favorite out of any of the computers in the store. The matte is nice, and the screen is brighter and better looking than I expected. I can't wait to have one, come on Samsung.

 

I believe that is correct, it's like the 14" (13" chassis) but with more space on each side of the keyboard.

I like the 14"/15" keyboards because they include a dedicated vertical row for Hm/End/Pg keys (unlike others that are going the Fn-Cursor keys for these).

 

I returned the BB 7, screen was washed out to me. Not worth the money! Ordered a XPS 17 1080p for $100 more.

 

Screen quality seems conflincting in reviews :
- Either some people are really picky or used to stare at IPS desktop/Transformer/Ipad2 pannels or even worse like galaxy S amoled screens...
- Or bestbuy used two batches of different screens in that particular BB series7.

And you guessed that one of that batch is crappy right ?

 

Why would you order an XPS 17? Such an ugly laptop...I mean it's incredibly ugly

Not to mention the plastic design, thickness, and the much worse batter life at only 5 hours.

That just makes no sense to me at all why you would order that when you are in this thread...You need to cancel that order imo

 

Plus if u compare what people had say about build quality. People had to realize the price is still really different from 13inch mbp and the specs of series 7 is similar to 17inch mbp. If Samsung could spend couple hundred more to match the price of mbp then things would be different.

 

Who said anything about an order? Maybe you should read back a few pages before you suggest things to me. Sorry, but I like the XPS, not buying it to sit in my lap everyday. I really dont care what makes sense to you. I DID own the Best Buy series 7, do/have you? The colors on mine sucked, very washed out but it was bright.

I posted a pic with the back cover removed so people could see inside. 1 dimm slot, no CPU zip, and crappy wifi. NOT WORTH THE $949 Best buy is charging.

Samsung wouldnt tell me if the other models had the same screen. If it does, most of you will be disappointed, some will like it. I had a XPS 15z, took it back because of the sucky screen. Looked worse than the Samsung

 

you think the XPS 15z screen was bad? Worse than the Samsung?

I have an XPS 15z, the screen is perfectly fine imo.

 

XPS 15z can come with different screens...

 

The BB near me finally got the Series 7 Neutered in and while the build quality overall is nice I noticed a few things:

1. The edges are kind of rough... I understand having them on the sides but they are also on the bottom of palm rest. Most have that edge smoothed off because that's were you rest your hands but the S7 did not.

2. It was HEAVY. I was surprised by it because most of the notebooks at BB have their batteries removed so in comparison they felt much lighter. This was like MacBookPro 15" heavy. The thinness makes you think it's going to be light and you pick up and it feels so dense. I guess because I had played with the Sony SE last week so I though this would be similar. The specs say a little over 5lbs but if the MBP weighs 5.6lbs... this has got to be closer to that.

3. The glass(?) touchpad is nice but not quite as responsive as the ones on the Macs. I'm not sure if that's a setting, the OS or what.

If you're considering the S7 15.6" with the numpad, you should really look at the Sony SE, especially if you don't mind the lower "horsepower".

 

Nobody on the market makes a multitouch touchpad as good as Apple's. The fact that the Series 7's can even be mentioned in the same sentence as the MBP touchpad (on a machine that costs half as much as a similarly-equipped MBP) is credit to Series 7.

 

The one I had was grainy and the chrome trim on the left side was coming off within 3 days. I also didnt like the short keyboard. I am 6'5, 280 lbs with xl hands, so the 17 is a better match for me.

The bb 7 i had was a 1/2 inch wider than my sons QX (14").

 

Samsung Series 7 Laptop - Video

A Tiger Direct TV overview of the Samsung Series 7 laptop.

 

Nvmd, he mentions the backlit keyboard at 1:51

 

The guy says the keyboard is backlit in the video.

 

He also says "full aluminum body," which is very encouraging.

 

lol did you see the lid would not close all the way at the end of the video

 

Yeah, that was hilarious. Come on, guys, not worth another take at the filming? That really isn't confidence-inspiring.

 

I'm kinda hoping that was a pre-production model... I think i can live with those viewing angles, will have to see in RL for me to make a judgment on the brightness/clarity.

 

Lol @ TD chick's face at 3:18

 

im preordering my 15.6 $1149 model on amazon right now since the

15"(14inch chassis) isnt coming to the u.s

and i used the multitouch pad on the series 7 at best and it is by far the closest thing a non mac laptop has come to matching the quality of the macbook's touchpad

the thing that has me sold is the small bezel
and the fact that it has the same specs of a much more expensive macbook pro

 

I find it weird, is it me it didn't look like it had backlit keyboard. I know he say it's backlit but when the camera was close it didn't look like it.
Watching it on youtube at HD it seriously does not look like it has backlit keyboard at all. Then again it could be a different model and they demoing lower end model.

 

Or it could be a preproduction model or even the Bestbuy model. As far as we know they might not even have seen the S02US yet.

 

She's cute but dumb as a rock.

 

Samsung Series 7 Chronos Official Video - YouTube

The backlit keyboard is definitely in the Official video from Samsung.

 

(not an expert but...)

I have a 13 inch 2010 MBP (and a Dell XPS 8300 desktop). I also recently had the Asus G74 ($1,099 on sale) for two weeks and the Sony F22 ($1,199 on sale) for two weeks.

Unboxed today. Power cord/brick nicely done if a little short.

The computer is certainly thin and somewhat heavier than expected. (Not a 13 inch MBP in terms so weight, but portable; brick is small.)

It feels good in the hand --- not like the Apple, but better than the Sony and Asus (the Asus seemed a bit sturdier). A good inital showing! Opening is OK but some need to hold the bottom of the computer to open. The display side seems a bit thin and possibly fragile. (Bottom is black plastic.) One's impression is one of metal, not plastic.

Once open, it seems high quality. Good trackpad (2nd to the MBP), nice keys, didn't type much but didn't notice excessive flex.

Spent some time deleting programs (such an Norton 30 day and TWO best Buy apps) and adding programs. There are two drives --- C and D. I put most disk space in C.

The screen gives an initial impression of being relatively sharp (the 1600 x 900 resolution?) and certainly non-glare (which I like). One notices that it is somewhat washed out. Changing the vertical angle changes this somewhat. More time on the screen grew a bit tiresome, especially as I changed the angle and tried some You Tube videos at the end --- such as Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon (I "test" computers/displays with this and a few others). The results were not that good for the Sammy. I assume the 6490 was used --- rergardless the screen did not look good and contrast seemed to be lacking ( the box does says 300 nits). One video was slow to load --- one I can play more quickly on the other machines (1080p vs. 720p)?

First impression of the screen:

Sony #1 (1080p)
Apple #2 (800p)
Samsung #3 (720p)
Asus #4 (720p --- Best Buy's gimped version)

It was a good enough screen until the video test. I wonder about gaming? We'll see. No eyestrain yet.

The keyboard is nice but the lack of backlighting sure is not nice. (All but the Samsung are backlit.)

The machine never seemed snappy. I looked for the "Windows scores" and there were none(!) --- it had never been tested I guess! So I tested it.


Scores:

Sammy Dell Sony

Proc. 7.4 7.4 7.4

Ram 7.4 7.6 7.6

2D 5.2 6.7 6.7

3D 6.4 6.7 6.7

HDD 5.9 5.9 5.9


As you can see, the Samsung lags despite its better processor (the Dell is an i5 and the Sony had a lower level i7). (I didn't test the Asus but believe it would best the Sony.) The 2D score was particularly low for some reason ( Anyone know why?). I also used Auslogics Benchtown with fairly similar results. More importantly, subjectively, the Samsung sometimes seemed to take a long time to open a program. The Dell (a desktop) seems fastest in use. Something of a disappointment. ( Speedtest was fast, the pingtest was a B --- good but the others had an A; Sometimes it seemed that the Samsung would hesitate --- uneven reception?)

(I haven't timed booting yet but it doesn't seem fast. I did close the lid without turning it off and then pushing the button resulted in the Samsung snapping back on ( that was nice!)). From off, no way is it 19 seconds or near 31 seconds. I'll time it and call Samsung to see what I can disable. Still, not a good result. The Dell (new desktop) boots most rapidly, then the Apple (older), then the Asus, then the Samsung (I think) and then the Sony (the Sony may have had an issue as it crashed shortly after testing).

One nice positive is the machine was usually quiet! It made some fan noise when benchtesting as did the Sony --- which was louder (too loud). The bottom was somewhat hot (the Asus was the best in terms of "HVAC"). I didn't try any games yet (only a 6490 anyway).

I didn't test the battery yet, the optical drive, HDMI, or anything else. It has, I believe, two 3.0 ports. I'll be a bit more rigorous next time I use it
(timing boot start up and such) as I wad downloading updates, removing bloatware and such for most of the time.

My initial conclusions are is it worth $949 - $1,019? It doesn't seem so without the SSD cache, surprisingly slow benchscores, no backlighting, 6490 (barely better than the integrated it seems) and so-so screen. I suspect this screen is on the "better" Series 7 models, too, as it is 300 nits. But who knows? It is mostly metal and might have good battery life. Still, overall, the 7 has not excited me yet (maybe high expectations).





Samsung 7 (Best Buy) --- strong i7 (2nd gen.), 750 gig 5400, 6 gig RAM, switchable graphics (not as good as Optimus) w/6490, 720p, 15.6 inch matte screen. Good battery life? Decently light. Mostly metal. Hinge and screen a bit fragile?

Asus G74 (Best Buy) --- weaker i7 (2nd gen.), 1 terr (2 x 500; no RAID) 7200, 8 gigs RAM, 2 gigs of modestly gimped 560M, no switchable graphics, 720p, 17.3 inch high glare screen, modest battery life. Good quality rubber and plastic --- sturdy but big and heavy.

Sony F22 ---- weaker i7 (2nd gen.), 750 gig 5400, 8 gig RAM, 1 gig 540, no switchable graphics, 16.4 inch 1080p(!) matte screen, modest battery life. Good quality plastic --- moderately sturdy.

Apple 13 inch MBP (2010)n --- 2.4 core2duo, 250 gig 5400, 4 gig RAM, NVIDIA 320, no swithabble graphics, 13.3 inch 1280 x 800 glare screen (good contrast), good battery life. Very high quality build. Light.





(Any questions or suggestions, let me know via forum post tomorrow.)



Sorry for any typos. Carpal tunnel and baseball playoffs!!!

 

the battery life of the sony is crap.

 

not to mention the sony F22 is a massive thick brick... and ugly to boot idk why designers make that lid inverted like that.

 

She couldn't speak at all.

 

Probably why it's lighter and why Sony made the "slice of life".

I imagine with the battery module added on, it weighs the same as the S7 and has the same life.

For my "desktop" notebook... battery life falls on the priority list, screen resolution is at the top.

For my "portable" notebook... thinness, weight and battery life take priority (hence an ultrabook).

 

if your going to get an ultrabook in addition to your desktop notebook... just make a desktop lol. Will be far more powerful then this notebook and you could get a nice IPS panel LCD display.

 

I think with the slice battery life is much better than S7 at almost 10 hours. Not really sure with out it, but I remember reading a review somewhere they were able to get 4 hours of video out out of it with wifi on and screen brightness at 65%, which to me sounds like its close to the S7.

 

And will probably cost less too.

But I may need to take the "desktop" places occasionally so being a notebook works for me. I haven't had a desktop computer in years and got spoiled by the faster on-from-standby times (the MBA is even more redic).

If the Series 7 had a 1080p panel, it would probably be very hard to choose the SE over it... so alas... it comes down to pixel density.

 

Anyone know of a sleeve that would fit this laptop? It looks like the only available 15" sleeves are designed for an MBP, so they'd be too big.

 

Just got a reply to my email:

Looks like the laptop from Tiger (and almost definitely Amazon too) has the full set of features promoted by Samsung. Hopefully my pre-order ships this week. I'll duck into Best Buy and play around with their watered down version and see what differences there are, and post a video review when I get my machine.

 

Awesome, I was getting a little concerned and started browsing though SSDs for fun. Looks like if the TD order has EC, I won't need it. Although this new samsung SSD appears hassle-free and isn't too costly.

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG 470 Series MZ-5PA128B/AM 2.5" 128GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) w/ Norton Ghost 15

 

If you get an SSD I'd recommend a SATA III SSD like Crucial M4 because your laptop supports it.

But I wouldn't recommend an SSD. Better use a 750GB 7200rpm.

 

heat and noise as possible issues. The Sony F22 has a great screen but the heat and noise scared me a bit. The Asus G74 does a very good job with heat and noise and has the better GPU. The screen may not be quite as good (unless you really like glossy and get a high end model) but why not buy a separate monitor to go with it.

The other issue is ability to upgrade a desktop replacement.

If I have the room, I'm going for a powerful tower and a lightweight, well built smaller laptop.

I do agree --- the screen is key --- one uses it 100% of the time.

 

Any magazine or tech site reviewed a Series 7 yet?

 

It seems like the latest Sony vaio SE is a strong contender to series 7...about $1000 and also strong performance and a great screen

 

Seriously, I need just one review!! Any reviews guys on this product?

 

go check out the general design and build quality for yourself at best buy
im sure by now your local one has it.

the better models will just have better internal specs than the best buy model

 

I have a couple of problems with the Sony SE. First the $1000 comes with an i5, 4gb ram, and a bad GPU. If I upgrade it to match specs of the Samsung 7, it is 1299 before tax and still doesn't have a very good graphics card.To me it doesn't compete. But if you don't need the GPU and are willing to spend money I understand.

 

There is a hands-on by Engadget:

Samsung unveils Series 7 laptops, we go hands-on -- Engadget

And some YouTube videos (too lazy to find them but I've seen them before).

 

Just checked it out at best buy. It felt solid, and I liked the thin bezel. However, the screen looked sort of washed out, and worse, the touchpad was a nightmare to use. It kept registering clicks when I didn't want it to, and wouldn't register clicks when I wanted it to. More practice might help, but seriously, a touchpad shouldn't require a learning curve. Seriously, why the hell can't any company other than Apple make a decent touchpad?

 

Well for one thing if they had it just as good as apple and similar. Apple might just sue them like Apple is already suing Samsung on some products because Samsung kind of replicating Apple's product with changes and a lot cheaper for some products.

 

Thanks. Any info helps but I just want to read a normal review (not a hands-on) or marketing piece. Say, a review by the folks here or at Laptop Magazine or at notebookcheck. Even anandtech!

I wrote a short, amateurish review a few pages back of the Best Buy model. But I'd like to see something by a professional, unbiased person/organization.

 

It sounds to me like the Samsung can't compete with the Vaio SE's screen or multimedia capabilities (available 3D, available Blu-Ray), and the Vaio SE can't compete with the Samsung's performance hardware (CPU, GPU, express cache). Different strokes for different folks, depending on your priorities. I think both are really fantastic options at a totally reasonable price.

 

Weird that they changed it at the last moment

 

Samsung is getting really confusing now.

Check this answer they gave on their Facebook corporate page to a question regarding the "factory option."

The question read: "what does "factory option" mean for ExpressCache? do all 700Z5A-S02US machines come with ExpressCache in the US?"

Samsung's reply was: "@Greg Afinogenov - Thank you for your interest in the SERIES 7 CHRONOS. Please note that the SERIES 7 CHRONOS 700Z5A-S02 will be updated to 700Z5A-S04US and the ExpressCache will come as an option. For more detailed information on Samsung Notebooks in the USA as well as retailers, please contact our hotline directly on 1.800.726.7864. We hope this helps!"

This to me is very confusing. I thought it was established that the S02's were required to have Express Cache, but apparently they "come as an option." Make sure you guys double check if you are pre-ordering the one with Express Cache.

Funny thing was that I tried talking to two Samsung sales reps regarding the issue. None of them knew what I was talking about. Even with the different model numbers, Express Cache or no Express Cache, etc.

I even asked them which specific retailers would sell the models with back-lit keyboards and express cache. I was asking if Amazon and Tiger Direct were selling the model I wanted (15.6" S02). They were completely oblivious to my questions.

They told me to just wait until next week or so when more details are released.