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

I'm so pumped for this lappy, but my biggest concerns are with heat and with replacing the battery. I almost pulled the trigger on the Dell xps 15z until I began hearing about the heat issues. Any idea how much a replacement battery would cost for one of these suckers and how long Sammy would take to get the job done? Maybe any qx410/11 owners can shed light on battery replacement. Long as its decent at dealing with heat, I'm striking on this.

P.S. - Any idea where the speakers are?

 

I wish there was a version with a nice 1920x1080 display too.. seeing how Samsung does make really good displays and all..

And also I wonder if the 750 GB HDD is replacable with an SSD
(Yes I know there is the 8 GB ExpressCache thing but I still want an SSD )

 

The speakers are probably under the keyboard like the MBP 13''.

Heat is probably the only potential con in this laptop. I hope they have 2 fans in there. I wouldn't worry about the battery. It's friggin huge and samsung claims it to have a longer life span.

 

Why wouldn't it be?

If it's SATA I or SATA II no problem.

It's not like it's mSATA.

If you mean accessibility; I wouldn't worry too much.

 

Oh wow, now was that hard to do?

Finally a laptop not too big, with a decent graphics card, 1600x900 screen, backlit keyboard and that doesn't cost 2300$ (ahem Macbook Pro)...

Does anyone know about the switching technology? If it is a muxer or the technology used in the newer HP dv6?

 

This sounds great on paper but my concern is heat and wifi.

 

I kinda wish the 6750m version has an i5 sandy bridge.

 

I thought I read that the 15.6" model is in a 15" body?

Lets see if I can find it the link......

 

Apparently there is both a 15" and 15.6". The one with the numberpad that we've been seeing is 15.6".

See this post:

 

Ho hi guys, been a year since the envy 14 waiting This year is gonna be Series 7's turn I just hope the screen will live up to the radiance one and the battery time to be greater than the envy 14 (my battery is already showing signs of wear so I'm basically down to 3hours max...)

In this article you can clearly see there are 3 sizes : http://laptoping.com/samsung-series-7-chronos.html
It's strange so many reporters missed one of the models. Notice the sligth difference of sizes around the keyboards.

13 sporting 14" screen

14 sporting 15" screen

15 chasis (withnumpad) sporting 15"6 screen


Notice how theres no sticker on the 13 chasis one... Maybe ULV processor ?
And for those who didn't saw it yet the official teaser which I found very well made. Introducing the SERIES 7 CHRONOS - YouTube

 

BTW i think there are more vents at the front of the laptop. Just around where the wrist would wrest whilst using the laptop.

I can also see screws underneath the laptop, meaning changing bits and bobs may not be too hard.

 

Oh, please. We've long established that a super thin form factor notebook with a long battery life like the MBP's requires that the battery included be an integrated one. Most people are going to be budget-centric, which means they won't be shelling out money to replace batteries. My Envy's on the same battery since one year ago and I wouldn't have any problems if the battery life were to drop further than it already has.

 

Wow, there haven't been too many 15" laptops manufactured recently. I wonder if it'll feel/look really square. The pictures are pretty good, but I need to see all three in person, next to each other. Does anyone know if these'll be at Best Buy or other stores?

 

They should be at Best Buy, CompUSA, Micro Center, Microsoft Store, etc.

I'll probably get it from Amazon when available because there is no tax and I have Amazon Prime shipping. I know Amazon doesn't carry all models, but the Series 7 should make it as it's a fresh product and has attracted some attention. Newegg and other online retailers will probably carry it.

 

Thanks! I'll probably try them out at Best Buy and buy online.

 

These will indeed fly off the shelves once word gets out to the general public.

 

at least 2 of the models are already up for pre-order on amazon

Amazon.com: Samsung NP700Z3A-S01US 14-Inch Notebook: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Samsung NP700Z5A-S02US 15.6-Inch Notebook - Silver

 

Anyone knows what the resolution on the 13 one is? I hope it will be 1600x900.

 

Everyone telling about its thickness.
But what I have seen from various images online the laptop screen is of poor quality.

1. brightness is too low
2. viewing angle is really poor

Also
3. I think it does not have a BL keyboard too
4. serious doubt over its sound quality as compared to Dell XPS 15

 

We don't know much about brightness yet. And yes, there IS a backlit keyboard.

Samsung Series 7 700Z (700Z3A) Laptop first look - Screen and Specifications - Trusted Reviews



Seriously, don't jump to your own conclusions based on mere photos. Take the time to actually read the reviews. That's how we here on NBR make smart purchases.

 

Thanks for the links +rep. I'll preorder mine

 

And it seems from the internet images for this series. As screen is the MOST important component directly interacts with the user, we have to seriously see its quality after its launch.

 

How long the battery holds? i hoping there is not an issue with the video card like the hp dv6 series(but now it fixed)

 

Now I'm wondering whether Costco will have the Series 7 early, as they did with the Series 3.

Probably not in stores. They seem to only stock moderate- to low-priced laptops, $1000 and under. Everything else is on the website.

That's very relevant, because I'm reluctant to order something off a website, based only on third-party descriptions and photos. Even with Costco's liberal return policy, I prefer to examine an item in person before purchase.

 

Yeah, I can't see anyone introducing a new line of notebooks and making them incompatible with an SSD replacement. But I can certainly see them making it a 7mm high size requirement. Which would require me to modify my Crucial 256GB M4...

I'm going to hold off my notebook purchase till the Series 7 is introduced and we can find some thorough reviews. Having owned several Thinkpads I'm probably going to have issues with the chicklet keyboard and will really miss not having a fingerprint reader. But the discrete graphics card on the 15" would alone make up for that.

Can someone tell me who in Canada typically sells Samsung notebooks?

 

How does the headphone/microphone combo port work? Will a headset with a splitter work?

 

Links are now dead

They were working at 9 AM PST

 

The photos are only only photos... If you don't have a good camera, the camera will focus so that the screen is bright and the rest of the picture is dark. The quality you see depends on the camera. 300-nit screen is 300-nit after all. Samsung designs their own screens so that's a plus. A 500 horsepower car will get up to 500 horsepower. Don't worry, the screen will be great. Viewing angles will be great too.
The specs (on paper) say that there will be backlit keyboards. Lets hope that Samsung doesn't lie.
Yes, the sound will not be comparable to the Dell xps 15. The Dell has much more room inside to accommodate good speakers. One downfall of thin laptops.

 

Backlit keyboard is one of the features they are touting and it's on their floor model. It would be dumb and possibly too late for them to remove it at this point.

Here's a video for backlit keyboard:
Samsung Series 7 Chronos ante nuestra atenta mirada - IFA 2011 - YouTube

 

Here's a video from Samsung Notebook's youtube account confirming three screen sizes (14", 15", and 15.6"). What I find really weird is that Samsung's own press release makes no mention of the 15" without the numpad. Maybe it's not going to be available in the initial October 2nd launch of the Series 7 Chronos line of laptops?

 

The 15" w/out numpad is strange as I would rather get the smaller 14" if the screen rez is the same.

But I've had a 14" WUXGA Dell long ago so I'm used to that type of pixel density.

 

I notice in this video that at least the 15.6" version still seems to have the long (non-elbow) power connector that so many Series 9 users had problems with. What do you think the chances are that they've fixed these issues? Of course, it's totally possible that the display model is using a different adapter from the final release.

 

Makes you wonder if 15in will comes with the quad core cpu(like the 15.6in), or is it dual core like the 14in?

 

From the previews, looks like there's no SD slot. Anyone found evidence to the contrary?

 

Front edge, left side

 

Yea there is Sd support.
The plastic palmrest is worrying me tho.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLNJdxf1g54&feature=related
13" palmrest looks brushed
15" looks plastic

 

I'm definitely looking into researching the the 2nd or 3rd generation of this notebook in late 2013 and popping SquareTrade on it assuming Samsung has gotten the details down. I don't expect LG to be able to follow through with the LG P330 as they've been slowly getting pushed into obscurity in their major product lines.


On top of all the other goodies, the camera-linked auto-LCD dimming feature is a nice touch.

 

The different palm rests is probably due to these being prototypes. I see no reason for the 15.6" to have a non-brushed palm rest, especially when the larger variant of the Series 7 seems to marketed as the "premium" choice (due to better specs).

 

I did not find information regarding the processor ie, Core i7-2675QM (2.2ghz) on Intel's web site. How it is compared to Core i7-2630QM (2.0ghz) ? From the numbering and the processor speed it seems to be better but is it really better in other aspect ?

 

Intel Core i7-2675QM processor

Intel Core i7-2630QM processor - FF8062700837005

 

Thank you dear.
But I have seen those links.
What I was asking for the product techspec from intel dot com
Even I searched at intel dot com (product search) and the search result was zero !!!

 

Sorry if this is obvious but I couldn't seem to find it.


Does the smaller chassis 15" version (Numberpadless) come with the 6750m option?

The only reason I see not getting this is if you already have/just got a MBP/Z21. Seems like a good upgrade path from 1st gen Radiance owners and 09-10 MBP owners.

Also, the 13" Series 7 looks like a MBP 13" replacement, since (I feel) Apple really let us down with the screen res.

Anyways, I hope there will be no delays in product launch, I have a bunch of cash burning a hole in my pocket! And.... I like the somewhat minimal "Samsung" on the cover.

 

^ Same with me! I prefer a nice, shiny, minimal logo rather than a light up logo on HP's and Apple's.

 

The Series 7 is truly an amazing notebook. I've been reading all your posts and other comments on different blogs/tech sites. I couldn't help but comment myself and pose a few questions.

The specific model I am currently eying is the NP700Z5A-S01US which is the top-of-the-line, maxed out model packing the i7-2675QM and AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 8GB DDR3 RAM. I really do hope they release it on time in North America on October 2.

I was really ready to pull the trigger on an XPS 15z or an Alienware m14x. While the m14x may be a worthy workhorse machine, I also considered its form factor and design. I'm a college graduate (but still an avid gamer) and I just thought that the m14x's design is getting quite obsolete and old-fashioned, being adorned with lights and the whole X-Files sci-fi theme. At the same time, I thought that after 2-3 years, the m14x would probably not keep up with the next generation of graphic-intensive games and I'd look like a fool lugging around a heavy gaming notebook that can't play the latest games. As for the 15z, I realized that while it is a decent machine, it really wasn't meant for gaming and that's something I simply cannot sacrifice. I'm upgrading from a dated XPS m1530 (which was a decent gaming machine back in its day), and I'm a frequent mobile gamer.

Given this, I stumbled upon the Samsung Series 7. While they are indeed not marketed as "gaming notebooks," the GPUs their packed with is pretty decent for the current games in release now. Also, it has a timeless, elegant, classy look which will last for the next couple of years.

Upon seeing the Series 7, I really was entranced by the form factor and build. I love the little details of having the back-lit keyboard, aluminum chassis, glass track-pad, numerical keypad and long battery life for a very affordable price.

I really do agree with other comments that it actually takes more inspiration from a Vaio more than a Macbook. I say "inspiration" since it doesn't really replicate other designs to the utmost extent. I have no idea while so many Mac fanboys have a new target for "imitating" their design, when the Series 7 is actually quite far from it. I'd say that the HP Envy and XPS m15z indeed tried to "replicate" the Macbook form factor to cater to that market of folks who wanted to stick with PC, but have the Mac aesthetic. However, to me, the Samsung Series 7 is a whole different breed of notebook.

So enough of my rambling. Just wanted to freely express my opinions about this forthcoming notebook.

However, what really might dissuade me on purchasing this would be the following 3 factors:

1. Battery Life not living up to 9-Hour Claim in real-world tests
2. Speakers being too cheap and inaudible in actual usage (one of the selling points of the m14x were the Klipsch speakers and subwoofer, and as an audiophile, these details to me are really important so I don't always have to carry external speakers).
3. The actual materials used for construction. I've read and seen many pictures wherein the palm rest really does look like it's actually plastic. Check this picture from the NBR post.



Look at how the texture and lines of the gunmetal finish drastically change from the top (body of the keyboard up to the power switch) to the bottom (palm rests). Notice the big difference? There is a much lighter and plastic-like hue on the palm rest and track pad area. This to me is finishing with a bronze medal. I mean, Samsung would have been close to getting the gold with a near-perfect notebook, but making the palm rests plastic is something very noticeable and can give in to easy wear-and-tear and creaks. Also, there are reports of the bottom covering being plastic too. C'mon Samsung! Why not just make the entire thing out of aluminum? Or better yet...unibody! Why can't there be any unibody notebooks, besides the late Dell Adamo? Everyone's shifting to the aluminum construction, but sandwich-style instead of a solid unibody build.

Anyways, I'm not complaining yet and of course have to see the reviews before concluding with these statements. They're just some effects of pre-release jitters I'm getting. I wish the actual reviews would come out sooner than we expect.

By the way, if no one's mentioned this yet; for anyone who wants up-to-date release news from Samsung, you can check out this LINK and register.

 

^ Interesting how Samsung's own page has the finish in the palmrest: http://www.samsung.com/us/images/article/office/series-7-keyboard.jpg I can also see some grain here, but who knows just how visible they'll be in different conditions: Samsung Launches Series 7 Aluminum Laptops: Hands On - Samsung Series 7 13-inch - Slideshow from PCMag.com

I will also be upgrading from an XPS m1530. I tried the dv6t but my custom build was flaky (squealing/buzzing cpu, I couldn't get bluetooth to work on it, the screen had white soft glows in the corner as if it was burned in or something, the right trackbutton was also sunken more than the left, and finally the fan can get pretty loud under load)... my first custom XPS m1530 had water screen damage right out of the box... needless to say, I haven't really been lucky with customized notebooks.

The specs on this machine are spot on. In fact, I would've bought this over the dv6t had it been out before I made the purchase. I really hope they get this right. Makes you wonder what corners they are cutting for such a well thought out machine (at least on paper) for such a great price.

People are reporting that the floor model build qualities are solid and looking at reviews from past Samsung laptops, most seem pretty happy with it. Recognition of Excellence | Articles & Insights. This makes me optimistic about the Series 7.

I have the Samsung Series 7 notebook in my cart at Amazon but haven't yet purchased it (waiting for money to transfer). It's strange that they pulled down the pages, though. A one month window for preorders is not terribly early. I wonder if they are postponing the release date... I hope not!

--

steelroots7xe, I don't think the laptop will last 9 hours unless you've configured it for lowest power consumption? I know that it will have better battery life than many laptops out there, but 9 hours under normal conditions, I doubt it. I also wouldn't set my expectations too high on the speakers.

 

Everybody wants MBP and Adamo XPS case designs, just not the price tags. The short version is, if the Series 7 had an aluminum unibody case instead of an aluminum-and-plastic traditional case, it wouldn't be anywhere near the current (excellent) price point. And I think the current model with its half-the-price-of-a-similarly-equipped-MBP price point is a better move.

 

I'm pretty sure it's plastic, I read somewhere saying that it was a design decision so it doesn't feel as hard/cold. I highly doubt a unibody case would cost much more, raw aluminum is not expensive stuff. I highly duobt more than 50 bucks in cost. so add another 100 and you have it.

 

I can think of two advantages of a plastic palmrest: (i) Less conduction of heat from warm internals onto your hands and (ii) no annoying minor electrical shocks that occur from any floating voltage. My Dell E6400 and E6410 had metal top and bottom but plastic palmrest. The former had insufficient bumpers to stop the edge of the display bezel rubbing against the palm rest while the notebook was closed and stuffed in a bag (this was addressed on the E6410). The photo on this page suggests that Samsung may encounter the same problem (I can see only two miniscule bumpers - one each side of the palmrest next to the keyboard).

John

 

Aluminium cost a lot because of the electricity required to produce it. Much more than high grade plastics.

 

Yes, much more expensive than to produce plastic. however, it is still not expensive. CNC manufacturerd aluminum is not expensive, I highly doubt the macbook pro unibody structure costs more than 100 bucks to make. It is without a doubt the cheapest component of a computer, producing a case doesn't compare with the cost of a semiconductor fab plant.