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

OK. overall it is great laptop.


At the end is the most important sentence:
"The Chronos 700Z5A thus focuses more on the mobile office and web users , as the games and interested in film entertainment lovers. Who does not represent too great demands on the monitor may safely access."


So anyway probably I buy it today.


BUt if screen is really so important, the question is: what is in the market at the moment, that can overall offer all these great specification in one and has great screen?

I think that anyway at this moment is this no.1 laptop.

IF you do not think so.. Tell us: witch is overall better?

 

Well, a fatal flaw.

I'm a bit upset as Samsung (on youtube) promised 300 nits and that is not the case. More importantly, even with 300 nits, the screen would ruin the experience for me.

Such a shame as the rest of the machine seems pretty good and the SSD cache is, for now, a special feature.

I don't even care about the price --- I look at the screen 100% of the time.

Samsung needs to up their laptop game and not raise expectations by OVER-PROMISING. Powerful components do not a great laptop make. Nor does copying Apple's designs (see iPad vs. Galaxy controversy.)

Maybe the Samsung 7 Series II.

So, Apple MBP or Dell XPS 15z or whatever.

Good luck to all!!!

 

Well, there's none, I'm afraid. The only one which comes close and has a far superior screen is Sony Vaio SE, but lacks in other departments unfortunately, some cooling problems and a couple of lower components.

I wish some manufacturers would see this thread and get it.. there are around 175 pages of messages here from people looking after this sort of machine, sleek design and all-round performance.

I hope Samsung would come up with an updated version... otherwise, they played it poorly, but others could manage to do it better, do you hear me, Sony?

If only they were not so greedy....

 

I'm confused! So the display is not exactly awesome - but compared to what?

I have a 5-year-old HP DV2007EA with a 14.1" 1280x800 display and I have been perfectly happy with it.

Can anyone guess whether the Samsung's display is actually inferior even compared to my old HP, or is it only inferior compared to new top-of-the-line models?

 

I ordered mine from amazon on Oct 3 and i just got this email last night Nov 1

Hello,

Due to a lack of availability from our suppliers, we will not be able to obtain the following item(s) from your order:

"Samsung NP700Z5A-S03US 15.6-Inch Laptop"
Amazon.com: Samsung NP700Z5A-S03US 15.6-Inch Laptop: Computers & Accessories

We've cancelled the item(s) and apologize for the inconvenience.

Please visit the product detail pages above to see if these items are available from other sellers.

If you took advantage of a promotional offer when placing this order, this cancellation may affect your order's eligibility for that offer. If this is the case, please contact customer service: :cry:

 

I think I'll just save up for a MBP. I don't need a laptop immediately but was excited for this as it has what I love about MBP but for Windows and at nearly half the price. What a mess of a marketing and a bad impression of Samsung for me. They have added, removed, readded, and removed the US models and now they're going to price-hike it? Uh, nice try and no thanks to that.

I hope another Windows notebook comes along that has the sleekness and outer features of the Series 7 with an agreeable price point, but I have my doubts...

Maybe in their next model they can fix the contrast issue and actually reach 300nits (not that I really care for the latter, but if you mention a feature you should at least reach it).

 

When you listen to bench rage people you'd think the screen is 800*600 8bits color and totally unusable. But what did you expect out of a matte screen finish, since it's usually the glossy layer that improves black contrasts to the level they are demanding.
Imo it's like any screen, if you get used to it and don't have a superior screen next to it, you won't notice any difference. Early owners already say it's decent to the eye, and even better than most laptops excluding radiance envy or Sony SA. The only real alternative here is the mbp. And it isn't even one for windows people who want a good touchpad & battery life, but simply a step up in price.

 

Another thing is unless you don't mind OS X, a MBP is NOT a solution.
I have so far heard Apple doing stuff which locks out power management in Windows.
So, ur MBP will have quite crappy battery life running Windows.....

Some will say, ahhhh just use OS X and deal with it. Thing is I don't like OS X. Tried it and hated it.

 

I still find it funny though that "Other measurements likewise leave a good impression. The low black level of 0.52 cd/m² provides for saturated-looking blacks as well as a contrast ratio of 581:1. Combined with the matte screen, this Samsung display is well equipped for outdoor use."
That's the matte screen 2011 MBP review, using a samsung screen. Samsung.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review...1-2-0-GHz-Quad-Core-Matte-Screen.49689.0.html

 

but as as know, Sony is much slower than samsung s03 version.
Will you swallow thees specs and worse harware?

 

Hmm. What bothers me is that the viewing angles are crap... Lack of pure blacks is somethong that everyone should be more or less expecting on a Matte screen, but viewing angles should still be alright.

On a separate note, the review mentioned automatic video card switching. Do you know if there is a manual mode as well in this laptop as I would not want to rely on automatic set-up as it will cause too much trouble?

 

they stated that they had to switch the gpu on for some tests, because the automatic didnt jumped in -> it should have a manual mode

 

And what about changing the screen?
Do you guys think it would be possible? As the screen is a 15.6", any 15.5" should fit in right? Any thoughts...

 

Does the 14 inch version of this laptop also have a bad screen?

 

I would love to know this as well. If it's easily changeable, then I might go for the Samsung again... if the stock model price increase isn't too drastic.

 

The thin bezel will cause issues for any screen changes I think.


It may be possible to replace the screen with one from a Macbook Pro however as Samsung manufacture the MBP panel as well.

 

apple has 15,4 screen

 

The screen is better than the SA, not that I'm saying the SA screen is bad (before people jump on my back)

 

People looking for better screens should look elsewhere. The screen is great for majority of people and for the rest, well sucks for you. Can we move along from the subject of the screen to something else like availability, changing hard drives, express cache etc.

 

I drove to best buy last night to take a look at the screen myself, and the display is not only much worse than I thought, I do not think people are being unfair when they say it is a deal breaker. It is a deal breaker for me... And that is coming from someone with a t500 that was in the $1000 price range..

The screen is worse than my wife's $500 acer laptop.... The viewing angles is what gets you. That and everything looks kinda gray, I guess because of that lack of black level? But the viewing angles are so bad, its almost impossible to look at it just so to get the right colors..

When notbookcheck says 158:1 contrast, I believe them... It's really that bad.... My t500 is about 500:1 in the same price range and had a good gpu and cpu for its time.

 

Regarding Express Cache...

It speeds up the boot process automatically, after a few days of use I also can see improvements in launching of Office and other regular used programs like Firefox or Thunderbird.

Its a pity that you can't choose manually which programs you wanna speed up, but the automatics are doing a great job so far for me. According to the Easy Settings tool only 2,5GB of 8GB Express Cache is used right now...

 

Eeek... Not only is the screen really bad, the notebookcheck review said the speakers were bad also... They sounded hollow and tiny... That is another letdown.. :\

 

You're right. The SA screen is not good at all. But look at the Sony F22/23 screen to see what can be --- matte, high contrast, good angles, sharp, 1920 x 1080 on a 16.4 incher. It looks great. The Lenovo X220 even has an IPS screen option for not much money --- I haven't seen it yet.

The new S that supposedly has a good matte screen is the SE --- 1920 x 1080, but I haven't seen it.

So, there are a few out there.

Whatever you buy, good luck with it.

Best.

 

Hm, I can't confirm that, of course they are not comparable to my 5.1 Sound system, but they are much better then the speaker from my old Samsung R560.

Sound quality is also a matter of personal taste, like the display, its okay for me, maybe it isn't for you

 

I've seen all the Sony laptops and i must admit the screen on the F22 is great. Is this surprising? No, because it's geared towards multimedia playback/(near) desktop replacement so it should be expected. The Samsung i think is for professional use. So mobility and a good balance between long battery life and power is important.

I currently use a Lenovo X60 Tablet, the screen is good but not out of this world. I like it but it's time for an upgrade. The samsung is light, thin and has good battery life, which i need for uni. I'm an engineer (well a wannabe engineer) and screen is not really important to me unless the screen is making my eyes bleed. Even then after long use you get used to the bleeding.

What i find irritating is people who require the best screens for their work are persistently complaining about how bad the screen is. It takes the forum away from other important questions that could be answered. If it doesn't meet your needs then move along. Complaining wouldn't change anything. The numbers stated on notebookcheck is meaningless considering screen quality is subjective to the individual users. We've already had several people who have the laptop saying the screen is good for them (check out other forums). People consistently bring up the macbook and compared to my x60 tablet, I personally see nothing special about it, both matte and glossy.

This is just turning into another argument like that between ios, android and wp7. People spouting benchmarks, numbers etc as if it's going to win them a prize. And funny thing is, most of them have never used, seen or own the actually phones.

 

Have you had the chance to check out if the optical drive can be replaced with a second hard drive?

 

Nope, not gonna do that, I have 4 years warranty, so I won't open it right now in the beginning...

Somebody opened it already, its somewhere in this thread, maybe he can tell if its replaceable.

 

Agreed. Just by curiosity, what are these other forums you talk about? I'd be curious to see how other people are reacting to this highly irritating and somewhat disappointing product launch...

 

I have a Lenovo T520 at work. It has a 1600x900 screen on it. How would the quality of the SS7 screen compare to it?

 

Hi

ok ive popped into my local PC world to see there exclusive version of the samsung 7 series. On apperances alone , the machine a sexy and sleek. However when turned on , the screen is a major letdown , i couldnt work it out! they have a HD footage sample included on the laptop, i played it and it looked blurry and jagged, not crisp or sharp, not what i expected from a HD sample. Even the speakers where nothng to write home about i know this istnt the TOP END of BEST SPEC version of the Samsung , but it makes you wonder and gives you enouugh doubt and pause. I suggest UK people go to your local PC world/Currys/Dixons and check it out yourself. I only had a brief play with it , but so far its not looking good. I think this is the BestBuy model the americans had. Need to see the high specced version now before i commit.

 

If it looks "blurry and jagged," that's probably not a hardware issue, that's a software issue--a video file is a video file.

 

(and software issue can also mean they used a crappy video file, which I've seen happen with Best Buy here in the US).

 

It's prolly worse than the BB vesion seeing how it's got .lower resolution than 1600-900 (at least according to PC world website)

 

Hi guys

Really i had high hopes and then felt total letdown. Truthfully I never thought about the video file being a issue, thats something to check out. Will go back with some high def footage and test the machine myself. Like i say , i recommned everyone interested in the samsung 7 series to Go and physically check the machine out. just remember its not the top specced version.

Before i test it again , any tips from you guys to improve the screen ? can i turn off the Intel HD and activate the AMD Graphics instead ?

 

Just talked to a local retailer, he said he's expecting the 15.6", i7 2675QM/HD6750M/6Gb Ram (Rest of perks as top model) in the 14th November and he is selling these for 1089,99 euros.

You guys keep bashing the screen like no tomorrow, but what other options is there? Because tbh, in this price range I'm having a hard time finding them.
Keep in mind the weight and battery of the series 7.

 

Ahah ho wow thanks for the good laugh about eye damaging since it's brighter displays that are prone to eye straining if always used at max.

 

They sure take forever to release a laptop that was announced awhile ago...think I'll just save up for a mbp

 

Hello. I have been following this thread for some time but this is my first post. Be gentle.

I ordered the top spec UK model from Dabs.com earlier today. I was given an expected delivery date of 8 November. So far, so good.

Somewhat concerned by all of the negative comments on here about the screen, I have just popped down to my local PC World to take a look at their exclusive model.

In a word, and I accept this is simply a personal opinion, the screen is "poor". It looks very washed out, has limited vertical viewing angles and generally lacks brightness. I was able to compare it directly to an adjacent Sony laptop (didn't note the model, sorry) using the same pre-installed pictures and videos. The Samsung came off quite badly I am afraid.

I don't really care whether the laptop meets advertised screen specs or not but for me the poor screen quality genuinely is a deal breaker. I have, with a heavy heart, cancelled my Dabs order.

It really is a crying shame that the screen is not of decent quality. The laptop otherwise is excellent in the flesh. It looks gorgeous, feels solid but not too heavy and generally has a premium vibe. Like others on this forum, I have not been able to find anything to match it in terms of specs at any price.

I know that there have been calls for people to stop mentioning the screen. For my part, I am glad that they did as it prompted me to take the trip to PC World and look for myself. All I can say is that I strongly recommend that you see this laptop in person before buying.

Is there any chance at all that the screen in the PC World / Best Buy version is different to the screen in the top spec version?

 

It's certain. The A01DX in PcWorld is 1366x768.

 

Wow, that's a really terrible resolution for a 15.6" display even if it was a great screen otherwise, and with a mediocre screen it must be truly awful. The normal 1600x900 display would still be mediocre but not quite as bad.

 

I am afraid this definitely was a 1600 x 900 panel. I agree that the spec on the PC World website says 1366 x 768 but I checked in the dedicated graphics settings and, by asking a sales guy to log in as administrator, in the control panel. I then checked again and changed resloution down to 1366 x 768 and back up to 1600 x 900 to make absolutely sure. I even took a photo to confirm! There is no doubt that this is a 1600 x 900 panel.

Incidentally, I did check the (faintly printed) Samsung details on the bottom which confirmed it to be a A01DX. Shouldn't complain about better specs in person than as listed but in this case I wish I could say that this wasn't the 1600 x 900 panel.

Not sure if anyone else who has looked at the PC World version can confirm.

 

Guys and girls, please keep a respectful tone to your fellow forum members at all time as stated in the forum rules.

 

that doesnt make sense...their stock in the store is always different than what will be available online

ANYWAYS. i just called and the rep said it should be shipping out either today or tmrw...

people start posting on here when you get yours =D

 

I already send Payment to German shop. SInce 8 am in the morning I can cancel..

What to do????

at this time I have old asus x51 and I never had problems with display. The only thing I did not like was glossy screen (when I was outdoor)

asus x51l
Asus X51L - Notebookcheck.net External Reviews

So you thnink I will like samsung display or is even worse?

 

I plan on stopping at BB again for another reason but I'll be sure to check on the screen again. I can snap some phone pics but they probably won't look that great. Viewing angles weren't great but not as concerned with that for most day to day activities (since I mostly look at the screen at the sweet spot anyway). Hard to determine contrast ratio in such a bright environment where everything is in torch mode.

BTW, what was the button combination to adjust the display settings?

 

This is my opinion on the screen:

$1200 t500 > $500 Acer > $1000 Samsung

Your t520 is probably similar in contrast and viewing angles to my t500.

And there were also dells in best buy that looked much better than the samsung but I would not say that any of them were as good as the thinkpad screen.

I could literally move my head around with my neck without moving my body at all, and still see the colors shift.

 

Hey, not all necks are equal.

 

True.... I am a size 34 neck in dress shirts...

 

Do you think the HP Pavilion DV7 could be considered a replacement for this laptop?

 

It depends on what you need it for. The dv7 is much bigger and heavier and is shoddily built like most HP laptops. If you're just using it as a desktop replacement it won't be a problem, but I think there would be better choices than that in that case.