Series 7 Chronos All Models: Push for SAMSUNG to implement "FIXED MODE" in BIOS

Samsung Series 7 Chronos NP700Z5A NP700Z3A NP700Z4A NP700Z5B

Updated 9 May 2012
There are users who encountered some issues with the SAMSUNG 8.940 driver. Read this post and further for workaround.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...implement-fixed-mode-bios-96.html#post8490384

Updated 7 April 2012
Driver fix for OpenGL only, manual graphics switching still impossible
Download the new update 8.940 from Samsung website. For certain models the drivers are still not updated, so use the following link to find it.
http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.c...02/20120228191136307/VGA_AMD_8.940.0.0000.ZIP



Public Service Announcement: Samsung declines to fix Broken Switchable Graphics, citing technical resources limitation. (18 JAN 2012)

I just received the email from the Singapore Samsung CS Manager

"Dear Mr Young,

We refer to your feedback dated January 10th.

We have done a series of check with our HQ and about the NP700Z5A openGL supporting issue.
At the moment we are unable to implement this function as this is not a simple BIOS update work. This will definitely include a hardware revision causing our mainboard design to be changed.

Our next model might have the PowerXpress5.0 support for openGL in dynamic GPU mode, and in addition, current NP700Z5A design also support openGL but with intel internal GFX mode.

We will be doing a refund for your Samsung laptop. Digital Asia will be in contact with you for the refund to be done.

We thank you for your feedback.

Please feel free to contact me for any further enquiries that you have.

Thanks & Regards,
Mithya Saminathan - Manager
Samsung Customer Care 1800-7267864"

So if any of you wants a refund, just contact your local Samsung and quote them on this post. Samsung needs to liaise with the reseller to do the refund for you.

Since already many have PM me to forward the email to them, I shall post a screenshot of the email, with my email address censored.



Our very own Campaign page on Facebook. Please like it and comment to show your support!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Serie...n-Switchable-Graphics/226363384111745?sk=wall

If Samsung implements the "fixed mode" graphics option in BIOS, potential benefits include:

Usage of OpenGL programmes without mod
Ability to select which graphics to use
Ability to update graphics driver yourself
Undervolting and Overclocking of AMD HD6750M

Background Info: Other companies like HP have enabled BIOS options to allow for "Fixed Mode" graphics which enables the older type of switchable graphics (manual type).

So if possible, please let Samsung tech support know about this, the more the merrier to get this possibly implemented.

 

I was thinking the very same myself. Installing new drivers from anywhere else but samsung is a hassle, especially if you uninstall previous drivers before installing new ones. I got packages from amd that weren't complete with the intel control center part and ended up installing them separately. Turns out that that you need to install a complete switchable graphics package for all features to be present as on the samsung drivers. Downloaded the original package from Samsung, then updated to 11.11c without uninstalling, all the while hoping that the intel part wouldn't get f'ed up again.

 

The driver alone is a hassle - AMD Dynamic Graphics is not as seamless as NVIDIA Optimus when it comes to installing drivers - because we need to rely on SAMSUNG to put out new drivers (or we hack drivers), which happens once in a blue moon.

Question is why suffer if Samsung can try to implement? If HP can do it, what's stopping Samsung?

 

I would be more than happy if samsung chooses to go this way. It is always a good idea to listen to the customer - HP users seem pretty satisfied after the bios update. Also, this means their customers would have lesser problems with for their opengl applications, and not having to spend hours on the internet looking for solutions. Is is irritating to buy a 1k+ laptop with a very decent graphics card, and not being able to play your favorite game on it.

My question is this: At what level do we need to contact Samsung for them to understand our need/problems? We could try talking to customer service reps, but if we could focus our demands to someone who is closer to the solution, we could get it done faster.

 

I completely agree!

 

I don't know where you live, but it would be good if you could speak to a L2 tech.

 

I'm in NY, so calling them should not be a problem. Actually, I will try doing that today and see what happens. Will let you guys know.

If we could all try talking to the same department, maybe we could get some resolution here.

 

We need more people to help let Samsung know about this, please do not hesitate to call up.

 

Talked to live support online, had to provide them with laptop id# and they gave me a ticket no. to talk to tier 2 support after they couldn't find a solution. Tried calling the customer care line, but they couldn't find a tier 2 tech to talk to. Said they will call me back within 24h.
Since this problem is not listed with them currently, more people need to tell them about the manual switch issue. Hopefully, that will make them prioritize it enough. A bios update is not something small....they need to know it's an issue with enough people to warrant it.

Will keep everyone updated.


EDIT: The tech from Samsung called and I explained the issue to him about the problem not just being limited to samsung laptops. He seemed friendly and really eager to help. The first level service lines from samsung are a little shoddy, though (beware of accents, at least on the general help line). The tier 2 support is fine, though.

We need to work as a community if we need to get this problem fixed as soon as possible. The number for samsung support is 1-800-726-7864. Call and tell them you need to talk to tier 2 about the switchable graphics issue and/or opengl. Also have your model and serial no. (this the the 14 digit alphanumeric on the white sticker on the back of your laptop) ready.

Manual switching would work so much better if we had the option.

 

We need more people to contribute. Else the two loners here can't get Samsung to move!

 

I'm in. Maybe we could start a petition.

 

I have a business contact at Samsung Mobile. I'll see if I can get in touch with someone who can help you guys.

 

I called. The tech support guy I talked to was really friendly but didn't know anything about the issue. He put me on hold and talked to someone higher up who apparently knows about it, but all he could tell me was that he didn't know and didn't have an answer.

 

I think everybody who's interested to have this OpenGL issue solved should post in this thread and then give a Samsung call. Once the thread amasses enough people, I'll show it to Samsung.

 

Hope this works

 

Hi guys!
I have been following this thread for the last 2 days nonstop! I haven't got the chronos yet, but will be picking up one over the weekend here in dubai!

I was googling and found this
http://reviews.us.samsung.com/profiles/7463/0123985856/profile.htm
Check out the last entry regarding YouTube videos. I dunno if anybody has tried this, just thought would inform you guys!

 

I'm assuming that like me, a lot of others who would like to get this issue resolved have finals going on. Hopefully, in a week or two, we can have some action going on. Occupy Samsung!

 

I work in Samsung support and am a good bit higher up the chain than the support agents you've been calling. If you can help me understand what the specific core issues you're having with the laptop, I'd be happy to let the right people know.

 

Hi Strelzy, welcome to the forum. 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
HP dv6, dv7, envy 2000series OpenGL fixed for all supported AMD/ATI cards. - Steam Users' Forums

Acknowledgement: Ianworld- some parts quoted from his post

 

Done. I can't promise an immediate response, but I've sent the request to people who can make the decision. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

Woohoo!!!

Somebody from Samsung actually responded!
Thanks guys! For your efforts!!!

No I can get my chronos now without any regrets to think about!!!




---
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I just had a bluescreen from maximizing an HD Youtube video. Additionally, the videos are choppy when full-screened. Is this related to the Radeon issue?

 

Welcome. We hope you can stay around and help with some of the other problems that people encounter.

Also providing the ability to disable the dedicated GPU is a sensible option. Not everyone wants the extra graphics power which invariably comes with a reduction in the battery run time. Also provide the option to disable the GPU when on battery. Therefore I see 5 options:

1. Auto-switching between GPUs (the current arrangement)
2. Dedicated GPU only
3. Integrated GPU only
4. Auto-switching when on mains, integrated GPU when on battery
5. dedicated GPU on mains power, integrated GPU when on battery

Ideally these options could be selected by a Windows utility which makes the required changes to the BIOS.

John

 

Could I get the following from those of you with the OpenGL problems? Feel free to PM me rather than clutter the thread.

Full model -
Serial number -
BIOS version -
Graphics driver version -

Thanks!

 

What has been implemented with the BIOS modification by Dell and HP is this:

After flashing the modified BIOS, options in the BIOS menus are unchanged. BUT one now has the ability to update the AMD GPU with official AMD drivers. After flashing the BIOS update, and subsequently updating the GPU drivers from AMD, you gain an extra contextual menu option to "Configure Switchable Graphics":



You also get this option under the AMD Catalyst Control Center:



Now you can manually change the switchable options:



This is what Samsung needs to implement on the BIOS level.

 

Right. No need to ask Samsung to reinvent the wheel. If they will just provide a BIOS that permits updating AMD GPU drivers, the necessary capabilities will be available. It's not so much a matter of adding something as it is a matter of simply permitting driver updates.

 

Tried running RAGE after all the updates available at this point. Blue Screen of OpenGl death. Applications similar to this are still not supported by AMD switchable graphics. Would be nice to see a manual switch feature for the graphics, as has been stated many times before. Hopefully, it will come sooner than later.

Edit: H.A.L. 9000 , John Ratsey, yknyong1: Great posts.

 

Please contribute.

 

@ Strelzy: Can't seem to be able to PM you. It's probably due to your PM restrictions as a newer member. If that is the case, maybe we can email you/the resolution dept. our details.

EDIT: Nevermind. PM goes through just fine now.

 

It seems at 3 posts you get PM privileges. Click his name in this thread and go to "Send Private Message" on the popup.

 

Try again. Otherwise his inbox is full

 

Thank you all for the info I've received so far! Varyv88, I did get your PM; apparently I did have PM limitations but some moderator was kind enough to change my status.

I've forwarded the system info, and the issue has been sent to our R&D team in Korea. I am not able to make any promises on behalf of Samsung, but we are looking into the issue.

 

I was having this same problem until I right-clicked on the desktop, chose "Configure Switchable Graphics" and told the Catalyst Control Center to run my browser (Chrome) in high performance mode. Solved the problem immediately.(see below)

Sorry if I'm being obtuse, but just so I understand: Is the OpenGL problem people are describing here not solved by whitelisting the executable in question?

(Not that a full menu of options in BIOS would be a bad thing...)

UPDATE: Must have just had a run of good luck with that YouTube fix -- today I'm seeing fullscreen HD video freeze up on me. (I wasn't having bluescreens or choppy video -- the video just suddenly freezes and the still is mostly obscured by a bunch of colorful noise, while the sound keeps playing. Clicking the video's progress bar to jump forward or backward in the video fixes the problem and it plays fine again for a while before freezing up again.)

 

Not solvable. OpenGL support is non-existent.

 

Hi from Italy. I've been a proud owner of the 700z3a since a couple of days, when I've discovered, with horror, of this opengl issue.. Consider that I am among the developers of a 3D engine based on OpenGl and I do most of my work on my notebook (just coming from a very good Asus notebook having an Optimus NVIDIA card).

So please consider me among the people LONGING for this update.

PS: I've read, anyway, that there should be some unofficial hack to make opengl working with the ATI: do you have references about this matter?

 

Been following your thread for a while as I have just bought the series 7 and the first game I buy is Rage which will not work. Have signed up now to add my support to the campain! I reported the problem to online support a few days ago but haven't heard anything back yet. Also contacted support by registering product on samsung site and logging a problem (and gave a link to this thread). Will keep this thread updated if I hear anything.

 

Just tried that, didn't work. Got a couple BSODs in a row, even when videos were in a window. This is annoying as hell. Is this a known problem or is my comp defective?

 

Just another user adding their voice to this request! I'm in the market for a new laptop & the series 7 look fantastic value. However no opengl would definitely put me off....

 

A way to force which GPU to use would be preferred for sure, since the "auto" thing isn't working as well for ATI as it is for NVidia.

I'm still anoyed by the low resolution on HD YouTube videos in Chrome, which I have been told is a driver issue, even thou they work fine in IE.

 

Here's something weird. I have the same issue with the Youtube 1080p in full screen, and today i tried this video ( Better web browsing with HTC Sense? - YouTube) and it works ! But only for THIS video...

Nevermind : the video is in HTML5...

 

I have purchased a S04US and am yet to receive and would love to have the ability to switch graphics manually. I live in India and I am not sure if the Samsung ppl here would've even heard of the 7 series .

Should I be sending a mail to Samsung or is this work already in progress ?

 

Anyone else getting a black screen in Bad Company 2?

EDIT: Homefront crashes on startup.

EDIT2: Fixed Homefront with a reinstall.

 

This is exactly the issue we've been talking about, Strelzy.

 

Has there been any word from Samsung? I know my case got forwarded to Tier 2, but haven't heard anything since.

 

With the latest Leshcat mod drivers, I'm able to make my opengl software using the ATI card (however, I've tried only with my software). Moreoever, apparently it now starts with the ATI regardless of the mode (high performance or battery saving) set.

 

There should not be any reason why we users need to use modded drivers to make this work right. The onus is on the manufacturer to allow access to all supported features of any notebook.

 

I perfectly agree and I do LONG for official drivers to make my notebook working properly.
On the other side I NEED it to work properly NOW and therefore I had to find a workaround.
This does not mean that I'm happy this way with a brand new machine, and that I will support every initiative to have it working properly with official, stable and "safe" drivers.

 

I tried the Leschat preview 1 12.1 version. I still could not switch manually to the AMD. It seems the Intel driver is stuck.

to Strelzy : Any news from Samsnug? I bought my 700z5 in London and I live in Norway so customer support here wont help me as the model is not in sale here yet.

Starting Skyrim, only shows intel HD even when it`s on high performance.
The game is clearly not using the AMD chip when I attempt playing it.
Using programs like VLC uses about 15-20 seconds of viewing time before it runs smoothly. Even on simple DIVX files.

Will attempt recovery to fabrication status today. See if that helps.

Has anyone found a solution. I would not mind having to run the AMD chip all the time.

Any response is deeply appreciated.

 

Stern83, I do not play skyrim but I do play Starcraft 2 and was having issues with the video card even on the low settings. I was on the phone with Samsung Customer service tier 2 support for over an hour working step by step with them. It is an issue with the drivers, even the support line admitted to it. The most they can do for us now is to escelate it to a product engineer.

In the mean time, you did right by installing the Leschat files, but what I had to do was completely unistall CCC first, and then uninstall the drivers manually through device manager, and make sure you don't keep the driver files on the actual computer (it gives you an option to delete the drivers after uninstall). Restart the computer and the resolution should be out of wack and show a much lower resolution. Go to your device manager to confirm that both cards (intel and AMD) are not assigned the correct drivers, and then install the Leschat file. I did not try the 12.1 version, I did the 11.12 version.

This seemed to correct my issue with the video car and now I am playing my games flawlessly. This is just a temporary fix to our problem but this is the best solution there is for now.

 

What battery life are you guys getting from the laptop?