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

Yesterday the Bios-version 11FD appeared in my Easy software manager. Anyone else who has it? I installed it anyway. Still doesn´t work with flash and AMD-card.

 

I downloaded it from Samsung page, not the Easy Software Manager. They did not release any change log so I am not sure what was inside of the Bios. About flash and AMD card, you have to download the new driver. Either 8.940 or 8.950 to fix those. Currently there is no setting to force using the graphic card in Bios yet.

 

Does anyone else experience that after putting the laptop into sleep-mode (just closing the lid) with several windows open (e.g. chrome, PDF-docs etc) and waking it up again in battery mode, that the AMD card is running at full load without any reason? Only plugging it in again, or closing all open windows calms it down.

I'm measuring this with "AMD System Monitor" and have 8.94 driver installed

 

Anyhoo, my wifi keeps on disconnecting after reboot, tried reinstalling drivers, bios reset, doesnt work. Any ideas? Else I m gonna call Samsung today

 

NP-700Z5A-S05UK, an i7 version, is arriving on Wednesday .
Few questions for you guys:
1. Do I set the turbo boost by hand or is that automatic?
2. Is it risky to experiment further in the BIOS?
My "old" Core Duo PC runs @ 3.7 GHz for years now...
Anyone been experimenting with clock, voltage, multiplier?
3. I'm prepared to first wipe out the bloatware (hate Norton), is there something I should NOT wipe?

I'm very excited!
Prepared for the less ideal screen though.
I am a big fan of the Samsung TV's, my UE55" inch is spectacular, probably because of the reflective lcd (during daytime I see my old Volvo reflecting :laugh: ).

 

1) I believe it's automatic.
2) BIOS is lock up for laptops. Wish it was more unlock so I can play around with it. I think you could overclock the CPU, but GPU can't be overclocked.
In my opinion the laptop is fast enough that you don't need to. Plus the laptop overheats a little when you do some intense stuff.
3) Do not wipe the partition for expresscache or you will have that long trouble of getting it back. There is not a lot of bloatware. There is some but uninstalling it does not take that long compared to other laptops.

 

You can overclock the GPU easily, not the CPU.

 

About the EC, you actually won't be able to touch that. The file system used in EC is HFS which came from Mac and most partition program for Windows don't have the ability to view the HFS, eventhough they can recognize the partition. So you are safe to delete the other partition.

 

I have the Swedish I7 version.
1. It's automatic, nothing you need to worry about.
2. I don't think its possible, but even if it was I wouldn't recommend it due to the limitedcooling the S7 has. It works just fine as it is now, but OCing it might very well push the limits so it starts to throttle.
3. Only thing I uninstalled is Norton, hate it aswell. Left everything else, which wasn't much, and nothing that bothers me in any way really.

Don't remember if there was an Office Trial on it, if there was I wiped it aswell. Installed my real copy instead anyway.

 

There was an office trial installed on mine. I had to uninstall it because the license I have wouldn't activate the home SKU. I only uninstalled Norton, Office and Kies.

 

I still have Kies installed, since it was a Samsung software, but never even started it. Perhaps I should find out what it it.

 

Something to do with phone sync...

 

Oh, I might actually get a Samsung Galaxy III as my next phone, so perhaps I should keep it for now. It's not in the way anyhow.

 

If you have other Samsung device with Wifi capability, then Kies would be a good program. It is the same thing as Itune does. However, Kies itself takes up much space and there is a service need to be run in order to connect with devices so performane would not be great.

 

I have my 6750m running from 600mhz core and 800mhz gddr5, to 765mhz core and 990mhz gddr5 without any issue or temperatures going very high. Only used while playing of course.

I have installed a Samsung 830 SSD and that might help keeping the temperatures ok.

My Fps playing Risen goes up quite a bit so I can max resolution and some graphic settings.

For some players this might help.

 

I hate Itunes. I prefer to have control over my stuff.

 

I downloaded the 8940 driver , but when i'm try to use CCC to choose "hIGH pERFORMANCE" the its automatically change to NOT ASSIGNED . Both drivers ares installed (Mobile Intel and AMD 6490) but I can set HIGH PERFORMANCE...
If I uninstall INTEL , automatically uninstall AMDS and Windows shows on poor resolution

I uninstall all the drivers and started from AMD Catalyst Software (8940) but this is happening.

I runned "3dmark" and "performance test 64" but they don't recognize AMD and all the tests were made using the Intel display... I try to set this programs to choose HIGH PERFORMANCE , believing that is AMD , but it does not work or the CCC sets "not assigned" back

I want to set ALL PROGRAMS to choose AMD DISPLAY, including all Windows 7 programas and applications...

Anyone help?

 

That weird. The package that contains driver 8.940 has both of the AMD and Intel VGA driver. My suggest is that you completely remove both of them. Then restart and install it again. Don't use Windows Update because it will mess up with the driver. Another thing is that you need to make sure you download the driver from Samsung page, otherwise, it won't recognize the card.

 

Anyone installed the newest driver 8.950??

Is possible??

 

Not sure if Samsung has the official 8.950 but I downloaded one from guru3d and installed it. The only thing that change is display manager will show AMD 6000 and 7000 series, not specific model. Till, Photoshop and the others can recognize the card as well.

 

And now we have the catalyst 12.3 (8.951)...

Anyone install it??

 

I think when official download links are available they will be posted here.

 

Sorry for asking the obvious maybe, but what I understand is the AMD gpu won't work when you want it too?
In the meantime (it's a long thread and I haven't read all postings), has there been a manual switch amd/intel?
My notebook is on mains most of the time so I'd like that!

 

There is currently no solution for manul forcing to use AMD card. However, with the latest official driver 8.940, the issue has been fixed by assigning each program with correct card. Still I prefer the way to choose which card can be default.

 

That is exactly the reason why the initial push was for Samsung to do a manual switching method. They could not, and came out with the driver fix anyway.

 

Well at least they did something about it then ignore it. Hopefully the fix the other problems now like weird update mess up.

 

They probably need to change the mainboard to accommodate manual switching. I would hope that this feature has been put on the list for inclusion with the Ivy Bridge refresh.

John

 

Would we see the feature?

Answer is yes. In January, Samsung rep said they will take into account a manual switching method for the next generation.

 

I would consider that more as the manual switching being put on a list of request features. We wait to see whether it is implemented.

John

 

Got a few questions:

1. Noticed the zoom gesture doesn't work for me (got the latest Elan firmware).
Can use ctrl + / - so it's not a very big deal- but still...
2. Anyone removed the ugly stickers in the RH corner? Any risk of damage here?
3. Where can I see the latest Radeon build? In the W7 config I see 8.863...
4. How exactly do I set the programs that should use Radeon instead of Windows?
Do I set the full path by hand, and is the main exe sufficient? Like, Photoshop has several exe files.
In fact, I would let AMD handle use most of my software, since I'm mostly on mains...

I love this machine a lot, even after one week of use: it's quiet, never hot and the keyboard is excellent.
Having an i7 equipped version, I would like programs to use all cores.
Looked for a list I found very few programs.
I was hoping for Photoshop CS5, but I've read here that there are issues?
Thanks a lot!

 

1. Zoom gesture works for me, but I never use it because it's not smooth enough - too sensitive. Cntrl +/- is a far better option. The latest Elan firmware is buggy and not good. Use an earlier one (e.g. 10.7.5.0)
2. Haven't tried.
3. Check the AMD driver version in device manager. Update to 8.940 to fix the graphics switching for OpenGL. Photoshop will not work on the Radeon until you update to this driver.
4. You mean the Radeon instead of the the Intel (rather than Windows), I assume. Launch the program, then open the Catalyst Control Centre (should be in your system tray). Then go to power options. The program should show up in a list of recently used applications. Set it to High Performance to use the Radeon and Power Saver to use the Intel. If the program doesn't show up there, just browse to the program folder and select the applicable .exe file.
Not sure if you need to do this for every .exe - you might.

Enjoy your new laptop.

 

I was facing the issue of youtube hd playback because of which i had to return my laptop. In Chrome and Firefox the quality of youtube video was not that good and the images were zagged on the edges and are clearly visible even at a distance from the screen.
In Internet Explorer youtube was working perfectly with adobe flash player 10.
When i updated the flash player to 11 even the IE also displayed poor hd quality.
My assumption is that internal graphics is handling the flash player.
Can anyone confirm if this issue has been fixed or if flash is being handled by dedicated graphics now?

 

I always remove the palm rest stickers. I got all of the residue off without any issues.

 

Use lighter fluid to remove the residue.

 

Hi guys,

I have been scanning the web for a while now trying to find a solution to a problem with my Series 7. I got it for Christmas, and I really enjoy using it; it's quick, looks great and generally a pleasure to use.

The only problem is, I have been having a few issues with the graphics. From searching Google I was brought to this forum and topic; I might be in the completely wrong place but I've tried other forums and they're either inactive or pretty unhelpful. I'm not entirely sure if my problem is a by-product being discussed in this topic (please forgive me, I'm not blessed with a great deal of technical based knowledge with regards to computers!!).

The first of these programs to be affected is Photoshop. When I have a lot of windows open within the software, sometimes the windows appear as only blank black screens. AutoCAD also presented issues, whereby occasionally I would attempt to use a tool and the screen would go off, then come back on with an error stating 'The driver has stopped responding..' I did manage to fix this particular problem (and another in SketchUp whereby the screen would freeze and multiply the mouse arrow across the page as I moved it) by removing the Aero theme of Windows 7.

I'm assuming these are issues with the video/graphics card? Other things I have noticed is that software which I have installed will not physically open on my computer. The Brother Control Centre 4 (used for my printer) installed fine, but when I click to open it, nothing happens, although it is seen to be running in my desktop icons and the Task Manager.

Finally, the most recent problem, is that certain web pages (again, I don't know why only certain pages are doing this) load, but then come up blank and completely black.

If anyone can help, or needs any more information to help, then please get in touch! I would be extremely grateful!! If I have posted in the wrong place, I apologise in advance!

Many thanks,

Adam.

 

Key question: what version of the graphics driver are you using (go to device manager and check)? If not 8.940, update to that and then follow instructions in point 4 in my post above on this page to ensure your applications use the AMD graphics card, and see if it fixes anything.

 

Hi,

Thanks very much for the quick reply.

I do have the 8.940 update. I've switched Google Chrome to Power Saver, yet the websites still do not load. I also tried switching the Brother application to Power Saver, yet this still does not work. I have a feeling that this particular application runs off Adobe Flash, and the website's which do not open may also operate Flash (although just a theory) - perhaps there is some correlation here?

Is there also any reason why turning of Aero themes allowed AutoCad and SketchUp to work sufficiently again?

Many thanks,
Adam.

 

Oh, this helps a lot. Thanks. Will install MSi Afterburner very soon

 

So how do you test to see if its working? I just bought the series 7 and downloaded the 8.4. I just cant tell if if selecting "high performance" works. I've gone through 40 pages in this thread and couldn't find a definite answer. I tried downloading GPU-Z but I don't really understand it.

 

When u go to sensors you will see GPU clock move and temperautre and etc move. That means the laptop is using the GPU.

 

Try using high performance instead. Power saving mode is normally using the Intel chip not the AMD chip.
Update Adobe flash if you haven't I guess.

 

Hallo everybody,

I'm playing Pro Cycling Manager on my 700Z3A S01(german) and I was not really happy with the FPS during the game. So I checked the difference between the "High Performance" and the "Power Saving" mode. There was none. About 30FPS ingame. In the options only the HD 3000 is detected.

That's why I deinstalled drivers (tried also driver sweeper) and installed different versions to test.

VGA_AMD_8.930.0.0000
VGA_AMD_8.930.0.0000 (MS Store) whatever difference is?
VGA_AMD_8.940.0.0000

also drivers I found on guru3d. Some didn't work.

There was never a difference in FPS between the drivers and also the modes.

The only thing I realized was that if I uninstalled the 6490M and installed the Intel HD 3000 Win7_64_15265 driver the game runs with 45FPS. The AMD card was only realized as VGA card.

So 30FPS with installed Samsung-AMD and 45FPS with only HD 3000.

Somebody an idea why there is no difference between "Performance" and "Energy Saving" mode?
And in addition why without installed 6490M the game runs a lot faster?

spowi

 

Checked the current AMD driver, in device mgr it says:

02/09/2011
Driver version: 8.863.1.2000.

Trying to upgrade from Catalyst Control Center (which never was in my tray so I searched c:\) resulted in "You have the correct driver".
Trying to download & install from AMD's site resulted in "This version does not work for your computer).
Mine is a new machine.

 

To all of whom has concern about the driver, the 8.940 is the lastest official driver. Of course, you could not see that because somehow Samsung pull that from their support pages. Also, Easy Software Manager acts differently on different computer, so one might get an notice for that but another could say that you in lastest version. I suggest you go back some pages on this topic to find the link for the 8.940. It would works correctly with those game and graphical software. Keep in mind that the driver only let you choose which one needs to use the card, not automatically switch on depend on which program you run unlike the Nvidia Optimus. So you need to set the switchable graphic before running anything, otherwise, the program would use Intel card, which slow down the overall performance.

 

But why would Samsung pull the 8.940 driver if it is supposedly the newest one? I know that the guys on this forum figured out that 8.940 is probably the best solution so far, but wouldn't there be a reason that Samsung chose the 8.930?

 

But what does this number mean, and why the ancient date, as per devicemgr?
02/09/2011
Driver version: 8.863.1.2000.
My NP700 is brand new...
Where can I see the 8930 or whichever my laptop has?
Tks

 

Well, the easiest way to check your current driver is to go to Easy Software manager (it should be on your desktop if your computer is new and you haven't moved any icons) and look at the driver number under the driver section of the manager.

 

@spincel

Thanks for the reply. But I set the swichable graphics for the pcm.exe once to "High Performance" and once to "Energy Saving" mode.

No difference in FPS between the modes with all the drivers.

Anybody an idea what could be a reason for the identical performance?

spowi

 

Not sure. But I think they thought that driver is not stable enough to release for customer. Also, someone has managed to update to 8.950 by using Software Manager. So I doubt about the stability of the driver. Either Samsung is lazy to update their support and tell everyone to rely on Software Manager or they wanted someone to test the new driver by releasing it to Software manager and to see what happen next. If there is nothing, they would release it in the support page.

Do you currently have 8.940 or something lower than that? Try to install 8.940 or newest and check if the game detect the card by setting High performance. If you have Photoshop or other OpenGL program, just open and check those. If they see the AMD, then the driver is good, otherwise, try completly remove and reinstall it. Once time I was playing D3 Beta and suffered FPS lagging. Because there is no way to know which one is using, so I went back to config and checked if D3 is set to use AMD. Turned out, it wasn't, so I set it to High Performance, then FPS bumped up really good.

P/s: If it still happen, then that game does not really playable with AMD. Well not every game is play good as you imagine, because developers need to scale on multiple cards, not just one. Moreover, since the driver from AMD is suck, that could explain something else. I recommend low down some setting to achieve more performance. Also, heat could be an issue. With the thickness of Series 7, heat is the most important thing to concern when gaming.

 

If anyone (e.g. Barendh) is looking for the 8.940 driver, Spincel posted a download link on page 75 of this thread.