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

In order to "fix" the "freaking ever glowing wi-fi button" you need to turn off both the WiFi & The BT.

 

Idle noise is subjective. HDD sound is normal due to the spinning disc inside. Clicking noise is due to the heads moving. Unless it is very loud, I don't think you need to worry too much.

After you come back, you can still get it repaired or refunded by quoting the posts, unless SAMSUNG fixes the issues.

 

The problem is that i live in Greece, and since this model is not here yet, i bought it from the internet, from an e-shop that is based in France. So, i have to return it there.

 

Well that's the problem with buying a product not certified yet for your country... it has always been that way. Do you NEED to return it? Which issue bothers you as it might be fixable? Bear in mind a similar speck-ed MBP costs up to double the Chronos so think about it before you start paying for returns.

 

To Marcin, you should have 1 year international warranty - so you HDD issue should be fixable in Netherlands (I have no idea if you are picky or there are irregularities, to me it seems it is the latter)...For the rest, install leshrac video drivers and see how Photoshop and YouTube work with them - Photoshop works, just not with AMD graphics, games work - just not the limited amount of OpenGL games - even some of them run with leshrac drivers I believe. Try different web-browsers for youtube (IE seems to work, you can use IE tab in Chrome...). Trackpad is a but the Chronos is 1/2 the price of the MBP, you can't expect the same quality, I am sorry. If it does breakdown totally, you've got warranty. It is your choice, but if you can't find anything better why return it!?

 

i bought this computer to utilize linux, but after driver compatibility issues with that i fell back to windows. and it turns out windows compatibility is gummed up too with this damned switchable graphics issue. i wanted to run linux in virtualbox for my work, which worked out all dandy until i realized that 3d acceleration wasn't working. even though i had catalyst control center configured for virtualbox, turns out virtualbox uses opengl. the intel graphics opengl capabilities have issues with virtualbox and hence my woes.

this laptop has been an albatross around my neck and it's too late to return it...want to just run over it with a bulldozer at this point. these people at samsung are INCOMPETENT and UNPROFESSIONAL. you know, dell and hp may make plastic, clunky eye sores, but at least they fricken test hardware before release...and as we saw, when they make a mistake they own up to it and fix it. never buying a laptop from these bags again...i'm pretty sure this computer was made in north korea instead of south korea.

though this may not be useful, on linux you can disable either of the two video cards at the kernel level very easily. however, the problem is that the latest radeon driver does not seem to jive with the actual card so the point is moot. opengl at least works with intel hd graphics on linux, but to my understanding, it also works in windows. if in time the issue is fixed, i can go back to using it on linux

 

I found out why HP could easily implement FIXED BIOS. They have foreseen this happening and designed the motherboard with muxes. This was how HP had a fix for the ENVY and DV series. Samsung on the other hand opted to go with a muxless design, so they have to redesign the entire motherboard for any hardware fix.

Note that DV6z had a design with mux to enable unlocking: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...unlock-fixed-dynamic-switchable-graphics.html

 

Thank you everyone for tips. I was a little hot-tempered yesterday. I cooled off... read the thread from the beginning and I now see that many of you are reporting the same issue with youtube videos (I don't mean the upscaling/fullscreen problem, that is youtube's fault which does not yet support 1600x900).

So let's get this straight. Chronos S7 is unable to play HD youtube on battery. It glitches and freezes with BSOD. It's not my faulty model. Yay... sort of. It's still ridiculous that such a major bug exists. That is not a matter of choice like OpenGL, it's an essential feature, plus the BSODs are so visible that Samsung should get right on that if they don't want to deal with mass returns (I almost returned mine and I am computer savvy).

I didn't until yesterday. As I said I heard a set of very alarming, loud clicks and clacks. If I manage to reproduce it I'll record it. For now I'll just keep the important stuff on external drive.

I wish I shared your optimism but there is there a way to be sure of that?

Oh don't get me started on Apple. I know their QC is great but their prices are no reference point. Besides, you can't say I shouldn't expect my car to drive just because it's not an overpriced Porsche. Before it turns into Apple vs PC debate, I honestly love the S7's touchpad. I even prefer the feel of its surface to MBP's. It's just (for instance) the drag & drop I can't stand which is definitely an issue/bug, not a quality thing. Probably a result of rushed production. I've been a little harsh before but frustration got the best of me. I still believe this is a great product, we just need some tweaks or a little honesty from Samsung so that we can make sensible decisions.

I wouldn't rely on linux when it comes to new hardware. You may want to buy an older model and still want to research if it has any problems first. I love linux, but this the reason I will never have it on my PC, it will never be able to keep up with the pace in which hardware components are released. It's a great platform when it's developed with dedicated hardware though (mobile, routers, servers, ATM's, you name it).

 

Try this: YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. for youtube. Don't know if anyone has tried it on Chronos, but it might fix the issue if you run in html5 and not flash! Worth a try certainly.

On the topic of Apple, you said it yourself, there is nothing better out there now at this price - thus the MBP reference. The main fault of the laptop is AMD and it doesn't lie within Samsung as they are locked with what they have (as per the post before you). If you get any other problems, then you have warranty - this happens to all types of notebooks and can be due to faulty components that have othing to do with Samsung (HDD example, not referring to the trackpad and wireless issues which should have been observed during design and testing). For youtube, refer to my first paragraph, it should fix the issue I hope as the platform for reproduction is different.

 

The funny thing is that even with all these problems, I couldn't even buy a 700Z5A-S03 if I wanted to. It's been out stock all month and still impossible to find. I really need a new laptop, but at this point I think I will have to wait for the next generation of Chronos to release. The Envy 15 is the only other laptop I would consider, but it costs more, it's ugly, and I don't like that it's heavier. This sucks

 

The next gen Chronos won't be much better in terms of supply Samsung is still sorting out production ramp up so there are shortages all the time it seems. Anyway, I am still curious if html5 fixes youtube for you guys?

 

for me using HTML 5 does not help, still BSOD in battery mode and low quality in fullscreen viewing

 

Hey, I made a short video to demonstrate the BSODs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAblLJfEsMU
Hopefully it will help spread the word.

@alexyfoot, html5 does help (for the scaling problem, I'm not sure know about the BSODs), however you can read in the link you provided that the video must be compatible with WebM. Not many of them are The rest is played as usually in Flash Player.

 

Klaus - are you sure you are watching an html5 version? Try right-clickning on the video and see whether it is a Flash video or html5 video? Apparently the add-supported videos still run in Flash. I can't believe the exact same issue would come up with a different video coding. Doesn't make sense.

Here is an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLxQiI8c1Bs

It needs to be a WebM file apparently to be html5...

You can specify other WebM videos from the last right filter.

Mind you 1080p html doesn't work on my laptop as it should. So it probably won't solve anything anyway Just use IE tab extension and you should be fine.

 

I just got another chronos laptop to check if this one the graphic card works.

I installed Skyrim and it shows in gpuz that is getting 600mhz core but only 200mhz in memory...

That means is finally using the 6750m right?? It's the first time is working for me but I want to be sure. All with the stock driver and Skyrim put to high performance.

The other thing I want to ask is that I'm going to install a SSD and I know how to open the laptop, but not withou making damage in the case with the screw. Any ideas how to do it in a proper way??

Thank you!

 

Hey I just tried your link and its working fine, full screen and on battery, too. My bad. Didnt know that only restricted number of videos run on html5.

 

What country did you buy it in?

 

Spain.

Any help with my post??

 

If html5 is working but flash isn't, it might be worth contacting Adobe/YouTube regarding the bugs with the Chronos. If Samsung is refusing to help with the youtube flash, maybe someone else will be more helpful.

html5 is just getting started, they will probably start uploading more and more in the format but it is going to take a while until every video has support for both...

 

I wouldn't blame it on anything other than AMD's buggy soft/hardware and, more importantly, Samsung's poor testing. There is no such player that could cause a BSOD on itself if the drivers were good. Html5 might be a temporary fix but the fact that this is happening, plus only on battery, raises a lot of questions questions. It might very well be hardware related and/or manifest in some other way in the future.
I believe if the word spreads, Samsung will be bound to take a stand on this subject.

@menko, a link to disassembly video from this post might be of help http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...nos-np700z4-np700z5-series-owners-lounge.html

 

There is a new version of the laptop being shipped soon apparently

 

I need a little verification before I consider even buying this laptop, so does OpenGL not work at all or is it that it's only working with the intel integrated graphics?

I don't really use programs like photoshop and such, but will like to know that if I ever need to run a program that uses OpenGL it will run.

 

It runs on HD 3000 with stock drivers. It works on some programmes with AMD graphics with Leshrac drivers, again if they don't run on AMD, it works on HD 3000. If you don't use specialized OpenGL software it is far from deal-breaker. There are other issues discussed around here that may be more relevant to you if they appear on your specific laptop.

 

New version? Where did you know about this? Specs?

 

Well, I Adobe is far from innocent in this. They have always been really poor programmers, and pretty much all of their software is disaster.

Sure come up with great features for their software, but the actual code is always bad.

 

I installed Skyrim and it shows in gpuz that is getting 600mhz core but only 200mhz in memory...

Someone knows why I'm getting only 200mhz in memory??

 

I was unable to start Photoshop with AMD card.
I installed Leshcat drivers, sweeped the original ones - no luck. CS5.1 will still run with Intel HD (confirmed with AMD system monitor) even though it's set to High Performance. That AMD Switchable Graphics is a huge disappointment.

 

GPU Z wrongly reads 216MHz.

 

Great then. At least the 6750M is working. That was my biggest concern.

So I will keep the laptop...I don't think I will use OpenGL software or games. (but it's very dissapointing).

 

Well according to John lewis here in the UK and someone else on this site mentioned the same thing

 

I assume that John Lewis is some sort of store in England. Did you hear that from some store clerk or was it advertised

 

I had emailed them last week and they said they were going to get a 'newer' model for mid-feburary. They couldn't give me specific details of what's changed until closer to release.

 

Hi,

I was about to buy s7 when I saw this thread. I don't know which programs are opengl. Autocad? Solidworks?

As others pointed there's no other option in that range of prices with similar specs. N55 seems huge and have a terrible keyboard. Maybe XPS 15 or 15z? Series 5 for summer in Spain?

And it's out of stock! hahaha

PS: Why they put a shared mic/headphone jack???

 

Yh, I was told that over the phone and a friend of my brother said the same thing.

 

Try the ENVY 15 or the SONY VAIO SE.

 

EDIT: I managed to delete the first half of the post, while pressing the send button, so typing that again.

My Series 7 has been refunded for now. Given the current models in competition, this laptop was the only one I really wanted to have. The HP Envy seems to have certain qc problems as well as screen issues on the 15" and the vaio se seemed like a less than viable option after I looked at it personally. One of the issues that I had with the Samsung before I sent it back was the lid, which had developed a certain "play" in it after two months of very careful use during which I never put any stress on it, or mishandled it. While holding it laptop with the lip of the lid facing up and the hinge facing down in a vertical position, the lid would open up by at least an inch and a half when I was not applying any force to hold it shut. I don't believe that the screws holding the lid had come loose, because once the laptop was "open", there was no play in the lid. Same thing happen to anyone else?
On a side note, I wanted to give the vaio se a chance as well, so I dropped by Best Buy. They had the 13" on display and I was thoroughly disappointed by it. The form factor's great, the gpu is fine (I believe it was the 6630), but it seemed very fragile and the screen flex was bad. The screen also looked dull compared to the F series that sat right next to it, although that could have been specific to the particular laptop on display. Overall, very sleek looking laptop, but badly implemented ideas, not much unlike the samsung.

 

The SE has the 15.5" Full HD IPS panel. Exterior looks the same as the 13" SA/SB which you have just seen, but with an additional numpad. The 13" has a mediocre HD+ panel just like the Series 7.

 

I dunno...the trackpad seemed mediocre on the Sony as well: apart from the button placement, which is right on the edge of the lip, it didn't seem very "fluid". It's probable that I've gotten used to the one on the series 7: once you've used the clickpads on the series 7 and the newer macbooks, there is no going back. The gestures may be present on other touchpads, but the ease of movement isn't there.

It was a real surprise coming back to windows after four years of osx. Windows 7 really won me over, but what is a real let down is the presence of an overall strong windows based laptop in this segment. Every manufacturer seems to have their own idiosyncrasies. At this point, it is like picking what suits you best and what kind of problems you could live with in a laptop. For now, I'm thinking of picking up a used macbook pro 15" and running a dual boot, unless a better option could be found. It's a bitc.h finding the perfect laptop.

 

Since you have been using Mac until recently. Does the Macbook Pro 15" running Windows 7 using bootcamp have good Win 7 drivers support? Is it recommended?

 

Until recently, I had a white macbook. Never really bothered to install Windows, as Vista was a nightmare to use even on a windows laptop, before the service packs were made available. But Windows 7, from what I have read, seems to run fine on macs. The trackpad can be made to recognize gestures by a certain 3rd party program called trackpad++. The same developer also made a program for power plans. You do get lesser time out of a single charge than osx because the drivers are not fine tuned with the system like osx is. Games and graphics intensive software do seem to run well and the 6750m in the macbook pro appears to have better benchmarks than its counterparts in the series 7 and similar notebooks.

Personally, I'd split time between osx and windows if I were to get a macbook pro. OSX for browsing/word processing/low power applications to get the most out of the battery and windows for the rest. I know, it's twice the price of a series 7, but I'd rather get a used one in good condition for a few bucks more than having to deal with the constant bother of having to wait for a fix for a broken graphics system, or the nagging at the back of your mind, trying to decipher if roses are indeed red, or orange.

 

I don't think the Sony SE has an IPS display

 

It has the same panel as used in the ENVY 15, which is said to be an IPS. Either way the panel has a 170 degree viewing angle with 700:1 contrast. One of the best already.

Review Sony Vaio VPC-SE1Z9E/B Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

 

quick question, do you also get the bluescreen when watching videos on vimeo in HD in battery mode?

 

happened when my roommate was sitting next to me with his macbook pro on his lap.. hard keeping the anti apple argument up.

 

Newer model for the i7 Chronos, or newer model for those smaller i5 ultrabooks?

I'm only interested in the fastest processer possible

 

Someone reported earlier that the bluescreens happen both on vimeo and youtube; didn't happen to me, but then again, I haven't watched that many videos there. Vimeo scales to fullscreen nicely though.

Haters gonna hate, half the price is a strong argument.

 

Blue screen seemed to happen for me watching any kind of Video, youtube, WMP, VLC etc.

Laptop has been with Mediaworld (retailer) for 2 weeks now. We have just came back from a short holiday and will get on the phone to the store to see if there is an update tmrw.

They have another 2 weeks to fix the laptop before they have to offer us the option of a refund by law.

Something tells me they wont be able to fix it.

 

I am another dissatisfied customer. I have the canadian model NP700Z5A-S03CA

1) Graphics: I don't use open-GL that I know of, but my problems are more basic. youtube videos just show green until I manually move to a different time in the video. Even then, when I make it full screen 1080p videos are noticeably blocky. I've gotten the BSOD 3 times already while watching youtube. Is even the integrated intel graphics card unable to handle youtube videos? My *smartphone* outputs them fine at 1080p. I downloaded the AMD system monitor, and despite specifying multiple programs to use the AMD card, I have not been able to get it to register any activity yet.

2) Thisiswhat asentencelooks like if Ihitthe sides ofthespacebar only. I guess I can stick a folded up piece of paper under there like the youtube video says, but for $1100 I really shouldn't have to, that's embarrassing.

3) The touchpad is pretty awful. When scrolling, it jumps backwards. When I hold my finger completely still, sometimes the cursor just jumps up and down. ALSO, I've notice a the process 'ETDctrl' using 13% of my total cpu (about one out of the 8 cores is fully dedicated to this process). It's the touchpad controller. I just kill it when i notice it doing that. But that's horribly buggy. This needs to be fixed.

#2 and 3 aren't deal breakers, although they should really release better drivers for touchpad. But having a graphics card that is unusable is like selling someone a laptop with a 500gb hard drive that really only has 250gb of space. That's not a 'bug' to be worked out. Samsung is well aware of the problem. That's a "either you fix it fast, or recall the laptop" type thing. Any other course of action is dishonest. Yes, people can return them if they notice it within 30days, but what are the other people, suckers who should've noticed? That's not right.

 

Yes I totally agree with your closing point. Its a joke, Samsung will very likely only fix this problem if not fixing it proves more costly to them, which is in-fact wrong and very likely illegal.

Talking of Samsung, My Samsung WB650 decided to brake while I was on holiday. I had the lens right out as I was zooming in to a statue I was taking a pic of, and now the lens is stuck and wont retract and I now have a black screen!!!

 

Well said, sir. The only thing we can do today is spread the word because quite frankly, I feel a little deceived by the many very positive reviews. I know it's hard to find another suitable laptop in that price range but had I known about these issues, I bet I'd think twice.