Series 7 Ultra NP730U3E / NP740U3E with AMD HD 8570M and optional 4G LTE

Hi everyone
I have the silver version with the I5 and amd hd 8570M GPU but without a touchscreen. I wonder what you guys are reporting as idle temperatures and light use (Youtube, e-mail, general light-weight websurfing). Mine are in the low 40's after a few minutes of idling and about 45-50 while watching Youtube videos.
Apart from me previous question, I also have middling experiences with my wireless connection. I downloaded the latest Bios (05 if I recall correctly) and the latest wireless update from SW update. Sometimes the internet is very slow and my connection sometimes also drops out for about 1 - 5 seconds. Afterwards the connection is back and 'alright'.
I also have trouble watching a video of about 30 minutes on Youtube in 480P. It just won't load (or very very slowly). 360P seems to work, but sometimes my video will stutter because it hasn't downloaded enough of the video.

Could somebody help me with these questions or give me insight on how to resolve my issues? Thanks in advance!

 

@MadWeasel: I'll leave it to others who own the same model to answer the CPU temp questions. As for WiFi, check the WiFi Remedies thread (linked below) if you haven't already:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/727499-wifi-remedies-samsung-laptops.html

 

I just bought this laptop and installed the 13.8b2 Catalyst drivers. I've installed Afterburner and edited the config file to UnofficialOverclockingMode = 2. I don't have any clock speeds at all in AB, they are all 0s. How do I enable overclocking? On the stock driver the clocks were shown accurately in AB but I couldn't overclock.

 

@ Dannemand: Thank you for that link, it has been very useful to, as far as I know, resolve my unstable wifi issues. I read the other links in your forum thread as well and found out that the culprit was the N-router setting. I disabled it and for some reason my internet is fast en reliable. Cheers!

 

Hi ocyrion,

You need to fire up a game that is using the 8570 then tab back to windows and then open afterburner. You will now see the clocks are visible and it will allow you to overclock. Once you are happy with your desired overclock save it as a profile and you can then enable the overclock without opening the game first.

I can't remember my clocks off the top of my head but I think I settled on 900gpu/1050ram

 

Hi anyone knows the process of installing windows 8 into new ssd already got a plextor m5m 256gb on hand juzz dont know how to install windows into it i have a external dvd drive
i have and external drive but have stuff inside it so where do i save the recovery partition

 

Here are a couple of relevant threads:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...windows-7-8-via-usb-np700z-4.html#post9191509
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...stall-windows-8-samsung-series-9-laptops.html

John

 

I'm about to order the Samsung 730U3E right now and really need some help from you since I have a few questions before I can press "Buy":

1. Are there any stickers that makes me brake the warranty if I upgrade RAm and SSD so will it be impossible to see if I upgrade these if I have to send it to service one day?

2. When buying memory, is it CL9, CL10 or CL 11 I hsould buy?

3. Any recommendations regarding a 256 GB SSD?


Thanks in advance.

 

If you haven't already swapped in the SSD, I would recommend you use F4 Recovery to create a Bootable Factory Image backup on a 32GB USB stick. It becomes a bootable "Recovery on a stick" and can be used to re-image the SSD (or any disk) including Recovery and Windows installation. And unless you have Win8 install media from elsewhere, this is your only option. It is discussed extensively in the Owners Lounge thread linked below:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...unge-np770z5e-np780z5e-np870z5e-np880z5e.html

If you already swapped in the SSD, you will need to get hold of Win8 install media and perform a clean install. You can follow either the of the links John gave you for guidance on that. I updated the first link to point to a Win7 install guide within that thread, which should work for your model; the guides on the first page of that thread should only be used when installing from USB on models with ExpressCache.

Once Win8 Setup has completed, this post lists recommended drivers to be installed.

Please keep us posted on your progress

 

Aww damn i dont have a 32gb usb stick

has anybody install windows with an external optical disc drive on this machine yet

 

The 32GB stick is only relevant if you still have the original disk installed so you can F4 boot your Recovery. I recommend creating this backup, as it allows you to always restore to factory. But you DO need a 32GB stick for it, there is no other way.

Otherwise you need Win8 DVD or USB install media; either one will work for a clean install. If you have a MSDN/Technet subscription or are a student, Microsoft provides download options (as described in this post). It has to match the version of Win8 that came with your PC (Pro or non-Pro), so that it can pick up the Product Key in BIOS. Once you have Win8 install media, just follow one of the links that John gave you for guidance, probably the second link is best in your situation.

 

ok thanks bro

 

Are all SSD's that are mSATA disks compatible with the 7-series? I'm thinking of the Crucial m4, Crucial m500 or the A-Data SX300.

 

I installed Windows 8 from a USB which is the same process.

Just burn the Windows 8 ISO (you can Google it and download it) onto a USB (I used PowerISO) or a CD. Then boot into your external device of choice and format your SSD. Then install Windows, and use SW Update to get all your drivers.

I've done this process now 4 times with no issues.

Sent from my SGH-I747

 

I got a Mydigitalssd BP4 on Amazon and it works perfectly.

Sent from my SGH-I747

 

Im about to create a recovery USB before replacing the SSD but my language is not English. Is it the first or second option in the lower left corner of the recovery program?

 

I understand, language differences (both between members and between software versions) can be a challenge in these discussions. Below is a link to Samsung's support page for creating a Factory Image backup. Hopefully that helps:

Create A Factory Image

 

Perfect, thank you!
And this will not only make it possible to install Windows 8 on the new SSD but also "install" the recovery software making it possible to restore computer at a later time?

 

Exactly! That's why it's such a great backup to have.

 

And once you have it, you can safely delete the original recovery partition on the SSD and free some 20 GB or so, right ?

Many thanks for all your posts in the thread, Dannemand, your knowledge is worth gold to us.

 

My apologies for asking again, but this is a busy thread and I think it might have got overlooked the first time.

I was wondering who has upgraded their memory, what is the max amount (16GB?) and do you have any advice for some good high performance stuff?

Also, is Mem and HDD the only thing we can upgrade? How about video card and nic?

BTW, I have a NP740U3E-K01UB. Thanks in advance for any help.


EDIT* Will this mem work for my system? Amazon.com: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory (CMSX8GX3M2A1600C9): Computers & Accessories

 

Thank you, schlum, no problem. I am glad you find it helpful

And yes, that's the idea, that the Bootable Factory Image backup becomes you "Recovery on a stick" and you can free up space on the SSD.

But unfortunately, technology sometimes fails -- which is the reason for backups in the first place. If you create the USB backup and delete the Recovery partitions, then the USB is no longer your backup -- it's all you have, and it had better work when you need it! You always want two copies of anything that's important.

I am particularly hesitant to give any guarantees with this one, because a few members have found that Recovery is sensitive to certain USB sticks: Being VERY slow to create the backup, and restoring from it later didn't work properly. In those cases, replacing the USB stick with a different brand or model, solved the problem and everything worked perfectly.

If you have replaced the original drive in the laptop (either replaced the original HDD with an SSD, as many members in the 2013 Series 7 / AB8 Owners Lounge have done; or replaced the original SSD with a larger one, as many Series 7 Ultra and Series 9 owners have done) you still have the Recovery on your original drive as well as the USB backup (which is used to clone the installation onto the new SSD). In that case it is completely safe to delete Recovery partitions on the new SSD, once you have seen that everything is running correctly.

On the other hand, if you are running on the original drive with the original Recovery, I would be a little more careful, just in case that USB backup should fail when the day comes that you need it. But space is precious on that original 128 or 256 GB SSD, I understand that. So here is what I suggest:

1) F4 boot Recovery and create that Bootable Factory Image backup on a 32GB USB stick, using the procedure described here (same as I linked previously) AND enabling the Create Boot Disk option. This is your primary backup. If it backs up relatively quickly, that's usually a sign that the backup is good. Test that you can boot it and that it seems to work (but don't actually run the restore). Then store it safely away.

2) Also in F4 Recovery, create another Factory Image backup on an external hard drive (or memory card or USB stick or whatever external storage you have). It is usually 14-22GB in size, depending on model. This one does NOT have to be made bootable. Keep that backup safe as well.

3) Now delete ONLY the Recovery Data partition on the drive. It is named SAMSUNG_REC2, it is the next-to-last partition on the drive, and it is the largest of the two Samsung Recovery partitions (usually about 20-28GB, depending on model).

4) Do NOT delete the Recovery Software partition. This is the one named SAMSUNG_REC (or just RECOVERY in some versions), it is the last partition on the drive, and it is only 1GB in size (sometimes even smaller). As long as this partition is present, you can still F4 boot Recovery and restore the Factory Image you backed up in step (2) above. This way you will have an alternative if the USB backup should fail you.

5) Finally, extend the Windows partition (or your Data partition if you have one) into the empty space from the deleted partition: Right-click the partition in Windows Disk Management and select Extend.

6) Done.

The posts here and here elaborate on the partitions and how to identify them.

 

Has anyone tried a MacBook Air 13 leather sleeve? The MacBook is thinner in the front but otherwise the dimensions are very similar. There are far more sleeves for the MacBook than the Samsung so it would be great if it worked.

 

Waow !
thank you so much. My back-up did actually take a lot of time... I am going to test to restore using the USB, because of what you say. Maybe it would not work for me. And then, do all the other steps you recommend, to have this second back-up, not bootable.

Many thanks to take the time to explain all this in details. Have a great day.

 

Just be careful here: IF the backup was very slow, and you suspect that maybe it's not a good backup, I am not sure I would want to test an actual restore from it: You might be overwriting a working Recovery (currently on your SSD) with a bad one (on the backup); or the restore might fail halfway through. At least make that second backup first.

What I WOULD test, is that the USB backup will boot and seems to run. So even if the factory image on that USB should prove to be corrupted, it can be used to re-image the disk and restore the other factory image backup.

I think I may be spreading too much fear here, that's not really my intention But I made some big and costly mistakes earlier in my life, which taught me the value of good backup and thoughtful data practices.

 

How slow is "very slow"? I have a USB stick with write speed 20 MB/s, how long should it roughly take? Are we talking about 15 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours?

 

LOL

Yeah I should have been more specific. Since I am merely repeating what other members have reported, let me repeat them verbatim. I located these googling site:notebookreview.com/samsung recovery usb flash slow. Click on the little View Post icons for each quote to jump to that discussion:

This next one I believe was a problem of creating the backup from inside the Windows version of Samsung Recovery Solution while a Windows Update was going on.

There are a few others I remember, which I didn't find.

I would say, if it completes in an hour or less, with no errors, you are in good shape. And again, test that you can boot the stick afterwards (to check that the Recovery software runs and can see the factory image) but without actually proceeding to start the restore.

 

Anyone know what the small display port is on this laptop? is it a micro HDMI?

Also, a 3 week update: Other than the absolutely horrible Samsung drivers, this laptop is great. Although for 2 weeks I forgot it is touch screen until I wiped the screen clean with a cloth. I don't think I will ever use the touchscreen for anything.

 

There's HDMI on one side and a Samsung proprietary mini-VGA port (which needs a dongle) on the other side. We are perpetually puzzled why Samsung persist with this special port rather than use a more versatile mini DisplayPort.

John

 

Has anyone found newer intel drivers that work with the screen brightness controls? I would love a new version with ability to stretch the display on non native resolutions (I know other versions of the intel drivers support this but not the samsung approved drivers unfortunately)

 

it sure would be nice to know whether samsung plans on refreshing the AB7 Ultra with Haswell anytime soon, or ever?

 

Yup, it sure would.

 

I'm sure that a Haswell version will appear in time. Samsung wouldn't have created a new design just to kill it after a few months. It fills a useful niche in the range (without it there would be no Book 7).

For reasons unknown to us, Samsung hasn't embraced Haswell with the same enthusiasm as happened with Ivy Bridge.

John

 

Does anyone know how to disable the AMD card? My computer is running hotter and louder when it's activated (when I have a second screen connected) and cooler and quieter when no external monitor is connected. I don't need the extra graphics power since I only work with office applications.

 

The AMD should NOT automatically be activated, just because a second screen is attached. The Intel HD4000 should be driving both monitors just fine, and the AMD should only kick in with demanding 3D apps.

(My old HP HDX18 with discrete NVidia does exactly what you say, and HP has admitted to it being a design flaw, because it causes unnecessary power consumption and heat).

You can use HWInfo to see if the AMD is running, as described in this post.

Some members who want the opposite (ensure that the AMD kicks in with certain games) have reported that HWInfo didn't let them see the AMD on its Summary screen, but I seem to recall that a trick was found to work around that. In any case, if you can see the AMD in HWInfo, it should stay dormant (as on the screenshot in that linked post).

 

Ok, interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I know it's running since I can see the temeratures in SpeedFan, and as soon as I get temperatures from it the laptop starts roaring even if I only have Outlook, OneNote and a browser with just a few bookmarks. The other day I didn't use a second screen and the laptop was really quiet. My laptop is around 50-55 degrees Celsius when I do light work but still the fan roars. When the AMD card is not activated it's usually below 50 degrees.

Could it be because I'm on Windows 8.1 and that there are no drivers working perfectly? I can't find any AMD related software on my laptop.

 

Maybe it could be if you're running generic 8.1 drivers and they keep both GPUs running instead of properly switching as needed. There is no doubt that 8.1 still isn't properly supported on Samsung laptops, you probably saw that already in other threads.

Admittedly, since I don't own this model, I can't speak from firsthand experience. But I cannot imagine it would keep both GPUs running if everything is working correctly. It certainly doesn't on my older Series 7 which also has AMD.

Note that temperature alone is not proof that the AMD had kicked in. There is twice the VRAM traffic and twice the pixel clock work (or more if your external monitor is higher res than the internal), which will account for some increased power use.

 

any chance you think that's simply because they still have a bunch of Ivy inventory to sell through? or have you heard that Haswell hasn't delivered in performance like Intel had lead OEMs to believe?

 

We can only speculate. That there's plenty of Ivy Bridge inventory sitting around is no secret. However, Samsung could easily give customers more choice by selling Haswell models alongside Ivy Bridge versions, with a suitable price differential. There may also be supply / price constraints on the faster Haswell CPUs.

Haswell may have delivered the power efficiency improvements when considered as CPU alone, but the benefits to the user get reduced by the power used by the rest of the hardware. Under light usage the display backlight may now be the biggest power drain unless the brightness is set to minimum and few of us like looking at a very dim screen that is reminiscent of a previous era of display technology.

A couple of other possible factors are the pending arrival of Windows 8.1 and Intel's wish that anything sold as a Haswell "UltraBook" must have a touchscreen (which really needs a glossy screen for ease of cleaning)- only last year Samsung had made a specific point of giving the entire notebook range matte displays so users wouldn't have glare problems.

However, it is is mystifying why Samsung haven't started publishing details of more Haswell notebooks even if they aren't going to ship for a month or two. Some people will give up waiting and will take their money elsewhere.

John

 

I'm waiting for the other manufacturers to release and/or announce more Haswell notebooks before I give up and take my money elsewhere. It's not just Samsung holding back on Haswell: Haswell's adoption has been slow pretty much across the board, with gaming notebooks being the only real market segment that has adopted Haswell in significant numbers. It's a combination of notebooks losing ground to tablets and smartphones, and poor adoption numbers for Windows 8 (though I won't bring the debate of why into this thread), leaving tons of manufacturers with piles of unsold Ivy Bridge stock that they want to pare down before they start offering a superior next-gen product.

At this point, I'm basically waiting to throw handfuls of money at either Lenovo for an x240t or Samsung at a Haswell ATIV Book 7, with several other prospective systems lurking in the shadows as well.

 

i would ideally like to see a Haswell AB7 before deciding on what to buy, but the wait is becoming unbearable. there isn't any kind of indication whatsoever that a refreshed AB7 will exist anytime soon.

i'm still working on a ThinkPad T60 (on its last legs) and have wanted to upgrade for a long time - i'll definitely do so with Haswell, but it's getting so frustrating now.

if a Haswell AB7 doesn't appear soon, i'll likely choose from either:

AB9+
Zenbook Prime Haswell UX31LA
Zenbook Infinity Haswell UX301LA

the Yoga 2 Pro sounds cool, but i've been longing for a change from Lenovo.. i had a T40 prior to my current T60.

 

I bought the version with i5 processor, no touchscreen and AMD graphics today. I have a few problems that I hope someone can help me with or I have to return it to the store.

My wifi connection drops all the time. It works on every other computer and phone that is connected to my router so it must be something wrong with this one.

I have tried watching a few youtube videos and it isnt working good at all. 1080p is pretty much unwatchable. It makes a sound that I hade on my old laptop where its like everything is freezing and it plays in slow motion. Hopefully you understand what I mean. Can I do something to fix this or is something wrong with my graphics card?

I got 3.7 on the processor on the windows experience index. That seems very low, what have you guys got on that one?

 

See this thread for the WiFi http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/727499-wifi-remedies-samsung-laptops.html.

Start by running Samsung's SW Update program to get all the latest official drivers and software. If it offers you a BIOS update then I recommend using the separate BIOS Update program as described here.

Did you enable Silent mode or Eco mode before running WEI? Either of these lock the CPU speed to minimum. Use HWiNFO to check what the CPU speed is doing.

John

 

unfortunately I can't wait any longer, I have to buy a new notebook in the next weeks.
The Ativ Book 9+ is only available in the "small" version (i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) and there are a lot of bad comments about the Acer S7-392 keyboard.
Then I read about this ultrabook (NP740U3E) being really good...even the touchpad and that's important to me.

In Switzerland it's availabe with i7, 256GB SSD and 6GB RAM for about 1400$. What's the biggest downside of this? Ivy Bridge? Or is it not as good built as the 9+? I couldn't find a store in my town to check it out, so I'm stuck with videos and forums. Are there other reasons not to buy it? Thanks!

Update:
I went to a local store to see if they have the Series7, but I had no luck. The sales person told me that they have all the devices of the Series5 and Series7 on sale because in the future there will only be 9 series in different versions, Samsung will get rid of the other ones. It sounds strange to me and it would be a surprise...guess he was/is wrong.

 

While Ivy Bridge is, on paper, superseded Haswell's main contribution to progress is slightly better power efficiency, most notably on idle and sleep. There's no significant improvement in the CPU speed and during the next few months you will get more performance for your money with Ivy Bridge. i7 + 256GB SSD + Haswell will have premium pricing.

The NP740U3E is a bit thicker than the Series 9 / Book 9 so it has room for a SODIMM slot and, I presume, the Swiss model has the AMD graphics. It, in my opinion, merits a closer look if you can find one.

As for all Samsung notebooks becoming Book 9, I think it unlikely. The Ativ Book numbering was only introduced a few months ago. However, given that the Book 9 Lite is equivalent to the old Series 5 NP530U3C then the possibility of more variations on the Book 9 theme cannot be discounted. Rumours indicate that we might well see more new Samsung notebooks appear during October.

John

 

thank you for the kind answer. You're right, it has the AMD graphics:
Intel i7-3537U, 6GB, 256GB, 13.3" 1920x1080 Multitouchdisplay, Win 8 Pro, AMD Radeon HD 8550M 1024MB, Giga-LAN, WLAN (300 Mbps), Bluetooth 4.0, 2x USB 3.0, Webcam, 8 GB Express Cache, 4-in-1 Cardreader.

I really have to find a store to see it, but it sounds like a nice ultrabook. Most of the time I will use it at home anyway, so battery life is of course important, but not a deal breaker

 

If you don't care about the weight and the battery life, the Ativ Book 7 with AMD graphics is an excellent choice compared to AB9 and AB9+.

 

thanks Matthias.
Is there really a big difference in battery life comapred to the AB9+?
It's hard to find a review of the Samsung with the specs i mentioned. Most reviews are from the i5-version with 4GB RAM

 

@buzzman: Indeed, the Ativ Book 7 is getting great feedback from reviewers and users. I checked it in Best Buy a couple times and it's a really nice machine, which I would consider myself if I were looking for an Ultrabook.

That said, since you ask about build quality: AB9 (and presumably AB9+ which I haven't seen myself) is just insanely elegant, with very high build quality; and as great as it is, the AB7 is not quite up there. So if you've experienced the AB9, and now consider ordering the AB7 online, I just want to make sure your expectations are checked. This is not a deficiency of the AB7, it's just that the AB9 is in a hotness league of its own.

 

it's really a shame that no store has it in stock. Today I saw the Series 5 and Series 9 (900X3E) in the same store. But they don't have the Series 7 in their stores.

The 900X3E is really a fantastic built ultrabook. I fell in love with the design. But the 900X3E is only shipped with 4GB RAM and has no touchscreen. The AB9+ seems too "underpowered" with only 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD.

Edit:
...just read the Engadget review of the AB9+ and it sounds so great. I'm just worried that it can't handle 40+ tabs on two chrome windows and Access plus One Note open at the same time.