The 2012 Samsung Series 9 13.3" (NP900X3B)

Samsung does make quality equipment. My 2005 X50 is without exception the only windows laptop I've ever had that never had a failure (besides battery) and it's turning 7 years old next month and is still in use daily. I found that laptop by chance. I walked into Selfridges on Oxford Street one day looking for a new electric razor. Walked past the laptops and saw this awesome silver slim 15 inch. Got it right then and there.

Never would have found it otherwise - there was never any marketing that indicated that Samsung even made laptops at the time. 0 reviews - though I didn't search for them till after I bought it. It was like a ghost machine - the only evidence of it's existence being only its existence.

Samsung has changed since then - but only modestly.

 

I can confirm one is able to do what you described. I have been using tap to click, one finger for a left-click, two fingers for a right-click.

 

I wish I could do that comparison. The screen on the Z is dead. It suffered a fall and the screen was working until the wire harness broke. That left me with no external video output too. I replaced it and replaced the screen, external video output now works but the internal lcd does not.

 

Seems to be SEC0500 and device manager says compatible ids *PNP09FF

 

? Not tap to click

Can you move the cursor with your right hand and click the lower left with your left hand, meaning the touchpad is engaged in two spots at once, not a multi-touch gesture.

 

Yes you can. I meant that I've been using tapping instead of pressing down the touch-pad corners. It does what you describe, if you click or tap with your other hand without removing the first one it is all recognized.

 

For example, you can use your index finger to move the cursor around and without removing that finger use your other hand and tap with two fingers to perform a right-click tap, then continue using the index finger to move the cursor and tap to click. The same works if you click by pressing down the bottom corners.

 

Here are some useful photos from a Korean blog.
NT900X3B-A74

I heard they used PLS display panel which is the main reason I am buying it.
So far this is the only ultrabook that has a good display.

 

I'm liking it so far. Leagues better than my NC10, except two things:

1. Pressing the touchpad to left or right click is hit or miss. This is especially true for right clicking. I've frequently accidentally activated some kind of mode where every subsequent tap becomes a right click. Gestures seem much safer, but in that case, why even have a click pad?

2. I can't seem to boot from the USB slots. I've used two different USB sticks, changed the boot order, and even disabled quick booting in the BIOS. Nothing. Straight to Windows every time. I'm very glad it reboots so fast, because I must have cycled it a couple dozen times. The NC10 boots from both sticks I tested. Otherwise the USB slots are fine for everything but booting.

But so far, none of the other complaints people have had. No fan noise. Sleep works as expected. Touchpad *did* cause tons of errors in the config until Windows Update grabbed the latest drivers.

This laptop still doesn't show up on their website, either. Searching for NP900x3b just goes to the press release. The support center just has the old model. It's like the new version doesn't exist. Are they ashamed of it, or something?

Anyway, if I can fix the USB boot issue, I'll say it's the sweetest laptop ever.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

 

comparing those pictures to what others have posted here, it seems that the korean version has a dedicated row for home/page up and down/end? or some of them?

Edit: n/m. noticed it was the 15 inch version that did.

 

Thank you! Sadly it isn't an alternative due to using embedded displayport.

 

To someone who already owns the laptop, could you confirm if the only way to connect an external monitor is through the micro-hdmi port?

If it is, would using two adapters, 1x micro-hdmi to hdmi and 1x hdmi to vga, work to connect series 9 to an external monitor? I looked into Samsung's micro hdmi to vga, and it's expensive. Almost triple or quadruple. I was wondering if it's necessary to purchase that or else, I would opt for a cheaper option.

 

I don't own one but I can confirm it isn't. There are plenty of USB connected devices that allow you to connect to other video displays via VGA, DVI, etc.

 

Samsung Series 9 (900X3B-A01UK) 13.3 inch Ultrabook Review - BitDynasty

First post-release review I've found. I'm going slowly crazy waiting for mine to arrive (tomorrow).

 

The problems with usb to dvi or vga are the limited numbers of usb in this laptop and the cost. It's more expensive than Samsung's micro hdmi to vga adapter. Both are more than $40.

I know I'm contemplating over $40-$50 when I already bought a $1399 product, but I rather not pay loads of money for a cable. I'll try using 1x micro-hdmi to hdmi and 1x hdmi to vga, which would be less than $10 together.

 

Good review

 

Which laptop sleeves are you planning to use? In my research, there isn't any sleeve dedicated for series 9. Considering its minor presence in the US, I can understand this, so I have to find alternatives. I was wondering what other owners are considering.

I might have to import one from Korea, but what could be some good options in the US.

 

For those still on the fence. Good things come to those who wait...

One major competitor to this laptop is Asus's UX31, which is going to have a big refresh. "Asus Zenbook UX31A and UX21A coming soon with Ivy Bridge, WiDi, matte Full HD IPS display, and backlit keyboard" - The Verge.

 

Not that this is the ASUS forum, but I'm not holding my breath. We'll be lucky to see Ivy Bridge *anything* before June. I'm more worried that this laptop seems to have had a stealth release, and *still* doesn't show up on the US support site.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

 

But it's still an ASUS. I would have loved to get the UX31 even the current version but ASUS is just so unreliable in their production. When I built my own servers I used ASUS motherboards exclusively mostly because they always offered the best customizabilty and the latest hardware but I'm not exaggurating when I say I always orders more than I needed because I had a new 50% return rate on them compared to other boards I used before ASUS which almost always worked.

Forums are full of Asus UX31 inconsistencies in parts.

I'm loving the S9 more and more each day. It seems the fresh restore resolved my earlier issues. It's been smooth sailing since Saturday and this laptop have more than convinced me that when the MBA goes to 8GB, my i7 MBP is a gonner the size and weight is a pheonominal plus over the processing power and discrete graphics of a power-user machine.

 

ok, but can when you remember the screen quality, is it compareable? same, better, not so good? thanks!

 

Micro HDMI to VGA works fine. There is only one micro hdmi slot, so don't know how you would do both vga and hdmi at the same time.

I had Amazon shipped me another SS9, and the second one does not have the lid no sleep issue. Probably just some problem with the hinge. The second one I have is perfect now. (Amazon has been shipping them pretty quick, despite the "backorder.")

 

I'll post a link for this when I get home, but I just got a BIOS update for the US release after chatting with tech support. Hopefully this fixes my inability to boot from thumb drives.

As promised, BIOS update utility

It updated my BIOS from P03AAH to P04AAH. My particular problems with not being able to boot from USB persists, but I'm starting to think it's just my particular machine. I'm not sure whether to continue with tech support and RMA the thing, or return it to TigerDirect for a replacement and let them deal with it.

 

To boot from thumb drive, in the bios disable fast bios, and reorder the boot sequence.

 

Hi guys,

I'm an English Teacher from Canada who just recently arrived in Korea. I've had my eye on the 15 inch Series 9 for awhile now. I would like to wait for the Ivy Bridge version of this laptop but I'm in desperate need of a machine right now (doing everything off an IPad is not fun). Being in Korea I figured I would have no trouble getting my hands one. So far I haven't had much luck, the people I spoke with in several electronic stores told me that they still don't have it and can't get their hands on one yet, I have to wait till at least this weekend before they can order it. I have three questions for all you Laptop Forum guys,

- How much hotter would Ivy Bridge run over the current Sandy Bridge versions? One of my chief issues is fan noise, Im wondering if Ivy would cause the laptop to run louder for a longer period of time?

- Second, for anyone familiar with Korea. Do you have any suggestions on where to go to find these laptops? I'm currently in Seoul.

- Finally, I would really love to get my hands on an English version of this laptop. Is this possible? If not, please tell me at least the BIOS is English?

Thank you...

 

I have a question too. I can't really afford the new samsung series 9, but I found last years model for $999, which is the same price as the Dell XPS 13. I was wondering which you guys think would be better?

 

That's the thing. I read that way back in page 36, and it's exactly what I did. Here's the funny part, though... if you hit shift-1, it'll actually completely disable (supposedly) whatever item is highlighted. So not only did I disable fast boot, but I set the boot order to only consider the USB HDD, and then disabled everything else.

I've even disabled quick boot, the fast hybernation resume, anything I can think of that could possibly bypass the BIOS. It's like it's being completely ignored.

Every reboot, or full power cycle goes straight to Windows. I figured a BIOS update might fix it, but nope. I think I found a completely new issue these laptops can have.

 

One of the advancements of Ivy Bridge, is that it uses a smaller 22nm transistors instead of the existing 32nm you see in Sandy Bridge. Due to that and the 3D lithography they just introduced, the chips are much smaller and produce less heat, doing the same work with less overall power. So unless the laptop manufacturer is just plain incompetent, Ivy Bridge chips should produce less heat, so would need less airflow to cool them.

The Series 9, for instance, is actually pretty quiet. Quieter than my Samsung NC10, which uses an older ATOM chip, even though it's probably 10x more powerful.

I think you may have wanted to post in this thread. The thread you're in is for the 13.3-inch version. As far as I know, there's only a rumor of Ivy Bridge for the 15-inch version, for some reason.

 

I have a Vaio Z and the quality between both screens are similar. The Z has a semi-glossy display where as the S9 is matte. The colors might be a little brighter and "pop" a little more on the Sony (not knocking the S9). The viewing angles are better on the S9.

If I had to pick which screen I'd rather have, it would be the S9.

 

Can anyone explain why the new version has been removed from Amazon? I haven't been able to find it for several days.... Camelcamelcamel.com says this was the page:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-NP900...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B006KYY15A

Gone.

 

What about color accuracy and gamut?

 

You can buy from Korean online stores here. (This is kinda like Korean version of Google Shopping)

Howerver they only have i7+256GB SSD version with $2,200~ price tag.
Ask your Korean friends/coworkers how to purchase it online, since Korean sites often require KR SSN&cell phone# and etc.

I don't think you can buy U.S. version there but I'm pretty sure that the BIOS is English.
Good luck...

 

What lghtwave has recommended is a good option. What I would recommend though if you have a Korean friend, ask him/her to take you to Yong San (용산 or Techno Mart (테크노 마트 . Here they have myriads of small electronic stores. The website that lghtwave recommended also lists many stores located in the above mentioned malls. If they have in stock, you can either go and pick it up or order online. If you don't have any Korean bank account or credit card account, it might be easier to go and buy there. By the way know your price and don't get ripped off. It is preferable to go there with a Korean friend in order to avoid language barrier.

They could give you some discount if you pay cash, so don't hesitate to ask.

 

I had (and returned) both. The S9 because it had the bad wifi, since fixed (be careful which model number you get, because not ALL of them have been fixed-- if you check the other series 9 thread, you can find the model number of the "fixed" version, although Samsung never officially admitted that it had to be fixed), and the xps 13, ultimately, because the fan was too loud for me. But if I had to choose between the first s9 and the xps 13, I would have chosen the dell. This is totally a matter of personal preference-- I loved the design and build of the Dell, and the keyboard felt just fantastic, as did the touchpad (my keyboard was a little wonky, but I'm pretty sure that if I had swapped it out it would have been fixed-- nobody else had keyboard issues). Personally, I hated the way the s9 attracted fingerprints, and I was not a fan of the darth vadar design. Dell is working like MAD to improve customer relations, and their interest in customer feedback and their support around this laptop have been phenomenal-- stark contrast to the eerie silence of Samsung. So, for me, if this 2.5 pound matte screened beauty were not waiting in the wings, I would have stuck with the Dell.

 

Sony tends to over saturate colors. S9 has better contrast. It's really hard to complain about either screen. Both are great.

 

There could be several reasons:

1. Human error deleted the page and nobody has reported it
2. They took so many pre-orders they pulled the page because they were worried they would not be abled to fill the orders. Unlikely.
3. It is no longer made and being replaced with a different SKU.
4. Glitch in the matrix

 

Sad to think that No. 3 is probably the most likely one of those.

 

Looks like Samsung finally updated their site with these new models. Drivers are available as well.

 

This is good news!

I'm still going to get the Samsung as I think the build quality will be better, looks much better and screen is the best. Samsung can be very competitive so I hope the price comes down and IB refresh as soon as possible. Can't wait!

Well done Asus though!

 

Wow, that was quick on the Zenbook refresh. I tried one out a month ago and it was not a fun experience. Glossy screen, crappy keyboard.

A full HD, matte IPS screen + a possible 512GB in memory is just awesome. Hope they can improve the keyboard a bit too.

 

Does anyone know the difference between NP900X3B-A01US & NP900X3B-A02US? Specs look the same to me:

Specs - Series 9 Notebooks NP900X3B | Samsung Laptops
Specs - Series 9 Notebooks NP900X3B | Samsung Laptops

 

I found my Vaio TT to actually be fairly accurate when it came to saturation. I would have assumed the Z would be the same, but with in a higher res and 13.1in screen size. What about color gamut?

 

My mistake. I didn't mean all Sony's, just this Z compared to the S9.

I'm not sure how to measure color gamut. I have the same photo on both laptops next to each other. My opinion is the S9 has more detail and more natural colors.

 

My guess is that one is a placeholder for a 256GB model.

 

It isn't a refresh until they ship. I really hope they improve the keyboard, too.

 

Can you boot from a USB DVD/CD? Have you tried a different thumb drive?

When plug in, do you see the actually items listed in the boot squence in the BIOS?

Have you switch between USB 3 and USB 2?

I have two USB flash drives, one of the 2 can boot with the SS9-2012 (both were able to boot on my 2011). My USB DVD/CD always boot.

 

Wow!! Thought it would never happen.

 

Can an owner [of the US model] please run CrystalDiskMark x64 against the SSD?

 

I just found a new review by TrustedReviews.com.

Looks quite interesting:

REVIEW

 

Glowing review! Not particularly in depth though. One of the negatives was the battery life but I don't think they mentioned any figures?

They did confirm the main reason for getting this though... the display!