The 2012 Samsung Series 9 13.3" (NP900X3B)

As requested. I don't really have the right photographic kit to take a dark photo properly, so this was the best I could manage.

 

Thanks. Is it just the photo, or is the top row and error keys dimmer than the rest?

 

The photo is pretty accurate. The top row and arrow keys are a little dimmer. The main lighting effect comes through the QWERTY keys.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post those pictures -- I'm sure the rest of the S9 enthusiasts here appreciate the effort

So in the box -- just an Ethernet adapter? Or any sort of video adapter included too?

 

No VGA adapter in my box, just the ethernet.

 

It has micro HDMI - hopefully the micro HDMI to VGA from Samsung for the original Series 9 will still fit/work for it. This is torture, waiting for it to arrive to the states.

 

Thanks for the pictures. The color accuracy looks acceptable. Are the reds red or are they red-orange? I can't tell from the pics. I'm just overly cautious after buying and returning the new Envy 15 w/IPS, which had very noticeable color accuracy issues.

 

@mcsven

Thanks for sharing mate.

The back-lit keyboard seems white, but I swear I've read and seen that the back-lit should be aqua blue?

In terms of the shallowness you mentioned about the keyboard; would you say the keyboard be comparable to the Vaio Z2's or MBA's?

How is the sound quality?

 

Hi, thanks so much for all your previews. I, too, would appreciate some more feedback about the keyboard. I returned a UX31 because of missed keystrokes. Are you finding that your typing is accurate? And, while I'm at it, is the touchpad Elan or Synaptics? I notice they have two different drivers on the website... Thanks in advance.

 

I hope the keyboard is better than the old Series 9, I couldn't type a damn thing on it kept messing up.

 

Hi,

I have just bought one of these little beasties,very slick machine.

Does anybody know what the display port on the right hand side actually is? The quick start guide very helpfully describes it as a "monitor port". I initially thought it was a mini DisplayPort but its not. Any ideas?

Bit tight of Samsung not include a VGA converter or sleeve but apart from that, very happy so far.

 

Yup, I'd also like to second the thanks that are due for the preview!!

Also interested as to how tinny the speakers are?

The screen looks great, I must say

 

I'm reluctant to say anything definitive about either the keyboard or the screen. Both are highly subjective issues. I'd say if you're worried about either then don't take my word for it: get your hands on it in a store somewhere before you buy it. That said: I have no real issues with either.

The screen reds are red as far as I can tell and the matte finish means that reflections aren't an issue. It's also very bright.

The keyboard is probably going to divide opinion more. There's no way round it: the keys are shallow. I PERSONALLY don't have an issue with it and I've found no problem typing, but then I had no issues with the UX31 when I tried it in the store. My issue is that it's kind of loud. The back-lighting is an aqua-marine colour, but it's very gentle and only turns on when the surrounding environment is dark.

The speakers are pretty impressive for a machine this size but they're underneath and so the sound is improved considerably by lifting the machine.

 

how is the edge when typing? is it sharp and bad for the wrists, or is it fine when typing for a long time?

 

Thanks mcsven...

 

So things have gone downhill a bit since my last post.

As I was messing around this morning the machine started to update Windows 7 in the background and stress the CPU a little bit. That kicked in the fans... one of which had an irritating grating noise as if a ball bearing was misaligned or the fan was catching on something. I found I could repeat the problem with a stress-test site and that the noise whilst not exactly loud was definitely audible and persistent.

So I returned it to John Lewis and the sales guy confirmed it and they replaced it with a new model immediately. Great stuff.

Except that the new one has the exact same problem (and, when I opened the lid the F7 key had come lose and needed to be clicked into place). So... not sure what to think/do now. Should I take it back and get another one / refund, or is this what it's supposed to sound like? I can turn if off with the silent mode option, but this seems to be cheating.

 

Is the memory card slot SD or MicroSD?

 

Samsung had stated on both its website and at the CES show that the 13 and 15 would be sporting a luxury Valextra leather case.

Is there one included?

 

I'd go back for the third unit. If the third try isn't the charm, then I would seek a refund. You should expect better for a machine with this type of engineering and cost. Bad fan noise should not be included.

 

Well, I'm Samsung-less once more. Checked out the unit on display in the store and it was doing the same thing. Got a refund. Real shame. Such a small thing that I'm sure most people could ignore, but it really bugged me. I hope anyone else that gets one doesn't have the same experience.

 

Disappointing. I am giving Samsung no passes this time, considering the wifi problem the first S9 had. $1399 for a machine without dedicated graphics leaves no room for problems like this. I'll be watching reviews closely.

 

Sorry to hear about that mcsven. Maybe the 15" wont have that problem. Have you looked into Vaio Z2's?

 

After reading mcsven's post I checked my machine. When the fan comes on, which is only under significant load, there is a slight wadawadawada noise beneath the expected sound of the fan. Once the load drops the fan stops.

For me this is not enough reason to return the machine. It is quite possible the noise will disappear once the machine beds in, if it gets worse I will return it.

@Don Blubb The edge is sharp but has not caused me any discomfort. There is enough space between the edge and the keyboard. My wrists do not touch the edge when typing.

@slopokdave The memory card slot is full size SD not micro.

@CJP2 Included extras are disappointing, defiantly no "luxury Valextra leather case"

 

Hello guys,

can anyone compare the screen and speakers to the MacBook Airs?
And what about the fan while watching videos in hd or flash movies?

Thank you.

Chris

 

Thanks Jakr202 for the feedback. I had hoped the nice leather case could help balance the higher price point, but it has obviously disappeared.

 

What a fing drag. I can't believe Samsung would engineer a machine like this and throw a crap fan in it. Incredible.

What a bunch of boneheads.

 

After their wireless debacle I can't say I'm too surprised. Disappointed, yes. Surprised, not so much.

 

I think in fairness to Samsung it may be one of those things that does not bother most people and could well pass acceptance testing (as Jakr202 illustrated above). After all the functionality of the system is not affected by this noise, which was the not the case for the WiFI issue.

The interesting thing is that it was the same fan (the one nearest the power socket) that caused the noise in all three cases I saw. The other fan on the other side was fine... so perhaps it's an assembly issue, or maybe a bad batch. I'll be monitoring these boards closely to see if anyone else has the issue.

 

Maybe. Then again, maybe they're making these things so darn thin that the components inside are literally too close for comfort.

 

Mcsven do you happen to remember/know where your series 9 was assembled?

 

Firstly, thanks for keeping us informed and in touch with the machine Secondly, can I get the stress test website so I can try to replicate the problem when my local stores get the Series 9? Thanks.

I'm not sure I'll be up for accepting the issue, as my current laptop is also making a lot of fan noises. For the price of the Series 9 I would expect it to eliminate as many of the problems my current laptop is giving me. I'm willing to overlook the lack of an dedicated graphics card, but the overall keyboard impression is a bit of a downer given that a keyboard is a major part of interaction with a laptop. Adding noises coming from both keyboard and fans, my second option (Lenovo U300s) is almost sounding better.

 

the Vaio Z fights with fan noise since it's release. it's a very noisy but expensive laptop. the question is what matters the most? built-quality, perfomance, screen, keyboard or fan noise?

 

I don't recall the assembly location - didn't even check. Sorry.

The stress test site was silver.urih.com.

I feel slightly guilty about making it sound like this is a really big issue. It was an issue FOR ME, but then I'm a bit of a pain when it comes to noises. I've spent hundreds of £££ on cooling mods to eliminate computer sound in the past. I recommend that if you're considering the machine to go and check it out. After all the fan noise had no impact on the functionality of the machine and it could be turned off. I think the guy in the store thought I was nuts.

 

One has to remember that the ultra-slim form factor necessitates the use of a slim fan which has to spin very fast to shift much air. Probably the noisest, under load, of the numerous machines that have passed through my hands is the Toshiba R500. It whines when the CPU gets loaded and doesn't do a very good job of shifting heat.

It's conceivable that Samsung designed the new S9 for the Ivy Bridge power envelope and then decided to put in a Sandy Bridge board as an interim fix. Also, the typical user is not someone who tries to stress the machine to its limit.

John

 

anymore feedback from owners? does the wifi work, how is the power consumption. is the screen really that good?

give us more input!

 

If anyone has it, can you post your battery life results?

 

and the win7 perfomance rates! thanks!

 

Hello,
i had bought Lenovo Thinkpad X220 and it had a simular problem, noisy fan when it ramped up it had a sort of grinding noise as if it wasnt balanced properly, which they tried to rectify with with bios updates, but it never really worked and caused more problems (there was also issues with the LG IPS display) so it was returned after a long agument with the CS.

it was my understanding that the problem in their case was the quality of fans. They where made by Delta Electronics if i remember correctly and where originally ment to be made in tiwan/japan, but with the supply problems of last year where sent to China with lower quality components to be made and subsequently had yeild/quality issues

It was ment to be an upgrade from a Samsung X60plus, but it didnt feel like much of an improvement in quality.

i think its going to be a problem if you get a thin laptop, smaller problems like that are going to be magnified..

Is anyone who has one able to run something like "PC wizard" and do a dump of the hardware inside, like wifi, screen and so forth..

regards,

 

This is certainly true for the ThinkPad X301. However, you don't really get bothered by that fan until it goes above 5000rpm. Fans can be engineered to be quiet.

 

Well, all right. But I thought that both, ULV sandy bridge and ULV ivy bridge, should have a TDP of 17 watts. So there shouldn't be a hugh difference in the level of heat. Or am I wrong?

 

So is tomorrow (2/27) the US launch date for the series 9? I'm thinking of making a trip to bestbuy / j&r to find out (i'm mostly interested in the 15-inch version though)

just to clarify, the valextra leather case is not included but has to be purchased separately (it's a variant on the classic valextra premier attache which retails for twice as a much as the series 9)

 

Wooow this is suppose to be out tomorrow but theres no information about the release whatsoever.

 

That's because, it probably won't be out for another 6 weeks knowing Samsung.

 

I truly don't understand this product launch.
A major refresh of their flagship notebook, that was shown at CES last month with
Not a shred of further information about specs or options from Samsung.

With the US release date upon us, I still can't find a review of this notebook.

As much as I prefer PC over Mac, I have to admit for a company that tries to follow Apples business model, Samsung has much to learn.

When Apple announces a product, you know exactly what you're getting, no
half hearted launch like we are seeing with Samsung.

With products being sent out to tech blogs for reviews well in advance of launch.

Maybe Samsung has too many products being released?

A Jack of all trades and a master of none.

 

Patience! The UK, and maybe some other European countries, seem to have got near the front of the queue this time. Go back up a few pages to see the first impressions.

John

 

Samsung does have a habit of releasing some of their products in the UK/Europe before the USA (ie, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Nexus, updated Series 9 2011 with fixes, etc). So I am not too suprised, but I can wait.

 

Hi.

I am fine with waiting.
I just wished I knew exactly what I am waiting for.
I read the helpful first impressions earlier, and I'm am thankful for them.

I just wished for a more complete professional review from a tech site.

Performance Bench marks, Battery life and what not.

It just seems odd, that I can't find a single professional review on this
$1500.00 notebook.

Perhaps Samsung held them back from blogs, like a bad movie that fails to get reviewed before release?

 

so what are the main differences from generation 1 samsung 9 series?
i've just turned back my my frist gen samsung 9 series laptop with wifi problem.

and i m thinking of new gen 13 inch or 15 inch. which one do i have to choose?

 

@fullham

You gain 1600 x 900 resolution matte display, lighter chassis, and a hole in your wallet.

You have the free will to go either 13" or 15"; which ever suits your needs.

I reckon you're from the UK so why haven't you gone to John Lewis to buy the 13" yet? Test it out and write a review for us!

 

But not just any hole. A LARGE hole!