I got this new Series 9 and immediately noticed the horrifically slow wifi. I searched and found many users having the same problem with this and earlier versions of the Series 9. I almost returned it, and then found that the problem is in the power management settings. The problem is when you are on battery power (not plugged in) the laptop uses the power saving settings. The default "maximum power saving" setting for wifi is WAY underpowered. I found that moving it up one click to "Medium power saving" fixed the wifi and at that setting it is faster than my other PCs. I don't know how much this effects battery life at this point, but it doesn't matter because there is no way to use wifi at the default setting. Good luck!fyi you must change the power setting via the Control Panel power settings, the Samsung provided Easy Systems Settings does not allow you to change the wifi power setting.
More and more, computer marketing is all about mass market appeal and has moved away from technical specs, but technical specs DO still matter, ESPECIALLY in ultrabooks, which thanks to improved Intel graphics in Ivy Bridge are right on the cusp of being able to play modern games (albeit at lower settings). Nobody cares about paying more for 10-15% extra performance on desktops anymore, but that can make a huge difference in an ultrabook if you suddenly get the urge to use it like a real computer, and is worth a premium IMO. And the specs on this Series 9 model A03 should ensure such a performance advantage over most other ultrabooks on the market.
This model of the Series 9, the NP900X4C-A03US, simply has it all:
* 256GB SSD (most models have either a hybrid SSD/HDD, or only 128GB SSD)
* 8GB RAM (the number of ultrabooks on the market offering options with >4GB is woefully small).
* Decent screen resolution of 1600x900 that's a nice fit for a 15" screen.
* Core i7 CPU
I think most people can grasp the benefits of the first 3 items (which are clearly significant and may be enough to pay extra for just the bigger SSD and RAM alone), but there are significant benefits of the i7-3517U processor that's offered in this model, over the i5-3317U that's offered in the lower-end A01 and A02 models (and most other ultrabooks).
To wit:
i5-3317U:
1.7 GHz base clock frequency
2.6 GHz max turbo clock frequency
3 MB cache
1050 MHZ max Gfx clock frequency
i7-3517U:
1.9 GHz base clock frequency (12% faster)
3.0 GHz max turbo clock frequency (13% faster)
4 MB cache (33% bigger)
1150 MHz max Gfx clock frequency (10% faster)
(Source: Anandtech)
All of the above, combined with the 8GB RAM, should result in an across-the-board 10-15% performance increase in both processor-intensive apps, as well as graphical-intensive apps (ie, games). And this is all done within the same 17W power envelope, with the same excellent battery life and no battery penalty from using an external graphics chip.
I'm afraid I can't offer any benchmark comparisons as proof (I only bought one computer after all), but I can tell you that there are many reports of Diablo 3 barely being able to run on Intel HD4000 graphics, especially in later acts with lots of background action going on. But I can report that D3 runs great and smooth on this system in both Acts 3 and 4, with medium textures, low shadows, and high physics in the native 1600x900 resolution.
(As a sidebar, I should also mention the good news that my model came with a Samsung SSD, and not the slower SanDisk SSD that was in the 128GB model that I looked at in a retail store. No guarantees if this will always be the case, though).
I'm not going to go into usability aspects, other than to say that our family is very satisfied with the screen, keyboard, trackpad, build, etc. It's a sweet machine. Honestly, if you're concerned about those kinds of things, you'll likely go see and feel a Series 9 model for yourself at a local retail store (any 15" Ivy Bridge model will suffice for evaluating this aspect, of course). That's what we did, we liked it, and we are liking it more every day as we continue using it after about a week.
The downside to this model is that nobody is selling it, and even Amazon lists a 3-5 week wait for shipment. Fortunately, Amazon appears to be under-promising here, as ours shipped in about 1.5 weeks, and arrived a little over 2 weeks after we ordered it.
Bottom line: Don't let the extra money or the extra wait scare you away from the A03 model. This laptop is going to be the workhorse in our household that does everything, from general productivity to homework to surfing to on-the-move mobility to moderate gaming, and on and on. If you're looking to make a similar investment, go for the best and get this laptop.
Buy Samsung Series 9 NP900X4C-A03US 15-Inch Ultrabook (Ash Black) Now
I did love this computer before thankfully the DC input jack broke (so that the power jack would not stay in the input), which prompted me to send it in for repair, revealing numerous major problems. Based on this experience, I've come to the conclusion that Samsung's quality control is pathetic. I listed several other "small" issues which I wanted them to check out, which all turned out to be huge problems, so I'm really grateful for the DC jack deciding to break. Basically my entire computer needed to be replaced except for the the bottom casing and the hard drive. Samsung decided not to exchange the computer for some reason despite an exchange recommendation from Intelisol (Samsung authorized servicer). Here are a list of parts needing replacement on my computer:1. DC jack
2. LCD assembly
3. USB Board
4. Motherboard
5. Top housing
The Keyboard was leaving an oily residue on the LCD screen, which would build up over several days and needed to be wiped off. The Intelisol technician told me this was due to the keyboard sitting too high. BTW a samsung customer service rep, who was completely clueless initially told me this was no problem.
The USB ports would occasionally fail
I noticed the brightness and volume controls would often not work when the computer was woken up from sleep.
FYI for those having difficulty with the touchpad, I'm told the early shipments had a Symantec touchpad assembly which was defective. The later shipments have an Elan assembly which has not had problems.
I'm thankful Intelisol has been so easy to work with (unlike Samsung), and on my request they are keeping the computer for a few extra days to make sure the oily residue doesn't build up on the screen.
Despite all these problems, I do like the computer a lot, assuming they have fixed the above problems. I have not had problems with Wi-Fi, like others, but I haven't exactly tested it's range or paid particular attention to it-I just know that it's no worse than my 6 year-old Gateway laptop. My major concern is Samsung's quality control, demonstrated by the fact they sold me a complete lemon. Samsung's attitude was initially apologetic, but as I climbed the ladder to the top supervisors in executive relations, this shifted to defiance and arrogance-I'm shocked, given this is there top of the line laptop/ultrabook.
----Update------
I received my repaired computer. It seems to be working fine but it is obvious they used refurbished parts: the LCD is filthy dirty and I am unable to wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth, and the Intel stickers were nearly falling off (and probably ripped off of my original computer and crudely slapped onto the replacement). The warranty states: "Replacement parts and products will be new or serviceably used, comparable in function and performance to the original part." That's great-the problem is every part was replaced except for the bottom casing and the hard drive, so now 3 months after purchasing a brand new top of the line laptop, I have a completely refurbished computer.
Read Best Reviews of Samsung Series 9 NP900X4C-A03US 15-Inch Ultrabook (Ash Black) Here
This laptop checks all the boxes for me. Everything. From the matte 15" screen to 256gb SSD to the insanely thin and light body. While thin, it is very sturdy. It's got a large and very usable trackpad. There are no heat issues. Nothing wrong with this at all. It's not a PLS screen (I don't think) , but it's very bright and viewing angles are good enough for me. I'm coming from a Dell Latitude D630 that I loved. I tried a later Dell and sent it back within an hour. I tried a macbook pro for a year, but never used it and never got off the D630. This thing had me off the D630 on day one (yesterday). It's well worth the money.Want Samsung Series 9 NP900X4C-A03US 15-Inch Ultrabook (Ash Black) Discount?
For software development of a type where linux OS is actually preferred over OSX, i evaluated a number of possible machines including modules from lenovo, apple, asus. Final choice was Zenbook UX31 vs Series 9.MY main requirements were for Ivy Bridge CPU , integrated Intel graphics (EZ driver integration on Ubuntu), 8GB RAM, SSD as large as possible, best available graphics resolution, no DVD drive ( N/A these days ).
My Series 9 arrived last week, and i have most of the software develope stack in place on Dual boot ( Win7, Ubuntu ) and the machine is very impressive throughout. While not as fast as a Lenovo W530 or a MBP, the SSD is very fast , launching big Eclipse app in about 1/8 the time as my older Thinkpad T61. Graphics ( 1600X900 ) are very hi quality, there is no issue with the display or with backlite bleed and the sleep / resume cycle on Linux is like 3 seconds! Big builds of multimedia opensource ( make FFmpeg for example ) still take over 4 minutes, but my life as developer is much easier and much faster with this machine than with the older T61 running a VM.
Wireless is fine, although i use a hard-wire connection most of time and , following sleep/resume to Ubuntu, i always have redundant network interfaces in plays ( wired CONN, plus WIFI CONN ) and i manually turn off the wifi. I mostly use wireless keyboard. There are some minor issues with the trackpad on ubuntu ( multi-finger gestures/swipes ) , but that just may be a learning issue.
Speakers OK, headphones using Pandora/Spotify excellent on linux. Have not tried any printers.
Overall, its an excellent value and i hope that it ages reliably like the T61.
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