Samsung 15" Series 9 NP900X4C with Ivy Bridge CPU

I think it's time to give the Ivy Bridge version of the 15" Series 9 it's own thread.

In addition to the UK Insight page that has been up for a few days, Google is now finding more hits including Laptops Direct (3rd from bottom on the list as I type this).

Given that the Swedes are listing an NP900X3C it looks as if some Ivy Bridge hardware is going to trickle onto the market sooner than later.

Here is a quick preview of the NP900X4C. It promises good battery life. The display looks OK.

If you want to read the user guide then download it from here. The guide covers both the 13" and 15" versions and the very brief specifications at the back say HM65/HM75 chipsets (the latter is Ivy Bridge). The ports are clearly shown in the user guide and are reproduced here:





The manual doesn't give the size. However, scaling from the screen size suggests that the width given here is about right so maybe all the dimensions are the same. However, there is a significant difference in the weight between that link (1.6kg) and the quick test (1.4kg). The info about the 15" model on this Korean page gives the dimensions as 356.9 x 237 x 14.9 mm and the weight as 1.65kg.

And here is a little info about the i5 3317 UM CPU. It look to be a 1.9GHz part so a slight speed boost compared to the Sandy Bridge S9. That link also mentions the 3517 UM CPU which can be allowed to run at up to 2.8GHz / 25W. However, as I've mentioned before, the thin chassis means a thin fan with limited ability to push air, so lower performance is a compromise to avoid a screaming fan.

I'm getting tempted by the X4C but would have to figure out how to live with the 128GB SSD. The only solution I can think of is to have my current SSD almost permanently connected as an external drive. Or should I sit on my money and hope that the 15" version of the S7 uses the same display?

I would add that it appears that the 15" S9 does not use Samsung's PLS display but is a standard TN panel. However, the samples that have been seen suggest that it is above average.

John

 

There's something suspicious about the price of the laptop on that Insight page. The NP900X3B that I bought from John Lewis was £1199, yet this 15" Ivy Bridge version is only £50 more? John Lewis is usually rather more expensive than internet due to the warranty they offer, but this still looks a bit too cheap. It's almost worth putting in an order...

 

Can't recall where, but at the start of the year I recall £1,199 for 13" and £1,299 for15in were being thrown about in previews. So not too far off.

 

Two possible factors for the similar pricing: (i) Building larger notebooks is a little easier and (ii) We don't know how good the 15" display is. I hope it is the same quality as the 13" (which is assume is Samsung's PLS panel).

John

 

Why is it, at this late date, nobody seems to know these answers? I am referring to the specifics around the 15" display. Does Samsung talk to the press? They launched the darn thing in Korea.

 

Hey John, someone in the first 15 inch thread had a good idea early on, which was to buy a 32 or 64 gig SD card and leave it permanently in the laptop. That is my current plan to add to the 128 SSD, I never would have thought of it.

 

I have a 128GB Lexar class 10 SDXC card. I tried it in my 2012 Samsung Series 9
13 inch, It's OK.

But two downsides.

1. Even at class 10 it's much, much slower that the built-in SSD

2. It sticks out a little. which isn't that big of a deal, but I need to remove it
to put the notebook in my case ( tight fit, and I'm afraid it will get snagged.)

Hopefully on the 15 inch version it completely fits in the slot.

 

one of the youtube reviews said the 15" version will not have as wide angle viewing display as the 13" version fwiw.

 

I've updated the first post with a couple of links.

Using an SD card is a possible expansion option for data but I wouldn't want to run programs from there. One might need to secure the card in place with some tape.

This machine would be much more usable with the 256GB SSD, but the review here states that Samsung's PM830 won't be available through the retail channel.

John

 

Is there any reason to assume that there won't be a model with the 256gb HD? I just figured that they would release it few weeks later. I guess I haven't really seen anything indicating this, but I don't see why they wouldn't do so...

 

I am sure it will come but we don't know how quickly. Perhaps they will bring it in when the 128GB S9 takes a price drop. It's unclear whether Samsung have already sold all the 256GB PM830s they can make during the next few months to other hardware manufacturers.

If I knew that I could get a 256GB mSATA in the UK then DIY upgrade would be an option if I give the 900X4C a try.

John

 

A search for NP900X4C on google.co.uk raises this page which implies that this model also has 8GB of memory.

I'm beginning to think that John Lewis have just added their usual £150 to the retail price of the NP900X3B to cover their extended warranty. Unless the 15" machine really does have a poorer screen etc.

 

I think all the retailer links show 8GB, so sufficient RAM won't be an issue for most people. However, the cost of RAM isn't much these days although there may be a significant difference to the selling price. It's quite plausible that John Lewis aren't offering the lowest price for the 13" S9. Who would, when they have a monopoly?

Note: I have added another link to the first post. The manual for the 13" S9 also covers the 15" version.

John

 

John Lewis is selling at almost the same price as the US when you take off VAT... I think the price drop is just starting a little early in anticipation of Apple's notebook releases this spring (speculation).

 

I think I have finally found the laptop I will buy.

I would really like to see it in store before I buy, I'll probably have to wait longer for it to show up at Microcenter. Any other B&M places that carry high end Samsung laptops?

 

I am wondering why you think NP900X4C will be Ivy Bridge. In the Ultrabooknews preview there is no mention of Ivy Bridge and from the system info image it looks like the CPU is i5-2467M, which is Sandy Bridge.

 

Because in the specs given to all the retailers, the NP900X4C is listed as having an i5-3317UM processor, which is an Ivy Bridge part.

 

Who wants to buy one and find out what it contains? The Insight page currently says:

The LambdaTek site shows stock expected on 2nd April, which is consistent with the Irish site.

John

 

Wow. I wonder if we can expect the 15" Ivy Bridge machines soon here in the US.

 

Placed an order with Insight last week after my post. Hoping the date is accurate!

 

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...

 

1. It might be UK is getting the first batch of the new 15". Perhaps it is no coincidence that the 15" shown on the Korean link in the first post in this thread has a £ sign on the keyboard.

2. Ivy Bridge promises reduced power consumption at the same workload so it should run quieter. However, if you want to give silence precedence over performance then there is a "silent mode" option.

John

 

I travel frequently to Seoul in business and can recommend going to the show room at Samsung headquarters at Gangnam station. It is a 3 story high playroom for all the newest Samsung gizmos. Not sure if you can buy anything there though, I never tried.

 

Insight UK's date for its one unit has moved from 15th to 21st March.

John

 

Disappointed, but not surprised!

 

But now it says 20th March.

John

 

ETA release worldwide Q2 2012, May.

 

I feel your pain. I'm not quite in desperate need of a new laptop, but my 13" Dell m1330 is on its last legs so it won't be long. I'm really trying to hold out for the IB Series 9 mostly for the improved HD4000 graphics so I can play the occasional game without having to resort to games published pre-2000. The minor speed boost and improved thermal capabilities are minor considerations. I almost caved and bought the 13" SB Series 9 last night after playing with one for a bit but really need that 8GB of memory for running stat software.

My hope is that when the IB units are released, then or shortly afterwards they'll offer one with a 256MB SSD. That would be just about perfect.

 

my SB tosh runs battle for middle earth 2 fine on full detail, the HD3000 graphics are more than capable ;-)

 

One bit of info I've just received from what I think is a reliable source is that Samsung aren't mentioning the display type in their product description because it is a standard TN, not their PLS panel. We know the panel has good brightness but that doesn't compensate for the better viewing angles of the PLS (similar to IPS) displays.

I know there are better and worse TN panels. My previous two notebooks have better screens than my current one. We have to hope that the 15" panel is up to the previous standard.

John

 

Just this 15" or the 13" as well?

 

Well I suppose the display technology itself doesn't really matter if the results are the same. All the previews and reviews I have read (13" version) say the display is great with accurate colours and good viewing angles.

IPS level viewing angles don't matter (to me) for a laptop so long as they aren't too narrow. I remember looking at the Sony SA/SB series a few months ago and their semi-matte displays were awful! They looked washed out head-on and got worse just moving your head a little.

A good hi-res matte display is great for me. Hope the display tech does not change for the IB refresh (unless it is better)

 

The comments from all reviewers so far have been very complimentary. Most have also commented about good screen angles. Apparently the TN display is quite good. The 1680x1050 display on my T61p is also quite good though it is nowhere near the brightness of the Sammy.

People tend to like torch mode on HDTV's in the showroom. Maybe that phenomena is happening here as well.

 

The same source confirmed that the 13" is PLS (as has been stated elsewhere).

That the 15" panel is TN helps to explain why the UK pricing of the 15" Ivy Bridge version with 8GB RAM is very close to the 13" Sandy Bridge version with 4GB RAM.

John

 

I see, thanks. I have only read reviews of the 13".

 

You can find in ipark ((주 현대아이파크몰
South Korea, Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Hangangno 3(sam)-ga, 40-999
+82 2-2012-0101 ‎ or techno mart (South Korea, Seoul, Gwangjin-gu, Guui 3(sam)-dong, 546-4
+82 2-3424-0114 ‎

enjoy you time Seoul

Ibrahim

 

Hi guys, advice needed

I posted on here before. Anyway, I'm currently teaching English in Korea and in desperate need of a laptop but I'm facing a bit of a dilemma. The 15 inch Series 9 is the most beautiful piece of hardware I have ever seen, it's as if the laptop was designed for me. It has a beautiful 15 inch MATTE screen (those s***ty glossy screens are an automatic deal breaker for me), runs silent or very quietly (again loud laptops are effectively useless to me and according to most people posting here, this laptop runs extremely quietly), it's lightweight and very portable, it has decent specs (enough for my uses) basically it's my perfect machine.
The problem revolves around the price, Samsung being headquartered in Korea you would think that their products would be cheaper here. They are not. I've been to all manner of electronic stores (including the famous tech areas) and unfortunately the price for at least this model (and most new models) is set country wide at 2,160,000 Won which translates to $1950 USD. So I'm basically left with three choices, either purchase a crummy laptop temporarily and throw away good money, bite the bullet and buy $1950 USD laptop here or use BorderLinx and purchase it online in the states and have it shipped here. I'm leaning towards option 3 but unfortunately the shipping costs alone are like $350 so I'll only be saving a lousy $100 but at least I'll get a US keyboard and definitely an English BIOS. Does anyone have any experience with BorderLinx? Are they trustworthy? According to Samsungs US website, only CDW has the laptops in stock. So if I purchase from CDW do I enter a temporary address provided by BorderLinx? Is there a cheaper alternative to either BorderLinx? For anyone familiar with Korea, is it possible to get a cheaper price for these new models here?

Thanks guys,
Matt

 

Thanks Ibrahim, I checked out those places but it seems that these new models have a country wide price point set by Samsung.

 

Thanks John, just out of curiosity. When would you guess Samsung would refresh its line with the new chipset?

 

Cool, I will check it out... Maybe they can clear up the whole price discrepancy thing...

 

I'm curious how well it will run Civ 4, that's pretty much the only game I play anymore. The only other more intense thing I need it to do well is VMWARE.

 

Yes: The product specs at the back of the new Series 9 User Guide show HM65 / HM75 chipset.

John

PS: Perhaps you should make use of the forum's multiple quote facility in order to reply to several posts at the same time.

 

Does that mean its already using it? I'll definitely try to make use of the multiple quote options.

 

I would hope the NP900X4C, which is listed with the Ivy Bridge 3317UM CPU, to also have the supporting Ivy Bridge chipset. The Ivy Bridge CPUs are said to be almost interchangeable with Sandy Bridge but the chipset adds new features such as built-in USB 3.0 (which will save Samsung the cost of the separate USB 3.0 chip).

However, we won't be sure until someone has tested the NP900X4C. There's a small chance that they just swap the CPU on the first batch and then do a full board change later.

John

 

Hey there! While Microsoft shows that CDW has the 15-inch in stock (and this is for the first X4B - Sandy Bridge) it doesn't have it or X4C (Ivy Bridge). (You'll see on CDW under availablity, "Call.") I've been on the list for a while (with a paid order) and nothing. Which is why you'll find last week's post of mine that says I want the 15-inch IB with 256 GB SSD, so I bought the first generation SS9 13-inch (X3A-B01UB) for less than $900 because I had to have something right now. Now I can wait it out.

I thought about doing the same thing as you (purchasing a crappy laptop 'for now' and then tossing it when the X4B/X4C became available).

I've had the Samsung X3A for a week now. BEST decision I've made!! All the things I liked about the Series 9 are here and I can live with the micro SD card slot, 128 GB SSD, and 13-inch size because it is an AMAZING laptop. I expect too that I might be able to wait out the first release, follow the forums, and ensure that the X4B/C is the right one (over say... Sony Z 23Series for a great deal more money.)

Good luck! My advice - if you can do it, check out the first Gen Series 9. I bought mine for about half what it was selling for a few months ago.

 

Presumably it'll ship with the HM75 (which lacks USB 3.0) as that's what's in the NP900X4B manual, and I can't see them changing it to the HM76 or HM77 for the NP900X4C. Not for a while, anyway.

 

So I see this new series with Ivy Bridge will include an i5 chip. Is there an i7 version planned? How does the IB i5 compare with the SB i7?

 

I wasn't aware that USB 3.0 is not a standard provision in all versions of the new chipset. I was hoping that integration of USB 3.0 would enable batter management of power consumption. On my Lenovo T420s having anything plugged into USB 3.0 when running on battery adds an extra Watt to the power consumption.

The User Guide which appears to cover both the B and C versions does say i5/i7. However, do we know what 17W Ivy Bridge parts are going to be shipped? The 17W limit is the key performance constraint.

John

 

In terms of gaming, the IvB integrated graphics will run Civ4 without any trouble. I'm hopeful it will run some newer games like Starcraft 2 and possibly Diablo 3; both series' are well known for not having steep graphics requirements. For everything else, I have a desktop - laptop gaming is just to keep me from going nuts on long layovers and hotel downtime.

I may do some benchmark comparisons this evening to pull together a list of games that the HD4000 should be able to play well at 1080.

 

Notebookcheck has some useful background on the HD 4000 eg an estimated 60% overall boost relative to the HD 3000. I would expect that boost to be relative to the corresponding Sandy Bridge CPUs. The graphics performance of a 17W CPU isn't likely to match the 35W parts.

John