Samsung Series 7 Chronos 700Z5C (NP700Z5C-S03SE)

Hi all, I've recently purchased a Samsung Series 7 Chronos 700Z5C (NP700Z5C-S03SE) notebook and must admit that I've been kind of startled reading all of the issues people are reporting... This is an upgrade from my trusty 4 year old nc10 and I'm really liking it overall but some of these issues reproted has gotten me concerned. Also, there seems to be so many different types and versions out there that I thought I'd post here for comments and opinions or experiences with this specific model before doing anything rash, such as returning it...

Specs:

Samsung Series 7 Chronos 700Z5C - 15.6" - Core i5 3210M - Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - 6 GB RAM - 750 GB HDD
Systemtype

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Processor: Intel Core i5 (3. gen) 3210M / 2.5 GHz ( 3.1 GHz ) / 3 MB Cache

Memory: 6 GB DDR3

Storage: 750 GB HDD ( 8 GB flash ) / 7200 rpm

Optical drive: DVD SuperMulti DL

Screen: 15.6" LED backlit 1600 x 900 / HD+

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M - 1 GB GDDR5

Network: 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 , Gigabit Ethernet

Battery: 8-celled

I have been experiencing poor wifi, as has been noted in other threads --- at 15-20 meters with router in sight I can get full signal but once it gets a few walls behind it and the router it drastically plummets to about 50% of max signal overall. At first I experienced reall horrible peaks and lows in signal with frequent dropouts but today it's been running fine (upgraded my line to 12/6 today). Also, vlc media player seem to struggle playing back dvd's -- resulting in very choppy playback. I've also had some problems with a few programs, most notably winwatermark which worked perfectly on my old nc10.
Also, will this model do Photoshop with no problem or will there be issues?

Any and all info on this specific model, info on relevant issues, comments etc. would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Anyone? Other strange issues I've had today include eject button not working and Trustedinstaller.exe process using from 300 000-500 000kb all day.... I've now got 77 processes (down from about 100 idle) running with a mem usage of 29% --- it peaked at about 50% when idle earlier today, most likely due to that trustedinstaller.exe process.

 

Is it the question... or what?

 

Your question is fine, slados. It's just that there are SO many other discussions of Wi-Fi issues in other threads. At least for my part it's almost impossible to keep up answering them all individually. I'll take a look tonight and post some links for you.

Until then, try Googling site:notebookreview.com Samsung Wi-Fi signal connection dropout or something like that. There is a thread specifically for the NP700Z5C model (titled Series 7 lover's...) which has a lot of discussion about Wi-Fi.

Oh, and welcome to the forum. Congrats on your new PC

 

That's very kind of you! Thanks for responding and your tip --- appreciate it Glad to be a part of this forum! I guess the main thing I was really wondering about is if this particular model is of the same gen and configuration as the ones being discussed in the wifi issue threads etc. There seems to be so many different model numbers that I'm really at a loss when it comes to the quality of the hardware and software in the particular one I've got... if that makes sense. I also had a BIOS update fail on me earlier today and now I can't find this update anywhere using the Samsung Easy Software Manager...

Strange thing is... I'm really starting to love this laptop despite all of these apparent and quite annoying flaws and issues

(I figured out the eject button thing btw, that was just me being new to this machine, all I had to do was activate FN Lock)

 

Do not worry, you got a great machine there. It is one of the most popular Samsung models: 2012 Series 7 Intel Ivy Bridge 15.6 inch.

I think many owners here react like you describe: They are frustrated about some issues (and there ARE some) but they still really, REALLY like this laptop! Then once they get those issues resolved, it's their best laptop ever. I know that's how it was for me (having an older NP700Z3A -- like yours, but Sandy Bridge and 14 inch). And I've seen others say the same.

Here are some links to Wi-Fi discussions and advice:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/689112-samsung-series-7-wi-fi-issues.html

Power profile changes (in latencies thread)

Replacing Wi-Fi driver (in Series 7 lover's thread)

That last thread is basically the "owners lounge" for your model. You will find tons of info and many helpful people there. Just a few months ago, you probably would have gotten a response within minutes of posting there (and you still may). But 2013 model discussions and threads are increasingly (and understandably) taking over much of the traffic on the forum.

Don't forget to check the brilliant Sticky List compiled by our veteran mod, John Ratsey. It's a great index to many of the most useful Samsung threads.

Let us know how it works out for you. it would be great if you post an update in this thread. Then for any further discussion try that Series 7 lovers thread -- or any other active thread that covers your topic.

Again, welcome on board

 

Appreciate your efforts once again my friend... and thanks for reassuring me re. the quality of this laptop! I will be checking out those links asap.

The wifi issue seems to kind of have dissipated after the first day or so, it was really bad at first... but either way, now I'm on a wired 12/6 connection so it's not really my first priority at the moment. I guess this will be mostly a stationary laptop anyway, not one I'll be dragging around a whole lot.

The BIOS update that supposedly failed is nowhere to be found since btw, it doesn't seem to show up as installed/a failed install or as being available in the Samsung Easy Software program either --- read some threads on here about problems with BIOS updates but I struggled to make much sense of what caused this in my case.

I've also gotten down from over 100 processes at first to around 70-80 running, with a decrease of about 10-15% in memory usage --- this was really frustrating a first, my 4 year old beaten up nc10 has only about 40 processes running in comparison and that one sports a whole lot more programs than this one. Does 70-80 processes running (idle) seem like a lot for this machine or is this normal?

What I'm trying to fine-tune now is the screen settings for my connected external monitor, a Samsung ( ) widescreen LED 40". Compared to the picture I was getting with my nc10 connected to this same TV I'm kind of struggling to get satisfactory results --- Firefox seems especially grainy in comparison... no idea why that is.

Yeah, those were a few updates on my issues --- some partially resolved, some still being worked on. While I'm more or less constantly checking out relevant threads and all I'd still appreciate tips and input on any of these issues

 

Good job on the progress. Once again I'll have to come back with a more in-depth response to you (hopefully tonight) because it requires me to dig around to find references and links.

Meantime here's a few Google searches to try -- that's what I use to look for past discussions, since I don't remember them all in my head.

site:notebookreview.com/samsung NP700Z5C BIOS update failed
site:notebookreview.com/samsung NP700Z5C bloatware to uninstall
site:notebookreview.com/samsung latencies
site:notebookreview.com/samsung external HDMI monitor extend vs duplicate

Specifically re your Wi-Fi, I would determine early if there is a hardware issue that requires Samsung warranty service. Even if you don't need it so much now, you don't want to realize it too late.

Post an update here -- that way I'll see it and remember to get back to you later

 

Your help is invaluable I will get on those searches tomorrow --- getting a bit late now...

Also, regarding the Wifi; I feel it's important to note that the worst of the problem seems to be due to my positioning in relation to where he router is placed... it's not far from it in a straight line but it's kind of behind 2-3 thick wooden walls (no flimsy drywall), hard to explain as the positioning is a bit akward. I also always have poor cellphone reception in this room for some reason.... as soon as I move out of this room but at approx. the same distance from the router I get good and a lot more stable wifi signal again.
That said, my nc10 has always performed adequately in this position so I'm not really sure what's going on. This noteboook seems pretty stable with regards to wifi as long as there's not any walls in between it and the router though--- full signal at about 15-20m with the router more or less in sight. I'd certainly hate for it to be a hardware issue.

 

To maximize Wi-Fi range, make sure you update your Power Profile (as described here) and your Adapter Settings (as described here). But maybe you already did that. That last thread is a gem!

Also, recently some people have reported better/more stable signal by disabling Wireless-N (in Adapter Settings).

On those other questions you asked:

BIOS update problems: Check this thread.

Bloatware and too many processes: Check this post and this thread. Both were based on Samsung software provided with Win7, but much of it applies to Win8 as well.

Maximizing resolution on external monitor: Check this thread.

Once again, let us know how it goes

 

The Series 7 (and Series 9) have sub-par WiFi signal strength because the antennae are along the back of the chassis between the hinges with a lot of metal in the vicinity. This arrangement might be to avoid having a plastic panel in the display back. The NC10 has the antennae in the top of a plastic display where they can be more effective. You can see the difference by looking at the signal strengths using InSSIDeR (which also shows other competing WiFi signals).

There are work-arounds such as using a cheap USB WiFi adapter. I have one of these to use when the signal is poor. The stand comes on a lead of about 1.5m which enables the adapter to be placed where the signal is a bit better (I also use it with a 3G dongle for the same reason).

John

 

Good info!

I have already uninstalled most of the bloatware using your post as a guide. Unfortunately I did install the full Intel PROSet Wireless AND Bluetooth High-Speed drivers package as listed in your thread on latencies and now I have a lot of these processes running constantly (see screenshot below).



Do I really need all of these Intel processes? I've tried disabling the bluetooth ones but to no avail, they pop right back up again. I don't know if bluetooth is needed as a function for any other programs or features to function properly on this laptop but I certainly never utilize bluetooth as a means of transferring files from other devices etc., something that makes having these bluetooth processes running constantly all the more annoying.

I've also tried the tips on the BIOS failed update link you posted but, embarassed to say, I couldn't even find the BIOSupdate.exe program mentioned. Maybe it's called something else on there? A google search didn't bring me much closer either...

My external monitor is set up as advised on the relevant link you posted and it seems to work nicely for my desktop etc. but firefox really does look like crap. Thumbnails are grainy and pixellated, colors in general are oversaturated --- the nc10 had no problems displaying beautifully on this tv with the same settings, using the same Firefox version... that was using VGA though... I'm now using a HDMI cable connected to the correct input on my TV (HDMI input #1 as per user manual).

Also, thanks to John Ratsey for the info and recommendations to work around the wifi issue. I will definitely look into something like that! I will also look into the Power Profile thread.

So, thanks again helping out, guys! I think I'm slowly but surely getting there

 

1. You can uninstall the full ProSet package, reboot and then install just the driver.

2. The BIOS updater is called "Update Software" in the Firmware section here.

3. Is the pixellated display caused by resolution problems? Is your computer recognising the monitor resolution correctly? As for colours, you may be able to make adjustment in the graphics driver. (There may also be some default colour profiles in Settings).

John

 

1. Uninstalled the ProSet package, did the reboot and now those processes are gone. Installed the driver only using the Intel Driver Update Utility. Solved!

2. Great! Saw that one but didn't want to install the wrong program. So, knowing that that's the correct program I have installed it and I was advised that I was already updated to the latest available BIOS version... this even though it previously said that the update had failed. So I guess; Solved!

3. The laptop seems to be recognizing the ext.monitor properly using the 1 -- 2 identification process. It's on the recommended 1920x1080 resolution and I have it set to only show desktop on ext. monitor. I wouldn't really say it's pixellated, it's more like grainy and oversaturated. None of the options in the Intel HD Graphics controlpanel ( is there anywhere else I can adjust settings like these?) seem to help this particular problem much though. Might just be a firefox issue, I'll try another browser and post an update when I know more.

 

Good job there!

Re that display issue: I don't see how Firefox alone could display different colors on your external monitor.

Is this a TV? Many TVs switch to a Bright or Game display mode when you connect a PC, causing overly saturated colors. On my Mitsubishi TV, I just switch to Natural display mode (and tweak that a bit).

Also, you said it's 40 inch. Are you sure it is natively 1920x1080? Many LCDs of that size who came out a few years ago were 1366x768 -- particularly in Europe where HD kicked in later than the US. Try setting a different resolution. Once you hit the native resolution, the picture should look dramatically crisper.

Just a thought...

 

Re 3: For me (NP900X4C with Windows 7) I can right-click on desktop and select graphics properties. This gives me the Intel control panel and selecting display, then color gives colour adjustment options. Hue and Saturation are on the advanced menu. It will handle different settings for internal and external displays. There's another set of similar controls under video. Windows 8 must have similar functionality although getting access to the Intel control panel may have changed.

John

 

Hehe, you solved it---- my eyes were just about falling out of my head from the strain using the settings mentioned... I just put it back to 1366x768, which was indeed the native resolution (doh...), and now it looks like it should and my eyes don't hurt anymore.. nice and crispy :thumbsup:

All I've got left to do now is to investigate the wifi issue a bit further --- I'll update you guys as soon as I have news. Thanks again...this progress just made my hangover that much more tolerable

 

Been looking at the threads pointed to and it seems I pretty much have the power settings set correctly.

SILENT MODE is OFF, ECO Mode is OFF and High Performance is ON in Easy Settings -- max performance set on both battery and "plugged in" through the Intel control panel.

I have not checked Wifi performance the last few days as I have using ethernet instead, will try a test shortly and update here.

Right now, with 3 tabs open in Firefox and task manager running, I have 71 processes going, about 0-1% processor usage and 26-27% memory usage. Does this sounds alright? It's way better than before anyway... out of the box I had over 100 processes running and about 40% memory usage. Such a relief to get rid of all the bloatware.

 

I always look at the CPU usage rather than number of processes, but less than 1% is fine.

John

 

Haven't gotten around to testing the wireless again but will soon, been a bit busy lately.

I do have a slight issue that I just became aware of though: it seems I have to deactivate the realtek high definition audio in order to get sound from my external sound system connected to my notebook via hdmi --- and vice versa ---
With my nc10 I used to be able to plug my heaphones straight in with my sound system going at the same time without having to deactivate anything.
Now it's either sound through the laptop speakers and by plugging in the headphones OR sound through my ext. surround system but no sound through my headphones (with realtek high def audio deactivated) --- any suggestions?

 

When the external audio is connected via HDMI what options do you get when right-clicking on the Speaker icon in the notification area and selecting Playback Devices?

John

 

The pop-up I get by doing that shows two playback devices, these are Samsung Intel(R) and Speakers Realtek High Definition Audio. Both are currently activated and I get no sound from my ext. system connected via HDMI. The only way to get sound out of my ext. system right now is to deactivate the Realtek High Def Audio "device". I should say that before re-installing the audio drivers yesterday, as per advice posted on here, I was unable to get sound out of my headphones altogether.
Right-clicking and testing the Samsung Intel(R) device gives me the left-right test signal on my ext. system whereas doing the same with the Realtek device gives me the left-right signal through my headphones.

 

@slados: I don't know if this applies to your situation, but on my old HP HDX I've always had a conflict between Nvidia HD Audio driver and the IDT High Definition Audio driver: When the IDT driver is installed, I have to manually change the default audio playback device each time I connect/disconnect an HDMI audio device (such as my TV).

It is very annoying, and the only solution has been to NOT install the IDT driver and rely just on the built-in Win7 drivers and the Nvidia HD Audio driver. Windows Update wants to install an IDT High Definition driver as well, and I have chosen to hide it so it doesn't bug me.

Without the IDT driver installed (and WITH the Nvidia HD Audio driver installed) default audio output automatically switches to HDMI when I connect a TV and reverts to the built-in speakers when I disconnect. That's how I want it.

The downside of not having the IDT driver installed is I don't have the fancy audio settings and equalizer control panel nor the lovely tray icon that runs in the background and causes latency spikes

Again, I don't know if this applies to you: Does your audio even work if you don't have the Realtek High Definition driver installed? Are you able to switch between HDMI and speaker output using the Playback tab on the Sound Control panel (see below, right-click a device to make it default)?



If so, you can try experimenting with uninstalling either the Realtek High Definition driver or the Nvidia HD Audio driver.

I'll be curious to hear if is this works for you.

 

You can also see if the Realtek audio control panel has more options.

In my case (NP900X4C) it wouldn't start from Control Panel and I have to go to c:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA\ and start the program by right-clicking with Run as Administrator.

Another thought is what happens if you disable the Realtek driver as opposed to uninstalling it?

John

 

Thanks for trying to help guys!

John: The Realtek audio panel doesn't really have many other options than to run the speaker config test and changing output sound quality.

And just for simplicity's sake, here's how it works now:

Realtek High Def Audio enabled and Samsung Intel(R) either disabled or enabled (doesn't matter, same result) ---- turns audio to my ext. system OFF and gives me sound from computer or headphones (when I plug them in).

Realtek High Def Audio disabled and Samsung Intel(R) enabled---- turns sound to my ext. system back ON and completely disables laptop speakers and headphones.




Dannemand: Are you suggesting that I try to uninstall the Samsung Intel(R) driver and leave only the Realtek High Def driver? I'd gladly try that if so... let me know.

Also, guys, aren't "headphones supposed to show up somewhere when connected as well? Without having the time to check right now I don't believe it comes up anywhere when connected --- I just think it's really weird that one driver seems to run my ext. audio system and the other one only running audio for my laptop/headphones.

 

Thinking outside the box: Is the underlying reason for this behaviour because the Realtek audio includes various enhancements aimed at getting a better audio experience through the internal speakers whereas the audio sent through HDMI will be unenhanced. By default, Realtek grabs the audio from the basic audio chip.

John

 

Let me put it this way: Since I don't have a clear advice to fix this, but since it DOES sound similar to the conflict I found on my old HP HDX (essentially between two High Def HDMI audio drivers) I am suggesting you experiment with uninstalling one of them. In my case I ended up NOT having the IDT driver installed and leaving it to the Nvidia driver to handle HDMI audio output.

Yes, the analogy on your system would be to uninstall the Realtek High Def driver -- assuming you still have audio if you do. Otherwise try it the other way around. Make a System Restore Point first!

And I think John may be onto a cause in his last post: The Realtek driver is concerned with audio adjustments for the speakers, not with straight HDMI.

I should add that I haven't experienced these issues on my NP700Z3A, which I frequently hook up to my TV through HDMI: It automatically switches to HDMI audio, and back to speaker audio when I disconnect. And I didn't do anything to make that work.

 

Nothing seems to work. Uninstalling just the Realtek High Def Driver made me lose all audio, both through notebook speakers/headphones and through hdmi to ext. system, uninstalling the Samsung Intel(R), running Realtek re-installed again, makes me have audio through laptop and headphones but not through my ext. system via hdmi.

Do you any of you guys have a direct link so I can try to re-install 100% correct audio drivers once again (for NP700Z5C-S03SE)?

Also, I don't know if there's some confusion on this here but for the sake of 100% clarity, to avoid any confusion; I am doing all of this with my HDMI constantly connected --- just like I did with my nc10 without any problems whatsoever. This notebook is used as a stationary computer connected to ext. screen and audio system.

 

SW Update should offer you the correct audio driver.

John

 

SW Update has kept on failing to update the sound driver (Samsung Intel(R)) earlier but it finally went through just now --- still no fix to this problem though.

It's obvious that the Samsung Intel(R) is what solely handles the audio via HDMI to my ext. system, activating and deactivating it is like toggling an ON/OFF switch for external audio through HDMI. If I activate Realtek it automatically cuts off ext. audio and swithes to laptop/headphone audio... no idea what's going on.

 

There is no doubt it is inconvenient if you have to manually enable/disable both these devices each time.

I don't remember seeing any posts about this problem in my time here. I wonder if it's something in your installation, or maybe an HDMI handshake problem between the PC and your HDMI receiver.

Have you tried connecting another HDMI device to the PC, such as your TV? Does it show the same behavior?

Otherwise I am afraid I only have two suggestions:

1) Backup your system (Windows partition) and restore the factory image. NOT to give up and start over, but to test if the issue is still present with the factory installation. If it's the same there, I'd say we're probably not going to fix it no matter how much we install/uninstall drivers.

2) Try and re-post the question in the Z5C Lovers' Lounge which is by far the most active thread for your model, with many helpful and engaged participants. I am sure others there must have used HDMI audio (although a Google search didn't give much). You can include a link to the discussion here for reference.

I am afraid that's all I can think of

 

Hmmm... it's currently attached to my tv, which in turn is connected to my sound system -- so I don't really have any other equipment to connect to that would give me a chance to check if the same problem will arise. I've tried the different HDMI ports on my TV but they're all the same -- no difference, so I'm staying connected to #1 which is the one recommended for pc.

Should two separate drivers really be needed in order to run both HDMI output and laptop speakers/heaphones though? I thought the same driver would handle both, but then again, I'm not really that adept when it comes to the technical side here

Two short questions on this before I attempt your suggestions; shouldn't my headphones show up somewhere through control panel/Real Tek Audio Manager when connected? Nothing is showing.
Also, isn't it peculiar that the test signals run just fine through my ext. speakers but audio from a music file/movie isn't? In the test aspect of things both laptop/headphones and ext. system receive signal simultaneously --- just like it should with real audio as well... but, alas -- no such luck.

Sorry about all of the questions... really appreciate your patience and efforts in this! I've also tried googling but I didn't find much re. this specific problem.... it's just driving me crazy...

 

Two observations:
1. On my X4C I am offered 3 playback devices: One is the Realtek HD Audio. The other two are Bluetooth audio devices that have been connected at some stage in the past.

2. If a test audio signal plays to all devices then I wonder whether the problem lies in the settings in your media player. Can you try a different one?

John

 

Yes, it's two different drivers for your speakers and HDMI. I think the reason is the former has to manage the Digital-to-Analog aspects of driving your speakers, whereas the latter merely has to convert digital audio to PCM (or other format negotiated with the HDMI receiver) and splice it into the HDMI signal.

That's right, I remember now you said the speaker test worked OK. That means it really is a matter of directing where audio goes coming out from various apps. That's EXACTLY what the playback dialog I posted earlier is supposed to do: You right-click the device you want to use and select Set as Default Device (for general audio) or Set as Default Communication Device (for Skype and such).

View attachment 95796

In the end, it is up to each app to use this default setting and choose which audio device it outputs to. It is absolutely possible to have the correct drivers and correct default settings, but the app is still sending audio to the wrong device. Most apps have settings where you can choose the output device. The screen below is for Windows Media Player (it's from my HP, not my Sammy; and no HDMI connected right now, otherwise you would see it).



I am increasingly wondering if this is the problem: That the audio/video player you're using has its own setting that keeps sending audio to the speakers when you want to play through your HDMI TV.

 

Great stuff, guys! I'm getting the feeling that we're coming closer to the root of the problem here...

Here's the list of audio devices through WMP with HDMI connected, I tried them all but no difference... it's always either - or
(" Høyttalere" is SPEAKERS btw, I'm Norwegian)


Here's my current playback devices/drivers. (this current setting gives me heapdhone/laptop sound ... to get ext. sound through HDMI I have to disable Realtek)



If I could I would have opted for connecting my headphones to either my TV or surround system when my laptop is connected as stationary, unfortunately I only have one option and that's the TV's optical OUT (no 3,5mm audio out) but it's already in use... maybe there's splitters/converters out there that would work?

 

One thing that came to mind just now; could this one-tracked audio issue have something to do with how I've forwarded and set up my laptop screen/audio to my ext. screen/monitor/sound system? Meaning; wondering if it would matter whether I have set it to clone, extended desktop or whatever?

 

It's worthwhile trying different settings although that shouldn't be the cause.

Another thought: Have you tried a different HDMI cable? (Newer is likely to be better). I recall that some HDMI issues in the past were resolved by changing the cable. It is possible that the Windows test sound gets blindly sent to all possible audio outputs but the media player expects to be informed about the presence of the HDMI connection. It's possible that the NC10 didn't have the same level of intelligence. Pin 19 in the connector seems to be the "Hot swap detect".

John

 

Hi guys,

Been enjoying my Samsung for many months since last posting here -- no real problems and everything's been smooth sailing up until last weekend... by handling the notebook drunkenly I managed to damage the fan ( which has been replaced) and I'm also currently unable to boot up. After pressing the power button I hear the HDD trying to spool up and then ticking/clicking -- something that repeats itself over and over again --- so, I'm guessing this is it for the original HDD.

In light of this I am now on my old nc10 once again trying to figure out what to do --- pretty sure I'll have to try to replace the hard drive and if I am to do that I'll definitely go SSD but I have no idea which one I should opt for... all I need is a good quality one, nothing too extravagant. Searching for which one I should go for is kind of hard seeing as there's so many different models out there and I'm not really a pc techy kind of guy ---

So, any suggestions as to what kind of SSD that would fit my Samsung Series 7 Chronos 700Z5C (NP700Z5C-S03SE) would be greatly appreciated (I hope and pray that I have not ruined my Chronos entirely...)!

 

I would suggest you look at the Samsung 840 EVO. It provides a good balance between performance, power efficiency and price. It is also 7mm thick which I know will fit without any possible problems.

Note that, as with most SSDs, the write performance improves with capacity. Also, it is recommended that you leave some of the capacity unused since it helps with wear levelling and maintenance of performance.

John

 

Thank you very much for your help once again, John!! I see several option with the 840 EVO --- do you think the 250 gb version would do? I mostly use the laptop for surfing the web -- some light photo editing and watching movies etc. Also some gaming...

Here's the 250 gb version I'm looking at Samsung EVO 840 Series SSD 250 GB - Elkjøp

The 500 gb version would probably be the better choice (I'm guessing) but it's over twice the price... SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE500 - 500 Gb - intern SSD 2,5" | Pixmania

 

Looking it all over a bit more I'm leaning more and more towards the cheaper 250gb version seeing as I won't be storing much on there anyway.
I see there's two versions (at least with slightly different model numbers/names)... one's the SAMSUNG MZ-7TE250BW and the other is the SAMSUNG MZ-7TE250LW. Is there any real differences between these two or is this just the same piece of hardware under two different names?

Sorry about all the questions -- just want to make sure that I pick the right one...

 

250GB would be OK if you don't need more than 200GB of internal storage and can keep anything very bulky on an external HDD (which you should have for backup purposes).

There are other SSDs such as the Crucial M500 that are less expensive than the EVO but not as power efficient.

It appears the the 250LW would be a laptop kit as described here so the -BW is probably a bare drive which, on current Amazon UK pricing, is a lot cheaper.

John

 

OTOH any SSD will represent a significant power saving on this model. Even in Silent Mode, with display brightness at its lowest and keyboard backlight off, idle power consumption is 10W on my NP700Z3A. It takes a serious effort to get it below 9W. It cycles between 11-16W with Chrome open (no Flash) and 30% brightness.

Ivy Bridge makes NP700Z5C more power efficient, but the screen is larger. I would still think the difference between the Crucial and the EVO -- while significant on more frugal ultrabook models -- would have less effect on the battery run time of a hungrier Series 7. Not my area of expertise, though, just let me know if I am wrong

 

Great info! So, would I have to get the -LW version to have all I need for the install? I see that local shops actually have both at the same price. Thinking about the 500gb version after all now ---

 

I agree that the power consumption difference will be most noticeable on an ultrabook but I don't think the M500 would give any power saving relative to an HDD.

If your HDD is effectively dead then you wouldn't get the immediate benefit of being able to clone it onto the SSD but the connector in the kit would enable you to connect the old HDD and try to get anything useful off it.

500GB would give you plenty of storage headroom and some extra write performance, if you can find the extra cash.

John

 

Good stuff --- I think you've sold me on the 500gb version! Not sure if the hdd is completely dead or not but if I can get the kit (-LW) for the same price as the -BW version it would at least be worth a shot trying to retrieve something off of it anyway

Thanks again for all of your help so far, really appreciate it!

 

I took for granted that pretty much any SSD would have to be more power efficient than these mechanical drives. I should leave this to you

 

Most SSDs are more power efficient but the HDDs have improved their efficiency as well. Tom's Hardware does power measurements:

Charts, benchmarks 2013 Mobile HDD Charts, [19] Power Requirement at Idle
Charts, benchmarks SSD Charts 2013, Power Requirement at Idle

Charts, benchmarks 2013 Mobile HDD Charts, [18] Power Requirement: HD Video Playback
Charts, benchmarks SSD Charts 2013, Power Requirement: HD Video Playback

The SSDs tend to have a wider range of results.

John

 

Thank you John, those were great links. Indeed, the difference between some of the HDDs and the SSDs is not nearly as great as I thought (particular the most frugal HDDs compared to the least frugal SSDs). Certainly in the the bigger picture of 10-16W power consumption, it's not going to make that much difference in battery runtime.

It's time soon for me to swap in an SSD as well, so I am paying more attention to this than I used.

 

Got myself the 840 EVO 500gb version today and it's installed physically but I am having real problems installing Windows 7.

I've created a bootable usb seeing as I can't find the cd and it should be working, but... for one, I seem to have done damage to the screen as well so I'm not getting anything on it so I do not know what's going on when I power on --- no luck using my external monitor either.

Also, I foolishly inserted the dvd that accompanied the SSD and I am now officially unable to eject it... the FN Lock key does not work (I'm guessing due to the lack of an operational system with drivers and software etc.) so I am unable to use the button to eject. No tray either, so I don't really know what to do... the dvd drive spools up and seems to be working just fine, despite me not actually being able to see anything on the screen, so if I could eject it and locate the windows cd I might be able to work around the bootable USB issue (I think?).

Also, I have to ask, just to be sure; what is the key for entering the BIOS on this laptop? Is it F1 or am I just misreading the key symbols here...