Samsung Series 9 11.6" Thread (NP900X1A-A01US)

I've started a separate thread for the Samsung Series 9 11.6" (NP900X1A-A01US) as opposed to it's brother 13.3".

Specs for Samsung:
Processor Intel® Core™ i3 Processor 380UM
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
DisplayLED HD Screen 11.6" SuperBright Plus widescreen display 340 nits, up to 16 million colors, HD LED Backlit anti-glare display
Graphics Intel® HD Graphics 3000
Memory 2 GB DDR3 System Memory, 2 GB Max. System Memory
Storage 64 GB Solid State Drive
Multimedia 3 W Stereo Speaker (1.5 W x 2) with HD Audio
1.3 MP HD Webcam
Communication 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
Bluetooth V3.0 High Speed
I/O Ports Micro HDMI Input Headphone Jack Mic-in 1 MicroSD Slot RJ45 LAN 2 USB Ports (1 Chargeable)
Input Devices 81 Key Backlit Keyboard Touch Pad Security
Samsung Recovery Solution
Power40 Watt AC Adapter
4-Cell Lithium, 5680mAh
Design Duralumin Design
Dimensions 11.7" (W) x 7.8" (D) x 0.62"~0.65" (H)
Weight 2.31 lbs. with Standard Battery
Warranty 1 Year

Random notes

- With stock Broadcom wifi card, I did not notice any wifi problems as discused with some 13.3". On speedtest.net, I get comparable speeds as my other laptops, maxing the internet speeds of my wifi connection. No drops, so this is a non-issue.

- Removing the base is easy, remove the 8 screws under the 8 rubber stubs. Carefully pry open. I start from the area between the screen, easiest for me.

- Upgrading to wifi Intel 6230 is easy, just swap. Removed all wifi/bluetooth drivers, then install the wifi and bluetooth drivers from Intel for Windows 7 64-bt. Although the device manager shows 3 bluetooth yellow ticks, both wifi and bluetooth work fine without any issues. Speed on 5Ghz is faster than 2.4ghz, insanly fast.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...-N+6230&ProdId=3315&LineId=1784&FamilyId=1783

- Swapping to 128GB SSD is easy too, BA5902995A - Original Samsung Parts & Accessories and Products

- As far as I can tell, memory is not upgradable. There are no memory slots visible. It is either onboard or hidden somewhere that you cannot easily get access to. I have opened every scew possible, evening removing the battery.

- Battery is easily replaceable. Unscrew, unplug (1 plug), and replace with new battery.

- The 64GB SSD does not come with recovery partition. but recovery disc are included as DVDS. I CANNOT GET RECOVERY DISC TO WORK. DVD boots into windows startup fine, then I get these generic Windows 7 errors below. This was tried with USB DVD from both USB ports, and also from an bootable USB with image as an *.iso. BIOS was also reset, and different BIOS settings were changed to to test out. Nothing :-(. I advise to backup your image first thing.

"A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now.
Note: If the Windows installation media is in the CD/DVD drive, you can safely remove it for this step"
"No device drivers were found. Make sure that the installation media contains the correct drivers, and then click OK."

For the time being, I made a Acronis Truge Image of the 64GB and put it on the 128GB. This is the only way I can get Windows running on the 128GB. I love the extra space of the 128GB.

 

I've also been thinking about getting the 11.6" one but have been looking for some reviews but haven't found any yet. Also I'm still not sure if to get the bigger 13.3" or the smaller and even the Samsung's upcoming isn't out of question for me.

I'm very glad to hear that there's no wifi issue there, which was one of my main concerns.Anyways, there's still some questions in my mind regarding the 11.6":

-How's the battery life?

-How's the screen? I've heard alot of good things about the screen on the 13.3".

-Graphics Intel® HD Graphics 3000 is still a mystery to me as it uses the older generation processor and I was under the impression that the HD 3000 was only included on the newer, Sandy Bridge processors.

-This might be a stupid question but what do you guys feel are the advantages of the Series 9 11.6" vs the smaller current generation macbook air? I understand it's hard to compare because of the different operation systems but I have hard time justifying the purchase of the Samsung when compared to the Air even though I don't really like Apple that much. The Air is a little bit more suitable for light gaming than the Samsung which is a plus for me but not something I have to have.

Have a nice summer guys and enjoy your matte screen outside on the sunlight (Guess I just figured one advantage for the Samsung after all ). Thanks for reading.

 

- Battery life is very good. With normal use (internet/word processing), I get almost 6 hours. If you open it, most of the laptop is battery!!!
- Matted screen is excellent... one of the best screens I have ever seen. Very crips, very bright (this is coming from a person using a 30" IPS LCD).
- Graphics card, I don't game so I cannot comment.

- Why I choose Series 9 over MBA? Processor (I came from Vaio G2 and G3 with the SAME processor as MBA, these laptops are 2-3 years older and only 2 lbs !!!), matted screen (I've learned that I really hate glossy screens through the years), I prefer Windows (most of my laptops are hackintosh as an option, for troubeshooting stuff for my friends), USB 3.0, hdmi, love the design/material, unqueness.

 

Can you upgrade the memory to 4gb or 8gb?

How many ram slots are there?

 

Does not look like it.

 

Is it just me or is the 11.6" model really underwhelming? As much as I dislike Apple products nowadays, I foresee this being overshadowed by the upcoming 11.6" Macbook Air (with Sandy Bridge) refresh next month.

 

Generally, "upcoming" notebooks have newer processors (except for the last few generations of MBA - the first one got a new processor!). There are testing-models of MBA with actually the A5 processor, which is probably more underwhelming.

 

Micro HDMI to VGA dongle, good and bad news!

Samsung does sell one for the Samsung Series 9 below, but it may not fit the 11.6? The plastic on the hdmi end is too thick so it is not a secure fit :-(.

Amazon.com: Series 9 VGA Dongle: Electronics

I take it back. I shaved the plastic infront of the micro HDMI for a better fit, and I still did not get any signal on the VGA montor. I came home from work and tried a different monitor and it works! So, it may have worked initially, just not on the other monitor.

 

If you are still hesitating, maybe this will help. On sale for $999.99 @ Buy.com - Samsung 900X1A-A01 11.6" Notebook, Intel Core i3-380UM (1.33GHz), 2GB DDR3 Memory, 64GB SSD, Intel GMA HD, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

 

i'm considering this as well. how is the noise for this 11" puppy? is it audible *at all* in a totally quiet room with idlish activities? what about when playing flash or HD video?

 

For normal use, web-browswing and office, the samsung has been silent. For 480P movies, it has also been silent. I have not tried streaming or HD yet. The only time I notice the fan is while the laptop is charging and I am using it. Maybe the battery gets warm and hence the laptop too, turning the fan on? There is also a Samsung Control feature that allows you to make it even more silent, but I have not tried that yet.

 

Avoid updating to the latest Easy Display Manager software (3.2.6.9)... it will give you missing drivers error... I just reinstalled the older software and all working again.

 

I know there is no TPM on this NP900X1A-A01US. But, I'm keen to have TPM.

• Can we buy TPM module and put it in the PC?
• Is Samsung going to release another version having TPM?

 

ISOSUNRISE upgraded Samsung Series 9 11.6" Thread (NP900X1A-A01US) with an Intel 6230 Wifi card. Any reason I couldn't upgrade to Intel 6250 and add WiMax? (I know I'll lose Blutooth)
Anyone help please.

 

I don't know too much about WiMax, so I cannot help you. If it is the same size as the 6230 and works fine in the 13.3", I don't see why it won't work. Does it have an extra antenna? You would need to find a place to put that if it does.

 

Does anyone else have problems with the power adapter plug staying plugged into the laptop? I've returned the first one because the plug was so loose it would just fall out of the receptacle on the laptop. Now I have the replacement unit and it isn't much better. I'm finding it very difficult to actually get the unit to stay plugged in and get a full charge. Any movement of the laptop or the power cord causes the tip to fall out of the laptop. Should I just keep exchanging until I get one that can hold onto the power plug, or is this just a design flaw with this model?

 

I found that with mine I had to push the power tip into the laptop until I heard an audible click - then it held tightly. Otherwise it was very lose.

 

Yes, click, and not loose.

 

Thanks! That did it. I'm amazed at how much force it takes to shove that plug in there enough to get the "click".

 

Is there a problem with getting W7 installed on a different SSD? I read through and seemed some people were having issues with a driver?

Thanks!

 

I just ordered mine today, I'll try to put up an unboxing video on utube as soon as it gets in (just incase there are any differences between it and the 13.3 box).

Also, what accessories are people ordering?

Right now I have on my list:
-Intel Ultimate 6300 Wifi Adapter
-HDMI - VGA Adapter (for presentations)


Anything else?? Anyone find any sleeves that fit the np900x1 snugly?

 

‪Samsung Series 9 NP900X1A-A01US 11.6 Inch Laptop UNBOXING‬‏ - YouTube

Got it today, there is the unboxing video, notice the ac adapter is different from the 13.3 inch model videos

 

I am visiting Korea and found out the 11.6 series 9 sold here is offered with the i5-2467. Its a shame that the option is not offered in the states or I would be all over this.

 

Quick question folks - I read on an Amazon review that this laptop doesn't have a built in mic (e.g. for Skype chat) - I struggle to believe this is true. Could someone that has one please kindly confirm whether there's a built-in microphone?

Thank you

 

Fwiw, here's a link to an 11.6 inch w/ i5-2467 on Korea's version of Ebay:

http://itempage3.auction.co.kr/Deta...9&scoredtype=0&frm2=through&acode=SRP_SV_0301

 

There is so little difference between the i5-2537M and i5-2467M. They even have the same max turbo freq. See comparison here

I don't see anything in those specs difference that would stop me buying the 11.6" in the U.S. There may be other reasons not buy a S9 but that's not what you're talking about.

 

i thought the us versions of the 11.6 were all i3-2357M? Thats not an i-5 is it? Ive been eyeing this notebook and would go for it if it had the turbo boost like the rest of the i5.

does it have the wireless problem like the larger iteration?

 

Sorry, my mistake on the i5 vs. the i3 that the 11.6" has. I was searching the A01 model on the Samsung USA site and I looked at what it returned first. Unfortunately, that was the A03 details that I was looking at.

So the Korean A01 model does have better processor (at this time).

EDIT:

In Korea, they are selling the NT900X1A-A31 and A51 models which are Core i3-based. The NT900X1B-A54 is Core i5-2467M.

 

Oh, I want a NT900X1B-A54 with Core i5-2467M. Is there a place that imports Korean laptops to the USA? Is the keyboard the same as in the states?

 

isosunrise,

Not sure where you can buy it. You could try the Seoul-based seller of the NT900X3A-A51 on eBay.

If you want it, go to Google and search for the model number. Then click the "Google.com in English" for some translation.

The page Korean model A54 is here Click on little grey rectangle to scroll through pics. Then click on blue button with magnifying glass to see larger images. Note this model appears to have SIM card slot too.

I thought the keyboard had both English and Korean on it but this picture appears to just has some blue on some of the keys

 

Been asking myself the same question: are there sites out there that make it easy to import laptops from Korea?

For example, the following place is famous for exporting projectors and camera equipment to western customers: PriceJapan.com

I haven't found a similar place with a wealth of cutting edge laptops. Maybe world markets are simply similar enough in general these days, regarding model availability, that there's no need for a site like that?

 

Based on the picture, it does look pretty similar. Descriptions says "81-key (This keyboard is composed of English / Korean letters.)" Windows 7 is also in Korean.

I emailed the seller if he can get the 11.6 with i5.

 

@isosunrise,

Samsung, according to Provantage, will have B05 model (13.3") with 1.7GHz Core i7-2557M -- so that processor will probably come to the A0x (11.6") models too.

 

I hope so. I decided to wait for an i5/i7 11.6 to come to the USA. I wouldn't mind the imported one except I am unsure about the keyboard (and since I already purchased the original i3 11.6" already)

 

It's not true. I do Skype just fine on it.

 

hey guys, the SB version of this guy is $640 on mwave.com

Samsung NP900X1B-A02US Samsung Series 9 900X1B-A02 Notebook, Core i3-2357M 1.3 GHz, 2GB DDR3, 64GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 11.6" LED, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit from mwave.com

They have some on ebay too. Prolly a price mistake, but i ordered anyways since it's a reputable source and i might get lucky.

DEAL IS DEAD : (

 

i've heard conflicting reports about the wifi not being an issue on the 11.6" model. anyone else confirm/deny?

also, anyone that currently has the 11.6", i'm a bit concerned about processor speed. i have to assume that you've been slowed down by it at some point, how much load can it handle? how much do you have running when it slows down?

 

Thanks Pupator for replying. I took a risk and bought one despite that Amazon reviewer - not sure what they were talking about: the built-in mic clearly exists and is fully functional!

 

Hi,
This has been requested multiple times, but I have not seen a response.

Is there a WIFI issue with this series 9 computer.?

There are multiple reports of a problem with the ZX310 / 900X3A

I am looking for confirmation that the WIFI issue is not an problem with this computer.

Thank you

 

If you read my first post, I I did not see any wifi issues with the stock wifi card. In additonal, no one has posted issues with the stock wifi card anywhere, so you can assume it does not suffer this problem.

 

do you know any one that already bought it with i5 ?

thank you

 

Wish I did.

It's an interesting configuration.

Especially if the wifi is strong and also consistent in airports, hotels, etc., rather than simply strong enough and consistent at home. (If this is, indeed, the case, that might rule out duralumin as the culprit in the 13.3" models, at least on its own.)

 

it will be also nice if will come with the sim card slot for hsdpa connection or others......
what do you think........

 

Yeah, that would be great.

 

please let me know if you'll find out some news......or if it is possible to weld the mini pci-e socket and sim card slot on the mother board.....
I'll try to search on google for some photo of the motherboard .

 

maybe the below could help.......

Product portfolio | Option

http://www.embeddedworks.net/ewdatasheets/option/EW-Gobi3000.pdf

nova media | Embedded Wireless Module |Order GTM671


with this mini half card into the samsung ..........only one mini pci-e socket is required in order to get the wifi and 3G connection .....but now my question is : Which mini card is into the samsung series 9 11.6: and 13.3" ???

maybe the same? if it is the same than it is great.....

any one in this forum know about it?

 

here is on ebay the Samsung series 9 11.6" with i5

http://www.ebay.com/itm/14061434771...e-All-Categories&_fvi=1&_rdc=1#ht_8058wt_1159

but when for the i7 ?

 

I hope these get updated stateside. The Asus Zen 11.6 has an i7! I want an i5 or i7 11.6 Series 9! If not for the poor screen on the Zen, I would have switched in a heartbeat. I lvoe the screen on the 9.

 

finally!
do you have the link?

 

Same reason I haven't bought one. I've read numerous places the wi-fi is bad.

Is there an updated version of the Series 9 ,11.6" due out any time soon? hoping the issue will be resolved by then