Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C Review
by Jarred Walton on August 16, 2012 2:05 AM ESTConclusion: Good for Mainstream but Not for Enthusiasts
For the second straight laptop review, what started out as a system with a lot of promise ends up falling short of my expectations. For many users, the Samsung Series 7 will work very well, but enthusiasts or other folks that tend to push their hardware to its limits may end up less impressed. Let’s start with the good though, as there are many areas where Samsung gets things right.
First off, the Samsung Series 7 is a nice looking notebook (IMO). It’s a neutral silver color with a relatively thin profile, and there’s no gaudiness or bling to be found. I can’t speak for everyone, obviously, but this is the type of laptop I’d feel perfectly comfortable using in public—something I can’t say for some of the other notebooks I’ve reviewed over the years. It’s unlikely to start conversations, but sometimes that’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid.
Another good element that’s near and dear to my heart is the keyboard layout. I type—a lot, as you may have noticed [Ed: 8000 words and counting…]—so having a comfortable keyboard is an absolute must in my book, and a proper keyboard layout is only slightly behind that requirement. If I were to pull out my own credit card to buy a laptop/notebook, there are basically two options (in terms of layout) that I’d be happy with. One of those is the Samsung Series 7 keyboard, while the other would be for a smaller 13.3” or 14” laptop and it would look like the Dell Vostro V131 keyboard. Note that I’m not talking about chiclet vs. other key styles here; I’m only talking about the layout—if we’re discussing keyboard styles, I think the older Dell Latitude and Lenovo ThinkPads were better, though they don’t look quite as catchy. So that’s another area that I really like on the Series 7: the keyboard layout (though I still miss the “context key”).
The final item I want to highlight is the display. I’ve seen less expensive Samsung laptops with pretty weak displays—just like pretty much every other brand. For this particular unit, the display is definitely one of the better options out there. You get the increasingly common 1080p FullHD resolution, but more importantly for me is that you get good contrast, good colors, and an anti-glare (matte) coating. The maximum white level is decent, and while I’d like to see closer to 400 nits in an ideal world, 300 nits is sufficient for use in well lit areas thanks to the matte surface. IPS displays with true 8-bit color are still better in my opinion, but this is about as good as you can get from TN panels. Too bad everything has gone 16:9, as I would prefer 16:10, but that’s probably beating a dead horse.
With all the good elements, there’s one major flaw that’s hard to overlook: thermals and potential throttling. Even if you live and work in an environment that never gets above 70F/21C, putting a maximum load on the CPU, GPU, or especially both simultaneously will quickly result in less than maximum performance. I’ve pounded on other notebooks with similar stress tests, with varying results. Dell’s XPS 15 fell flat on its face and has yet to get up, despite an updated BIOS; meanwhile ASUS’ N56V series laptop handles the load quite well, with no throttling evident, but with CPU temperatures that are rather alarming. Given that the Dell and Samsung notebooks are both quite a bit thinner and have exhaust vents behind the LCD hinge, there’s a relatively strong correlation between the designs and the results. Of course, the ASUS N56V that I have also sports a slower GT 630M DDR3 GPU (and a faster i7-3720QM), and that’s likely playing a role, not to mention that the CPU does hit a blistering 104C—but it never actually throttles in my experience and I haven’t had it crash yet [Ed: Knocks on wood].
Despite the fact that the Samsung Series 7 didn’t quite handle our stress testing as well as I would have liked, the limited throttling isn’t a complete deal breaker. In most games, the CPU will actually run at its rated 2.3GHz (or higher) speed without difficulty, and while temperatures are still higher than we’d like at least games run quite well without requiring the use of a tool like ThrottleStop. Incidentally, I did do some testing with ThrottleStop and was unable to improve on the initial results, which is why I didn’t have a lengthy section discussing performance while using the utility. The updated BIOS manages to hit a pretty consistent 2.3GHz on the CPU while keeping the GPU clocks at 725MHz, and the result is performance slightly better in some cases than what we’ve shown in our charts. It’s still possible that Samsung could further improve performance in worst-case scenarios with another BIOS update, but short of pathological workloads most people should be fine with the latest BIOS revision (though tweaking the fan speeds to run at a higher RPM might still be useful if it can be done).
If the appearance, keyboard, and LCD are good aspects and the thermal performance is a bad aspect, in the middle we have the overall performance and build quality. The Series 7 is definitely built better than budget laptops, with an aluminum palm rest and a reasonably sturdy chassis. However, it’s not as rigid (or heavy for the size) as a machined aluminum chassis would be, and likewise it’s not at the level of higher class business laptops. It’s built well enough that I wouldn’t complain about the quality, but it’s not so amazing that it warrants high praise. As for performance, the CPU is fast enough for all but the most demanding users; the GPU on the other hand is a step down, with good enough performance for moderate detail 1080p gaming but not enough to really tackle high detail 1080p gaming in many titles. I can live with both of those components, but the HDD + SSD cache configuration ends up being noticeably slower than I’d like. While a larger caching SSD with Intel’s SRT would be better, what Samsung and other vendors really need to do is to simply use a minimum 128GB SSD for the OS and primary applications. Given Samsung’s position as a quality SSD manufacturer, this should have been an easy upgrade that got lost in the pursuit of lower BoM costs and/or higher profits.
The result of the above is that Samsung straddles the fence and ends up with a device that has premium pricing and looks, but it doesn’t always feel or perform like a premium product. If you’re mostly interested in getting a good display with a nice keyboard and an attractive notebook, the Series 7 has a lot going for it. Obviously it’s not going to appeal to the thin and light crowd, but I know users that prefer larger LCDs on their notebooks; that’s exactly the type of user Samsung is targeting with the Series 7 NP700Z7C. On the other hand, if you’re after something that can function as a mobile workstation, or if your friends and family refer to you as a “gamer” or “technology addict”, there’s a good chance you’ll end up disappointed with the throttling/performance; we also have concerns about the long-term prospect for the notebook, as cooling tends to become more of a problem with age. For such users, we recommend looking at other alternatives, and my top bang-for-the-buck notebook right now continues to be the ASUS N56VZ. $1000 (plus shipping) will get you essentially the same level of performance as the Series 7 with another good LCD (better in some ways), for $400 less. You could then take that $400 and buy a roomy 512GB SSD, or go for something a little less extreme like a $200 256GB SSD and you’d still end up way ahead on performance and pricing.
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nerd1 - Sunday, August 19, 2012 - link
Exactly WHAT problems? I own 13" MBA and my friend has series 9 2011 model and I think s9 is better in almost all aspects.bennyg - Saturday, August 18, 2012 - link
Where are the comparison with the 95% AUO 1080p TN screens used in Clevo's high end gaming laptopsB156HW01 v4, v7
and the ones used in 17"
Very ironic how AUO and Chimei are responsible for so many cheap crappy low res screens now they're the only ones turning out top notch high res TNs!
rwei - Monday, August 20, 2012 - link
(1) EVEN MORE SHALLOW KEY TRAVEL!!!http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/20/synaptics-enter...
(2) Clickpads with NO BUTTONS AT ALL!!!
http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/20/synaptics-force...
Gonna be some good-@$$ rants coming up in the near future. Bet you're loving Synaptics today.
jsa - Tuesday, August 21, 2012 - link
My 2004 Dell Inspiron 8600 just can't keep up with some fairly basic tasks, so I've been following reviews here (and elsewhere to supplement--wish there were more here!) for the past few months to try to decide on a new machine. The Asus N56V is currently my top contender after being disappointed with the findings in the last couple of reviews.One thing I haven't gotten straight in my head is whether there is some benefit to having the discrete GPU for a nongamer (or occasional gamer at most) such as myself. I understand there may be some battery life disadvantages to having it; are there also some benefits I might reap? Perhaps the whole question is moot as I haven't really seen any interesting options for use as a main computer (not quite ready to relegate the optical drive to my secondary machine), that are limited to integrated graphics.
One thing that seems important to me is having good sound, as I'd like to move around the house and, if I'm going to stay put for a while, listen to music from the notebook without dealing with external speakers; another is a high resolution display, because I like to fit a lot on that screen. The main other contenders seem to be the Series 7 reviewed here, which has a much nicer case and maybe better sound and keyboard, but not as good a screen, much more expensive, and some disappointments in the review; the HP Pavilion dv6, which also seems to have better sound than the N56V, but seems like it may have quality control issues (as well as a glossy screen); the Lenovo Y580, which I don't know much about, but doesn't seem quite as appealing as the N56V; and the Sony Vaio S 15", which generally seems like a good machine, but doesn't seem to have very good sound at all.
Apologies if this isn't appropriate as a comment.
infoilrator - Friday, August 24, 2012 - link
The greatest difficulty is to extend performance, size, cost, and battery life.With speakers more sound is easier with larger speakers. Some of the USB plug ins do pretty well. Being small, light, and power efficient is a contradiction. Piezo tweeters can be loud and efficent if you sacrifice bass. There are dome speakers thar do better, these get expensive fast. Cone speakers are a possible answer, require space and magnets.
Possibly someone makes cordless USB headphones for you, a possible answer.
Every laptop is a marketing/price compromise.
Recently SSD prices have dropped. Please remember lead time in choosing components for mass production. You can have "just in time delivery" but prices and choices can reflect over a year back. Or more. Contracts have to e signed so assembly lines are not idle for want of parts
If prices of HDDs and SSDs continue to fall expect this first to appear with smaller producers.
infoilrator - Friday, August 24, 2012 - link
Around the house maybe a wireless connection to an existing sound system?jsa - Sunday, August 26, 2012 - link
Thanks for all your insights. I don't have an existing sound system, but it may be worth getting rid of the "good sound" requirement, since I won't get great sound, anyway. Then I can either implement a wireless system of some kind or check out USB speakers. (Cordless USB headphones are a pretty interesting option, but don't work when my girlfriend is over.)That opens up my options, and in particular makes the Vaio S 15.5" a more attractive choice.
As someone who wouldn't be playing games much (if ever), is there a strong benefit to losing the dedicated GPU, or is it pretty much a draw?
jemccloskey - Sunday, October 21, 2012 - link
Sorry if I'm posting and this thread is already dead. I have a Samsung Series 7 17" - NP700Z7C-S01US and I am unable to frame rates even close to those mentioned in the benchmark results. I get frame rates between 8-12 @ 1366x768 on Batman Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Fallout: New Vegas. DX11 on and off etc..This is with drivers ranging from 296.87 through all betas and the current released version 306.97. In addition, I have tried every configuration and I have specified to use the nVidia discrete graphics: via context menu, Physx config, and 3D Settings. However, I am unable to pass the 12 fps threshhold. In addition I have installed, the latest BIOS update, Windows7(64bit ultimate and pro) 3 different times, and used Nivdia Optimus GPU Tools state viewer, GPU-Z and Throttlestop 500a.
Just to sum things up: I get better fps average results from using the Intel IGP HD Graphics 4000. And I'm not confusing the nvidia with the intel when profiling. Verified harware ID's, throughput and bandwidth via 3 different utilities.
I have played with all power management issues etc...In any case, I'm totally confused as to how to achieve the frame rates mentioned in your benchmarks. I must be doing something wrong. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you,
jmccloskey@gmail.com
FlavioJuan - Tuesday, November 13, 2012 - link
I have bought this great Computer a week ago.The GOOD ones
It has a good design is lightweight (4 a 17" Laptop)
Aluminum design is also great looking
Battery last almost the 6 promoted hours,
Bright is OK
Multi touch pad works fine.
Sound is also OK.
Great Battery life extender feature in BIOS.
The BAD ones
For this kind of “high range” computer, I really do not understand why max RAM was designed up to 8Gb.
Battery is not removable (not even a switch to turn it off).
Boot from Pen drive not available in BIOS boot options.
No Blue ray reader.
No button to eject discs from reader, you can eject disc only from windows. (Not even an eject hole) so if you don’t have Windows running… there is no way to take a disc out.
A lot of Samsung proprietary software must be loaded to get this machine full working,
Several features are software dependent, like for example, keyboard backlight, controlled by Fn + F9 F10, so u have to wait till complete windows + driver properly loaded, to have this feature available.
If you are on a non-dark environment then every time you wish the keyboard backlight ON, you will receive a warning telling you that you can just turn in ON only in dark environment.
(In the other hand I tried to disable Light sensor from control Panel >Sensor but it didn’t works. So the solution I have found for this issue was covering the sensor with a coin or piece of tape. Really amazing!)
But what I really hate, (and this seems not only belongs to Samsung laptops, but for most of suppliers) is all the garbage software pre-installed on a new machine.
I buy a new laptop every year, and all I wish is a CLEAN computer installed just with SO + DRV.
I spent almost a day cleaning it in order to get the machine working without all these pre-installed software. Because in this process, sometimes uninstall some vital soft, and as
Re-installing doesn’t works properly, the only solution is perform a complete recovery then start again with the task.
I would prefer my windows 7 working at full range just with my applications instead to waste resources with all the Samsung resident softs that degrades my machine's performance.
But this kind of practice seems to be normal for all the laptop suppliers.
Could we (the customers) do something to change it?
Model NP700Z7C-S03US
SN / HUY691DC800028
Purchased on oct 30 2012 Tiger direct Miami, FL
Best regards for everybody.
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