Samsung Series 7 Chronos Laptop Review
The wife usually is happy with my old laptops, for all that she uses it for they generally serve her well. My current laptop (Acer Aspire 6935)< Acer Aspire Keyboard > is due to be replaced, however, I do not think that it is going to last much longer, and despite replacing the hard disk already for a little boost there are some other issues, namely the screen doesn't always come on, and you need to wiggle the hinge and restart a couple of times to get it to come to life. It wouldn't be right to hand this one down.
Her current laptop is a Dell Inspiron 1525 ( Dell Inspiron Keyboard ). I bought it years ago for myself, infact I bought one for her (slightly lower spec) and one for me, but her one eventually packed in and I just hated the low resolution screens so mine sat idle until she inherited it from me. It is also starting to show its age. It is slow, the fans are noisy. A good fresh re-install would probably help, but from a hardware point of view it is tired and ready for retirement.
Packaging and Contents
The notebook arrived in neatly laid out compact box with fresh minimalist artwork. Inside had good sturdy polystyrene internal packing, with the notebook wrapped in the usual spongy foam sleeve. It was supplied with a UK plug and power brick. Removing the notebook revealed a small cardboard box containing the the documentation. This comprised;
- Warranty Information
- Safety Precautions Leaflet
- Quick Stat Guide
- Windows 8 Apps Quick Guide
There were no backup discs, installation discs or any other media.
Specification
The model purchased was a NP700Z5C-A02UK. It was supplied as you may gather from above with Windows 8.
The hardware specifications is as follows;
- CPU: Intel Core i5-3210M @ 2.5 GHz (3.1GHz Turbo) Dual Core (4 Threads) with 3MB cache
- Graphics: Intel HD4000 (650MHz Base / 1.1GHz Dynamic), Max 3 Displays.
- RAM: 8GB DDR3 1600, 4GB Onboard + 4GB
- Display: 15.6" 1600x900 (Non-Gloss)
- Keyboard: Samsung Keyboard
- HDD: 1TB 5400rpm (Samsung ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB) plus 8GB SSD Sandisk Smartcache
- Optical: DVD-DL-W Slot Loading
- Wired Network: 1GB
- Wireless: 802.11 abgn + Bluetooth 4.0
- Webcam: 1.3M HD
Appearance / Keyboard / Sound
The case is brushed aluminium effect plastic with a simple raised Samsung logo on the top, and quite like it. Inside the display look large with minimal bezel, at the top of the display there is the webcam. The keyboard had large keys with good travel and features a numeric keypad as well as back lighting The back lighting can be adjusted or turned off as required like the Samsung N Series N128 (Black) Keyboard .
Just above the keyboard to the right there are a selection of status LEDs and the power button. Below the keyboard to the left is a small microphone hole. I thought this is an odd place for it, as imagine it might get plugged with grime over time. There is a large track pad and although it isn't obvious in the picture, there is actually a clicking action for the buttons to the bottom of the pad.
The dedicated numeric keypad makes use of the available space and is a lot better (and more use) than having the multimedia touch controls of the Acer (which were never used and rarely worked).
The speakers were loud, and didn't sound too tinny as standard, the settings provide plenty flexibility to adjust to the type of sounds, whether music, movies, games, teak the bass levels etc.
The fans also were adjustable in the settings via the Silent Mode, this could be 'off', 'low' or 'auto'. Tweaking this setting did change brightness levels of the screen etc, so it is clear there is more than just the Fans being adjusted.