Samsung
Series 7 Chronos
5 stars
Price: $1249.99
Beneath the outer shell that is
similar to cute MacBook Pro of Chronos is a choice of high-performance
hardware, including Intel quad core processor, 8GB RAM and a dedicated graphics
card. Core i7-2675QM runs at 2.2GHz clock but can Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz to
have maximum performance. Our multimedia test finished at 62 points in total.
In addition to providing large
storage, 750GB hardware includes 8GB ExpressCache. This additional flash memory
automatically saves files you use frequently, helps speed up the start and load
applications faster. We found that after a few times reboots, Windows is a
little faster and we can open large Photoshop files faster. Series 7 solved
well the modern game thanks to a dedicated AMD graphics card. Radeon HD6750M
has 1GB dedicated video memory, it can handle the high-level anti-aliasing in
Dirt 3. It reaches an incredible speed of 47.9fps, so it will solve most games
well at 720p.
Dedicated graphics do not force you to
pay battery by AMD's graphics conversion utility. It found that laptop run on
battery and automatically switched to integrated chip is more efficient than
preinstalled processor. This helps it last longer than 5.5 hours in the light
battery test, it may not the top score but still quite enough for you to
complete some work on road.
In daily use, Series 7 Chronos is very
elite. We are impressed with the 15.6-inch screen, not just 1600x900 high
resolution but also anti-glare surface makes it easy to use in clear light.
This usually means a decrease in visual fidelity, but a 300nit (cd/m2) back
light is bright enough to make vibrant colors. We can see the difference with
glossy screen, although it has an improvement with the anti-glare screen that
we often see in the business laptops.
Despite the black keys, QWERTY
keyboard and number keypad are both easy to use in the dark due to strong
backlight. Light shines through the letters on each key, so we always know what
key we are pressing. The Chiclet-style keys have reasonable size, provide
reasonable resistance and sufficient bounce to make them be back to the off
position quickly.
We also prefer large touchpad, despite
the lack of physical buttons. It offers lots of room to navigate the Windows
desktop, and when you need to select something, press a button down will
activate a click. Of course, the left button activates left click and the right
one controls the right click. It does not have exact feeling like Apple
version, but it improved than the integrated touchpads we've ever seen before.
Considering the slender size of Series 7, it has a reasonable number of ports -
2 USB3 ports, an ordinary USB port, HDMI video output, Gigabit Ethernet and
equipment for multi-format memory card reader will be enough for most people.
Series 7 is not perfect - frame is not
as solid as we want, with a slight curve significantly at the screen bezel and
keyboard tray under pressure, and may take long time to pass through a lot of
pre-installed softwares before we consider it is ready to use, if you can
ignore these issues, it is a very good laptop. Design quality and attraction
are not great as the MacBook Pro, but outstanding performance; compared with
15in MacBook, it has faster processors, more memory, larger hard drive and
higher resolution screen with cheaper price. In value, Series 7 is obviously
the winner.
Summary
Comment. This is a serious competitor of
MacBook.
Multipurpose laptop. Intel Core i7-2675QM
2.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 750GB hardware, AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics, DVD+/-RW+/-DL,
LCD 15.6in wide-angle, Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit, 24x362x239mm, 2.3kg, RTB
1 year warranty.
Energy consumption: 0W standby, 17W idle,
89W active
