Samsung Series 3 NP305E5A-S01IN Laptop (APU Dual Core/4 GB/1 TB/Windows 7/1 GB)

What attracted me ? Quad core processor which runs cool. windows 7 premium matt type display 1gb discrete graphics 1tb drive Samsung brand I would like to put forward my opinions about this Notebook PC. 1) Amd A6-3420 AMD has a new strategy up its sleeve , say hello to APU or Accelerated processing units. Unlike Intel who gives you a strong_processor/weak_graphics option , Amd gives you a good_processor/mighty_graphics combination , which will attract home PC users , as they now have more graphics power which is ACTUALLY USEFUL than just raw CPU power that intel provides , and adding to the points that AMD scored is the affordability being better on AMD's side . Rating 4/5 2) Exteriors / Build quality I got the dark grey/ black dual tone colour. Since both are dark , they blend in elegantly and give a classic and premium look. The laptop on the whole looks and feels durable for prolonged use. The horizontal grooved texture finish on the laptop gives it some some style , and also helps keep scratches away. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING for me is that the laptop is designed using materials whick keep dust, fingerprints and oily smudges , giving it a fresh look all day. Thank you samsung !! Rating 4.2/5 3) Performance The quad core processor is similiar to an i3, the i3 has two cores/two threads(but hyperthreads) , A6 has 4 cores/4 threads . So judge yourself. The processor is flexible when it comes to undervolting/overclocking. At the same clock you can undervolt to save the battery , or overclock and improve performance. I have no idea of the gaming performance since as of now i have not purchased any game to run on the PC. But i have seen youtube videos of the laptop running latest games like BF3 , GTA 4 , at medium settings. The 3dmark 06 gave me a score of 5300 , i carried the test under stock clock settings. The performance is similiar to nvidia 520 mx There are two graphics chips , one is used for low power applications , and other for heavy 3d games. Intel/Nvidia must learn from such a brilliant solution from AMD/ATI !! During idle and light use , the cpu automatically lowers its clock speed (this can be changed) , the result is that the laptop runs longer , stays cool , and performs well. THANK YOU AMD !! Here is windows 7 rating (ran just after getting the laptop) Processor - 6.7 RAM - 7.3 (This is rated high after i installed additional 4 gb along with the stock 4 gb making it 8gb !!) Aero - 5.7 Gaming - 6.5 Hard drive - 5.9 4) Display I have seen a lot of latops with glare type screen , they are just too reflective almost everywhere , even indoors is a problem under tubelights. THANK you once again samsung for giving a MATTE display , and that too with anti-reflective coating , now i can use it freely without squinting my eyes to read something when placed near to a light source. The LED display is good but not breathtaking , but for the price range (and upto 40k) you can't get anything better Despite the average rating given by notebookcheck , i find the display good enough for my multimedia usage. Rating 4.5/5 5) Keyboard/Touchpad The chiclet keyboard is brilliant , and what really stands out is the ample spacing between the keys , this will definitely help in accurate and fast typing , coupled with comfort. The touchpad is the best i have seen on a laptop in this price class , the operation is smooth and accurate which will increase productivity. Rating 4.9/5 6) Software provided Owning a gennuine windows version of a laptop (though expensive) , really makes a differece for me. THANK YOU samsung yet again !!.. Purchasing genuine software is a must because we can't just steal the work put by developers by simply using pirated versions. These days criminals implant trojan horses , modify security rights and make network holes in pirated OS before uploading them. User's are lured because they are "free" , but are not aware of the major security compromise. REMEMBER - It is easy to make users install penetrated OS , than to penetrate a genuine secured OS. Other software - Microsoft office starter edition is included , now i don't have to struggle with open office with compatiblity issues. Samsung reovery software (installed on 18gb hidden partition) helps put the OS back to the state it was first shipped. Really great if you mess up !! Some games are provided , which are shareware and not so great. Many manufacturers won't supply the windows DVD , but samsung did , thank you once again !! Rating 4.5/5 7) Conclusion Multimedia users will be pleased with the display , the well crafted keyboard/touchpad will gather attention of proffesionals. Overall a very good notebook for majority of users. I am pleased to say that this has replaced my desktop , and yes permanently !! Laptop gamers do look at other models having a gt 540, or wait till amd's trinity line processors hit the shore.

Pros: 1. Low price, great config 2. Multi Graphics card for normal and high performance use 3. Fan noise is very low and laptop didnt produce heat even after continuous usage of more than 5 hours Cons: Battery backup - Dealers promise minimum of 5 hours battery backup, but my laptop is just giving me 2.5 to max 3 hours backup with normal use. Battery life after a year is really a question mark. Ultimately in the range of 35000 this laptop stands tall.