# Samsung NP550P5C-S02IN ... should i buy it or not??



## rahulbalmuri (Aug 16, 2012)

I'm hearing all the chatter in this thread *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/laptops-netbooks/159661-samsung-series-5-550p-laptops-thread.html about Samsung NP550P5C-S02IN... if i go seeing the specs of it.. i want to buy it blindly.. but after seeing the thread.. i'm a bit worried cuz.. is it reliable to buy it??

i'm hearing throttlling issues... and some r even gng for refund... so finally... someone pls tell me... shud i buy it or not???

my second option is to go for HP M6 Laptops... 3rd Dell Inspiron SPL Edition....???

if not Samsung NP550P5C-S02IN then what??? ideapd Lenovo Y580 isn;t available here...


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## saaransh9 (Aug 16, 2012)

rahulbalmuri said:


> I'm hearing all the chatter in this thread *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/laptops-netbooks/159661-samsung-series-5-550p-laptops-thread.html about Samsung NP550P5C-S02IN... if i go seeing the specs of it.. i want to buy it blindly.. but after seeing the thread.. i'm a bit worried cuz.. is it reliable to buy it??
> 
> i'm hearing throttlling issues... and some r even gng for refund... so finally... someone pls tell me... shud i buy it or not???
> 
> ...




the same is my condition but i will wait till nvidia releases stble drivers or else would go fordell inspiron14r se only bcoz of its graphic card which is better than 15r


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## coderunknown (Aug 17, 2012)

its more related to bios than drivers i guess. Anandtech reviewed Samsung series 7 with similar config (quad core) and same 90W adapter. Check if they encountered any throttling as it looks to be related to lack of power and not heat.


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## TheSloth (Aug 17, 2012)

Right now I won't suggest to go for NP550. Wait for sometime.

Update: Thank you so much @Sam. Well I went through almost whole review, the throttling is not because of 90W charger as they didn't mention anything related to it. The throttling was because Samsung didn't designed it better. Though the throttling could be reduced with a BIOS update(if Samsung release a decent BIOS update). Temps are almost similar to what TDF members are getting. And they have clearly mentioned that with the age the dust will accumulate inside laptop which will increase the temp and eventually the occurrence of throttling.
Still I will recommend to only people who don't game on high setting(forget ultra) and that too not for long hours. Conclusion,this is not a gaming laptop,we all know already,but still if we can't even enjoy occasional gaming then what the hell. This laptop does have a good screen, keyboard layout and not much heavy(saying exact word from review and some personal opinion) and the price is good compare to others, can be said as VFM(still) for people who are not into high/ultra gaming. I am still waiting for nVidia drivers then I will have a clear picture.
If anyone don't want to go through whole review and just want info on throttling then go to 'thermal and acoustic page'.
AnandTech - Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C Review
Personally I will not recommend now cause most of us want their 50k/60k laptop to run for atleast 3yrs without much of a problem and it doesn't seem so in this laptop.

@Sam: the laptop reviewed on anandtech have GT650 M DDR5 with a base clock of 745MHz . We all have DDR3 with base clock 405MHz, so is it possible that samsung has clocked it down or it is like that in DDR3 version? Anyway we are getting around 840MHz as a max. So any problem here?

EDIT: guys please, if discussion is big then don't do it here, take it to NP550 thread, so that i can keep up with you guys.


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## ujjwal007 (Aug 17, 2012)

its a must buy guys i also waited for long and very confused should i buy it or not but i purchased it 2 days ago.... just remove one thing from mind...this machine is not for heavy gaming... everything here just rocks! looks , sound , battery , weight just everything is good!! jbl is just amazing i played buly , burnout paradise , virtual tennis 4 , roller coaster 3 , bus driver , so far... temps were 73 in bully only and in other its just 65 i will recommend for sure!! and i m sure samsumg will atleast solve some problem in comind updates!! go for it!! nthg will be here in 58k it looks to me like ultrabook


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## pratyush997 (Aug 17, 2012)

As swapnil said wait till PSU/Driver/throttling gets solved!!


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## coderunknown (Aug 17, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> @Sam: the laptop reviewed on anandtech have GT650 M DDR5 with a base clock of 745MHz . We all have DDR3 with base clock 405MHz, so is it possible that samsung has clocked it down or it is like that in DDR3 version? Anyway we are getting around 840MHz as a max. So any problem here?



GDDR5 memory cost lot more than DDR3 so it was just a pricecutting measure. another point is GDDR5 requires more voltage. About the clock, can't say as anandtech may have tested differently or different drivers so the idle clock showed different.


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## TheSloth (Aug 17, 2012)

@Sam: thank you for reply. One thing really disappoint me that samsung did not used proper components to deliver a really good product, just to cut the price down(according to anandtech). And as you said, GDDR5 need more voltage than GDDR3, but even in that 7 series,that is a gaming series, they used a 90W adapter. What is samsung trying to do here? The price is really good but the truth is bitter behind this low cost.


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## pratyush997 (Aug 17, 2012)

^^yeah man U got the real point!!!


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## ratul (Aug 17, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> @Sam: thank you for reply. One thing really disappoint me that samsung did not used proper components to deliver a really good product, just to cut the price down(according to anandtech). And as you said, GDDR5 need more voltage than GDDR3, but even in that 7 series,that is a gaming series, they used a 90W adapter. What is samsung trying to do here? The price is really good but the truth is bitter behind this low cost.



well they have to compromise somewhere, do you know any other model giving subwoofer, GT650m, 900p, i7, matte display under 60k???
acc to me, companies think that we indians are still not ready for premium products, most of the companies entertain US, AUS like countries, where they get buyers for their product too easily.
One of the members said the same thing about DELL, they use their cheapest parts to assemble the lappies in india, in US @ same cost (or even less), you get the top notch product...
Samsung doing the same thing, and why you think HP released dv6 with 650m months ago in US, still it's not here???


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## pratyush997 (Aug 17, 2012)

^^Hi bro !!! u know acc. my experience. that 900p display is kinda foggy.i7 faqin throttles only matte display and subwoofer r f9!! they provided 90W instead of 120W...bezel felt brittle and temps...101C ..I got defective though!!


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## ratul (Aug 17, 2012)

pratyush997 said:


> ^^Hi bro !!! u know acc. my experience. that 900p display is kinda foggy.i7 faqin throttles only matte display and subwoofer r f9!! they provided 90W instead of 120W...bezel felt brittle and temps...101C ..I got defective though!!



well i don't think you got defective piece, you are one of the oldest user of 550p and temps vary acc to surroundings, someone living in shimla won't get equal temps as someone living in rajasthan, also it depends on how you have maintained your system, now i have many s/w installed on my lappy, my ram usage after reboot is 2.3-2.4GB, so many processes are running in background, result: normal temps for me are now 50-53 while browsing, earlier was 48..

And yeah, matte uses some coatings which reduces color quality...


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## TheSloth (Aug 17, 2012)

@ratul: you are right that they cant give everything in 50k. But the thing they have given for the reason isn't happening. The GT650 is a mid high end card, it is suppose to run games at atleast high settings. If they wanted to provide a high end multimedia laptop which could play high def videos then i guess HD4000 is enough. But with GT650, i think they targeted at not-so-hardcore gamers(more than casual gamers) but the purpose has totally failed, occasional gaming is not possible and down the line it going to get more worse. And i would have still bought this laptop if it had only gt650, they could have compromised in speakers and provided better cooling. I am paying 50k not just to watch movies in high def but to enjoy games not at in high def but atleast in 720p. Lets take this discussion in NP550 thread.


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## pratyush997 (Aug 17, 2012)

oka ^ I'm waitin There!


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## SlayerAndy (Aug 17, 2012)

The first time people started going crazy over the 550 was the time I started doubting it. I really think it is a short distance runner. Call it Usain Bolt maybe. People opt it because of lower price and crazy performance, and I really hope it lasts long for them to get a worth of their hard earned money. No offense.


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## TheSloth (Aug 17, 2012)

Tell me one thing,The dell with gt650 doesn't have throttling?


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## pratyush997 (Aug 17, 2012)

^^There is also a service called "refund"  n i'm getting it asap


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## SlayerAndy (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> Tell me one thing,The dell with gt650 doesn't have throttling?



The Dell has GDDR5 card. Don't think it throttles.


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## TheSloth (Aug 18, 2012)

If you can provide something solid i'll be happy. Cause it too have ivy bridge. If you find something share with me too.


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## 50103 (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> If you can provide something solid i'll be happy. Cause it too have ivy bridge. If you find something share with me too.



I have 17R S.E.... I can max out most games.. Darksiders 2 maxed out : 45 to 60fps  ... No throttling in any games I have played so far!!!! 

After 60minutes of Darksiders 2...  Cpu max : 82 
                                                   Gpu Max :74

                                                                     Cpuid.


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## TheSloth (Aug 18, 2012)

Well really nice if throttling isnt there. And try the games in which samsung owners faced throttling.
How much your laptop cost?


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## 50103 (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> Well really nice if throttling isnt there. And try the games in which samsung owners faced throttling.
> How much your laptop cost?



i5 model 63k... I got for 72k with 3yrs C.C..... Peace of mind


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## TheSloth (Aug 18, 2012)

Which one you have bro,gt650 or 7730?


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## 50103 (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> Which one you have bro,gt650 or 7730?



650GT + i5


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## coderunknown (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> @Sam: thank you for reply. One thing really disappoint me that samsung did not used proper components to deliver a really good product, just to cut the price down(according to anandtech). And as you said, GDDR5 need more voltage than GDDR3, but even in that 7 series,that is a gaming series, they used a 90W adapter. What is samsung trying to do here? The price is really good but the truth is bitter behind this low cost.



how many of us thoroughly check a laptop before getting one? think about the rest of the Indians. Of all the users that will go for this laptop most are gamers and they know just one thing: i5/i7 + Nvidia GT650/660 is a really highend config. Most simply don't know or care about the things that we may check like battery provided, max temperature or strange heating, display viewing angles or quality, is the power brick sufficient, quality of hard drive, and now throttling.

Samsung had to cut corners in this laptop else total price will shoot past 65k. Better display, SSD (or just a caching SSD), GDDR5 memory, dual fans (one for GPU, one for proccy), better quality power brick, better ventilation, etc all this will drive total cost really high. Display is fine but do keep checking for updated bios. Once it is fixed, i think 550p will be back on track. Or maybe some of the users that are facing throttling can try reduce processor voltage and test again.


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## TheSloth (Aug 18, 2012)

@50103: Ok..now this is something nice. And what about adapter?


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## coderunknown (Aug 18, 2012)

i can't say the problem is with the adapter or the extra heat. so best will be to run games both in battery mode and on AC and check for sudden drop in framerates or sluggishness. This will answer your query.


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## TheSloth (Aug 18, 2012)

@Sam: really thank you for reply. I don't know that voltage tweaking, i'll ask to other owners. And if samsung didnt release a decent BIOS update then we customers will get cheated by them. And now i think i am among those indians, i had no idea about adapter and throttling issue. Should have waited for a reliable review. And dell is leading again i guess,with gt650 + i5.

Ok...i'll game with and without AC.


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## 50103 (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> @50103: Ok..now this is something nice. And what about adapter?



Part number says 0W6KV . Think it is a 90Watt charger .


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## TheSloth (Aug 18, 2012)

Ok...if you could confirm it very helpful. And are you using any cooling pad?


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## 50103 (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> Ok...if you could confirm it very helpful. And are you using any cooling pad?



90watt.. Is it good or Bad???? 

Googled 0W6KV and this was what I found....

0W6KV - AC Adapter, 90W, 3-PIN, Delta, L6, WW For Dell Computers

Seems 90watt.


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## coderunknown (Aug 18, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> Ok...i'll game with and without AC.



i mean plugging it into mains.


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## TheSloth (Aug 18, 2012)

@Sam: hahahahaha.  Sorry for being confusing. I too meant AC mains. 
@50103: how would i know bro? You say any issue you faced till now? You DDR5 and everything is fine then i think 90w is enough. I don't know. Ok try games in which samsung owners faced throttling then say.


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## SlayerAndy (Aug 18, 2012)

I will also suggest the 17R. May it be i5. But it has arguably the best ASS, nice looks, backlit, GDDR5 GT650M which doesn't throttle, and reliability. I really recommend you not take 550.


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## 50103 (Aug 18, 2012)

SlayerAndy said:


> I will also suggest the 17R. May it be i5. But it has arguably the best ASS, nice looks, backlit, GDDR5 GT650M which doesn't throttle, and reliability. I really recommend you not take 550.



No Backlit Keyboard


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## Utopian Meego (Oct 19, 2012)

I have samsung NP550 P5C S02 AE
core i7 3610QM - Nvidia GT650M 
Manufactured on MAY 2012

I've never experienced any throttling !
I set any game to the MAX setting without any problems
 ..i even played Assassins Creed Brotherhood for a Whole 9 Hours Continuously ! (i wanted to finish it xD)

i heard about the throttling in some forums but i noticed they are all have the core i5 processor as a common match
 ..if this is the case so maybe for the i7 models they supplied a better cooling system for the whole lap

on some forums i found that they experience throttling on AC mode while no problems exists in battery mode ..but i have to mention again that my core i7 version don't experience this at all (for sure the battery won't last for 9 Hours of Assassins Creed as i mentioned above  )

by the way i play nfsHP @ max settings using the intel HD 4000 (kind of saving battery when i am not near an AC plug) and it goes quite fine for long hours

I got this lap particularly for graphics works  (3D max - Cinema 4D - Poser - eon VUE - Photoshop - After Effects )


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## pratyush997 (Oct 20, 2012)

Very few face throttling .... I faced.. Got MoBo replaced and now lol*'*ing


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## SampathK (Dec 10, 2012)

Guys can I know what are cooling pads u are using for this lappy coz i own one


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## TheSloth (Dec 12, 2012)

@SampathK: i am using Cooler Master Infinite Evo

@SampathK: i am using Cooler Master Infinite Evo


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## SampathK (Dec 17, 2012)

Swapnil26sps said:


> @SampathK: i am using Cooler Master Infinite Evo
> 
> @SampathK: i am using Cooler Master Infinite Evo



Is it optimal for the samsung np550 coz this thing releases a lot of heat hot when playing games


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## TheSloth (Dec 17, 2012)

^yeah. I never crossed 90C even 4hrs of continuous play. I played BLUR and NFSHP2010.


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## Budheadz (Jan 4, 2013)

pratyush997 said:


> Very few face throttling .... I faced.. Got MoBo replaced and now lol*'*ing



Hey, iv just spent the last few hours reading through the big thread on the NP550, until i someone linked this thread.
Are you saying you got the mobo replaced on your lappy and the throttling stopped ?

I have ordered this lappy with the i5, 650m 2gb ddr3 last week and am still waiting for it to dispatch, so i can still cancel my order .........
Not sure what to do right now..

One thing i will say, in the bigger thread iv noticed alot of people say to plug out the power, but iv read that all that is doing is (when not plugged in ) it lowers the clock of the gpu by 100mhz... fyi


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## dx1 (Jan 4, 2013)

wait for the new Samsung chronos lappy ....15.6/i7/touchscreen !! and AMD 8870M ...


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