Samsung QX411-W01UB

With the Samsung QX411-W01UB ($699.99 list at Best Buy) Samsung shows off the third generation of its QX series, which features one of the prettiest and sturdiest aluminum designs in the mainstream laptop category. The last two versions had Nvidia graphics (with switching graphics technology) and the biggest hard drive available?two features you won't find in this revision. Though the QX411-W01UB now runs on integrated graphics only and has a 640GB hard drive (750GB is the largest), Best Buy made the deal really tantalizing by shaving off $200 from the price. But too bad it couldn't replace the moody clickpad with a dedicated touchpad and mouse buttons.

Design

Like the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299 direct, 3.5 stars), Asus U46E-BAL5 ($699.99 List, 4.5 stars), and Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5) ($750 direct, 4 stars), the QX411-W01UB sports an aluminum construction . Not all aluminum frames are created equal, though; some are sturdier than others. The QX411-W01UB is a perfectly good example of an aluminum frame that can withstand a good palm press. Its top is as unyielding as that of the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch. Because of its thick aluminum skin, its 5-pound frame is slightly heavier than that of the 4.5-pound Dell 14z, 4.9-pound Asus U46E-BAL5, and 4.9-pound Sony VAIO VPC-EG16FM ($829.99 list, 4 stars). The 4.4-pound Gateway ID47H02u ($699.99 list, 4 stars) is the lightest mainstream laptop because it packs a 14-inch screen into a 13-inch frame.

Had it not been for a glass layer, the QX411-W01UB's 14-inch widescreen would have had the same appearance as that of Asus U46E-BAL5 and Sony VPC-EG16FM. Adding a glass layer is a common practice in HDTVs, promoting a cleaner look and making photos and videos pop. It's a feature that you would associate with premium laptops like the HP Envy 14 (Sandy Bridge) ($1,079.99 direct, 4 stars) and Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch.

The chiclet-style keyboardis a pleasure to type on, but lacks backlit LEDs. You can find a backlit keyboard in the Dell 14z and Apple 13-inch. The navigating experience is the laptop's weakest link, however. A clicking touchpad works beautifully on the Apple 13-inch (Thunderbolt), but has backfired on other laptops. The one on the QX411-W01UB has actually gotten worse, as the cursor is very jumpy when two fingers are used to surf the Web. It could be that it recently swapped the Elan-branded clickpad for a Synaptics one, and has yet to install an updated driver.

Features

Like the Samsung QX411-W01's ($899.99 list, 3.5 stars), the QX411-W01UB offers Wireless Display, or simply, WiDi 2.0. Not only does it stream family slideshows or PowerPoint presentations to an HDTV, wirelessly, but the new improvements include streaming 1080p video (the previous version of WiDi was limited to 720p) and protected content (think DVD movies). You will, however, need to buy Netgear HD Push2TV receiver ($100 option at Best Buy), which has to be tethered to the HDTV at all times. The QX411-W01UB's internal WiMAX adaptor can connect to your city's WiMAX network, where available (as opposed to Wi-Fi, which covers a short range). Best of all, pricing plans are cheaper than many internet packages, and you don't have a dongle hanging off of a USB port.

The QX411-W01UB comes with a tray-ejecting DVD burner but no Blu-ray. In contrast, the pricier Sony VPC-EG16FM comes with a Blu-ray drive. Hidden behind a port cover are an HDMI and two USB 3.0 ports (which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0). While a port cover offers another layer of protection, it's a hassle pulling it off to get to those ports. There is a third USB that is uncovered, and it's the one I used most frequently. The laptop's hard drive capacity has been downgraded to 640GB (the previous one had a 750GB drive), but that's still plenty of storage for the average user. The speakers are right above the keyboard and are better sounding than those of the Asus U46E-BAL5 and Sony VPC-EG16FM.

Best Buy also has an extended warranty program, which offers customers an extra year of protection beyond the one-year warranty of most system manufacturers. There are two plans in this extended warranty program. The standard plan ($119.99) covers the system against normal wear and tear, power surge damage, and includes a "No Lemon" guarantee in which Best Buy will simply replace the computer if it requires more than 4 repairs during the coverage period. Best Buy's advanced plan ($219.99) offers all this, and also covers the system against accidental damage from drops and spills. Other special offers can be found online or in stores, like discounts on printers, software, and tech support plans which are available with any new consumer PC purchased through Best Buy.

Performance

The 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-2430M processor is a smidge faster than those found in the previous iterations of the QX411-W01UB. In fact, many of the newer mainstream laptops will be using the Core i5-2430M. The QX411-W01UB beat the Dell 14z and Sony VPC-EG16FM in Handbrake (1:53) and Cinebench 11.5 (2.71) tests, which highlights the power of the Core i5 processor. Its score in PCMark 7 (2,296), an overall system performance gauge, came in second behind the Dell 14z (2,308). It also registered the highest score (4 minutes) on Photoshop CS5 scripts, which benefited from the Core i5 and 6GB memory configuration. It used to be that the QX series leveraged two graphics chips, but Samsung decided that the minimal gains that the Nvidia chip had in graphics performance weren't worth its predecessor's premium. Instead, the QX411-W01UB relies on an Intel integrated graphic environment, which can ably handle moderate intensive 3D games, at medium quality settings.

The QX411-W01UB has a sealed-in 60WH battery. It lasted 8 hours 58 minutes on MobileMark 2007, which is the longest-lasting battery in mainstream laptops. Most of its peers also lasted into the 8 hour range, though, including the Sony VPC-EG16FM (8:12), Gateway ID47H02u (8:23), and Dell 14z (8:38).

The Samsung QX411-W01 is a beautifully constructed mainstream laptop. This revision sheds the Nvidia graphics system in order to lower its price by $200, but supplements it with a speedier Core i5 processor. The clicking touchpad can be maddening to use at times, although this isn't news to the QX series. It's a solid system and priced accordingly, but the Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5) uses similar parts and comes with a better clickpad experience and a backlit keyboard.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

COMPARISON TABLE
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