Samsung Series 7 Gamer

Unlike typical mainstream laptops, gaming laptops are largely unconcerned with portability and battery life. No, gaming laptops forsake these very practical considerations in the grand pursuit of sheer, unbridled power. They're not designed to fit into your laptop bag the same way armored tanks aren't designed to be parked in your garage. The Samsung Series 7 Gamer ($1,899 list) gaming laptop certainly fits this profile. It's a beast of a machine that packs the requisite killer CPU/GPU combination that this class demands. It also sports some bells and whistles that help it stand out, including a dazzling 1080p display, Blu-ray compatibility, WiDi and a Mode Dial for toggling between pre-set power settings. While it's overall performance was not quite as uniformly ferocious as the Editors' Choice-winning, the Alienware M18X ($4,529 direct, 4 stars), it comes admirably close for less than half the price.

Design and Features
Nothing about the Series 7 Gamer is modest and yet it's relatively small compared with others in its class. With its sleek plastic chassis measuring 2 by 16.1 by 11.2 inches (HWD) and weighing 8.4 pounds, its dimensions and weight are almost identical to the MSI GT70 0NC-011US ($1,999.99 direct, 4 stars). Both of these systems are nowhere near as massive and bulky as the Alienware M18X or the Eurocom Leopard 2.0 ($3,606 direct, 4 stars), both of which sport 18.4-inch displays and weigh upwards of 12 pounds. The brushed aluminum finish surrounding the bezel and palm rest nicely complements the smooth black plastic finish on the lid, and overall makes for a handsome system.

Moreover, I was able to forgive the Series 7 Gamer's bulkiness as soon as I laid my eyes on its gorgeous 17.3 inch glossy-coated screen. Simply put, the display is stunning, with full 1080p HD (1,920 by 1,080) complemented by 400nits of ultra-bright backlighting. While movies and games looked fantastic on the Series 7 Gamer, the built-in WiDi (Wireless Display) gives you the added freedom to wirelessly hook up your system to another screen. Of course, this means that you'll need to connect a Netgear Push2TV HD receiver ($99 list) to your external display to take advantage of this perk, one rarely offered by other laptops in this class. Additionally, a two-megapixel webcam is embedded in the screen's upper bezel, for Web-chatting whenever you're not gaming or watching movies.

In addition to the Mode Dial (more on this later), the right side of the laptop sports two USB 2.0 ports and the tray-loading Blu-ray drive. Most of the port-related action is on the left side of the Series 7 Gamer, with two USB 3.0 ports, three display outputs (HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA), a mic input, and a multi-format media card reader (SD/xD/Memory Stick). And while the onboard stereo speakers were admirably loud, those looking to shake the building can utilize the 3.5mm audio-out jack to hook the system up to external speakers, as the subdued bass levels were somewhat disappointing.

Ample hand real-estate on the keyboard and palm rest allowed my large hands (and spindly fingers) to rest comfortably. The backlit keyboard was quick and responsive, as well as generously sized, complete with an ample numeric keypad. Samsung rounds out its HUD-inspired aesthetic with touch-sensitive LEDs located directly above the keyboard that allow users to toggle Wi-Fi, the keyboard backlight, and adjust the volume, and an indicator for whether or not "Turbo" overclocking mode has been engaged. Much like the keyboard, the accompanying touchpad's ample size translates into smooth clicking, scrolling and pinch-zooming.

A caveat: Although gaming laptops like the Alienware M18X or the Eurocom Leopard 2.0 typically omit needless bloatware, the Series 7 Gamer comes with a fair amount, including the usual suspects like a Bing Bar, a WildTangent games suite. Since this presumably contributes to the noticeable price difference between the Series 7 Gamer and the others in its class, though, it's a shortcoming that I'm willing to accept in light of all it has to offer.

Finally, Samsung's proprietary Mode Dial. Turning this knob lets users toggle between four settings, each of which activates or disables certain features, like the system's fans (for "Library mode," thereby allowing it to perform quietly so as to not disturb others in the library with that subtle 17.3-inch gaming laptop that you brought along). In essence, the four modes vary the amount of power the Series 7 Gamer consumes. "Gaming mode" maxes out the system and burns through the battery, which is the opposite of "Eco mode." "Balanced mode" is suitable for everyday use and strikes an evenhanded approach between power usage and performance. Turning the Mode Dial brings forth minor changes in your desktop's motif, though none quite match the over-the-top transformation for "Gaming mode," wherein your laptop's entry into hardcore territory is signified by a changed desktop background and momentary beeping and whizzing sounds. Of course, you can modify the themes or simply disable them altogether if you so desire.

I ultimately found the Mode Dial to be of questionable value. While it's a fun idea, toggling between modes brought forth no discernible changes in performance. Despite Samsung's claims, our benchmark tests revealed that the Series 7 Gamer paradoxically performed better in "Balanced mode" than it did in "Gaming mode," casting further doubt on the Mode Dial's practical usefulness.

Although we tested the Series 7 Gamer both "Balanced" and "Gaming" modes, scores from the latter mode were used for the sake of comparison since it is, after all, a gaming laptop. Moreover, unless conserving battery life is imperative, many users would likely run performance-critical tasks exclusively in gaming mode.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/JsqUwMq10Ss/0,2817,2406274,00.asp

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