Latest Gadgets Specifications: Samsung Series 7 Chronos Laptop

Samsung Series 7 Chronos is a very pretty machine. The cover, bezel, and wrist rest are adorned in gunmetal-gray brushed aluminum, and the keyboard deck and trackpad are free of unnecessary lines or buttons. Our test model ran the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium.
The Chronos's performance was somewhat disappointing. Chalk that up to the Chronos's lack of a solid-state drive. Samsung arranged the Chronos's ports in an array typical of a slim machine such as the MacBook Air or an Ultrabook, but of course the Chronos isn't that slim. Because the laptop curves underneath, the ethernet port is hinged to accommodate a full-size connector. For additional networking, the Chronos offers built-in Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n.
The Chronos comes with a 14-inch matte LCD screen, with a native resolution of 1600 by 900. Video looked and sounded merely okay on the Chronos. In my multimedia tests, the laptop streamed HD video seamlessly but with occasional artifacts (blockiness) in the clips, especially during dark scenes. In PCWorld's Far Cry 2 graphics tests, the Chronos managed an acceptable frame rate of 37.8 frames per second (at low quality and 1024-by-768-pixel resolution), and a less-than-ideal frame rate of 22.1 fps (at high quality and 1024-by-768-pixel resolution).
The speakers' maximum volume is fairly low.
Overall, the Samsung Series 7 Chronos is a very attractive machine.

Samsung Series 7 Chronos Laptop

Display
Display size 14 inches
Maximum resolution 1600 x 900
Display type Matte LCD with LED Backlight

Processor
Processor class Intel Core i5
Processor model 2430M
Processor speed 2400 MHz
Number of Cores 2
Cache size 3 MB

Graphics
Graphics Type Switchable
Integrated Graphics Chipset Intel
Integrated Graphics Chipset Model Number HD Graphics 3000
Discreet Graphics Chipset AMD Radeon
Discreet Graphics Chipset Model Number HD 6490M
Graphics Memory 1024 MB

Memory
Installed memory 6 GB
Maximum memory 8 GB
Memory technology DDR3

Storage
Hard Drive Type Hard Disk Drive
Total HD Size 750 GB
Hard Drive Speed 7200 RPM
Number of hard drives included 1
Other Storage SD/MMC Card
SDHC Card

Networking
Ethernet Type 10/100 Mbps
Wifi Type 802.11 n/b/g

Interface Connections
Number of USB 3 Ports 1
Number of USB 2 Ports 1

Video Interfaces
HDMI
Mini DisplayPort

Additional Interfaces
Bluetooth

Dimensions
Weight (min) 4.6 pounds
Weight (with accessories) 5.3 lbs
Width 12.8 inches
Depth 8.9 inches
Height 1 inches

Samsung Series 7 NP700Z3A-S06US 14-Inch Laptop (Silver)
Samsung $1,099.99