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Samsung Series 7 Gamer

*Est. $1,800 and up

Reviewed

April 2013

by ConsumerSearch

Pros

Excellent performance
Top-notch audio, display
Responsive keyboard, touchpad

Cons

Generic design
Lots of bloatware
Very poor battery life

Where to Buy

for $2,999.00

Our Analysis
Specs
Watch The Video
54 Amazon Reviews

Bottom Line

The Samsung Series 7 Gamer wins over critics with its blistering performance, comfortable ergonomics and excellent audio/visual chops. However, reviewers are less thrilled by its large complement of pre-installed bloatware and the lack of solid-state drive options.

Performance

This one's a powerhouse. With an Intel Core i7-3610QM processor, 16 GB of RAM and discrete Nvidia GeForce GT675M GPU, the Samsung Series 7 Gamer handles intensive tasks and brand-new games without breaking a sweat, even in titles with all the graphical bells and whistles enabled. The 1.5 TB hard drive draws mixed reviews; it's big enough to store a lot of games and movies, but some critics wish the notebook had a speedier solid-state drive instead.

That great power comes at the price of poor power efficiency: The Series 7 Gamer's battery life is just two to three hours. Critics also dislike that the system comes with bloatware preinstalled, which is rare in high-end gaming laptops.

Ergonomics

It's heavy, but handles just fine. The Samsung Series 7 Gamer weighs in at a hefty 8.4 pounds, making it a chore to move around. However, reviewers say the classic-style backlit keyboard and large touchpad are both excellent. Connectivity includes Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI, VGA, Intel's WiDi wireless display technology, a multi-card reader and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. There's also a Blu-ray combo drive.

Design

Games look and sound great, but its design is bland. The notebook sports a high-resolution, 17.3-inch 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display with SuperBright Plus technology. Critics love it, saying that colors pop and everything looks crisp. The audio is just as crisp, complete with plenty of volume and a chest-thumping subwoofer. Yet the overall look of the notebook is generally panned as being pedestrian, albeit sturdy.

Support & reliability

Samsung's products are high-quality, but customer service can't say the same. Users report that Samsung laptops have great build quality and rarely need to be repaired, which is a good thing since they say dealing with Samsung's support representatives can be difficult.

Value

Competitively priced for a gaming notebook. At nearly $2,000, you can't call the Samsung Series 7 Gamer cheap, but it still costs less than what some competitors charge for similar configurations.

Where To Buy

Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-T01US 17.3-Inch Laptop (Yellow)

(72 reviews)
Buy new: $1,599.99 $1,318.98 15 Used & new from $995.00

In Stock. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

Our Sources

1. PCMag.com

Review Credibility: Excellent PCMag.com calls the Samsung Series 7 Gamer an excellent performer, with a solid keyboard and mouse, a jaw-dropping display and a decent price tag for the package delivered. Kazi gives the notebook an Excellent rating, although he disparages the pre-installed bloatware.

Review: Samsung Series 7 Gamer, Ahmer Kazi, June 29, 2012

2. Laptop Magazine

Review Credibility: Excellent Here the Series 7 Gamer gets another 4 stars out of 5. "With record-breaking speed, a superb display and excellent keyboard, the Samsung Series 7 Gamer is one of the best gaming laptops to hit our labs," Howley writes. He says, however, that the laptop runs hot and loud.

Review: Samsung Series 7 Gamer Review, Daniel Howley, May 14, 2012

3. Notebook Check.net

Review Credibility: Excellent The same positives earn the Series 7 Gamer a "Good" rating at Germany's NotebookCheck.net, although the lack of an SSD keeps it from rating higher. Nevertheless, Christa says the laptop will meet anybody's portable gaming needs.

Review: Review Samsung Series 7 Gamer 700G7C Notebook, Manuel Christa, July 27, 2012

4. TheVerge.com

Review Credibility: Excellent "If you're in the market for a desktop replacement, the Samsung Series 7 Gamer will certainly not disappoint, serving up strong performance in an attractive package for years to come," Ralph writes. However, he suggests spending the extra money for an Alienware M17x and its stronger graphics processor to better future-proof your purchase.

Review: Samsung Series 7 Gamer Review, Nate Ralph, July 19, 2012

5. CNET

Review Credibility: Excellent Stein gives this laptop an "Excellent" rating for its plethora of ports, sheer power and abundance of features. "The Samsung Series 7 Gamer is huge, expensive and unattractive, but it's also one of the best gaming laptops that we've seen this year," he says.

Review: Samsung Series 7 Gamer Review, Scott Stein, May 23, 2012

6. Engadget.com

Review Credibility: Very Good The Samsung Series 7 Gamer delivers nearly flawless portable game-playing prowess, Buckley writes, but he spends more time praising the laptop's high-resolution SuperBright display, which he calls "eye-melting."

Review: Samsung Series 7 Gamer Review: The Company's First Gaming Laptop Makes Its Way to the US, Sean Buckley, July 14, 2012

7. PC World

Review Credibility: Good Everything all other reviewers say about the Samsung Series 7 Gamer is repeated at PC World. Cocilova says the laptop is big and power-hungry, but that's balanced out by excellent performance, an awesome display and a surprisingly reasonable price tag.

Review: Samsung Series 7 Gamer Review: A Mobile Gamer's Best Tool, Alex Cocilova, June 6, 2012

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