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Samsung RF711 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £899
inc VAT

A blazingly-fast processor makes the RF711 great for multimedia editing

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A 1,600×900 resolution is disappointing for a 17.3in screen, especially as there’s a Blu-ray drive installed. At this price, we expected a 1,920×1,080 resolution, which would also be welcome for video editing and other applications that need lots of information on screen at once. Still, image quality is good, with a bright, even backlight and vibrant colours, thanks to a glossy screen finish. Vertical viewing angles are fussy though, so you’ll have to adjust the tilt of the screen carefully.

Samsung RF711 Ports

There’s no ExpressCard slot, but that shouldn’t bother many people. You do get an SDHC memory card reader, four USB ports, two of which are USB3, as well as a choice of VGA or HDMI video outputs. Also, the hard disk has a huge 1TB capacity.

Like many laptops these days, Samsung has opted for a keyboard with separated, Chiclet-style keys. Their flat tops are a bit slippery, but our main concern was the spongy action, which lacked feedback for touch-typists. At least the layout is standard, and the numeric keypad includes a row of page navigation keys. The touchpad is smooth and responsive, but its buttons are flush with the case so it’s hard to locate them by touch.

Samsung RF711 Top

Had the RF711 had a 1,920×1,080 screen we’d have liked it a lot more. It’s not a bad laptop if you do a lot of multimedia editing, and it has a collect-and-return warranty. The Dell XPS L502X does have a Full HD screen for a similar price, albeit a smaller 15.6in version. It’s not quite as fast overall, but its better-quality screen plus a better keyboard mean it’s a superior choice for most people.

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Basic Specifications

Rating****
ProcessorIntel Core i7-2630QM
Processor clock speed2GHz
Memory6.00GB
Memory slots2
Memory slots free0
Maximum memory8GB
Size416x276x38mm
Weight2.9kg
SoundRealtek HD Audio
Pointing devicetouchpad

Display

Viewable size17.3 in
Native resolution1,600×900
Graphics ProcessorNvidia GeForce GT 540M
Graphics/video portsVGA, HDMI
Graphics Memory1,024MB

Storage

Total storage capacity1,000GB
Optical drive typeDVD+/-RW +/-DL BD-ROM

Ports and Expansion

USB ports4
Bluetoothyes
Wired network ports1x 10/100/1000
Wireless networking support802.11b/g/n
PC Card slotsnone
Supported memory cardsSDHC
Other portsminijack audio output, minijack microphone input

Miscellaneous

Carrying caseNo
Operating systemWindows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Operating system restore optionrestore partition
Software includedMicrosoft Office 2010 Starter

Buying Information

Warrantyone year collect and return
Price£899
Detailswww.samsung.com/uk
Supplierhttp://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

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