Samsung RC710 review

Samsung has managed to fit in both a full-size QWERTY keyboard and a numeric keypad into the 17in chassis with room to spare – all the keys are well spaced apart from each other and have very springy actions. There was virtually no flex in the keyboard tray unless we pressed down with considerable force. The sizable touchpad has the same great built quality and is made of a smooth plastic that creates minimal friction for your fingers. You have to press the touchpad buttons quite far to register a click, but the noise serves as a clear indicator that you’ve pressed in far enough.

Connectivity is average given the size of the laptop, with four USB ports and a multiformat card reader. Being an older model, there’s no support for USB3, but you get 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 640GB hard disk.

Considering it’s possible to buy a 17in laptop for a lot less than this, it’s clear that it isn’t the big screen that’s responsible for the RC710’s high price. At this price, we’d expect the latest components and better 3D performance. If you don’t need a 17in screen, Dell’s 14z and 15R are better choices. If you do, HP’s AMD-powered HP Pavilion DV7-6101sa cost over £100 less, yet has USB3 and is almost as fast.