If you are looking to replace the desktop PC at home, a notebook laptop is the best choice. The Samsung RC710 gives you all benefits of notebook without compromising on screen size or power. The 17.3 inch notebook features an Intel Core i5 processor and an NVIDIA Optimus graphic card on a Windows 7 operating system. The following review would help you judge if it is really worth replacing a PC.

Design:

Generous Size:
As we said earlier, the Samsung RC710 is a desktop replacement PC. At 420 x 276 x (29-36) mm, it is larger than most contemporary laptops. The RC710 weighs about 2.9 kilograms making it extremely unfit for mobile use. You would rather want to put it on your table and treat it like a desktop PC.

Sleek Finish:
The Samsung RC710 17.3″ Laptop is extremely sleek and good looking. Available in four colours, Matte Black, Silver, Red and Glossy black, the device has a tough metallic chassis that can resist a few falls.  Most of the device cover feels shiny and smooth. There is less smudging than what you see on Piano black finish surfaces. On the vicinity of the hinges are present patterned stripes that increase grip and make it easier to hold them. The only bit of colour in the grey and black device is the blue lights under the mouse pad and the ring around the power button.

Samsung RC710 Laptop

Big Screen:
Most notebooks compromise in terms of screen size to increase portability. The Samsung RC710 4GB RAM Laptop PC is not just one of them. Its display size is a standard format for desktop replacements. At 17.3 inches, it supports a high resolution of 1600 x 900 which means you can have a lot of windows open. The 16:9 aspect ratio makes it great for video playback and at its size makes watching movies a real pleasure. Thanks to the glossy screen, the videos have a better finish. The screen offers LED Backlight with a wide colour gamut. While the size makes it less portable and more energy consuming, text is readable and high resolution is perfect.

Large Keypad:
A large screen such as this has to be complemented by an equally large keyboard. The RC710 has a large keypad that helps users who have shifted from desktop PCs to notebooks. It has a full alphanumeric keypad that makes typing numbers as easy as typing text. The keys are well spaced out and have great feedback.

Responsive Touchpad:
The touch pad seems smaller because of the larger size of the keypad. It is of decent size and is extremely responsive. The touch pad is multi touch compliant and hence you can use two or more fingers to zoom, rotate etc.  Thankfully, the touch pad does not show much signs of visible smudging.

Webcam:
Samsung has tried to brand the device as a family notebook and as a substitute for desktop PC and hence have incorporated the webcam into the device. The 1.3MP HD webcam is crystal clear and the images come out fantastic. There were a few niggles with the video recording though. It was unable to show fast motion without blur, a common issue with most webcams. Skype calls were smooth though, making it a great choice if you do video calling often.

What else is in the box?
The notebook comes along with a battery, an AC adapter, a power cable, a recovery DVD and instructions on how to handle the notebook.

Features:

Decent set of Peripherals:
The Samsung RC71- has four USB 2.0 ports, a HDMI port, a VGA ( s-sub) and a card reader. There are connections for the microphone, speaker, Gigabit LAN, WLAN and Bluetooth 3.0. The Bluetooth 3.0 is capable of delivering speeds as high as 24Mbps making it 8 times faster than Bluetooth 2.1

Graphic Card:
The Samsung RC710 uses a Nvidia GForce HD G 315 graphic card with 512 MB of memory. The chip uses a special technique called Nvidia Optimus technique that works on cutting down energy usage as well as improve performance whenever calibrated. However, the chip is not any better than others in the market. Games that require low end graphics run without an issue but games with higher graphics run with low detail and average resolution. Gamers should opt for the Dell Inspiron 15R. The Optimus technique should be thanked for improving battery life.

Fast Start:
The Samsung RC710 features the innovative Fast Start option that allows you to save important data and system configurations into PC memory for quick access as well as data protection. This is unlike Linux based systems such as the Asus Express Gate. The gain in speed is because the current session in memory is saved on the hard disk and is almost ready after waking up from sleep.

All Share:
This is yet another standard feature present on all Samsung DLNA certified devices. All Share allows you to wirelessly play videos, images and music across all DLNA devices such as cameras and handsets. Thanks to All share, it is possible to watch HD content from your notebook on TV. This is not a feature many would use but those who would use it will swear by it.

Samsung RC710 17.3 inch Laptop

Performance:

Comfortable running:
Although the device uses the earlier generation Intel Core i5 480M instead of the latest Sandy bridge technology, it is still good enough to run a lot of applications at the same time. The 6 GB memory also helps.

Frames rate:
The RC710 was able to play Devil May Cry 1600 x 900 pixels at an fps of 35 and in a higher resolution video, the fps dropped down to 20. Therefore it is not the best for graphic intensive gaming and is recommended only for low level graphic games.

Read and Write Speeds:
The Sequential read and write speeds of the device were 85 and 82MBps. The Buffered read and write speeds were roughly double of the above mentioned values: 170 Mbps.

Audio and Video Playback:
The glossy screen decreases viewing angles. Otherwise the screen is fantastic for watching movies. The colours are well reproduced and the blacks are particularly dark. The audio playback was crisp though there could have been better bass options.

Power Consumption:

The RC710 consumed 0.3 watt in idle mode, 15 watt in sleep mode and the highly energy intensive DVD playback in power saving mode consumed 22 watts. The maximum consumption of power was 45 watts at 100 percent brightness.

Battery Life:

The RC710 has an average battery life of 4 hours. While it is not any closer to the 6 hour benchmark, it is still a very good life for a notebook that is intended to replace a desktop PC. Because the device is less portable, there are lesser chances of moving it around, so battery life does not matter much if you intend to keep it at one place all the time.

Warranty:

The Samsung RC710 Laptop Computer  has a warranty period of two years.

Verdict:

The Samsung RC710 is a device that does not disappoint. It was never a high performance notebook but for its price it is the perfect replacement of a desktop PC. It is extremely quiet and stylish. The screen is good except for the display. The speakers are clear.  Fast Start is a very handy feature too. The battery life is the showstopper though. So Samsung RC710 is an overall good choice for people who are looking to switch to the notebook craze. But if you are looking for Blu-ray or USB 3.0, we suggest you check out Dell XPS 17.

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Samsung RC710 Laptop – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer Samsung
Model Name Samsung RC710
DIMENSIONS AND DISPLAY
Dimensions (H x W x D) 411.4 x 272.8 x 32mm
Weight 2.94 kilos
Available colours Matte Black
Display size 17.3 inches
Display resolution 1600 x 900 pixels
PROCESSOR, MEMORY, STORAGE
Processor type Intel Core i5
Clock speed 2.66 GHz
RAM 4GB
Hard drive size 640GB
Spindle speed 5400 rpm
Chipset Intel Express HM 55
INPUT
Input features Multi-touch touchpad,
Smudge-resistant
GRAPHICS, VIDEO AND SOUND
Graphics memory 1024 MB
Graphics adapter Nvidia GeForce 315 M
Built in Microphone Yes
Audio System HD
No. of built in speakers 2
Speaker power 1.5 W
COMMUNICATION FEATURES
Ethernet Gigabit
Bluetooth Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR
Wireless Display Capability No
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Webcam Integrated
1.3 MP
CONNECTIVITY HDMI, VGA, 4xUSB 2.0 card reader (SD, SDHC, MMC),
microphone, headphones
OPERATING SYSTEM Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
BATTERY
Battery benchmarks In sleep mode:
15 Watts
DVD playback in power-saving mode:
~ 22 watts
CPU benchmark test at maximum power (100% brightness, wireless on): 45 Watt
Estimated battery life 4 hours
MISCELLANEOUS Approved according to Safety regulations of IEC
Energy Star Compliant NA
Power AC 100/240 V ( 50/60 Hz )
WARRANTY 2 Years

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