Samsung's 17-inch Series 7 Chronos dances over the Ivy Bridge

Since Ivy Bridge finally trotted down the yellow brick road, there's been a growing number of tin-men waiting for their hearts. Samsung's 17-inch Series 7 Chronos, it seems, was also a member of that club. We first saw the desktop replacement back at CES, and that "next-gen" processor we reported is confirmed as a 2.3GHz i7 3615QM, while the suspected ATI GPU seems to have been switched out for an NVIDIA GeForce 650M. Memory and storage are taken care of by 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB SATA HDD respectively. For your human inputs, that 17.3-inch (1920 x 1080) non-reflective screen will fill your eyes, while JBL speakers take care of your ears. As for the computer's, there's HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports, a pair of standard USB ports and a memory card slot, not forgetting the Blu-ray drive too -- if you like things optical. If this is enough to make you put your desktop to sleep, then get ready to lay down the (to be determined) asking price once it's set free from the Witch's castle factory (at some point in the near future).

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Samsung Series 7 CHRONOS 17 Offers Maximum Desktop Experience

Premium desktop replacement packed with performance, mobility and exclusivity

SEOUL, Korea – April 24, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced its new Notebook Series 7 CHRONOS 17-inch model.

Encased in a premium compact and light aluminum chassis, the high-performance multimedia-ready Series 7 CHRONOS 17 with Intel's 3rd generation Core i7 and ExpressCache™* represents the perfect desktop replacement. The innovative ExpressCache™ technology developed by Diskeeper provides 8GB of flash memory on the motherboard, enabling a faster start-up as well as increasing the PC's overall performance; web browsing is two times faster (based on Microsoft Internet Explorer) while the device takes just two seconds to wake up.

In addition to exceptional speed, the Series 7 CHRONOS 17 also delivers maximum performance with its high-quality Full HD display. With 300nit brightness and 1080p resolution, the Series 7 CHRONOS 17 incorporates Samsung's MaxScreen technology, providing up to an extra inch of immersive viewing without sacrificing mobility or portability.

"Following the success of our award-winning Series 7 CHRONOS, we are expanding our line-up with the new 17-inch model. Powerful features with more immersive viewing packed in Samsung's innovative design and engineering excellence will offer users the ultimate personal computing experience," said David Song, Senior Vice President of the IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics.

Full HD Viewing Experience with Rich and Crisp Sound

The Series 7 CHRONOS 17 greatly benefits from Samsung's Superior LCD technology, with a display that delivers a next-generation Full HD (1920x1080) high-resolution viewing experience. With SuperBright 300nit brightness and an anti-reflective screen, films and pictures look rich, vivid and crisp, with noticeable improvements in color depth.

Samsung's elite engineers have succeeded in greatly reducing the bezel size of the Series 7 CHRONOS 17, allowing a 17.3" display to fit into a profile usually used for 16" models. The result is a stunning viewing experience, with users benefiting from a large screen in the form factor of a smaller model.

Graphics performance is guaranteed with the inclusion of NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M 2GB graphics; films, games and multimedia can be enjoyed with faultless playback. To match the visual experience, the Series 7 CHRONOS 17 incorporates JBL optimized speakers and a subwoofer for optimal audio quality. The enhanced low pitch with Bass Boost technology delivers the beat users have been craving for.

Enhanced Speed and Performance

Powered by Intel's 3rd generation i7 Quad Core processor, the Series 7 CHRONOS 17 delivers unrivalled speed right from the start. Adding to ExpressCache™ benefits, Samsung's FastStart gets the PC ready to use in just two seconds, while Quick Boot has the notebook ready to go – from cold – in just 19 seconds.

The performance of the Series 7 CHRONOS 17 is further enhanced by the notebook's extended battery life. In addition to uninterrupted performance of up to 8 hours on a single charge (based on MobileMark test scores), Samsung's Battery Life Plus technology keeps 80% of the cell's original capacity in a life cycle lasting up to 1,500 charging cycles. This ensures that the battery can last up to five times longer than on other notebooks.

Compact and Light for Exceptional Use Outdoors

Building on the design heritage of its smaller models, the Series 7 CHRONOS 17 has also been crafted using modern brushed aluminum for an exclusive appearance. Thin and compact, the 17" Series 7 weighs just 2.98kg (6.56lbs) and is just 25.4mm thin.

Complementing its sleek appearance, the PC's design also packs highly intelligent features, including an automatic sensor that ensures the backlit keyboard and LCD are either dimmed or brightened according to lighting levels.

Series 7 700Z CHRONOS 17-inch

Specifications

Operating System - Genuine Windows® 7 Professional (64-bit)

Processor - Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 3615QM (2.3GHz, 6MB)

LCD* - 17.3" SuperBright Anti-Reflective Full HD + LED display (1920x1080) 300nit

Dimension (W x D x H mm) - 405.7 x 261.9 x 25.4mm (15.9" x 10.3" x 0.99")

Weight (kg) - 2.98 kg (6.56 lbs)

Graphic Processor* - NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M Graphics, Optimus™ technology

Graphic Memory - 2GB GDDR5

System Memory* - 8GB DDR3 System Memory at 1600MHz

Storage - 1TB S-ATA II Hard Drive + ExpressCache™ 8GB

ODD - Bluray Drive (9.5mm, slot loading type)

Sound - HD Audio

Sound Effect - Sound Alive™

Speaker - JBL Speakers: 2W x 2 Stereo Speakers + 5W Embedded Subwoofer

Integrated Camera - 1.3M HD

Wireless LAN / Bluetooth - 802.11 abgn (2x2) + Bluetooth V4.0

I/O Port - VGA , HDMI, Headphone-out/Mic-in Combo, Internal Mic,

2 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0
4-in-1 Multi Card Slot (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC)
RJ45 (LAN), DC-In (Power Port)

Input - 101 Key, 102 Key, Touch Pad (Scroll Scope, Flat Type, Gesture UI)

Standard Battery - 8 Cell (80 Wh)