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Battery Life
The 48 Wh of AA-PB9NC6B battery capacity does not indicate an extremely long runtime. We can confirm this. The Samsung user will have to be satisfied with 3:27 hours rather than the 5:22 hours of an E2-1800 system (HP's 655). The idling/standby time also drops from 6:32 to 5:22 hours in this comparison. The battery capacity of 47 Wh in HP's 655 is almost equal.
The runtime is only marginally better when compared with the old Intel-RV511 (not quite three hours, Wi-Fi test). Apparently the HD 6470M annuls the Zacate APU's runtime advantage in the SAMSUNG RV515. The battery needs 2:14 hours for recharging, which is still an acceptable time. It does not matter whether Prime95 (CPU stress), FurMark (GPU) or Battery Eater's Classic are used for the load runtime. The result is always roughly two hours.
Case
The workmanship of Samsung's RV515 is equal to the prior RV511, which is not a positive rating in this case. The rigidness does not satisfy us. We can warp the base unit with both hands and provoke an obvious creaking noise. The plastic base plate can be dented on its left and right. Particularly the DVD drive is a weak point.
The hinges have a firm hold on the lid but do not prevent it from rocking. The lid's closing force is very good. We have to use both hands and a lot of force. This reduces the risk of unintentional opening during transportation. The maximum opening angle is approximately 140 degrees. (SAMSUNG AA-PBYN4AB batteries)
The grayish shimmering surfaces inside are matte but also susceptible to scratches. The paint will wear off on the sharp edges on the wrist rest's left and right when used extensively. The lid's grooved surface has a pleasant to the feel texture that particularly prevents fingerprints completely and provides a very secure hold.
Connectivity
Except for one USB 2.0 port, the interfaces are all focused on the case's left. The port placement seems reasonable. As so often the case, no interfaces are found on the rear. But at least the two left USB 2.0 ports are at the very back. VGA and HDMI are located in the center. Thus, the unwieldy cables can be routed to the back when on the desk. (SAMSUNG AA-PB9NC6W batteries)
Communication
The draft-n standard Wi-Fi module (Atheros AR9285) does not feature Bluetooth. The Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller can transmit data at gigabit speeds in the network. This is still the fastest option for PC-PC data transfer via switch.
Keyboard
The number pad and arrow keys are smaller than the others. The number pad's standard layout with the comma and return at the bottom right complies with desktop keyboards. The arrow keys are squeezed in between the shift key and number pad.
We can type quite accurately and fast on the keyboard. The key drop is medium and the stroke is firm (not hard). The surface noticeably yields above the DVD drive and causes a weak typing feedback. The pressure point is clear but the level surface thwarts accuracy.
Typists will like the elevated wrist rest. Big hands have room here; the surface is tilted toward the user and the weak isolation keys are in a recess for easy access. However, the black high-gloss plastic that surrounds the keys seems contra-productive. Dust and fingerprints accumulate on the sides, beneath and in the center of the keys. Scratches will also soon become apparent.
Touchpad
The Elan Smart Pad features a very large surface that is sensitive up to its edges. It has two scroll bars (vertical & horizontal) that are not marked visibly (can be disabled). The surface is matte and gliding is rather slippery. Multi-finger gestures, such as rotate, scroll or zoom, are implemented quickly. The keys medium drop, soft stroke and smoothness enables fast clicking. However, the high-pitched clicking noise is loud and ultimately gets annoying.
Display
Samsung has recently resumed using a glare-type HD screen (1366x768 pixels; model: CMO N156BGE-L21). It is no longer matte as in the RV511. The contrast of 237:1 is average. However, rates of up to 200:1 are common for lower and medium priced office laptops and multimedia devices. The CMO screen does not reproduce the nicely saturated black colors of a high-end screen. The glare-type however "camouflages" this shortcoming a bit.
The color spectrum is remote from the Adobe RGB 1998 (t) reference. The same is true for sRGB (t). But this criterion is only relevant for professional users.
The TFT still distributes the brightness homogeneously over the surface: 87%. The LED brightness deviations are marginal. The minimum and maximum are only 28 cd/m2 apart. The average brightness of 207 cd/m2 is only middling. A very good value would be between 250 to 300 cd/m2.
The screen's weak brightness is not strong enough to effectively defy reflections in daylight. Thus, eye-friendly reading is not possible. The brightness is maintained on battery. The 15.6-incher does not feature a light sensor for adaptive brightness control.
The SAMSUNG RV515 has narrow viewing angles like almost all office and multimedia notebooks. Color deviations start at about 15 degrees when the eyes drift up or down (vertically). We can deviate up to 45 degrees from the center horizontally (right and left) before annoying ghosting turns up. (MSI BTY-S19 Battery)
Speakers
The speakers will not impress hi-fi fans. They will be forced to use external speakers or headphones. The sound is midrange-heavy (thin sound) and clearly distorts at maximum volume, which is adequate for a 15.6-inch device. A 3.5 millimeter audio jack is available for external speakers or headphones. The audio signal can alternatively be transmitted digitally via HDMI.
Verdict
Samsung's RV515 (NP-RV515-S03DE) is doubtlessly an interesting project. The Radeon HD 6470M improves the E-series APU's gaming performance by a few percentage points. Where current games were unplayable with the original E-450 APUs in low settings in the past, they now run sufficiently smooth - no more and no less.
Fortunately, the testers do not have to decide whether this is a strong enough purchase argument. The RV515 does many things right in terms of mobility, ergonomics and input devices. Fast typing is possible (although a bit spongy over the DVD drive) and noise is an unknown word. 3:30 hours of runtime (Wi-Fi test) however confirm our fears that the HD 6470 reduces the battery life compared with an E-450 and E2-1800.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu
