Monday, July 5, 2010

Samsung's new Q-series notebooks headed to the US


Previously announced for the UK, Samsung has confirmed that its three new Q-series notebooks, the 13.3-inch Q330, 14-inch Q430 and 15.6-inch Q530, will also reach international markets. All of the systems are geared toward multimedia playback and feature LED-backlit 1366x768 displays, Intel Core i3 and i5 processors (2.13GHz to 2.4GHz), up to 4GB of RAM, 320 to 500GB of storage, and Bluetooth 3.0.

Both the flagship 15.6-incher and mid-sized model are outfitted with an Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics chip and are mostly identical apart from size. The Q330 has 3GB of RAM, a GeForce 310M and appears to be the only one with Nvidia's Optimus graphics switching solution. Systems weigh between 1.97 and 2.39kg and they all have around 6 to 7 hours of plug-free usage.

Pricing is expected to start at £599 (the equivalent of about $900), and units should be in stock at some point this month. It seems Best Buy already has a version of the Q430 available for $800, although it features a GeForce 310M instead of the GT 330M that's mentioned in Samsung's press release.