Samsung NP550XDA-K01BR ALLROUND3 specs, upgrade options, BIOS, and performance issues

User question

NP550XDA-KO1BR ALLROUND3

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

• NP550XDA-K01BR “ALLROUND3” is an entry-level 15.6-inch Samsung Book notebook aimed at basic daily tasks (web, Office, streaming).
• Key hardware: Intel Celeron 6305 (11-th Gen “Tiger Lake”, 2 C/2 T, 1.8 GHz), 4 GB DDR4-2666/3200 RAM (1 SO-DIMM slot free, up to 32 GB), 500 GB 2.5″ SATA HDD, 15.6″ FHD (1920 × 1080) display, Intel UHD Graphics, 43 Wh battery, Windows 10 Home (upgradeable to Win 11).
• “ALLROUND3” is the service/BIOS tag for motherboard revision Nb2772_pcb_mb_v4.1; you will see it in Samsung service literature and in replacement BIOS chips.

Detailed problem analysis

1. Architecture & components
   • CPU: Intel Celeron 6305 (10 nm Tiger Lake-U). Lacks Turbo Boost but inherits Willow Cove IPC and the latest video codec engine. TDP 15 W.
   • GPU: Integrated Intel UHD (Xe-LP, 48 EUs, ≈ 400–750 MHz). Sufficient for 4 K video decode and very light gaming (e-sports titles at 720p Low).
   • Memory: 4 GB soldered OR on SO-DIMM (depends on batch); one additional DDR4-SO-DIMM slot free. Max 32 GB (2 × 16 GB) at 2666 or 3200 MT/s (controller is 3200 MT/s).
   • Storage: 500 GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD pre-installed. Motherboard provides:
   – 1 × SATA III 2.5″ bay (occupied).
   – 1 × M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 ×4 (empty) – supports NVMe or SATA SSD.
   • Display: 15.6″ anti-glare FHD, 60 Hz, TN in most lots (≈ 250 nits, 45 % NTSC).
   • I/O: USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (data + DP-Alt when dock is used), USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, USB-A 2.0, HDMI 1.4b, micro-SD, 3.5 mm combo audio, Kensington Lock. No RJ-45; Wi-Fi 5 (Intel AX201 or Realtek 8821CE), BT 5.x.
   • Battery/charger: 43 Wh 3-cell, ≈ 5–6 h mixed use with HDD, 65 W barrel-tip adapter.
   • Dimensions/weight: 359.2 × 241.3 × 19.9 mm; 1.81 kg.
2. Performance Bottlenecks
   • Single-channel 4 GB RAM forces the system to swap early, hurting multitasking.
   • 5400 rpm HDD yields 80–100 MB/s sequential throughput and 17 ms access latency—primary cause of sluggish boot and app start.
   • Celeron 6305 has no Turbo, so bursty workloads feel slower than Core-i3/i5 variants of the same chassis (NP550XDA-KU1BR/KU2BR).
3. Upgradeability & recommendations
   • Add an 8 GB or 16 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM (matching speed; Samsung’s own service manual lists 1.2 V DDR4 2666/3200 non-ECC).
   • Install an NVMe SSD in the empty M.2 slot, clone OS, then keep the 2.5″ bay for data or remove HDD to save weight and power. A PCIe 3.0 ×4 SSD yields real-world 2,000–3,500 MB/s sequential reads—> boot time drops from ~45 s to ~12 s.
   • Update BIOS (Samsung Update or WinFlash). Current release for this board is v12QA/ALLROUND3 dated Q3-2023, improving security (Intel SA-00963) and fan curve.
4. Thermal/acoustic behaviour
   • Single heat-pipe cooling shared by CPU & iGPU. Under sustained load CPU stabilises at ~65 °C / 15 W. Fan tops at ~36 dBA. Upgrading to SSD lowers fan activity because the HDD is no longer spinning constantly.
5. Service notes – “ALLROUND3”
   • Motherboard silkscreen: “NB2772 PCB MB V4.1 ALLROUND3”. Replacement BIOS chips (Winbond 25Q128JVSIQ, 1.8 V) sold by Brazilian suppliers come pre-flashed with 12QA firmware; requires hot-air rework or SOIC-8 clip + ISP programmer.
   • Always back up original firmware before flashing; ME Region is bound to Intel fuses, wrong dump may brick power-management.

Current information and trends

• Samsung Brazil phased out HDD-only configurations in late-2023; current NP550XDA retail bundles ship with 256 GB NVMe + 4 GB RAM.
• Intel will discontinue Celeron branding after 2023; future refreshes will carry “Intel Processor N” naming (Alder Lake-N).
• DDR4 prices reached a historic low (H2-2024); 16 GB sticks retail below R$200, making a memory upgrade inexpensive.
• Microsoft ends Windows 10 Home mainstream support in Oct-2025, so plan the jump to Windows 11 or a GNU/Linux distribution.

Supporting explanations and details

• CPU hierarchy analogy: Celeron 6305 ≈ Core i3-7100U (2017) in multithread but with newer iGPU and codec support (AV1 decode).
• Storage latency: HDD ≈ 17 ms, SATA SSD ≈ 0.1 ms, NVMe SSD ≈ 0.03 ms. The human eye perceives <100 ms UI lag; swapping on HDD easily pushes latency >500 ms, hence the “freezes” users report.

Ethical and legal aspects

• Opening the bottom cover to add RAM/SSD does NOT void the statutory warranty in Brazil (Art. 50, CDC), but damage caused during the procedure can.
• Flashing an unofficial BIOS or shorting the SPI flash may void warranty and could violate Microsoft Windows license terms if firmware SLIC/OA is altered.
• Dispose of the replaced HDD responsibly; it contains ferromagnetic platters and electronics covered by PNRS (Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy).
• Backup personal data before service to protect privacy (LGPD compliance).

Practical guidelines

1. Tools: Phillips #00, spudger, ESD wrist strap.
2. Remove nine screws, start prying from hinge side to avoid breaking front clips.
3. Upgrade RAM: insert module at 45°, press until latches click.
4. Upgrade SSD: insert M.2 2280 SSD, secure with M2×3 screw (board is pre-threaded).
5. In BIOS set “Storage Boot Option Control” to “UEFI” and enable “Rapid Mode” if Samsung Magician is used.
6. Clone HDD → SSD (Macrium Reflect Free) or clean-install Windows 11 23H2; Samsung Update will fetch drivers (chipset, Intel DCH, audio Realtek).

Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• Panel type (IPS vs TN) may vary by production batch.
• Some units ship with 8 GB single-stick memory; always inspect before buying upgrade parts.
• Not designed for heavy workloads (video editing, 3D games). For sustained performance choose NP550XDA variants with Core i5/i7 (“KU1BR/KS1BR”).

Suggestions for further research

• Evaluate Linux distributions (Fedora 40, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS) – hardware is fully supported (i915, AX201).
• Investigate undervolting via ThrottleStop to improve battery life (requires BIOS permitting IA CEP).
• Follow Intel’s Platform Firmware Resilience (PFR) developments – future boards may include SPI protection against ransomware-level firmware attacks.

Brief summary

NP550XDA-K01BR ALLROUND3 is Samsung’s affordable “Book” notebook for light workloads. Out-of-box responsiveness is hampered by 4 GB RAM and a 5400 rpm HDD. Fortunately, the platform is upgrade-friendly: add a DDR4 module and an NVMe SSD to unlock its full potential, keep BIOS up-to-date (ALLROUND3 firmware line), and you will have a competent machine for web, office and media for several more years.

Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.