FAQ

The option to charge your tablet or notebook via the Type-C port instead of a classic power supply plug is called "USB Power Delivery" (USB-PD). This feature is supported by some of our notebooks, please refer to the technical specifications of the individual devices for details. USB-PD is limited to 100W and is therefore unsuitable for gaming notebooks and mobile workstations - these require at least 120W under load.

It is widely assumed that USB-PD via Type-C could make one's own laptop less dependent on manufacturer-specific power supplies in the future, e.g. by allowing one to charge one's laptop with any mobile phone charger. However, it should be noted that although the plug is standardised (USB Type-C), the voltage applied is not. Laptops usually need a voltage of at least 19V to charge. However, power adapters for mobile phones, tablets and other small devices usually only supply a voltage of 5V or less. With this low voltage, the charging electronics of a laptop cannot be controlled.

Further information on USB-PD can be found here:
http://www.elektronik-kompendium.de/sites/com/1809251.htm

OLED-Burn-In

The second wave of OLED notebooks raises the obligatory question about the longevity of such screens: Especially the first generations of smartphone displays and TVs had to struggle with "burned-in" images. They occur when picture elements with high contrast and brightness are displayed in the same place for a long time: The radiant OLED pixels age faster than adjacent dark pixels, causing them to lose brightness. In even areas, you can then see the "burned-in" ghost images due to the differently bright pixels.

Of course, we cannot yet answer how the OLED screens of the notebooks tested here will perform in the future. However, conclusions can be drawn from the past: The retailer's OLED-equipped
HP Spectre x360 13 from c't 17/2016 [1] has since been used as a work device in the editorial office, which is why we were able to examine it again.

While the maximum brightness dropped from 328 cd/m² to now 292 cd/m² in the roughly three years - which is virtually unnoticeable - the measured color space remained constant. Although the user left the Windows taskbar displayed the entire time and the desktop is home to many icons on a black background, several c't editors could not make out any visible burn-in artifacts. Averaged out, the notebook screen should have been on for about four to five hours per day during all that time.

Since the Spectre x360 13 from 2016 is equipped with OLED panels from Samsung, just like the 2019 notebooks tested here, and the technology continues to make progress, the devices tested here should perform just as well with a similar usage profile. And brightness losses of a similar magnitude are also found in conventional LCD screens.

However, we cannot give a general burn-in warning. Unlike notebooks, smartphones and smartwatches are used much more often outdoors. The manufacturers therefore demand much higher brightness of sometimes over 1000 cd/m² from the panel supplier, which in turn leads to a much faster aging of the pixels due to the higher energy pumped into it.

If you want to protect your notebook's OLED screen, you should not use it at maximum brightness permanently, set Windows 10's color scheme to dark (only possible from 1903 onwards), hide the task bar, and let the desktop's background image automatically switch between several themes.

Quelle: c’t 2019, Heft 20, Seite 95 (Online-Version); c’t 2019, Heft 20, Seite 95

Warranty notice regarding replacement of thermal paste

Schenker Technologies GmbH, Juni 2021

Are you allowed to disassemble your thermal module and repaste your system?

Short answer: **please don't******^* because it might void your warranty and your system is too valuable to risk it. Want to know more? Please continue to read our full statement:

 

Our Warranty Agreement

Let me quote the most relevant part:

The warranty does not cover:

[...]

The repair or replacement of the components of free additions to your product, virus infections or use of the product with software not supplied with the product or which has been incorrectly installed, repairs and repair attempts by persons who are not part of Schenker Technologies GmbH technical support or third parties authorised by us, interference with the cooling system (the thermal paste may only be changed by our certified technicians) [...]

Emphasis mine. For more information, please read our full warranty agreement here.

 

But why?

We strongly advise against dismantling the cooling system, as this can have many unforeseeable consequences and it can void your warranty. If not done properly, the following items, among others, might be damaged:

• Thermal pads (lost, squished, displaced)

• Heatpipes (bent by gravity due to improper holding or accident)

• Cold Plates (scratched, polluted with fingerprints, not properly cleaned before application)

• Mounting Screws Heads (abrased)

• Mounting Screw Threads/Sockets (damaged by too much pressure)

• CPU and GPU die (damaged by too much pressure)

• Surrounding components on the mainboard (drop parts, slip with tools)

• Fan Cable (ripped out, pins bent)

• etc.

The list is growing and will never be complete. Service operations by non-certified technicians can have a number of other, unforeseeable effects, either one of which might void the warranty on the device.

Background:

In a system with combined CPU and GPU heatpipes, even the slightest bending of the heatpipes (from holding it improperly) could have a negative effect on the mounting pressure of CPU and GPU cold plates - even before you start taking production tolerances into account. The larger the chips and cooling system, the greater the potential risks and problems. Particularly large dies (graphics chips and desktop CPUs) are particularly vulnerable to uneven mounting pressure.

The production tolerances of the thermal system are designed so that they can be used with more forgiving silicon-based thermal pastes. Particularly powerful heat conducting agents such as liquid metal, carbon pads and certain extremely high-end pastes (e.g. those with added silver or diamonds particles) are particularly poorly suited to compensate for such production tolerances.

For these and other reasons, our answer must be: dismantling the cooling system and a DIY repaste can void the warranty of the system. We therefore strongly advise against doing it.

Alternatives:

If you have any questions about the cooling performance of your laptop, please contact us. Please make sure to keep the heatsink fins of your laptop clean (e.g. with compressed air spray). Within the warranty period we offer our customers a one-time, free of charge Pickup&Return repaste service. For devices outside the warranty period this service is offered for a flat rate of 59€ including shipping costs from outside of Germany (and 49€ from within).

 

How is this handled case-by-case?

After a system has been returned to us, the decision as to whether warranty is void is made in agreement with our service and RMA staff. We have strict internal guidelines in how to handle such cases. Those guidelines are not publicly disclosed. If the decision to void the warranty is made, we will calculate an estimate of repair cost for further negotiation with the customer.

 

By default, our devices are configured so that the image output for external monitors works via Mini DisplayPort (mDP). To get an image output from your laptop's Thunderbolt port, the following settings must be adjusted in the BIOS.

-          under “Advanced “ -> “Advanced Chipset Control” -> “DDI Control” from „DDI to mDP“ switch to „DDI to TBT“

-          under “Advanced”  at „Intel Thunderbolt“ the entry „Intel Thunderbolt Technology“ must be stand at „Enabled“

-          in addition „Security Level“ must be stand at „Unique ID“

We are often asked how to deactivate the standby hotkey or button on our notebooks so that they are not accidentally pressed. For this purpose, there is an options menu directly in the Windows Control Panel, in which the actions of the standby button and the power switch can generally be defined. This option menu can be found as follows:

Control Panel -> System and Security -> Power Options
-> "Select what to do when pressing power buttons"

Tip: In this menu, you can also set the notebook not to switch to standby when closing it. It is also very useful to put the "Hibernation-Mode" on the power button. So you can turn off the system with just a single press of the button, without having to close all his open windows. The contents of the main memory are written to the hard disk and read in again when booting up. When idle, the power supply (battery and power supply) can be completely disconnected without losing the data.

The time of delivery depends on four factors:

• Availability of components
• Date of receipt of payment
• Production time
• Shipping term from Leipzig to your destination

In general you have to expect a production time between receipt and shipping within 2-3 business days. Normally, with advance payment this means:

• Components in stock, order will be triggered.
• Order Confirmation is on time, advance payment is requested.
• The transfer takes about 1-3 days until it appears on our account and will be booked.
• Payment has been received - we begin production.
• 2-3 business days later: the notebook or PC will be shipped via DHL or UPS.
• In Germany we usually deliver the next day. Deliveries to any country inside Europe usually take 2-4 days.

In order to shorten the whole process, you have the following options:

• Payment via PayPal, credit card or cash: it saves the extra 1-3 business days for the bank runtime. The production process itself is not accelerated, so it stays at 2-3 working days production time to arrive.

Should you have any further questions, please contact us.

1. Order received: This means we have registered your order in our system. The confirmation of receipt is not yet an order confirmation.

2. Order confirmation by Schenker Technologies: Your order is confirmed in a separate e-mail which means that this is the binding acceptance of the purchase contract and may at the same time be the payment prompt (for certain payment methods).

3. Order in production: As Schenker Technologies builds devices specifically to its customer's needs all orders are handled and produced individually. This usually takes about 2-3 working days, but may vary according to devices that are in production at the same time and availability of components. Of course we will inform you via e-mail in case of any delays. 

4. Package handed over to logistics partner. Order has been finished: In this case you have already received a shipping confirmation and will receive your order shortly. The shipping confirmation also lists the tracking code for your delivery and you can track the package until it has arrived at your door.

First of all: Please use the textbox "your comments" (max 255 characters.)for general comments during the order process. Here you can add short notes about special offers, requests or delivery criteria.

Disk Partitioning

If you like a special allocation of your primary hard drive, this can be done at no extra charge. The maximum number of partitions is limited - we recommend a maximum of two partitions on the system disk: one partition for the operating system and one partition for your data. To specify your partition requirements, please use the textbox "your comments" during the ordering process. All other disks can be partitioned by you easily via "Disk Management" in Windows. For instructions, see here.

Delivery without preconfigured components

If you already own a data carrier medium, the corresponding component can be excluded from the configuration and the purchase price can be lowered.

Display variants

Note. These changes can affect §3 of our Conditions 
If you want display that is not offered in your desired configuration, please ask for it via e-mail before ordering. Some options are not offered in the shop, due to the high cost of conversion and the resulting upgrade prices. Please note that such special solutions may have a poorer price / performance ratio. Furthermore, you will forfeit your right of revocation because of this individual variation. Prices and detailed options you may inquired via e-mail.

Some XMG/SCHENKER models are also available without logo on request. This is particularly suitable for business customers who want to apply their own company logo by laser engraving or UV printing on the display cover. If you would like to order your selected model without XMG/SCHENKER logo, please select the option "No logo on display lid" in the configurator slot "BRAND LOGO".
For some models this may also depend on the configuration (e.g. display and graphics card). If you have any questions, please contact us by e-mail before ordering.

Please note that even with a logo-free case, our XMG/SCHENKER logo will still be visible on the startup screen (depending on the setting) when booting up.

Sometimes we are able to offer devices that have slight traces of use in our online shop. These are either returned laptops, or devices which have been in use at fairs or other events. 
All of these devices have been evaluated by us again and have been technically examined. The traces are mostly minor scratches on housing parts. Laptops with scratches on the display are generally not sold. 
The protective films on these devices have quite often been removed already. Also the keyboard could possibly already have minimal wear phenomena. 
All units are individually assembled and cleaned according to customer requirements and are in perfect condition technically. We cannot always offer driver cd but otherwise all the accessories (power supply, battery) are complete. All drivers can of course be downloaded from the support section. 
If the devices are older models (e.g. 1 year or older), they can be found in our "Hot Deals" section. When it comes to cutting-edge models, the option "chassis with slight traces" is (if available) offered directly in the configurator of the respective model.

It is possible to make an intra-community EU delivery with a net invoice with deduction of the 19% VAT. Unfortunately, this process cannot be carried out via bestware.com.
 
Simply send us your company data including the desired configuration by e-mail to sales@schenker-tech.de or contact us at +49 341 246 70 4 - 9894. Our Business Sales Team will be happy to assist you.
 
We need an extract from your business registration with the following contents: VAT ID. (VAT-ID), the full company name, the officially registered location and the legal form of the company.
 
This data will be checked by us at the German Federal Central Tax Office. It is necessary that the delivery and invoice address are identical or that the delivery address is verifiably equivalent to an officially registered location of the company.

How many monitors can be connected to your laptop depends on the connection and resolution of the display. Notebooks with the power-saving techniques NVIDIA Optimus are in general more limited - but they offer the possibility to directly connect display ports directly to the dedicated graphics card. To learn how many displays your notebook can operate natively, please see the datasheet or user guide. 
If you encounter limitations, the following products can help:

• Matrox TripleHead2Go DP Edition - not to be confused with the DVI variant of TripeHead2Go. (See Review in the forum of Notebookcheck)
• Club-3D Multi Stream Transport (MST) hub (see announcement on Tom's hardware)
• Port Replicators (USB Docking Stations) with DisplayLink chipset
• Intel Wireless Display

Which of these solutions is best for you depends largely on the intended use and the existing facilities. Please read the respective FAQ posts on the port replicators and Intel Wireless Display, to gather information on any possible restrictions.

Please find a business notebook with a full-fledged docking station here SCHENKER F516. All I/O-Ports are lead to the outside via PCI-Express. The docking station features its own PSU and is able to charge the battery of the notebook.

Next to the ordinary, proprietary docking stations there are also so-called port replicators. While their use was pretty restricted when there were mostly USB 2.0 ports, they become more and more valued by customers as USB 3.0 and further ports make more use of them.

Docking Station / Port Replicator with USB 3.0

Widely used are port replicators with USB 3.0. They offer sufficient bandwidth to provide the following ports:

• Gigabit-LAN
• USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
• Stereo-Sound (in and out)
• DVI-I (compatible with VGA) and HDMI

These docking station or port replicators offer all possibilities to connect all peripheral devices needed on your desk with Plug&Play. These docking stations feature dedicated controller for all ports. The display ports are controlled by a special DisplayLink-Controller and allow you to operate two external monitors with a resolution of up to 2048x1152, on top of the display of the notebook itself.

Important information:

• For easily operating the docking station, all manufacturer's drivers need to be up to date and installed correctly.
• There are many models on the market but not all of them are similarly reliable. Some models have stability problems under certain circumstances. We therefore recommend the following models at this time:
  • j5 create USB 3.0 UltraStation JUD500
  • i-tec Docking Station Advance
  • i-tec Docking Station Advance Mini
  • Toshiba Dynadock U3.0 Universal
  • TARGUS USB 3.0 Dual Video (ACP70EUZ)
• DisplayLink-Controller (DL-3900) has some problems with displaying 3D applications in full screen mode. This means, we cannot recommend to play 3D games on monitors that are connected via docking station. This is hopefully going to change with new driver updates. To use full screen applications, please use the display of your notebook or a monitor directly plugged into your notebook.

Interesting test (in German) for universal docking stations with USB 3.0 can be found here:

Eins für alles - USB-Dockingstationen gegen den Kabelsalat in c't 12/2012
Toshiba Dynadock U3.0 Universal USB 3.0 Docking Station Review auf TweakTown.com
USB Docking Station im Test: Fujitsu USB 3.0 Port Replicator PR08 auf Notebookcheck.com

Docking-Station / Port-Replicator with USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C

USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C doubles USB bandwidth from 5 Gbit/s to 10 Gbit/s. Docking stations with this port generally do not differ from ones with USB 3.0 variants. Each port (LAN, sound, display etc.)is still managed by its own controller and is translated into an USB protocol. Double the bandwidth basically leads to the capacity of supporting higher display resolutions or the Gigabit-LAN-port can be better used while at the same time using the display.

At this time (February 2016) the range of products is unfortunately rather small, due to the fact that notebooks with USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C are not widely offered yet.

Docking Station / Port-Replicator with Thunderbolt 3 Type-C

Thunderbolt 3 offers 40 Gbit/s via a native PCI-Express-ort, which means that the translation into USB protocol is not necessary. Also, Thunderbolt 3 can release a natives DisplayPort signal via Type-C. These port replicators will have an advantage when it comes to bandwidth and compatibility compared to their USB predecessors. But still a power supply is needed to support the notebook. Thunderbolt 3 is rather expensive due to time-consuming certification and to this date (February 2016) only available in high-end notebooks like the SCHENKER WORK-Series. A higher availability of Thunderbolt 3 via Type-C is expected with Intel Kaby Lake.