Big, powerful, well-balanced and a handsome OLED screen: If you want performance in a stylish jacket, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is the right choice.

Since the beginning of 2022, Samsung has been present again on the laptop market in Belgium and the Netherlands. Sharing the same Galaxy name as the well-known smartphone devices, a Galaxy Book 2 range was launched, with each model sporting an eye-catching OLED screen. Prices start at 1,449 euros (incl. VAT) for the basic model. We never got to test these laptops, but on paper they looked very competitive compared to the competition.

In 2023 it will be the turn of the Galaxy Book 3 models. Being one of the first to have a 13th generation Intel chip and Nvidia 4000 series graphics card on board. We have already extensively tested the 14-inch Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro. You can find all the results in detail here.

We recommend reading this review first. For the test of the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra (2,478 euros excl. VAT), we repeat the same features only to a limited extent and focus more on the unique parts.

Internationally you can get the Ultra variant in different configurations. In Belgium, you only have one choice: 16 GB RAM, 1 TB storage, 16-inch screen and Nvidia RTX 4050.

complete package

A look at the new Galaxy Book models makes it immediately clear that Samsung has done away with Apple. Certainly the 16-inch model with the huge touchpad is almost a copy of the MacBook Pro. Fortunately, what hasn’t been copied is the limited port selection. On the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra you will find: microSD card slot, USB-A (USB 3.2), 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), HDMI (v2.1) and a jack connection.

We think this port selection is perfect on a business laptop. The only minor comment is that both USB-C ports are on one side. That somewhat limits your flexibility when working with a USB-C monitor or docking station.

We don’t know whether the construction is also very robust. In our opinion, it seems to be a more fragile notebook than the average business laptop. Traditionally, manufacturers of professional laptops subject their devices to a series of MIL-STD tests to ensure they meet the requirements. We can still find numbers from such tests in the predecessor, but not in the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro. We recommend you consider this if you travel a lot and take your laptop with you everywhere.

Beautiful OLED screen

Laptops and OLED screens: it seems like a perfect combination, but we had to wait a long time for it. Last year we saw the first devices on the market, 2023 will be the year of the breakthrough. We’ve already reviewed the HP Specter x360 with an OLED screen, but the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is of a different caliber.

Like the 14-inch Pro variant we previously reviewed, this screen performs brilliantly. Although it is slightly larger, we see almost the same values. Samsung supplies three display profiles: DCI-P3, RGB and AdobeRGB. A DeltaE value below two is excellent for professional work. We’re very close to that.

Thanks to the wide color space (103% DCI-P3, 154% RGB, 70% BT.2020), creative professionals can further refine this screen as desired. Note the extremely glossy finish, which played tricks on us in some cases. The maximum measured screen brightness of 396 cd/m² is sometimes a bit low in sunny weather with some reflections when the device is placed near the window.

The screen has an aspect ratio of 16:10, 2,880 x 1,800 pixels. If we want, we prefer a 3:2 ratio to be more productive. A plus is the high refresh rate: 120 Hz. With Windows 11, you can choose whether the laptop changes dynamically or always opts for 120 Hz. So that the dynamic switching never really works smoothly, it is best to always select 120 Hz here. The effects on the battery are rather limited.

high-end hardware

The biggest weakness of the 14-inch Pro variant was the fan, which started up immediately with the slightest load. Now that we’ve been working with a 16-inch model for a few weeks, we can conclude that Samsung designed the Galaxy Book 3 series primarily for larger models. The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is significantly quieter. The fan only kicks in when the workload really gets significantly heavier, as we expect.

Samsung also pushes through the Ultra version with a full-fledged Intel Core i7-13700H. The processor loses some of its flexibility due to the thin case, but those who need many CPU cores for daily work will still benefit from it. Let’s look at the MSI Stealth 16 Studio, which has the same CPU but much better cooling (in a thicker chassis). This allows MSI to increase the TDP value (maximum wattage).

This is noticeable with workloads that put a heavy load on the CPU. For example, the MSI Stealth 16 Studio renders complex scenes faster and can compress files more fluidly. Still, the difference isn’t huge in general. Compared to the MSI Summit E16, which has an Intel Core i7-1280P from the previous generation on board, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra performs significantly better despite the same number of cores.

Graphically, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 performs excellently. Compared to the integrated Intel graphics card in the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro, the difference is clear. The MSI Stealth 16 Studio has an RTX 4070 on board, which performs slightly better. The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra can be configured with such a chip abroad (QWERTY). In Belgium we have to be content with the RTX 4050.

A small workplace

However, when it comes to graphics-intensive workloads, the difference between an RTX 4050 and an RTX 4070 is huge. For CAD workloads that rely on the GPU, we find that the MSI notebook sometimes performs 40 to almost 60 percent better. Unsurprisingly, this extends to compute workloads that utilize the GPU as well. There we see that the RTX 4050 is quickly 30 percent less powerful. The modest 16 GB of RAM also speak against the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.

Both graphically and in terms of CPU, this Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is not a disgrace, but we notice that the power user who will stay hungry. From our benchmark results we see that not only the cooling is responsible for this, but also the performance of the Nvidia RTX 4050 and in particular the 16 GB of RAM, which can be doubled in this configuration.

Decent webcam, too much bloatware

The webcam, the lack of face recognition via Windows Hello and the fingerprint sensor are identical to the Pro variant of this laptop. You can read about this in detail in the review of the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro.

Ditto for the oodles of bloatware that Samsung puts on every Galaxy Book 3, including the Ultra variant. Nobody who pays almost 2,500 euros excluding VAT for a laptop will be happy when McAfee reports that if you click something, the world will end. Disgusting.

Samsung also installs many of its own tools on Windows 11, which is already loaded with bloatware. We count a total of 30 (!). Why not bundle everything into a handful of applications? Seems more efficient to us, especially on Windows. We understand the separate app approach a bit better on their Galaxy phones, but that’s unnecessary here. The marketing team must not gain their logical mind here. And leave Bixby at home.

How good is the battery?

Due to the rather “usual” battery life of the Pro version due to the small battery in the 14-inch case, we had hoped that the large 16-inch Ultra version would be a battery king. Nothing is less true. The values ​​are again “normal”, but not excellent. That’s a shame, especially for a device in this price range.

Thanks to the economical M2 chip and the ideal optimization for macOS, a MacBook Pro lasts four to eight hours longer. Compared to other workstations, the results are “decent”. If we compare it to a premium 13-inch portable laptop like the HP Dragonfly G3, you’ll see the difference. We suspect that the Intel chip in this device is consuming a bit too much power and that the OLED screen could also have an impact.

Samsung proudly states that it comes with a 97-watt charger to charge the laptop quickly, but this is disappointing in practice. The battery is significantly larger than the 14-inch Pro version (with a 65-watt charger), so the charging time isn’t much faster. On the other hand, the handicap for a 14-inch portable is greater than for a heavy 16-inch that you use less often.

Diploma

On paper this is our dream laptop: OLED, 120Hz, thin, light, strong performance and lots of ports. We were so impressed at the presentation that we almost wanted to place an order. Rarely has a laptop captivated us as much as an overall picture.

After testing the 14-inch Pro variant, we were concerned that Samsung would make another mistake, but the 16-inch Ultra variant is cut from a different cloth. The overall configuration is eye-catching, not to mention the beautiful OLED screen. Anyone looking for a 16-inch laptop with light workstation equipment will find a top-of-the-range device in the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.

Tested configuration: Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra NP960XFH (2,478 euros excl. VAT): Intel Core i7-13700H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 1 TB NVMe SSD, 16 GB RAM, 16-inch glossy screen (2880 x 1800 pixels), Windows 11 home.

Standard warranty: two years Collect & Return support in the Benelux.