Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review

Summary

In this day and age, what are the requirements to surpass the MacBook Pro? a greater extent than you may think. On the other hand, I’m not referring to the little M3 model that measures 14 inches. The M3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro is the target of Samsung’s recent Galaxy Book4 Ultra, which is the company’s attempt to compete with the big boys.

With a graphics processing unit (GPU) that can reach up to an RTX 4070 and a Core Ultra 9 185H processor, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is one of the very few non-gaming laptops that has attempted to compete with the M3 Max MacBook Pro that is available on the market. At the very least, on paper.

Unfortunately, it fails to meet expectations in a few significant aspects, which prevents it from being able to compete with its rivals.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: specifications and cost

There are just two preconfigured variants available for the Galaxy Book4 Ultra now. A Core Ultra 7 155H, RTX 4050, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage are included in the more affordable variant, which costs $2,400 and comes with other features. A Core Ultra 9 185H, an RTX 4070, 32 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM), and a 1 terabyte solid-state drive (SSD) were included in the more costly model that I am examining. At a price of $3,000, it is rather expensive for the specifications that it has.

For a far lower price, you may get a multitude of gaming laptops that provide comparable performance. When it comes to the ROG Zephyrus G16, for instance, it has a price tag of $1,750 and comes equipped with an RTX 4070, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage space. Even though it has a lower amount of random access memory (RAM) than the Galaxy Book4 Ultra that I used for my review, it is cheaper by more than a thousand dollars, and it even has an OLED screen. Or, there is the Alienware m16 R2, which, for a price that is $750 cheaper, can be customized to be identical to the Galaxy Book4 Ultra (with the exception of the OLED screen).

Although it is far more affordable than the Dell XPS 16, which is perhaps its most direct opponent, it is nonetheless a contender. There is a $550 reduction in cost when those two are arranged in a comparable manner.

The Galaxy Book4 Ultra has the most significant challenge in terms of affordability when compared to the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16, which is the best notebook. With the same CPU, RAM, and storage as before, as well as an RTX 4060, it can be purchased for the low price of $1,900. In spite of the fact that it has a GPU that is apparently “weaker,” the performance is remarkably comparable (more on that later).

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: Crafting

It is not a very dazzling device, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra device. It is a simple silver laptop that does not have a lot of flashy features. In the absence of the Samsung logo that is shown on the top of the device, it would be difficult to differentiate this one from any other. There is a possibility that Samsung is attempting to achieve a design that is similar to that of the MacBook, but it seems to be really uninteresting.

The fact is that it does have a few parts that are notable. The rounded edges of the screen are one of the design embellishments that, to my liking, are included. The other members of the Galaxy Book4 family and the MacBook Pro are also compatible with this, so it fits in nicely with the atmosphere of Windows 11. Moreover, the bezels that run over the top of the screen are not very thick. Nevertheless, other than that, this laptop is about as unremarkable in appearance as you can get.

Additionally, the dimensions of the laptop are an essential component of the design scheme. This laptop has a weight of 4 pounds and a thickness of just 0.65 inches, which is rather tiny for a device that packs this much power. It is even slightly thinner than the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is a significant improvement over the Dell XPS 16, which is quite a bit thinner. A laptop that is both more portable and capable of being setup with an RTX 4070 is quite unlikely to be found. Having accomplished that is a success in and of itself.

Additionally, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra has solid construction. Samsung refers to it as a “sturdy yet lightweight metal frame,” which is a description that seems to be accurate. Despite the fact that it is not a single piece of machined aluminum, there are no obvious areas of flex or weaknesses in the stiffness of the material.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: :Exhibit at

In terms of pixel density, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra display has a resolution of 2880 by 1800 pixels and a screen size of 16 inches. This results in a pixel density of 212 pixels per inch. Despite the fact that this screen does not have exactly the same pixel density as the 16-inch MacBook Pro or the Dell XPS 16, you are not likely to be dissatisfied with the sharpness of the display. A variable refresh rate of 120Hz is also included, which is the same as that of the MacBook Pro. That is all really nice material.

However, keep in mind that this has an OLED panel, which is comparable to the Dell XPS 16. This indicates that not only do you receive excellent contrast, but you also get beautiful colors. Additionally, it has a Delta-E value of 0.74, which indicates that it has excellent color accuracy and a broad color contrast, reaching 96% AdobeRGB and 100% DCI-P3. For a laptop designed specifically for artists, each and every one of these features is of the utmost significance.

In addition, Samsung has included an anti-reflective coating, which addresses an issue that was present in a significant number of previous OLED laptop displays. It is hardly the case that you are continuously looking at your own mirror, and even glare is not a really distracting thing. The maximum brightness of 376 nits is not very brilliant, but it is standard for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. It is possible to increase the brightness of both IPS and mini-LED panels; nonetheless, the MacBook Pro has the brightest laptop screen and the most striking high dynamic range (HDR) effect. On the other hand, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 comes close, reaching a maximum dynamic range (SDR) brightness of 652 nits and a peak HDR brightness of up to 1,000.

The screen on the MacBook Pro is superior than the screen on the Galaxy Book4 Ultra, but the display on the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is still stunning.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: The ports

A comprehensive assortment of ports is included in the Galaxy Book4 Ultra. Not only is there a headphone jack, but there are also two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and HDMI 2.1. You won’t have to resort to dongles since it will provide you with all you need right now.

On the other hand, there is one exception. This device does not have a slot for an SD card, which is something that the XPS 16 also does not have. The contour of the edge, which is determined by the positioning of the vents and speakers, makes it very evident that there is not sufficient space on the side. Nevertheless, it is a disadvantage for those who regularly want the ability to transmit files straight from a camera.

However, it does come with a microSD card slot, which might be beneficial for expanding the amount of storage space or downloading data from a drone when necessary.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: The touchpad and the keyboard

Concerning the Galaxy Book4 Ultra, the keyboard is one of the most significant issues I have with it. My impression is that the key travel is rather short, which brings to mind the butterfly mechanism that was used in older MacBooks. To put it simply, the experience of typing is not really pleasant. Despite the fact that it takes some time to get accustomed to, I wouldn’t say that it is a deal-breaker.

The installation of the number pad on the right side of the screen is another key point to discuss. Despite the fact that the majority of laptop manufacturers have moved on from incorporating the additional keys—even on laptops of this size—Samsung is still adamant on keeping them in their products. I argue that the number pad is used for a rather specific purpose in today’s world and that the disadvantage of needing to place the trackpad off-center is not something that should be considered worthwhile.

When we talk about the trackpad, we should mention that the Galaxy Book4 Ultra has a good one. It is pretty big and performs adequately, with palm rejection and smooth tracking. It is also rather large. The click, on the other hand, is a little too rigid and noisy for my liking. The switch to haptic feedback trackpads has been a really enjoyable experience for me.

Both a fingerprint reader that is built into the power button and an infrared camera that is placed into the top bezel next to the webcam for Windows Hello are included in the Galaxy Book4 Ultra. Both of these cameras are designed to ensure the device’s security.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: Both speakers and webcams

A quad-speaker array and a camera with a resolution of 1080p are included with the Galaxy Book4 Ultra. Regrettably, both are often unsatisfactory in their own ways. under spite of the reasonably good lighting, the video quality is very grainy and full of artifacts. This is the case even under moderate illumination. Despite the fact that it is capable of handling the odd video chat, this is not the type of laptop that I would suggest to someone who spends their whole day in front of the camera.

Speakers aren’t much of an improvement either. The speakers of the Galaxy Book4 Ultra have a tendency to be somewhat tinny and lack bass, despite the fact that the chassis is quite massive. The sound profile is not very impressive, despite the fact that you have two speakers that face upward and two speakers that go down the sides.

When compared to even a 13-inch MacBook Air, let alone a 16-inch MacBook Pro, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra seems to be a poor device.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: The performance

A relatively limited number of configurations are available for the Galaxy Book4 Ultra, as was indicated before. In spite of this, I agree with Samsung’s choice of specifications for them. Some of the technical considerations that purchasers need to make, such as choosing between a Core Ultra 7 and a Core Ultra 9, are eliminated as a result of this. In addition to this, it assists individuals in avoiding errors such as insufficient or excessive memory purchases. The difference in pricing of $600 seems reasonable as well.

On the other hand, the RTX 4070 and the Core Ultra 9 185H are the ones that I am intrigued by the most. To be fair, there have been a great number of Samsung laptops in the past that are comparable to this one but do not have as much GPU horsepower. Specifically, it is this aspect that sets this laptop apart from others, at least in principle.

Before delving into the specifics, there are a few basic comments that are of great importance to express beforehand. To begin, the RTX 4070 that is now installed in the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is not as powerful as the RTX 4070 that is found in gaming laptops such as the HP Omen 16 or the Alienware m16 R2 or in creator notebooks that are more substantial, such as the Asus ProArt Studiobook Pro. This RTX 4070 is only capable of delivering 80 watts of power to the GPU, which means that it will not always be able to outperform a GPU of a lower class. The RTX 4060 that is included in the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 is a nice illustration of this. The graphics performance of the Yoga Pro 9i is often just as excellent as that of the Galaxy Book4 Ultra, and in some cases, it is even better. This is despite the fact that the Yoga Pro 9i has a chassis that is comparable in size.

In particular, this holds true when tested in the optimized mode, which is the default setting for the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra. When the laptop is reset to the High Performance mode that can be accessed in the Samsung Settings app, it is able to reclaim a significant portion of that differential, which is around fifteen percent. This makes it much more competitive. Despite the fact that the majority of performance modes in laptops only make a difference of around five percent, it is evident that Samsung has reduced the performance of the default optimized mode by a significant amount. The end effect is a laptop that is quieter and cooler, but it reduces the speed of the graphics processing unit (GPU) in particular if you do not modify that option.

In addition, it is essential to emphasize that the Galaxy Book4 Ultra continues to lag behind the M3 Max MacBook Pro, even when the Samsung High Performance mode is used. There is no actual difference in performance between the M3 Max MacBook Pro and any other benchmark; it is just quicker. For instance, the M3 Max is 23% faster in single-core, 46% faster in multi-core, and 38% faster in GPU when compared to the M3 Max in Cinebench R24.

Additionally, if you turn on the High Performance feature of the Galaxy Book4 Ultra, you will see that the multi-core and GPU scores both improve by 15%. The comparison is now more accurate as a result of this, but the M3 Max is still the winner. Because the M3 Pro variant is likely to wind up being a more direct competitor, I wish I had data on it so that I could see how it compares to the other configurations.

It is fascinating to have a look at how the Galaxy Book4 Ultra compares to a more direct competitor, such as the Dell XPS 16, now that those two points have been addressed. The size and width of the two laptops are comparable to one another, and both of the versions that we examined came equipped with a Core Ultra 9 185H and an RTX 4070 graphics card. There is no better analogy than this.

Generally speaking, the performance of the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is inferior to that of the XPS 16 while operating in the default mode; nevertheless, it has a greater upper range on the high end. In addition to being true in games, this is also true in synthetic benchmarks. In both Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is capable of achieving satisfactory frame rates; nevertheless, it is recommended that you maintain a resolution of 1200p and make use of frame creation capabilities. However, let me reiterate that the only way to get frame rates that are even somewhat satisfactory for this GPU is to activate the High Performance mode.

In the video game Cyberpunk 2077, for instance, the frame rate increases from merely 49 frames per second (fps) to 79 fps when the game is played at a resolution of 1200p and the Ultra preset is selected. This setting activates FSR 2.1 to auto. Comparatively, when testing the same settings on the XPS 16, which begins at an average of 68 frames per second in its balanced mode and may reach 78 frames per second in its performance mode, the results are significantly different.

Whether or not it is a good idea or whether or not it results in a laptop that is superior in general is up for debate. Considering that I have a suspicion that not many people will go to the trouble of searching for the Samsung Settings program in order to locate the High Performance toggle, it is likely that they will never be able to enjoy the full performance that this laptop is capable of providing. It is unfortunate that this occurs while you are attempting to play a game or produce a video timeline, particularly considering how the fans are turned down when the optimized mode is selected.

On the other hand, as long as you make intelligent use of it, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra may provide you with the advantages of both worlds: You may have a quiet performance for surfing the web and doing regular work, or you can have all of the fans running when you need to speed up intensive processes. If you are able to figure out how to make it work for you, then that is sort of great.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review: Battery life span

Even though it only has a battery that is 76 watt-hours in capacity, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra has a battery life that is quite impressive. In the web-browsing battery test that we conducted, which involved cycling through a number of demanding websites until the battery died, it lasted for eleven hours and forty-five minutes.

The Galaxy Book4 Ultra still offers the longest battery life of any Windows laptop of its sort, despite the fact that it is still a substantial distance behind the MacBook Pro with a 16-inch screen. I am referring to a laptop that is equipped with a discrete graphics processing unit (GPU). That the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is able to survive for such a long time may be because of Samsung’s Optimized mode, which is not very effective, but still, I am amazed. That is the one and only advantage that it has over the XPS 16 and the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16, both of which have a battery life that is almost half as long.

Is it a good idea to get the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra?

It’s a relief to know that the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is available. More appropriate alternatives to the MacBook Pro that are capable of competing at a higher level are required. However, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is more affordable than the M3 Max, despite the fact that it cannot compete with the M3 Max in terms of performance. Despite the fact that it is still a costly laptop, it is still available at a price that is hundreds of dollars lower than the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

It also has a lower price point than the XPS 16. And despite the fact that it does not have the same quality appearance as the XPS, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra has a design that is more traditional and is available at a lower price. Additionally, it has a greater number of high-end features than a product such as the MSI Prestige 16, which is more affordable. The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra fills a significant need in the market with its introduction. There are a number of other Galaxy Book 4 laptops in the lineup that are sometimes pricey, but this one makes more sense than the others in a number of different ways.

The most significant issue with the Galaxy Book4 Ultra is that it is known to be compatible with the Yoga Pro 9i. Especially considering that Lenovo offers superior keyboard and port choices, it is just not worth the additional $1,000 that it costs. It is difficult to suggest the Galaxy Book4 Ultra in comparison to some of its rivals unless you place a high value on having a longer battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review Pros