Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14 review: Light as a feather

Price When Reviewed

$1,449.99

Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 14 NP940XGK-KG2DE

$1449.99

$1449.99

When it involves the Galaxy Book line of laptops, Samsung has established itself in high-end notebooks for skilled use. The laptops look wonderful, are mild and slim, and supply nice shows. The new Galaxy Book4 Pro with a 14-inch display screen isn’t any exception. It has an OLED touchscreen with 3K decision, its very sturdy aluminum casing weighs simply 2.64 kilos and it’s round 12 millimeters skinny. It’s completed within the traditional gray of a trendy enterprise pocket book (Moonstone Grey colour variant), which elegantly modifications to a bluish hue relying on the incidence of sunshine.

Bottom line? The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14 is a light-weight, elegant all-rounder for enterprise professionals. Let’s dig into why.

Looking for extra laptop computer choices? Be certain to take a look at PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops out there at this time.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: First impressions

In the fourth era of Galaxy Books, Samsung depends on processors from the brand new Intel Meteor Lake platform, within the case of the take a look at machine on a Core Ultra 7 155H. This CPU era is characterised by a considerably completely different structure by which Intel assembles the processor modularly from particular person chips (aka tiles). However, most pocket book producers, together with Samsung, promote Meteor Lake primarily as an AI processor as a result of new NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

There’s little proof of AI on the Galaxy Book4 Pro, however this additionally applies to different Meteor Lake laptops. For instance, the take a look at machine lacks the Copilot button and, aside from the Windows Studio results, that are supposed to enhance video conferences through AI by means of auto-framing, computerized eye contact, and background blurring, there aren’t any apps that may use the NPU.

This is disappointing, as Samsung’s present Galaxy smartphones present how AI may be put to good use. Even apps akin to Samsung Gallery, which may make the most of AI features on the smartphone, don’t supply them within the Windows model.

At the start of the benchmarks, it wasn’t the shortage of AI on the Galaxy Book4 Pro that frightened us, however the depressing efficiency. The laptop computer’s mouse clicks have been very delayed, packages have been sluggish to open, and the primary set of benchmarks delivered disappointing outcomes. The issues can’t be solved with Windows updates and the Samsung Device Care evaluation software, as they can not discover extra up-to-date drivers.

Only the handbook set up of a brand new GPU driver directly from Intel solves the efficiency dilemma. Apparently, the motive force for the Arc GPU put in by Samsung in December is liable for the sluggish efficiency. After the motive force replace, the pocket book runs as anticipated.

Thomas Rau

Thomas Rau

Thomas Rau

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: Performance

The new inner GPU is the efficiency spotlight of Meteor Lake. In system assessments akin to PCMark 10 and Crossmark, the brand new CPU era stands out from its predecessors from Raptor Lake’s U, P, and H collection, primarily as a result of its considerably improved graphics efficiency. The Galaxy Book4 Pro performs above common in all functions that make heavy use of the GPU akin to rendering and photograph and video enhancing. This signifies that compact Meteor Lake laptops such because the Samsung laptop computer are actually a lot better suited to multimedia and graphics duties.

The Arc graphics in Meteor Lake can even set itself aside from the Iris Xe Graphics of the predecessor CPUs in gaming assessments. In the 3DMark, it’s 70 % quicker in Night Raid and nearly twice as quick in Time Spy. This doesn’t make the Samsung pocket book actually appropriate for gaming, particularly not in its excessive native decision of 2880×1800 pixels. You have to scale back the decision to Full HD and may solely use the medium high quality degree for graphic particulars. Even then, the Galaxy Boo 4 Pro stays properly beneath 60 fps within the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark.

Despite the elevated efficiency of the interior processor GPU, customers who do extra than simply occasional gaming or skilled multimedia enhancing ought to nonetheless depend on an extra GPU. This additionally applies to AI functions, because the take a look at with the AI benchmark Procyon proves. The NPU from Meteor Lake scores round 500 factors within the Integer take a look at with AI functions based mostly on Intel’s Open-Vino programming setting–by the way, the identical because the GPU from Meteor Lake. An RTX 4070 GPU performs the identical duties 4 occasions as quick based mostly on Nvidia Tensor with considerably larger energy consumption.

In addition, Samsung limits the CPU efficiency as a result of 14-inch type issue and solely permits the Core Ultra a most energy consumption of 60 watts and a regular consumption of 28 watts, whereas this processor in 16-inch notebooks is often allowed to work with as much as 80 watts and 45 watts in normal mode.

Accordingly, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro is round ten to 15 % slower within the system benchmarks than massive Meteor Lake notebooks. In the Cinebench R23 CPU take a look at, the Samsung laptop computer solely achieves slightly below 9,000 factors whereas the Core Ultra 7 155H in a 16-inch pocket book achieves round 14,000 factors.

Thomas Rau

Thomas Rau

Thomas Rau

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: Battery life

The Galaxy Book 4 Pro advantages from the economical CPU setting in battery mode. At lower than 5 watts, the ability consumption is round one watt decrease than a comparably geared up 16-inch pocket book with Meteor Lake and can also be considerably decrease than a pocket book with a Raptor Lake H CPU and an OLED display screen. However, the laptop computer’s 13 hour battery life remains to be not significantly lengthy as a result of Samsung solely installs a battery with 62 watt hours as a result of low weight and slim type issue.

The greatest mobility benefit of the Samsung pocket book is its low weight, which additionally applies to the 65 watt energy provide. It weighs solely 166 grams and fills the laptop computer battery to 81 % after one hour of charging.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: Fan noise, temperature

The Galaxy Book4 Pro hardly heats up even throughout longer load phases. The working noise is 38 dB(A) within the load take a look at. It reached 42 dB(A) after I switched on Windows’ High Performance setting. Many Meteor Lake pocket book already ship in the usual Balanced setting.

The palm relaxation doesn’t heat up a lot within the load take a look at. The underside of the pocket book heats as much as a most of 45 levels, so you possibly can simply place it in your thighs.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: Display

The show is all the time a spotlight of the Galaxy Book laptops. Our overview unit has an OLED touchscreen with 3K decision (2880×1800) and 10-bit colour depth, which presents a refresh charge of as much as 120Hz. The in-house panel is protected by Gorilla Glass DX. The display screen just isn’t fully reflection-free, as claimed by the producer Corning, however is barely much less reflective than different touchscreens in direct mild.

The Galaxy Book4 Pro additionally demonstrates some great benefits of OLED know-how” the distinction is extraordinarily excessive, the luminance could be very evenly distributed, and the colour copy is excellent. With Samsung overlaying nearly all essential colour areas and minimal colour deviation, it’s barely higher than different OLED notebooks. The brightness can also be pleasantly excessive at over 400 cd/sqm, only some pocket book screens are brighter, however they often use dearer panels with mini-LED backlight.

The Galaxy Book4 Pro is right for pictures and movies and even those that solely come into contact with colour in PowerLevel shows and Excel diagrams at work might be happy with the excellent image high quality.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: Ports

The Galaxy Book 4 Pro 14 solely comes with 512GB of SSD storage, which isn’t a lot area given the value. On the opposite hand, the pocket book presents many ports for a 14-inch laptop computer. There are two Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 on board, one Type-A port with USB 3.2 Gen 1, and an HDMI output. The slot for micro SD playing cards and audio connection through mini-jack are additionally welcome, as they’re now not commonplace on light-weight enterprise laptops.

The entrance digicam with Full HD decision makes you look good in video calls and you can even log in securely through the digicam or the finger sensor within the energy button.

Unlike many Meteor Lake laptops, the Wi-Fi module within the Galaxy Book solely helps Wi-Fi 6E and never Wi-Fi 7, however Wi-Fi 7 stays in its early days for now anyway.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: Keyboard and touchpad

Despite the concentrate on elegant design and low weight, enterprise notebooks ought to by no means neglect working parts such because the keyboard and touchpad.

Samsung makes no compromises right here with the Galaxy Book4 Pro. The keyboard is sturdy, all keys present clear strain suggestions even when typing rapidly they usually stay comparatively quiet. The quantity keys are smaller than the opposite keys, however they’re straightforward to succeed in as a result of Samsung has positioned them barely away from the keyboard.

Sensitive customers could also be bothered by the clearly audible clicking noise of the touchpad. However, it supplies clear and constant suggestions over the complete touchpad floor due to the secure construct. Multi-finger gestures additionally labored simply tremendous.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14 specs and options

Should you purchase the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro?

Absolutely, in the event you’re within the target market. As we stated up high: The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14 is a light-weight, elegant all-rounder for enterprise professionals who want dependable efficiency and ample options on the go.

This article initially appeared on PC Welt and has been translated from German to English.