In the competitive world of creator laptops, Samsung has made its mark with the release of the Galaxy Book3 Ultra 16. Designed specifically for creative tasks, this laptop combines a restrained RTX 4070 graphics card and a slowed-down Core i9-13900H CPU to deliver an exceptional thin and powerful notebook that can rival the MacBook Pro. While it excels in creative tasks, it also offers the option for occasional gaming under Windows, provided the available performance meets your needs.
One of the standout features of the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is its remarkable thickness. Measuring under 17 mm, it takes the top spot among similarly well-equipped competitors. Achieving such sleekness is no small feat and is made possible through a combination of compact cooling solutions and permanently soldered hardware. Additionally, the powerful Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and the RTX 4070 graphics chip have been significantly throttled in terms of power consumption.
With a maximum power consumption of 100 W, the Galaxy Book3 Ultra pales in comparison to similarly equipped gaming notebooks that consume twice as much or even more power. It's worth noting that even the MacBook Pro with an M2 chip boasts even more impressive power efficiency. As a result, the Galaxy Book3 Ultra may not come out on top in benchmarks, except in areas such as battery runtime and noise development, particularly when using the "Quiet" mode, which further lowers the power supply.
While the laptop can handle gaming to some extent, the results are not particularly impressive. However, it is still capable of running current titles at maximum details, which is commendable given its limited cooling options. But in truth, the entire hardware configuration of the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is primarily optimized for media editing, 3D rendering, and similar creative tasks. The system is well-suited for such operations, aided by the large and highly responsive touchpad.
One notable highlight of the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is its 3K OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. This display offers high color fidelity and almost perfect color space coverage, resulting in a solid overall picture quality. In our review of the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra 16, we found that the display performed admirably in various measurements, benchmarks, and evaluations.
Despite its many strengths, the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is not without its limitations. The compact cooling design may restrict the laptop's potential for prolonged heavy workloads. Additionally, the power consumption limitations imposed on the CPU and GPU may hinder its performance in certain demanding applications. These considerations should be taken into account when considering this laptop for your specific needs.
In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra 16 is a noteworthy contender in the realm of creator laptops. Its impressive thinness, combined with its powerful yet restrained hardware configuration, sets it apart from the competition. While it may not excel in gaming performance, it excels in media editing, 3D rendering, and other creative tasks. The high-quality OLED display further enhances the user experience. If you're a creative professional looking for a quiet and hot creator laptop, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra 16 is certainly worth considering.
