Review: Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra

The Galaxy Book3 Ultra is Samsung’s answer to its archrival, the MacBook Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends). Like Apple’s most powerful laptops, this new Ultra machine is luxe, packs a whole lot of power, and comes with a high price.

This device isn’t a home run for Samsung; its limitations are predictable. But if you’re looking for a MacBook Pro–like device that opens up the world of gaming to you, it’s well worth your consideration.

The Ultra won’t surprise you if you’re familiar with the Galaxy Book range. Samsung hasn’t been adventurous—it’s the same, but bigger, with the same metal body and understated look. The thicker device features a 16-inch 3K Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, a bright and rich display that brings the added benefit of a 120-Hz refresh rate.

Don’t let the big screen fool you—it’s an immensely portable machine, comfortably more so than its 16-inch MacBook Pro rival. They are similarly sized, but the Ultra weighs almost a pound less than the M2 Max version of Apple’s machine, at 3.9 pounds (1.8 kilograms). Beyond needing a bag big enough to stow it, this is definitely a laptop that can be ferried between work and home.

Pleasingly, portability hasn’t led to a lack of power—the combination of an Intel Core i9-13900H chip and Nvidia RTX card make for a potent team-up. My $3,000 review model features the RTX 4070, 32-GB RAM, and 1-TB SSD. The cheapest version comes in at $2,200 (£2,449), with an RTX 4050, i7-13700H, 16-GB RAM, and 512-GB SSD. Strangely, you won’t be able to pick up a 32-GB RAM model in the UK, limiting you to just 16 GB.

Those are some high prices, but the top-spec model I’m testing is $500 less than the comparative 32-GB unified memory and 1-TB SSD M2 Max 16-Inch MacBook Pro, and $200 less than an equivalent Razer Blade 16 configuration—though the latter comes with a better processor. 

Photograph: Samsung

The performance of the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is solid, if underwhelming. For gamers, titles with a focus on quality and detail fare well, with Assassin’s Creed comfortably hitting 60 frames per second on Ultra settings on this 3K display. The same goes for Borderlands 3, with 3K Low settings or QHD Medium hitting 60 frames per second. In Apex Legends, where frames per second are king, you’ll have to drop down to QHD Low settings to hit the maximum this 120-Hz panel can offer. 

A surprising result is this machine being outmatched by one of the few big titles that run on macOS: Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The 16-inch M2 Max MacBook Pro managed 120 frames per second on QHD Ultra settings compared to 74 frames per second on the Samsung. Those looking at this as a gaming device can certainly get more value elsewhere if luxe design and portability aren’t a priority.

For creatives, the picture is rosier. Samsung’s highest-spec Ultra is just pipped by the MacBook Pro when comparing their performance in Adobe Premiere Pro. This laptop is more than capable as a tool for creators doing demanding editing work, but it falls short of the M2 Max’s capabilities, and crucially, unlike Apple’s machine, needs to be on power for its full capabilities. Using this laptop unplugged sees a huge dip in performance.

Expectedly, this machine also eats up intense productivity tasks, getting beyond 25 tabs in Chrome before experiencing anything like a slowdown. Whether it’s productivity, gaming, or creativity, you won’t annoy desk neighbors when getting down to work, with the fans never getting absurdly loud. The device doesn’t get uncomfortably hot either, merely slightly warm to the touch.

When putting a device up against one of Apple’s latest MacBook laptops, battery life is a big challenge. Samsung’s attempt provides mixed results. For productivity, the MacBook Pro lasted almost two of my typical work days—mostly consisting of tabs in Chrome, time on Slack, and Zoom meetings. The Ultra just about reaches one day—half that of the MacBook, and you’ll be battling battery anxiety for the last few hours. Not ideal.

The speedy 100-W charger eases the blow, getting you back up from dead to full power in around an hour and 10 minutes. I was surprised by what happens when you push this laptop with intense editing workloads. It actually matches the MacBook Pro, getting closer to two hours.

As with battery life, the speakers aren’t on the same level as the MacBook Pro. They are fine for a productivity laptop, beating the HP Spectre x360 14. But the Surface Laptop Go 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has Samsung licked here. Still, both are a far cry from the dizzy heights of the MacBook Pro’s excellent audio. Clarity is king with the Galaxy Book3 Ultra, but the soundstage is unimpressive, the bass is lacking, and detail gets lost at high volumes.

Back to the hardware—a gaming keyboard this is not. It’s an average productivity keyboard, offering just enough travel and a small but satisfying amount of feedback. For games, you’d want significantly more. I’m testing the new ROG Strix Scar 18 alongside this, and there is just no comparison to be made to Asus’ excellent gaming-friendly keys.

The trackpad is delightfully huge, but, true to the form of previous Galaxy Book models, the click isn’t all that satisfying. The webcam gets just a passing grade, too, providing crisp colors and satisfactory detail. In another swing at the MacBook Pro, Samsung calls the microphones in the Ultra “studio quality,” just like Apple. The results are strong, with clear and accurate audio produced.

Photograph: Samsung

This is a good productivity laptop, with a keyboard that’s great for essay writing, along with a big and bright display. However, the battery life falls short of the majority of Windows rivals in our Best Laptops guide, and it’s a league or two below what you’ll find on the MacBook Pro.

For gaming, the performance is strong, and the 120-Hz panel is a welcome speedy addition. But this isn’t a keyboard for gaming—serious players will want to plug in an external option. So, it’d be better for those well-invested in laptop gaming to look at portable gaming devices like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) or cheaper options with battery gaming chops in our best budget gaming laptops guide.

Creativity is where this laptop excels, particularly in how it shows strong battery life when under a demanding workload. Serious editors will be satisfied with the RTX 3070 configuration. The 3K display complements this well, too. But to satisfy creatives further, the port selection could be better.

So, Samsung’s Galaxy Book3 Ultra isn’t good enough to be a MacBook Pro rival. It makes the most sense as a Dell XPS 15 competitor. And, looking at it that way, it fairs well. The Ultra is more portable and with a more modern design. 

There’s better value to be found elsewhere if you know what your priorities are going to be. But if you’re willing to deal with a battery-life mixed bag, and to spend extra for a quality build, then this laptop can serve you well as a jack-of-all-trades machine. Still, this means it’s a master of none.