Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch assessment
The 13.3-inch sequence 5 UltraTouch is a down ringer in lieu of Samsung's bigger 14-inch sequence 5 NP530U4B. It skin texture a vertical brushed aluminum lid, which gives way to a dilute vertical strip of drab plastic along its top trim. A polished Samsung logo adorns the lid's totally margin, which adds truthful a crumb of flair. Pop the lid and the same brushed aluminum styling carries in excess of to the Ultra's baby grand deck. However, the floor of the practice is plastic.
Under the 13.3-inch pose is a faux orator grille, to the totally of which is the laptop's power button. (The genuine speakers are situated on the underside of the practice.) The Ultra's baby grand skin texture a dull black coating, while its touchpad gets a drab paint duty surrounded by chrome piping, the solitary real design wield found under the Ultra's lid.
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch Front LipClick to EnlargeWeighing 3.6 pounds and measuring 12.4 x 8.6 x 0.58 ~ 0.69 inches, the sequence 5 UltraTouch is far lighter than the 4.8-pound 14-inch Toshiba Satellite P845t (13.7 x 9.2 x 0.95 ~1.14 inches), to the same degree well to the same degree the 4.6-pound 14-inch HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 (13.5 x 9.3 x 0.9). To ensue reasonable, both of folks notebooks boast bigger 14-inch screens. The 13-inch Sony VAIO T13 pat is besides a heavier 4 pounds.
We boast single main complaint in the region of the sequence 5 UltraTouch's design. The edges of the practice are precisely, which can concoct typing and even opening and concluding the lid uncomfortable. Even swiping in the sphere of from the sides of the pose reminded us with the aim of this practice may well probably slice cheese. This is additional of a nitpick, but we besides didn't like inquiry a mild suction blare each time lifting the lid, to the same degree if the pat screen were mystified to the baby grand.
Pose
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch HomescrenClick to EnlargeThe sequence 5 UltraTouch's 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 pat screen accessible gain images and accurate color reproduction. While watching a 1080p promo in lieu of "Iron guy 3," Tony Stark's red-and-gold Iron guy armor gleamed in the sphere of the light of a nearby fireball and contrasted well with the blue-green depths of the sea to the same degree the suit sank to the ocean floor in the sphere of a presently to-do.
Unfortunately, viewing angles were subpar, causing the image to shower banned by the side of modest angles. The Ultra's pose registered 223 lux on our brightness indicator, truthful under the 234 lux usual.
Overall, we found the sequence 5 UltraTouch's screen to ensue nicely receptive in the sphere of the new UI and while using Windows 8 gestures. The pose responded well to everything from swiping in the sphere of from the gone to switching apps to affecting around Live Tiles.
Audio
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch AudioClick to EnlargeTwo speakers located on the underside of the sequence 5 UltraTouch were additional than loud sufficient to fill a little company. While listening to the Black Keys' "Sinister rib," the speakers pressed banned clean audio, but the sound was to some extent total. As soon as we switched on the integrated Sound Alive software, however, the track sounded far additional robust. The software has several presets with the aim of correspond to various musical genres, plus stun, pop, and hip-hop. We preferred to keep the presets to default, since it accessible the top overall performance.
Baby grand and Touchpad
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch KeyboardClick to EnlargeTyping on the sequence 5 UltraTouch was practical but not pleasant. In the sphere of addition to the precisely front trim of the deck, which may well dig into your wrists, the keys felt stiff. There's a satisfactory deal of tactile response at this point, but we had to press down harder than we wanted. The lack of a backlight in lieu of the explain is an extra irritate, especially in lieu of a practice in the sphere of this cost range.
Although to some extent stiff, the sequence 5 UltraTouch's discrete mouse buttons were receptive and accessible a satisfying click as soon as depressed. The Ultra's smooth touchpad was equally to the same degree receptive, making it at ease to do Windows 8 gestures. A the minority time the touchpad's palm rejection botched to kick in the sphere of, distribution our indicator to the top of the screen.
Windows 8
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch Windows 8 land of your birth ScreenClick to EnlargeThe sequence 5 UltraTouch comes with Microsoft's Windows 8 OS, which provides users with both the touch-friendly new UI and the additional traditional Desktop interface. The new UI is alienated into Windows 8 apps, Samsung apps and downloaded apps.
Lift in the sphere of from the totally margin of the screen to launch the Windows 8 Charms menu, someplace you can access the operating system's Search and Share skin texture, to the same degree well to the same degree the Start, policy and Settings menus. Lift in the sphere of from the gone to access your running apps or else lift up from the floor while in the sphere of the new UI to release the Apps menu. Swiping down from the top of the screen with an app release yearn for quickly close it.
Apps
Bundled Windows 8 apps in lieu of the sequence 5 UltraTouch include the operating system's News, Mail, Photos, Calendar, Internet traveler, Skype, SkyDrive and Bing.
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch Stumble leading AppClick to EnlargeFrom Samsung, users induce the Nextflix app, StumbleUpon, Evernote, Norton Studio and Samsung's S Player film player, S Gallery and S Camera webcam app. Samsung aso integrated its Allshare tease app, which allows users to pour out media to compatible DLNA-enabled policy.
Other apps include the widespread "Plants v. Zombies," melody Maker Jam (for making melody on your laptop)' and the Samsung Signature store up, which gives users quick access to Samsung products, plus medicine, smartphones, speakers, offices printers and additional.
Cook
In the manner of streaming a full-screen Hulu capture on tape, the sequence 5 UltraTouch's touchpad registered 79 degrees Fahrenheit, while the baby grand reached 90 degrees. The underside of the laptop climbed to a mild 88 degrees. Although folks temperatures are under our 95 degree comfort threshold, near were particular excitable acne. The central gone portion of the underside reached 103 degrees.
Ports
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch PortsClick to EnlargeAlthough it lacks a DVD drive, the sequence 5 UltraTouch has pretty much everything nearly everyone users need as soon as it comes to connectivity options. The totally margin houses an SD tag slot and two USB 2.0 ports. The gone margin includes a full-size HDMI docks, a USB 3.0 docks, a mini VGA docks, the power connector, a dual microphone and earphone jack and Ethernet docks.
Webcam
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inchClick to EnlargeThe 1.3-megapixel webcam produced reasonably satisfactory results in the sphere of our trying. Photos captured under fluorescent lighting were gain, with solitary a crumb of grain visible. Don't try using the camera in the sphere of low light, though. Your capture on tape yearn for truthful conclusion up looking like a limit to-do from the "Paranormal Activity" movies.
Performance
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inch Click to EnlargePowered by a 1.7-GHz dual-core Intel sample i5-3317U mainframe, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB 5400-rpm unbreakable drive mated to a 24GB ExpressCache SSD, the sequence 5 UltraTouch yearn for definitely name your each day tasks. On the PCMark07 yardstick, which tests a system's overall performance, the sequence 5 Ultra scored 3,358, truthful upfront of the kind usual of 3,214.
This viewing is junior than the 4,131 jagged by the HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, despite the piece of evidence with the aim of practice sports nigh on identical specs. The Toshiba Satellite P845t-S4310, which includes the same Intel sample i5 mainframe to the same degree the sequence 5 and HP, but packs 6GB of RAM to the same degree conflicting to truthful 4GB, in point of fact scored junior than its two competitors, registering 2,568.
The sequence 5 Ultra's 24GB ExpressCache drive helps it riding boot Windows 8 in the sphere of truthful 17 seconds. While that's slower than the HP Envy TouchSmart's 13-second riding boot generation, it's earlier than the Toshiba Satellite P845t's 20 seconds.
The sequence 5 Ultra fell in the sphere of the central of the bunch on our LAPTOP folder turning over test, repetition 4.97GB of miscellaneous media archive in the sphere of 3 minutes and 1 moment by the side of a rate of 28.1 MBps. The Toshiba Satellite P845t got 23 MBps, while the HP Envy TouchSmart delivered a advanced 35 MBps.
Graphics
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inchClick to EnlargeThough you'll boast rebuff snag in performance casual games like "Cut the Rope" on this Ultrabook, additional taxing titles are are pretty much banned. The Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics break off mustered solitary 22 frames apiece moment on "World of Warcraft" with the settings on auto-detect. The HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 registered 28 fps (also unplayable), while the Toshiba Satellite P845t got a advanced 42 fps.
Amid the over three systems, the sequence 5 UltraTouch pulled down the lowest grade on the 3DMark11 graphics test: 545. The HP and Toshiba scored 570 and 634, correspondingly. The usual ultraportable gets 768.
Battery Life
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inchClick to EnlargePowered by a four-cell lithium polymer battery, the Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch lasted a reasonably satisfactory 6 hours and 4 minutes on the LAPTOP Battery Test, which involves uninterrupted jungle surfing in excess of Wi-Fi on 40 percent brightness. That's a crumb tiny of the 6:20 ultraportable usual, but much better than the HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4's 5:36 minutes and the Toshiba Satellite P845t's 4:45 minutes.
Configurations and Warranty
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inchClick to EnlargeOur $849 NP540U3C-A01UB integrated a pat screen, 1.7-GHz dual-core Intel sample i5-3317U mainframe, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB, 5,400-rpm unbreakable drive with a 24GB ExpressCache SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics break off.
If you need additional power, you can opt in lieu of the beefier NP540U3C-A01US, which includes 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. If you hunger the touch-screen experience with no the expense, you can pick up the to some extent a smaller amount powerful NP540U3C-A02UB. In lieu of $799, you induce a 1.8-GHz dual-core Intel sample i3-3217U mainframe and the same 4GB of RAM, plus a 500GB, 5,400-rpm unbreakable drive and 24GB ExpressCache SSD found in the sphere of the NP540U3C-A01UB.
Samsung offers users a one-year standard parts and labor warranty. Go to see how Samsung fared in the sphere of our top and most awful Brands information and Tech Support Showdown.
Verdict
Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch 13-inchClick to EnlargeThe Samsung sequence 5 UltraTouch lives up to its last name in the sphere of particular ways, only if an accurate pat screen in lieu of navigating Windows 8 along with satisfactory overall performance and above-average audio quality. And while the battery life may well ensue better, this notebook's 6 hours of runtime beats competing pat notebooks. Unfortunately, someone by the side of Samsung forgot the sand. The edges on this Ultrabook are simply too precisely, which resulted in the sphere of particular uncomfortable moments. We strongly advance the company to modify the design, which is otherwise solid and well built. Until therefore, our rating yearn for stay by the side of a middle-of-the-road 3 stars.
