Latest Gadgets Specifications: Samsung Series 5 Ultra Laptop

Samsung Series 5 Ultra is the company's first foray into the Ultrabook market (if you don’t count the Series 9, which predates the Ultrabook brand). There's just one problem: It weighs nearly 4 pounds, and measures 0.82 inch thick. Ultrabooks are high-end, ultrathin notebooks defined by Intel as being 18mm (0.7 inch) thick at the most--but that specification is for models with screens 13.3 inches or smaller. With the advent of the Series 5 Ultra, Intel has stretched the requirements to make 21mm (0.83 inch) the standard thickness for machines with 14-inch or larger screens. Nevertheless, the Series 5 Ultra looks a little, well, thick, especially when it's sitting next to other Ultrabooks. The Series 5 Ultra sports a minimalist design and looks an awful lot like Apple's MacBook Pro line. The laptop's cover is a smooth, lightly brushed slate-gray aluminum with a small silver Samsung logo on the left side. The laptop feels sturdy (and heavy, for an Ultrabook), though the hinge is a little squeaky.

The laptop has more ports than the average Ultrabook, probably because the machine is thicker than the average Ultrabook. You won't find much on the keyboard deck of the Series 5 Ultra--just a small silver power button, a moderately roomy touchpad with two discrete buttons, and, of course, the full-size Chiclet-style keyboard. A thin, silver bezel surrounds the Series 5 Ultra's matte 14-inch screen. By comparison, the Asus Zenbook UX31E has a native resolution of 1600 by 900 pixels, and a 13.3-inch screen. Likewise, Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air has a native resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels--but, of course, its screen is smaller.

In PCWorld's WorldBench 7 benchmark tests, the Series 5 Ultra performed well for its category with a score of 95. The Series 5 Ultra didn't do quite as well in our graphics tests, as it relies on Intel's integrated graphics technology. In our Crysis 2 graphics test, the Series 5 Ultra spit out only a wimpy 23 frames per second (low quality, 800 by 600 resolution). Samsung's Series 5 Ultra may not be a gaming machine or even a multimedia powerhouse, but it does have a DVD-RW drive, which is more than any other Ultrabook can say. Here's the thing: Samsung pitches the Series 5 Ultra as the first Ultrabook to sport an optical drive.

Samsung Series 5 Ultra Laptop

Display
Display size 14 inches
Maximum resolution 1366 x 768
Display type Matte LCD with LED Backlight

Processor
Processor class Intel Core i5
Processor model 2467M
Processor speed 1600 MHz
Number of Cores 2
Cache size 3 MB

Graphics
Graphics Type Integrated
Integrated Graphics Chipset Intel
Integrated Graphics Chipset Model Number HD Graphics 3000

Memory
Installed memory 4 GB
Memory technology DDR3
Memory Speed 1333 MHz

Storage
Hard Drive Type Hard Disk Drive

Solid-State Drive
Total HD Size 516 GB
Hard Drive Speed 5400 RPM
Number of hard drives included 1

Other Storage
SD/MMC Card
SDHC Card

Networking
Ethernet Type 10/100/1000 Mbps
Wifi Type 802.11 n
Interface Connections
Number of USB 3 Ports 2
Number of USB 2 Ports 1

Video Interfaces
HDMI
VGA

Additional Interfaces
Bluetooth

Dimensions
Weight (min) 3.9 pounds
Weight (with accessories) 4.5 lbs
Width 13.1 inches
Depth 10 inches
Height 0.9 inches

Software
Operating system Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Included Software CyberLink Media Suite, YouCam; Samsung Utilities: Easy File Share, Migration, Recovery Solutions 5

Other Features
Built-In Speakers Stereo
Docking Station Port No

Devices
Built-In Microphone
Built-In Webcam

Input devices
Keyboard
Touchpad

Samsung Series 5 NP530U4B-A01US 14-Inch Ultrabook (Silver)
Samsung $869.00