Samsung Galaxy Book Go in review: Silent office notebook

Name: Samsung Galaxy Book Go
Brand: Samsung

Saved on the display.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Go is a very affordable notebook that is suitable for everyday office tasks and web surfing. With the ARM processor, the laptop offers a very good battery life, but also limitations. We will clarify what these are in our test report.

Mike Wobker (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy), Published 08/18/2021 🇩🇪 🇳🇱 ...

Windows Laptop ARM

The Galaxy Book Go is not Samsung's first notebook with an ARM processor in our tests. Already the Galaxy Book S showed that this technology promises long battery runtimes and a performance suitable for everyday use. However, while the Book S was still in the higher-priced range, the Galaxy Book Go is comparatively inexpensive.

For less than 500 Euros (~$587), it is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 and its internal graphics unit, as well as 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB UFS 2.1 storage. With this hardware, we compare the Galaxy Book Go with the rival devices listed below. Other notebooks from our database can also be added for comparison under each section.

Test device courtesy of Samsung Deutschland

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Samsung Galaxy Book Go (Galaxy Book Series)

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 8 x 2.6 GHz, Cortex-A76 / A55 (Kryo 468)

Graphics adapter

Qualcomm Adreno 618

Memory

4 GB

Display

14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, AUO203D, TN, glossy: no

Storage

128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 128 GB

, 80 GB free

Connections

2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD

Networking

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.1, LTE

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 15 x 324 x 225 ( = 0.59 x 12.76 x 8.86 in)

Battery

41.1 Wh, 5320 mAh Lithium-Ion

Charging

fast charging / Quickcharge

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit

Camera

Webcam: 0.9 MP, 16:9 (1280x720)

Additional features

Speakers: stereo, 2x 1.5 Watt, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, power supply, SIM-Needle, Samsung Apps, 24 Months Warranty, SAR-Value (body): 0,902 W/kg, fanless

Weight

1.38 kg ( = 48.68 oz / 3.04 pounds), Power Supply: 96 g ( = 3.39 oz / 0.21 pounds)

Price

500 Euro

Links

Samsung homepage
Samsung notebook section

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

see all specifications

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Possible competitors in comparison

Rating	Date	Model	Weight	Height	Size	Resolution
79.3 % v7 ^(old)	08 / 2021	Samsung Galaxy Book Go SD 7c Gen 2, Adreno 618	1.4 kg	15 mm	14.00"	1920x1080
86.2 % v7 ^(old)	06 / 2020	Samsung Galaxy Book S SD 8cx, Adreno 680	951 g	11.8 mm	13.30"	1920x1080
79 % v7 ^(old)	07 / 2021	Chuwi CoreBook X i5-8259U, Iris Plus Graphics 655	1.5 kg	20.6 mm	14.00"	2160x1440
79.4 % v7 ^(old)	10 / 2020	Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Celeron N4100, UHD Graphics 600	1.1 kg	11 mm	13.30"	1920x1080

Case - Stable and light Samsung notebook

Samsung makes the top of the base and the lid of the Galaxy Book Go out of metal. The frame of the display and the base plate, on the other hand, are made of plastic. The notebook is well-made, looks stable and is very torsion-resistant. The display can also be folded back by up to 180 degrees and is held firmly in the respective position by the hinges.

Thanks to its narrow display bezel, the Galaxy Book Go is a very slim and compact device. The dimensions are on par with comparable notebooks. The weight of approximately 1.4 kilograms (~3.1 lb) is acceptable for this device class.

Size comparison

Samsung Galaxy Book Go Chuwi CoreBook X Samsung Galaxy Book S Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air DIN A4 ❌

Equipment - Only a few ports on the Galaxy Book Go

The connectivity of Samsung's Galaxy Book Go is quite clear. The USB-C port on the right side is worth mentioning since it can also be used to connect an external monitor to the laptop. Other ports can also be connected via corresponding adapters or docking stations.

Right side: NanoSIM slot, 1x USB-C 3.1 Gen2 (incl. DP), 1x USB-A 2.0, Kensington lock

SDCardreader

The microSD card reader of Samsung's Galaxy Book Go achieves a good result when reading data with our reference memory card AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60. With a speed of 74.2 MB/s, it can claim second place in our test field.

SD Card Reader - maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Samsung Galaxy Book S (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)	82.4 MB/s +11%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)	74.2 MB/s
Average of class Office (25 - 249, n=28, last 2 years)	73.2 MB/s -1%
Chuwi CoreBook X (AV PRO V60)	26.82 MB/s -64%
Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air	26.7 MB/s -64%

Communication

The Galaxy Book Go can establish wireless connections via Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 and LTE. However, we only achieve comparatively slow data transfer rates with our reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX 12, which is only enough for the last place in our test field.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Samsung Galaxy Book S 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	606 (307^min - 618^max) MBit/s +550%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax	479 (314^min - 586^max) MBit/s +414%
Chuwi CoreBook X Intel Wireless-AC 7265	433 (230^min - 462^max) MBit/s +365%
Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (31.2 - 966, n=478)	358 MBit/s +284%
Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165	314 (234^min - 398^max) MBit/s +237%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	93.2 (80^min - 105^max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Chuwi CoreBook X Intel Wireless-AC 7265	607 (195^min - 675^max) MBit/s +507%
Samsung Galaxy Book S 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	535 (503^min - 564^max) MBit/s +435%
Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (32.9 - 1065, n=479)	380 MBit/s +280%
Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165	314 (268^min - 325^max) MBit/s +214%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax	284 (169^min - 380^max) MBit/s +184%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	100 (95^min - 104^max) MBit/s

Samsung Galaxy Book Go 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø100 (95-104)

Samsung Galaxy Book S 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø535 (503-564)

Samsung Galaxy Book Go 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø93.2 (80-105)

Samsung Galaxy Book S 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø596 (307-618)

Webcam

Samsung also only installs a low-resolution webcam with 0.9 MP in its laptop, as is the case in most current devices. Accordingly, the picture quality is mediocre, which displays blurry images and too pale colors even in good lighting conditions.

ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy Book Go: 10.77 ∆E min: 2.47 - max: 16.26 ∆E

Accessories

Besides the laptop, only the power supply with the corresponding USB-C cable is included in the Samsung Galaxy Book Go's scope of delivery. Other general accessories can be purchased on the manufacturer's website.

Maintenance

The rubber feet on the bottom of the Galaxy Book Go are not glued but only plugged in. Therefore, they can be removed easily, which frees up access to the screws underneath. Once the latter have been loosened, the base plate can be removed. Inside the laptop, however, all components are soldered and thus cannot be exchanged or extended. The battery is screwed down and fans for cleaning are not present.

Warranty

Samsung grants a warranty period of 24 months for the Galaxy Book Go.

Input devices - Good keyboard for typing

Keyboard

The keys of the Galaxy Book Go offer a clear feedback when typing and are suitable for writing long texts effortlessly. The special keys are also relatively easy to reach, only the arrow keys seemed a bit too small to us. However, Samsung does not provide a backlight.

Touchpad

Samsung uses a clickpad as a mouse replacement, which is very easy to use. Inputs are accepted very reliably and mouse clicks are triggered without delay both mechanically and via touch.

Display - Too dark, too pale and PWM

The screen of Samsung's Galaxy Book Go consists of a 14-inch TN panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. We measured a maximum brightness of 230 cd/m² in the center of the screen, but the drop to the edges is very high with, for example, only 184 cd/m² in the upper left corner. The illumination of only 80% is the lowest in our test field.

For the brightness control, PWM with a rather low frequency of 200 Hz is used with a luminosity of 20 percent. This can cause problems for people with sensitive eyes.


184 cd/m²	203 cd/m²	196 cd/m²
192 cd/m²	230 cd/m²	205 cd/m²
197 cd/m²	202 cd/m²	203 cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

AUO203D tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2

Maximum: 230 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 201.3 cd/m² Minimum: 4.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 230 cd/m²
Contrast: 639:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.23 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 15.28 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
Gamma: 2.55

	Samsung Galaxy Book Go AUO203D, TN, 1920x1080, 14"	Samsung Galaxy Book S BOE, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.3"	Chuwi CoreBook X Chi Mei P140ZKA-BZ1, IPS, 2160x1440, 14"	Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Sharp SHP1447, IPSJ390, 1920x1080, 13.3"
Display
Display P3 Coverage			67.2	65.5
sRGB Coverage			98	95.6
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage			68.8	67.4
Response Times		1494%	1590%	-47%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *	40 ?(21, 19)	48.8 ?(22, 26.8) -22%	36.4 ?(18.4, 18) 9%	41 ?(21, 20) -3%
Response Time Black / White *	11 ?(7, 4)	28.4 ?(16.4, 12) -158%	26.4 ?(13.2, 13.2) -140%	29 ?(16, 13) -164%
PWM Frequency	200 ?(20)	9524 ?(20) 4662%	10000 ?(99) 4900%	250 ?(10) 25%
Screen		56%	45%	52%
Brightness middle	230	383 67%	355.3 54%	355 54%
Brightness	201	355 77%	344 71%	330 64%
Brightness Distribution	80	88 10%	94 18%	88 10%
Black Level *	0.36	0.36 -0%	0.34 6%	0.275 24%
Contrast	639	1064 67%	1045 64%	1291 102%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *	12.23	3.1 75%	6.2 49%	5.92 52%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *	23.26	5.3 77%	10.96 53%	10.41 55%
Greyscale dE 2000 *	15.28	3.6 76%	7.9 48%	6.55 57%
Gamma	2.55 ^86%	2 ^110%	2.02 ^109%	2.06 ^107%
CCT	18403 ^35%	6743 ^96%	7450 ^87%	7661 ^85%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *			1.23
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)				61
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)				96
Total Average (Program / Settings)		775% / 448%	818% / 467%	3% / 25%

* ... smaller is better

The contrast ratio of 639:1 is very low and the black value of 0.36 cd/m² is also slightly higher. As a result, colors do not appear well delineated from each other and black image content appears with a gray haze.

The CalMAN analysis also shows that colors are displayed with a clear blue cast.

The Galaxy Book Go can only be used outdoors on cloudy days or in shady areas. In strong ambient light or direct sunlight, the brightness is not high enough to display image content legibly despite the matte display surface.

Display Response Times

ℹ

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.

↔ Response Time Black to White
11 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 7 ms rise
11 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 27 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms).
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 21 ms rise
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 19 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 58 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.

Screen flickering / PWM detected

200 Hz

≤ 20 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8471 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

The TN panel installed by Samsung is not viewing-angle stable, which means that image content appears with clearly distorted colors when viewed from the side. Therefore, you have to look at the display as straight as possible in everyday use, since the display already deviates from angles of about 45 degrees.

Performance - Samsung notebook suitable for office programs

The Galaxy Book Go is a laptop for people with low demands on performance. The installed Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 is suitable for simple office applications and web browsing. Media playback is also possible without problems. However, even simple multi-tasking shows short waiting times. The system also stalled occasionally, for example when an external hard drive was connected.

Processor

The aforementioned behavior is reflected by low results in the benchmarks. The performance is comparable with that of an Intel Celeron N4100 whereby the latter scores slightly worse in the CPU tests, but slightly better in the GPU tests.

Since the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 is an ARM processor, only 64-bit applications natively compiled for ARM can be run. A 64-bit Windows emulation for x86 apps has already been announced, but it is not yet known when it will be available. Therefore, you should check whether the required applications are also available as a 32-bit version before buying the notebook.

Of the benchmarks performed, only Geekbench 5.3 ran as native ARM applications. The rest of the tests were emulated, which can lead to a lower result than would be the case with native applications. We have shown which performance other processors offer in comparison in our CPU benchmark list listed.

Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 4.4: 64 Bit Multi-Core Score | 64 Bit Single-Core Score
3DMark 11: 1280x720 Performance GPU
WebXPRT 3: Overall
JetStream 1.1: Total Score
Jetstream 2: 2.0 Total Score
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
Octane V2: Total Score

Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Office (1018 - 14192, n=87, last 2 years)	7948 Points +388%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (1630 - 5337, n=2)	3484 Points +114%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	3143 Points +93%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	2760 Points +69%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	1630 Points
Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Intel Celeron N4100	1407 Points -14%

Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Office (510 - 2096, n=88, last 2 years)	1631 Points +193%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (556 - 1537, n=2)	1047 Points +88%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	801 Points +44%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	700 Points +26%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	556 Points
Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Intel Celeron N4100	404 Points -27%

Geekbench 4.4 / 64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Office (9856 - 41544, n=9, last 2 years)	29739 Points +711%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	11047 Points +201%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	7502 Points +105%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	3667 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (n=1)	3667 Points 0%

Geekbench 4.4 / 64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Office (3411 - 8042, n=9, last 2 years)	6283 Points +298%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	3313 Points +110%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	2355 Points +49%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	1580 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (n=1)	1580 Points 0%

3DMark 11 / Performance GPU
Average of class Office (1468 - 16418, n=83, last 2 years)	7542 Points +1159%
Chuwi CoreBook X Intel Core i5-8259U	2632 Points +339%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	2278 Points +280%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	1593 Points +166%
Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Intel Celeron N4100	603 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	599 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (572 - 599, n=2)	586 Points -2%

WebXPRT 3 / Overall
Average of class Office (121 - 455, n=81, last 2 years)	269 Points +183%
Chuwi CoreBook X Intel Core i5-8259U	176 Points +85%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	132 Points +39%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	116 Points +22%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	95 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (n=1)	95 Points 0%

JetStream 1.1 / Total Score
Average of class Office (414 - 544, n=4, last 2 years)	471 Points +365%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	149.8 Points +48%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	134.1 Points +32%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	101.3 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (n=1)	101.3 Points 0%

Jetstream 2 / 2.0 Total Score
Average of class Office (74.4 - 395, n=42, last 2 years)	259 Points +312%
Chuwi CoreBook X Intel Core i5-8259U	124.7 Points +98%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	85.4 Points +36%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	73.5 Points +17%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	62.9 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (n=1)	62.9 Points 0%

Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (1819 - 3989, n=2)	2904 ms * -60%
Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Intel Celeron N4100	2561 ms * -41%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	1819 ms *
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	1464 ms * +20%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	1284 ms * +29%
Chuwi CoreBook X Intel Core i5-8259U	1010 ms * +44%
Average of class Office (399 - 1966, n=90, last 2 years)	667 ms * +63%

Octane V2 / Total Score
Average of class Office (22414 - 114924, n=29, last 2 years)	76009 Points +267%
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G	32979 Points +59%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx	29364 Points +42%
Samsung Galaxy Book Go Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2	20737 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (n=1)	20737 Points 0%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit

511

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit

3053

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit

0.32 Points

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit

1.88 Points

Help

... in comparison

Mass storage

Samsung installs a 128 GB UFS 2.1 storage in the Galaxy Book Go, as it is also used in smartphones, for example. Although it achieves good read and write speeds for its class in the storage benchmarks, it cannot keep up even with inexpensive SSDs in our test field.

To compare the performance offered in other mass storage devices, see our HDD/SSD benchmark list.

	Samsung Galaxy Book Go 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash	Samsung Galaxy Book S 256 GB NVMe	Chuwi CoreBook X Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ	Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air 128 GB NVMe	Average 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6		66%	469%	78%	0%
Write 4K	19.67	30.59 56%	130.5 563%	54.2 176%	19.7 ?(n=1) 0%
Read 4K	17.69	20.26 15%	38.72 119%	9.892 -44%	17.7 ?(n=1) 0%
Write Seq	211.8	421.4 99%	709 235%	391.3 85%	212 ?(n=1) 0%
Read Seq	430.1	1232 186%	717 67%	403.6 -6%	430 ?(n=1) 0%
Write 4K Q32T1	41.47	39.17 -6%	510 1130%	122.3 195%	41.5 ?(n=1) 0%
Read 4K Q32T1	48.17	41.14 -15%	554 1050%	96.1 100%	48.2 ?(n=1) 0%
Write Seq Q32T1	210.1	420.9 100%	1037 394%	464.3 121%	210 ?(n=1) 0%
Read Seq Q32T1	541	1047 94%	1609 197%	539 0%	541 ?(n=1) 0%
AS SSD		54%	220%	-22%	0%
Seq Read	449	1069 138%	1393 210%	469.7 5%	449 ?(n=1) 0%
Seq Write	185.2	382 106%	954 415%	422.9 128%	185.2 ?(n=1) 0%
4K Read	16.56	16.64 0%	39.51 139%	18.01 9%	16.6 ?(n=1) 0%
4K Write	38.97	35.99 -8%	98.9 154%	40.29 3%	39 ?(n=1) 0%
4K-64 Read	257.4	415.1 61%	834 224%	94.5 -63%	257 ?(n=1) 0%
4K-64 Write	153.2	229.5 50%	687 348%	194.6 27%	153.2 ?(n=1) 0%
Access Time Read *	0.282		0.066 77%	0.437 -55%	0.282 ?(n=1) -0%
Access Time Write *	0.117	0.093 21%	0.044 62%	0.41 -250%	0.117 ?(n=1) -0%
Score Read	319	539 69%	1013 218%	159 -50%	319 ?(n=1) 0%
Score Write	211	304 44%	881 318%	277 31%	211 ?(n=1) 0%
Score Total	684	1086 59%	2399 251%	523 -24%	684 ?(n=1) 0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)		60% / 59%	345% / 325%	28% / 20%	0% / 0%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6

AS SSD

128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 541 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 210.1 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 48.17 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 41.47 MB/s

CDM 5 Read Seq: 430.1 MB/s

CDM 5 Write Seq: 211.8 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 17.69 MB/s

CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 19.67 MB/s

Gaming performance

For the display of image content, the Galaxy Book Go has the internal Qualcomm Adreno 618. It is only suitable for displaying simple games from the Windows Store, and long loading times have to be expected here as well. In our review of Asphalt 8, a smooth gameplay was interrupted by occasional stutters.

Emissions - Silent notebook from Samsung

Noise emissions

The Samsung notebook is cooled passively and is therefore silent. We could not detect any other noises, such as coil whine or similar, in our test device.

Temperature

According to our measurements, the Galaxy Book Go heats up to 41.6 °C (~107 °F) under load. Thus, the laptop only heats up moderately and can be used on the thighs, for example, without any problems. The temperatures of the palm rests are also within a moderate range with a maximum of 26 °C (~79 °F).

Max. Load

Idle


28.8 °C 84 F	35.4 °C 96 F	31.3 °C 88 F
29 °C 84 F	27.8 °C 82 F	27.3 °C 81 F
24.4 °C 76 F	24.5 °C 76 F	24.3 °C 76 F

Maximum: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Average: 28.1 °C = 83 F


35.1 °C 95 F	41.6 °C 107 F	33.2 °C 92 F
27.6 °C 82 F	29.3 °C 85 F	28.2 °C 83 F
25.9 °C 79 F	25.9 °C 79 F	25.3 °C 78 F

Maximum: 41.6 °C = 107 F
Average: 30.2 °C = 86 F

Power Supply (max.) 38 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 22.6 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket

(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28.1 °C / 83 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.4 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.6 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.8 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 24.5 °C / 76.1 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.6 °C / 81.7 F (+3.1 °C / 5.6 F).

Speaker

The speakers of the Galaxy Book Go offer a relatively high volume and a sound spectrum that is pronounced on the high tones. Thus, the Samsung notebook is suitable for playing voice content. However, external speakers or headphones should be preferred for more complex audio content.

Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)

Samsung Galaxy Book Go audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 29% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 65% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 36% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy Book S audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 30% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 64% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 18% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%

Power management - Laptop with long battery life

Power consumption

With an average power consumption of 4.2 watts in idle and 8.2 watts under load, the Galaxy Book Go shows the lowest energy demand in our test field. The maximum value is 11.4 watts, which means that the included 20-watt power supply is sufficiently high.

Power Consumption

Off / Standby	0.45 / 0.5 Watt
Idle	1.9 / 4.2 / 4.8 Watt
Load	8.2 / 11.4 Watt


Key: min: , med: , max: Metrahit Energy

	Samsung Galaxy Book Go SD 7c Gen 2, Adreno 618, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, TN, 1920x1080, 14"	Samsung Galaxy Book S SD 8cx, Adreno 680, 256 GB NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.3"	Chuwi CoreBook X i5-8259U, Iris Plus Graphics 655, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ, IPS, 2160x1440, 14"	Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Celeron N4100, UHD Graphics 600, 128 GB NVMe, IPSJ390, 1920x1080, 13.3"	Average Qualcomm Adreno 618	Average of class Office
Power Consumption		-23%	-236%	-73%	41%	-235%
Idle Minimum *	1.9	1.61 15%	6.2 -226%	3.4 -79%	1.031 ?(0.49 - 2.25, n=23) 46%	4.57 ?(2 - 13.8, n=87, last 2 years) -141%
Idle Average *	4.2	4.3 -2%	10.7 -155%	6.9 -64%	2.47 ?(0.95 - 6.7, n=23) 41%	7.57 ?(3 - 14.9, n=87, last 2 years) -80%
Idle Maximum *	4.8	5 -4%	12.5 -160%	7.4 -54%	2.72 ?(1 - 6.8, n=23) 43%	9.01 ?(4.89 - 18.6, n=87, last 2 years) -88%
Load Average *	8.2	13.2 -61%	40.5 -394%	17 -107%	5.09 ?(2.65 - 9, n=23) 38%	42.4 ?(8.7 - 77.9, n=82, last 2 years) -417%
Load Maximum *	11.4	18.3 -61%	39.2 -244%	18.5 -62%	7.36 ?(4.86 - 11.4, n=23) 35%	62.7 ?(11.1 - 107, n=87, last 2 years) -450%
Witcher 3 ultra *			39.4

* ... smaller is better

Battery life

Samsung's notebook achieves a runtime of almost 13 hours in our practical WLAN test. It thus achieves a very good rate and is only surpassed by Samsung's Galaxy Book S in our test field.

The battery of the Galaxy Book Go is fully recharged after about one and a half hours with the included power adapter.

Battery Runtime

WiFi Websurfing		12h 58min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness		10h 52min
Load (maximum brightness)		5h 59min

	Samsung Galaxy Book Go SD 7c Gen 2, Adreno 618, 41.1 Wh	Samsung Galaxy Book S SD 8cx, Adreno 680, 42 Wh	Chuwi CoreBook X i5-8259U, Iris Plus Graphics 655, 46.2 Wh	Jumper Tech Ez Book X3 Air Celeron N4100, UHD Graphics 600, Wh	Average of class Office
Battery Runtime		13%	-49%	-43%	-43%
WiFi v1.3	778	953 22%	400 -49%	441 -43%	646 ?(230 - 1614, n=89, last 2 years) -17%
Load	359	369 3%			114.2 ?(56 - 218, n=51, last 2 years) -68%

Pros

+ very good battery life

+ stable and light case

+ good keyboard

+ integrated LTE

Cons

- display with very low contrast ratio

- TN panel with unstable viewing angles

- no maintenance options

- low system performance

- slow WLAN

Verdict - Sufficient for simple demands

In review: Samsung Galaxy Book Go. Test device provided by: Samsung Germany

With the Galaxy Book Go, Samsung supplies an inexpensive notebook with an ARM processor. If it is only used for office programs and surfing the Internet, there should not be any problems due to incompatible programs in everyday use. The performance is sufficient to run applications within the mentioned scope. However, the system can slow down if several programs are used at the same time.

A better display could have made the Samsung Galaxy Book Go a good and inexpensive notebook.

Due to the low price, a not too fast running system would not be an issue, though. However, since Samsung also saves on the display, the Galaxy Book Go becomes a rather mediocre notebook compared to other notebooks in this price range. The extremely low contrast ratio and the strong viewing angle instability are not particularly pleasant for the eyes.

The cheap competition from China has made a name for itself with devices like the Jumper Tech EZbook X3 Air and the Chuwi CoreBook X, some of which are even cheaper and offer a better screen. The battery life is shorter here, but what use is 13 hours of runtime when you cannot look at the display for that long?

Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Book Go is available now and can be purchased for about $319.99 (~$375), for example, on Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy Book Go - 08/11/2021 v7 ^(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis

83 / 98 → 84%

Keyboard

80%

Pointing Device

88%

Connectivity

44 / 80 → 55%

Weight

70 / 20-75 → 92%

Battery

90%

Display

72%

Games Performance

18 / 78 → 23%

Application Performance

56 / 95 → 59%

Temperature

90%

Noise

100%

Audio

75%

Camera

32 / 85 → 38%

Average

69%

79%

Office - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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Editor of the original article: Mike Faust - Senior Tech Writer - 424 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017

I carried out my first IT experiments with a 386-based system and a whole 4 MB RAM. This was followed by work on various PCs and laptops that I maintained and repaired for friends and acquaintances. After training to become a Telecommunications Systems Technician and gaining a few years of experience, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. Currently, I pursue my fascination for IT, technology, and mobile devices by writing reviews and articles for Notebookcheck. I have also worked for Gamestar, Netzwelt, and Golem, among others.

contact me via: @mornoc_mw, Xing

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