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Samsung Galaxy Book S Laptop Review: Lakefield with initial problems

Brighter display. Samsung now also offers its compact Galaxy Book S with an Intel processor. Compared to the ARM model, you get better compatibility with apps, but in return there is no LTE modem and the battery runtimes are also shorter. We checked if there are any other differences between the two models.

We recently reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Book S with the ARM processor, and the South Korean manufacturer now offers its compact ultrabook with an Intel processor. It is the brand-new Lakefield hybrid chip, which is once again completely passively cooled. However, the Intel model does not include an LTE modem in all regions anymore, and the battery runtimes are also shorter. The x86 does improve the compatibility in return. The two versions are almost similarly priced, so we want to find out which device is better.

We have purchased our unit from Samsung's official online shop, so it is a regular retail unit and not a selected press sample from the manufacturer. For a price of 1129 Euros (~$1275), you get the Intel Lakefield processor, 8 GB RAM, and 256 GB storage. The 1080p touchscreen is basically identical as well, but Samsung equips the Intel SKU with a special Outdoor+ mode, which is supposed to increase the brightness to 600 cd/m².

The case, the ports, the speakers, as well as the input devices (except for the color of the background illumination) are identical to the recently reviewed ARM version. We will focus on the differences of the two models in the following review and take a closer look at the new Intel processor.

Note: The German review unit was not equipped with an LTE modem, but it is included in other countries. The review sections regarding the missing LTE modem are therefore not representative for all regions.

Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel (Galaxy Book Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-L16G7 5 x 1.4 - 3 GHz, Lakefield
Memory
8 GB 
, LPDDR4x, soldered
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 166 PPI, capacitive, BOE07E7, IPS, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Storage
256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash, 256 GB 
, 187 GB free
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm stereo jack, Card Reader: microSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Sensors: Brightness (only for keyboard illumination)
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 11.8 x 305.2 x 203.2 ( = 0.46 x 12.02 x 8 in)
Battery
42 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo (AKG), 4x 1.2W, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 25W power adapter, Samsung Tools, 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
940 g ( = 33.16 oz / 2.07 pounds), Power Supply: 91 g ( = 3.21 oz / 0.2 pounds)
Price
1129 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
85.1 %
07/2020
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
i5-L16G7, UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
940 g11.8 mm13.30"1920x1080
86.2 %
06/2020
Samsung Galaxy Book S
SD 8cx, Adreno 680
951 g11.8 mm13.30"1920x1080
89.6 %
05/2020
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
i3-1000NG4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
1.3 kg16.1 mm13.30"2560x1600
88.8 %
03/2020
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
1.2 kg14.8 mm13.40"1920x1200
85.9 %
06/2020
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
i5-1035G4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
1.2 kg16.6 mm13.50"2256x1504
84 %
02/2020
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.3 kg14.5 mm13.50"2256x1504

Case - The Intel SKU is also below 1 kg

The Intel version of the Galaxy Book S is even slightly lighter at 940 grams, but this is not noticeable even in a direct comparison. Together with the compact power adapter (91 grams/3.2 oz including USB-C cable), the total travel weight is still just slightly above 1 kg (~2.2 lb).

Size Comparison

308 mm / 12.1 inch 223 mm / 8.78 inch 14.5 mm / 0.571 inch 1.3 kg2.84 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 16.1 mm / 0.634 inch 1.3 kg2.8 lbs302 mm / 11.9 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 16.6 mm / 0.654 inch 1.2 kg2.62 lbs305.2 mm / 12 inch 203.2 mm / 8 inch 11.8 mm / 0.4646 inch 940 g2.07 lbs296 mm / 11.7 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.2 kg2.62 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - Galaxy Book S with Wi-Fi 6

microSD reader at the bottom
microSD reader at the bottom

The ports are identical to the ARM version of the Galaxy Book S. There is a USB-C port on each side (USB 3.1 Gen.1 w/ DisplayPort-Alt), which can also be used to charge the laptop. You also get a 3.5 mm stereo jack and a microSD reader.

The maximum transfer rate in combination with our reference card from Toshiba (Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) is 82.4 MB/s, so it is identical with the ARM model. The average transfer rate when you copy pictures is a bit lower at 63.9 MB/s.

Samsung does not ship the German model with an LTE modem, so one major advantage of the ARM SKU is gone. In return, customers get a slightly faster Wi-Fi 6 module from Intel (AX200), but the transfer rates in combination with our Netgear router (Nighthawk AX12) are below our expectations. The results are better compared to the ARM Galaxy Book S, but most users will probably not notice the difference.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
157 MB/s +146%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (19.5 - 193.9, n=16, last 2 years)
69.6 MB/s +9%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
68.9 MB/s +8%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
63.9 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
195.6 MB/s +137%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (23.6 - 239, n=16, last 2 years)
84.3 MB/s +2%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
82.4 MB/s 0%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
82.4 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1484 (1342min - 1614max) MBit/s +82%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (447 - 1645, n=127)
1104 MBit/s +36%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (606 - 1339, n=3, last 2 years)
1056 MBit/s +30%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
906 MBit/s +11%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
814 (528min - 898max) MBit/s
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
696 (679min - 711max) MBit/s -14%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
606 (307min - 618max) MBit/s -26%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
545 (414min - 604max) MBit/s -33%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1460 MBit/s +45%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (623 - 1690, n=3, last 2 years)
1258 MBit/s +25%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1251 (803min - 1358max) MBit/s +24%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (523 - 1684, n=128)
1191 MBit/s +18%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1007 (635min - 1216max) MBit/s
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
870 (832min - 928max) MBit/s -14%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
641 (554min - 678max) MBit/s -36%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
535 (503min - 564max) MBit/s -47%
020040060080010001200Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1007 (635-1216)
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø814 (528-898)

Input Devices - Keyboard illumination still hardly usable

Keyboard illumination on full brightness
Keyboard illumination on full brightness

The input devices are identical to the recently reviewed ARM model. Our test unit in Earthy Gold, however, does not have a green keyboard illumination, but a white one. The basic issue is still the same though, because the backlight is controlled by a sensor, which is sitting in the lower right display bezel. The sensor will only activate the illumination when it is almost pitch black, and we could not activate it in dim environments. The visibility of the keyboard is not perfect due to the color, either, and we would have wanted a manual control in many situations. The illumination could also be a bit stronger. Samsung should definitely fix this issue.

Display - Outdoor+ Mode is much brighter

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

A quick look at the specs suggests that Samsung uses the same 1080p touchscreen, and our measurement results are also very similar for the most part, but there are two important differences: The Intel SKU supports the so called Outdoor+ mode, which increases the brightness to ~650 cd/m². We cannot detect any PWM flickering, either, which was the case on the ARM Galaxy Book S. Therefore, it seems to be a different panel (we could not find out the exact panel-ID on the ARM model). Similar to the ARM model, the subjective picture impression is very good. The integrated brightness sensor only controls the keyboard illumination; the screen brightness cannot be adjusted automatically.

Note: Samsung says that the Outdoor+ mode will increase the brightness significantly, which also increases the power consumption. The Outdoor+ mode is also automatically deactivated when you turn off the screen or when you close the lid, for example. You always have to activate the mode manually, so we use the results without the Outdoor+ mode for our rating (for both the power consumption and the battery runtime).

358
cd/m²
342
cd/m²
362
cd/m²
338
cd/m²
385
cd/m²
341
cd/m²
347
cd/m²
354
cd/m²
355
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE07E7 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 385 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 353.6 cd/m² Minimum: 9.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 387 cd/m²
Contrast: 1283:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.2
ΔE Greyscale 4.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97.2% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
71.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
70% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.2
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
BOE07E7, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Samsung Galaxy Book S
BOE, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
APPA042, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
SHP14CB, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.40
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
BOE08BC, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Sharp LQ135P1JX51, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Display
0%
2%
1%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
70
70.3
0%
71.5
2%
70.3
0%
65.7
-6%
sRGB Coverage
97.2
98
1%
99.4
2%
99.8
3%
98.6
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
71.3
71.6
0%
73.5
3%
71.3
0%
67.8
-5%
Response Times
6%
16%
-13%
0%
-27%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
51.2 ?(24.4, 26.8)
48.8 ?(22, 26.8)
5%
38.4 ?(20.4, 18)
25%
60 ?(28.4, 31.6)
-17%
50 ?(24, 26)
2%
59.2 ?(28.4, 30.8)
-16%
Response Time Black / White *
30.4 ?(18, 12.4)
28.4 ?(16.4, 12)
7%
28.4 ?(16, 12.4)
7%
33.2 ?(16.4, 16.8)
-9%
31 ?(18, 13)
-2%
41.6 ?(23.6, 18)
-37%
PWM Frequency
9524 ?(20)
119000 ?(75)
2500 ?(20)
192 ?(90)
21740 ?(51)
Screen
2%
29%
17%
6%
23%
Brightness middle
385
383
-1%
416
8%
619
61%
456
18%
403.4
5%
Brightness
354
355
0%
403
14%
591
67%
432
22%
397
12%
Brightness Distribution
88
88
0%
95
8%
91
3%
88
0%
89
1%
Black Level *
0.3
0.36
-20%
0.34
-13%
0.35
-17%
0.32
-7%
0.34
-13%
Contrast
1283
1064
-17%
1224
-5%
1769
38%
1425
11%
1186
-8%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.8
3.1
18%
0.9
76%
3
21%
3.49
8%
0.94
75%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.4
5.3
17%
1.4
78%
8.2
-28%
8.4
-31%
2.92
54%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.2
0.6
73%
1
55%
0.72
67%
0.99
55%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.6
3.6
22%
1
78%
5.2
-13%
5.53
-20%
0.9
80%
Gamma
2.2 100%
2 110%
2.2 100%
2.14 103%
2.41 91%
2.13 103%
CCT
7424 88%
6743 96%
6629 98%
6340 103%
6675 97%
6620 98%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
65.3
63.9
-2%
66.9
2%
65
0%
62.3
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
97.2
97.6
0%
99.3
2%
100
3%
98.7
2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
4% / 3%
15% / 22%
2% / 11%
2% / 5%
-2% / 12%

* ... smaller is better

The average luminance is once again around 350 cd/m² and the contrast ratio is very good at 1200:1. There is a slight blue cast out of the box, and the color temperature is a bit too cool as well. Contrary to the ARM model of the Galaxy Book S, it was no problem to calibrate the display this time, and the results improved significantly. The slight color cast is completely gone, and the color deviations are also lower. Only 100% blue is still above the important mark (3). You can download the calibrated display profile in the box above.

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps calibrated
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps calibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated
CalMAN Grayscale Outdoor+ mode
CalMAN Grayscale Outdoor+ mode

The small sRGB color gamut is almost covered completely, in combination with the low color deviations you can also use the display to edit pictures/videos in the small color space. We also checked the screen with the Outdoor+ mode, and the much higher brightness does not impact the subjective picture quality. The black value suffers a bit, but the overall contrast ratio is still around 1200:1.

Display Response Times

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
30.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 12.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 80 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
51.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24.4 ms rise
↘ 26.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 86 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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 not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

You can see the difference between the standard and Outdoor+ mode when you use the laptop outdoors, but the reflections on the glossy screen are still a big problem and it is not easy to capture the difference between the two modes on camera. You should still avoid reflections from light sources or bright surfaces if possible.

Outdoors (Standard)
Outdoors (Standard)
Outdoors (Outdoor+ mode)
Outdoors (Outdoor+ mode)

Performance - Galaxy Book S with reduced TDP

The Intel Lakefield hybrid processor is brand-new, and many tools still have problems to show accurate data. In theory, the Core i5-L16G7 has a TDP of 7 watts (9.5W Burst). According to our information from Intel, however, Samsung reduced the PowerLimit 1 from 7 to 5 watts (PL2 still at 9.5W). This means the following results are not representative of the performance of the Lakefield processor if it runs with the specified 7/9.5 watts.

Note: Shortly after the original German review of the Galaxy Book S was published, we got an official statement from Samsung regarding the power consumption of the Lakefield processor. It states that Samsung is planning to increase the TDP from 5 to 7 watts with an update within the next two weeks. Once the update is available, we will have another look at the performance and the surface temperatures.

Processor - Galaxy Book S with Hybrid CPU

Intel Lakefield Hybrid CPU (Source: Intel)
Intel Lakefield Hybrid CPU (Source: Intel)

The Core i5-L16G7 is Intel's first hybrid processor and combines four efficient Atom cores (Tremont cores, 10 nm, up to 2.8 GHz Boost) with a fast Sunny Cove core (10 nm, up to 3.0 GHz), which is also used for the current Ice Lake CPUs. Hyperthreading is not supported, so each core can only execute one thread. Please see our tech section for more details on the architecture. 

The operating system decides how the load is distributed among the cores, but applications have to support the hybrid processor as well in order to utilize the fast core. The results of our initial benchmarks were pretty sobering, because the fast Sunny Cove core was not really utilized. So we were basically dealing with a quad-core Atom processor. You can use the Task manager to assign the faster core for a specific process, but this is not suitable in practice. The Cinebench R15 single-core test was improved from 88 to 111 points (+26%) when we manually selected the faster Sunny Cove core.

Cinebench R20 is a good example for the support of applications (see screenshots below). Version 20.040 cannot utilize the fast core effectively; we can see that 5 threads are executed, but the fifth core does not see much load. This changes with version 20.060, where all cores are fully utilized.

CB R20.040 Multi
CB R20.040 Multi
CB R20.060 Multi
CB R20.060 Multi
CB R20.040 CB R20.060 Difference
Single-Core 182 Pts 276 Pts +51 %
Multi-Core 479 Pts 609 Pts +22 %

The performance is actually pretty good when the applications supports the hybrid processor, especially considering the low TDP. The Core i3-1000NG4 (Ice Lake-Y, 2 cores/4 threads) from the current MacBook Air is a good comparison. The latter is about 26% faster in the single-core test due to the higher clock, but the Lakefield chip is actually slightly faster in the multi-core test. This is pretty remarkable because the Core i3 in the MacBook Air consumes between 10-11 watts, but the Lakefield i5 is limited to 5 watts.

The support of the applications is currently still a big problem. Our Cinebench R15 Multi loop does not utilize the fifth core, so in this case you only get the performance of the four Atom cores, which falls behind the Core i3-1000NG4. The results are still not bad when you consider the different power consumptions. By the way, the performance is not reduced on battery power.

0255075100125150175200225250275300325350375400425450475Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel Intel Core i5-L16G7, Intel Core i5-L16G7: Ø253 (249.12-254.89)
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 Intel Core i3-1000NG4, Intel Core i3-1000NG4: Ø297 (292.93-332.83)
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS Intel Core i5-1035G4, Intel Core i5-1035G4: Ø457 (453.59-490.1)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (216 - 738, n=64, last 2 years)
602 Points +118%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
439 Points +59%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
425 Points +54%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
357 Points +29%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
357 Points +29%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
348 Points +26%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (276 - 289, n=2)
283 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
276 Points
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (810 - 6314, n=64, last 2 years)
3825 Points +528%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
1630 Points +168%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1533 Points +152%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
892 Points +46%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
892 Points +46%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (609 - 686, n=2)
648 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
609 Points
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
587 Points -4%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
234 Points +165%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
172 Points +95%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
166 Points +88%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
146.4 Points +66%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
141 Points +60%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (88.3 - 90.7, n=2)
89.5 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
88.3 Points
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1705 Points +569%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
736 Points +189%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
667 Points +162%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
659 Points +158%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
490.1 (289.98min - 451.62max) Points +92%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
333 (293min - 333max) Points +31%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
255 (249.12min - 254.89max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (255 - 255, n=2)
255 Points 0%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
2156 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (1897 - 2156, n=2)
2027 Seconds * +6%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
1814 Seconds * +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1016 Seconds * +53%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1016 Seconds * +53%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
771 Seconds * +64%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
766 Seconds * +64%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (201 - 1600, n=66, last 2 years)
397 Seconds * +82%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2197 - 6403, n=58, last 2 years)
5278 MIPS +66%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
4252 MIPS +34%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4087 MIPS +29%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
4048 MIPS +28%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
4048 MIPS +28%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
3438 MIPS +8%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (3174 - 3248, n=2)
3211 MIPS +1%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
3174 MIPS
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Subnotebook
  (16223 - 67444, n=57, last 2 years)
43017 MIPS +495%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
19168 MIPS +165%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
18535 MIPS +156%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
13057 MIPS +81%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
13057 MIPS +81%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
7921 MIPS +10%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (7230 - 7943, n=2)
7587 MIPS +5%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
7230 MIPS
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (672 - 2350, n=66, last 2 years)
1677 Points +110%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1229 Points +54%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
1096 Points +38%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1081 Points +36%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1081 Points +36%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (797 - 856, n=2)
827 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
797 Points
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
700 Points -12%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4213 - 12580, n=66, last 2 years)
8762 Points +508%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4372 Points +203%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3261 Points +126%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3261 Points +126%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
2760 Points +92%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
2028 Points +41%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (1441 - 1826, n=2)
1634 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
1441 Points
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1.5 - 19.4, n=56, last 2 years)
11.5 fps +699%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
4.632 fps +222%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4.27 fps +197%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3.37 fps +134%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3.37 fps +134%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
2.23 fps +55%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (1.44 - 1.48, n=2)
1.46 fps +1%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
1.44 fps
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
97.8 s * -10%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
89.3 s *
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (88.9 - 89.3, n=2)
89.1 s * -0%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
78.3 s * +12%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
78.3 s * +12%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (40.1 - 120.5, n=57, last 2 years)
53.6 s * +40%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
0.987 sec *
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (0.897 - 0.987, n=2)
0.942 sec * +5%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
0.918 sec * +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
0.825 sec * +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
0.825 sec * +16%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
0.722 sec * +27%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.4397 - 1.236, n=57, last 2 years)
0.528 sec * +47%

* ... smaller is better

The browser benchmarks are ideal to compare the Lakefield processor with the ARM Galaxy Book S. The Snapdragon CPU is just beaten in these tests, and the Lakefield chip is clearly beaten by all the other rivals in the majority of benchmarks.

WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Subnotebook
  (119.2 - 448, n=63, last 2 years)
281 Points +132%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
194 Points +60%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
175 Points +45%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
175 Points +45%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
162 Points +34%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (121 - 128, n=2)
124.5 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
121 Points
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
116 Points -4%
Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (159 - 478, n=39, last 2 years)
257 Points +190%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
118.2 Points +33%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
88.7 Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (82.9 - 88.7, n=2)
85.8 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
73.5 Points -17%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
348 Points +125%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
249.8 Points +61%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
249.7 Points +61%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
240 Points +55%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
208.7 Points +35%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
154.8 Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
 
154.8 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
134.1 Points -13%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average of class Subnotebook
  (154 - 674, n=27, last 2 years)
318 runs/min +318%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
98.8 runs/min +30%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (76 - 76.2, n=2)
76.1 runs/min 0%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
76 runs/min
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
59.3 runs/min -22%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
58.1 runs/min -24%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (49893 - 98093, n=33, last 2 years)
80655 Points +139%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
39043 Points +16%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
35150 Points +4%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
34726 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
33682 Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (31228 - 33682, n=2)
32455 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
29364 Points -13%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
1464 ms * -12%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel Core i5-L16G7
1303 ms *
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7
  (1252 - 1303, n=2)
1278 ms * +2%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
1063 ms * +18%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Core i3-1000NG4
965 ms * +26%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
924 ms * +29%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
924 ms * +29%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
886 ms * +32%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (363 - 1913, n=67, last 2 years)
598 ms * +54%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
9003
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4079
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
20.69 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
3.18 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.42 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
255 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
29.1 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
88.3 Points
Help

System Performance

The subjective performance impression of the Intel based Galaxy Book S is very good. The device also benefits from the "bad" distribution of the load among the cores. If one core is still available even when you stress the device, the system will still react quickly to inputs and there are no stutters, even during benchmarks. There should not be any problems when you only do daily stuff, and contrary to the ARM based Galaxy Book S, you can install and use all apps without any compatibility issues.

The overall performance level in the synthetic PCMark benchmarks is very low; the comparison devices with 15W processors just have an advantage.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=56, last 2 years)
5810 Points +147%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
4421 Points +88%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4122 Points +76%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
3790 Points +61%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), i5-L16G7, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
2348 Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7, Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
  (2274 - 2348, n=2)
2311 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i3-1000NG4, Apple SSD AP0256
2229 Points -5%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=56, last 2 years)
10202 Points +82%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
9086 Points +62%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
8568 Points +53%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
7558 Points +35%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7, Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
  (5613 - 5837, n=2)
5725 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), i5-L16G7, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
5613 Points
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i3-1000NG4, Apple SSD AP0256
5464 Points -3%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=56, last 2 years)
7803 Points +129%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
6766 Points +98%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
6765 Points +98%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
6414 Points +88%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i3-1000NG4, Apple SSD AP0256
3620 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), i5-L16G7, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
3409 Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7, Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
  (2926 - 3409, n=2)
3168 Points -7%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=56, last 2 years)
6758 Points +268%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
3817 Points +108%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3281 Points +79%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
3048 Points +66%
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7, Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
  (1838 - 1869, n=2)
1854 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), i5-L16G7, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
1838 Points
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i3-1000NG4, Apple SSD AP0256
1521 Points -17%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +79%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3988 Points +42%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
3725 Points +32%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), i5-L16G7, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
2813 Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7, Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
 
2813 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i3-1000NG4, Apple SSD AP0256
2701 Points -4%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4832 Points +117%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
4755 Points +114%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2972 - 5271, n=3, last 2 years)
3805 Points +71%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), i5-L16G7, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
2227 Points
Average Intel Core i5-L16G7, Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
 
2227 Points 0%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2813 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3779 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
2227 points
PCMark 10 Score
2348 points
Help

DPC-Latency - Galaxy Book S with problems

Our standardized latency test (web browsing, YouTube 4K, load by Prime95) reveals problems, so the Galaxy Book S is not suited for real-time audio applications.

LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
1997 μs * -27%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), i5-L16G7, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
1576 μs *
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
1368 μs * +13%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Solution - Galaxy Book S with UFS storage

Samsung once again uses UFS 3.0 storage for the Galaxy Book S with a storage capacity of 256 GB. After the initial installation, you can use around 187 GB. The performance of the drive is superior to conventional hard drives, but real PCIe-SSDs in the competitors are just much faster.

Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
Samsung Galaxy Book S
256 GB NVMe
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Apple SSD AP0256
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
Average 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-3%
91%
252%
156%
122%
0%
Write 4K
37.71
30.59
-19%
34.57
-8%
121.9
223%
120.6
220%
112.3
198%
37.7
0%
Read 4K
11
20.26
84%
28.48
159%
50
355%
46.88
326%
42.13
283%
11
0%
Write Seq
403.1
421.4
5%
1026
155%
1497
271%
1044
159%
630
56%
403
0%
Read Seq
769
1232
60%
1109
44%
2111
175%
1147
49%
1023
33%
769
0%
Write 4K Q32T1
155.9
39.17
-75%
178.4
14%
365.9
135%
332.4
113%
336.6
116%
155.9
0%
Read 4K Q32T1
195.6
41.14
-79%
557
185%
384.6
97%
443.3
127%
399.6
104%
195.6
0%
Write Seq Q32T1
407.9
420.9
3%
970
138%
2748
574%
1052
158%
821
101%
408
0%
Read Seq Q32T1
1102
1047
-5%
1513
37%
3119
183%
2171
97%
2030
84%
1102
0%
AS SSD
11%
38%
211%
156%
78%
0%
Seq Read
945
1069
13%
1135
20%
2328
146%
1370
45%
1387
47%
945
0%
Seq Write
349
382
9%
1090
212%
1137
226%
1019
192%
504
44%
349
0%
4K Read
17.79
16.64
-6%
14.87
-16%
48.07
170%
50.8
186%
42.35
138%
17.8
0%
4K Write
25.69
35.99
40%
26.27
2%
120.6
369%
111.2
333%
120
367%
25.7
0%
4K-64 Read
373.5
415.1
11%
585
57%
899
141%
770
106%
497.4
33%
374
0%
4K-64 Write
245.4
229.5
-6%
154.6
-37%
1220
397%
713
191%
354.9
45%
245
0%
Access Time Read *
0.232
0.126
46%
0.085
63%
0.055
76%
0.232
-0%
Access Time Write *
0.144
0.093
35%
0.058
60%
0.033
77%
0.034
76%
0.093
35%
0.144
-0%
Score Read
486
539
11%
713
47%
1180
143%
958
97%
678
40%
486
0%
Score Write
306
304
-1%
290
-5%
1455
375%
926
203%
525
72%
306
0%
Score Total
1014
1086
7%
1365
35%
3189
214%
2370
134%
1520
50%
1014
0%
Copy ISO MB/s
368.9
764
107%
369
0%
Copy Program MB/s
190
256.1
35%
190
0%
Copy Game MB/s
366.6
368.4
0%
367
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
4% / 5%
65% / 60%
232% / 228%
156% / 156%
100% / 94%
0% / 0%

* ... smaller is better

256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1102 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 407.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 195.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 155.9 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 769 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 403.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 11 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 37.71 MB/s

Sustained Performance Read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance - Throttled Ice-Lake-iGPU

GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2)
GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2)

The integrated graphics adapter is basically the fast G7-iGPU we know from the Ice Lake processors. Because of the low TDP, however, the core clock is much lower. The performance in the synthetic is more comparable to the old Intel UHD Graphics 620.

The iGPU is well-suited for everyday situation, and the video decoder has no problems with the playback of high-resolution videos.

Gaming is not great on the Galaxy Book S. The graphics performance drops after a little while (Fire Strike stress test not passed at 82%) and even simple titles hardly reach playable frame rates, which is also a result of the low CPU performance. You should focus on very simple titles from the Windows Store (like card games, for example).

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8016 Points +383%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
4279 Points +158%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G4
2809 Points +69%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
2578 Points +55%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Intel Core i3-1000NG4
1941 Points +17%
Average Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
  (1658 - 1925, n=2)
1792 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), Intel Core i5-L16G7
1658 Points
Samsung Galaxy Book S
Qualcomm Adreno 680, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
1593 Points -4%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13768 - 65911, n=40, last 2 years)
29002 Points +284%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
16695 Points +121%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
12698 Points +68%
Average Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
  (7556 - 9261, n=2)
8409 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), Intel Core i5-L16G7
7556 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
5881 Points +383%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
2692 Points +121%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G4
1995 Points +64%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
1755 Points +44%
Average Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
  (1217 - 1374, n=2)
1296 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), Intel Core i5-L16G7
1217 Points
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Intel Core i3-1000NG4
922 Points -24%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (811 - 4773, n=58, last 2 years)
1981 Points +468%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
794 Points +128%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
472 Points +35%
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), Intel Core i5-L16G7
349 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
 
349 Points 0%
3DMark 11 Performance
1711 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
39624 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
5516 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1104 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
389 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 32.5 18.6
The Witcher 3 (2015) 12.1
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 46.5 17.9 12.7 12
Rocket League (2017) 23
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 16.9 9.61 9.05

Emissions - Intel version of the Galaxy Book S is also passively cooled

System Noise

Similar to the ARM model, the Intel processor in the Galaxy Book S is passively cooled and we did not notice any other electronic sounds, either.

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

The surface temperatures are pretty interesting, because they are significantly lower compared to the ARM based Galaxy Book S. We can only measure 40 °C (104 °F) at the bottom at one spot, all the other measurement spots are much cooler. This begs the question why Samsung has reduced the TDP of the processor; the surface temperatures still have some headroom.

We were not able to see the GPU clock during the stress test. The CPU cores are clearly below the 1 GHz mark and you see that Prime95 is not optimized for the hybrid processor.

Max. Load
 33.9 °C
93 F
38.1 °C
101 F
37.2 °C
99 F
 
 32.5 °C
91 F
36.2 °C
97 F
35.3 °C
96 F
 
 31.2 °C
88 F
32.4 °C
90 F
32.1 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 38.1 °C = 101 F
Average: 34.3 °C = 94 F
38.3 °C
101 F
40 °C
104 F
34.8 °C
95 F
37.9 °C
100 F
38.7 °C
102 F
34.2 °C
94 F
32.8 °C
91 F
33.1 °C
92 F
33.2 °C
92 F
Maximum: 40 °C = 104 F
Average: 35.9 °C = 97 F
Power Supply (max.)  38 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.3 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.1 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.4 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.4 °C / 90.3 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-4.1 °C / -7.4 F).
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Our consumption measurements are pretty interesting, because the Intel version draws more power than the ARM Galaxy Book S in every scenario. There are still advantages compared to rivals with 15W CPUs, bit the difference is often not that big. The power consumption during the stress test quickly drops from 20 to about 13 watts, so the included 25W power adapter is completely sufficient. The idle consumption is increased by 2W when you activate the Outdoor+ mode.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.06 / 0.94 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.5 / 4.8 / 6 Watt
Load midlight 14.9 / 20.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
i5-L16G7, UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Samsung Galaxy Book S
SD 8cx, Adreno 680, 256 GB NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
i3-1000NG4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Apple SSD AP0256, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.40
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
i5-1035G4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Average Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Power Consumption
17%
-30%
-84%
-39%
-112%
-33%
-136%
Idle Minimum *
2.5
1.61
36%
2.1
16%
3.4
-36%
3
-20%
4.4
-76%
4.85 ?(2.5 - 7.2, n=2)
-94%
4.9 ?(1.77 - 11.8, n=63, last 2 years)
-96%
Idle Average *
4.8
4.3
10%
6.2
-29%
6
-25%
6.1
-27%
7.5
-56%
6.15 ?(4.8 - 7.5, n=2)
-28%
8.4 ?(4.6 - 17.4, n=63, last 2 years)
-75%
Idle Maximum *
6
5
17%
7
-17%
10.2
-70%
8.4
-40%
7.8
-30%
6.85 ?(6 - 7.7, n=2)
-14%
10.4 ?(5.1 - 22.4, n=63, last 2 years)
-73%
Load Average *
14.9
13.2
11%
24.7
-66%
36.6
-146%
25.7
-72%
41.9
-181%
17.7 ?(14.9 - 20.5, n=2)
-19%
46.1 ?(19.1 - 83.3, n=62, last 2 years)
-209%
Load Maximum *
20.1
18.3
9%
30.6
-52%
49.3
-145%
27.6
-37%
63.9
-218%
22.5 ?(20.1 - 24.8, n=2)
-12%
66.2 ?(24.2 - 121.2, n=63, last 2 years)
-229%
Witcher 3 ultra *
40.8

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime - Intel version of the Galaxy Book S with reduced stamina

Wi-Fi runtime Outdoor+ mode: 5:15 hours
Wi-Fi runtime Outdoor+ mode: 5:15 hours

The increased power consumption also results in much shorter battery runtimes compared to the ARM model and even the other comparison devices last longer. This means one big advantage of the ARM based Galaxy Book S is gone.

We determine almost 10 hours during our Wi-Fi test at a luminance of 150 cd/m², and about 7 hours with the maximum brightness. If you activate the Outdoor+ mode to use the ~650 cd/m², the runtime drops to little more than 5 hours. The charging time is around 2.5 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 83.0.478.56)
9h 51min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge 83.0.478.56)
7h 04min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 58min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 53min
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel
i5-L16G7, UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU), 42 Wh
Samsung Galaxy Book S
SD 8cx, Adreno 680, 42 Wh
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3
i3-1000NG4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), 49.9 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), 52 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
i5-1035G4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), 54.5 Wh
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 45 Wh
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Battery Runtime
67%
3%
9%
10%
-34%
-12%
H.264
718
1312
83%
666
-7%
866
21%
778 ?(426 - 1153, n=30, last 2 years)
8%
WiFi v1.3
591
953
61%
661
12%
703
19%
648
10%
495
-16%
623 ?(303 - 1144, n=64, last 2 years)
5%
Load
233
369
58%
205
-12%
112
-52%
115.4 ?(61 - 197, n=47, last 2 years)
-50%

Pros

+ sturdy and lightweight chassis
+ good battery runtime
+ Outdoor+ mode is much brighter
+ great speakers
+ decent everyday performance
+ full app compatibility

Cons

- only USB-C
- keyboard illumination is too dark
- no integrated LTE (German SKU)
- hybrid processor requires adjusted apps for optimal performance

Verdict - Galaxy Book S is in a tricky spot

In review: Samsung Galaxy Book S
In review: Samsung Galaxy Book S

It is not easy to find a verdict for the Samsung's Galaxy Book S with Intel's new hybrid processor. The first rival is obviously the ARM model, which costs about the same. The latter has some advantages, like the extremely long battery runtimes and obviously the integrated LTE module. Both versions are passively cooled. The Intel model on the other hand introduces the much brighter Outdoor+ mode of the screen and is obviously compatible with 64-bit apps, so you can just use the Intel Galaxy Book S like a "normal" Windows laptop.

This leads us to the next comparison, because you can get much more powerful devices for around 1100 Euros (~$1243). These devices will be a bit heavier and are not passively cooled, but even offer longer battery runtimes, comparable display, and just much more performance, which will definitely be noticeable in the next couple of years. This is also the reason why we cannot recommend the galaxy Book S with the Intel processor.

The Galaxy Book S with the ARM processor had some advantages compared to "regular" Windows notebooks. The implementation of the Intel CPU improves compatibility, but some regions do not get the LTE modem, and the battery runtime is also much shorter. All in all, the competition just offers much better overall packages for the money.

The new Lakefield processor is pretty interesting, but it requires the support of applications. In the worst case, you just get the performance of a quad-core Atom processor. The efficiency can be great when it works, but we will have to wait and see if the concept will be successful. We will repeat some tests as soon as Samsung has released the update to increase the power consumption of the processor.

Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel - 07/10/2020 v7
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
80%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
51 / 75 → 68%
Weight
76 / 20-75 → 100%
Battery
88%
Display
84%
Games Performance
45 / 78 → 58%
Application Performance
67 / 85 → 79%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
84 / 91 → 92%
Camera
34 / 85 → 40%
Average
75%
85%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Samsung Galaxy Book S Laptop Review: Lakefield with initial problems
Andreas Osthoff, 2020-07-11 (Update: 2020-07-13)