Samsung Series 5 13in (530U3B) review

It has barely been a year since Intel launched its Ultrabook specification, but we’re already seeing plenty of variety from different manufacturers and, refreshingly, prices are slowly beginning to drop. Samsung’s Series 5 could be considered a second generation Ultrabook, and if it’s any indication, the form factor may have finally found its feet.

With its 13in chassis, 18mm thickness and 1.4kg weight, the Series 5 is tiny machine, with delightfully minimalist looks that continue underneath the lid – Aside from the power button, there are no superfluous hotkeys or LEDs, just a Chiclet-style keyboard and an expansive touchpad.

Connectivity is excellent for such a small machine, and Samsung has sensibly decided against copying the port covers from the Series 9. Two USB ports, a single USB3 port and a multi-format card reader are all useful inclusions, plus there’s a single 3.5mm headset port. There’s also a full-size Ethernet port, which means you won’t be nervously digging in the bottom of your bag for the adaptor. There’s no optical drive here – you’ll need to spend more on the 14in version if you want to be able to play DVDs.

Like all ultrabooks, the Series 5 is powered by an Intel processor. The Core i5-2467m runs at a relatively sedate 1.6GHz, but can Turbo Boost up to 2.3GHz for extra performance when needed. Combined with 4GB of RAM it completed our multimedia benchmarks with an overall score of 35. This isn’t exactly lightning-fast, but it’s more than quick enough to run all your everyday tasks.

Intel’s processor also provides the graphics power, using its integrated GPU. It’s fast enough for high definition video, at 720p on the laptop or 1080p using the HDMI output, but it struggles with modern games. Our Dirt3 test chugged along at 12.8fps, proving you’ll need to stick to older titles in order to achieve a playable frame rate.

In order to undercut much of the competition with the Series 5, Samsung has opted to use a traditional hard disk rather than an SSD, combining it with 16GB of flash memory to speed up file transfers. It’s an Intel technology called Smart Cache, but Samsung has labelled it Express Cache here – either way, it makes a big difference to start-up times. Compared to the 54 seconds it took to boot without any assistance, the Series 5 reached the Windows desktop in 26 seconds with Express Cache enabled.

The mechanical hard disk will have more of an impact on battery life than an SSD, but the Series 5 still coped well in our light-use test. Lasting a little over five and a half hours away from the mains, you should be able to get a fair amount done before you need to start searching for a plug socket.

In everyday use, the Series 5 excelled thanks to its bright 300nit display. The matt screen finish diffuses reflections so well that we had no trouble working under the fluorescent lights of our office, or even in direct sunlight. Colours looked vibrant and contrast was impressive for a matt display. Viewing angles were reasonable, as was the amount of screen tilt, so you shouldn’t struggle to find a comfortable working position. The 1,366×768 resolution is average for a laptop of this size, but we did miss the 1,600×900 resolution screens found on some more expensive Asus Ultrabooks.

Audio quality unsurprisingly fell behind image quality, as the small stereo speakers aren’t powerful enough to produce great sound. Although volume was reasonable and the mid-range was clear, there was a definite lack of bass and the high-end sounded rather sharp, even with Samsung’s audio enhancer switched on.

Typing was both comfortable and responsive, thanks to the springy Chiclet-style keys that are spaced well apart from each other. All the punctuation keys are where you would expect them and the function keys double as multimedia shortcuts, but only when holding the Fn key. Half-height arrow keys are a minor irritation, as is the lack of a backlight, but we would much prefer a keyboard that’s easy to use than one with unnecessary frills.

We were also impressed with the touchpad, which rejects an all-in-one design for separate physical buttons. It’s large and in proportion to the 16:9 screen, with a smooth finish that makes navigating the desktop a breeze. Multi-touch gestures work well, and it’s accurate too, even with the sensitivity set high enough that we could span the desktop in a single swipe.

Average performance aside, the Series 5 is exactly where we think the Ultrabook market should be heading. Although Intel’s specification looked great on paper, the huge prices must have slowed sales considerably; but here we have an incredibly thin and light laptop that costs £750. It isn’t perfect, as we’ve seen better screens and battery life from the competition. If you’re looking for the best in performance, the Asus ZenBook UX31 is still the fastest Ultrabook around, but the Series 5 is an excellent cheaper alternative – but with a quality feel about it.