Samsung Galaxy Book4 FE Review – Intel Core i5-1335U – Model NP750XGJ-KG2UK

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 FE is a mid-range laptop that aims to balance performance and affordability. With a price point of  £599 TTP but often available at significant discounts, it competes directly with other mid-range laptops from brands like Acer, HP, Asus, and Dell. The key specifications include a 15.6″ Full HD display, Intel Core i5-1335U processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD.

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Specification

Samsung Galaxy Book4 vs Galaxy Book3

During my initial research into this laptop, it quickly became clear that the Samsung Galaxy Book4 is almost identical to the Galaxy Book3.

As far as I can tell, the only difference is that the Galaxy Book4 included a collapsable RJ4G port, which is a nice addition but hardly worth branding it as a new model.

Unboxing / Design

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Book4 FE reveals a clean and minimalist design. The laptop is housed in a sleek grey chassis that feels sturdy and well-constructed. Its 1.57 kg weight makes it reasonably portable for a 15.6″ laptop, suitable for students and professionals who need to carry it between home, office, or classroom.

The Galaxy Book4 FE offers a decent selection of ports for a modern laptop:

• 1x USB-C port (with DisplayPort functionality)
• 2x USB-A 3.2 ports
• 1x HDMI port
• 1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
• 1x microSD card reader

The inclusion of a Gigabit Ethernet port is a notable feature, especially for users who require stable wired internet connections, which is increasingly rare in modern laptops. The dual USB Type-C ports and HDMI 1.4 ensure that connectivity options are versatile, although the absence of Thunderbolt ports might be a drawback for some users seeking faster data transfer speeds and more connectivity options.

Overall, the build quality of this laptop is excellent, and it feels quite light considering the size.

Upgradability – Soldered RAM & WiFi Module

I bought this laptop knowing that the spec was not adequate for my needs. I need 16GB of RAM due to the amount of apps I run at the same time. I need much more storage, and I would prefer WiFi 7 so I can make the most of the increased throughput from my Netgear Orbi RBE973 mesh system.

Frustratingly, once I took the back panel off the laptop, I realised that both the RAM and WiFi module were soldered and, therefore, not upgradable at all.

One saving grace is that Samsung has included an additional M.2 slot. So you can keep the 256GB drive for the OS and easily add an additional drive for more storage.

Display

The 15.6″ Full HD PLS LCD display provides clear and vibrant visuals. The anti-glare coating is particularly useful for reducing reflections and improving visibility in brightly lit environments. The 60 Hz refresh rate is standard for most tasks, though it may fall short for those looking into high-end gaming or more demanding graphical applications.

Keyboard & Trackpad

The Galaxy Book4 FE features a full-sized keyboard with a numeric keypad, which is a welcome addition for users who frequently work with numbers. The keys offer a comfortable typing experience with adequate travel and feedback.

The keyboard lacks backlighting, which may be a drawback for users who often work in low-light conditions. This omission is somewhat surprising given the laptop’s price point and target market.

The touchpad is spacious and responsive, supporting multi-touch gestures for easy navigation. Its smooth surface allows for precise cursor control, enhancing the overall user experience.

Performance

Powered by an Intel Core i5-1335U processor, the Galaxy Book4 FE delivers solid performance for everyday computing tasks. This 13th-generation chip features 10 cores (2 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores) and 12 threads, providing a good balance between performance and power efficiency.

The laptop comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, which is sufficient for most users’ multitasking needs. However, power users or those who frequently work with memory-intensive applications may find this amount limiting.

Storage is handled by a 256GB NVMe SSD, offering quick boot times and fast application loading. While this capacity may be adequate for many users, those with large media libraries or who work with large files may need to rely on external storage or cloud solutions.

Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.1, which is more than adequate for most scenarios, but it is lagging behind newer WiFI standards. WiFi 7 is becoming increasingly common, and this can achieve speeds of up to around 2000Mbps from a single band vs around 800Mbps with WiFi 6.

Benchmarks

3DMark Time Spy

The 3DMark Time Spy indicate that the CPU has plenty of processing power for your needs, but the GPU is very poor. This is not a laptop that would be good for gaming.

• Samsung Galaxy Book4 FE – Intel Core i5-1335U:  1420 (CPU: 4257 GPU: 1271)
• Acer Swift Go 14 (2024): 3413 (CPU: 6261 GPU: 3160)
• Acer Swift Edge 16: 2856 (CPU: 6875 GPU: 2589)
• Acer Swift 5 2022: 1596 (CPU: 6212 GPU: 1411)
• Acer Aspire Vero: 1607 (CPU: 4493 GPU: 1444)
• Acer Swift 3X: 1890 (CPU: 4408 GPU: 1717)
• Matebook 13: 1276 (CPU: 2673 GPU: 1169)

PCMark

• Samsung Galaxy Book4 FE – Intel Core i5-1335U: 4830 (Essentials: 8681 Productivity: 6498)
• Acer Swift Go 14 (2024): 6100 (Essentials: 8775 Productivity: 7771)
• Acer Swift Edge 16: 4878 (Essentials: 8541Productivity: 7614)
• Acer Swift 5 2022: 4991 (Essentials: 8631 Productivity: 6451 )
• Acer Aspire Vero: 5030 (Essentials: 9279 Productivity: 6812 )
• Acer Swift 3X: 5014 (Essentials: 9468 Productivity: 6846 )
• Matebook 13: 3970 (Essentials: 8759 Productivity: 7224 )

3Dmark: Additional Tests

• 3Dmark CPU Profile:
  • Max Threads: 2849
  • 16 Threads: 2618
  • 8 Threads: 2204
  • 4 Threads: 1739
  • 2 Threads: 1310
  • 1 Thread: 779
• Storage Benchmark: 1958
• Steal Nomad Light Score: 2536

Geekbench

• GeekBench 5:
  • Samsung Galaxy Book4 FE – Intel Core i5-1335U: 1,610 (single-core); 6,623(multi-core)
  • Acer Swift Go 14: 1,575 (single-core); 11,384 (multi-core)
  • Acer Swift Edge 16: 1,858  (single-core); 7,704(multi-core)
  • Acer Swift 5 2022: 1,681 (single-core); 9,097 (multi-core)
  • Acer Swift 3X : 1,426 (single-core); 5,581 (multi-core)
• Geekbench 6:
  • Samsung Galaxy Book4 FE – Intel Core i5-1335U: 2,274 (single-core); 6,742(multi-core)
  • Acer Swift Go 14: 2,129 (single-core); 11,851 (multi-core)

For the 256GB PCIe SSD, you get decent read/write speeds of 3379MB/s and 1293/s.

Audio

The Galaxy Book4 FE features dual 1.5W speakers that deliver adequate audio for a laptop in this price range. The sound quality is clear for video calls and casual media consumption, but it lacks the depth and richness found in higher-end laptops.

The speakers are downward-firing, which can sometimes result in muffled sounds when the laptop is placed on soft surfaces. For the best audio experience, external speakers or headphones are recommended, especially for listening to music or watching movies.

Webcam and Microphone

The laptop is equipped with a 720p HD webcam, which provides just about acceptable video quality for video calls and online meetings. During one video call, I found the image quality quite grainy, and the image was a bit washed out, but it is perfectly adequate for things like Zoom or Teams calls.

The built-in microphone offers clear audio capture for voice calls and video conferencing. Noise-cancellation technology helps reduce background noise, improving the overall call quality.

Battery

The Galaxy Book4 FE is equipped with a 54Wh battery, which Samsung claims can provide up to 12 hours of usage. In real-world testing, the laptop manages to deliver around 8-9 hours of mixed-use, including web browsing, document editing, and media streaming.

This battery life is respectable for a laptop in this category and should be sufficient for a full day of work or study for most users. However, power users or those who frequently use resource-intensive applications may need to carry the charger for longer periods away from a power outlet.

The laptop supports fast charging through its USB-C port, which can replenish the battery relatively quickly. This feature is particularly useful for users who need to top up their battery during short breaks.

OS and Software

The Galaxy Book4 FE comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Home, providing access to the latest features and security updates from Microsoft.

Samsung also includes its own suite of software, such as Samsung Notes and Samsung Gallery, which can be particularly useful for users who own other Samsung devices.

The laptop supports Samsung’s ecosystem features, including Quick Share for easy file transfer between Samsung devices and Second Screen, which allows users to use their Samsung tablet as an additional display.

While these features add value for Samsung ecosystem users, some may find the pre-installed software unnecessary if they don’t use other Samsung devices.

Price and Alternative Options

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 is available from Currys for £599.

At the time of writing, the Samsung store had a 40% discount voucher (BOOK4), which took the price down to just £449.40. Very had a similar discount, taking it down to £453.09 with the 10% voucher that was available at the time (VTQ9T).

Looking on Currys for similar options, there is:

• Acer Aspire Vero AV15-53: £579
  • With 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB of storage, and WiFi 6E, but it weighs more.
• HP Envy x360 15-fe0550sa 15.6″ 2 in 1 Laptop: £599
  • A convertible laptop with 8GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB storage, 2x Thunderbolt ports and WiFI 6E
• Asus Vivobook S 15 S5504VA for £599
  • With 16GB of DDR5 RAM, 512GB storage, an OLED display, 1x Thunderbolt port, and Wi-Fi 6E
• Asus Vivobook 15 X1504ZA for £479
  • With 16GB of RAM, 1TB storage and WiFI 6E
• Dell Inspiron 14 5430 Laptop for £479
  • With a 14” 1920×1200 display, 8GB DDR5, 1TB storage, WiFi 6E and one thunderbolt port

None of the above options have an Ethernet port like the Samsung.

Overall

At the full RRP, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 is of poor value for money, with plenty of options from reputable brands that have superior specs at a lower price point.

For the same price as the RRP, you can get the Asus Vivobook S 15 S5504VA, which has a superior OLED display, 16GB of RAM, which is also faster than DDR5, double the storage, WiFi 6E and superior connectivity thanks to the Thunderbolt port.

For a much lower price point, there is the Dell Inspiron 14, which has a smaller display but 1920×1200. Then 8GB DDR5, 1TB storage, superior WiFi and this also has a Thunderbolt port.

Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 appears to be available with significant discounts semi-regularly. At £449.40, the laptop is much more appealing, and I would say that is the maximum price this laptop should be and even then some of the other options still look more appealing.

I was very disappointed at the soldered RAM and WiFi module, but these are becoming increasingly common, and I suspect most of the other options will be similar.

The Samsung laptop does have some nice features. I like the way Samsung integrate other Samsung devices seamlessly with the laptop. I normally use Windows Phone Link on my PC, but the Samsung features are better in some way. I am particularly fond of being able to copy and paste between devices.

While the £449.40 price may still be a touch high, I think the overall performance for the price you pay is good. This is no gaming laptop, but I found it performed well in all my normal work. I don’t do anything too demanding, but I am a heavy multi-tasker, and even with the limited 8GB of RAM, it performed well.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this at the full RRP, but I think it is a good laptop at £450 and it would make a perfect laptop for students or anyone needing a work laptop.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.