Pros & Cons
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- Fantastic all-around build quality.
- Attractive design.
- Sharp, vibrant 4K touch display.
- Fast hardware.
- Loud, clear speakers.
- USB-C port.
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- A little light on storage.
- Middling battery life.
Samsung Ativ Book 9 Pro Specs
| Graphics Memory | 2048 |
| Graphics Processor | Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M |
| Native Display Resolution | 3840 by 2160 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Optical Drive | external |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-6700HQ |
| Processor Speed | 2.6 |
| RAM (as Tested) | 8 |
| Screen Size | 15.6 |
| Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) | 5:14 |
| Touch Screen | |
| Weight | 4.42 |
| Wireless Networking | 802.11ac (2.4+5.0 GHz Dual-band) |
The Samsung Ativ Book 9 Pro ($1,499.99 as tested) is a high-end desktop-replacement laptop featuring a 4K Ultra High-Definition (UHD) touch display and speedy performance. From the screen and the chassis to the keyboard, the touchpad, and the speakers, this system looks and feels premium. The Dell XPS 15 Touch (9550) is more expensive, but it boasts more powerful hardware, double the storage, and features like a 100-percent Adobe RGB color gamut display and PremierColor software, which can make a big difference to photo and video professionals. It remains our Editors' Choice for high-end desktop-replacement laptops, but the Ativ Book 9 Pro is an excellent, less expensive alternative capable of performing daily work and entertainment tasks with style.
Design and Features
With an all-aluminum chassis and slick design, the Book 9 Pro is attractive and feels nice to hold. The laptop features a metallic, black finish with silver trim, and it measures 0.7 by 14.72 by 9.82 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.42 pounds. The XPS 15 Touch is slightly smaller, but heavier, while the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro is 0.71 by 14.25 by 9.75 inches and 4.49 pounds, about the same size and slightly heavier. The Asus Zenbook Pro UX501J-DS71T is also of a similar size and weight at 0.8 by 15.1 by 10 inches and 4.5 pounds. This is clearly the sweet spot for these premium laptops, as they are very similar in size and weight.
View All The keyboard and touchpad are as well-designed as the chassis. The backlit, chiclet-style keyboard feels nice to type on, with balanced key travel that's neither too shallow nor too deep. The curved keys are sturdy and big. There's no number pad, which some users may want (of the three other systems above, only the Asus ZenBook includes one), but that allows for a comfortable and roomy layout. The touchpad is equally solid, with no looseness or rattling, and the tracking is smooth and consistent. Also impressive are the four speakers. Some laptops only have one or two speakers, but the extras here means that the sound system is incredibly loud, with strong bass. Notebook speakers often sound distorted or tinny at maximum volume, but the XPS 8900's audio held up quite well when we played booming music.
The touch-enabled 15.6-inch 4K display is another highlight. With a 3,840-by-2,160 resolution, the screen is sharp and clear. The viewing angles are wide, allowing you to see the picture from extreme angles without distortion. This resolution is the same as that of the Dell XPS 15 Touch (though the Dell laptop does include the full Adobe RGB color spectrum) and the Asus Zenbook Pro. The 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro's resolution is only 2,880 by 1,800 in comparison, and does not feature touch technology.
