Samsung Notebook 7 13.3" Laptop - 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD - Ultra Thin & Lightweight Windows 10 Laptop for Business, Students & Home Use

Needs.I am a commuting university student. Not much of a gamer.What I was looking for in a laptop.A metal chassis. An energy-efficient, high-resolution screen. A long battery life. A keyboard with decent travel. Good return policy and support service. A lightweight 13-inch form factor. A non-touch screen. And I needed these features at about $1000.I ended up going with the Notebook 7 13.3 with 256 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM.The Laptop.The next section describes my experience with the laptop.Build. Sturdy. This is a unibody laptop with a premium metal and glass chassis. There is some flex in the chassis but it’s only apparent if you’re pressing hard in the middle of the keyboard. Although this laptop can be opened with one hand, it would be best to open it up with both hands since the screen is one sheet of glass. Interestingly, opening the laptop’s lid while the laptop is turned off causes it to automatically turn on.Audio. It sucks. The speakers are bottom facing and sound muffled. However, the laptop is equipped with Dolby Atmos, a sound driver software. Once turned on and adjusted, Dolby Atmos made a huge difference in the sound quality and surround sound. However, it seems like Samsung knew the speakers were going to suck and decided to include Dolby Atmos to compensate for the onboard speakers. Even worse, I suspect the higher priced Samsung Notebook 7 models have the same speakers. At above $1000, terrible audio quality is inexcusable.Screen. The display is a glossy finish single panel glass. Videos and Pictures look crisp. The blacks are inky, and the colors are vibrant. Although the screen packs a bright punch, I tend to keep my screen brightness at 20%. However, the glossy screen tracks fingerprints and is reflective.Keyboard. Pleasant to type on. Nice travel depth. The backlight is adjustable through the function keys and in Windows settings. A caveat is the keyboard’s matte finish. In the light, fingerprints and body oil stains are noticeable. These marks can be easily wiped down.Touchpad. Responsive. Touchpad gestures and taps are readily recognized with little pressure and great accuracy. The touchpad has a smooth finish.Fingerprint reader. Responsive, too. Since the fingerprint reader uses Windows Hello, it can be used to quickly log into Windows. Samsung shortened the length of the right shift key to make room for it. Since I use the left shift key more often, this is not a problem. For those who frequently use the right shift key, it might take some time getting used to the shortened key.Battery. The laptop charges quickly and stays charged for several hours. From 100% to about 10%, this laptop gave over 9 hours. This is from a charging period where I was using Microsoft Word, watching YouTube videos at 1080, and browsing the internet (30 minutes).Gaming. This laptop runs on an Intel UHD Graphics 630 with no dedicated graphics. And Ultrabooks are not famous for their gaming capabilities. Out of curiosity, I loaded GTA San Andreas. Surprisingly, it played smoothly (low graphics @ 1920 x 1080). As expected, the laptop did get a little warm.Thermals. Warmish but generally stays cool. Under load, the warmest area is the top left to the middle part of the keyboard. This could be due to the bottom facing fans located right under those parts.Fans. Remarkably, while performing a light task – browsing the internet via Firefox or typing a paper---the fans did not come on at all. However, they came on when I was playing GTA San Andreas. Even when the fans were on, they made minimal noise.Software. With an SSD and an 8th Generation Intel i7, applications start instantly and perform consistently. However, this laptop came with bloatware. I uninstalled unnecessary apps like Candy Crush, MacAfee, and Samsung Software. What could not be uninstalled manually --Xbox apps, Microsoft store, 3D builder-- were removed with PowerShell commands.Upgradability. Unknown. The Samsung website suggests memory and storage are expandable. Even with the laptop in hand, I am still not sure if this refers to the laptop options at the time of purchase or aftermarket upgrades.Summary.Overall, I am pleased with the Notebook 7 and would recommend it to a friend.Too long, didn’t read (TLDR).Pros:• Great laptop for students not looking to play modern games• Keyboard is a breeze to type on• Easy to get rid of Bloatware• Display is great to look at• Long battery life• Lightweight• Sturdy• QuietCons:• Matte keyboard and Glossy display track fingerprints• Speakers sound anemic without Dolby Atmos• Bloatware