“Did Intel just change the game?”: I tested Samsung’s Galaxy Book 6 Pro – and the Series 3 chip is amazing
This week, Samsung’s new Galaxy Book 6 Pro landed on my desk, so I happily put it to the test before my full review – coming soon.
This is the first time I know you in the right way hold the Intel Core X7 Series 3 chip, known as Panther Lake, which was one of the main themes of this year’s CES 2026 consumer show.
That’s ultimately the theme: by 2026 we’ll be able to get more out of our PCs – and they’ll last longer, too. It won.
Now that I’ve had 48 hours to settle in with the 16-inch Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro – packed with Intel Core Ultra X7 (358H) and Intel Arc B390 graphics – I have a solid understanding of what to expect when it goes on sale.
What is Intel Series 3 ‘Panther Lake’?
- In testing: Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro 16-inch (NP960XJG-RS7)
- Intel CPU: Core Ultra X7 (358H)
- Intel GPU: The Arc (B390)
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Panther Lake is the latest iteration of Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 chipsets, which use a process called ’18A’ (which means it’s a 1.8-nanometer process). That’s important, though, as it brings greater efficiency, which equates to greater longevity.
But there is more to it than that. Increasing raw power at this level, Intel’s biggest AI (artificial intelligence) focus so far, and integrated graphics (iGPU) is the first step to blur the boundaries compared to the obvious GPU.
Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 comes in a variety of options, however. There’s X7 (tested) and X9 – the higher that number, the higher the clock speed, and therefore, the raw power. The Galaxy Book 6 Pro doesn’t offer the X9, but it’s worth knowing about.
There are tiers in between, too, with the 358H version in the main test at 4.8GHz and unable to provide a frequency boost to 5GHz for the 368H, for example. Both are 16-core setups, however, they are very similar in terms of architecture.
CPU performance
- Geekbench benchmarks:
- Single core: 2802
- Multi-core: 16,601
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
So, how well does the base Intel Core X7 perform? I’ve included my Geekbench benchmark results above for your information, which shows that the multithreaded performance here is really impressive.
In context: Apple’s MacBook Pro with silicon M5 (available in the 14-inch product model) gets the same score – slightly higher, at 17,795.
Numbers aren’t everything, however, and since I’ve been handed the Galaxy Book 6 Pro I’ve been impressed with its measured, generally quiet performance. It has a fan, but it’s not a ‘whirry’ that hurts the ears when it kicks on.
My daily usage will increase in the coming days, to get an idea of how the Samsung design and Intel hardware combination fares in normal conditions.
GPU performance
- Geekbench benchmarks:
- OpenCL: 56,991
- Vulkan: 60,603
- Real-world testing (Doom: The Dark Ages):
- ‘Low’ settings for full HD: 50fps (average)
- ‘High’ settings for full HD: 27fps (average)
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Here’s where things start to get even more interesting, though, as Intel’s iGPU performance is able to keep up – and, indeed, better – Apple’s M5 in benchmark terms (with 48,713 OpenCL points, for comparison)
I had high hopes that this would translate into decent gaming performance and, while it’s not like the best laptops (they’re a whole different beast, mind), you can realistically play AAA games at decent frame rates.
Doom: The Dark Ages one cookie that is hard to satisfy, but at low graphics settings it delivered an average of 50fps. Up to Medium and you’ll be over 30fps.
With old benchmarking tools – I ran for free to download Superposition from Unigine – even at the highest settings of 1080p it delivered an average of 64fps.
Use that for some 5 year old games, or design/rendering software, and it’s a solid result – without the need to be connected to a power source.
Battery Life
- YouTube Wi-Fi test (on Chrome):
- 75% brightness: 12.5 hours (100-0%)
- Charging test (65W):
- 0-25% in 25 minutes / 0-100% in 140 minutes approx.
- Passive termination test:
- About 10% is lost in 16 hours of inactivity
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
A big part of the Series 3’s equation is battery life. That is, on the Galaxy Book 6 Pro, I found it to be solid – although not as clear (yet) as I’ve seen others say.
Note that this Samsung laptop has a battery capacity of 78Wh, so it is not the limit that the laptop can take. Its display is 2880 x 1800 in resolution, thus going beyond Full HD, which will also be a feature.
My standard YouTube Wi-Fi test, at 75% brightness, saw the Samsung provide 12.5 hours of uninterrupted streaming before running out. A good innings for the 1440p rendering, finally, with noise and set to 25% output.
That’s the first battery test number, though. Laptops – like any tech – take time to ‘settle down’, so I can find out in more tests and, of course, in some cases of testing and marking, that I will get some improved results.
In conclusion
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
While I haven’t completed my full and live testing of the Galaxy Book 6 Pro – as we like to do here at T3, on our How We Test page – my first impressions are pretty good.
Battery life will exceed 12 hours of streaming and normal workload conditions. Flawless design. Performance to compete with the best – and graphics capabilities are very impressive in many situations, including games.
While Intel has shown signs of being a little behind the curve in recent years, the return of Panther Lake is a much-needed change for the chip maker — but, worse, a game changer for all of us would-be laptop buyers.
You won’t be able to get your hands on any of the hardware just yet, though, as it’s expected to be sold by Samsung at some point from February – but likely the later part of the first quarter, or even beyond – with the 16-inch Galaxy Book 6 Pro starting at £2,199 in the UK yet to be confirmed (other regions TBC).
