I just tested Samsung's Galaxy Book 6 Pro – and Intel's new Series 3 chip is the game-changer we all needed

This week, Samsung's all-new Galaxy Book 6 Pro landed on my desk, so I excitedly set it up for background testing ahead of my full review – which is coming soon.

It's the first time I've been able to properly handle an Intel Core X7 Series 3 chip, known as Panther Lake, which was one of the big themes from this year's CES 2026 consumer technology show.

It's going to be a big year for the best laptops. We've got Qualcomm with Snapdragon Elite X2 incoming as a direct competitor to this Intel internal hardware, which also promises great performance and battery life.

That's ultimately the theme: in 2026 we'll be able to get more from our PCs – and they'll run for longer periods of time, too. It's a win-win.

Furthermore, Intel has pushed its integrated graphics performance considerably. Indeed, my colleague wrote about how gaming laptops' days may be numbered as a result.

Now I've had 48 hours to settle down with the 16-inch Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro – complete with Intel Core Ultra X7 (358H) processor and Intel Arc B390 graphics – I've got a firm understanding of what you can expect when it goes on sale.

In short: it's very good news! Intel's Series 3 chip is a game-changer that's knocking on the door of Apple's M5 silicon in some departments, while Samsung's design choices make for an eye-catching laptop that's as performant as it is elegant.

What's Intel Series 3 'Panther Lake'?

• On test: Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro 16-inch (NP960XJG-RS7)
• Intel CPU: Core Ultra X7 (358H)
• Intel GPU: Arc (B390)

Panther Lake is effectively the nickname for the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chipsets, which use the so-called '18A' process (meaning it's a 1.8-nanometre process). That's important, though, as it brings greater efficiency, which equates to greater longevity potential.

But there's more to it than just that. Increases in raw power potential at this level, Intel's greatest AI (artificial intelligence) focus yet, and integrated graphics (iGPU) pairings that are a first step in blurring the boundaries compared to discrete GPU.

Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 comes in a variety of options, though. There's X7 (on test) and X9 – the higher that number, the higher the clock speed and, therefore, raw power potential. The Galaxy Book 6 Pro doesn't offer the X9, but it's worth being aware of its existence.

There are tiers in between, too, with the 358H version on test maxing out at 4.8GHz and not able to offer the frequency boost to 5GHz of the 368H, for example. Both are 16-core setups, though, so ultimately similar in terms of architecture.

CPU Performance

• Geekbench benchmarks:
  • Single core: 2802
  • Multi-core: 16,601

So, then, just how well does Intel's base Core X7 perform? I've included my Geekbench benchmark results above for your information, showing that multi-thread performance here is really impressive.

For context: Apple's MacBook Pro with M5 silicon (available in the brand's 14-inch model) nets a similar score – a little higher, at 17,795.

Numbers aren't everything, though, and having transferred over to the Galaxy Book 6 Pro I've been impressed by its measured, generally quiet performance. It has a fan, but it's not an ear-sore 'whirry' one when it kicks in.

My day-to-day use will increase in the coming days, to get a sense of how the Samsung design and Intel hardware combination fare in more normal scenarios.

GPU Performance

• Geekbench benchmarks:
  • OpenCL: 56,991
  • Vulkan: 60,603
• Real-world test (Doom: The Dark Ages):
  • Full HD 'Low' settings: 50fps (average)
  • Full HD 'High' settings: 27fps (average)

Here's where things start to get even more interesting, though, as the Intel's iGPU performance is able to take on – and, indeed, better – Apple's M5 in benchmarking terms (with an OpenCL score of 48,713, for comparison)

I had high hopes this would translate to decent gaming performance and, while not on par with the best gaming laptops (they're entirely different beasts, mind), you can genuinely play AAA games at workable frame rates.

Doom: The Dark Ages is one tough cookie to satisfy, but with Low graphics settings it delivered an average of 50fps. Up that to Medium and you'll be over 30fps.

With older benchmarking tools – I ran free-to-download Superposition from Unigine – even 1080p High settings there delivered an average of 64fps.

Apply that to some 5-year-old games, or even just design/rendering software, and it's a strong result – without the need to be plugged into a power outlet.

Battery Life

• YouTube Wi-Fi test (in Chrome):
  • 75% brightness: 12.5 hours (100-0%)
• Charging test (65W):
  • 0-25% in 25-minutes / 0-100% in 140 minutes approx
• Idle depletion test:
  • Approx 10% drain per 16 hours idle

A big part of the Series 3 equation is battery life potential. Which, in the Galaxy Book 6 Pro, I've found to be strong – although not (yet) as outstanding as I've seen some others claim.

Note this Samsung laptop has a 78Wh battery capacity, so not the maximum that a laptop can adopt. Its display is 2880 x 1800 in resolution, thus well beyond Full HD, which will also be a factor.

My standard Wi-Fi YouTube test, at 75% brightness, saw the Samsung provide 12.5 hours of non-stop streaming before it was done. A good innings for a 1440p render, ultimately, with sound also set to 25% output.

That's battery test number one of multiples, though. Laptops – like any tech – do take some time to 'settle in', so I may find in further testing and, of course, other test and benchmarking scenarios, that I'll obtain further improved results.

In Conclusion

While I'm not done with my thorough and truly lived-with testing of the Galaxy Book 6 Pro – as we like to do here at T3, per our How We Test page – my initial impressions are very good indeed.

Battery life that'll go beyond 12 hours for streaming and standard workload scenarios. An impeccable design. Performance to rival the best – and graphics potential that's very impressive for a multitude of scenarios, including gaming.

While Intel had shown some signs of being a little behind the curve in recent years, the Panther Lake comeback is a much-needed turnaround for the chip-maker – but, even more crucially, a game-changer for the rest of us would-be laptop purchasers.

You won't be able to get your hands on any hardware just yet, though, with Samsung's on-sale expected sometime from February – but potentially into the later part of the first quarter, or even beyond – with the 16-inch Galaxy Book 6 Pro starting from an yet-to-be-confirmed £2,199 in the UK (other regions are TBC).