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Samsung QX411-W01UB review: Samsung QX411-W01UB

Samsung QX411-W01UB

Headshot of Scott Stein
Headshot of Scott Stein
Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR | Gaming | Metaverse technologies | Wearable tech | Tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Scott Stein
7 min read

Roughly a year ago, I reviewed the Samsung QX410-J01, a new and exciting laptop by a relative outsider. This laptop wowed me with a bevy of cutting-edge features and a stellar design, matched with an aggressive price in the $800 range.

7.9

Samsung QX411-W01UB

The Good

The <b>Samsung QX411-W01UB</b> is extremely affordable while still offering a complete set of connection features, including WiMax and USB 3.0, plus a very sturdy design and long battery life.

The Bad

This laptop has a finicky clickpad and a heavy, rather wide build.

The Bottom Line

For a full set of features in a Core i5 laptop in the $600 range, it's extremely hard to beat the Samsung QX411-W01UB, which stands out for its great keyboard and impressive extras.

This year, the Samsung QX411-W01UB continues that design trend with this year's updated processors and other updated specs, including USB 3.0 connectivity. Even more impressively, this retail-only Best Buy configuration is only $649, which just shows how much cheaper laptops have gotten.

A Core i5 second-gen processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 640GB hard drive are a bargain for this price. The closest equivalent is the Dell Inspiron 14z, but configuring it with similar specs takes its price to $749, a full $100 more than this Samsung. The better news is that the Samsung QX411-W01UB's battery life is among the best of mainstream laptops we've recently tested. I'll make this simple for you: if you're in the market for a Core i5 laptop, don't feel the need to customize it, and don't mind that you're not getting higher-end gaming graphics, then the QX411-W01UB would be an excellent choice. Just bear in mind that this 14-incher is a little heavy and would be more comfortably kept on a desk than in a backpack.