Samsung R540 review

A glossy finish on the screen exacerbates the fussy vertical viewing angles, so you have to adjust the tilt carefully in brightly-lit rooms. It also has a slight blue cast that made images seem a bit duller than they should be, although contrast was good and overall image quality was acceptable. Sound from the internal speakers was refreshingly loud for a laptop, but as usual there was little bass.

Samsung has managed to include a four-column numeric keypad to the right of the main keyboard. The flat-topped keys are large and separated from each other by a small gap which means you’re less likely to miss-hit adjoining keys. They have a light action with plenty of feedback for touch typists, and their layout is standard. The touchpad is smooth and responsive, with two separate buttons that have a comfortable, light action.

A battery life of almost four hours in our light usage test is average, and in any case the R540 weighs 2.4kg and so is too heavy to travel far. While it has the looks and build quality that we’re used to from Samsung, the current competition puts it in the shade. MSI’s CX623 may not have the R540’s looks, but its display is superior and it has all more features.