The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a wider model of Samsung’s in style OLED G8 that debuted early final 12 months. It encompasses a 49-inch 5120 x 1440 decision panel, the equal of two 27-inch 2560 x 1440 screens stitched collectively into a giant super-ultrawide with a 32:9 facet ratio.
The panel makes use of second technology QD-OLED know-how, the identical we noticed within the Asus PG49WCD, with a refresh fee that tops out at 240Hz. It helps adaptive sync know-how, response instances rated at 0.03ms, and DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. The official MSRP for this monitor is $1,800, however it may be discovered usually for round $1,300 nowadays. A aggressive worth, although nonetheless a high-end product for these after a flagship gaming monitor.
As it’s possible you’ll know, I am a fan of ultrawide gaming; I sometimes use a 21:9 facet ratio show as my day by day gaming monitor. These 49-inch shows are particularly huge, the OLED G9 is 1.2 meters huge so you may want a good dimension desk to accommodate it, but it surely’s not overly tall relative to most different screens.
We’re taking a look at 40cm of further width versus conventional 21:9 ultrawides, so it feels extra immersive to make use of whereas gaming, and affords extra display actual property for facet by facet productiveness purposes. The draw back is that whereas sport help is fairly good for ultrawides, 32:9 is much less supported than 21:9 and 16:9, so it’s possible you’ll run into titles that do not help any such format with out mods or hacks. However the newer the sport you are enjoying, the much less seemingly this shall be a difficulty in my expertise.
Specs and Design
The Odyssey OLED G9 (actual mannequin is G95SC) is a curved monitor, although the curve is normal and never too aggressive at 1800R. We predict this offers it a pleasant steadiness between bringing the perimeters in a bit for immersive gaming, whereas not distorting the picture an excessive amount of for desktop utilization. We do not suppose a flat panel of this width could be excellent, so the broader the display, the extra justifiable the curve turns into, particularly at regular desk viewing distances.
The design is similar to the OLED G8 however with just a few tweaks that enhance the package deal. The outer surfaces are nonetheless silver plastic or metallic, with a skinny construct that appears nice in our opinion. The stand has been widened a bit, particularly on the base, to maintain it steady with such a big panel, however the quantity of desk width vital to accommodate the stand is surprisingly small. We additionally recognize the bottom is flat, so you possibly can put issues on high of it if you wish to.
On the rear you may discover an RGB LED ring across the connection between the stand and monitor, which is vivid and appears good, it is one of many lighting integrations that does not really feel like a easy advertising checkmark. The stand additionally solely helps top and tilt help, with no swivel adjustment, though VESA mounting is supported. I’d have appreciated barely extra top within the stand however that is in all probability difficult with a show of this dimension.
Connectivity
One of many notable enhancements of the G9 over the G8 is the return to plain show connectors. The G8, for some inexplicable purpose, employed each mini-DisplayPort and micro-HDMI. In distinction, the G9 encompasses a full-sized DisplayPort 1.4 connector and a full-sized HDMI 2.1 connector. It additionally features a micro-HDMI port and three USB-C ports. Nevertheless, these USB-C ports are solely for hub performance and don’t help show connectivity, energy supply capabilities, or a KVM change. A downside is that, whereas the connectors at the moment are appropriately sized, they’ve been recessed into the monitor, making them much less accessible.
Relating to port capabilities, the HDMI 2.1 ports help 40 Gbps, making certain compatibility with the total bandwidth of the PS5. Nonetheless, whether or not utilizing DP 1.4 or HDMI 2.1, Show Stream Compression (DSC) is important to realize 240Hz on the most decision of 5120 x 1440.
Much like the OLED G8, the Odyssey G9 continues to make use of Samsung’s good TV-like On-Display screen Show (OSD), controllable both by way of a directional toggle on the show or the included distant. This function means the monitor is internet-connected and might run numerous apps equivalent to Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+. It additionally helps further options enabled by the chip’s processing capabilities.
That is uncommon for a show primarily used for gaming, particularly PC gaming, the place the enter gadget (like a PC or sport console) can already run these apps effectively, typically with sooner and simpler enter than the included distant. Nevertheless, having app help can typically supply higher HDR and different format options in comparison with desktop PC apps.
The superior OSD affords different advantages, equivalent to an in depth vary of settings, firmware updates over the web, Bluetooth performance, and clean operation. The extent of software program options far exceeds that of rivals, significantly for these wanting native app help. Nevertheless, the monitor lacks Dolby Imaginative and prescient help.
The foremost draw back of this OSD is its troublesome navigation and the cluttered interface. Accessing very important show settings for calibration or picture adjustment requires extreme button presses, even with the fast shortcut for the underside settings bar. Upon first use, the show defaults to the app web page as an alternative of the first enter, which could be complicated for customers attempting to entry their PC’s desktop. Whereas the superior performance and app help are appreciated, the interface would profit enormously from a redesign targeted on essentially the most generally used monitor features.
Display screen Coating, Subpixel Structure and Burn-In
Samsung’s second-generation QD-OLED panels supply enhancements, significantly concerning the subpixel construction. Whereas nonetheless utilizing a triangle RGB format, the adjusted subpixel sizing barely improves textual content readability in comparison with the first-generation QD-OLED. There may be nonetheless some pink/inexperienced fringing on the high and backside of textual content, but it surely’s much less noticeable than in first-gen panels, indicating an enchancment, albeit not an entire resolution.
As somebody who discovered the textual content fringing challenge extra noticeable and bothersome in desktop app utilization with first-gen panels, I see the second-gen QD-OLED design as nearer to acceptable. It is not on par with related pixel density LCDs utilizing an RGB-stripe subpixel format, but it surely’s typically enough for infrequent desktop app utilization and wonderful for content material consumption like gaming. Furthermore, the textual content readability of second-gen QD-OLED surpasses that of comparable WOLED panels, making it my most popular selection for text-heavy purposes.
Nevertheless, the display composition, layer construction, and coating have solely seen minor enhancements in comparison with the first-gen QD-OLED. The second-gen panel stays shiny and nonetheless struggles with ambient gentle reflection when gentle sources are in entrance of the show. Though reflection dealing with is affordable, the panel displays an excessive amount of ambient gentle, diminishing the standard of OLED’s deep blacks in inadequately optimized environments.
TFT Central affords an insightful article benchmarking the second-gen QD-OLED’s barely lowered ambient gentle reflection, but it isn’t substantial sufficient to be thought-about an entire repair. Thus, the identical concerns concerning display composition and coating apply to the OLED G9 as with earlier QD-OLEDs. In normal indoor environments with synthetic or ample daylight, QD-OLED’s ambient gentle reflectivity could be a difficulty, although it is much less problematic with lighting behind the show and a non-issue in dim or darkish rooms. In contrast, shiny LG WOLED panels sometimes seem blacker in vivid environments attributable to their higher ambient gentle rejection.
Whether or not it is a vital challenge varies from case to case. Personally, I discover it annoying and a significant downside of QD-OLED panels, but it surely’s much less regarding for many who primarily sport at evening. It is a facet value contemplating.
Moreover, it is necessary to notice that OLEDs are typically much less appropriate for desktop utilization, productiveness apps, and internet looking attributable to their susceptibility to everlasting burn-in. Static content material, like toolbars or icons current in most desktop purposes, dangers burn-in. In distinction, dynamic content material equivalent to gaming or video watching poses just about no burn-in danger. Occasional desktop app utilization is appropriate, however extended day by day productiveness work might result in burn-in.
Regrettably, Samsung doesn’t supply particular burn-in protection of their guarantee for the OLED G9, a coverage in keeping with their OLED G8. This lack of protection additional impacts the monitor’s suitability for desktop use, as there is no assurance in opposition to potential burn-in points.
Response Time Efficiency
By way of response time efficiency, it is no shock to see this QD-OLED panel providing lightning quick speeds, just like different QD-OLEDs we have examined. At its most 240Hz refresh fee, we’re seeing a 0.3ms common response which is extraordinarily quick and that results in very clear movement for this kind of refresh fee. With no noticeable inverse ghosting, the Samsung mannequin is on par with the opposite variants for pace, and much superior to any LCD on the identical refresh fee. It exceeds alternate options just like the Asus PG49WCD attributable to having the next 240Hz refresh fee versus 144Hz, a noticeable improve for gaming when you may have the efficiency to drive video games at that body fee.
The most effective a part of how OLEDs operate is that efficiency is principally equivalent in any respect refresh charges. This implies whether or not we’re testing at 240Hz, 120Hz or 60Hz, we’re nonetheless seeing a few 0.3ms response time common. LCDs sometimes get slower because the refresh fee decreases however this is not the case right here, so the OLED G9 affords a single overdrive mode expertise – with none overdrive settings after all, as they don’t seem to be required for an OLED.
There may be successfully no distinction in response time efficiency between this QD-OLED and different OLED monitors. The one distinction for movement readability on the most refresh fee is the max refresh itself. Because the OLED G9 has a excessive 240Hz refresh fee, you possibly can guarantee when shopping for this show that its movement readability is superb
The place the massive distinction lies is between OLED and LCD. The Odyssey is far sooner than the quickest LCD I’ve examined, which is a giant win for OLED, and it solely will get higher when taking a look at common efficiency. Whereas LCDs do get a bit slower at decrease refresh charges, OLEDs do not, so the hole between OLED and LCD grows.
It is also good to verify wonderful cumulative deviation outcomes, although no totally different from most different OLEDs. As anticipated this actually is identical know-how that delivers the identical response time efficiency as different QD-OLED ultrawides.
The OLED G9 technically helps black body insertion though the function is so convoluted to entry that it is principally pointless and unusable. It solely works with 60Hz, 4K inputs which utterly guidelines out any wise PC connections and does not even look that nice when arrange to make use of strobing.
Enter lag is sweet, reporting in with a 1.1ms processing delay in each the HDR and SDR modes on the most refresh fee. This can be a little larger than another QD-OLED gaming screens, however not sufficient to have any vital affect on gaming. With a excessive 240Hz refresh fee and lightning quick response instances, it is a low enter latency monitor that feels very responsive to make use of.
Energy consumption is on the excessive facet when displaying a full white picture, as you may anticipate from a show this huge. Nevertheless I used to be shocked to see the display devour an extra 30W relative to the PG49WCD, which makes use of the identical show know-how, simply at a 144Hz refresh fee with out good TV performance. It finally ends up utilizing 44% extra energy than the OLED G8 with a display that has a 52% larger space, so scaling appears consistent with Samsung’s different mannequin which additionally was on the upper finish of energy consumption amongst 34-inch ultrawides.
Shade Efficiency
Shade House: Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 – D65-P3
The OLED G9 as anticipated for a QD-OLED is a large gamut show with 99% DCI-P3 protection. We’re additionally seeing 98.5% protection of Adobe RGB, so work in both of these shade areas goes to be good. This leaves us with 84% protection of Rec. 2020 which is among the stronger showings from fashionable shows, though no totally different to different QD-OLEDs because the panel know-how is basically the identical.
Default Shade Efficiency
Whereas the G9 has a excessive shade gamut, it has horrible manufacturing facility calibration, nearly solely attributable to a single setting which is enabled by default known as “Distinction Enhancer”. This function destroys gamma and washes out the picture, making it look terrible while you first flip the show on. I do not know why Samsung thought it was good concept to allow this by default, however we get actually excessive deltaEs consequently. Saturation and ColorChecker are additionally impacted by oversaturation because the huge gamut capabilities are left unclamped, so normal SDR sRGB content material is expanded as much as fill the huge gamut of this show.
In comparison with different gaming screens you possibly can see the injury that enabling horrible options by default has. The OLED G9 finally ends up as one of many worst screens I’ve examined for default manufacturing facility efficiency in each grayscale and ColorChecker.
sRGB Mode Shade Efficiency
Fortunately using a wise TV processor has allowed for all kinds of shade controls, together with a totally unlocked sRGB mode and a wealth of calibration choices. Altering simply two settings – turning off Distinction Enhancer, and setting the Shade House to Auto – considerably improves shade efficiency. Whereas not superb and nonetheless falling in need of what I would describe as manufacturing facility calibrated, this sRGB mode of kinds does look and carry out lots higher.
When evaluating this configuration to its friends, the OLED G9 does not look as misplaced, it nonetheless is a mid to decrease tier performer but it surely’s removed from “worst of all time” degree in order that’s a very good step in the best path.
OSD Tweaked Shade Efficiency
With additional tweaking, white steadiness changes and so forth, I used to be capable of get the display right into a place the place I’d describe it as fairly effectively calibrated. DeltaE ITP averages had been round 5.0, the CCT common is trying fairly good, and general shade efficiency is respectable. This reveals the energy of getting absolutely unlocked shade controls, it actually does permit customers to enhance shade efficiency in the event that they need to.
Calibrated Shade Efficiency
A full calibration by way of Calman was capable of considerably enhance efficiency from what I simply confirmed, I wasn’t capable of obtain excellent outcomes however they had been ok for normal utilization. It might have been good to see these outcomes from the manufacturing facility.
Most brightness within the SDR mode is typical of QD-OLEDs, topping out at simply over 250 nits. Like Samsung’s earlier OLED, the G9 doesn’t require you to modify on a “uniform brightness” setting within the SDR mode – it is robotically enabled, so there isn’t a automated brightness limiter when viewing SDR content material, and so brightness won’t change relying on the quantity of white on display. Minimal brightness is principally the identical because the OLED G8, at 65 nits, which is on the excessive facet for an OLED, most others can push effectively under 50 nits.
Viewing angles are excellent from QD-OLED panels, so you will not have any points with shade shifting or tint when considered from off angles. The one concern right here could be the curve lowering the visibility of all the display, although 1800R is sweet for gaming at this kind of dimension and facet ratio. Uniformity was nice as effectively, persevering with a development of those QD-OLED panels delivering a pleasant and constant expertise.
HDR Efficiency
This Samsung monitor excels as an HDR show, largely as a result of inherent {hardware} qualities of OLED know-how which might be significantly fitted to HDR content material. The standout function is the self-lit nature of every particular person pixel, permitting the show to show pixels on or off to precisely render every part from darkish shadows to vivid highlights. When displaying pure black, the pixels can absolutely change off, offering the wealthy, zero-level blacks and deep shadows attribute of OLED know-how.
In distinction, most HDR-capable LCD panels lack full pixel-level management. LCDs require a backlight, typically utilizing full array native dimming for HDR shows. This know-how divides the backlight into zones. In contrast to OLEDs, which may flip off every pixel individually, LCDs with native dimming can solely deactivate zones containing a whole bunch or hundreds of pixels. Whereas efficient for HDR content material, this method has inherent flaws, significantly in difficult scenes. As an example, when displaying a vivid and darkish component in shut proximity, OLEDs can exactly management every pixel, making certain a clear, correct distinction. LCDs, nonetheless, should adeptly handle these zones, and when components are too small or poorly positioned, vivid components might bleed into darkish areas, creating undesirable blooming artifacts.
Due to this fact, OLEDs have a bonus in displaying clear HDR content material with minimal blooming or haloing. In sure scenes, this ends in a stark distinction between raised blacks and deep blacks, equivalent to in starfields and Christmas lights. OLEDs additionally supply advantages in brightness for small vivid objects in darkish scenes, cleaner subtitles with much less blooming, and richer shadows because of their inherently larger distinction ratio.
Apart from brightness and shadow element, OLEDs supply further HDR benefits. With no backlight zones, OLEDs transition between vivid and darkish sooner and with out seen zone transitions. They’re much less liable to backlight flickering, though gentle PWM conduct, particularly with variable refresh charges, is frequent. Moreover, OLEDs like this mannequin don’t improve enter latency in HDR mode, as they do not depend on backlight zone algorithms.
Sadly, the OLED G9 shares the identical HDR compatibility challenge with the OLED G8 throughout totally different GPU manufacturers. On an Nvidia GPU, the G9 requires calibration changes to ship a 1000 nit expertise with good accuracy. Conversely, with an AMD GPU, the G9 is extra correct in HDR mode out of the field, however can’t obtain 1000 nits of peak brightness, topping out round 450 nits.
This appears as a result of OLED G9 using a unique HDR pipeline primarily based on the GPU kind. AMD GPUs have interaction the show’s FreeSync Premium Professional pipeline, which Samsung seems to have applied poorly, regardless of AMD’s certification. Nvidia GPUs and different enter sources use a typical HDR pipeline, providing extra adjustable settings and the flexibility to achieve 1000 nits.
Testing on an Nvidia GPU with optimum HDR settings revealed respectable accuracy, together with efficient EOTF monitoring and good management within the decrease brightness vary for shadow element. The show additionally advantages from QD-OLED’s bigger shade quantity in comparison with WOLED. For HDR gaming on an Nvidia GPU, this show is recommendable.
Nevertheless, it is more durable to suggest for AMD GPU customers, not attributable to accuracy points however as a result of it fails to achieve essential brightness ranges. Samsung’s incapability to resolve this, regardless of new merchandise and software program updates, is disappointing. Displays ought to carry out persistently throughout all GPUs and enter units, not change to inferior processing strategies for particular manufacturers.
Persevering with with Nvidia GPU outcomes, the full-screen HDR brightness, equivalent to different QD-OLEDs, peaks at 253 nits. That is decrease than LCDs, impacting brightness in excessive APL (Common Image Degree) scenes, although HDR content material seldom makes use of full-screen white. At 10% brightness, the show matches different QD-OLEDs at round 450 nits, an space the place Samsung’s OLED know-how wants enchancment. For two% brightness, reaching 1000 nits is feasible, surpassing most LCDs, which generally keep away from such excessive brightness to forestall dimming zone artifacts.
Brightness versus window dimension reveals related conduct to different QD-OLED screens. Though the Asus PG34WCDM, utilizing a WOLED panel, can get brighter, the selection between the OLED G9 and PG49WCD makes little distinction, as each ship comparable QD-OLED brightness.
In real-world brightness assessments, the G95SC underperforms in excessive APL scenes however excels in low APL eventualities, showcasing its 1000 nit capabilities. Gaming additionally yielded round 1000 nits, demonstrating that the show maintains good HDR brightness exterior of take a look at patterns.
HUB Necessities Guidelines
The ultimate part of this evaluation introduces the brand new HUB Necessities Guidelines 2.0. This up to date model, in distinction to its predecessors, separates the spec sheet and promoting sections from the options guidelines. Initially, we’ll current a spec sheet primarily based on our testing and examine it to Samsung’s promoting to find out their accuracy. Except for the standard exaggerations concerning response time, the OLED G9 is precisely marketed. Nevertheless, I discover the spec sheet’s declare of “manufacturing facility tuning – sure” considerably deceptive, particularly in gentle of the colour efficiency points we noticed earlier.
The function help matrix of the OLED G9 has been considerably expanded in comparison with the unique Necessities Guidelines, incorporating many extremely requested options equivalent to DSC compatibility, USB-C help, and key OLED usability options like a uniform brightness setting, amongst others. This supplies a extra complete analysis of what constitutes a very good monitor and the way this particular product measures up.
The OLED G9 helps many important options, significantly when it comes to distinction and movement efficiency. Nevertheless, there are just a few borderline outcomes to notice, equivalent to an enter latency of roughly 1ms and a Rec. 2020 Shade Quantity that hardly misses the 80% mark. It was additionally encouraging to see necessary inclusions like clean SDR/HDR switching with out the necessity for fixed setting changes, passive cooling, a totally unlocked sRGB mode, and user-upgradable firmware.
Nonetheless, there are essential areas the place enchancment is required. These embody the absence of a burn-in guarantee, the lack to realize 1000 nits of brightness with AMD GPUs, and subpar manufacturing facility tuning. Paying nearer consideration to those particulars might have resulted in additional optimistic marks on the guidelines, broadening the monitor’s enchantment to consumers searching for particular options for his or her wants.
What We Discovered
Total, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC) is an attention-grabbing and considerably area of interest high-end gaming monitor about which we’ve blended emotions. Its standout function is the high-quality QD-OLED panel, which brings all of the acquainted advantages of this know-how. Nevertheless, there are additionally some irritating elements concerning how Samsung has configured this show and its efficiency in key areas.
The most effective facet to the Odyssey OLED G9 is its immersive ultrawide dimension and facet ratio, best for gaming, coupled with its ultra-fast response instances and excessive 240 Hz refresh fee. This panel is exceptionally well-suited for high-end gaming and affords ample room for future GPU upgrades. This issue alone seemingly makes it a stronger selection than some rivals, such because the Asus PG49WCD, which maxes out at 144Hz. For these keen to take a position over $1,000 in a monitor, choosing one which reaches 240Hz appears wise.
This holds true for each aggressive and single-player gaming fans. Whereas the 32:9 facet ratio might not be optimum for all multiplayer titles attributable to format help points, the movement readability and responsiveness of this monitor are among the many finest. For single-player avid gamers, the advantages embody a real HDR expertise with per-pixel native dimming, as much as 1,000 nits of peak brightness, deep blacks, and respectable HDR accuracy. When correctly arrange, it may be a formidable show.
We’re much less satisfied about utilizing this panel for desktop productiveness work. Regardless of its super-wide and immersive format being advantageous for gaming, its decision, equal to 2 1440p screens facet by facet, is nice for multitasking with desktop apps. Nevertheless, its textual content readability falls in need of LCD requirements, and the danger of everlasting burn-in – notably with out a burn-in guarantee – is regarding. If Samsung goals to place a brilliant ultrawide QD-OLED because the optimum selection for each gaming and productiveness, providing a burn-in guarantee would supply consumers with the peace of mind they should use the monitor with out worry of harm.
One other frustration with this monitor is the lack to entry 1,000 nits of peak brightness on AMD GPUs, an issue additionally current within the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8. Regardless of being FreeSync Premium Professional licensed, this limitation successfully restricts customers to Nvidia GPUs for the most effective HDR expertise, which isn’t best for a premium product and limits GPU {hardware} choices. This appears to be an unintentional vendor lock-in attributable to poor implementation of FreeSync Premium Professional HDR. On condition that we first raised this challenge 10 months in the past with one other product and it stays unresolved within the newest firmware, we lack confidence that will probably be addressed. Whether or not the OLED G9 is an acceptable selection might rely in your consolation degree with being restricted to utilizing Nvidia GPUs.
Moreover, the Odyssey G9’s manufacturing facility calibration is poor, and whereas its good TV performance affords in depth shade controls for adjustment, this course of is cumbersome. Ideally, a high-end monitor ought to arrive in a extra user-ready state. The feature-rich good TV OSD, whereas useful, ends in a bloated interface that’s much less intuitive in comparison with normal non-Good screens, with key settings buried in deep menu layers.
Regardless of these points, we predict $1,300 is a considerably cheap worth for what Samsung affords, although it represents a $300 to $500 premium over 34-inch ultrawides. Justifying this larger price ticket requires a agency dedication to the 49-inch panel dimension and acceptance of its drawbacks. On the MSRP of $1,800, buying the G9 appears much less justifiable, which is probably going why its worth has dropped to round $1,300 in current months.
So, whereas we’re not giving this monitor a robust advice, we’re additionally not advising in opposition to it outright. It occupies a distinct segment market with restricted 49-inch QD-OLED choices, every with its personal set of flaws. This class requires thorough analysis to pick out a monitor that most closely fits your particular person wants and use case.
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