Life with the Samsung Odyssey G9 49″ Monitor – my review. Samsung odyssey g9 neo

Life with the Samsung Odyssey G9 49″ Monitor – my review

As part of my new rig build, I upgraded my triple monitors to a single 49″ monitor, the Samsung Odyssey G9. I was lucky enough to buy mine with a 15% discount on Amazon.com but it still hurt the wallet at just north of £1,000 for a monitor!

Gaming monitor heaven: Samsung Odyssey G9

The Samsung G9 is a 49 inch, 1000R, 5120px by 1440px HDR QLED display with a 32:9 aspect ratio which is roughly equivalent to two 27″ 2560 by 1440 monitors.

The G9 is a pure gaming monitor, with all the important gaming specs you’d expect from a flagship device. The refresh rate goes up to 240hz, with a response time of 1ms and, it’s Nvidia G-Sync compatible too.

The G9 is our favourite gaming monitor in our buyer’s guide, for good reason.

The pixel density level (109ppi) is only slightly lower than a proper 4K screen, so this is more than enough for gaming. The only potential drawback with the G9 is that you’ll need a good GPU. My NVIDIA 2080 RTX ti had absolutely no problems with the screen running in HDR at full resolution at 240hz.

It’s about 1m wide in a beautifully finished case with a white glossy plastic back and a built-in cable tidy. Around the back, there are two DisplayPort connectors, an HDMI port and two USB 3.0 ports as well as the main socket. The power button is located on the bottom edge of the case to the left. It also doubles as a joystick to control the onboard settings menu.

Triple monitors vs a 49″ Ultra Wide

You might be wondering why I’ve updated from triple monitors to a single 49″ ultra-wide.

To be honest, I’ve always found the extra cables and messing around with bezel alignment to be painful enough to find frustrating. There’s something about triples, if you’re time poor like I am, you always find yourself messing around with settings for longer than actual racing. My 27″ triples were good, but not as high res as the Samsung is.

What does 1000R mean?

1000R is an expression of curvature, in that the smaller the number, the more curved the monitor is. The “R” in “1000R” stands for radius, and 1000 is a measurement in millimetres. If you drew a circle based on the G9’s curvature, that circle would have a 1000mm radius.

Unboxing and installation

The G9 comes in a big box – it’s more than a metre long, so be prepared for a surprise when it gets delivered. Inside the box, all of the mounts for a desktop configuration are provided, including the screws. The mounts themselves go quite far into the back of the case, and while the screws seem far too small for the job, everything seems to hold up well.

I’m using the black metal cone to mount to the monitor plate provided with my SIM rig. It’s almost shaped like a traffic cone, which mounts squarely to the monitor plate for my monitor stand.

Lifting the monitor is tricky, if you have someone to help you, get help!

Drivers

Windows initially identify the monitor as a standard plug and play monitor. Fortunately, the drivers take care of that which can be found here. The Samsung page is a useful page for updated drivers, firmware updates and the like, although if you do update the firmware (I didn’t!), I’d follow the advice on this forum thread.

Windows and display settings

The most pressing issue with setting up your monitor is getting the thing to run at 240hz!

To get your Samsung G9 running at 240hz, you need to use a DP cable and you need access to the G9’s onboard settings menu, which is where the refresh rate is set. To access the menu, use the little joystick/power button. Pushing the joystick up opens the settings menu. Refresh can be changed from there. Once you set it to 240hz, after the screen blanking and repainting Windows 240hz will appear selected in Windows properties and your NVIDIA control panel.

If it didn’t enable automatically, it pays to enable G-Sync in your NVIDIA control panel. This is relatively simple, as it’s just a check box. The chances are it configures automatically with the driver installation, but do check!

What’s the G9 like to use?

Stunning. I love this monitor. I really have come to appreciate the simplicity of a single monitor without dealing with the complexity and cable mess of triples. Using the G9 is actually welcome break from VR too. The FOV set at around 90° is perfect and given the width of the display, I don’t find myself wanting much more immersion.

The image is stunning. In HDR mode it really does look incredible. None of the photos I’ve taken does the screen any justice at all. The colours are powerful, the resolution is clear and thanks to G-Sync, the image updates are smooth with no distractions.

There’s a little bit of extra fiddling around at installation but once you’re up and running, it’s a great device. No regrets here and a strong recommendation from me for the Samsung G9!

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review: an ultra-widescreen gaming monitor sensation

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is undoubtedly one of the best gaming monitors for Windows PCs you can buy at the moment: it’s huge and it’s expensive, but if that’s okay with you then you can enjoy some stunning visuals across this 49-inch ultra-widescreen.

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What you should take away from this Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review is that this is one of the best gaming monitors there has ever been. It’s really no surprise as the original Samsung Odyssey G9 before it was just as eye-catching.

There’s no denying this is an absolute beast of an ultra-widescreen monitor with 49 inches of screen real estate corner to corner, and a tight 1000R curvature to the monitor, you really feel part of games (and movies too). The screen resolution remains the same as before as well, at 5,120 x 1,440 pixels.

In our Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review we’ll outline everything you need to know about this giant monitor – from the gaming performance to the time it takes to set up to the connections and ports you’ve got available – so you can decide if it’s the right buy for you.

This is one seriously impressive monitor, but it clearly won’t be ideal for everyone. For others, though, it’s going to be the ultimate panel. So let’s see why.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review: design and setup

The setup process for the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 isn’t particularly complicated, but the sheer size of the hardware means you’re going to need someone to help you to put it together – this isn’t a monitor you can assemble on your own. You’re also going to need a screwdriver to attach the stand to the screen, which isn’t the case with many other monitors. Wall mounting is an alternative option, if you need it.

With the stand, you’re looking at a total size of 45.3 inches x 21.1 inches x 16.5 inches (that’s 1151 mm x 536 mm x 419 mm) and a weight of 32 pounds (14.5 kilograms). You’ll need a lot of room to put this up, and it takes up more space from front to back than you might think, because of the curved design. The bulbous back features a lot of white plastic and the same RGB LED lighting ring as the original Odyssey G9, and the ports face straight down, making plugging everything in a little tricky.

You can adjust the height of the monitor fairly easily, and it tilts and swivels to a limited degree as well. Once it’s been set up, you can just about move it without any help, but have no doubts about the size and weight of this particular piece of hardware – it’s only for those who want the ultimate in gaming monitor technology, and have the space for it. There are no integrated speakers here, so you’ll need room for some external speakers too (or a pair of headphones).

The on-screen menu that you get with the Odyssey Neo G9 is straightforward enough to get around, enabling you to quickly adjust the screen’s key settings, jump between modes, and enable the picture-in-picture capability if you’ve got more than one input connected. Ports-wise we’ve got one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1, two USB-A, one USB-B and a 3.5 mm headphone jack (though it’s worth noting that only the DisplayPort supports the maximum 240Hz refresh rate).

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review: features and picture

The 32:9 aspect ratio VA LCD panel on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is backlit using the same quantum mini LED technology used in Samsung’s top-end TVs. It’s the key upgrade from last year’s model, it’s a key selling point for the display, and it results in a stunning picture: games look fantastic on this monitor, with rich and vivid colours, deep blacks, and not barely any ghosting to speak of. There’s HDR support included, which results in a well-balanced panel with no loss of detail.

As well as a maximum 2,000 nits of brightness, the monitor offers a 1ms response time, a maximum 240Hz refresh rate, 100 percent of the sRGB gamut, 90 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut, and support for both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Pro. It all adds up to a picture that looks vibrant and sharp no matter what you happen to be doing with it – there’s no doubt you’re getting one of the best monitors on the market at the moment in terms of the end results.

The ultra-widescreen form factor makes a significant difference in lots of games – from racing games to first-person shooters. One of the games we used for testing was Red Dead Redemption 2, and the sweeping landscapes of the American West never looked so good. It also means lots of room for stacking Windows side by side for your general computing tasks, though it’s worth bearing in mind that movies and shows are going to appear with thick black borders down the sides.

We’re not sure we’d choose this for a general purpose computing monitor – not because of any major flaws, but just because there are better options out there, and flat monitors tend to be better for spreadsheets, web browsing and so on. This won’t work brilliantly with Macs or with gaming consoles either, because of the extended form factor, so it really is just for those top-end Windows gaming rigs.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review: price and verdict

Check the widgets embedded on this page for the latest Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 pricing, but at the time of writing the official retail are £1,849 for the UK, 2,499 in the US and AU2,999 in Australia – that’s a lot of cash, but you’re certainly getting a lot of monitor in return. It’s also worth checking our Samsung discount codes to see if you can get a lower price. If you want the very best gaming monitor tech out there, in the largest and most extravagant form factor, then it’s hard to beat what you get with this.

In terms of negatives, perhaps the biggest one is that it’s simply too much for a lot of people: not just too much in terms of the price, but also in terms of its size, its curvature, it’s weight and so on. Most gamers simply don’t need to go to this kind of level – and bear in mind too that you’ve going to need a seriously powerful GPU setup in order to drive all of these pixels, so that’s something else to weigh up in terms of costs.

The quantum mini LEDs that Samsung has introduced here – all 2,048 of them – produce a stunning picture for your games and everything else you might want to do on the monitor. The local dimming is exceptionally well done, and it’s easy to tell that Samsung has plenty of expertise in TVs as well as monitors. Gaming is the panel’s primary FOCUS, but you do of course get lots of room for everything else as well.

While there are cheaper ultra-widescreen monitors out there, none can match the specs and the picture quality of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 at the moment – so it’s a question of whether you want or need to pay for the very best or not. You’re likely to be blown away by the quality of the monitor when it comes to your Windows gaming, but it’s up to you to decide if you think you have the space and the budget for it.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Review – Flagship Super Ultrawide Gaming Monitor with Mini LEDs – Editor’s Choice 7 min read

This year, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is arguably the most exciting monitor with its flagship-level specs and awe-inspiring resolution. The original G9 was a hit, but it did have a few limitations that the latest iteration should address. The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 needs a small investment, but let’s check out what it can do to see if it is worth every penny.

Design and Features

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 only received minor changes on the outside, retaining its space-aged look. The device has a glossy black shell and a matte black body that looks gorgeous for gaming and studio setups. The display is bezel-free on three sides, but you do get modest inner borders that aren’t distracting at all.

Taking note of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9’s dimensions is a must before buying since it is humongous! It needs almost four feet of width and a foot and a half of depth to clear itself from your peripherals. It is also heavy at almost 40 pounds, so ask for help to avoid an expensive disaster when you are setting up.

Build quality for the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is excellent since it uses high-quality materials with a robust design. There are no cosmetic defects, and the device doesn’t have soft or flexy panels that seem like they will break with minimal force. The stand can handle the display’s weight, so wobbling only happens if you accidentally nudge the screen on its edges.

This model also includes the Infinity Core Lighting feature at the center of the monitor’s back panel. It can only do 52 colors, but we’re sure it’s still quite possible to get a matching shade for your setup. You can also use Samsung’s CoreSync feature to match the lighting to the game’s effects for an even better immersive experience.

The monitor has a single joystick tucked under the Samsung logo, so you don’t need to reach for it to adjust something. Imagine extending over two feet to reach it if it was at the bottom corner of the cabinet like other monitors. A remote or app would come in handy in this situation, but joysticks are easy to use in most cases.

The equally massive stand included with the product offers tilt, swivel, and height adjustments for your convenience. It would be best if you put the screen at the dead-center of your seat to enjoy its 1000r curvature, so having some flexibility will come in handy. You can also use VESA mounts, but it is only necessary if your space cannot accommodate the Neo G9’s massive dimensions.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9’s connectivity layout changed a bit since it only has one DisplayPort 1.4 as its main. The upgrade here is its two HDMI 2.1 slots with higher bandwidth, although you still should use DP 1.4 for your PC. You also get two USB 3.0 ports for accessories, but USB-C is missing to add flexibility.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 doesn’t have speakers, but ultrawides like this are meant to be used with high-end headphones or speakers. They will enhance the immersive aspect of the monitor since it’s pretty much guaranteed that they will sound more detailed and powerful. It should include a pair for the price, but they understandably excluded it from the design.

Display and Performance

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 boasts a 49-inch 1000r curved VA panel with a 5120 x 1440 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms MPRT response time. The backlight has a whopping 2000 cd/m2 peak while the contrast ratio starts at 2500:1. This monitor comes equipped with mini LEDs for superior HDR performance.

The 49-inch screen and the 5120 x 1440 resolution of the Neo G9 are equivalent to dual 27-inch 1440p screens. It is sharp enough to make games look cleaner and more attractive, but it doesn’t make small objects like microscopic text. It’s great for any use, but what we love about it is how it envelops your visual sense if you sit in the perfect position.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 renders more than 100% sRGB and around 93% DCI-P3 for excellent vibrancy in games. Its default accuracy isn’t perfect, with a deltaE average of 2.56, but most users won’t notice the difference or minor color errors. The screen looks good out of the box, so most users will only need a few tweaks, like adjusting its brightness setting.

Calibrating the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 reduced its dE average to 0.67, excellent for a gaming-grade display. You are going to need a colorimeter to achieve this, and those don’t come cheap. Most users will be happy with the default setting, so the gadget is only necessary for those who work with color-critical tasks.

Its backlight stays at 431 cd/m2 in SDR, but it can reach as much as 2341 cd/m2 at its peak. The monitor’s contrast ratio reached 3457:1 in SDR, but it expands exponentially when HDR is active thanks to its mini LEDs. This enables deep and inky blacks and highlighted details when HDR is active, and only OLED panels can beat it in this regard.

Panel uniformity on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is even better than what we’ve seen on some of its predecessor’s thanks to its unique backlight. The screen doesn’t have backlight leaks or clouding issues, so it looks evenly lit. There are some instances where halos show up when HDR is active, but that’s natural for monitors with mini LED FALD backlights.

Pixel response time is great as well, even it has a slower VA panel. The monitor’s 240Hz refresh rate does a good job at minimizing blurring, and they only appear in dark scenes with swift motion. The device has an overdrive function, but they aren’t available when FreeSync or G-Sync is active.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is compatible with both FreeSync and G-Sync, so you won’t be stuck with one GPU brand if you want to enjoy the benefits of VRR. The GPU market is unstable, so it’s always nice to have the freedom to choose between the two brands. Input lag sits at 3ms at 240Hz, so delays or de-synced instances won’t be an issue for all types of games.

Thoughts on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is a fantastic gaming monitor if you are willing to invest a big wad of cash for it. Its exceptional HDR performance, along with the 240Hz super ultrawide screen, is a sight to behold even when it’s compared to the first G9 monitor. Its imaging numbers aren’t perfect, but the monitor doesn’t need complex calibration to get the job done.

Most of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9’s upgrades are internal, which is not bad. However, we’d like more functionality such as the addition of USB-C ports or premium speakers to enhance its value per dollar further. Overall, it is an excellent buy, but you have to look away from the total cost when you press that checkout button.

• Excellent HDR and Gaming Performance
• High Contrast
• Superb Calibration Results
• G-Sync and FreeSync Compatible
• Fast and Responsive
• Attractive Design

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Review �� Bigger Isn’t ALWAYS Better!

About the Author: Paolo is a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations and he believes that it’s every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.

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Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is an absolute monster of a gaming monitor and packs some of the most impressive tech we’ve ever seen in a PC display. However, the super high price and massive size will probably stop most people from ever getting their hands on it.

Cons

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There are few gaming monitors out there more luxurious than the Samsung Odyssey G9. The massive 49-inch monitor rocked a massive 5,120 x 1,440 resolution with a 240Hz refresh rate and even backed it up with an HDR 1000 rating. However, 2021 is a whole new year and now we’re getting the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, which takes everything that the Odyssey G9 did and turns it up to 11.

We’re talking about better lighting, an HDR 2000 rating and a move to Mini-LED technology, which makes the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 one of the most advanced gaming monitors we’ve ever seen. However, not only will you need one of the best gaming PCs – probably something like the RTX 3080 as a minimum – the Neo G9 is even more expensive than it was last year.

But it’s largely worth the added cost if you can afford it. The display is genuinely the best we’ve ever used, with amazing color and black levels that you simply won’t find in most other gaming monitors. Playing games on this thing is truly a luxurious experience, which makes the mind-blowing price tag feel at least a little justified.

Pricing and availability

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is available now for a blistering 2,499 (£1,749, AU2,999).

This is, by far, one of the most expensive gaming monitors on the market, but it does bring a lot to the table that other gaming monitors simply can’t match. To our knowledge, this is the only gaming monitor with an HDR 2000 rating, which means it knocks the socks off of even the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ, and it provides the best HDR we’ve ever experienced, including TVs we’ve seen.

So while the price has been bumped up by a lot over last year’s 1,479 (£1,289, AU2,799) model, it actually makes sense when you consider all the flashy new tech that Samsung has thrown in here. The Odyssey G9 was already the king of ultrawide gaming monitors, but the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 takes it to a frankly absurd level that is perfect for the type of gamer that demands nothing but the best experience money can buy.

It’s definitely a case of “if you get sticker shock looking at the price tag, it’s probably not for you”. It’s something we probably would never fork over money for, but we definitely have had fun in our time with it, and are not looking forward to sending it back to Samsung.

For something a bit less grandiose, consider the Odyssey G7

Design

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is big. And while that is pretty obvious from the fact that it’s a 49-inch ultrawide monitor, it doesn’t hit until you take it out of its box to set up on your desk.

We’re lucky enough to have a pretty large 61-inch desk, and even with that it takes up nearly the entire length of it, leaving just enough room for our PC on the side. But, that gargantuan size definitely works in its favor when you’re just looking for an immersive gaming experience.

When we’re sitting in front of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 and playing games – mostly Final Fantasy XIV, let’s be real – the game takes up nearly our entire field of view, making it extremely easy to lose ourselves in the moment. Distractions basically don’t exist unless you really want them to, and when we’re grinding in a desperate last bid to get our relic weapon before Endwalker drops in November, it’s definitely a blessing to be able to FOCUS so entirely on the game.

Bezels are definitely still visible, especially along the bottom, but because the screen is so big, it’s not something you’re going to notice on a day-to-day basis. Plus, the only logos you’ll find on the front of the display is the Nvidia G-Sync logo, which we would rather not be there. But hey, at least the monitor has G-Sync.

Just like the last monitor, there’s a little joystick/button combo thing slightly right of center on the bottom of the display. You can press in to open the on-screen menu, where you can change all the usual things you’d want to mess around with on a monitor. You can also flick it to the sides to quickly switch inputs or flick it up and down to quickly change some display settings like brightness and contrast.

Next to the little joystick thing, there are three recessed buttons. You can use these to save specific settings for up to three different games, which is useful if you’re constantly switching between different types of games – like if you find yourself switching between a competitive FPS like Paladins to a rich and beautiful RPG like Cyberpunk 2077.

The back of the monitor looks pretty much identical as last year, with an all-white colorway with some futuristic designs etched in. Also returning is the RGB circle around where the stand mounts in the back. The cables go into a little compartment in the bottom of the display, and you get a huge plastic panel that you can slide into it to hide where all the cables go in.

Unfortunately, that’s also where the biggest issue in this monitor’s design arises. Likely because of how heavy this monitor is – and trust us it’s very heavy, the stand doesn’t really have any channels you can use to hide cables. That makes cable management a little bit harder, which is definitely a shame with a monitor of this class. Because anyone who is going to fork over the cash for a monitor of this caliber is probably going to take their desktop appearance pretty seriously – obviously not us, though.

Now, of course, you can use another stand with this monitor, as it has a standard VESA-compatible mount. However, the massive weight of the monitor gets in the way again, and you’re going to have to make sure you get a stand that can handle it. Honestly, we’d recommend just mounting it on your wall – and when we spoke to Samsung about this display its representatives told us the same thing.

As far as how many ports are there, though, you get a disappointingly standard array. There are two USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-B cable (to enable the USB passthrough), two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort. Samsung includes both an HDMI 2.1 cable and a DisplayPort cable, though if you want to take full advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate you’re going to have to use HDMI 2.1, as the refresh rate will be limited to 120Hz over DP.

It’s just a bit disappointing that the display inputs are so limited especially given that one of the coolest things about this monitor is its ability to basically emulate two 27-inch 1440p monitors, which would be even more useful with a wider array of connected devices. It would be nice, for instance, to have our PS5, 2 ports for our PC and our Nintendo Switch, so we could easily swap between all of our devices. Oh well, maybe something for next year’s model (if there is one).

Performance

It’s hard to overstate just how much this monitor will blow you away the first time you use it. Samsung was somehow able to double the peak brightness over the 1,000 nits in last year’s model to 2,000 in the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. That gives it an HDR 2000 rating, which is the best HDR you’ll find outside of just playing your PC games on a top-end OLED TV.

That alone would be impressive, but it also includes Samsung’s new Quantum Mini LED tech, which is behind its latest QLED TVs. So, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 has 2,048 local dimming zones, which is a massive improvement over the measly 10 dimming zones in last year’s model.

In games like Destiny 2, which is our go-to game to test HDR, the monitor is absolutely stunning. HDR really is a luxury addition, but you’ll never want to give it up when you get it, and the move from the HDR 400 displays we’re usually testing – gaming monitors really need to get their stuff together – an HDR 2000 display like this really is in a whole other world of brightness and color.

Because the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 isn’t just big and it’s not just a high resolution, it’s also brighter and more colorful than anything you’ve probably ever seen. And, when you combine that with the high refresh rate, it’s kind of a piece of gaming heaven that you’ll definitely want to be part of. But with that high refresh rate and the high resolution, you run into one giant problem: performance.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 has a 5,120 x 1,440 display, which is pretty much 4K. Reviewing this display, we’re using a gaming PC equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, and even then there are not many games where we’re locked at 120 fps on this display, much less 240.

For instance, in Deathloop, we’re usually hovering around 110 fps, with it often dipping down to 100 or 90 fps. That’s still a fast frame rate, don’t get us wrong, but we’re pretty far off from being able to totally saturate this display.

Still, with a monitor that costs as much as the Neo G9, you’re going to want to give it some room to grow in the future, and it will be a long time before this monitor’s performance is considered standard.

Buy it if.

You don’t want to compromise With a 5,120 x 1,440 resolution, a 32:9 aspect ratio, 240Hz refresh rate and HDR 2,000 the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is basically the gaming monitor to end all gaming monitors. This is what you get when nothing but the best is acceptable.

You play a lot of MMO and other UI-rich games If you play a game like Final Fantasy XIV where more screen real estate means more space for buttons and meters, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is great for that.

You want the latest tech The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is the most top-end gaming monitor that exists right now, and it’s not just because it’s a big screen. With Mini LED and HDR 2,000, this really is a cutting-edge display.

Don’t buy it if.

You’re on any kind of budget The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 costs 2,499 (£1,749, AU2,999). That’s it, that’s all we have to say about that.

You have a smaller desk Even our giant 5-foot long desk is barely big enough to contain this absolute beast of a gaming monitor. If you have any kind of shortage of space, you’re probably better served by another display.

Samsung S49AG95/Odyssey Neo G9 Review: 5120×1440 240Hz 1ms FreeSync HDR Curved Gaming Monitor

The Samsung S49AG95 is a 49″ 5120×1440 1ms super-ultrawide curved gaming monitor with FreeSync Premium Pro and a 2048-zone FALD mini LED backlight.

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Bottom Line

The Samsung S49AG95 Odyssey Neo G9 delivers an amazing SDR and HDR gaming experience thanks to its high resolution, high refresh rate, VRR, fast response time, and 2048-zone mini LED FALD.

The Samsung S49AG95 Odyssey Neo G9 (sometimes also referred to as Samsung G95NA) is the upgraded version of the popular Samsung Odyssey G9.

It maintains the same 49″ 5120×1440 240Hz 1ms VA key specifications but replaces the underwhelming 10-zone local dimming system with an impeccable mini LED 2048-zone FALD solution for a drastic improvement in HDR image quality.

Image Quality

Unlike the original Odyssey G9, the Neo G9 is based on a VA panel developed by CSOT as Samsung stopped manufacturing/developing panels for LED LCDs.

However, the native performance of the panel is very similar.

You get a static contrast ratio of 2,500:1, a peak brightness of 420-nits, dithered 10-bit color depth support, 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage, 178° wide viewing angles, and a Rapid 1ms GtG pixel response time speed.

What makes the Neo G9 exceptional is its mini LED backlight which allows for the stellar ~1000-nit peak brightness and 2048 individually dimmable zones – these zones can dim parts of the screen that need to be dark without affecting the image parts that should remain bright, thus effectively boosting the contrast ratio.

As a result, you get incredibly bright highlights as well as deep and inky blacks, while the wide 95% DCI-P3 gamut ensures vibrant colors.

An sRGB emulation mode is also available with adjustable brightness (but other settings are locked). Just how accurate this mode is will vary across different units though.

Of course, FALD (full-array local dimming) is not perfect. When there’s a tiny bright object in the dark, some light can bleed into the surrounding dimmed zones, creating a halo/bloom effect.

Because the Samsung S49AG95 has a high native contrast ratio and over 2000 dimming zones, the blooming is only visible in really demanding scenes (stars in space, night sky, etc.), so it’s tolerable or even negligible.

In fact, the blooming is a lot less noticeable than it’s on the more expensive Asus PG32UQX which uses an IPS panel with a lower native contrast ratio and fewer 1152 mini LED dimming zones.

As far as LED-backlit monitors go, the Samsung Neo G9 offers the best HDR viewing experience with the least amount of blooming.

On the images of plain backgrounds (mostly white, blue or gray), you may sometimes notice the FALD grid pattern. However, it’s negligible most of the time unless you’re focusing on it. In games and videos, it’s not noticeable at all.

There are also some pixel walk/inversion visual artifacts that are characterized as visible horizontal lines when the monitor is displaying certain patterns. It varies from unit to unit, but it’s negligible in most cases as you’re not likely to encounter these patterns during regular use.

You can use local dimming with both HDR and SDR content.

There are two HDR modes: Dynamic and Standard.

The 1007.3 firmware (or newer) fixes the tone mapping issue the Dynamic mode had with earlier firmware versions, so we recommend sticking with ‘Dynamic HDR’ for the most immersive gaming experience. Some color over-saturation is present, but you can reduce it via the ‘Saturation’ setting if you find it bothersome.

Despite Samsung’s Quantum HDR 2000 advertising, the monitor can only reach 1,000-nits in real scenes. The 2,000-nits peak brightness can only be achieved in very specific and unrealistic test conditions.

The Samsung S49AG95 has a screen resolution of 5120×1440, which when displayed on its 48.8″ screen results in a high pixel density of 108 PPI (pixels per inch).

This means that you get plenty of screen real estate as well as sharp details and text, without the need to use any scaling.

It’s essentially equivalent to two 27″ 2560×1440 put side by side, just without the bezels in-between them.

Keep in mind that such high resolution is quite demanding to drive (though still not as demanding as 4K UHD), so you will need a high-end PC rig to take full advantage of the monitor.

You should also make sure that your favorite games support the 32:9 super-ultrawide aspect ratio (either natively or via mods and other fixes). Otherwise, unsupported games will have black bars at the sides of the screen.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 monitor has a Rapid 1ms GtG response time speed and three overdrive modes (Standard, Faster and Extreme).

However, when you enable VRR (variable refresh rate), the overdrive settings disappear as you get a single mode that efficiently prevents ghosting without adding overshoot across the entire refresh rate range.

Another good news is that at 240Hz, the Neo G9 has noticeably less overshoot than the old Odyssey G9.

VRR is supported with a 96-240Hz range and it has both NVIDIA’s G-SYNC Compatible and AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro certifications for smooth tear-free gameplay up to 240FPS.

Below 96FPS, LFC (Low Framerate Compensation) is triggered and adjusts the refresh rate to multiples of the frame rate (95FPS. 190Hz, 80FPS. 240Hz, etc.). This way, each frame is refreshed multiple times, which is invisible to the viewer, but since all frames are whole and synchronized, you won’t get any tearing.

If you set the Samsung S49AG95 to 120Hz, the VRR range is 48-120Hz.

The 512.59 NVIDIA drivers added official G-SYNC Compatible support with a 60-240Hz VRR range.

Some VRR brightness flickering can be observed with FPS fluctuations on some units of the monitor, but you can use the ‘VRR Control’ option in the OSD menu to prevent this at a cost of introducing some micro-stuttering.

Samsung Odyssey G9 two years later. why it’s still awesome (super ultrawide is epic)

Input lag, that is, the delay between your actions and the result on the screen, is imperceptible at just ~2ms.

Features

The OSD (On-Screen Display) menu can be accessed and easily navigated via the directional joystick placed beneath the bottom bezel of the screen.

Useful gaming features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes), Virtual Aim Point (crosshair overlays) and various pre-calibrated picture presets (FPS, RTS, RPG, AOS, sRGB, Cinema, High Brightness and Custom).

You’ll also find plenty of image adjustment tools besides the basic ones (brightness, contrast, color temperature, etc.), including sharpness, gamma, and saturation.

Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture modes are supported as well, but you are limited to 120Hz and cannot use HDR, local dimming or VRR.

The backlight of the Samsung S49AG950 is flicker-free and there’s a low-blue light filter (Eye Saver Mode).

Further, at the rear of the monitor, there’s the CoreSync RGB lighting that can be synchronized with on-screen content.

Design Connectivity

The stand of the Samsung S49AG95 monitor is robust and offers height adjustment up to 120mm, tilt by.5°/15°, swivel by /-15°, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

The screen has a matte anti-glare coating that eliminates reflections and a steep 1000R curvature for added immersion.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

Keep in mind that the HDMI 2.1 ports of the monitor don’t support DSC, so you are limited to 144Hz at 5120×1440. On the old Samsung Odyssey G9, the HDMI 2.0 ports maxed out at 60Hz at 5120×1440.

Variable refresh rate is supported over both DisplayPort (96-240Hz) and HDMI (48-144Hz).

Price Similar Monitors

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 price ranges from 1,800 to 2,500 which is reasonable considering its 2048-zone FALD mini LED backlight.

However, you should also check out the Dell AW3423DWF, the Asus PG27AQDM and the LG OLED42C2. They offer better HDR image quality due to their infinite contrast ratio and lack of backlight bleeding, haloing, or other visual artifacts. over, they offer an instantaneous response time speed and go for half the price, but they have the risk of burn in and can’t get as bright.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 is also an excellent HDR display with a 32″ 4K 165Hz panel that can be found for 1,100. Another good option is the Acer X32FP with a 32″ flat-screen IPS panel.

The old Odyssey G9 is also worth considering. It goes for ~1,200 and offers similar performance, but not nearly as good HDR image quality.

You should also check out the LG 45GR95QE and the Corsair Flex 45″ 3440×1440 240Hz OLED 21:9 ultrawide gaming monitors. Here’s a comparison in screen size between 45″ 21:9 and 49″ 32:9.

Visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide for more information and the best deals available.

Conclusion

Overall, the Samsung S49AG95 offers an incredible gaming experience thanks to its giant 49″ curved screen with high resolution, high refresh rate and fast response time.

HDR content is breathtaking as the 2048-zone mini LED FALD solution allows for stellar brightness and high contrast ratio with minimal blooming or other visual artifacts.

Specifications

Screen Size	48.8-inch
Screen Curvature	1000R
Resolution	5120×1440 (DQHD)
Panel Type	VA
Aspect Ratio	32:9 (Super-UltraWide)
Refresh Rate	240Hz
Response Time	1ms (GtG)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync Premium Pro (96-240Hz)
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness	420 cd/m²
Brightness (HDR)	1000 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	2500:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit FRC)95% DCI-P3
HDR	HDR10
Backlight	Mini LED, 2048-zone FALD
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

• 2048-zone mini LED FALD offers exceptional contrast ratio with minimal blooming
• High 1000-nit peak brightness
• Wide color gamut, high pixel density
• Plenty of features including VRR up to 240Hz
• Rapid 1ms GtG response time speed
• Ergonomic stand