I've been searching for a curved 32 inch gaming monitor for quite some time now, and until recently, most options were priced out of my range. In particular, the Samsung Odyssey G7 seemed like my ideal holy grail monitor, but at holy grail pricing. So when Samsung released a pared-down version in this G5 recently, I took notice.
The G5 takes the essentials of the G7 and drops the extras. You lose the quantum dots with true HDR 600 support, 240hz, lose the adjustable stand, the RGB, and the extra USB ports. That sounds like a lot to sacrifice...but what you're left with is a gaming monitor that is reduced down to its essentials, for under half the price. You still get 1440p, a low response time especially for a VA panel,144hz--which still is more than enough for most people--and the 1000R curve in a 32 inch monitor.
Reading some of the reviews about ghosting, I was a little apprehensive as I have personal experience with VA panel ghosting and know what to look for, but out of the box and with a little setup, that apprehension is unfounded. When the monitor is set to 144hz with Freesync enabled, there is, to my peception, essentially zero perceptible VA overshoot over on BlurBusters. The little UFO's are as crisp as I've seen on any other good 144hz panel. There's none of the dark overshoot typical of VA panels present. The panel behaves more or less like its more expensive brother did at 144hz, where it had zero ghosting, and then the tiniest bit at 240, indicating to me that 144hz is this technology's current sweet spot.
If I had to suspect, the issues other reviewers encountered might have to do with disabling Freesync and setting the monitor's response rate to overdrive mode. I have yet to ever see a VA panel that DOESN'T ghost in their overdrive setting; even the mighty G7 and G9 suffer from it. It's best avoided. Overdrive is necessary to reach the advertised "1ms" response rate, and you get a drop to 2-3ms response times when you let the monitor manage itself, but that's still class-competitive and only perceptible to a professional-grade, hardcore gamer. And if you're one of those, why are you buying this panel?
Setup was easy. My Nvidia drivers recognized the monitor's capabilities right out of the box, setting the correct resolution and refresh rate and automatically enabling Freesync. The on screen controls are very easy to use, and it has some helpful features like crosshair overlays that I probably won't be taking advantage of...but they're nice to have.
If I have some criticisms about the monitor they would be that the stand does lack any real adjustability to it. You're left with just a bit of tilt, though you do have a VESA mount to install your own mounting solution. Also, while the HDR looks supririsingly good in my testing, the lack of full Freesync Premium Pro means you're left choosing between HDR -or- Freesync, rather than using both simultaneously. I didn't buy this monitor for its HDR, but it's something to note if that's a selling point to you.
Finally, the elephant in the room: the curve. I personally like it quite a bit, but I come from a similarly-sized, less aggressively curved monitor, so I adjusted quickly. If you're coming from a flat panel, you may have issues with it. After while, I think most will come to appreciate the edges of the monitor being brought to the same distance from their eyes as the center in a monitor of this size. At the same time, I can understand it's a dealbreaker for some.
In the end you're left with a gaming monitor that has everything you need but very, very little extras. If I could knock half a star off for the not-quite-realized HDR support and stand, I would, but balancing it with the $370 MSRP and the fact I scored it for $295 on Prime day, I can't in good faith pull a full star from my rating. Once a product is that far removed from flagship monitors in price, you can't reasonably expect a full flagship experience. But to get the essence of that experience at this price is, to me, closer to a 5 stars than anything.
| Standing screen display size | 32 Inches |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 2560 x 1440 Pixels |
