The Odyssey G9’s unusual shape results in an unusual resolution: 5,120x1,440 (a 32:9 aspect ratio), or the equivalent of two side-by-side 2,560x1,440 monitors. This is more than three times the size of a standard 1080p (1,920x1,080) display, but still smaller overall than a single 4K (3,840x2,160) screen, so you won’t need as beefy a graphics card to max out the details in your games (though, certainly, having the most powerful one you can find never hurts). This could be changing in 2023; the next generation of the Odyssey G9 Neo, which replaced the original G9, is tipped to be the world's first 8K ultrawide curved monitor. As far as panel type goes, Samsung opts for a VA panel over IPS or OLED. The difference? VA panels typically have better contrast ratios, while IPS panels enjoy wider viewing angles and fuller color gamut support. OLED displays outclass IPS and VA panels in just about every category, meanwhile, from power efficiency to color gamut, but at a much greater cost. Utilizing smaller, more discrete dimming zones, the Neo G9 monitor strives for sharper contrast with the power of Samsung’s Quantum Matrix Technology, which is frequently seen in the company's non-OLED TVs. Added that the LG 45GR95QE-B is another 240Hz ultrawide monitor with an even better Contrast ratio.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9’s exterior is nearly identical to last year’s G9. The only aesthetic change is on the monitor’s lower left bezel, where the prior model’s bright green Nvidia G-Sync logo is replaced by a more subtle monochrome badge. It’s a minor, but positive, tweak. The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 includes two HDMI 2.1 ports, an upgrade from HDMI 2.0 on last year’s G9, and one DisplayPort 1.4 port. The HDMI 2.1 ports can handle a refresh rate up to 144Hz. The Neo G9’s incredible contrast provides a rich, deep image with great dimensionality. Yet, if anything, the high contrast ratio undersells the display’s strengths. Mini-LED completely eliminates the edge-lit glow that plagues most gaming monitors and ruins the ambience of dark scenes. Watching the sun set in an open-world game is a truly beautiful experience. Minus the box, our Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo review sample weighs an absolutely mammoth 14.5kg which is the equivalent of holding a ludicrous 55 Galaxy Z Fold4 foldables in your hands. Samsung also leaves the monitor’s functional problems untouched. The stand is an absolute unit that measures 31 inches wide and 9 inches deep. The full depth is 17 inches which, on my desk, places the edges of the monitor closer to the front of the desk than the rear. You might need to plan a desk upgrade to go along with the monitor.One day, you'll be able to have a monitor with really punchy full-screen brightness, per-pixel lighting, ultra-fast response, and genuine high-DPI pixel density in any size or shape you fancy. But right now, you have to compromise on one or two items from that list, it's just not possible to combine everything in one display. Based on GtG measured under internal test conditions. Results may vary by content and monitor settings (requires ‘Extreme mode' setting).

that violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing export control, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination or false advertising);Functionally speaking, the Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo’s display uses a 49-inch 1000R curved Vertical Alignment (VA) LCD panel which has 5,120 x 1,440 pixel resolution and an ultra wide 32:9 aspect ratio – this is the effective equivalent of bolting a pair of 27-inch QHD 1440p resolution displays together side by side and you’re able to simultaneously display the feed from two different sources in PbP mode so that you are able to game off a console and work on a PC from separate halves of the display. Setting up our Odyssey G9 Neo review sample does require some elbow grease and forethought but the results are well worth the trouble and the investment especially for ardent gamers and power users.

It’s no slouch when it comes to competitive online shooters, either. We’re not sure how Samsung has managed to create such fast VA panels of late. But it’s impressive all the same. Even using the most aggressive of the three levels of user-configurable overdrive offered in the Neo G9’s OSD menu, there’s no discernible overshoot. Just oodles of pace. This thing is so, so fast.The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 delivers all of the above yet suffers new problems that take the shine off its best feature. Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 – Design Not all games are better on a super-ultrawide monitor, however. Most place important UI elements along the edges or corners of a display. This is a problem on a super-ultrawide, as the width will push important information outside your center of attention. You’ll have to tilt your head to see information that’s normally a glance away. The monitor’s color-gamut coverage testing is next. The Neo G9 spanned 100% of the sRGB color gamut, 85% of Adobe RGB, and 91% of DCI-P3. Those are excellent numbers, though shy of the near-perfect readings we got from the OLED G9.

The monitor also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, the highest tier of AMD’s technology that eliminates screen tearing and stuttering by providing a variable refresh rate if you have a compatible graphics card. To that end, the gameplay was smooth from all angles, and while I did notice some warping when viewing from the sides, I saw no issues when seated right at the center of the monitor, exactly where you want to be to enjoy all of its ultrawide splendor. I also noticed the top of the monitor would get warm after extended play sessions, though it didn’t interfere with gameplay. What that means is you have to decide whether you value what this display does best over the alternatives. If you want that crispy pixel density and punchy brightness on a scale never seen before, there's nothing that can touch this monitor. But, arguably, what this screen does best is actually productivity, especially when you factor in the picture-by-picture support.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.