Samsung updates its gaming monitors on a regular basis with enhanced hardware, modern features and improved component reliability. It also releases some of the biggest and widest displays PC gamers have ever seen. But there are also plenty of affordable options that still have above-average visual fidelity. In other words, Samsung offers a gaming monitor for just about everyone.
If you want the best, take a look at the Samsung Odyssey G70A, which is one of today’s top 4K gaming monitors. While it’s pretty costly, it should satisfy all but the pickiest gamers.
There was a time when Samsung monitors and TVs had a reputation for dead pixels and above-average ghosting due to poor motion handling. You can put those fears to bed with Samsung’s latest offerings. Samsung heard consumers’ concerns, and the last couple of generations have been relatively free of such quality control issues. Today, you can be confident that you’re getting a reliable monitor with a consistent, long-lasting, high-resolution panel.
Samsung’s entry-level gaming monitors work well and cost surprisingly little. At the other end of the spectrum, its high-end offerings are essentially unrivaled in terms of size, resolution and image clarity. While they get expensive quickly, Samsung’s premium gaming monitors are among the best.
Samsung was one of the first manufacturers to offer a 32:9 aspect ratio. That’s the same amount of real estate you’d get from a pair of traditional 16:9 monitors sitting next to each other. Of course, it also requires twice the processing power to drive as a standard monitor does.
You can have a great gaming experience on a 27-inch, 1080p monitor. However, you’ll notice a huge difference between that and a 27-inch, 4K monitor. The reason is pixel density, which is a function of size and resolution.
Gamers with moderate to respectable PCs often consider 27 inches and a 1440p resolution the sweet spot. At that pixel density, you’ll have a hard time picking out jagged lines and individual pixels while sitting at your desk. Lower resolutions work better with more modest hardware, and higher resolutions offer impressive pixel densities that render smoothing technologies such as anti-aliasing unnecessary.
Never underestimate the ability to adjust a stand. Craning your neck to get the right perspective on your gaming experience leads to subpar image quality and can result in short- and long-term injuries. Height, tilt and pivot adjustments ensure that you can see your monitor from the perfect angle at all times. Then there’s swivel adjustment, which lets you change a monitor’s orientation from landscape to portrait. This is primarily useful for secondary monitors used to display third-party chat programs or increase productivity.
Entry-level Samsung gaming monitors cost under $200, while top-of-the-line models can reach well over $1,000 for an ultrawide aspect ratio and premium backlighting technology.
A. In many cases, they are. Computer monitors differ from TVs in several ways. Console gamers sometimes gravitate toward them due to better motion handling and input lag than many TVs. Premium Samsung monitors usually offer good HDR support that current-generation consoles can take advantage of. They’re especially good choices for Xbox Series X owners, who will appreciate them in conjunction with the Xbox’s 1440p, high-frame-rate mode.
A. VRR technology allows a monitor to match its refresh rate to the exact frame rate the graphics card produces. This practically eliminates the screen tearing that occurs when your PC creates frames too quickly or slowly for the display. It also all but eliminates the stuttering that happens when your PC’s frame rate suddenly takes a significant dip during graphically intensive scenes.
What you need to know: At 28 inches with a 4K resolution, it produces just about the clearest image possible.
What you’ll love: The G70A boasts impressive specs, including DisplayHDR 400 certification and joint support for G-Sync and FreeSync Premium variable refresh rate technologies. It can display up to 144 frames per second and offers HDMI 2.1 connectivity, perfect for PC and console gaming. It also offers four-way stand adjustment and a high enough pixel density that you’ll never encounter jagged lines or pixelated graphics.
What you should consider: It’s not cheap, and some gamers prefer larger, more immersive screens.
Where to buy: Amazon
What you need to know: Few monitors deliver this kind of motion handling and refresh rate at such a low price.
What you’ll love: If you’re on a tight budget, there are no better choices for high-frame-rate gaming. It goes up to 165 hertz and is compatible with both major VRR protocols, while its 1-millisecond pixel response time all but eliminates ghosting and artifacting. If you don’t need something quite so big and instead want a higher pixel density, there’s also a nearly identical 24-inch version.
What you should consider: Demanding gamers might be turned off by its mere 1080p resolution.
Where to buy: Amazon
What you need to know: This is essentially two high-end Quad HD monitors sewn together, and it sports some of today’s most advanced display technology.
What you’ll love: Its 32:9 aspect ratio provides arguably the most immersive gaming experience possible, as long as you have the hardware necessary to drive such a high resolution and refresh rate. It’s compatible with the highest levels of both AMD and Nvidia VRR technology, simultaneously minimizing latency and enhancing HDR performance. It’s one of the extremely rare PC monitors equipped with mini LED backlighting, which is essentially the most advanced form of local dimming possible. The end result is possibly the best HDR gaming performance money can buy.
What you should consider: It’s one of the most interesting monitors available, but also one of the most expensive.
Where to buy: Amazon
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
