With the arrival of Oled, the PC screen market is finally embarking on the transformation that our smartphones and televisions have already experienced. We had already been very impressed by the Alienware 34 QD-OLED (AW3423DW) in 2022 equipped with a Samsung panel. In 2023, the manufacturer decided to tackle the problem itself with the Samsung Odyssey G9 Oled. We wanted to test it.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Technical sheet
| Model | Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 114.95cm x 41.8cm |
| Curved screen | Yes |
| Screen size | 49 inches |
| Form factor | 32:9 |
| Definition | 5120 x 1440 pixels |
| Display frequency | 240Hz |
| Response time | 0.03ms |
| Maximum brightness | 250 cd/m² |
| Number of HDMI Ports | 1 |
| Number of DisplayPort ports | 1 |
| Built-in speakers | Yes |
| USB | No |
| Weight | 14.5kg |
Product sheet |
This monitor was lent to us by Samsung as part of the test.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Design
The Samsung Odyssey Oled G9 is a 32:9 format monitor with a diagonal of 49 inches. It is therefore a screen that will necessarily be very imposing on your desk. Luckily, unboxing and assembly are fairly easy. I was even able to carry out the operations entirely alone despite the size and weight of the screen (11.9 kg all the same).
The least we can say is that the screen impresses. Whether by its size, but also by its mastered design which, for once, does not seek too much in terms of an aesthetic ” gamer“. The chassis mixes white and black to give a futuristic look that is reminiscent of some of the brand’s washing machines or the Eve robot from the film. Wall-E.
The brand could not resist integrating an LED system on the back of the monitor. If placed against a wall, you should be treated to some light effects, but otherwise it’s hard to imagine any interest in this option. Fortunately, everything is disabled.
connectors
The wired connection to the monitor is only from the rear at the center level. For such a large screen, the ports become quite difficult to access. It is unfortunate that the brand did not think of reusing its know-how acquired on televisions by offering a remote connection box or ports on the edge of the monitor rather than at the back.
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Apart from the power cable, combined with a fairly large power supply, the Samsung Odyssey G9 Oled has an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, a microHDMI and a USB hub with three USB-C ports. Note that the screen is capable of offering 65 W charging on one of the USB-C ports. In other words, it will be possible to recharge an ultraportable PC.
Support
Samsung leaves the choice between the installation of a VESA 100 x 100 compatible support or the foot offered by the brand which is easily mounted with thumbscrews.
The latter obviously does not offer a vertical tilt, on a 32:9 screen it is not really interesting, but we have the height adjustment and a tilt of up to 20 degrees.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 The remote control
Like the manufacturer’s Smart Monitor range, this screen is offered with a remote control powered by an internal (rechargeable) battery and not batteries. Easy to handle, it allows you to quickly access the menus, control the sound or navigate through the applications.
This makes it possible to imagine using this monitor as an extra television, and therefore to move away from the display. A loudspeaker system is also integrated into the screen for this use.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Image quality
With an Oled screen manufactured by Samsung Display, we have the right to expect exceptional quality on this monitor and the least we can say is that we are served. To the naked eye, the display already offers a substantial slap. All the superlatives are there: a large display area, reduced borders, high frequency, brilliant colors and perfect blacks. We take full eyes for all activities or almost.
Firstly, for office automation, the screen offers the equivalent of two 27-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel screens side by side. You can therefore place all your windows to have all the information you need at a glance. Windows 11 also manages this kind of screen much better to easily place windows and occupy all the space.
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Once placed under our colorimetric probe and using Portrait Display’s Calman Ultimate software, we can precisely identify what this panel offers. As promised, the screen displays 105% coverage of the DCI-P3 spectrum for 156% of the sRGB. The color calibration is rather successful with an average DeltaE of 3.88 in HDR for a maximum of 7.27 (remember that the human eye struggles to tell the difference below 3). The average color temperature is 6133K. For a high-end Oled monitor with a vocation for video games, these are very good results. You won’t do a video edit with a calibration worthy of the cinema, but for the rest, the screen should amaze you.
Only downside, the maximum brightness in HDR that we note at only 400 cd / m². With a DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification, Samsung does not promise better, but other manufacturers like Alienware offer peaks at 1000 cd/m².
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming performance
The Samsung Odyssey G9 Oled is a screen capable of going up to 240 Hz, which makes it ideal for the most seasoned gamers. We measured a latency of only 3.4ms in 240Hz mode. Suffice to say that even in a very competitive game, you will not experience any problematic latency.
Note that we did these tests with the mode “image clarity with interpolation disabled“. Like the brand’s televisions, this mode allows you to create ghost images to smooth out the action in films and TV series. If you do not support, like me, the effect “camcorder footage» that this gives, the option is fortunately deactivatable.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 TV speakers
As mentioned above, the monitor incorporates a 5W stereo speaker system. Obviously, Samsung doesn’t perform a miracle and you won’t replace a complex audio setup with this product, but that’s not the goal.
No, the built-in speakers here perfectly fulfill their need: to provide extra sound for watching a TV series or playing a game when you don’t have headphones on. As long as we do not push the volume to the maximum, the sound remains pleasant.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Interface
Samsung integrates its Tizen operating system into this monitor. It is the same software as on its televisions or its Smart Monitor screens. The brand has not optimized the display of this system for the 32:9 screen. Instead, we have a 21:9 and sometimes 16:9 display depending on the menus and applications, with very wide black bands on the sides (up to 50% of the display area all the same).
The software is also not optimized for the chip integrated into this screen. Tizen therefore regularly suffers from major slowdowns and navigation with the remote control is really unpleasant. “It is shamefulon a monitor at this price, I could hear during my tests at the editorial office.
Luckily, all of this has a purpose: full-featured, feature-rich software for a monitor. In addition to the usual settings related to the display, you will have the right to all the expected entertainment applications: YouTube, Netflix, Disney + or even Apple TV. As on Samsung televisions, you also have the right to Nvidia GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming cloud gaming applications. Simply connect a Bluetooth controller to play directly from the monitor.
The wireless Wi-Fi connection also allows the monitor to act as an AirPlay receiver for Macs or a wireless display for Windows PCs. The device is also Google Cast compatible. The screen supports some advanced functions such as the ability to display two images side by side: that of your PC and that of your Mac, for example. This takes full advantage of the 32:9 poster, which takes up two 16:9 screens side by side.
A word about the two options to protect the Oled display fromburn in. Samsung incorporates a system to regularly move the pixels and automatically reduce the brightness if the manufacturer detects a fixed logo.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Consumption
When simply displaying the Windows desktop or browsing in Tizen, the monitor’s consumption turns under 50 W. On the other hand, we have observed consumption peaks of up to 100 W at times that consume more power screen, during video game sessions for example.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Price and availability
The Samsung Odyssey G9 Oled is available in France from 1799 euros.
Where to buy The
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 at the best price?
Given the technological showcase offered here, the price seems reasonable to us. On the other hand, if we compare this price to that of the television market, which offers larger Oled panels for a much lower price, the bill seems rather salty to us. Similarly, the reference screen offered by Alienware has seen its price melt. The Alienware AW3423DWF QD-Oled can be found for just 879 euros, less than half the price of this Samsung.