Samsung Odyssey G7 27 Monitor Review

Usually, when somebody mentions the Samsung Odyssey line of gaming monitors, you immediately imagine the flagship 49-inch G9 model. However, there are other models in the Odyssey line, including the G7, that may be of interest to gamers who don’t have enough large budget to afford themselves the gargantuan 49-inch monitor.

The Samsung Odyssey G7 27 is an affordable 27-inch premium gaming monitor with a VA panel and support for WQHD resolution. It fits nicely on most desktops, and is much less demanding on the graphics card compared to the 49″ model which supports resolution of up to 5,120 x 1,440 pixels. As in the case of the flagship model, the monitor features a very prominent screen curvature of 1,000R.

Other features are no less impressive. The maximum refresh rate is 240 Hz. In addition, there is also support for FreeSync and G-Sync to eliminate frame tearing effects. Since it has no built-in G-Sync module, this monitor is certified as “Compatible” by NVIDIA. There is a backlight ripple function, but it does not work in tandem with VRR technologies. There are other gaming features in the OSD menu as well. The monitor can also boast with he HDR certification, since it supports DisplayHDR 600.

Samsung Odyssey G7 27 Specifications

Design

With a 27-inch diagonal, the Samsung Odyssey G7 stands out with several other features. Of course, you immediately notice the panel with an extreme curvature radius of 1,000R, which is much more curved than most monitors on the market. However, the effect is less noticeable than on similar 21:9 monitors. Samsung has given the monitor a distinctive “gamer design” with two angular “wings” on the lower front. There are also installed two RGB LED elements, which attract additional attention.

From the side, the 27-inch Odyssey looks quite deep, due to the strong curvature of the panel. The stand could have been a little deeper, but in that case it would have required even more space on the desktop. At least the stand looks elegant, although it can’t be commended for its sturdiness. Despite the fact that the monitor is not very wide, the panel vibrates when typing. The reason for that probably lies in the curvature and significant depth. A similar problem also seems to bother the flagship Odyssey G9.

The RGB backlight elements on the front side are not so visible, which cannot be said about the “turbine” on its back side. The backlight can be controlled via the OSD menu. There are various effects, but there is also a static backlighting. Unfortunately, it is not possible to synchronize it with other RGB ecosystems, which will certainly upset users who collect compatible RGB devices. Speaking of build quality and materials, they are of very high quality.

The interface panel is located underneath the bulge at the back side. There are two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs and one HDMI 2.0 port. There is also a USB hub, but it only provides two USB Type-A ports. Unfortunately, there is no Type-C port, which is a bit disappointing.

Ergonomics

Samsung has built in all the advanced mechanical adjustment options that allow you to give the most comfortable position of the panel in games and work scenarios. The height of the panel can be adjusted in the range of 120 mm, which is quite enough for a 27-inch diagonal, including for tall users. Panel tilt is adjustable from -9° to 13°. Other monitors often offer more degrees of rotation, but even here the range is sufficient. The same goes for 15° horizontal rotation in each direction. The monitor also supports 100×100 mm VESA mounts.

Speaking of OSD control, Samsung has opted for a minimalist approach by only installing a mini joystick. However, in practice, the joystick work perfectly, especially since it is located in the center at the bottom. The flagship G9 has the joystick moved to the side, which we don’t really like. 

The on-screen menu is quite typical for Samsung, the structure is clear and understandable. All functions are neatly signed and distributed on separate tabs. So even novice users will not get confused. The range of features is quite good for a modern gaming monitor. For example, the Odyssey G7 allows you to display a framerate counter or highlight dark areas.

As for the software, Samsung did not use the monitor’s full potential. Many monitor manufacturers, such as MSI or Gigabyte, offer convenient and functional utilities that greatly improve everyday comfort. But Samsung has nothing. Therefore, we had to abandon the control of monitor options with the mouse.

Image Quality

The monitor features 27-inch diagonal size, and a native support for resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, which is a combination that has stood the test of time. The image quality is good, and you don’t have to resort to scaling to see everything properly. Despite that, there is still enough space on the Windows desktop. Of course, in terms of detail, the Odyssey G7 27 is inferior to more expensive UHD models.

A special feature of the current generation of the Odyssey series of monitors is the high-curve VA panel. Indeed, the 1,000R curvature is much more extreme than on other monitors on the market. This is immediately noticeable. For games, such curvature can prove to be quite useful, but for normal Windows use it can be quite irritating. This is especially seen in scenarios where you have to work with large spreadsheets, since there are no straight horizontal lines. Not to mention the (im)possibility of correcting photographic perspectives.

The VA panel delivers decent brightness and contrast by nature, though the anti-glare coating degrades subjective contrast a bit. However, it does block glare and reflections of light sources. It’s noticeable that Samsung has tweaked the sharpness filter quite a bit compared to other monitors. We did not find any artifacts, but the picture at first seems unusual.

By default, the color reproduction is set up well. If you are not going to work professionally with photos, then calibration is unlikely to be required. Colors look vibrant, but not oversaturated. The slightest nuances of shades are noticeable, and the viewing angles are not as wide as we would like. Distortions appear quite early when deviating from the perpendicular.

Samsung has used local dimming to improve contrast for HDR output, but the results in practice cannot be called convincing, since there is only a vertical breakdown into zones. Turning zones on/off is clearly noticeable, which is somewhat annoying. The maximum brightness is enough for a first look at HDR, but here the 27-inch monitor falls short of expectations compared to the high-end displays that deliver 1,000 cd/m² and above. However, these monitors also come with a higher price tag.

Gaming Performance

Gamers will love the 1,000R curvature radius, as it enhances gaming immersion. The effect is most noticeable on ultra-wide models with a diagonal of 34 or 49 inches, while here on the 27-inch panel the effect is not as pronounced. Immersion can be felt, but not as much as we are used to in the case of such a radius and wide format.

The Odyssey G7 can boast with a support for screen refresh rate of up to 240 Hz. Fans of fast-paced shooters will surely be happy. However, you will need a powerful enough graphics card to deliver such a high frame rate. Pixel persistence is present, but the built-in Overdrive function is struggling with it. It is best to set it in “Fast” mode. Samsung supports backlight pulsing, but it leads to ghosting, so it’s best to disable this feature.

Even if the maximum refresh rate is not reached, FreeSync and G-Sync technologies eliminate frame tearing. In the case of G-Sync, only compatibility is declared, since there is no separate module inside the monitor. But in practice, this can hardly be considered a disadvantage. VRR capabilities work perfectly with NVIDIA cards.

Brightness, black uniformity and contrast

Samsung chose a panel with a maximum SDR brightness of 437.7 cd/m², with an average of 406.5 cd/m². Both values ​​allow you to play or work in well-lit rooms. However, the bottom third of the panel is much darker. The backlight is not as uniform as we would like. Here it is around 82%. The monitor also features a VA panel, which can boast with great contrast. In our tests, the Odyssey G7 achieved an excellent contrast score of 2,779:1.The monitor’s default gamma is set to 2.4.

The white point of the Odyssey G7 27 is set to a relatively neutral 6,615 K, although many gaming displays show temperatures above 7,000 K. Grayscale DeltaE 4.6 is acceptable for a gaming monitor, but not outstanding. In the case of the Color Checker, the average DeltaE result of 3.5 is also adequate, with a maximum of 6.4.

The sRGB color space is fully covered. But the red and green areas are oversaturated. In practice, this is not so noticeable, and if absolute neutrality is not required, then calibration can be omitted. The DCI-P3 space is 90.9% covered. Some other displays perform better in this area. In the case of AdobeRGB, coverage is less – 85.6%.

Samsung has added an sRGB mode where you can change the brightness. The white point temperature was 6,661 K, the contrast ratio was 2,711. There are almost no deviations from the usual mode. The sRGB color space is still covered with oversaturation in the red and green spectrums. Unfortunately, Samsung did not correct this flaw.

Conclusion

The Samsung Odyssey G7 27 is an outstanding 27″ gaming monitor that can boast with its strong panel curvature.

But the advantages of a highly curved VA panel with a radius of 1,000 mm are limited in practice, as it is too narrow for a deep immersion effect. Pixel persistence is effectively eliminated with Overdrive, so we have a decent gaming display here. The maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz allows you to play on edge, which will delight fans of fast-paced shooters. Support for G-Sync and Free-Sync works as expected, and frame tearing is non-existent. The input lag is low, so a 27-inch monitor can be recommended for gamers.

In work applications, strong panel curvature can be annoying, since the monitor does not have straight horizontal lines. Sharpness is good, and the same can be said about brightness and contrast. The implementation of local dimming upsets us, because the zones are too rough for the proper effect. As a result, the HDR effect does not feel as good as we would like. In addition, viewing angles are not the widest, and color distortions appear relatively early when deviating from the perpendicular. However, we have no complaints about the color reproduction, the white point temperature is relatively neutral, and the color spaces are well covered.

The curved bezels draw attention at first sight, and the display is highlighted by RGB lighting elements. Unfortunately, the backlight can only be controlled through the Samsung OSD menu, and there is no possibility of RGB syncing with other devices. The build quality is good.

All in all, the Samsung Odyssey G7 27 is an outstanding gaming monitor with a fast panel and an extreme curvature radius of 1,000R. The lack of proper software support and USB Type-C port are a bit disappointing, but despite that the MSRP of $699 seems quite fair.

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