Samsung Odyssey G5 34" Ultrawide QHD 165Hz Curved Gaming Monitor

Owned for about a month.
Used for WFH and gaming.

Pros:
- Ultrawide means flexible. I use Windows' standard snapping which allows for all kinds of window configs. My favourite is having the equivalent of a 4:3 monitor in the middle for my active task, emails off to the left in a narrow vertical, and music/others off to the right. It's better than two monitors IMO.
- Ultrawide is immersive. It took me a second to get used to it, but the wraparound feeling is fantastic and much more immersive when gaming. I'm about 40-50cm from the screen. It'd be good up to ~60cm I reckon. Any more than that and you should consider a bigger size.
- Samsung is...view more Owned for about a month.
Used for WFH and gaming.

Pros:
- Ultrawide means flexible. I use Windows' standard snapping which allows for all kinds of window configs. My favourite is having the equivalent of a 4:3 monitor in the middle for my active task, emails off to the left in a narrow vertical, and music/others off to the right. It's better than two monitors IMO.
- Ultrawide is immersive. It took me a second to get used to it, but the wraparound feeling is fantastic and much more immersive when gaming. I'm about 40-50cm from the screen. It'd be good up to ~60cm I reckon. Any more than that and you should consider a bigger size.
- Samsung is a brand. They manufacture the panels for everyone else. It's too early to tell for sure, but I hope that means reliability.
- 1440p. If your GPU can handle 4k then go and get a 4k monitor Bezos! I'm using a 3070 mobile and 1440 is the right resolution. Cyberpunk settings are around medium cause I also like frames, but the sheer size and pixel density makes it prettier than my old 22" panel with high settings.

Cons:
- Stand height is limited to ~10cm from desk to the bottom edge of the screen, so it absolutely needs to be on a different plane to your keyboard, or on a VESA arm.
- There's a bezel effect of about 7mm around the top and side edges of the screen. Yes there's a physical bezel which is very narrow and dainty; this is an additional bezel effect which looks like unused actual screen real estate. The screen never reaches the edges of what appears to be the screen if that make sense. It makes you feel like the zoom's slightly off cause of the wasted space. This is my biggest disappointment. Just make it physical bezel and stop faking.
- Relatively slow wake response time. Opening my laptop, the internal monitor will wake and act as if there is no external monitor at all for a few moments. On very rare occasions the G5 didn't wake itself up at all and I power cycled it - might not have given it enough time. It's fine, but if you're buying this for your boomer boss or stepdad I just know they won't understand this non-VGA tech and will at some point flip their lid about it.

Other:
- Relatively low IO ports. One HDMI and one DisplayPort. No USB (for updates only), no audio. But you'll have your own audio etc. so this is pretty neutral.
- Some people complain about how much space the stand's legs take up. It's perfect for me, I lift the back of my laptop up and place the rear of it up on the legs themselves (I don't use the laptop screen, just the keyboard). Given the stand height issue you'll probably use an arm or riser or something anyway.
- Noticeable curvature. Great for game immersion, but horizontal lines feel like they curve towards the corners. If your job has you drawing straight lines by eye you'll have trouble. Maybe it'd be an issue for graphics designers?

4 stars because it's quite good, not exceedingly good. If you have a flat desk it's simply not ergonomic out of the box.
5 stars because I got it on special which makes up for that.

If you're thinking of an ultrawide with gaming in the mix, grab it on special. At this size (27" equivalent) I personally wouldn't recommend going with a 1080. Unless you do competitive CS and need 250fps.
There are cheaper 34" UW alternatives but they tend to have some caveats, like ~4ms response times or something. This one though is a little ahead of the pack in its price range.

I have had this monitor for a short time and already ran into several issues.

- The stand doesn't tilt out of the box. You have to remove the stand and loosen the bolts to get it to tilt without excessive force that could damage the monitor. None of the instructions make this clear. It is also extremely light and weak. The monitor wobbles furiously at even the lightest touch or movement.
- The color leans heavily on the blue side, even setting the colors to red tint still can be uncomfortably blue. It has been impossible to get whites that don't lean towards eggshells.
- The curve isn't complete, it is bent in the middle and straight on th...view more I have had this monitor for a short time and already ran into several issues.

- The stand doesn't tilt out of the box. You have to remove the stand and loosen the bolts to get it to tilt without excessive force that could damage the monitor. None of the instructions make this clear. It is also extremely light and weak. The monitor wobbles furiously at even the lightest touch or movement.
- The color leans heavily on the blue side, even setting the colors to red tint still can be uncomfortably blue. It has been impossible to get whites that don't lean towards eggshells.
- The curve isn't complete, it is bent in the middle and straight on the sides. For those (like myself) used to a fully curved monitor, it appears the screen is bending awkwardly.

+ Text is comfortable and easy to read.
+ It comes with both an HMDI and DP cable.

I would not recommend this particular model. Try alternatives.

Bought it on a whim, really. Wanted to try the larger size. Works OK but it won't provide the right resolution if you use an adaptor for the HDMI cable - you need the right cable. Worked that out after a fair bit of trial and error. And getting a new cable. Would have been good to know that at the start.
Also, there isn't much range in the stand. Sits a bit low on my desk and, because the stand takes up a lot of real estate, you can't just put it on a box. Also worked out a solution but being able to raise it would have been useful.
Both things are user issues. Just thought I'd mention them because others might have the same concerns.
The ac...view more Bought it on a whim, really. Wanted to try the larger size. Works OK but it won't provide the right resolution if you use an adaptor for the HDMI cable - you need the right cable. Worked that out after a fair bit of trial and error. And getting a new cable. Would have been good to know that at the start.
Also, there isn't much range in the stand. Sits a bit low on my desk and, because the stand takes up a lot of real estate, you can't just put it on a box. Also worked out a solution but being able to raise it would have been useful.
Both things are user issues. Just thought I'd mention them because others might have the same concerns.
The actual monitor works fine.

I purchased this monitor after months of research and it was a for a good reason it is a very high quality material very good colour very bright even when you view it from the Side. the high frame rate feels very smooth the 1440p resolution is extremely clear overall it is a 10/10 monitor. I couldn’t be more happy with the monitor the only things I would change are the stand the stand is very wide and bulky this I can change though so I think I will in the future and the only “ick” of this monitor being the flashing blue light on the bottom which you might just need to toggle off in settings. Still with all the factors it is a 10/10 monitor....view more I purchased this monitor after months of research and it was a for a good reason it is a very high quality material very good colour very bright even when you view it from the Side. the high frame rate feels very smooth the 1440p resolution is extremely clear overall it is a 10/10 monitor. I couldn’t be more happy with the monitor the only things I would change are the stand the stand is very wide and bulky this I can change though so I think I will in the future and the only “ick” of this monitor being the flashing blue light on the bottom which you might just need to toggle off in settings. Still with all the factors it is a 10/10 monitor. I would 100 percent recommend

Pros
The high quality material
The bright screen
The high frame rate
The high resolution

Cons
The stand
The bright flashing light

The Odyssey G5 is a great product from Samsung, with its 27" QHD panel, 165hHz refresh rate, and a whopping 1440p display set in the 1080p price range, yet it still feels lacking in color, this could just be because I have not spent time on manually setting the colors on the screen to my liking.

Compare the out of box experience to the LG Ultra Gear 27GQ50F-B 27" FHD 165Hz Gaming Monitor, The color feels very faded to me. This could just be my personal preference, but it is also my very first curved 1440p screen. So this might be normal. Just might take some getting used to.

I would recommend this if you are looking for a 1440p screen on a...view more The Odyssey G5 is a great product from Samsung, with its 27" QHD panel, 165hHz refresh rate, and a whopping 1440p display set in the 1080p price range, yet it still feels lacking in color, this could just be because I have not spent time on manually setting the colors on the screen to my liking.

Compare the out of box experience to the LG Ultra Gear 27GQ50F-B 27" FHD 165Hz Gaming Monitor, The color feels very faded to me. This could just be my personal preference, but it is also my very first curved 1440p screen. So this might be normal. Just might take some getting used to.

I would recommend this if you are looking for a 1440p screen on a budget.

Pros: The screen is very lightweight compared to its counterparts.
Power Cords and HDMI & DPI Cables included
1440p Resolution

Cons: The colors are a bit too bright/faded for me
Non-adjustable stand, so you can't adjust the height although the packaging does inform you of this.
Feels very cheap and not sturdy at all.

By: Wadiemens86 28/03/24

Verified Owner

Well worth the price, colors are very vivid and blacks are super deep. The curve really takes the strain off your eyes and is an all round solid monitor for the price. Only drawback is its tendency to wobble very slightly when your desk moves but that is barely noticeable. 9/10 would recommend. Well worth the price, colors are very vivid and blacks are super deep. The curve really takes the strain off your eyes and is an all round solid monitor for the price. Only drawback is its tendency to wobble very slightly when your desk moves but that is barely noticeable. 9/10 would recommend.

The colours are crisp. At 165hz, there is no noticable ghosting.

The stand.... Well it works. Some adjustability would be nice. The weight of the unit causes the stand to bend down a little.

Other than that, no complaints. The colours are crisp. At 165hz, there is no noticable ghosting.

The stand.... Well it works. Some adjustability would be nice. The weight of the unit causes the stand to bend down a little.

Other than that, no complaints.

Have had for a little over a week, and it's excellent!
The curved design takes some time to get used to, but due to the curve shape, it's a little easier to watch from certain angles.

Used on a PS4 and PS5, and both look far better than my old 1080p TV.

My only issues are lack of ports (there's only 2 video out ports) and no mini speaker setting. But the speaker thing is expected for monitors. Have had for a little over a week, and it's excellent!
The curved design takes some time to get used to, but due to the curve shape, it's a little easier to watch from certain angles.

Used on a PS4 and PS5, and both look far better than my old 1080p TV.

My only issues are lack of ports (there's only 2 video out ports) and no mini speaker setting. But the speaker thing is expected for monitors.

never had a curved screen before love it never had a curved screen before love it

Great quality Great quality

Easy to set-up and install. Visually excellent for the price range. Easy to navigate menu.
The only gripes if I had to pick any are the odd plastic faux speaker ports at the bottom of the screen. I keep the monitor close to the desktop from the monitor stand I use. I've bumped these with my mouse hand. This is relative to my desk setup and should not reflect your experience. I've got a bigger desk arriving soon so I'll feel differently about it then. Also, the shape of the Vesa mount is such that you need the correct size and not one that fits both 75 and 100 as the 100 rub against the weird plastic mount at the back Easy to set-up and install. Visually excellent for the price range. Easy to navigate menu.
The only gripes if I had to pick any are the odd plastic faux speaker ports at the bottom of the screen. I keep the monitor close to the desktop from the monitor stand I use. I've bumped these with my mouse hand. This is relative to my desk setup and should not reflect your experience. I've got a bigger desk arriving soon so I'll feel differently about it then. Also, the shape of the Vesa mount is such that you need the correct size and not one that fits both 75 and 100 as the 100 rub against the weird plastic mount at the back

Got this is a new primary screen for WFH, the screen is big enough that I can have up to 3 pages open at the same time.
Screen resolution is good, not able to fully utilise the top setting due to limitations with my work laptop Got this is a new primary screen for WFH, the screen is big enough that I can have up to 3 pages open at the same time.
Screen resolution is good, not able to fully utilise the top setting due to limitations with my work laptop