Something’s gotta give in the high-end GPU market. Because this stellar 144 Hz 4K IPS gaming monitor from Samsung for just $330 makes a mockery of current graphics card prices.
How can it make sense for mid-range GPUs aimed at 1440p, such as an Nvidia RTX 4070 Super, to go for $500-plus and have 4K cards, such as the RTX 4080 Super, demand more like $1,000, when you can get a proper high-refresh 4K IPS panel from a big brand like the Samsung Odyssey G70B for just $330 from Walmart?
In short, it doesn’t. There is now a massive mismatch between monitor and GPU pricing. Rant over, let’s get back to this hugely appealing monitor. For starters it’s 28 inches rather than 27 inches, which I’d rate as a definite plus point.
For me, 27 inches has always been a little on the small side to appreciate the benefits of 4K for gaming. For sure, it makes for nice, tight pixel density. But you’ll struggle to notice any loss in that regard at 28 inches, while the extra screen size is that little bit more immersive.
Unusually for a Samsung, this is an IPS rather than VA panel. But that’s fine by us as IPS has just about the best color accuracy and viewing angles and also tends to offer the best response times.
Regarding the latter, Samsung rates this screen at 1ms for GTG response, which is excellent, while the color coverage comes in at 90% of DCI-P3, which is adequate.
As for HDR support, this is not a true HDR display and doesn’t include local dimming capability. But it’s VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified, which requires at least 400 nits of brightness, so this panel is plenty punchy enough.
The connectivity is fairly basic and lacks USB-C. So, a single-cable setup with a laptop is a non-starter. However, you do get HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4, so both options support the full 144Hz at 4K.
It also includes Samsung’s Gaming Hub and SmartTV functionality, which isn’t my favourite in terms of ease of use but certainly adds to this monitor’s all-round functionality.
I found the SmartTV gubbins pretty frustrating on Samsung’s 32-inch OLED monitor recently. But I’m apt to be more forgiving here. I could imagine using this panel and a single screen to do everything, maybe at university or where space is at a premium, while for me the OLED monitor felt compromised as a premium pure gaming device.
So, you’re getting a huge amount of spec and functionality for just $330, enough to have me wondering if you could realistically need more. Sure, an OLED monitor has better contrast and deeper black levels. But then a 4K OLED costs three times as much for that marginal advantage.
You really could snag this display and then cycle through a number of GPU upgrades over the next, heck, four or five years or so and never feel like you were being left behind, what with the 4K resolution, the 144Hz refresh and the 1ms response. It’s one of the best, if not actually the best, deal on any PC component I’ve seen this year.
Of course, 4K isn’t for everyone. If this remarkably affordable 4K beauty isn’t up your alley, you’ll almost certainly find something suitable among our best gaming monitor deals for Amazon Prime Day.
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