[vyncy]

I think question on everybody’s mind when thinking about this topic is does the Samsung Odyssey G7 fit the bill as a 27″ VA monitor that isn’t horrible? Is g7 best va monitor currently available for purchase? I know you didn’t get a chance to review it, but maybe you still can answer some questions and clear some confusion ?

For example burning question on my mind is should I upgrade from my AOC Q27G2? They are both 27 inch ( I would take 27 inch G7 ) 1440p monitors. 240hz doesn’t really mean much to me, as I don’t play esports games and would never reach that fps in the games I play, usually on ultra settings. So does this upgrade make sense or is it waste of money? Based on my observations reading reviews of G7 what I would get is HDR support and better pixel response times. However its not that simple, because even after reading pretty much all the reviews of g7 available on the net I am still not sure what I am getting. For example a lot of people are not happy with HDR on G7. Some pretty much say its not good. Budget monitors like AOC doesn’t even support HDR. So what is a person getting if he/she upgrade to g7 in terms of HDR ? I know for example that everybody say hdr 400 is very bad, however you rates some HDR 400 monitors pretty good. For example XG270QC which is also va panel, but only HDR 400. Would you say its reasonable to expect that HDR on G7 is at least as good as on XG270QC ?

As for pixel response time, all the reviews say its pretty good. But I wondering if it still has some specific va weakness such as for example the fable flickering like effects when moving and there are intricate mixtures of dark and bright shades on the screed. Nobody mentions stuff like that in the reviews. I know you reviewed similar panel PD27 but since specs are quite bit different ( hdr400, lesser color gamut ) I am not sure if I can make any conclusions about g7 pixel response based on that review.

So any clarifications on these issues would be very welcome !

[PCM2]

Hi vyncy,

This is a great question and I feel it deserves its own thread. I’ve slightly modified your initial post to still keep things in the context of the original thread, which I’d highly recommend others reading this thread also read. But to focus more on the 27″ Samsung Odyssey G7, more specifically the C27G75T. This also has other variations such as C27G73T and C27G74T in some regions, but as far as I’m aware it’s only things like the bundled accessories that change here not the product itself. It isn’t a model I outright recommend and doesn’t really get a lot of coverage on this website. I simply have too many reservations given its price, but as with all monitors this is all very subjective.

I know plenty of people love the experience the monitor provides and I’ve certainly received some positive feedback reinforcing that. It provides a unique experience which no other model currently replicates. Monitors are of course very subjective and no model is perfect. With this one there are a few niggles which stick in my mind. These may be complete non-issues for some and there are of course plenty of positives to this model which I’ll also cover.

These are the main negatives:

– Whilst there’s inter-unit variation and different measurement equipment used, I’ve scoured a lot of feedback and it’s most common for the contrast to be measured at ~2300:1 – 2500:1 following appropriate OSD tweaking to colour channels etc. This is firmly within ‘VA territory’ and significantly stronger than non-VA models. But it’s somewhat below specification and also what I measured for the AOC CQ27G2(U) which costs half as much (2817:1) and also the PD27 (2850:1). I’ve also received feedback from a user who tried both the Samsung and PD27 and they did notice the stronger contrast of the AOC and later confirmed this with measurements, but actually ended up keeping the Samsung due to its superior pixel responsiveness.

– Quality control is perhaps a bit below average in terms of issues like dead pixels, trapped dust and dark uniformity issues. But honestly, it’s tough to say. I’m all too aware people are more likely to report when they have problems than when they don’t and given the price of the product expectations are raised. The monitor market, unfortunately, doesn’t give the sort of QC differentiation based on product price that some users think it should.

– There are clear (to me and sensitive users) ‘static interlace patterns’, more so at 240Hz but observable below as well. Just like on the PD27, where I did say it’s not something most users would notice or find bothersome. Especially at lower refresh rates. As with the PD27, there are also ‘dynamic interlace patterns’, a faint polygonal mesh that can sometimes be observed.

– I’m not a huge fan of the 1000R curve on the 27″ screen. Again, explored in the PD27 review. It’s not a deal-breaker for me personally, although I’d say I’m usually quite adaptive and forgiving and even then I found it more noticeable than I’d want it to be at times. It is certainly too much for some people – others actually rather like it. Again, very subjective and it has its place in my opinion. Working quite well for some content, more noticeable for others but something you’d probably learn to accept either way. As a general purpose user – not somebody like a designer requiring geometric perfection.

There are other negatives I could point out, but they wouldn’t be specific to this model. Gamma consistency and colour consistency issues related to the panel technology, a screen surface that’s somewhat grainer than I’d like (again reflected in our reviews of other ‘similar’ models, such as those AOC ones – I’m very sensitive to this). And some voltage sensitivity giving some flickering when using Adaptive-Sync, which is observed to various degrees on all VA models under VRR. They’ve cleaned this up with the ‘VRR Control’ setting so it should only occur during large and sudden frame rate fluctuations, not as routinely or obnoxiously as it could when the model first launched. I mean, I could point out plenty of negatives with pretty much any monitor regardless of price and indeed I do that in my reviews – dwelling on those issues isn’t really constructive. 🙂 And there are some real positives to consider that make this model stand out above competing VA models. I’ll try to address your questions here as well.

These are the main positives:

– Responsiveness is in a different league to other VA models. There are still some imperfections, but only for very dark shades. These weaknesses lead to what I call ‘powdery’ trailing and in the worst cases it’s ‘heavy’ in its appearance based on how I classify such things. But these weaknesses are confined to a small number of transitions – most transitions are extremely fast. There’s nothing I’d say is ‘smeary’ in appearance and there aren’t the sort of weaknesses that should cause the ‘flickering’ or blending together of objects you were referring to. This issue was highlighted in our PD27 review both in-game and on the desktop for the benefit of others reading this.

– HDR is a good step above most. VESA DisplayHDR 600 with local dimming. Yes, there are only 8 dimming zones. It isn’t anywhere close to perfect and it’s still a tiny number of dimming zones for a monitor with over 3.6 million pixels. But in my experience that’s enough to give a nice situational boost in contrast. I’d put it as a step above the ‘very active Dynamic Contrast’ offered by the ViewSonic XG270QC. Colour credentials are similar on the XG270QC and Odyssey G7 and from what I’ve seen you should expect a similar HDR colour performance from both.

– You can also enable the ‘Local Dimming’ feature for SDR content for a situational contrast boost – can be nice for gaming or movie content in my experience, potentially distracting and annoying on the desktop though. So you’d disable it for that.

So there are no two ways about it. The 27″ Odyssey G7 is a unique product with a lot going for it. There are also some ‘misses’ and drawbacks to be aware of and sometimes with expensive models like this it’s easier to be overly critical. Given the sensitivities as well as what you’re after from the experience, as you explored in the other thread, this model could well be one you’d very much enjoy. I haven’t given up on the idea of reviewing this model at some point, especially if no direct successor emerges. But I have way too many monitors on that review wishlist now and many are from manufacturers who work with us more proactively than Samsung.

[vyncy]

Thanks for very detailed response. So if I understood you correctly PD27 has pixel related flickering while G7 doesn’t ? I thought they used same panel minus quantum dot and HDR 600, I guess not ?
So yeah this basically answers my concerns. It seems that g7 does have decent HDR and it really is fastest va available.

As for issues you mentioned, I heard of some users talking about scanlines. I am not sure how noticeable and bothersome this is to average user ? For example does AOC CQ27G2 has this issue ? If not, very strange of samsung to have issues which even budget monitors don’t have.

So we are left with extreme curve, possible backlight bleed, lower contrast. I am really sad that monitor market is in such as state that every product has issues. I guess I will have to think more if I will be upgrading. But honestly I don’t think I can possibly know if curve will bother me before I have the monitor in front of me

[PCM2]

These are all Samsung SVA panels* from the same family, but different panels. And certainly tuned differently when it comes to pixel responsiveness. No issues with ‘interlace pattern artifacts’ that I observed on the CQ27G2(U), as always that’s covered in the review. It’s often related to voltage regulation which is why they’re much more visible at higher refresh rates on the PD27 and Odyssey G7. Remember that they were “difficult to observe” at 144Hz on the PD27 (same would be true for the Odyssey), but the voltage regulation on those models vs. the CQ27G2(U) is still different. Sensitivity to them varies, as I said in the review: “They were still reasonably faint overall and aren’t something everyone would notice even at 240Hz, but if you’re sensitive to them they could become bothersome.” They’re something only a minority of users will find annoying or even notice really.

*Or CSOT and AUO alternatives using the same ‘recipe’ now Samsung has ceased LCD production.

[PCM2]

Some excellent and very positive feedback on the 27″ Odyssey G7 can be found on this thread.

[sayhejcu]

Probably yes because it doesn’t have competition. I’ve used 32 inch version of G7 and predecessor 27 inch chg70. What i can say is that it has it’s quirks and i’m not fan of 1000R curve on 27 inch screen but there is no competition in this field. I’ve read your post and i think (for you) it’s not a good idea to upgrade. G7’s main strengths are 240hz refresh rate and superb response times. I’d say ignore the HDR, it’s a gimmick at this point even though G7 is above average in this field.

[jasswolf]

Jumping into this thread to get some clarification about a 2021 revision for the G7 (not the 4K IPS model) that has updated power consumption specs and apparently a controller board change.

Am I correct in surmising that the change in consumption specs is due to the EU updating its testing procedures for determining energy efficiency? SDR measurements seem to be now taken at 100 nits instead of what looks like 300 nits previously, as that number has dropped from 60W to 32W.

[PCM2]

Hi there jasswolf,

Nice to hear from you again! Yes you’re absolutely correct. The energy testing standards for SDR within the EU are now focused on lower luminance levels and designed to give those nice reduced consumption figures. I’m not aware of any other changes to the Odyssey G7 that would explain such a shift in specified energy consumption. As an aside but somewhat related, it appears energy regulation standards elsewhere in the world have been tightened up. Which is why some models will now come with a luminance limiter for SDR out of the box. And a dedicated setting which will have to be activated by the user to unlock the full brightness capability.

[jasswolf]

That’s great news! A lot of stock settings and where people would land after that was way too excessive from a power consumption and blue light exposure/wakefulness perspective, so anything that helps people and the planet should be welcomed.

The older G7 make is on sale in my country, and I’m tempted, but the data coming in about OLED manufacturing ramps has me prepared to wait it out. Is there a good discussion thread on likely directions for that tech?

I have no background in panel making or electronics, but my vague understanding of such things (and physics) lead me to believe that while 480Hz-720Hz would be reasonable for the raw panel, and that a controller board could be made, thermal concerns and the increased voltage for clean signalling at that rate might still be way too high.

Really curious to see if there’d be a release beyond QHD 240Hz in the next 12 months, though frankly QHD 240Hz OLED with 240Hz BFI would be an incredible experience in of itself.

[PCM2]

Indeed, many people go overboard with brightness without thinking of the consequences on power consumption or blue light exposure. Or get used to the often very high ‘out the box’ brightness and don’t let themselves adjust properly to lower luminance levels. There used to be a very general thread here called “new monitor panel discussions” or something along those lines. But I prefer the focus here to be on actual tangible products in the pipelines, which can include known panels but not further out projections. Those can then slip into existing threads or have their own specific and focused discussions.

The general trends and future direction is covered in our OLED article. On the monitor side I know most people are waiting for something ~32″ or smaller, reasonably priced and preferably without an aggressive ABL feature which can be quite annoying on the desktop. That sort of thing is still some way off so any discussion there would be highly speculative rather than nearer-term product based. The next stage I suppose is the ~42″ versions of the 48″ models we’re seeing, like the LG CX and C1 OLEDs and Gigabyte AORUS FO48U. I expect the market will stay split between larger TV panels used in monitors and smaller high priced professional-grade panels for some time still.

[jasswolf]

So you’re thinking the smallest panel LG will be manufacturing this year is 42″? I’d heard they’d been ramping OLED production generally after demand was seen to be sufficient, and their latest manufacturing techniques make smaller panels more of a possibility.

Pixel density for a 42″ 4K panel would be identical to a 28″ QHD panel, and a 77″ 8K panel comes in at about 25.7″ QHD. Plenty of FHD options too, and that’s around what I’d have expected for the announced intentions of 20″ to 30″ OLED panel manufacturing.

I would have assumed CES 2022 product announcements, and this quarter would be the time to start manufacturing for Q2 2022 sales.

[PCM2]

I’m not aware of any LG Display fabrication currently for 20″ – 30″ monitor sized panels. I know they have non-specific paper plans for such things. It will take them some time to actually orient towards that as their main OLED factory in Guangzhou (China) and smaller facility in Paju (South Korea) is focused on larger TV-sized panels. They can shift some of that or continue to expand those facilities. I can also see them eventually retooling plants currently used for LCD monitor panel production for OLED production, but that will take time. They also have to pre-announce such things for the benefit of shareholders some time in advance and they haven’t done so, aside from stating a very general intention with no timeline or anything definitive. Therefore I think it would be rather optimistic to expect any monitor-sized panels from LG Display in the near future. Maybe some wheels are in motion that I’m not aware of or they’re about to make this pivot, but I’m not holding my breath.

[jasswolf]

Oh I was working from the notion of their multi-model glass techniques allowing for them to make better use of the excess motherglass when producing 75″ and larger panels.

I’d imagine turning the real estate of a $1000-$1400 USD 4K 120Hz OLED into 4x $350-$450 24″ FHD 120Hz monitors would also have appeal, and the same tech for 42″ 4K would generate 21″ FHD in addition to 28″ QHD.

LG are on the look out for ways to to make more money out of the same pieces of motherglass, and after witnessing the 48″ panel sales, they know the demand is there. The only issues would be controller boards, and how readily 240Hz (and 240Hz BFI) would be achievable, but such things seem to have gotten a lot cheaper thanks to interest in DSC via DP and HDMI, albeit from an LCD perspective (though I assume there is some level of overlap in terms of the parts involved).

[PCM2]

Well I’d certainly be very happy if LG Display can swiftly start pumping out smaller OLEDs in such a fashion. You’re absolutely right on the demand side. People are seeking the likes of the C27G75T despite its compromises because it offers a better contrast experience than competing IPS models and much better responsiveness than usual for VA. To have OLED levels of contrast, colour reproduction and responsiveness at a good price and with the right form factor would be wonderful. And something people would be prepared to make certain other compromises to get (e.g. putting up with an ABL function). I think I’ve just had most of my optimism sucked out of me having waited for this sort of thing for over a decade already. 😉

[jasswolf]

I’m thinking the Evo OLED tech is just good enough to prevent heavy use of ABL. Would come out to about 85 nits for 100% white with BFI, so that’s good enough for SDR gaming for the vast majority of people IMO.

For desktop SDR use, I think most people would cap the brightness such that ABL should never be a huge perceptual concern, but it does come down to how that ABL function is implemented.

[uncia]

Wasn’t LG supposed to release a 32-inch OLED monitor this year? I don’t think they were producing the panel. I seem to recall it was announced at CES. Yet it was also rumored to cost $3000. Though I could be misremembering.

[PCM2]

That’s the 32EP950 which uses a JOLED panel. Very much a premium panel and model, retailing for ~$4000. 🙂

[Solistru]

Maybe I can shed some light on this!

I owned an Odyssey G7 32 for about a year. (I still have it but it’s up for sale)

Overall it was a good, to great panel. I think I just realized over time I prefer the traits of an IPS panel.

Overall, the g7’s motion handling was superb, it’s contrast was noticeably better than most IPS counterparts, and its HDR600 certification was good, even if it only has a handful of dimming zones.

I ended up trying to replace it a few times. The main reasons were the VA panel (at least to my eyes) always seemed a little subdued in it’s color performance. I’m sure it was color accurate and all that, but it never seemed to look as good as I thought it was. I have a dell S2716DG as a secondary, and images didn’t look a whole lot better on the G7 than they did on that old TN panel.

Also it suffered pretty heavily from backlight bleed, while it didn’t have the trademark IPS glow (obviously lol) there was enough backlight bleed that it ate into dark scenes, and it kind of nullified the extra contrast.

I ended up trying to replace it a few times. I first picked up an LG 32GP850 and wasn’t impressed. I probably just got a bad panel but the IPS glow on that panel was into comical territory.

I ended up returning that panel and I kept my G7 for another few months until a certain panel caught my eye. That was the Predator XB323U GX. I picked one up and have been very impressed so far.

It’s contrast isn’t as good of course, and blacks don’t get as dark. But like I said earlier, when I was watching dark scenes in games like Days Gone for example, the black level was better on the G7 but your eyes gravitated toward the bleed so much it kind of nullified it.

The colors on this panel are absolutely insane. A definite improvement. The g7 always felt a little flat. For example playing Valorant, the green little icons below your abilities seemed like a light, pale green. On the XB323U they’re vibrant and a lot more punchy. Sounds silly but just a random example I thought of.

Otherwise the motion handling on the Predator is as good or better than the G7, colors are better, it’s flat with a higher refresh rate and more dimming zones.

Unfortunately my unit suffers from a hefty amount of IPS Glow, but I’ve accepted these issues are inherent to the technology, and IPS/VA Glow or backlight bleed is so common on all panels, I’m sick of trying to play the panel lottery.

Overall, I liked my g7 enough, and I wouldn’t persuade someone from buying one, but i’m much happier with my XB323U GX overall.

[PCM2]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Solistru. I think it’s worth mentioning that I’ve also received some recent feedback from somebody who found the ‘IPS glow’ quite obnoxious on their 32GP850. It is something that can be brought out more on some units by uniformity issues and suchlike, some may be better than others etc. But like you this person also had other IPS-type panels of a similar size to compare with and found the LG noticeably poor in this respect and also just didn’t find the overall contrast experience all that compelling. So just another data point to add really.

[Sorcy]

Hello.

I must say I’m quite impressed with this forum’s spirit, the arguments I could find, the detailled descrptions and the obvious passion behind every answers, man it’s good to browse the posts here.

I’m definitely not skilled as some appears to be, but it’s also nice to learn new things or simply get new opinions as well.

The reason for this post title is pretty simple :

I’m using a dual GW2765HT at the moment, for both working (dev / design / project management software) and gaming (dota, wow, overwatch, things like that)

2 days ago, I bought a 32″ G7 Odyssey because I wanted to try it, considering the good reviews.
I am the lucky owner of a 3090 with a nice high end config so I was looking for a 240 hz monitor with Gsync, just to “check & feel”.

I loved my benq, definitely happy with IPS technology and very sensitive to the eye care argument (low blue light), even if it’s a proprietary technology fro Benq, I must say I’m happy with it in everyday use.

Switching on the G7 with VA pannel, I found out what “real black” means, compared to what I had.
Of course I was also stunned by the fluent 240 hz display.

And yet, I’m probably going to return the G7.
Even if it’s really interesting in some games (like overwatch for instance), because I’m also using the screen other than for gaming, the 1000R curved is definitely not something I’m getting used to.

Therefore, I was browsing this forum to find an alternative, with high end specs, 1440p (or even 4k ?), with a high refresh rate and good stats.
I might be mistaken but it looks like Benq screens are not that good at the moment.
I was reading your thoughts on EX2710Q and was not really convinced …

Finally here I am, wondering which monitor I can buy to replace my GW2765HT (it’s going on another workin computer), and find a nice fit for my needs.

I would have bought the non-curved G7 if there was one I guess …

I like the 32″, but can also go with a 27″. I guess.

Maybe I choose focus on this choices and lean on the ones with good “mixed purposes” pros ?

Again, thanks for your dedication.

Cheers

[Author]

Posts