SAMSUNG49” Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor, 1000R Curved Screen, QLED, Dual QHD Display, 240Hz, NVIDIA G-SYNC and FreeSync Premium Pro, LC49G95TSSNXZA, Black

The Samsung 49” Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor has completely transformed my gaming and productivity setup. Its expansive 49-inch 1000R curved screen wraps around my field of vision, providing an immersive experience that’s second to none. The Dual QHD resolution (5120 x 1440) delivers crystal-clear visuals, making every detail pop.  The 240Hz refresh rate combined with a 1ms response time ensures ultra-smooth gameplay, eliminating any motion blur or lag. Whether I’m engaged in fast-paced FPS games or exploring open-world adventures, the performance is consistently top-notch.The QLED technology enhances color accuracy and contrast, bringing games to life with vibrant and true-to-life colors. Additionally, the support for both NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro ensures tear-free gaming sessions, regardless of the graphics card in use.  Beyond gaming, this monitor has significantly boosted my productivity. The ultra-wide aspect ratio allows me to multitask efficiently, replacing the need for a dual-monitor setup. The Infinity Core Lighting adds a sleek and modern aesthetic to my workspace, making it as stylish as it is functional.

02/01/21 Edit: Wanted to add that I've experienced plenty of technical difficulties. Playing a 60fps game in non-fullscreen when the monitor is set to 240hz or 120hz causes flickering in everything outside of the game and stuttering in-game. Also, Valorant doesn't support ultrawides, so there are issues there too. There's a workaround for all of these, so the purpose of this edit is to say that you should be moderately tech savvy and flexible with handling this beast. It has a lot of potential to be an incredible monitor, but only if the user is capable of harnessing its power. Please don't just buy this because it's "cool" because you'll be disappointed by the issues it has that you'll have to do extra work to fix.11/23/20 Edit (purchased 10/09/20): 240hz + G-Sync Compatible + Windows HDR works all of a sudden. I had the monitor software (not firmware) installed on my PC, monitor firmware updated on 10/09, and I'm running version 457.30 for my Nvidia drivers. Up until the 23rd, I was using 120hz + G-Sync Compatible + HDR disabled on desktop (but enabled in compatible games via settings). If you couldn't get 240hz running before, it works now. I'm running a 2080ti, in case you didn't read below. Hope this helps. Enjoy!When I first got the TV-sized box, I was blown away by how big it actually was. 49 inches is obviously big, but for someone like me who's only used standard aspect ratio gaming monitors at around 25"... Wow. Assembly is definitely easier with two people, but... It's sort of doable with 1. Just make sure you keep the monitor in the protective foam until the stand is installed. The monitor visibly flexes if you lay it on its front without support. It probably won't break, but do you REALLY want to take the chance with your $1400 + tax? I don't.Speaking of assembly, don't close the rear panel until you update the firmware using a USB stick. Refer to the included manual for instructions on how to do that, where to plug the USB, etc. The newest firmware seems to fix a lot of issues, so it's definitely worth the slight inconvenience.Once I got the firmware loaded and the monitor set up on my desk, I immediately booted up Shadow of the Tomb Raider to try out the HDR. This is my first time with an HDR monitor, and... Blacks are really black. This doesn't come with full array local dimming, but has a comparatively lame 10-zone backlit system, but otherwise, this is the jack of all trades ultrawide you should definitely consider.On my particular unit, I got it with a blue dot on the box, which I think is indicative of a faulty unit from the first few batches that was recalled and repaired. I was able to run 120hz, G-Sync compatible, HDR with 10-bit RGB color. I was NOT able to run 240hz, G-Sync compatible, HDR in any color config. The monitor just wouldn't turn on with that, so I had to turn the refresh rate down from the OSD to allow it to work again. This may be remedied in a future firmware update, or with the 3080 or 3090, but this did not work with my 2080ti. But PLEASE don't let this turn you away. Eye candy games generally can't run over 100 fps anyway, and G-Sync does enough to make 60 fps look smooth.I did not notice any visible flickers or otherwise weird, unpleasant, or distracting visual quirks during gameplay. Your mileage may vary depending on the particular batch you get, but QC has significantly improved. That being said, it still might be worth waiting a little for the older batches to go out. The only defect on my unit is a little line (about an inch and a half) where light leaks out on the top left section in the bezel. It's an issue others have mentioned, but it has zero effect on actual gameplay or immersion, and it's not very bright or noticeable (especially on 1000nit peak brightness HDR gameplay haha). Doesn't bother me at all and I'm thrilled to be using such an incredible piece of tech.In short, if you're running a beefy PC with at least a 2080 or any 30-series card, give this monitor a try if you can afford it. Those running anything less probably won't get acceptable performance with this half-5K monitor without reducing resolution and wasting your hard-earned money. If you get a good roll with the QC, which has significantly improved since launch, I don't think you'll regret the purchase! Enjoy.

I bought this beast (240Hz QLED model, not mini-LED, so the "middle" one) to replace two 27" ASUS 144Hz 2k monitors (VG27AQ if anyone is curious). My use cases include a gaming PC and a 2020 MacBook Pro (Intel). It works great for both, but it does require some tweaking in some cases.Examples:1. For my work MBP, I purchased the software "Rectangle Pro" which is essentially an alternative to magnet and beefs up the MacOS window snapping and allows macros for specific window combinations. I am a software engineer and essentially use one fourth of the left side for email and terminal, middle 2/4 for browser or IDE and right fourth for slack/teams. In this setup it's a dream. There are some reviews around YouTube saying that these models are not good for productivity. That's just flat out wrong. If you are used to using two monitors, in my case two that take up the same amount of space, it works perfectly. I would say even better due to the 1000R curve and no bezels in the middle.2. For gaming, you may need to fiddle with some settings to either play in borderless windowed mode (which usually runs at native resolution and takes up the whole screen, no black bars) or Fullscreen native. In other cases I just run the games in windowed mode at 2560x1440 and center them (preference over black bars)Tested Working Well- Halo Infinite (allows Centering HUD)- Deep Rock Galactic (Natively supports 32:9)- Red Dead Redemption 2 (windowed borderless works great)- Ready or Not (Natively supports 32:9)Required some tweaking:- Elden Ring (windowed 2560x1440)- Sea of thieves (supported Natively, but I had to stick to default FOV to avoid motion sickness)Also it's worth mentioning that cutscenes rendered outside game engines usually have black bars on the left and right of the content, sometimes loading screens too.Some other notes:- I docked a star for picture quality because the HDR on this isn't quite up to snuff in Windows 11 at least. There are times when it's washed out (after leaving an HDR game for instance) and I have to power the monitor off and on to get it looking normal again, more of a windows HDR bug probably though.- This is not specific to this monitor as I've had this issue with ASUS, LG and even an Apple Thunderbolt display that I have from years ago. Sometimes the MacBook just doesn't want to detect the monitor or display to it. This is likely a MacOS issue (sorry apple fans, they aren't perfect).- Density (ppi) is low in this panel compared to others. I haven't noticed any trouble with legibility after turning sharpness down to 60. Otherwise most content looks spectacular.- Yes, it makes "popping" sounds. All monitors sort of do to some degree but this one it's pretty prevalent and audible. The sheer size of the panel shroud and the fact that it's a panel capable (and in my case running at) 240Hz, it generates a lot of heat and dissapates a lot of it as well. I'm used to it,but some folks may be paranoid about defects.All in all, other than the hit to your wallet, it's a great choice as long as you have the desk space (or a heavy duty arm). Unless you need super pixel density and color accuracy, this is going to serve almost any use case pretty well.