Two-minute assessment
The Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD appears to need to be all issues to all folks. While it ticks just about each gaming field you’d anticipate a gaming monitor to tick (after which some), it additionally simply so occurs to be a gorgeous video show.
At the guts of its multifaceted skills is certainly one of Samsung’s newest Quantum Dot OLED panels, right here delivered in a flat 32-inch display with a 16:9 side ratio. Samsung has managed to suit a full 4K decision into this gaming monitor, backed up by assist for a 240Hz refresh price.
Where the S32G80SD actually kicks up a gear, although, is with a trio of outstanding new options. First, a potent new display filter enhances gaming immersion and distinction by by some means suppressing nearly all reflections out of your room. Second, footage are pushed by the identical ultra-powerful processor deployed in Samsung’s flagship 8K TVs. Third, a new ultra-efficient cooling system has been constructed into the S32G80SD’s OLED display to guard it extra successfully than another OLED monitor from potential warmth harm.
Add to those ground-breaking options insanely exact and vibrant gaming photographs and a video efficiency that humbles many premium TVs, and the S32G80SD’s initially hefty-looking $1,499 / £1,099 worth abruptly doesn’t look unreasonable in any respect.Â
Price and availability
- Price at $1,499 / £1,099.99
- Available within the US and UK
The Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD is out there from the primary week of July, priced at $1,499 within the US within the US and £1,099.99 within the UK. That represents a severe hunk of change in a world the place 32-inch HDR-capable displays such because the just lately examined Gigabyte GS32QC will be had for $250 / £250, however the S32G80SD does one heck of a job of justifying that value.
It’s constructed round a premium Quantum Dot sort of OLED panel for starters, with all of the innate image high quality benefits that it brings. Around that display, furthermore, Samsung has constructed a gorgeous-looking chassis filled with premium processing and {hardware} options the like of which, in some circumstances, the monitor world hasn’t seen earlier than.Â
Specs
| Screen measurement | 32-inch OLED |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
| Refresh price | 240Hz |
| Brightness | 319cd/m2 |
| Response time | 0.03ms |
| Contrast ratio | 3806007:1 |
| Inputs | 2 x HDMI 2.1 ports, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x USB-C ports, 1 x USB-B port |
Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD: Design
The S32G80SD seems to be and feels each inch a premium monitor. Build high quality for the 32-inch, 16:9 flat display is superb, as a silvery metallic sheath wraps round from the outer edges of the bezel to cowl the rear panel. This is replicated, too, over the good-looking, heavy-duty hexagonal desktop foot. The rear panel is on-trend slim, however nonetheless finds room for some elegant arcs and curves, whereas the stand neck options a reflection-free corrugated black end on its entrance edge and a cable tidy ‘ring’ on its rear.
Against such a refined and refined design the looks of a ring of coloured LEDs across the stand connect level feels a bit garish at first. Thankfully you’ll be able to flip this mild showcase if you want – although really, over time I grew to fairly like the additional immersion it brings to gaming.
Impressively the S32G80SD’s display attaches to the neck and the neck attaches to the stand just by twisting them collectively till they click on into place. There’s not a screw in sight. The display can tilt, swivel, pivot, and slide up and down on the stand, and there’s assist for VESA mounting if you wish to transfer away from the offered stand.Â
Connections are somewhat awkwardly positioned however impressively embrace two excessive bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports in addition to two USB-C ports, one USB-B port, and a DisplayPort (1.4). The S32G80SD ships with a small however ergonomic distant management that options a USB-C cost level on the underside and, even higher, a photo voltaic panel on its rear.Â
Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD: Features
The Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD’s epic roster of options kicks off with its use of certainly one of Samsung’s new Quantum Dot OLED sort of screens, that are already famend for his or her outstanding colour and distinction properties. What’s extra, utilizing a 16:9 side ratio has allowed Samsung to squeeze in a native 4K/UHD pixel rely of 3840×2160.
The display sports activities arguably the best anti-reflection filter I’ve ever seen on a monitor. General ambient mild and mildly reflective objects in your room are rejected just about utterly, whereas even harsh direct lights positioned straight reverse the display are dispersed to a diploma the place you barely discover them even if you’re wandering across the darkish underground environments in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider. There’s no overstating how a lot this reflection suppression enhances your immersion in no matter you’re watching or taking part in.
Anyone involved about OLED’s susceptibility to display burn-in ought to be very certainly within the S32G80SD’s new Pulsating Heat Pipe cooling system. This condenses or evaporates coolant contained in tiny pipes that run behind the display to manage warmth the place obligatory with none compromise to picture brightness.
This doubtlessly game-changing new OLED panel safety function is joined by extra conventional ones resembling native dimming of brand/HUD components, basic ‘thermal modulation’ (brightness management), and a display saver.
The S32G80SD is powered by what has to absolutely be probably the most {powerful} processor within the gaming monitor world. Samsung has primarily ported in an optimized model of the Neo Quantum 8 AI Gen 3 processor utilized in Samsung’s newest, extremely acclaimed flagship 8K TVs. This would possibly sound like overkill for a 4K monitor, nevertheless it actually does make sense to use to a gaming monitor a processor in a position to deal with huge quantities of pixels, movement, colour, and multi-window administration (together with simultaneous playback of various exterior AV sources) in real-time backed up by a information base derived from at least 512 separate neural networks.Â
The S32G80SD additionally carries the identical Tizen working system, with a few monitor-specific tweaks, utilized in Samsung’s newest gaming TVs. This means you get entry to Samsung’s wonderful Game Hub, which brings collectively your exterior sport units in addition to streamed gaming providers like Xbox Game Pass, NVidia GeForce Now, Boosteroid, and Utomic into one enticing and intelligently curated devoted dwelling display. A ‘Daily+’ part of the Tizen interface additionally supplies monitor-friendly options resembling Easy PC setup, Remote PC assist for PCs and Macs, Microsoft 365, and Samsung’s DeX system, whereas the house display moreover offers you entry to a nice number of video streaming apps. Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, and Apple TV, as an illustration, are all current and proper, as are most of the UK’s hottest terrestrial broadcaster catch-up platforms.
Almost each side of the S32G80SD’s options will be managed by voice instructions utilizing both the Bixby or Alexa voice recognition programs, usually supplying you with a wonderful shortcut with out having to delve into the on-screen menu system.
Alongside the comparatively uncommon and premium options detailed to this point, in fact, are loads of different fashionable gaming staples. There’s assist for 240Hz, as an illustration, in addition to 120Hz with native 4K feeds which means it’s firmly positioned to supply a premium PS5 monitor or Xbox Series X monitor resolution. Variable refresh charges are supported within the core HDMI and AMD Freesync (although not NVIDIA G-Sync) flavors, whereas Auto Low Latency Mode switching (ALLM) is offered in order that the TV can change into a video or gaming mode robotically relying on what kind of content material you’re taking part in in your console or PC.
You also can name up a devoted Game Bar menu whereas gaming to get sport sign data and quick entry to gaming assistants resembling an onscreen crosshair, and a couple of movement enhancement ranges if you wish to cut back judder at the price of a little display response time, and the choice to lift the brightness degree of darkish areas with out impacting the remainder of the image.Â
When it involves HDR, lastly, the S32G80SD helps the HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ codecs. There’s no assist for the favored Dolby Vision system.
Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD: Performance
The Odyssey S32G80SD’s mixture of a top-end OLED panel and ground-breaking new processing and options delivers photographs which are constantly jaw-dropping. And not simply with video games, both.
In truth, as a result of it is so monumentally good with video in contrast with another monitor I’ve seen, that’s the place I’m going to begin. With streamed video or exterior video sources, for starters, immaculately deep and clear black ranges mix with pristine brilliant whites and wealthy colours with out the slightest trace of compromise – even when the lightest and darkest elements of an HDR picture are simply a pixel aside.
Sharpness and element are out of this world, as cramming a 4K pixel rely into a 32-inch display delivers a pixel pitch so small that high-quality 4K sources primarily simply seem like actual life somewhat than one thing a display is producing. The vastly {powerful} NQ8 AI Gen 3 processor delivers probably the most pure, detailed, and dense upscaling of sub-4K content material I’ve ever seen on a monitor too. Please observe, although, that whereas it’s advantageous with inside apps and linked video units and consoles, the upscaling doesn’t work if the monitor is about to its PC mode. Â
Colors are gorgeously wealthy (bolstered by the pure RGB structure of the QD-OLED panel), but additionally stuffed with nuance and stability. They get pleasure from completely pure video tones, too – one thing most different displays discover very tough to realize.
Viewing angles are just about infinite, whereas the flexibility of the NQ8 AI processor to indicate even small objects like tennis or cricket balls with out them phasing out and in of the image is like nothing I’ve seen earlier than on a monitor.
You should be a little cautious with among the S32G80SD’s video settings. I’d advocate avoiding the garish Dynamic preset, turning off the Auto Picture readability mode, and selecting a customized setting with the Blur and Judder discount components set no greater than their degree 5. I’d additionally flip off Dynamic Tone Mapping, as it may possibly trigger some brightness instability with HDR sources.Â
Set up accurately, although, the S32G80SD’s video photographs are nothing in need of a revelation.
While the S32G80SD’s video mastery is perhaps its greatest shock, although, additionally it is, in fact, a joyously sensible gaming show. The sense of element with native 4K video games like Ori And The Will Of The Wisp delivered from an Xbox Series X is out of this world, for starters. In truth, the additional sense of the great thing about Ori’s world I received when working the sport in 4K 120Hz on such an extremely exact monitor really felt a bit emotional!
Contributing to this sense of absolute precision is the OLED panel’s potential to manage the sunshine output of each particular person pixel, which yields a gorgeously refined but additionally at occasions remarkably dynamic and intense sense of distinction. The vary of colours the S32G80SD can cowl (I measured 100% of sRGB and a whopping 99.2% of the DCI-P3 gamut) with nearly infinite tonal subtlety performs a half within the immaculate end of high-quality gaming photographs too.
If you’ve received a gaming PC able to working 240Hz easily, you’ll discover the S32G80SD greater than as much as the job of doing full justice to it. Unfortunately, neither this nor an extremely quick display response time of 0.03ms Grey to Grey might cease me sucking at Fortnite on PC – however at the very least getting hammered appeared nicer.
Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 on PS5 appeared and performed higher than I’ve ever skilled earlier than on a monitor, too, whereas the beguiling world of Baldur’s Gate 3 on console and PC turned much more attractive and wealthy wanting – particularly with the Game Motion Plus software referred to as in to clean away any slight judder.
Games streamed from the various providers the S32G80SD’s Game Hub carries are all dealt with extraordinarily slickly too, because of the monitor’s high-bandwidth Wi-Fi system and processing structure expressly designed to reduce lag.
It’s robust to search out something adverse to say concerning the S32G80SD’s picture efficiency. The Dynamic Tone Mapping choice set to on by default within the Standard video preset could cause some distracting brightness instability with video sources, and I assume the picture isn’t spectacularly brilliant in HDR or SDR (319 nits and 190 nits respectively on a 10% measurement window) mode.  On the brightness level, although, the pinpoint precision of the OLED lighting, the reflection-free display, a fairly excessive claimed typical brightness of 250 nits, and the spectacular potential to hit practically 1000 nits when displaying small HDR highlights all add as much as a usually fairly wealthy and punchy HDR efficiency.
The S32G80SD companions its imperious footage with a stereo 5W sound system. This just isn’t, inevitably, in the identical realm of brilliance as the image high quality is, nevertheless it does ship sport and movie soundtracks with a first rate sense of readability and busyness, and with out succumbing to distortion even at nearly most quantity. There isn’t a lot bass round, most volumes are restricted and the sound lacks ahead affect and impetus. But it’s completely acceptable, for probably the most half, for customers who’re more likely to be sat fairly near the display.
All in all, whereas not low cost by 32-inch monitor requirements, the Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD does greater than sufficient within the function and, particularly, picture high quality departments to justify its value. While there are a couple of notable absentees within the type of Nvidia G-Sync and Dolby Vision assist, the S32G80SD compensates for this with a raft of recent distinctive cutting-edge efficiency enhancements and a outstanding potential to be a improbable video display in addition to a sensible and splendidly immersive gaming monitor.
Should you purchase the Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD?
Buy it if…
Don’t purchase it if…
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| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD | Gigabyte M32UC | Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 |
| Screen measurement | 32-inch OLED Flat | 32-inch VA LCD | 49-inch OLED |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 | 32:9 |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 3840 x 2160 | 5,120 x 1,440 |
| Refresh price | 240Hz | 144Hz (160Hz OC) | 240Hz |
| Brightness | 319cd/m2 | 350 nits | 250 nits |
| Response time | 0.03ms | 1ms | 0.03ms |
| Contrast ratio | 3806007:1 | 3000 : 1 | 1,000,000:1 |
| Inputs | 2 x HDMI 2.1 ports, 1 x Displayport 1.4, two USB C ports, one USB B port | 2 x HDMI 2.1 (assist 4K 144Hz 4:4:4 @ DSC enabled or 4K 144Hz 4:2:0), 1 x Displayport 1.4, 1 x USB Type-C (Alternate Mode; Upstream port; Power Delivery as much as 18W), 3 x USB 3.2 Downstream ports, 1 x USB 3.2 Upstream port, 1 x Earphone Jack | 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Display port 1.4, 4 x USB Type-C |
How I examined the Samsung Odyssey S32G80SD
- Tested over 12 days
- Used for gaming, productiveness, and media consumption
- Tested with loads of video games
Over the course of the 12 days I spent with the Samsung S32G80SD earlier than penning this assessment, it was liberally used not simply as a desktop show and gaming monitor, but additionally, as soon as I spotted how good it was with video, as a display for watching streamed video from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
I’ve by no means spent wherever close to as a lot time watching video on a gaming monitor as I did with the S32G80SD, the truth is. But then I’ve by no means beforehand come throughout a video that’s so sensible at displaying video.
This didn’t forestall me from getting many (many!) hours of each work and play out of the monitor too, although. Calman software program was used to measure the display’s colour capabilities and accuracy, together with a Murideo sign generator and Minolta colorimeter.
Games that discovered themselves in common rotation have been Fortnite and Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on a PC; Ori And The Will of The Wisp, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Series X; and Fortnite and Elden Ring on PS5.Â
Tests have been finished for video, desktop and gaming makes use of in each HDR and SDR modes.Â
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First reviewed June 2024