32″ Curved Samsung HD Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor Review: What to know about curved monitors for home office

Are you in the work from home world? Maybe you’re a gamer looking for the perfect monitor. Lately I’ve been experimenting with a few different monitors, hoping to find one that is both clear and easy on the eyes, good quality, a solid build and lets my work be the focus. The newest monitor I’ve purchased is the 32-inch Curved Samsung HD Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor, Model LC32G55TQWNXZA. In this review I’ll tell you what it’s like to set up and install, what it’s like to use for audio video photos and documents, and whether I think it’s a good pic for you.

Review: 32-inch Curved Samsung HD Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor, Model LC32G55TQWNXZA

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And a word about my review here… Yes this is a gaming monitor, but I was really interested in the curved configuration for my workspace. Because I use a lot of video and photos in my daily work, I like the idea of a monitor built for visual pursuits. So I tested this in my home office, but I did not test it in any gaming configurations. If you’re a gamer and want that assessment, you can definitely find it out there elsewhere. But if you’re curious if a curved monitor would improve your workspace, then this review is for you.

Set up

This monitor is almost plug and play when it comes to the set up. In the box there is a DP or Display Port Cable, but I did not get an HDMI cable. The manual says it comes with both so maybe this is just a mistake in my package. Fortunately I have a spare.

I had my Samsung monitor connected to my Apple MacBook Pro in seconds.

When it comes to inputs, there’s only the single HDMI input, but there is also that DP connector for hooking up a PC. There’s also a headphone jack.

For my home office configuration I opted to place the monitor on a freestanding Kensington monitor arm to open up space on my desk. Here I noticed something important for those who might be using this in a more office type configuration. The VESA connection port, used to attach this to any wall mount or monitor arm or stand is placed very high on the top third of the back of the monitor. This means it sits incredibly low on any surface. Even with my very tall monitor arm set at its highest height, this monitor sat low enough that with my laptop in front of it, it blocked part of the screen. Be aware.

The Samsung monitor supports laptops, PCs, and Macs with it’s single HDMI. There are no built in speakers.

The Samsung Odyssey G5 has a great edge to edge design with no bezel on three sides, and a very small bezel across the bottom.

Cable management is decent; it’s possible to run the cable down the stand for a tidier look.

What to know about a curved monitor for office use

Working on documents or straight lines is offputting.

This monitor is curved, and the idea behind this is that the way we move our heads and view the space in front of us the curvature of this monitor is supposed to match the curvature of your eye, making for a more comfortable and immersive viewing experience.

I can definitely say this does take some getting used to. It’s a bit odd but it’s possible to adapt. Because I am using this in more of an office configuration, and using video editing programs, photography, and documents. I did notice and I was working on projects with straight lines, and documents, that the monitor did create a bit of a wonky curve. I didn’t love this right away. Will I get used to this… possibly, but in my few of testing I wasn’t sold.

To be clear, this is no knock on the monitor itself… it’s only to say that if you’re considering a curved monitor for a home office these are things to be aware of.

Resolution & screen

This monitor is an HD monitor with 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution, it’s designed to give you decently clear screen resolution. Samsung calls this WQHD or Wide Quad High Definition and says you should get “incredibly detailed, pin-sharp images”.

I can say this monitor is pretty good when it comes to resolution, even though it doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles of other higher end or 4K monitors, but it also rings in at a fraction of the cost. It does have HDR 10 for better color and contrast though.

For those watching video or high speed action games, this monitor has a 144hz Refresh Rate: designed for smooth, seamless action. And with 1 millisecond response times you gamers are getting info as fast as technologically possible. AMD FreeSync Premium is also part of the package here, and its adaptive sync technology reduces screen tearing, stutter, and input latency; making sure every scene unfolds seamlessly.

Viewing angles

The viewing angles on this monitor are pretty good; aside from the expected glare if you’re in a bright area, it’s easily possible to see clearly even off to the side, or when standing.

There are controls in the bottom of the monitor for making adjustments to settings. The single joystick-style button is easy enough to navigate .

Overall Review: Samsung HD Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor, Model LC32G55TQWNXZA

Overall, when it comes to using this monitor for work, it’s not my personal favourite. For my uses specifically; using Final Cut Pro for video editing, and Word and pages for documents, the curved monitor just brings a bit too much bend to my field of view. Even so, this is a good monitor, that’s clear, colourful and easy to read. Plus it’ss very affordable for a widescreen curved monitor.

Downsides? There’s limited movement and adjustments to the monitor if you use the included stand, and the VESA adapter is poorly placed, in my opinion.

The SAMSUNG 32” Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor, sells for about $379USD and you can get it from Amazon.

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