Samsung C32G75T/Odyssey G7 Review: 1440p 240Hz 1ms FreeSync HDR Curved Gaming Monitor

The Samsung C32G75T was the first VA panel gaming monitor with a 1ms GtG response time speed, thus combining a high contrast ratio with fast pixel transition, something that many gamers have been waiting for.

It was also the first gaming model to feature an aggressive 1000R screen curvature for extra immersion.

Other specifications include DisplayHDR 600 support, certified G-SYNC compatibility, 1440p resolution, and 240Hz.

Image Quality

The monitor is based on Samsung’s VA panel and features a QDEF (quantum dot enhanced film) layer (also referred to as ‘QLED’) for improved colors and stronger brightness.

It supports a 95% DCI-P3 wide color gamut (equivalent to ~125% sRGB), which results in more lifelike and vibrant colors.

Other panel-related specs include 178° wide viewing angles, a 350-nit peak brightness which gets a boost up to 600-nits for HDR content, and a static contrast ratio of 2,500:1 for deep and vivid blacks.

The monitor has an edge-lit backlight with 8 dimming zones, which can further push the contrast ratio by dimming parts of the screen according to the displayed content.

However, as there are only 8 zones on the monitor’s big 32″ sized screen, the local dimming solution is not particularly effective.

For the true HDR viewing experience, a 32″ LED-backlit monitor would preferably need over 1,000 dimming zones, but this would also significantly increase the monitor’s price.

Regardless, thanks to the monitor’s wide color gamut, high contrast ratio, and strong peak brightness, it delivers a good HDR picture quality overall with notable improvement over SDR.

For the best HDR image quality, be sure to increase the monitor’s brightness as it’s set to only 30% out of the box.

Keep in mind that for non-HDR content, the monitor’s wide color gamut can make colors appear somewhat over-saturated, particularly reds and greens.

Moving on, the Samsung C32G75T has the same pixel density as a 24″ 1080p monitor, which is ~93 PPI (pixels per inch). So, you aren’t getting the sharpest detail clarity, but it’s very good nonetheless.

In fact, at just ~3 ft/1 meter away from the screen, you won’t be able to distinguish the individual pixels.

The Odyssey G7 series also includes a 27″ sized variant, the Samsung C27G75T, with the same specifications. It offers a higher pixel density, whereas the 32″ model offers a more immersive gaming experience due to the bigger screen.

Performance

Thanks to the monitor’s rapid 240Hz refresh rate, you get buttery-smooth motion clarity while the input lag of only ~2ms makes for imperceptible delay.

The pixel response time speed is impressive, as well. In fact, the Odyssey G7 monitors are the fastest VA displays available at the time of this writing.

There are three response time overdrive levels: Standard, Faster, and Fastest as well as the ‘Fastest (MBR)’ mode, which enables backlight strobing for even better motion clarity at the cost of picture brightness.

We recommend using either the Faster or Fastest options. ‘Fastest’ results in less ghosting, but a bit more pixel overshoot (inverse ghosting), so you’ll have to choose what looks best to you.

The Fastest (MBR) mode is also very useful as even though it sacrifices picture brightness, the screen is more than bright enough under normal lighting conditions. However, you can’t use MBR and FreeSync at the same time.

Features

The Samsung Odyssey 32G7 supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and has both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible certifications.

With NVIDIA cards, the VRR range is 80-240Hz, while with AMD cards, it’s 60-240Hz over DisplayPort. Over HDMI, the VRR range is limited to 48-144Hz.

As long as your frame rate is within the VRR range, there will be no screen tearing or stuttering as the monitor can change its refresh rate dynamically – according to your FPS.

When your frame rate drops below the VRR range, the refresh rate will be multiplied for smoother performance (79FPS -> 237Hz, etc.). AMD calls this LFC or Low Framerate Compensation.

Once you enable FreeSync, you won’t be able to adjust the response time overdrive, but as there’s no big difference between the modes anyway, the performance is consistent across the entire variable refresh rate range.

Make sure you have at least the 1009.3 firmware installed in order to eliminate the brightness flickering issue associated with VRR.

The firmware adds a ‘VRR Control’ option to the OSD menu that prevents brightness flickering, but it can introduce micro stuttering, which some gamers are sensitive to. Some users don’t experience this issue though.

The OSD (On-Screen Display) menu of the monitor is user-friendly and offers a bunch of useful features. Navigation through the menu is quick and easy thanks to the joystick placed beneath the bottom bezel of the screen.

For gaming, you get Black Equalizer, which improves visibility in darker games by altering the gamma curvature, Virtual Aim Point (cheat crosshairs), and various picture modes (FPS, RTS, RPG, and AOS as well as PiP/PbP).

The Samsung G7 monitor has a flicker-free backlight and an integrated low-blue light filter. In the OSD menu, it’s also possible to disable local dimming.

Design & Connectivity

The monitor’s 1000R curvature is supposed to match the curvature of the human eye. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on personal preference. Some absolutely love it, some despise it, and some don’t really care that much.

It does add extra depth to the picture, and it may seem a bit weird in the beginning, but you get used to it.

The stand of the Samsung C32G75T monitor is robust and versatile with up to 120mm height adjustment, -9°/13° tilt, 90° pivot, +/- 15° swivel, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs with DSC (Display Stream Compression), HDMI 2.0 (max 144Hz), a headphones jack, and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

In order to get 240Hz at 2560×1440 with 10-bit color depth and no visual compression, you’ll need a graphics card that supports DSC, which includes AMD’s RX 5xxx series or NVIDIA’s GTX 16-series and RTX 20-series (or newer).

Otherwise, you’ll be limited to 1440p 240Hz with 8-bit color depth or to 1440p 144Hz with 10-bit color depth.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Samsung C32G75T price ranges from ~$500 to $800, while the Samsung C27G75T 27″ sized model goes from ~$450 to $700.

The New Odyssey G6 models, the S27BG65 and the S32BG65 offer the same image quality, performance and features as the G7 models, but with built-in smart OS and they can be found at a similar price.

While these displays offer an enjoyable gaming experience, they are a bit expensive, considering that you can get true HDR displays around this price range, such as the Innocn 27M2V and 32M2V with 4K 144Hz IPS panels and 1152-zone mini LED backlights or even the Acer X27U with a 1440p 240Hz OLED panel for $600.

You can also get the AOC Q27G3XMN with better HDR image quality for less than $300, though it’s not quite as fast.

Of course, if you don’t care about HDR and just want a fast 1440p 240Hz display, the Odyssey G7 and G6 models are worth considering if you can find them at a good price. Be sure to check out our best 1440p 240Hz monitors buyer’s guide for more options and information.

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of aggressively curved screens, the Samsung Odyssey G7 is an excellent 1440p 240Hz gaming monitor as you get a high contrast ratio and quick pixel response time speed.

Specifications

Screen Size	31.5-inch
Screen Curvature	1000R
Resolution	2560×1440 (WQHD)
Panel Type	VA
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	240Hz
Response Time (GtG)	1ms (GtG)
Response Time (MPRT)	1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive Sync	FreeSync Premium Pro (60Hz-240Hz) G-SYNC Compatible (80-240Hz)
Ports	2x DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0
Other Ports	2x USB 3.0, Headphone Jack
Brightness	350 cd/m2
Brightness (HDR)	600 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio	2500:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 95% DCI-P3
HDR	VESA DisplayHDR 600
Local Dimming	Edge-lit 8 zones
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)