Bottom Line
The Samsung U32J590 is one of the best budget monitors for 4K 60Hz PC gaming, console gaming and overall multimedia enjoyment.
The Samsung U32J590 is a good yet affordable 4K monitor for console gaming, casual PC gaming, watching movies, web surfing and any other multimedia use. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Image Quality
Although Samsung advertises this monitor as ‘QLED,’ indicating that it possibly has a quantum dot film layer for an extended color gamut, the Samsung UJ590 covers only the basic 99% sRGB color space.
On the other hand, QLED displays cover at least ~125% of the sRGB (or over 90% DCI-P3) color space.
Nevertheless, the Samsung U32J590 monitor offers excellent image quality for the price thanks to its 4K UHD resolution, high contrast, decent 270-nit peak brightness and 10-bit color support.
As if that’s not enough, it also provides wide 178-degree viewing angles both horizontally and vertically, but some minor shifts in gamma and saturation are expected when looking at the screen at skewed angles.
Further, the Samsung U32J590 has excellent upscaling capability. So, if you’re upscaling a 1080p device such as the original PS4 to 4K UHD, the image quality will be clear and sharp!
Performance
Moving on, the Samsung U32J590 input lag performance is brilliant, with only 10ms of imperceptible delay at 60Hz.
Turns out, that the response time (pixel transition speed) is not as good. In fast-paced games, there’s some visible trailing behind fast-moving objects, which is particularly noticeable in darker scenes.
While it’s not game-breaking, we advise you to consider an IPS or TN display instead if you mainly play competitive first-person shooters.
If you are not a competitive gamer, the VA panel of the Samsung U32J590 32″ monitor does offer the best contrast ratio in comparison to IPS and TN panels, which will provide you with better visuals and more visible details in shadows and highlights of the picture.
Note that the Samsung U32J590 display uses PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) to regulate brightness at lower backlight settings. So, if you are sensitive to screen flicker, reducing the monitor’s brightness too much may cause you headaches or eye strain.
Features
In addition to standard alterations such as brightness/contrast, color temperature, input selection, etc., the Samsung U32J590 features Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture as well as Game Mode, which alters the gamma curvature for better visibility in dark areas of games.
Additionally, AMD FreeSync is supported as well, which means that by connecting a compatible AMD graphics card or an Xbox One/S/X console to the monitor, you get a variable refresh rate (VRR).
Now, this removes all screen tearing and stuttering as long as your FPS (Frames Per Second) stays within the 40-60Hz/FPS range if you select ‘Ulitmate Engine’ or 50-60Hz if you select ‘Standard Engine.’
FreeSync works over both DisplayPort and HDMI on this monitor. Note that FreeSync works on the Samsung U32J590 in ‘Ultimate Engine’ with compatible NVIDIA cards, but you will need to limit the FPS to 59 as there’s tearing at 60FPS.
Design & Connectivity
While the monitor has a tilt-only design, it’s rather slim, has thin bezels and VESA mount compatibility.
At the back of the monitor, you will find the following ports: HDMI 1.4 (max 30Hz at 4K), HDMI 2.0 (4K 60Hz), DisplayPort 1.2 (4K 60Hz) and a headphone jack.
HDCP 2.2 is supported, so you can watch copy-protected content in 4K UHD from streaming services such as Netflix on the Samsung U32J590 as well.
Price & Similar Monitors
The Samsung U32J590 price ranges from $280 to $340.
We recommend you check out the LG 32UL500, which is a similarly priced 32″ 4K monitor with HDR support and a wider 95% DCI-P3 color gamut.
You can also find 32″ 4K 60Hz monitors with a curved panel in this price range, such as the Philips 328E1CA.
Alternatively, in case you want a 32″ monitor, check out 1440p high refresh rate models, such as the Gigabyte M32QC.
If you want a high refresh rate 32″ 4K model, the MSI G321CU is the cheapest model. It has a 144Hz curved VA panel for $380, whereas the MSI MAG323UPF is the most affordable model with an IPS panel, going for ~$550.
For more information and monitors, visit our best 4K monitor buying guide.
Conclusion
What’s the bottom line?
Overall, the Samsung U32J590 is an excellent and affordable 32″ 4K monitor, but we highly recommend you check out the alternatives mentioned above.
Specifications
| Screen Size | 31.5-inch |
| Resolution | 3840×2160 (UHD) |
| Panel Type | VA |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Response Time | 4ms (GtG) |
| Adaptive Sync | FreeSync (40Hz-60Hz) |
| Ports | DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4 |
| Other Ports | Headphone Jack |
| Brightness | 270 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 3000:1 (static) |
| Colors | 1.07 billion (true 10-bit) |
| VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- Crisp image quality with deep blacks
- AMD FreeSync over HDMI and DP
- Low input lag
The Cons:
- Tilt-only design
- Minor ghosting in fast-paced games, mainly in darker scenes
- Uses PWM at lower backlight levels
