Samsung CRG9 49″ Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor: Initial Impressions
The Samsung CRG9 49″ ultra-wide gaming monitor is an extremely popular monitor these days. With its 5120 x 1440 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1000 nits of HDR goodness, the Samsung CRG9 is the go-to monitor for content creators, gamers, and those looking to have a bit more screen real estate. I have finally got my hands on one and have been using it for a little over a week. These are my initial impressions and experience so far with this impressively big display.
The Spec Rundown:
- Size – 49″
- Panel type – VA
- Screen Area: – 46.99 x 13.22
- Curve – 1800R
- Resolution – 5120 x 1440
- Aspect Ration – 32:9
- Maximum Brightness – 1000 cd/m2 (Peak in HDR Mode) 600 cd/m2 (Sustained)
- Contrast Ratio – 3000:1
- Refresh Rate – 120Hz
- Adaptive-Sync Technology – FreeSync
- Bit Depth / Color Support – 10-Bit (1.07 Billion Colors)
- HDR Compatibility – HDR10
- Color Gamut – 125% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3
- Response Time – 4 ms
- Viewing angles – Horizontal: 178° / Vertical: 178°
Living the Ultra Wide Life
Let’s start with the most obvious spec, the size. If you’re working with duel 27″ monitors on your desk, then you’ll have no problem swapping the Samsung CRG9 in place of them. However, if you have a single monitor or anything less than a 48″ desk, this is going to be a shock. It’s big, really big. The delivery driver dropping off the CRG9 said, “This is the biggest gaming monitor I’ve ever delivered. And I’ve been doing this for 10+ years!”. My best suggestion is to plan this purchase with placement in mind.
The screen is a glorious 49″ 5120 x 1440 resolution. That’s two 27″ QHD 2560 x 1440 monitors side by side with no more bezel smack in the middle. Speaking of bezels, the one surrounding the CRG9 is minuscule around the top and sides, with a slightly bigger bezel on the bottom. Samsung branding is placed in the bottom center with three pre-set buttons to the right and a toggle control to access the On-Screen Display (OSD).
Sporting 125% of sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 color spectrum playing games, editing videos, and just overall officer work has been sheer joy. The 120Hz refresh rate is very comfortable on my eyes and having Eye Saver Mode a simple toggle click away, allows me to spend numerous hours using the CRG9. On average, my screen time is 15 hours/day. Anyone who does that much screen time knows how important it is to have the option to reduce eye strain.
The panel is a VA-type which is a happy medium between TN and IPS. With the Quantum Dot Technology, Samsung uses for their displays, I can say this has been one of the top VA panels I have had.
Gaming. In Ultrawide (sometimes)
Playing at a 32:9 aspect and the 1800R curve is amazingly immersive. I’ve played, Destiny 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Forza to experience ultra-wide gaming. Without a reservation, it is the premier experience you can have and this is coming from someone who has played on 65″ OLED’s. There is nothing that can replace the amount of immersion you have, minus VR. First Person Shooters are a bit of a trade-off. You get the extra field of view and can see a bit more than your competition. However, the response time and blur of using the VA panel can be disorienting to some players. Console gamers are left in the dark when it comes to this size of a screen. The formating of games can be a struggle to get right and even then the best I have been able to get is 21:9.
HDR gaming, if that is your thing, is an absolute dream. the colors are true to life and simply pop off the screen. High contrast color games, like Fortnite, are incredibly displayed on the Samsung CRG9. Simply going by the numbers of the other 49″ ultra-wide monitors available, this is your go-to for HDR gaming.
Content Creators Dream Monitor
Here is where this monitor can really shine. PBP (Picture By Picture), you can have a console and a PC displayed at the same time! Imagine, streaming from your Xbox or PS4, having your streaming software up, as well as your chat, and anything else you need all in one spot. No fiddling around with multiple monitors to get things going! Podcasters can have all their tools right in front of them for their shows. Youtube video creators can have their editing software, media folders, and photo edit programs all on one screen. No more Alt-tab to jump between programs.
If you are looking to upgrade your productivity, ultra-wide is your future. Myself, I have found having the ability to have six programs going on the screen at one time has increased my productivity ten-fold. For work, I no longer need several browser tabs that I need to go hunting for items. Editing or creating content, everything is open and available for access. Even as I am writing this piece, I have Twitter, Discord, Word, Chrome, and YouTube going.
Initial Opinion
I haven’t decided about mounting the Samsung CRG9. The stand it comes with is fully adjustable. With the option to raise, lower, swivel, and tilt I haven’t felt the need to. The stand comes with a very smart way to cable manage with a compare built into the stand to route the cable through. The inputs can be covered in the back with an included plate. Speaking of ports, the Samsung CRG9 comes with two DisplayPort 1.4, 1 HMDI 2.0, 2 USB Type-A (USB 3.1 / USB 3.2 Gen 1) Output, 2 USB Type-A (USB 2.0), Headphone and mic 3.5 mm connections. There is an additional connection to turn the CRG9 into a USB hub. I have not used that option yet. I’m currently working with two PC (home and work) and KVM suits my needs right now.
My time with the Samsung CRG9 has been a grand improvement over my dual monitor setup. The performance is what I expect out of a monitor at this price range (currently $1299) with some notable improvements elsewhere. Gaming has been glorious, productivity has improved vastly, and my eyes not feeling like they are on fire after a few hours has been such a quality of life improvement. A full review of the Samsung CRG9 in the coming weeks as I purchased this outright Stay tuned!
If you have any questions or comments, you can leave them here, on Lords of Gaming Twitter account (@LordsGamingNet), my Twitter account (@skoolstechtalk), or over on my YouTube channel.
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