Samsung32" Odyssey Neo G7 4K UHD 165Hz 1ms G-Sync 1000R Curved Gaming Monitor, Quantum HDR2000, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Ultrawide Game View, DisplayPort, HDMI, Height Adjustable Stand, Black, 2022

Keep in mind my rating is FULLY based on MY preferences in what the monitor is used for.**5 for now since it suits my needs, but rating is subject to change if new issues arise.**—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Background (maybe we have common needs!):-Work: Programmer (most of the time of day)-Hobby: Creative work (photoshop, video editing, 3D) / 4k gamingI wanted a monitor that gave my work & hobby more screen real estate, sharper text, and better coloring. It is also a plus that gaming looks better and gives the chance of trying out 4k gaming.-I also have the regular G7 which will be used as a reference for comparison.—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hardware quality:-The Neo is sturdy.-The Neo runs significantly cooler than my regular G7. Don’t know if this is an actual change they implemented or if my G7 is just getting old.-There is no core lighting(the blue flashing light) feature on the Neo which I appreciate in comparison to my G7.-monitor stand is not so great.The material used is identical to the regular G7’s, very sturdy; however…The cable management is a joke on the Neo in comparison to the G7.More importantly, the actual stand doesn’t feel like it can hold the monitor’s weight securely as it was very wobbly.This didn’t really bother me nor hinder my rating because I was going to get a monitor arm for more accessible positioning, but if I wasn’t planning to get one, I would probably drop this 2 stars.—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Color quality:Neo surpasses the regular G7 with more options for customization. Having used the G7 for the past 2 years, it is no slacker and has met my needs.-Black levels go deeper on the Neo-Contrast levels are superior on the Neo-Coloring pops more on the Neo depending on personal color setting customization-HDR is beautifulThis overall makes the color of graphics in games much more appealing to look at.—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Text quality:-more real estate to work on the Neo-noticeably sharper text on the NeoWhen text size gets smaller, 1440p text gets blurry but this is only noticed (for me at least) after experiencing 4k and transitioning between the two. Both are still perfectly readable. It’s just one of those things that once experienced, there will always be a preference for one over the other and may get annoying for some to switch between if it’s a dual monitor setup.It is important to note that if eyesight isn’t great where upscaling is a must in order to read text, there will definitely be a need to upscale text on a 4k monitor which lessens the initial goal of maximizing screen space for tasks.—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Known issue that I’ve and others I know w/ this monitor experienced experienced:-Ghosting: the Neo at the max 165hz ghost a considerable amount, but runs smoothly at 120hz.-Screen tearing: also fixed when toned down to 120hzKnown issues that only others I know w/ this monitor experienced:-Backlight: only slightly-Dead pixels-ScanlinesFor this monitor, I do not care about fps as much as it is primarily for the 4k benefit and I got my regular 240hz G7 to cover high fps games such as shooters. If this is a single monitor setup with games such as high-fps shooters in mind, consider this risk because a decrease in fps to 120hz can lead to another issue of motion blur.—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TL:DRI gave 5 because it suits my needs for programming, creative work, and experience 4k gaming.+1 sharp text+1 4k gaming+1 color quality+1 contrast quality and deeper blacks+1 screen real estate for productivityIf this were for high-fps games in mind:-1 for ghosting-1 for motion blurThe monitor arm I got was a Huanuo single arm, gas spring, which holds up to 26.4lb. Very sturdy and super easy to move around.If I wasn’t getting a monitor arm:-1 for quality of monitor stand-1 for lack of cable management of the standIf gaming and fps has nothing to do with your agenda and it’s solely for productivity, then the Neo is definitely not worth it.Hope this review helped!—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDIT1 - August 2023Its been over 2 months and I've recently, for the past week, decided to give 165hz another chance.This time:- ghosting has stopped but...- backlight flickering startedAbout ghosting:- idk when or how it stopped, but it was usable the first week of running it at 165hz.- may be just need to give it some time?About flickering (for me):- only occurs on the sides of the monitor (not the middle)- only occurs when an application uses syncs is focused (e.g. a game); more noticeable in dark graphics.- was somewhat noticeable, but some fixes made it practically unnoticeable unless I really try to see it.- fixes to reduce flickering for me:- play applications in full screen- turn brightness up- lower black equalizer- set a cap on in game fps- fix to stop flickering completely:- turn off adaptive sync (not recommended because without it, I lag like crazy)As for 120hz, still working as perfect as ever. Just wanted to see if anything changed and was pleasantly surprised 165hz is now perfectly usable aside from a tiny bit of flickering.—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDIT2 - April 2024Its been around 8 months since last edit and for the past month I switched back to running165hz out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised.-flickering has stopped at 165hz, it's been running as intended since since the switch a month ago under various settings- again... I have no idea when/how the flickering stopped and am just assuming the hardware fixed itself after running more frequently. In memory, I do not recall tinkering with the settings or control panel any further after edit1 up to the switch.Happy shopping!

I usually wait about 30 days before writing a review but I know many people are looking at this monitor, the New Alienware OLED, Neo G8, and LGs New 32GQ950. So I figured I'd go ahead and give my 2 week review now and update later. (If I remember)First, make sure you have a high quality cables if your going to use this for PS5/XBOX. I recommend "Cable Matters Active 8K @60Hz Fiber Optic HDMI Cable" and for PC I recommend the one that came with it or "Startech.com 5m VESA Certified DisplayPort 1.4 Cable" Both I bought on Amazon. Crappy cables can result in a bad experience (I learn that lesson long ago)TLDR: Great Monitor, Had to return first one because 4 dead pixels, second monitor zero issues. Don't be afraid to return/exchange if panel issue due to Samsung hit or missing QA. Curve is not bad, if your use to an ultra wide. HDR looks great. Neo G7 is more realistic with 165hz 4k than Neo G8 240hz. LG 32GQ950 is flat but only has 32 local dimming zones and also IPS vs VA. (VA Panel better blacks)I've bounce back between the Neo G7 and Neo G8. The only difference a different screen finish and high refresh rate. I've read the Neo G8 screen finish makes black look deep while other reviews say colors look a bit washed, and the high 240 hz can cause scanline issues. (This is my first Samsung monitor so I had to read a lot about the previous models and this scanline issue) So with those two negatives, and knowing 4k gaming require alot of horsepower to drive, I landed on the Neo G7 because 4k 165hz was more realistic to hit with a RTX 3090, and the refresh being at 165hz will lower chance of having scanline issues. (Research showed that on other Samsung monitors lowering the refresh rate fixed the scanline issues)Received the monitor and perform the dead pixel test. Didn't see any, great! Used the monitor for 2 hours, (Playing PS5 Returnal, Got a game backlog leave me alone!) then perform a pixel test again. Notice I had 4 dead pixels not stuck pixels, 2 in the top left and 2 in top right. (Dead = No light at all) Called Amazon and request a replacement because at the time the monitor was on sale for $1000. Second Monitor, same test, but this was the weekend so I used the monitor for 12+ hours, for PC, PS5 and Switch everyday. PC games, with medium/high setting, I'll usually see 120-147 hz.I saw a review talking about HDMI 2.1 not being on this monitor. It is however Samsung named it HDMI 2.0(Up Arrow) in the menu. Recently the HDMI Standard cause a rift with the HDMI name scheme so 2.1 can be label 2.0. Just look for how much bandwidth the HDMI port can handle to confirm 4k 120hz.The Curve on this screen is not bad at all, it just comes a little bit more at you than an ultrawide.Scanline, No issues/seen any scanlines at 165 hz on PC.Windows HDR setting I place the SDR brightness at 40-45. It's bright enough for me and I'm in a slightly bright room. If you using a HDMI cable for your PC versus a Display port, in the NVIDIA control panel you can enable 12 bit color. I really didn't see too much difference but that's me. I played Back 4 Blood on PC for the HDR experience and there were ALOT of details in the environment I did not notice until i got this monitor. Samsung say this monitor can hit 2000 nits, but that's only in a special use case and Windows Display Setting shows the Monitor brightness is 1015 nits that is for my monitor, seen some review were theirs is 1050+ and that's for the Neo G7 AND Neo G8.Going into my 3rd week with the monitor and no major issues at all. A few small issues i have with the monitor is the following:- The Menu buttons (yes buttons not joystick) are stiff. You need to push the buttons with a good amount of force and the monitor will shake.- Ultra wide and Low Input Mode require Adaptive Sync to be disable to use- This Monitor has a Auto Input Source option (Off by default) that'll switch to a source that recently was turn on (Ex. PS5) which is great, but it does not switch BACK to PC input because it's not creating a new handshake.Overall, this monitor is great and I do recommend it over the Neo G8 and the alienware. I know the alienware is OLED and will have better black level/colors, BUT i think it still too early for OLED for PC with all static icons. So burn in is still a risk factor. I don't want to throw words like "Colors POP" or "SUPER BRIGHT". The specs on the monitor already point you in that direction. The monitor checks all my box for 4K monitor. (Min 32", Proper HDR, 120hz Support for Console, 165hz for PC) I don't think I can go back to 1440p IPS panel. The only thing that's uncertain is the lifespan of the monitor, Samsung seems to have a rocky QA record on monitors, but I'm willing to give them a try. I also recommend holding off and buying this monitor when it's back on sell for $1000.