PC & Console Peripherals

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B review: affordable 1080p gaming monitor with a great picture

27 inches, Full HD resolution and 240 Hertz at a price well below 200 euros. The Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B puts together an extremely exciting overall package for an affordable gaming monitor. Find out whether it’s worth buying in our test.

Technical data

The product Odyssey G4 G4B
Display size 27 inch
Display resolution Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels)
Screen refresh rate 240 Hz
Panel type IPS
Screen surface non-glare
Aspect ratio 16:9
Brightness 400 cd/m²
Contrast ratio 1.000:1
Screen colors 16.7 million
color space 100% sRGB;
Viewing angle H: 178° / V: 178°
Curvature none
Response time 1 ms (GtG)
Connections
  • 2x HDMI 2.0
  • 2x DisplayPort 1.2
Audio connections 1x 3.5 mm jack
Integrated speakers None
color Black color
VESA mount 100 x 100 mm
weight 5.3 kg
Special features Freesync Premium, G-SYNC compatible, HDR10
price € 173.89 *

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B review: Simple look, lots behind it

  • Simple plastic casing
  • Pleasantly light
  • Robust stand

The Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B is a rather simple, flat gaming monitor in 27-inch format, which relies on a discreet black plastic casing. The light blue ring on the back provides a color accent, which – somewhat disappointingly – is simply assembled and inserted from two plastic halves.

The individual components are securely packed in the scope of delivery. The bracket first needs to be inserted into the back of the monitor and then screwed to the stand. The latter is V-shaped and has several rubber pads on the underside to prevent the monitor from slipping on the table. Overall, the stand is 18 cm wide and 9 cm deep, so a secure hold is guaranteed.

It’s a shame, however, that the screw connection is made using a Phillips screw, and you won’t find a corresponding screwdriver in the scope of delivery. Many other manufacturers, such as LC-Power, either rely on tool-free assembly or include a screwdriver.

Alternatively, VESA mounting is also possible using a 100×100 hole. The workmanship of the 5.3 kg monitor (without stand: 3.6 kg) is absolutely fine despite the high proportion of plastic. There is nothing to complain about here.

In addition to the components and obligatory instructions, the scope of delivery includes a pleasantly compact 48-watt power supply unit and an HDMI cable. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not include a DisplayPort cable.

Connections, features and operation

  • two HDMI 2.0, one DisplayPort 1.2
  • no USB ports
  • Very good ergonomic options

This brings us to the Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B’s port selection, which is fairly straightforward. The panel is protected by a small indentation in the middle of the back.

Two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort and a 3.5 mm jack are available here. That’s all there is. But at least: both HDMI and DisplayPort are capable of displaying the image at a full 240 Hz.

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B

On the other hand, there is hardly anything left to be desired in terms of ergonomics. The screen can be tilted between -3° and 22°, rotated between -15° and 15° and its height can be adjusted by 120 mm. There is also a pivot function to rotate the display vertically.

The Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B has no other features. Neither speakers nor a KVM switch or RGB lighting are offered. In terms of picture modes and technologies, the following options are available:

  • FreeSync Premium
  • G-Sync compatibility
  • Black Equalizer
  • HDR10
  • Flicker Free
  • Eye Saver Mode

Operation and on-screen display

  • Practical operation
  • Clear OSD

The Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B is operated via a directional pad, which you can find in the middle of the underside of the front (below the manufacturer’s logo). It has five dedicated buttons: a power button in the middle and four buttons around it that you can use to navigate through the menus.

Samsung Odyssey

The individual buttons are rubberized and pleasant to grip, they also have a convincing pressure point and respond quickly and tactilely.

The on-screen display is pleasantly clear and provides the most important settings in a total of four tabs in terms of image quality, brightness and contrast and many other parameters. You can choose between five presets for the picture mode (FPS, RTS, role-playing game, sport and sRGB). There is also a user-defined mode and a high contrast mode.

Practical test and picture quality

  • strong backlight bleeding; moderate contrasts
  • 240 Hz, 1 ms response time
  • Very good sharpness and image display

Setting up the Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B is quick and easy. And the first impression of the picture is also quite convincing. The matte IPS display is excellently protected against reflections and delivers a pleasantly clear, sharp image. But then the first weak points become apparent.

The Odyssey G4 not only suffers from clearly visible backlight bleeding in all four corners, but also offers a rather low contrast ratio.

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B
The backlight bleeding is unfortunately very pronounced

In addition, the picture looks comparatively dark even at maximum brightness. The advertised 400 cd/m² is by no means the case. I had to find out why this is the case by laboriously navigating through the menu: The integrated eco sensor limits the brightness to a maximum of 130 cd/m² – only when I deactivated it in the menu did the G4 reveal its full potential.

The Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B cuts a fine figure in gaming mode as well as when reading texts or watching videos. Thanks to its frame rate of 240 Hz, it naturally feels most at home in games.

Movements are buttery smooth and razor-sharp, while FreeSync and G-Sync VRR support reduce tearing. The monitor delivers a really good picture, especially at high frame rates, making it ideal for competitive games or fast-paced titles such as racing games. The response time of just 1 ms is also very good, although the difference between black and white could be slightly greater in terms of contrast.

The maximum brightness is actually more than 400 cd/m², which is sufficient for a pleasantly bright picture. In my opinion, however, the HDR mode is nothing more than a nice gimmick, as the G4 does not conjure up any additional image details, especially as the color coverage is a little too low for this.

Lab test of the Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B

Of course, I also took a closer look at the picture quality in the test lab using the Datacolor SpyerX Elite. The color space coverage is quite acceptable. With 99% sRGB coverage and 82% DCI-P3, the monitor delivers a good picture, but it is not really suitable for color-critical work.

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B

Nevertheless, the monitor is very true to color and displays all colors accurately. With one exception in the blue tone range, where the DeltaE value deviates by a whopping 5.48. However, with an average value of DeltaE 0.81, the Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B is very well positioned, especially as this can be compensated for and improved by means of calibration.

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B Color fidelity

If you deactivate the ecosensor, the brightness of around 438 cd/m² is above average, which unfortunately cannot be said of the contrast ratio.

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B Brightness

The color homogeneity, which indicates the balance of the color representation, is very good across all brightness settings of the monitor. The maximum deviation here is DeltaE 3.1, which is a very good value.

Unfortunately, the luminance homogeneity (the evenness of the brightness distribution) cannot keep up here. The deviations are sometimes up to 18 percent (at 50% brightness, in the upper middle rectangle), which can sometimes be clearly seen.

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B Review: Conclusion

If you’re looking for an inexpensive gaming monitor on a budget, the Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B is a good choice. The advantages of the monitor include the 240 Hz fast IPS panel, which cuts a really good figure, especially when gaming. The display is pleasantly bright (at least once you have switched off the ecosensor) and delivers an outstandingly low response time.

The color reproduction is also very pleasing and is more than sufficient if you are not working with a color-critical display. FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility are also included, so you are well positioned.

On the other hand, the Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B suffers from severe backlight bleeding and only offers average contrasts, while the HDR mode does not improve the picture at all and is therefore disappointing. And yet: the overall package is definitely right for the current price. Anyone looking for a 27-incher with a high frame rate and Full HD resolution will certainly be satisfied.

PRO

  • Unbeatable price
  • 240 Hz
  • FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility
CONTRA

  • Weak contrasts
  • Heavy backlight bleeding
  • Rudimentary equipment

Samsung Odyssey G4 G4B

Workmanship
Picture quality
Features
Price-performance ratio

85/100

Affordable Full HD monitor with 240 Hz, low response time and good picture. However, the features are lacking and the backlight bleeding is very pronounced.

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