Samsung CFG70
Prepare for your mind to be blown
Let’s get the worst feature of this screen out of the way first – it’s only 1920 x 1080. For $600, that’s rather hard to swallow. And yet it’s one of our favourite screens on the market. What the?
The key here is Samsung’s new Q-LED technology. It’s been used in Samsung TVs for a while, but is now available on the PC. It uses a VA panel with an extra Quantum Dot panel added, which results in some of the most lifelike colours we’ve ever seen. It’s not quite up there with OLED, as it still requires a backlight, but once you’ve seen the amazing colours in action, it’s easy to forget the pixel problem. However, it covers 125% of the sRGB colour gamut, leading to a truly mind-blowing colour palette.
As our tests show, this display had twice the contrast ratio of its nearest competitor, and it’s blindingly obvious when you view it in action. It also performed well in the colour accuracy tests, especially given the price.
The curved screen’s panel has a 1ms pixel response time while the overall refresh rate is 144Hz. In other words, its smoother than a baby’s bum. It also supports AMD’s FreeSync technology to make things even smoother, but really, it’s the colours that make this screen shine. Once you’ve seen it, you just can’t go back to a non-HDR display.
The chassis is rather plain, but the stand design is definitely out there, leaving the screen hanging in front of the user. It is fully moveable as well, so you can get nice and comfy. ‘Arena Lighting’ pulses from the base to match the main colour on the screen, similar to Asus’ Aurus technology.
It’s hard to believe Samsung can deliver such a revolutionary product for just $600. Truly, once you’ve seen it in action it’s a bit of a no-brainer compared to other displays, unless resolution is a big deal for you. For the rest of us, this is the best gaming monitor at this price; we can’t wait to review the 34-inch version.
the colours make this screen shine. Once you’ve seen it, you just can’t go back to a non-HDR display