The Samsung C27RG5 is an okay budget monitor with a 27 inch, 1080p VA screen that delivers impressive contrast, as expected. It also has excellent gray uniformity and decent black uniformity. It has no issue with glare, with good peak brightness and good reflection handling. It has an extremely high refresh rate, and it supports a few advanced gaming features, including variable refresh rate (VRR) support. Although mainly advertised as a gaming monitor, it's not very well-suited for that use, as it has a bad response time, resulting in significant blur behind fast-moving objects. We also encountered a few issues, including a distracting brightness flicker with some content when VRR is enabled, and the overdrive settings don't appear to work correctly, as there's very little difference between them. Unfortunately, it has bad ergonomics, with just a small tilt range, so it might be difficult to place it in an ideal viewing position, and the image degrades at an angle.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
Our Verdict
The Samsung CRG5 is an okay monitor overall. It's an okay office monitor, with good peak brightness and good reflection handling, but just okay text clarity and a low pixel density. Unfortunately, it has narrow viewing angles, and although it's advertised for gaming, it's not very good, as it has a bad response time and some distracting flicker issues.
- High contrast ratio.
- Good peak brightness.
- Good reflection handling.
- Superb low input lag at the max refresh rate.
- Terrible response time.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Some text clarity issues.
- Image degrades at an angle.
The Samsung CRG5 is an okay office monitor. It has good peak brightness and good reflection handling, so glare shouldn't be an issue for most people. The 27 inch, 1080p screen is decent for multitasking, but the pixel density is a bit low, and it has just alright text clarity. Unfortunately, it has bad ergonomics, so it might be difficult to place it in an ideal viewing position, and the image degrades at an angle.
- Good reflection handling.
- Superb color gamut.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Superb low input lag at the max refresh rate.
- Terrible response time.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Some text clarity issues.
- Image degrades at an angle.
Although it has a very high refresh rate and low input lag, the Samsung CRG5 isn't a good choice for gaming. It has a bad response time, resulting in a long blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It has a few additional gaming features, including support for a variable refresh rate (VRR), but VRR only works over DisplayPort, and enabling causes a distracting brightness flicker effect with some content.
- Good reflection handling.
- Superb low input lag at the max refresh rate.
- Terrible response time.
- Overdrive settings appear to not work properly.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Flicker with VRR enabled.
The Samsung CRG50 is okay for watching videos. It has good peak brightness and good reflection handling, so glare shouldn't be an issue. It also has excellent gray uniformity, a high contrast ratio, and decent black uniformity. Unfortunately, the image degrades at an angle, so it's not very good for watching your favorite stream with a friend, and it has bad ergonomics, so it's hard to adjust to an ideal viewing position.
- High contrast ratio.
- Good reflection handling.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Superb low input lag at the max refresh rate.
- Terrible response time.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Image degrades at an angle.
The Samsung LC27RG50 is just okay for media creation. The 27 inch, 1080p screen is decent, but the pixel density is a bit low and it has just okay text clarity. It has excellent gray uniformity, good reflection handling, good peak brightness, and an excellent SDR color gamut. Unfortunately, the image degrades at an angle and it has bad ergonomics, so it's not ideal for sharing your screen with a client or your colleagues.
- High contrast ratio.
- Good peak brightness.
- Good reflection handling.
- Superb color gamut.
- Excellent gray uniformity.
- Terrible response time.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Some text clarity issues.
- Image degrades at an angle.
The Samsung CRG5 doesn't support HDR.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 24, 2022: Added the full mode codes for the 24 and 27-inch models in the Variants section for clarity.
- Updated Aug 06, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Aug 04, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Jul 30, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch Samsung CRG5, which is part of Samsung's 2021 curved gaming monitor lineup. It's also available in a 24 inch size, but we don't expect our review to be valid for that size as it has a different curve and a lower refresh rate.
| Model | Full Mode Code | Size | Native Resolution | Max Refresh rate | Panel Type | Curve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C24RG5 | LC24RG50FZNXZA | 24" | 1920 x 1080 | 144Hz | VA | 1800R |
| C27RG5 | LC27RG50FQNXZA | 27" | 1920 x 1080 | 240Hz | VA | 1500R |
If you come across a different type of panel or your Samsung CRG5 27 inch doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Our unit was manufactured in January 2021; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Samsung CRG5 is an okay monitor overall, but it has some very serious flaws that limit its usefulness. It's one of the only 240Hz VA monitors on the market, and it delivers a much better dark room experience, but it has a bad response time, resulting in significant blur behind fast-moving objects, especially in dark scenes. There are much better alternatives available.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 27 inch monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best 1080p monitors.
The MSI Optix MAG271CQR is much better than the Samsung C27RG5. The MSI has a much faster response time, resulting in significantly clearer motion. The MSI also has better ergonomics, a higher-resolution screen, and it has an optional black frame insertion feature. The Samsung we tested has better black uniformity, but this varies between units.
The AOC CQ27G2 is much better than the Samsung C27RG5. The AOC has better ergonomics, a higher-resolution screen, and a much faster response time. The AOC is more versatile, as the variable refresh rate (VRR) feature is available over HDMI and DisplayPort, and it has an optional black frame insertion feature. The Samsung we tested has much better black uniformity, but this varies between units.
The AOC 24G2 and the Samsung C27RG5 use different panel technologies, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Despite this difference, the AOC is still a much better monitor for almost everyone. The AOC has a much better response time, better ergonomics, and an optional black frame insertion feature. The Samsung has better contrast, so it has better blacks in a dark room, but other than that, the AOC is better.
The ASUS TUF VG32VQ is much better than the Samsung C27RG5. The ASUS has a much faster response time, resulting in clearer motion when gaming, and it has an optional black frame insertion feature. The ASUS also has a larger, higher-resolution screen and better ergonomics, so it's better for multitasking and easier to place in an ideal viewing position.
The Dell S2721DGF is much better than the Samsung C27RG5. The Dell has a much faster response time, so motion in games looks much better, with almost no noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. The Dell also has much better ergonomics and a higher resolution screen.
Test Results
The Samsung CRG5 27" has a nice design, similar to the Samsung CHG70, but with a silver bottom bezel. The back is similar to the Samsung Odyssey G5 C27G55T. It has a basic design overall, with no RGB bias lighting.
The stand has a very simple design, similar to the Samsung CHG70. It's pretty wide, but it doesn't support the monitor all that well, as it wobbles quite a bit.
Unfortunately, the Samsung CRG5 has bad ergonomics. It can only tilt, and even that has a disappointing range. The tilt adjustment is very stiff, so it's not easy to adjust.
The back of the monitor has a unique design for the inputs. It looks great, but might cause problems if you're planning on VESA mounting the monitor. Due to the extra space between the mounting holes and the back of the monitor, most mounting brackets require a lot of spacers, which aren't included. There are two clips on the stand for cable management, and they're quite helpful for keeping your desk neat.
The monitor appears to lean forward in this image, but it can be tilted back.
The Samsung LC27RG50FQNXZA has just okay build quality. It's entirely plastic, and the whole body has quite a bit of flex to it. The stand feels cheap and doesn't seem very solid. The tilt adjustments are stiff, and it feels like the whole unit flexes when adjusting the tilt. Unfortunately, our unit came with a large scratch on the right side of the screen.
As expected for a VA panel, the Samsung CRG5 has an impressive contrast ratio, resulting in deep blacks in a dark room. These results are a bit better than Samsung's advertised 3000:1, but this can vary between units.
The Samsung CRG5 doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only, so you can see how the backlight on this display performs and compare it to a similar product with local dimming.
The Samsung CRG5 has good peak brightness. It's bright enough to overcome most glare, and there's no noticeable variation in brightness with different content.
These measurements were taken after calibration, in the 'Custom' Picture Mode, with the backlight at max. The peak brightness can change depending on which mode you're using.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
As expected for a VA monitor, the Samsung 27 inch CRG5 has mediocre horizontal viewing angles. Black levels start to rise almost immediately after you move off-center, causing the image to appear washed out. Colors stay accurate to a wide angle, though. The curved screen can help reduce the impact of this, but our testing doesn't show the effect of the curve. If viewing angles are important to you, a monitor with an IPS screen, like the Gigabyte AORUS FI27Q-X might be a better choice.
Unfortunately, the Samsung CRG5 has sub-par vertical viewing angles. Again, colors stay accurate to a wide angle, but black levels raise at a very narrow angle, causing the image to appear washed out.
The Samsung CRG5 has excellent gray uniformity. The sides of the screen are a bit darker than the center, but there's very little dirty screen effect. Near-black scenes are nearly perfect, with no noticeable issues. Gray uniformity can vary between units, but it's rarely an issue on modern monitors.
The Samsung LC27RG50FQNXZA we bought has decent black uniformity, but this can vary between units. There's almost no clouding throughout the screen, but there's some backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges.
Out of the box, the Samsung CRG5 we bought has good accuracy, but this varies between units. Most colors are pretty accurate, but reds, greens, and yellows are a bit off. The white balance is borderline, and the overall color temperature is a bit on the warm side. Gamma doesn't follow the sRGB target curve, but is instead closer to a flat 2.1, so most bright scenes are too bright, and dark scenes are a bit too dark. Unfortunately, there's no sRGB mode, and it's oversaturating a bit, especially in the greens, reds, and yellows.
After calibration, the overall accuracy is nearly perfect. Gamma follows the sRGB target curve pretty well, but there are a few minor issues throughout. Colors are much more accurate, and it's not oversaturated anymore. White balance is nearly perfect, as is the color temperature.
You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit due to manufacturing tolerances, even for the same model.
The Samsung CRG5 has an excellent color gamut in SDR. It has nearly perfect coverage of the sRGB color space used in most desktop and web content, but it can't quite display the full range of greens or blues. Coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space is good, but probably too low for professional content creators.
This monitor has outstanding color volume in SDR. Despite the high contrast ratio, it can't display dark saturated colors very well.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
Unfortunately, there are some signs of temporary image retention on our unit, but they fade quickly. This can vary between units.
The Samsung CRG5 has good gradient handling. There's some banding in darker shades, and as it can only accept an 8-bit signal, there's 8-bit banding in our 10-bit test image.
There are no signs of color bleed on our Samsung CRG5, but this varies between units. It's rarely an issue with regular content, though.
The Samsung CRG5 has good reflection handling. The matte finish diffuses direct reflections well, and glare shouldn't be an issue.
Unfortunately, the Samsung CRG5 has just alright text clarity. Even after running the ClearType wizard on a Windows PC (top photo), there are some artifacts in every letter, especially on diagonal or curved lines.
| Response Time Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| Standard | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Faster | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Adaptive Sync | Chart | Table | Photo |
Unfortunately, the Samsung CRG5 has a bad response time at the max refresh rate. There's no overshoot at all, which is great, but the total response time is terribly slow, especially in dark scenes. The black smearing behind our moving response time logo photo actually went even further than shown here, but was cropped when we took the photo. It's so bad that the motion blur is actually cutting off part of the letter 'G' in our logo.
There are three overdrive settings to choose from, but they don't appear to be working, as there's no noticeable difference between them. Enabling Adaptive Sync disables the Response Time setting, but it's also slightly faster than the other modes, so we recommend using that mode.
We don't know if our unit is defective or if this can be fixed with a firmware. We'll retest the response time if there are any updates.
| Response Time Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| Standard | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Faster | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Adaptive Sync | Chart | Table | Photo |
There's virtually no difference between the 60Hz and 240Hz response time on the Samsung C27RG50. There's significant motion smearing behind dark objects, and there's more persistence blur due to the slower refresh rate, but overall it looks just as bad.
There are three overdrive settings to choose from, but they don't appear to be working, as there's no noticeable difference between them. Enabling Adaptive Sync disables the Response Time setting, but it's also slightly faster than the other modes, so we recommend using that mode.
We don't know if our unit is defective or if this can be fixed with a firmware. We'll retest the response time if there are any updates.
The Samsung CRG5 doesn't use pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim the backlight, which is great. At low brightness settings (below 29) there's a very high frequency flicker, but it's at such a high frequency that it's not at all noticeable.
Unfortunately, we noticed a brightness flashing effect when the variable refresh rate (VRR) feature is enabled, similar to what we saw on the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T. It's especially noticeable when the framerate fluctuates in darker scenes at low framerates. The only way to remove it is to disable VRR.
This monitor doesn't have an optional black frame insertion feature.
The Samsung CRG5 has an incredibly fast refresh rate. It's certified as NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible, but that only works over DisplayPort. Although not officially certified, we found that it also works well with AMD cards, but strangely, it only works over DisplayPort. Unlike most monitors, FreeSync doesn't work over HDMI with this monitor.
The Samsung CRG5 has superb low input lag at the native refresh rate. Unfortunately, input lag increases significantly when gaming at 60Hz, which isn't ideal for console gamers.
The 27 inch, 1080p screen is decent, but the pixel density is a bit on the low side.
This is a pretty basic monitor, but it has a few extra features, most of which are designed to improve your gaming experience:
- Black Equalizer: adjusts the gamma to make it easier to spot other players or enemies in darker areas on-screen.
- Virtual Aim Point: a bit of a cheat, this feature adds a virtual crosshair that can't be detected by your game.
