The Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T is a budget gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution. It's better suited for a dark to moderately-lit room, as it has a high contrast ratio to produce deep blacks but doesn't get bright enough to overcome intense glare. It has a quick response time, high refresh rate, and low input lag, resulting in a smooth and responsive gaming experience. On top of that, it has FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility, which can help reduce screen tearing when gaming. Unfortunately, it has sub-par viewing angles and terrible ergonomics, so it isn't the best choice for co-op gaming or sharing content. Also, even though it supports HDR, it has a low peak brightness and can't display a wide color gamut, so there's very little benefit to HDR.
Overall, the Samsung Odyssey G5 is okay. It performs well enough to satisfy most gamers thanks to its quick response time, high refresh rate, and variable refresh rate support. However, it can't display a wide color gamut and doesn't get very bright, resulting in a mediocre HDR experience. Its large screen and high resolution are great for productivity, but it has terrible ergonomics and sub-par viewing angles, making it hard to adjust the monitor to your ideal viewing position or share your work with others.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 is mediocre for office use. It has a high resolution and a large screen with plenty of space for multitasking, and it has decent text clarity. It has good reflection handling, but it's not bright enough to overcome direct sunlight. Ergonomics are terrible because it only allows for tilt adjustment, and the VA panel's narrow viewing angles aren't ideal for sharing work with coworkers.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 is a good gaming monitor. It has a large, high-resolution screen. It has a good response time at the max refresh rate, but there's some noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects and black smearing behind dark objects. Its input lag is exceptionally low, and it supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing. Sadly, it has terrible ergonomics and sub-par viewing angles, so it isn't the best option for co-op gaming.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 is okay for watching videos. It isn't the best choice for sharing content on the screen with others due to its narrow viewing angles and terrible ergonomics. However, it delivers good picture quality and has a large screen. It has a good contrast ratio that allows it to produce deep blacks, but there's a lot of backlight bleed. That said, uniformity can vary between units, so your experience might be different.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 is okay for media creation. It has a large screen and high resolution, allowing you to work comfortably with multiple windows opened side-by-side. It has a great SDR color gamut with excellent coverage of the sRGB color space, and its gradient handling is superb, but it has limited coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. Unfortunately, it has terrible ergonomics and narrow viewing angles, which isn't ideal for sharing your screen with others.
From the front, the Samsung Odyssey G5 looks similar to its bigger sibling, the Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T, with thin borders on three sides and a wide V-shaped stand. However, the back is very different, as it looks noticeably cheaper due to its small basic stand. It also lacks the RGB lighting that's present on the G7. Like the G7, it features a very aggressive curve, which might bother some people.
The Samsung G5's build quality is decent. It's entirely plastic, but it feels relatively sturdy overall. However, the VESA mounting holes don't line up with the display's center of gravity, causing the display to tilt downwards when VESA-mounted. The tilting hinge doesn't feel like it's strong enough to hold the display up, as it also causes the screen to tilt downwards to the minimum tilt angle. The stand feels cheap, and although it's easy to install, it's hard to remove.
Sadly, this monitor has terrible ergonomics. It only allows for a narrow tilt adjustment, so it might be difficult to place it in an ideal viewing position. If you want something with much better ergonomics, look into the Samsung Odyssey G3 LF27G35T. The back of the monitor is made out of textured plastic. All the inputs are bottom-facing, and there's a passthrough at the top of the stand for cable management. You don't need any tools to set up the stand; it just clicks into place.
The stand's feet are wide-set, but they're relatively thin, which leaves you a good amount of usable desk space. Unfortunately, it's a very basic stand made out of cheap plastic, and it wobbles quite a bit.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 doesn't have a local dimming feature. We still film the local dimming on each monitor, so you can see how the test clip compares to a different display with local dimming.
The Samsung G5 has decent SDR peak brightness. Except for the dimmer 2% window caused by frame dimming, brightness is very consistent across different content. However, it isn't bright enough to overcome intense glare, so it's better suited for a dark to moderately-lit room.
We measured the SDR peak brightness after calibration in the 'Custom' Picture Mode, with Brightness set to max.
This monitor has disappointing HDR peak brightness. It isn't bright enough to make highlights stand out in HDR content, and just like in SDR, the 2% window is dimmer.
We measured the HDR peak brightness after calibration in the 'Custom' Picture Mode, with Brightness set to max.
Like most VA panels, the Samsung Odyssey G5 has sub-par horizontal viewing angles. The image looks inaccurate when viewed from the side, which isn't ideal for co-op gaming or sharing content. However, the newer version of this monitor, the Samsung Odyssey G5 S27AG50, has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles.
Unfortunately, this monitor also has poor vertical viewing angles. This causes the screen to look washed out if you have the monitor mounted above or below eye level.
Out of the box, the Samsung Odyssey G5 has decent accuracy; however, this can vary between individual units. There are visible inaccuracies with shades of gray. Most saturated colors are over-saturated a bit, and there's no sRGB mode to clamp them to the sRGB primaries. Gamma doesn't follow the sRGB curve at all, causing most scenes to appear darker than intended. The color temperature is just a bit cooler than our 6500K target, which results in a slight blueish tint.
This monitor has exceptional accuracy after calibration. The white balance is nearly perfect, and gamma follows the sRGB target curve nearly perfectly. There are still some issues with color accuracy, though, and most saturated colors are under-saturated a bit. The color temperature is extremely close to our target.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 27 inch has a great SDR color gamut. It has excellent coverage of the sRGB color space used in most content, but just decent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, so it's limited for professional content creators.
Although the Samsung Odyssey G5 supports HDR, it can't display a wide color gamut. It has mediocre coverage of the commonly-used DCI P3 color space and poor coverage of the wider Rec. 2020.
The Samsung Odyssey G5's reflection handling is very good. Its matte anti-reflective coating does a good job of diffusing bright reflections; however, visibility can still be an issue in well-lit environments due to the monitor's low brightness.
The Samsung G5 Odyssey supports FreeSync natively to reduce screen tearing. Although not officially certified by NVIDIA, it also works with their G-SYNC Compatible feature, but only over DisplayPort. If you want something with a higher 165Hz refresh rate, then check out the MSI Optix G27CQ4.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
standard | Chart | Table | Photo |
faster | Chart | Table | Photo |
fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
freesync-on | Chart | Table | Photo |
The Samsung Odyssey G5 has a good response time when running at its max refresh rate, resulting in only a short blur trail behind fast-moving objects, but it's a bit slower than most comparable monitors on the market. Like most monitors, the level of overdrive can be adjusted depending on your personal preferences.
We recommend the 'Faster' Response Time setting, as it delivers the best performance overall. The 'Fastest' setting is slightly faster, but there's significant overshoot around bright objects. Unfortunately, like most VA monitors, transitions from a dark color to a brighter one are significantly slower, resulting in noticeable black smear behind darker areas on-screen. Even the higher-end Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T has this issue, but it has a much faster response time overall.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
standard | Chart | Table | Photo |
faster | Chart | Table | Photo |
fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
freesync-on | Chart | Table | Photo |
The response time at 60Hz is decent. It's a bit slow in the darker transitions, causing slightly more motion blur in dark scenes. The recommended overdrive setting is again 'Faster' because 'Fastest' causes much more overshoot. The Response Time settings are fairly consistent across refresh rates, which is great, as you can set it once and forget it.
Refresh Rate | Motion Blur Photo |
120 Hz | Photo |
60Hz | Photo |
The Samsung G5 Odyssey has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly called black frame insertion, to improve motion clarity. Like most monitors, you can't use it at the same time as the variable refresh rate feature. When enabled, the screen becomes noticeably darker, and it remains active as long as you don't adjust the screen's brightness. It sometimes causes the screen to dim so much that we can barely navigate the on-screen menu, and we could only get the brightness to return to normal after unplugging the monitor.
The Samsung G5 Odyssey is advertised to have a flicker-free backlight. It's flicker-free when the backlight is set above 0%; however, there's a 144Hz flickering when the backlight is at 0%, which matches the monitor's refresh rate. If flicker bothers you, the Dell S2722DGM is a similar monitor that's completely flicker-free.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 has exceptionally low input lag, but it's significantly higher when playing at 60Hz.
The Samsung Odyssey G5's 1440p resolution makes it great for multitasking and results in sharp images and text. There's also a larger variant with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 34 inch screen, the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC34G55T.
For the most part, this monitor works well with MacBooks. There are no issues waking up from sleep, it responds quickly, and windows are restored to their original position. VRR doesn't work properly on the desktop, though, and in-game, it only works well if your computer can maintain a high frame rate. At low frame rates, it flickers considerably and doesn't look very good.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 has only a few extra features. You can add a virtual crosshair, and there's an Eye Saver Mode that helps reduce eye strain.
We tested the 27 inch Samsung Odyssey G5, and it's available in a 32 inch size (Odyssey G5 LC32G55T) and an ultrawide 34 inch size (Odyssey G5 LC34G55T) as well. We expect our results to be mostly valid for the 32 inch model, but not the 34 inch one, as it has a different native resolution and a higher refresh rate. It's part of Samsung's Odyssey gaming monitor lineup, which includes the Samsung Odyssey G7 and the Samsung Odyssey G9.
Size | North America | Europe | Aspect Ratio | Resolution | Max. Refresh Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
27" | LC27G55TQWNXZA | LC27G55TQWUXEN | 16:9 | 2560 x 1440 | 144Hz |
32" | LC32G55TQWNXZA | LC32G55TQWUXEN | 16:9 | 2560 x 1440 | 144Hz |
34" | LC34G55TWWNXZA | LC34G55TWWUXEN | 21:9 | 3440 x 1440 | 165Hz |
Our unit of the G5 Odyssey was manufactured in July 2020; you can see the label here.
The Samsung G5 is a good budget gaming monitor. However, it doesn't perform as well as other similar monitors in its price range, like the ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD. The ViewSonic has a faster response time, much wider viewing angles, and gets a lot brighter.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 1440p 144Hz monitors, the best curved gaming monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T and the Gigabyte M27Q are both 1440p gaming monitors, but with different types of panels. The Samsung has a VA panel that's better suited for dark rooms, while the Gigabyte uses an IPS panel with wider viewing angles. As for gaming performance, the Gigabyte performs much better. It has a higher refresh rate of 170Hz and a much faster response time. The Gigabyte supports a wide color gamut for HDR, gets brighter, and offers more features like a USB-C input.
The Gigabyte G27QC is better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T. The Gigabyte has a higher contrast ratio, quicker response time, and a slightly higher refresh rate. It also has better ergonomics and gets brighter. However, the Samsung has a Black Frame Insertion feature to improve motion clarity.
The Dell S2721DGF is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T overall. The Dell has better gaming performance due to its higher refresh rate, faster response time, and lower input lag. It also has wider viewing angles, higher peak brightness, and significantly better ergonomics. However, the Samsung's VA panel has a better contrast ratio, and it has a Black Frame Insertion feature to improve motion clarity.
The AOC CQ27G2 is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T. The AOC has significantly better ergonomics, faster response time, and lower input lag, especially when playing at 60Hz. However, the Samsung provides better visibility in well-lit rooms due to its higher peak brightness and better reflection handling.
The MSI Optix G27CQ4 and the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T are both good gaming monitors. They each have a VA panel with a 1440p resolution, and they offer similar features, but the MSI has a 165Hz refresh rate compared to the Samsung's 144Hz. The MSI is also flicker-free at all brightness levels, while the Samsung flickers at lower brightness levels. The Samsung supports HDR, which the MSI doesn't, but it doesn't add much because it can't display a wide color gamut.
Gaming-wise, the ASUS TUF VG27AQ performs better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T because it has a slightly higher refresh rate and faster response time to deliver a clearer image with less smearing behind fast-moving objects. The ASUS has better ergonomics, and its IPS panel provides wider viewing angles. However, the Samsung is better suited for dark rooms because it uses a VA panel that produces much deeper blacks.
The LG 27GN800-B is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T overall. The LG has a much quicker response time, which results in a clearer image with less blur trail behind fast-moving objects. The LG has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles, making it better for sharing content or playing co-op games, but it isn't as ideal for dark rooms as the Samsung because it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray.
The Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T is significantly better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T. The G7 has a better contrast ratio, higher refresh rate, and much faster response time. It also has a better SDR and HDR color gamut, and it gets a lot brighter. On the other hand, the G5 has built-in speakers and is much cheaper.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 S27AG50 is an updated version of the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T, but they're different monitors. The S27AG50 has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles and a flat screen, while the LC27G55T has a VA panel with better contrast, and the screen is curved. The S27AG50 has much better motion handling because it has a quicker response time, and there's no black smearing like on the LC27G55T, and it has a slightly higher max refresh rate. On the other hand, the LC27G55T's BFI feature works at a much wider range, and it has built-in speakers, which the S27AG50 doesn't.
The Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T because it's a higher-end monitor. The S28AG70 has a 4k resolution that delivers sharp text, while the LC27G55T has a 1440p resolution. The S28AG70 has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles, and the LC27G55T has a VA panel with better contrast. They each have a 144Hz refresh rate, but the S28AG70 has much better motion handling thanks to the quicker response time, especially at 60Hz, and it also gets brighter. The S28AG70 has a local dimming feature, which the LC27G55T doesn't have, but it doesn't add much because it's terrible.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 LC34G55T is a larger variant of the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T with a 34 inch screen and 21:9 aspect ratio. The 27 inch version is also available in a 32 inch size, and they each have a 16:9 aspect ratio. Each variant has mainly the same features and design, but the 34 inch variant has a DisplayPort 1.4 input, allowing it to produce a higher 165Hz refresh rate. We encountered a lot of bugs with VRR and input lag on the 34 inch model that we didn't see on the 27 inch model, but your experience may vary.
The Gigabyte G27Q is better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T because it has a better response time that results in a clearer image with a shorter blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It also has wider viewing angles that make it easier to share content and gets significantly brighter to combat glare. The Gigabyte can display a wide color gamut for HDR, but the Samsung has a much better contrast ratio to produce deeper blacks.
The LG 27GL850-B is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T for most uses. The LG has a much quicker response time to deliver smoother motion in fast-moving scenes. The LG uses an IPS panel that provides wider viewing angles, while the Samsung uses a VA panel that produces deeper blacks for a better dark room viewing experience.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T and the Samsung Odyssey G3 LF27G35T are part of the same monitor lineup, but they have different features and performance. The G5 is a curved monitor with a 1440p resolution, while the G3 is flat and has a 1080p resolution. The G5 is better for gaming mainly because it has a much quicker response time that results in smoother motion. It also supports HDR, which the G3 doesn't, but it doesn't add much because it has low HDR peak brightness and can't display a wide color gamut. On the other hand, the G3 has much better ergonomics because it offers height and swivel adjustments.
The Samsung Odyssey G3 S24AG30 replaces the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T in the Samsung Odyssey lineup. They each have a VA panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, but the G5 has a higher 1440p resolution. The G5 also has much better motion handling due to its quick response time, and it supports HDR, but it doesn't add much because it can't display a wide color gamut. The G5 also gets brighter and has better reflection handling. On the other hand, the S24AG30 has much better contrast, but this can vary between units.
The ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T. The ViewSonic has a much faster response time, higher peak brightness, and its IPS panel provides much wider viewing angles. However, the Samsung is better suited for dark rooms due to its good contrast ratio, and it's available in two sizes, 27 inch and 32 inch.
The Dell S2721HGF and the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T are both 27 inch, 144Hz VA panel monitors, but the Samsung has a 1440p resolution while the Dell is 1080p. The Dell has a better response time, especially in dark scenes. It has better ergonomics because it allows for height adjustment, and the viewing angles are better, quite good for a VA panel. The Dell gets brighter to combat glare; however, you might still have some visibility issues in very well-lit, sunny environments. The Samsung has HDR support, but it doesn't add much since it can't display a wide color gamut.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 LC27G55T; however, they aren't intended for the same use. The ASUS is a budget monitor for content creators with superb ergonomics and wide viewing angles. It also has a faster response time, but gaming feels smoother and more responsive on the Samsung due to its higher refresh rate.