The Samsung Odyssey G5 S27AG50 is an entry-level 1440p gaming monitor. Part of Samsung's 2021 Odyssey gaming lineup, it's newer than the Samsung Odyssey G5 C27G55T and sits alongside the Samsung Odyssey G5/G55A S27AG55, which has similar features but a different panel type. This monitor has an IPS panel and a flat screen, with a 165Hz refresh rate and VRR support in the form of native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility. It's available in 27 and 32 inches, but it's limited on extra features for productivity, as it lacks any USB inputs.
Our Verdict
The Samsung G50A is decent for PC gaming. It has a 165Hz refresh rate with native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Motion looks sharp thanks to the consistently quick response time, and it has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. However, it has limited picture quality as blacks look gray in the dark, it lacks a local dimming feature, and highlights don't pop in HDR.
- 165Hz refresh rate with VRR support.
- Consistently fast response time.
- Low input lag.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Small highlights don't pop in HDR.
- Limited to DP 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 bandwidth.
The Samsung Odyssey G50A 27 is okay for console gaming. Motion looks sharp thanks to its fast response time at any refresh rate, and gaming feels responsive as it has low input lag. While it supports most signals from the Xbox Series X|S and PS5, it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of them. It also has limited picture quality, so games don't look life-like as it has a low contrast ratio and fails to make colors look vivid.
- Consistently fast response time.
- Low input lag.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Small highlights don't pop in HDR.
- Limited to DP 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 bandwidth.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 G50A is good for office use. It has a large 27-inch screen with a 1440p resolution that help deliver clear text. It has fantastic ergonomics with a wide swivel range, which is great for sharing your screen with others. It also gets bright enough to fight glare and has good reflection handling, which is ideal if you want to use it in a well-lit room. Unfortunately, it's limited in extra features, and it lacks any USB ports.
- Bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms.
- Fantastic ergonomics.
- Good text and image clarity.
- Limited on extra features; no USB hub.
The Samsung Odyssey G50A is okay for content creators. The 1440p resolution helps deliver detailed images with good clarity. It has fantastic ergonomics if you need to swivel the screen to show something to a client or coworker, and it also gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room. However, while it displays a wide range of colors, you need to calibrate it for the best accuracy. It also has limited picture quality in HDR, as blacks look gray, and it can't make colors look vivid.
- Bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms.
- Fantastic ergonomics.
- Good text and image clarity.
- Limited on extra features; no USB hub.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Can't display a wide range of HDR colors.
The Samsung G50A has good brightness. It gets bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms, but small highlights don't pop in HDR.
- Bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms.
- Small highlights don't pop in HDR.
The Samsung S27AG50 has a good response time. It's consistently fast across its refresh rate range, which is great, but it still has some motion blur.
- Consistently fast response time.
- Still some motion blur behind fast-moving objects.
The Samsung G50A is terrible for HDR. Its low contrast ratio makes blacks look gray in the dark, and it lacks a local dimming feature to improve it further. It also fails to display a wide range of colors in HDR, so images don't look lifelike.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Can't display a wide range of HDR colors.
The Samsung S27AG50 has okay SDR picture quality. Although it displays a wide range of colors, it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray in the dark.
- Wide SDR color gamut.
- Low contrast ratio.
The Samsung Odyssey G50A 27 has good color accuracy. It has a dedicated sRGB mode, but you still need to calibrate it for the best accuracy.
- Dedicated sRGB mode.
- Needs calibration for best accuracy.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Feb 21, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0.1. This includes a new test result for DisplayPort 2.1 Transmission Bandwidth.
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Updated Dec 06, 2024:
This monitor doesn't have a frame rate counter, so we removed a mention of it in Additional Features.
- Updated Jun 11, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
- Updated Jun 07, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0. This includes new tests for VRR Motion Performance, Refresh Rate Compliance, Cumulative Absolute Deviation (CAD), and VRR Flicker. You can read the full changelog here.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27-inch Samsung LS27AG500PNXZA, which is also available in a 32-inch size, but the results are only valid for the 27-inch model. There are other G5 models in the Odyssey gaming lineup that are different, and you can see the differences between them below.
| Size | Name | Full Model Code | Panel Type | Refresh Rate | Resolution | DisplayHDR 400 Certified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27" | Odyssey G50A | LS27AG500PNXZA | IPS | 165Hz | 1440p | No |
| 32" | Odyssey G50A | LS32AG500PNXZA | IPS | 165Hz | 1440p | No |
| 27" | Odyssey G52A | LS27AG520PNXZA | IPS | 165Hz | 1440p | Yes |
| 27" | Odyssey G55A | LS27AG550ENXZA | VA | 165Hz | 1440p | No |
Our unit of the G50A was manufactured in July 2021, and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Samsung Odyssey G5 G50A is a decent entry-level 1440p gaming monitor that offers sharp motion handling and low input great, which is ideal for any type of gamer. You'll definitely be happy with it if you're on a tight budget and want a solid gaming option, but you can also consider other models if you want extra features, like the Gigabyte M27Q P.
Make sure to check out our recommendations for the best 1440p monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best monitors for Xbox Series X.
The Samsung Odyssey G50A S27AG50 is similar for gaming to the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The Samsung has a faster 165Hz refresh rate than the 144Hz on the LG, and it has a BFI feature that the LG doesn't have. The Samsung is also a slightly better choice for well-lit rooms because it gets brighter, and if you want to use it for co-op gaming, you can swivel its stand, which you can't do with the LG. The one difference the LG has over the Samsung is that it has USB 3.0 inputs to connect your keyboard and mouse, which you can't do with the Samsung.
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD and the Samsung Odyssey G50A S27AG50 are both good gaming monitors. They both have a 165Hz refresh rate, native FreeSync VRR support, a 1440p resolution, and fantastic motion handling. There are a few differences in picture quality, though; the MSI displays a wider color gamut in HDR and SDR, but that's because it over-saturates the colors, meaning some people may prefer the Samsung. The Samsung also gets brighter and has better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for well-lit rooms. On the other hand, the MSI has a better selection of inputs, such as a USB-C input and two USB inputs that you can connect your keyboard and mouse to.
The Samsung Odyssey G50A S27AG50 and the Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx are excellent gaming monitors with a 1440p resolution. The Acer has a slightly faster 170Hz refresh rate compared to 165Hz on the ASUS, and it has slightly quicker response times, but the motion looks fantastic on both. The Acer has much better ergonomics because you can swivel the stand a full 360 degrees. It delivers more accurate colors because it has better out-of-the-box accuracy. However, the Acer has much better reflection handling, and it gets brighter if you want to use it in a well-lit room.
The Samsung Odyssey G50A S27AG50 is much better for gaming than the Samsung Odyssey G3 S24AG30 as it's a higher-end monitor and has more features. The S27AG50 has a higher 165Hz refresh rate with much better motion handling, and it gets much brighter in SDR. The S27AG50 has wider viewing angles thanks to the IPS panel, and it supports HDR, which the S24AG30 doesn't, but it doesn't add much because the picture quality in dark scenes isn't good. The S27AG50 is also larger, while the S24AG30 is a smaller 24-inch screen with a 1080p resolution, but it has a better contrast thanks to the VA panel.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without 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, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
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