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Samsung U32J590 Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Review updated Dec 21, 2018 at 09:26 am
Latest change: Writing modified Dec 16, 2022 at 10:35 am
Samsung U32J590 Picture
7.1
Mixed Usage
7.3
Office
7.4
Gaming
7.1
Multimedia
7.0
Media Creation
5.4
HDR Gaming

The Samsung U32J590 is a decent 32 inch, 4k monitor. It delivers decent picture quality, with a very good native contrast ratio and decent black uniformity. It supports FreeSync VRR and has a great response time. Unfortunately, it can't get very bright to overcome glare in a bright room, and the image degrades when viewed at an angle. It also has a fixed stand that can only tilt, so you might not be able to place it in an ideal viewing position.

Our Verdict

7.1 Mixed Usage

The Samsung UJ59 is a decent monitor for mixed usage, but it doesn't excel at any one usage. It delivers decent picture quality, but can't get very bright, and it has disappointing viewing angles. The stand has terrible ergonomics, making it difficult to place. Good motion handling for gaming and movies, but there's PWM flicker at low backlight settings.

Pros
  • Good dark room performance
  • Lots of screen real-estate
Cons
  • Disappointing peak brightness
  • Terrible ergonomics
7.3 Office

The Samsung UJ59 is decent for office use. The large, high-resolution screen and picture-in-picture/picture-by-picture support are all great for multitasking. Unfortunately, although it has good reflections handling, it can't get very bright to overcome glare, and the stand has terrible ergonomics.

7.4 Gaming

The Samsung UJ59 is a decent monitor for gaming. It has decent motion handling and a great response time, as well as FreeSync support, which is nice. It also has excellent low input lag. Unfortunately, there's PWM flicker at low brightness levels, and the max 60 Hz refresh rate may disappoint more serious gamers.

7.1 Multimedia

The Samsung UJ59 is decent for multimedia. The large, high-resolution screen is great for watching the latest 4K movies. It can't get very bright but has good reflections handling, a very good contrast ratio, and a great response time. Unfortunately, the image degrades when viewed at an angle and it doesn't support HDR.

7.0 Media Creation

The Samsung UJ59 is a decent monitor for media creation. The large, high-resolution screen allows you to see more of your project at once. Unfortunately, the stand has terrible ergonomics, and the image degrades when viewed at an angle.

5.4 HDR Gaming
  • 7.1 Mixed Usage
  • 7.3 Office
  • 7.4 Gaming
  • 7.1 Multimedia
  • 7.0 Media Creation
  • 5.4 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Dec 16, 2022: Simplified the monitor's name to Samsung U32J590 and made changes throughout the review to reflect that.
  2. Updated Jul 02, 2021: Changed height adjustment result from 'N/A' to '0' to match our methodology.
  3. Updated Aug 04, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  4. Updated May 10, 2019: We have retested FreeSync on the UJ590 with NVIDIA driver version 430.39, and FreeSync is now working properly on recent NVIDIA cards.
  5. Updated Jan 17, 2019: We tested the monitor's compatibility with NVIDIA's new FreeSync driver. See our full investigation into NVIDIA's FreeSync Drivers here.
  6. Updated Dec 21, 2018: Review published.
  7. Updated Dec 19, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Dec 19, 2018: Early access published.
  9. Updated Dec 17, 2018: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Dec 12, 2018: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Samsung U32J590 version LA01 (lu32j590uqnxza), which is the only size available.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung U32J590 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.

Model Size Resolution Refresh Rate Notes
U32J590 32" 4k 60 Hz  FreeSync
U28E590D 28" 4k 60 Hz FreeSync
C27F398 27" 1080p 60 Hz FreeSync

The U32J590 we reviewed was manufactured in October 2018.

Compared To Other Monitors

Comparison picture

The Samsung U32J590 offers decent performance, but there are similar monitors that outperform it.

See our recommendations for the best 32-inch monitors, the best 4k gaming monitors, and the best 4k monitors.

BenQ EW3270U

The BenQ EW3270U is better than the Samsung U32J590. The BenQ supports HDR, and the backlight is completely flicker-free. The BenQ EW3270U is also much brighter than the Samsung U32J590, and it has two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.0 ports that can display 4k @ 60Hz.

LG 32UD59-B

The LG 32UD59-B is better than the Samsung U32J590. The LG has a completely flicker-free backlight, and the stand has an adjustable height. The LG is also much brighter and has two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.0 ports that support 4k @ 60Hz.

Dell S3221QS

The Dell S3221QS is better than the Samsung U32J590. The Dell gets significantly brighter, has HDR support, and allows for height adjustment. However, the Samsung has wider viewing angles and faster response time.

Samsung UE590

The Samsung U32J590 is better than the UE590. The newer U32J590 has a much better native contrast ratio, thanks to the VA panel. It also has better viewing angles, and much better Adobe RGB color volume. The older UE590 is a lot brighter.

Samsung CF398

The Samsung U32J590 is slightly better than the Samsung CF398. The U32J590 has a higher resolution, 4k screen that is better suited for multitasking. The CF398 is flicker-free, whereas the U32J590 has PWM flicker at low brightness levels.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 32"
Curved No
Curve Radius Not Curved
Weight (without stand)
12.8 lbs (5.8 kg)
Weight (with stand)
13.7 lbs (6.2 kg)
Design
Stand
Width
18.5" (47.0 cm)
Depth
9.8" (24.9 cm)

The Samsung UJ590 has a decent stand. It's slightly thicker than the stand on the Samsung CF398, and it supports the monitor better. The monitor does wobble quite a bit though, even from the vibrations caused by typing aggressively.

1.1
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
0.0" (0.0 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range No swivel
Tilt Range -15Ā° to 2.5Ā°

Update 07/02/2021: We incorrectly listed the Height Adjustment as 'N/A' as opposed to '0'. The review has been updated to reflect this change, as the Ergonomics score has dropped slightly.

Unfortunately, the Samsung UJ590 has terrible ergonomics. The stand can be tilted but has a smaller tilt range than the Samsung UE590 or Samsung CF398.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 100x100

The back of the monitor is very plain. There's a single vent that spans nearly the entire width of the monitor. The inputs can be difficult to access when the monitor is VESA mounted. There's only very basic cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.6" (1.5 cm)

The borders are thin and look good. There's almost no gap between the border of the monitor and the screen.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
7.3" (18.5 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
2.1" (5.3 cm)

The stand on the Samsung UJ59 sits back from the monitor and prevents it from being placed flush with a wall. When the stand is removed to VESA mount it, the UJ590 is very thin.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

Overall, the Samsung UJ59 has decent build quality. It's a bit more sturdy than the Samsung CF398, but not quite as good as the BenQ EW3270. Most of the monitor is made of plastic, but there don't appear to be any significant gaps or issues.

Picture Quality
7.8
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
2,799 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

The Samsung UJ59 has a very good native contrast ratio, nearly identical to the Samsung CF398. This is a significant improvement over the previous model, the Samsung UE590, which had a TN panel and low native contrast.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

This monitor does not have a local dimming feature, the above video is for reference only.

6.0
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
188 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
205 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
206 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
206 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
206 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
206 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
205 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
205 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
206 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
206 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
206 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.000

Disappointing peak brightness, the worst we've tested so far. The Samsung UJ59 isn't an ideal choice if you have a bright room. If you want a similar monitor that can get brighter to combat glare, check out the Dell S3221QS.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

HDR is not supported on the Samsung U32J590

6.8
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
46Ā°
Color Washout From Right
48Ā°
Color Shift From Left
70Ā°
Color Shift From Right
70Ā°
Brightness Loss From Left
47Ā°
Brightness Loss From Right
50Ā°
Black Level Raise From Left
23Ā°
Black Level Raise From Right
21Ā°
Gamma Shift From Left
11Ā°
Gamma Shift From Right
13Ā°

This monitor has disappointing horizontal viewing angles, nearly identical to the Samsung UE590 and LG 32UD59. The black levels rise rapidly at even moderate angles. Colors stay accurate even at wide angles, which is great, and the brightness only drops to half at an even wider angle, which is great.

6.4
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
33Ā°
Color Washout From Above
37Ā°
Color Shift From Below
70Ā°
Color Shift From Above
70Ā°
Brightness Loss From Below
35Ā°
Brightness Loss From Above
36Ā°
Black Level Raise From Below
32Ā°
Black Level Raise From Above
33Ā°
Gamma Shift From Below
12Ā°
Gamma Shift From Above
10Ā°

Decent vertical viewing angles, as good as the LG 32UD59, and above average for VA panels. Whether you are looking at this monitor from above or below doesn't matter, the image remains accurate even at moderate angles. At around 30Ā° the colors become inaccurate and the black levels are too high.

8.1
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.283%
50% DSE
0.155%
5% Std. Dev.
1.325%
5% DSE
0.072%

The Samsung UJ59 has great gray uniformity. Again, the UJ590 is nearly identical to the Samsung CF398. When playing sports games or browsing the web, there's a below-average dirty screen effect (DSE), which is great. In near-dark scenes, the uniformity is even better, with very little DSE.

6.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.658%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The Samsung UJ590 has decent black uniformity. There's some clouding noticeable, but very little backlight bleed or flash lighting.

7.5
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
User
Luminance
218 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
100
Contrast Setting
75
RGB Controls
Cool 1
Gamma Setting
Mode 2
Color Temperature
6,875 K
White Balance dE
2.88
Color dE
3.11
Gamma
2.22

Out of the box, the Samsung U32J590UQN has good accuracy. The white point and color error are high enough that some enthusiasts might notice it, but not high enough to be noticeable by most people. The gamma curve is a bit high, so some darker scenes appear too dark. Finally, the color temperature is a bit on the cool side.

9.3
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
User
Luminance
101 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
22
Contrast Setting
75
RGB Controls
37-35-44
Gamma Setting
Mode 2
Color Temperature
6,602 K
White Balance dE
1.08
Color dE
0.77
Gamma
2.19

After calibration, nearly all inaccuracies are corrected. The gamma follows the target curve nearly perfectly, and any remaining inaccuracies in the white balance and color are not noticeable. The color temperature is much closer to the calibration target of 6500 K.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and should not be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit even for the same model due to manufacturing tolerances.

9.4
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
99.1%
Adobe RGB xy
87.6%
sRGB Picture Mode
User
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
User

s.RGB Picture Mode: User (Calibrated)
Adobe RGB Picture Mode: User

The Samsung UJ59 has an excellent SDR color gamut. It almost perfectly covers the smaller s.RGB color space, and has excellent Adobe RGB coverage as well, great for professional photo and video editing. These results are nearly identical to the Samsung CF398 and LG 32UD59-B.

9.7
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
99.4%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
93.5%
sRGB Picture Mode
User
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
User

s.RGB Picture Mode: User
Adobe RGB Picture Mode: User

The Samsung U32J590 has outstanding SDR color volume. It can produce bright and dark colors across the entire color gamut at almost all brightness levels.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 xy
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

The Samsung U32J590 does not support HDR, and so it can't display an HDR color gamut.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

HDR is not supported on the Samsung U32J590UQN.

10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR After 0 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 2 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 4 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 6 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 8 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 10 Min Recovery
0.00%

There are no signs of temporary image retention on the UJ590, even immediately after displaying our high contrast static test pattern for 10 minutes.

9.2
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

Excellent gradient handling. There's some banding visible in darker scenes, but not enough to cause any issues under normal use.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.000%
Pixel Column Error
0.000%

There are no pixel errors whatsoever, which is great.

8.0
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
4.4%
Indirect Reflections
4.9%
Calculated Direct Reflections
0.5%

The Samsung UJ59 has decent reflections handling, similar to the VG245H and the Samsung UE590.

9.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
VA
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB
Motion
7.7
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
Standard
Rise / Fall Time
7.0 ms
Total Response Time
16.1 ms
Overshoot Error
1.9%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
7.8 ms
Dark Total Response Time
19.4 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
7.8%

The Samsung U32J590 has a very good response time. There's a slight blur-trail behind fast moving objects, but this shouldn't be very noticeable with normal content.

There are some duplications noticeable in our photo due to the PWM flicker. This should not be noticeable under normal viewing conditions, as most people will have the backlight set bright enough that there's no flicker.

The Response Time setting can be adjusted to customize the Overdrive. There are three levels, but we recommend using 'Standard'. The other two modes provide slightly faster response times, but with higher levels of overshoot that may bother some people.

7.7
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
Standard
Rise / Fall Time
7.0 ms
Total Response Time
16.1 ms
Overshoot Error
1.9%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
7.8 ms
Dark Total Response Time
19.4 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
7.8%
6.0
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free No
PWM Dimming Frequency
240 Hz

Unfortunately, the Samsung UJ59 uses PWM to dim the backlight. There's flicker at a setting of '30' or below. Since the monitor is not very bright, this shouldn't be an issue for most people, as there's no flicker at higher brightness settings. If you want a completely flicker-free monitor, check out the LG 32UL500-W.

0
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No
BFI Maximum Frequency
N/A
BFI Minimum Frequency
N/A
7.4
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
Native
60 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
60 Hz
VRR Minimum
40 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors DisplayPort, HDMI

Update 05/10/2019: We have retested the UJ590 with NVIDIA drivers 430.39, and FreeSync is now working properly on our GTX 1060 6 Gb, but only with the FreeSync setting on the monitor set to 'Ultimate'.

The maximum refresh rate is 60 Hz, which may disappoint some people. It supports FreeSync over HDMI and DisplayPort.

FreeSync has two modes on this monitor: Ultimate Engine provides the widest FreeSync range and results in the least amount of screen tearing. In some cases, there may be some noticeable screen flicker in this mode, which can be reduced by switching to the Standard Engine, although this mode has a reduced VRR range of 50-60 fps.

Inputs
8.9
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
9.6 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
9.6 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
10.0 ms
Variable Refresh Rate @ 60Hz
10.0 ms
10 Bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
N/A

Excellent low input lag in any mode, even with FreeSync enabled.

9.2
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 3840 x 2160
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 8.3 MP
Pixel Density
139 PPI
Screen Diagonal 31.6"
Screen Area 426 inĀ²

The 32 inch, 4k screen is great for multitasking, as it provides a great deal of screen real estate. It also provides for a more immersive gaming experience.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.2)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 1 (HDMI 2.0), 1 (HDMI 1.4)
DVI No
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB No
USB C No
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Microphone In 3.5mm No
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply External Brick

The Samsung U32J590UQN has two HDMI ports, but only HDMI 2 supports 4k @ 60 Hz, whereas HDMI 1 is limited to 4k @ 30 Hz.

Features
Features
Additional Features
RGB Illumination
No
Speakers
No
HDR10 No
Multiple Input Display
PIP + PBP

Update 06/11/2019: We initially reported that this monitor has internal speakers. It does not have speakers but has a headphone jack with adjustable volume from the monitor's OSD.

The UJ590 has no internal speakers, and it doesn't support HDR. It has a few additional features:

  • Game Mode: Adjusts picture settings, including contrast, to make it easier to spot to see fine details in some scenes.
  • Picture-In-Picture/Picture-By-Picture: Allows you to display the image from multiple inputs at once, either side-by-side, or as a floating image.
  • Features
    On-Screen Display (OSD)
    Features
    Controls
    Features
    In The Box

    • Manual
    • Power adapter
    • HDMI cable
    • Stand hole cover