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Samsung UE590 Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Review updated Feb 09, 2018 at 03:50 pm
Latest change: Retest Jul 02, 2021 at 10:47 am
Samsung UE590 Picture
6.7
Mixed Usage
6.8
Office
7.2
Gaming
6.6
Multimedia
6.6
Media Creation
4.8
HDR Gaming

The Samsung U28E590D is an average 4k 28 inch monitor with a TN-type LCD. It has a high resolution and a larger than average screen size giving it good usable space. Unfortunately, its picture quality is poor, and its very low viewing angle means it's impossible to have a uniform picture. It also lacks support for wider color gamuts or HDR, and its stand leaves a lot to be desired.

Our Verdict

6.7 Mixed Usage

The Samsung U28E590D is a mediocre monitor for mixed usage. The lackluster picture quality and very narrow viewing angle mean its performance is below average on a few basic elements for a good monitor. Its higher resolution and larger size are otherwise good features. Its stand is also less than stellar, offering very few adjustments.

Pros
  • High 4k resolution.
Cons
  • Disappointing picture quality.
  • Very narrow viewing angle.
  • Stand has limited flexibility.
6.8 Office

The Samsung U28E590D is alright for use in an office environment. While its high resolution is useful for productivity, its very narrow viewing angles and poor ergonomics reduce its practicality in team-oriented workplaces, as sharing your screen with neighboring colleagues is less intuitive.

7.2 Gaming

The Samsung U28E590D does a decent job with video games thanks to its low input lag and motion blur. Unfortunately, however, its poor picture quality reduces immersion and it lacks more advanced features like G-Sync and high refresh rates. Its higher 4k resolution is quite enjoyable, though.

6.6 Multimedia

The Samsung U28E590D is only okay for multimedia. The inadequate picture quality makes it less interesting for watching movies or other content in a dark room. It does have a 4k resolution which helps make UHD movies look sharp, but it lacks support for HDR or wide color gamuts for an even better picture.

6.6 Media Creation

The Samsung U28E590D is alright for media creators. Its lack of support for wider gamuts and poor uniformity make it difficult to remain accurate. Furthermore, its poor viewing angle means that colors are likely to have meddling accuracy regardless of your viewing position.

4.8 HDR Gaming

The Samsung U28E590D does not support HDR.

  • 6.7 Mixed Usage
  • 6.8 Office
  • 7.2 Gaming
  • 6.6 Multimedia
  • 6.6 Media Creation
  • 4.8 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Jul 02, 2021: Changed height adjustment result from 'N/A' to '0' to match our methodology.
  2. Updated Jul 13, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  3. 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.
  4. Updated Nov 20, 2017: Review published.
  5. Updated Nov 18, 2017: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Oct 16, 2017: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

There are two sizes available for the UE590, a 24 and 28 inch variant.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung U28E590 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.

Size Model Name Full Product code
24" U24E590D U24E590 LU24E590DS/ZA
28" U28E590D U28E590 LU28E590DS/ZA

Compared To Other Monitors

Comparison picture

The Samsung U28E590 is a decent monitor, but it comes with quite a few major trade-offs that often make it a less desirable choice over its competition. It is, however, a bit cheaper than average. See our recommendations for the best 32-inch monitors, the best 4k gaming monitors, and the best PC gaming monitors.

BenQ EL2870U

The BenQ EL2870U is much better than the Samsung UE590. The BenQ supports HDR, although this doesn't add much. The BenQ also has slightly better motion handling, as the backlight is completely flicker-free at all brightness settings. Although both monitors support FreeSync, the BenQ supports it over DisplayPort and HDMI, whereas the Samsung only supports FreeSync over DisplayPort.

Samsung U32J590

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.

LG 27UD68-B

The LG 27UD68P-B is significantly better than the Samsung UE590. The LG 27UD68P-B uses an IPS panel which has much wider viewing angles. The LG has better ergonomics, as the stand height can be adjusted and it can switch between portrait and landscape orientations. The LG is flicker-free, whereas the Samsung UE590 flickers at lower brightness levels, which causes duplications in motion.

Dell U2715H

The Dell U2715H is much better than the Samsung UE590. The U2715H has much better viewing angles and better ergonomics, so it can easily be adjusted to the best position and readjusted if there are multiple users. The Dell is better for people sensitive to flicker, as it is flicker-free. The Samsung UE590 is a bit better for gaming, as it has a faster refresh rate with FreeSync support and higher native resolution.

Dell U2717D

The Dell U2717D is much better than the Samsung UE590. The U2717D has much better ergonomics, so it is easier to adjust to a more comfortable viewing position. The Dell has much wider viewing angles, and better gray uniformity. The Samsung UE590 is better for gamers, as it has much lower input lag and a faster refresh rate, so fast moving objects have less motion blur.

LG 27UD58-B

The LG 27UD58-B is much better than the Samsung UE590. The LG 27UD58-B has much wider viewing angles, and there are no duplications in moving objects as the backlight is flicker-free. The 27UD58 has better gray uniformity, which is great for watching streaming sports.

Samsung JG50

The Samsung JG50 is a bit better than the Samsung UE590, although they use different panel technologies, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The UE590 has a TN panel, with a 4k resolution, great for multitasking. The JG50 uses a VA panel, which delivers much deeper blacks. The JG50 has a lower native resolution, but has a much faster refresh rate and has less input lag.

LG 32QN55T-B

The LG 32QN55T-B is much better than the Samsung UE590 for most users. The LG has much better viewing angles, so the image remains accurate at the sides and if you're sharing your screen with someone else. The LG also has better accuracy out of the box, supports HDR, and has a flicker-free backlight. On the other hand, the Samsung monitor has a much higher pixel density, resulting in sharper images and much better text clarity.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 28"
Curved No
Curve Radius Not Curved
Weight (without stand)
10.4 lbs (4.7 kg)
Weight (with stand)
11.9 lbs (5.4 kg)
Design
Stand
Width
15.3" (38.9 cm)
Depth
7.4" (18.8 cm)

The stand is basic but looks good. It has quite a small footprint. Despite this, it does feel quite stable but doesn't have much weight, so it's easy to accidentally move it.

1.5
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
0.0" (0.0 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range No swivel
Tilt Range -20Ā° to 5Ā°

Update 07/02/2021: We previously had 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.

Ergonomic adjustments on the Samsung U28E590D are very limited. The only option is to tilt the screen, so finding a comfortable setup may be difficult.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 100x100

The rear of the Samsung U28E590D monitor is quite basic, with all of the inputs located in the center and directed out the back. The VESA mounting point is a bit strange, at the top of the monitor and also recessed so it may be harder to fit with some mounts.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.7" (1.8 cm)

The borders are simple but look fine. They are a bit thicker than most other monitors we've tested, which isn't ideal for a multi-screen setup.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
4.8" (12.2 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
2.0" (5.1 cm)

The monitor is quite thin when viewed from the side, and looks good. The bottom of the monitor is the thickest, but even this is a maximum of 2".

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality of the Samsung LU28E590DS is good. Although almost entirely plastic, it has a textured finish and feels quite nice. All of the parts are fairly well put together.

Picture Quality
5.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
688 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

The contrast ratio is disappointing for this Samsung TN monitor when compared to another TN monitor like the AOC AGON AG271QX, which can reach over 1000:1. Darkroom performance is poor since when displaying true blacks, they tend to look more like grays and the whole screen has a washed-out look. Performance is better when ambient light is present though and as such, this would be the best scenario for this monitor. If you want a monitor that has a higher contrast ratio for better dark room performance, check out the LG 32UL500-W.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct

The Samsung UE590 UHD does not have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only.

7.3
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
278 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
287 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
292 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
293 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
293 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
293 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
287 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
291 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
292 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
292 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
292 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.001

The Samsung U28E590D's brightness is decent. It isn't the brightest display we've seen, but it can get bright enough to fit in most viewing environments without much issue. The brightness does not fluctuate over time or depending on what is shown on screen, which is great.

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.

6.4
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
32Ā°
Color Washout From Right
38Ā°
Color Shift From Left
29Ā°
Color Shift From Right
26Ā°
Brightness Loss From Left
46Ā°
Brightness Loss From Right
50Ā°
Black Level Raise From Left
25Ā°
Black Level Raise From Right
29Ā°
Gamma Shift From Left
28Ā°
Gamma Shift From Right
26Ā°

Poor horizontal viewing angle. As is usual with other TN-type LCD monitors, the Samsung UE590 does quite poorly with most aspects of our viewing angle test. Its colors shift a fair amount and most noticeably is its black level which raises considerably from a slightly off-axis position.

5.4
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
13Ā°
Color Washout From Above
68Ā°
Color Shift From Below
21Ā°
Color Shift From Above
62Ā°
Brightness Loss From Below
25Ā°
Brightness Loss From Above
50Ā°
Black Level Raise From Below
23Ā°
Black Level Raise From Above
32Ā°
Gamma Shift From Below
3Ā°
Gamma Shift From Above
3Ā°

Bad vertical viewing angle. The colors of the Samsung U28E590D start shifting very rapidly when it is viewed from below, even going as far as completely inverting at steeper angles. Its brightness also shows quite drastic shifts, as it both goes very dark when viewed from below and very bright when viewed from above. This makes it difficult, especially considering its larger size, to have a perfectly uniform picture even from a centered viewing position.

7.2
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
7.297%
50% DSE
0.142%
5% Std. Dev.
1.012%
5% DSE
0.094%

The overall gray uniformity is decent on the Samsung U28E590D. On the 50% gray uniformity, some really faint vertical band are visible, but they are too faint to appear when watching normal content. The edge is a bit darker in some areas, but the difference between those spots is very smooth and does not attract the eyes too much. Note that on the 50% picture, the top of the screen looks darker, but this is mostly due to the effect of the vertical viewing angle of the TV panel.

On the 5% gray uniformity test picture, we can see the backlight bleed on the lower-left corner, which is also visible on the black uniformity test, and also some of the horizontal lines that were also noticed on the 50% gray test picture. Those are mostly only visible on a uniform and dark color and are not really noticeable on normal content unless you are watching some really dark multimedia content.

3.9
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.438%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The black uniformity of the Samsung U28E590D is bad. Some backlight bleed is visible around the edges of the monitor, especially at the bottom and the top. This causes content that uses a lot of pure blacks (such as the letterboxes in movies) to get a grey, cloudy tone that can be quite distracting. This is also a much worse black uniformity compared to the AOC AGON AG271QX, another TN monitor that we have reviewed before.

4.0
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom
Luminance
405 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
100
Contrast Setting
75
RGB Controls
Custom (50-50-50)
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
7,562 K
White Balance dE
6.97
Color dE
4.95
Gamma
2.05

Out of the box, the Samsung UE590 has poor accuracy. The most accurate picture mode was the 'Custom' one in combination with the 'Custom' 'Color Tone', but when set under those setting, the white balance dE is well over the limit that anybody would notice the level of inaccuracy. As for the color dE, at 4.95, it is way inaccurate and if we check the color temperature, we see that it is on the cool side, as the white point are drifting toward the blue too much.

If you find the color temperature too cold, you can set the monitor under the 'Custom' picture mode, and set the 'Color Tone' to 'Warm 1'. This mode is just a bit less accurate, but not by far (white balance dE is 7.85, color dE is 5.4 and the color temperature is 6167k).

The overall gamma is a bit low, but not by far, but if you look at the target curve, we see that it undershoot a bit in the brighter end of the target. Note that for all picture modes measured, the 'Gamma' 'Mode1' was the most accurate.

9.4
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom
Luminance
98 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
17
Contrast Setting
71
RGB Controls
50-31-30
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
6,500 K
White Balance dE
0.61
Color dE
1.20
Gamma
2.15

After calibration, which was also done on the 'Custom' picture mode and the 'Custom 'Color Tone', the accuracy of this Samsung monitor is excellent. This is a big improvement over the 'Out of the box' experience. The white balance dE is now under the limit which we can't discern inaccuracy (dE of 1.0) and the color dE is just hovering above the same limit. The color temperature is right on target (6500k) and if you look at our 'Post Color Picture', you can see that the white point is spot on, with only some intermediate colors being a bit off target.

As for the gamma, it is now much closer to our 2.2 target and the curve track more closely our target curve. Some little issues are still visible on the brighter end, but overall, this is a good improvement.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here.

8.4
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
96.7%
Adobe RGB xy
70.4%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

Good SDR color gamut. The Samsung U28E590D's coverage of the s.RGB color space is great. It can reproduce almost 100% of the standard RGB color gamut. At 70%, however, it's less useful for those that require the more professionally-oriented Adobe RGB color space.

8.0
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
87.6%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
71.0%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

The Samsung UE590's color volume is a little below average due to its low contrast ratio. It cannot reproduce darker colors. Due to its poor color accuracy out of the box, the color volume greatly benefits from calibration.

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

HDR color gamuts are not supported.

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 color gamuts are not supported.

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%

No image retention can be noticed on the Samsung UE590, which is good particularly for gamers out there.

9.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

Excellent performance for the Samsung UE590 monitor on our gradient test. No 8-bit banding is visible on this monitor, as it is a 10-bit monitor, and almost no perceivable color baning, even in the dark color tones. This is particularly good for people who watch a lot of multimedia content, as color banding should be kept to a minimal.

9.9
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.007%
Pixel Column Error
0.008%

This Samsung U28E590D monitor is almost completely free of color bleed. It should not be visible with normal usage.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.1%
Indirect Reflections
2.8%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.3%

The reflection handling of the Samsung U28E590D is good, and the light matte finish works well to diffuse sharp reflections across the screen and reduce their intensity. This should be fine for most rooms, but in a bright room, reflections may be distracting.

9.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
TN
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB
Motion
7.9
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
Faster
Rise / Fall Time
7.4 ms
Total Response Time
16.6 ms
Overshoot Error
0.2%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
7.0 ms
Dark Total Response Time
11.3 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
0.0%

Response Time Standard
Response Time Faster
Response Time Fastest

Very good response time, good enough for fast moving content such as first person shooters or fighting games.

Most of the blur appearing in the photo is doubling caused by the undesirable flicker of the backlight. The actual length of the trail following moving elements is actually quite short, which is good. The 'Response Time: Faster' overdrive setting was the most balanced; the 'Fastest' setting had a much faster 80% transition time but a much slower 100% transition time, and it also introduced a lot of overshoot (artifacts that look like inverted colors). As such we do not recommend the 'Fastest' setting.

7.9
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
Faster
Rise / Fall Time
7.4 ms
Total Response Time
16.6 ms
Overshoot Error
0.2%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
7.0 ms
Dark Total Response Time
11.3 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
0.0%
6.0
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free No
PWM Dimming Frequency
240 Hz

The backlight dims without utilizing flicker from 'Brightness' setting 100/100 to 31/10. It then uses PWM to dim with flicker from 30/100 to 0/100. Because the flicker is at a relatively high frequency of 240 Hz, it won't be visible when displaying a still image, but during motion, it will produce a doubling effect of moving objects (as seen in the motion blur photo). This means that at low brightness, the Samsung U28E590D monitor will have worse motion than at mid and high brightness. Also, this flicker is at too high a frequency to be useful as black frame insertion to help clear up motion.

0
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No BFI
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
No
VRR Maximum
60 Hz
VRR Minimum
40 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors DisplayPort

The Samsung U28E590D has a mediocre native refresh rate of 60 Hz, but, fortunately, also supports FreeSync. This allows the monitor to vary its refresh rate to match the frame rate of the computer when the frame rate is within the narrow range of 40-60 Hz. This is very useful when gaming because it eliminates tearing even without using VSync.

Update 01/15/2019: Unfortunately, although it does support NVIDIA's FreeSync mode, enabling it caused severe artifacts, including frames played out of order, rendering it unplayable.

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

Great low input lag, good enough for all but the most competitive gamers. The input lag is consistent no matter the input resolution, which is good. Enabling the Game Mode does not reduce the input lag, but it disables many picture options so we recommend setting it to Off for the best viewing experience.

9.2
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 3840 x 2160
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 8.3 MP
Pixel Density
161 PPI
Screen Diagonal 27.9"
Screen Area 327 inĀ²

The Samsung U28E590D monitor has an extremely sharp 4k resolution and a large 28" size, which are great for almost any usage, especially office use.

Inputs
Inputs

All of the inputs are directed out the rear of the TV.

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 DisplayPort and HDMI #2 ports support 4k @ 60Hz @ RGB because they have high bandwidth (DP 1.2 and HDMI 2.0, respectively). HDMI #1 on the other hand only supports 4k @ 30Hz @ RGB because it doesn't have enough bandwidth (it's an HDMI 1.4 port). Pushing the monitor's joystick side to side changes the volume of the 3.5mm headphone port.

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

The Samsung UE590 has a picture-in-picture (PIP) feature which lets it show two of its inputs at once. They can be shown side by side (one on each half of the screen), or one over the corner of the other. When a computer input is shown on half the screen the computer knows to scale itself accordingly (to 1920x2160), which is handy.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

The only physical control is a joystick on the back-right corner, that acts as the power button and navigates the OSD. The joystick is actually a very intuitive way to navigate an OSD, better than the (up/down/back/select) button scheme most monitors use.

Features
In The Box

  • Manual and drivers
  • Power cable
  • Power brick
  • Displayport cable
  • HDMI cable