When I first unboxed the 57” Samsung Odyssey G9 over a year ago, I called it the "endgame of monitors." It’s hard to believe I’ve been using it for that long, but even after a year, I still feel that way—although, there's always room for improvement. For anyone considering making the switch to a super ultrawide monitor or curious about what it’s like to replace multiple monitors with just one, here’s a summary of my experience.
This won’t be a full review, as I’ve already covered the details in previous posts, but this will walk you through the good, the not-so-good, and everything I’ve learned from using this beast for an entire year. Let’s dive in!
The Good: Why I Love This Ultrawide Setup
First off, let me say that using a super ultrawide monitor instead of multiple smaller screens is simply awesome. From a productivity standpoint, I feel WAY more efficient. Having everything on one seamless screen means no more lining up monitors or losing precious space at the joins between them.
Most people, when using multiple monitors, tend to dedicate one app per screen, or maybe two apps per monitor. But with this 57” ultrawide, I routinely have 15 apps open at once—and it works beautifully! I can resize and arrange windows to my liking, maximising the space. Sure, it can get messy with that many windows open, but I use a tool called MOOM that lets me snap all my windows back into place with a quick keyboard shortcut.
Whether I’m writing an email, responding to a DM, or juggling tasks, everything is just a glance away. No more alt-tabbing endlessly to find what I need—everything is right there.
Zoom calls are another concern some might have. While sharing an ultrawide desktop might be impractical for others to view, I simply share individual windows or apps and resize them as needed. Problem solved.
PPI & Resolution: The Big Upgrade
One of my favourite aspects of this monitor is the pixel density—about 140 pixels per inch. Unless you get really close, you won’t see individual pixels. Text and edges are crisp, unlike my experience with the 49” G9, where things felt blocky. The 57” version’s 2160 vertical resolution (essentially two 4K screens side-by-side) is a game-changer. I can fit so much more on the screen, and everything still looks incredibly sharp.
Gaming: Incredible, With a Caveat
Gaming on this monitor has been amazing, but you’ll need a powerful PC to drive it. I’ve got the latest-gen Intel CPU and a 4090 GPU powering mine. I previously used a 7900XTX, but after swapping to the 4090, I saw higher frame rates and far fewer stability issues. With the 4090, it’s been rock-solid, perfect for sim racing or other serious gaming setups. (Side note: I’m considering building a sim racing rig—let me know in the comments if you’d be interested in seeing that!)
One drawback with gaming is that in some titles, like Fortnite or Helldivers, the heads-up displays are fixed in the corners, meaning you’ll be constantly moving your head to check the map or shortcuts. But otherwise, the brightness, contrast, and overall colours are fantastic, though the black levels could be better—this is where OLED panels would come in handy.
The Downsides: Haloing and Heavy Lifting
While the monitor is great, it does have some flaws. One of the most annoying is the severe haloing on black screens. It’s especially noticeable when turning the monitor on or off, or when watching videos with dark scenes. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s something an OLED panel would fix.
Another issue? This monitor is big, heavy, and curved, making it tricky to find the right monitor arm. I used the Ergotron HX HD arm for the 49” model, but it wasn’t quite up to the task for this 57” behemoth. After a year of drooping, I finally found a solution: Secretlab’s Heavy Duty Monitor Arm, which supports up to 16 kg and works with any desk—not just Secretlab’s. Full disclosure: this post is sponsored by Secretlab, but I reached out to them myself because I was desperate for a better solution.
The installation process was smooth, with a double-locking mechanism to secure the monitor before tightening it up. Once mounted, the monitor doesn’t droop anymore and can be adjusted to tilt, swivel, and move in and out as needed. There are even magnetic cable sheaths for easy cable management.
https://geni.us/SECRETLAB_MONITOR_ARM
Other Annoyances and Improvements Needed
One small gripe: the plastic cover on the back of the monitor that’s supposed to hide the cables is flimsy. The clips snapped on mine, and now it won’t stay on. Another issue is that you need to remove this cover to update the firmware via USB—kind of frustrating for a £2,500 monitor.
I’d also love to see USB-C support in the next version, especially as a Mac and laptop user. For now, I’ve had to hook up an old Thunderbolt dock and use HDMI for full resolution, but I can’t get the 240Hz refresh rate—only 120Hz.
Alternatives: The 49” G9 OLED
If I were to consider an alternative, it would be the 49” G9 OLED. It’s thinner, lighter, has USB-C, and offers OLED-level colors. However, it has a lower resolution and PPI, and the curve isn’t as pronounced. So for now, the 57” Odyssey G9 is still my favourite monitor for both productivity and casual gaming.
Until Samsung releases an OLED version of the 57” model with USB-C support, I don’t see myself using anything else as my daily driver.
That wraps up my experience after a year with the Samsung Odyssey G9. Have any questions or thoughts? Drop them in the comments below!
