Samsung CHG90 Review: No More Dual-Monitor Gaming

Reviews
By Christian Eberle
published

Debating a multi-screen setup? This bad boy can replace two 27-inch 16:9 monitors.

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Conclusion

Short of strapping on a high-end set of VR goggles, a curved ultra-wide monitor is the best way to enjoy your favorite games. We’ve reviewed quite a few impressive displays that range in size from 30 to 38 inches with curves both subtle and extreme. All have offered an enhanced experience in our suite of games to the point where going back to a flat 16:9 panel just isn’t fun. Some users have added extra screens to increase their field of view. It's those gamers that the CHG90 targets.

The gaming experience on this monitor is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Its 1,800R curve is tight enough that at a 3-foot viewing distance, the gaming environment completely filled our peripheral vision. There’s nothing like enjoying a wide field of view without the dividing lines of using 2 monitors. Once you’ve played on the CHG90 , it’ll be hard to go back.

That said, this amazing display is not without flaws. We wouldn't want to game on a 27-inch 16:9 FHD monitor, and that’s exactly what this panel’s pixel density represents. At a little over 13 inches high, it’s the same size as 2 such monitors placed side-by-side. That might be forgiven when considering the CHG90’s excellent contrast. With SDR material, you’ll enjoy around 3000:1, which is higher than any TN or IPS panel and better than some VA screens we’ve reviewed.

HDR support is impressive as well. With its zone-dimming edge backlight, we saw over 13,000:1 contrast at a peak output of nearly 600 nits. It’s only bettered by the Dell UP2718Q, which is in no way a gaming monitor. So, among gaming-focused displays, the CHG90 has few equals when it comes to overall image depth and quality. We're also impressed by its HDR color accuracy. Many monitors have a somewhat random approach to color tracking within the Rec.2020 container, but Samsung has nailed this metric better than any other HDR monitor we’ve measured.

And since it is marketed as a gaming monitor, a 144Hz refresh rate coupled with FreeSync 2 makes for a smooth experience free of tearing or excessive motion blur. Input lag is second only to the 200Hz Acer Z301CT among ultra-wides, so even skilled competitors should do well with the CHG90.

After using this monitor in every conceivable way, we conclude that it is by far at its best when gaming. For movie-watching, it is less competent, thanks to a lack of proper aspect ratio modes and vertical resolution. And for productivity, that low pixel density might be an issue for some.

Update November 20, 2019: Since we published this review in August 2018, we've reviewed a number of similarly sized ultrawide monitors with higher pixel density and vertical resolution. There's the Philips 436M6VBPAB Momentum (42.5 inches, 3840 x 2160). We've also checked out the Dell UltraSharp U4919DW (49 inches 5120 x 1440), but that's a professional display with a 60Hz refresh rate not targeted at gaming. Our favorite ultrawide monitor, listed on our best gaming monitors page currently, is the LG 24GK950F, but the screen size is just 24 inches (3440 x 1440) 

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

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22 Comments Comment from the forums
  • WildCard999
    It's beautiful!
    Reply
  • lhughey
    1080p? Hard pass on this. It needs at least 1440 and 1600 would be better. I know that diminishes the market for this, but people willing to pay $1000 for a monitor are going to be have a strong video card. Nvidia is about to drop a new generation of cards also, so the entry to 3840*1600 is about to move down to GT2070 series.
    Reply
  • Fait
    When someone comes out with one that is 4k HDR10+ G-sync and 144 or 240Hz, then I will get excited. The specs here just aren't that impressive.
    Reply
  • milkod2001
    Dear Samsung. Drop the facking curve, make it 32'' 4k, 100Hz, factory calibrated and we all be happy. Kind regards Most customers.
    Reply
  • SkyBill40
    I saw one of these in the wild recently. It was, in a word, impressive. That said, the 1080p resolution is likely a no go for many despite the high refresh rate and excellent quality VA panel. The curve doesn't appeal to everyone but having a smooth rather than flat view in terms of peripheral vision is pretty much a requirement for something of this size. If I had the desk space for it, I would definitely be in the market... much to my wife's dismay.
    Reply
  • Alpha Gametauri
    Ehh, i think i will stick with my Alienware 3418DW's at 3440x1440 res, 120hz, and GSync. Plus, i'm dual screening either way.
    Reply
  • 10tacle
    Yeah I immediately lost interest when I read it was 1080 on the vertical resolution. I can't stand that pinched look and lacking in vertical resolution with a super wide screen even at 21:9 aspect ratio, let alone this one at 32:9. To me it's like looking at a monitor with eyes half closed. I remember losing my 16:10 ratio 25.5" Samsung 1920x1200 monitor and upgrading to a 16:9 27"1440p monitor. It took a while to get used to the loss of vertical height even though it was a resolution upgrade.

    But it's nice to see a true 10-bit panel of this size in a sub-$1,000 (USD) price range, so kudos for Samsung on that. Just give me more vertical resolution on these extreme ulrawides and I'm sold.

    21240082 said:
    If I had the desk space for it, I would definitely be in the market... much to my wife's dismay.

    That's what kills me about women. We men have to fight for a little master bedroom closet space for our few clothes and shoes while they pack it wall to wall with their ever growing clothes and shoe collection from weekend shopping trips. Then we are lambasted for wanting our tech toys which are only purchased once every several years.
    Reply
  • acme64
    @milkod that's literally a different monitor entirely.
    Reply
  • SkyBill40
    21240211 said:
    21240082 said:
    If I had the desk space for it, I would definitely be in the market... much to my wife's dismay.

    That's what kills me about women. We men have to fight for a little master bedroom closet space for our few clothes and shoes while they pack it wall to wall with their ever growing clothes and shoe collection from weekend shopping trips. Then we are lambasted for wanting our tech toys which are only purchased once every several years.

    To be honest, she's really not that bad. She doesn't like that gaming is a hobby of mine and feels it to be a wasteful time sink, but she is fine with me doing my thing when I feel like doing it. Beyond that, I just have some exceedingly expensive hobbies: firearms, computing, high end A/V, and cars. :/

    While I could probably make it work (or any other for that matter), I hold off due to her sacrificing for the greater good and spending money on our house and such rather than expensive individual things with limited purpose. It's fine... though I won't lie that I *am* in the market for a new display as my 1920*1200 60Hz Samsung is long in the tooth and holding back my beastly 1080.
    Reply
  • bolkar
    Such a waster opportunity. 1080p vertical? really? This beast have half the pixels of my 27 inch 4K monitor, even though this is 49inch. Double the pixels on both directions then we have something to talk about...
    Reply