Samsung UR59C 4K Curved Monitor Review: Premium Image, Budget Price

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Conclusion

4K monitors, even large ones, don’t have to be extremely expensive anymore. With general use and gaming displays selling for under $1,000 at up to 32 inches, there are plenty of value choices when going high-res. If you forgo things like HDR, extended color and fast refresh rates; the price becomes even more attractive.

(Image credit: Samsung)

This curved display surprised us in several ways. Its out-of-box calibration was unimpressive, but a few tweaks took it to a shockingly high standard worthy of some pro displays’ envy. We also expected less than wonderful gaming performance since it’s refresh rate is just 60 Hz and it lacks FreeSync or G-Sync. But when motivated by our 1080 Ti FE, it delivered an excellent gaming experience. Hardcore players will probably wish for more, but casual gamers will simply enjoy the stunning visuals. And the curve? It’s far more effective than that of some curved screens we’ve reviewed with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

And that is what the UR59C is all about: a gorgeous picture. Once calibrated (just dial in our settings for best results), it presented a clear, bright and sharp image full of rich natural colors and contrast for days. When lined up next to an IPS or TN monitor, there’s no comparison. 

At $420 street, the Samsung UR59C is a bargain in the 32-inch 4K monitor category. If you can live without HDR, extended color and adaptive sync, it can be a great addition to a middle to high budget system.

Image Credits: Samsung, Tom's Hardware

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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.

11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • AlistairAB
    An entire review that doesn't mention the existing flat version? The UJ59 for $350? Weird... just get the same monitor for less and without a curve? Been on sale for 1-2 years already.
    Reply
  • DookieDraws
    Christian, under the large monitor image on the first page, where the specs are located, you have the screen size listed as 35 inches.
    Reply
  • truerock
    I prefer my video monitors not have speakers, audio ports, floppy disk drives, can openers... etc.

    I would like to see DisplayPort and HDMI ports replaced with USB-C ports.
    Reply
  • mjtartist
    I just received this monitor yesterday. The clarity is great and color without any adjustments is very good. Since I do color specific work in Photoshop for many clients, after setting up the monitor I looked for 2 files:

    A driver for the monitor, and, a color profile provided by Samsung. I found nothing. Samsung's website shows no driver/color profile for the monitor. I contacted support via chat. The support tech sent me a executable file that supposedly was the driver/color profile for this monitor. Just the title of the file aroused my suspicion. Today I called Samsung support and was told that the file I received yesterday was for an entirely different model. I was also told that no driver/color profile for this monitor is available from Samsung. Really?

    My question to the reviewer of this product is did you use the default driver/color profile that Windows installs when the monitor is attached?

    I also asked the tech at Samsung about profiling the monitor with a colorimeter and 3rd party profiling software. That confused him. I doubt that he had ever heard of a colorimeter, and, even implied that this monitor could even be profiled. For me....end of conversation!

    I plan to keep this monitor was at least a few more days. I will then make a decision about returning it.
    Reply
  • cheekykid
    The HDMI black level once turned from Low to Normal completely kills my black level. Can there be such a stark difference between my monitor and the one tested here? I advise everyone to use a dark background and try between Low and Normal to see what am talking about.
    Reply
  • roxton
    Hey Tom's! Why don't you mention PWM in your future monitor reviews? My eyes react on PWM quite badly and I'd love to know if a monitor uses it to adjust brightness.
    Reply
  • toke lahti
    You only measure gamut against sRGB?
    Really?
    Is this Tomshardware in 2020?
    Reply
  • MisterCheesy
    Took me a while to find it, so I thought I'd post it for posterity...Drivers and profile are here: Curved UHD Monitor (UR59 Series) | Owner Information & Support | Samsung US
    Reply
  • AnAtom
    MisterCheesy said:
    Took me a while to find it, so I thought I'd post it for posterity...Drivers and profile are here: Curved UHD Monitor (UR59 Series) | Owner Information & Support | Samsung US
    Did Windows Smartscreen flag that driver as suspicious and prevent it from running in your case?
    Reply
  • chmedly
    Does this monitor, by any chance, accept 30Hz signals? As in broadcast professional video and security camera signals?
    Reply