Samsung unveils curved 1080p gaming monitors with AMD FreeSync over HDMI
In 2015, AMD owned the PC gaming world. Its brilliant cards were not only powerful, but reasonably priced too. Hell, they were downright beautiful; the Fury X and R9 Nano specifically, were engineering marvels and works of art.
My favorite trend of the year, however, was the acceptance of AMD's FreeSync technology -- which reduces lag and tearing -- by monitor manufacturers. Unlike Nvidia's G-SYNC, it is an open technology, and better for both consumers and the gaming industry alike. Today, Samsung announces three curved gaming monitors that all feature AMD FreeSync over HDMI.
"The Samsung CF591 is the world's first frameless curved monitor. Designed for an even more immersive and realistic experience, the CF591 display draws the eye in with an 1800R curvature and makes it easy to see the monitor from multiple places in a room with 178-degree viewing angle. By offering greater viewing angles and premium color accuracy, the display brings even the smallest details to life. Images have a presence not felt on a traditional 4000R curved screen, making users truly feel like they're a part of the action. The monitor is also equipped with built-in dual 5W speakers that seamlessly integrate to deliver enriched sound quality, completely transporting users into the concert hall when listening to music or into the thick of battle when playing combat games", says Samsung.
The manufacturer further says, "the Samsung CF390 and CF391 are stunningly curved monitors (available in 27-inch and 32-inch, respectively) featuring an 1800R curvature for a greater viewing experience. With thoughtful design and engineering to match, the displays can be used for a variety of opportunities, including gaming, data analysis, or internet browsing. With ergonomic tilt and swivel components, users can easily adjust their screen to the perfect height and angle to accomplish anything, from the most demanding task to simply checking email".
Samsung shares the following specs.
Unfortunately, while 1080p is still great for gaming, that resolution is a bit poor for monitors of this size overall. Above 24-inch, text may appear blurry when doing other things, such as surfing the web or writing papers. In other words, if your aim is 1080p gaming only, these may be passable displays, but as an all-purpose monitor, you will be disappointed. Sadly, if it wasn't for FreeSync, these displays should probably be ignored altogether.
Pricing and availability are a bit of a mystery for now. Hopefully we will learn more and see additional images soon.