Used 1440p/4k Monitor

[Phoenix864]

As part of a recent PC upgrade, I'm also looking to upgrade my monitor. I'm currently running a Dell S2716DG. It sees mostly semi-competitive gaming and 'office' use - I don't do much movie watching, video editing, etc on the display. I'd like to stick to a high refresh rate (144hz or higher) and 1440p/4k resolution. I'm leaning more toward 4k if possible, but am very open to good value 1440p options. Price-wise, I'm hoping to stay within $850 USD, but lower is always better. Any recommendations for models to check out is much appreciated.

 

To maximize bang-for-the-buck, I've been looking at some local used options. I'll have the opportunity to check each of the monitors out in-person before making a purchase.

 

Locally, there's a Samsung G7 Odyssey 32" available for $350, Neo G7 4K 165hz available for $850, G7 Odyssey 28" available for ~$500, and G9 Odyssey for ~$850 (lots of Odysseys available locally). Between those options, is there anything that jumps out as great value? Are there any other monitors or configurations of the Odyssey I should specifically look for?

 

 

[e22big]

I'll probably go for Neo G7 (if you don't mind the curve), HDR is always useful even if you don't plan to use it for movies. 32 inches is also too big for 1440p, especially for Samsung's. They have huge pixel gaps on some model and it can be very noticeable on such a low PPI display, and 28 inches is too small for the curve (unless you get the 4k IPS version but that kinda defeat the purpose of the Samsung Odyssey line)

 

If you don't mind BGR subpixels, Going Gigabyte is also a good idea for bang for the buck option, M32U for 4k 32 inches 144hz+, and M28U for 28 inches version (the 28-27 inches 4k have better response time in general across the brand.)  

 

You can go even lower for 1440p 27-28 inches although I would personally pick 4k anyway if you work and play as M28U and M32U are cheaper than even some of the 1440p (they are harder to drive but can also be lowered to 1080p with less visual quality losses compared to from 1440p)

[mononymous]

With your current monitor what are you most unsatisfied about?

 

Since I don't have all of the monitor specs memorized by heart, let me list them out below.

 

1: 32" G7, 1440p, 240Hz, $350

+ Significantly Higher Refresh rate

+ Cheaper

- Lower PPI

? Curved

 

2: 32" Neo G7, 4K, 165Hz, $850

+ Slightly Higher Refresh Rate

+ Higher PPI

+ Future Proofing

- Expensive

? Curved

 

3: 49" G9, 5120x1440, 240Hz, $850

+ Significantly Higher Refresh Rate

+ Similar PPI

+ Dual monitor without bezels

- Takes alot of space

- Expensive

? Curved

? Game Compatibility

 

4: 28" G7, 4K, 144Hz, $500

? Same Refresh Rate

? Significantly Higher PPI

? Flat

 

I tried to list out the current selection with pros and cons, however there are still unknowns so I just left them with a "?". Don't know what kind of games you play at a semi-competitive level so I can't really recommend a monitor. However, I've owned a 27" 4K monitor before and even when playing from an arms length the pixel density was wasted on me when playing FPS titles. The most bang for buck option would be getting the 1st option, use your current monitor as a secondary display and use it until it dies. 

 

 

 

 

[Andrewtst]

3 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

Neo G7 4K 165hz

From your listing, I will pick this. 

[Phoenix864]

3 hours ago, e22big said:

I'll probably go for Neo G7 (if you don't mind the curve), HDR is always useful even if you don't plan to use it for movies. 32 inches is also too big for 1440p, especially for Samsung's. They have huge pixel gaps on some model and it can be very noticeable on such a low PPI display, and 28 inches is too small for the curve (unless you get the 4k IPS version but that kinda defeat the purpose of the Samsung Odyssey line)

 

If you don't mind BGR subpixels, Going Gigabyte is also a good idea for bang for the buck option, M32U for 4k 32 inches 144hz+, and M28U for 28 inches version (the 28-27 inches 4k have better response time in general across the brand.)  

 

You can go even lower for 1440p 27-28 inches although I would personally pick 4k anyway if you work and play as M28U and M32U are cheaper than even some of the 1440p (they are harder to drive but can also be lowered to 1080p with less visual quality losses compared to from 1440p)

Good to know about 1440p on Samsung displays. I'll be keeping this monitor for a while (likely 6+ years), so getting something sharp and semi-future proof is high up on my list. I've never seen a BGR monitor in-person, but from reading about it online it seems like a somewhat substantial drawback. In order to maximize clarity, I think I'd prefer to avoid it. That said, I'll keep an eye out for a good price on those Gigabyte monitors.

 

3 hours ago, mononymous said:

With your current monitor what are you most unsatisfied about?

 

Since I don't have all of the monitor specs memorized by heart, let me list them out below.

 

1: 32" G7, 1440p, 240Hz, $350

+ Significantly Higher Refresh rate

+ Cheaper

- Lower PPI

? Curved

 

2: 32" Neo G7, 4K, 165Hz, $850

+ Slightly Higher Refresh Rate

+ Higher PPI

+ Future Proofing

- Expensive

? Curved

 

3: 49" G9, 5120x1440, 240Hz, $850

+ Significantly Higher Refresh Rate

+ Similar PPI

+ Dual monitor without bezels

- Takes alot of space

- Expensive

? Curved

? Game Compatibility

 

4: 28" G7, 4K, 144Hz, $500

? Same Refresh Rate

? Significantly Higher PPI

? Flat

 

I tried to list out the current selection with pros and cons, however there are still unknowns so I just left them with a "?". Don't know what kind of games you play at a semi-competitive level so I can't really recommend a monitor. However, I've owned a 27" 4K monitor before and even when playing from an arms length the pixel density was wasted on me when playing FPS titles. The most bang for buck option would be getting the 1st option, use your current monitor as a secondary display and use it until it dies. 

 

 

 

 

 

I've honestly been nothing but happy with my Dell S2716DG, but I'll be passing on my entire setup (monitor included) to a family member who's looking to get a desktop. If I could improve anything about the Dell, it would be the colors - they're functional, but not great. I've never really used a curved display, but though this could be a good opportunity to try one out, so being curved isn't a problem for me. Overwatch and For Honor are the only games I really play semi-competitively, but I prefer the feeling of a very responsive display (targeting 144fps in all games, even in more casual ones).

 

The price on the 32" G7 is very attractive, but I'm back and forth on if the additional sharpness is worth the bump to the G7 Neo. 4k sounds very appealing, but I haven't had the chance to daily-drive it. The only local Neo is new-in-box, while the G7 has been used. I know the IPS panel of the 28" G7 looses the draws of the VA panel. However, does it give up anything compared to the Gigabyte's M28U (especially at the used price)?

 

At this point, I'm very strongly considering the 32" G7 and G7 Neo. I'm interested in trying a bit larger and curved monitor, but the 49" G9 seems a bit excessive.

[e22big]

39 minutes ago, Phoenix864 said:

Good to know about 1440p on Samsung displays. I'll be keeping this monitor for a while (likely 6+ years), so getting something sharp and semi-future proof is high up on my list. I've never seen a BGR monitor in-person, but from reading about it online it seems like a somewhat substantial drawback. In order to maximize clarity, I think I'd prefer to avoid it. That said, I'll keep an eye out for a good price on those Gigabyte monitors.

 

 

I've honestly been nothing but happy with my Dell S2716DG, but I'll be passing on my entire setup (monitor included) to a family member who's looking to get a desktop. If I could improve anything about the Dell, it would be the colors - they're functional, but not great. I've never really used a curved display, but though this could be a good opportunity to try one out, so being curved isn't a problem for me. Overwatch and For Honor are the only games I really play semi-competitively, but I prefer the feeling of a very responsive display (targeting 144fps in all games, even in more casual ones).

 

The price on the 32" G7 is very attractive, but I'm back and forth on if the additional sharpness is worth the bump to the G7 Neo. 4k sounds very appealing, but I haven't had the chance to daily-drive it. The only local Neo is new-in-box, while the G7 has been used. I know the IPS panel of the 28" G7 looses the draws of the VA panel. However, does it give up anything compared to the Gigabyte's M28U (especially at the used price)?

 

At this point, I'm very strongly considering the 32" G7 and G7 Neo. I'm interested in trying a bit larger and curved monitor, but the 49" G9 seems a bit excessive.

It's not that bad honestly. It can cause some colour fringe but BGR text rendering is the easiest to fix for a none-standard subpixel layout. Windows own ClearType utility are pretty much made for it (but granted, it can still causing issues even with ClearType on.)

 

BGR can be a major issue if you like small text but if scaling them up, you eliminate any issues with it completely (alternatively, you can also hang it up side down.) But yeah, nothing beat a standard RGB strip subpixel layout when it comes to text. 

 

But otherwise, you can always go LG 

[Stahlmann]

I'd suggest a LG C2 OLED for around $800-$900. At that price point it's unbeatable value if 42" isn't too big.

[Phoenix864]

10 hours ago, e22big said:

It's not that bad honestly. It can cause some colour fringe but BGR text rendering is the easiest to fix for a none-standard subpixel layout. Windows own ClearType utility are pretty much made for it (but granted, it can still causing issues even with ClearType on.)

 

BGR can be a major issue if you like small text but if scaling them up, you eliminate any issues with it completely (alternatively, you can also hang it up side down.) But yeah, nothing beat a standard RGB strip subpixel layout when it comes to text. 

 

But otherwise, you can always go LG 

Good to hear, apparently Microcenter has the M28U for $520 as well - solid price, even compared to the used options. If the text is decent, then it's certainly a strong option.

 

10 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

I'd suggest a LG C2 OLED for around $800-$900. At that price point it's unbeatable value if 42" isn't too big.

Frankly, 42" seems rather huge to me as a desktop monitor, but the display otherwise sounds good. At $900 brand new it isn't much more than the Neo G7. Definitely worth considering.

 

With so many options that seem to fit my criteria, I'm having a difficult time narrowing down my search. It seems like whenever you search one of these monitors, someone is complaining about something (color, flickering, latency, etc), so sifting by user reviews also hasn't been much of a help.

[Stahlmann]

2 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

Good to hear, apparently Microcenter has the M28U for $520 as well - solid price, even compared to the used options. If the text is decent, then it's certainly a strong option.

 

Frankly, 42" seems rather huge to me as a desktop monitor, but the display otherwise sounds good. At $900 brand new it isn't much more than the Neo G7. Definitely worth considering.

 

With so many options that seem to fit my criteria, I'm having a difficult time narrowing down my search. It seems like whenever you search one of these monitors, someone is complaining about something (color, flickering, latency, etc), so sifting by user reviews also hasn't been much of a help.

I'd say the closest to a non-compromise display will always be the OLED. Ultimately you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide which model's cons will impact you the least.

 

I personally went with the C2 and it's been a great experience. By far the best gaming display i've ever had.

[Andrewtst]

19 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

At this point, I'm very strongly considering the 32" G7 and G7 Neo. I'm interested in trying a bit larger and curved monitor, but the 49" G9 seems a bit excessive.

I didn't own G7 Neo but I own G8 Neo.

 

I also didn't own G9 but I own G9 Neo.

 

I can assure G8 Neo is far better than G9 Neo in the HDR implementation. G9 Neo HDR still got a little black smearing sometimes in very dark scenes even on latest firmware, but G8 Neo is totally perfect from it original initial firmware. I believe this is same for G7 Neo as well. 

 

Also G9 Neo is not 4K but 1440p+, text sharpness wise can't compare with G7 Neo / G8 Neo which is 4K.

 

You will not regret getting the G7 Neo which basically similar as G8 Neo.

[Phoenix864]

Hmm, lots of great options. Choosing the best bang-for-the-buck is challenging. I like the prices on used stuff, but am also worried about running into problems without a warranty, speaking that everyone seems to constantly complain about getting bad displays.

 

The LG C2 is beginning to look more appealing. It's available locally brand new for $900 or open box from Best Buy for $800. The picture quality and response time of OLED seem amazing, but it would be nice if the refresh rate was 144hz rather than 120,

5 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

I'd say the closest to a non-compromise display will always be the OLED. Ultimately you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide which model's cons will impact you the least.

 

I personally went with the C2 and it's been a great experience. By far the best gaming display i've ever had.

Have you found the original stand usable, or is it necessary to replace it with something height adjustable when using it as a monitor? I'd really prefer not to spend for anything additional if I go with the C2, as it's already pushing my budget.

 

The G7 Neo is also sounding great. I can grab one new-in-box from a private seller locally for $850. While I like the OLED panel better, 165hz is a definite improvement for me, and the 32" size seems more manageable.

 

Otherwise, there's still a used G7 32" 1440p 240hz (appealing for gaming, but sounds like the resolution is sub-optimal), and a G70A 28" 4k 144hz for ~$350 (solid all-around panel, and much cheaper).

 

Out of those options, are there any obvious contenders for best value? Any recommendations to push me one way or another would be appreciated.

[Stahlmann]

5 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

Have you found the original stand usable, or is it necessary to replace it with something height adjustable when using it as a monitor? I'd really prefer not to spend for anything additional if I go with the C2, as it's already pushing my budget.

The included stand is fine. As the screen itself is so big, i find it unnecessary to further adjust it's height. But i spent $20 on a simple wall mount which then also allows for tilt adjustment if you don't want the display to be completely vertical.

 

5 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

The picture quality and response time of OLED seem amazing, but it would be nice if the refresh rate was 144hz rather than 120,

There is no noticeable difference between 120Hz and 144Hz. Even a 200Hz monitor i had in the past felt slow compared to the 120Hz OLED. You need to go to 240Hz or above with an LCD monitor, only then it'll feel and look significantly smoother than a 120Hz OLED.

 

5 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

The G7 Neo is also sounding great. I can grab one new-in-box from a private seller locally for $850. While I like the OLED panel better, 165hz is a definite improvement for me, and the 32" size seems more manageable.

Size is pretty much preference, but i can almost guarantee that the 120Hz C2 will look better and feel smoother in motion. The G7 and G8 have significantly higher input lag in HDR when they need the added processing power to work the MiniLED backlight. And with LCD's performance will typically get worse when you run at a lower refresh rate. OLED is always consistent.

 

5 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

Otherwise, there's still a used G7 32" 1440p 240hz (appealing for gaming, but sounds like the resolution is sub-optimal), and a G70A 28" 4k 144hz for ~$350 (solid all-around panel, and much cheaper).

Both have realistically no HDR capabilities. So that's the main thing you sacrafice with these 2 cheaper options.

 

5 hours ago, Phoenix864 said:

Out of those options, are there any obvious contenders for best value? Any recommendations to push me one way or another would be appreciated.

I can only say that the C2 has been great in every regard for me. $800 or $900 is just an incredible value for a 42" 4K display with good HDR, instant response times, no perceptable input lag and for this display size uncontested picture quality.

[Phoenix864]

8 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

The included stand is fine. As the screen itself is so big, i find it unnecessary to further adjust it's height. But i spent $20 on a simple wall mount which then also allows for tilt adjustment if you don't want the display to be completely vertical.

 

There is no noticeable difference between 120Hz and 144Hz. Even a 200Hz monitor i had in the past felt slow compared to the 120Hz OLED. You need to go to 240Hz or above with an LCD monitor, only then it'll feel and look significantly smoother than a 120Hz OLED.

 

Size is pretty much preference, but i can almost guarantee that the 120Hz C2 will look better and feel smoother in motion. The G7 and G8 have significantly higher input lag in HDR when they need the added processing power to work the MiniLED backlight. And with LCD's performance will typically get worse when you run at a lower refresh rate. OLED is always consistent.

 

Both have realistically no HDR capabilities. So that's the main thing you sacrafice with these 2 cheaper options.

 

I can only say that the C2 has been great in every regard for me. $800 or $900 is just an incredible value for a 42" 4K display with good HDR, instant response times, no perceptable input lag and for this display size uncontested picture quality.

All right, just pulled the trigger on a C2 (model OLED42C2PUA, I hope that's the right one). There was an open box available a little farther away for $800, but I decided to play it safe and grab a new one nearby for $900. Sounds like it should match the responsiveness of my 144hz TN Dell while looking way better. I'm very excited to try it out once I put together a system with a HDMI 2.1 GPU.

 

Thanks for recommending the C2 and sharing your experiences with it. I don't think I would have checked it out otherwise.

[Stahlmann]

9 minutes ago, Phoenix864 said:

All right, just pulled the trigger on a C2 (model OLED42C2PUA, I hope that's the right one). There was an open box available a little farther away for $800, but I decided to play it safe and grab a new one nearby for $900. Sounds like it should match the responsiveness of my 144hz TN Dell while looking way better. I'm very excited to try it out once I put together a system with a HDMI 2.1 GPU.

 

Thanks for recommending the C2 and sharing your experiences with it. I don't think I would have checked it out otherwise.

You can get a Displayport to HDMI adapter in the meantime that should allow you to run 4K 120Hz until you get a newer GPU. I hope you'll like it as much as i like mine.