The Samsung G30D S27DG30 attempts to top the budget gaming monitor chart with its premium heritage and impressive pricing. It’s a 27-inch model that costs as much as a smaller screen, making it very attractive for budget builders and thrifty gamers. Let’s take a closer look at what kind of performance it can provide with the massive price cuts.
Samsung G30D S27DG30 Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p FHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate: 180Hz
- Response Time: 1ms MPRT
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 250 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: None
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.0x 1, 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 24.34” x 15.77” x 9.22”
- Weight: 9.7 lbs
Design and Features
The Samsung G30D S27DG30 has a simple esthetic, but it still has the design elements which defined the Odyssey monitors as gaming variants. The monitor has a matte black finish so it looks clean and minimalist. The screen has a bezel-free design, but it still has inner borders like most monitors.
Its not a large monitor by today’s standards, but it still has some oversized dimensions compared to its competitors. It will need over nine inches of depth due to the large stand, so it might offset some peripherals if your desk is small. However, the whole thing only weighs 9.7 pounds, so it should be very easy to move around.
Its build quality didn’t completely worsen even though it’s a budget model, unlike some offerings we’ve seen in the past. The plastic panels are thick enough to prevent cracking and flexing, and there were no cosmetic defects. The stand keeps the monitor upright, but there is some wobbling if you nudge the screen accidentally.
The Samsung G30D S27DG30 has a joystick at the bottom of the screen that allows users to easily access its settings. The monitor doesn’t have a lot of specialized sub-menus, but its still nice to have something that can help you adjust something simple like brightness. Budget models often make do with buttons, so this is an added selling point in our eyes.
This model includes a fully adjustable stand for your comfort and convenience. You can tilt, swivel, pivot, and adjust the height of the screen. You can also use VESA mounts, but those are not completely necessary unless your desk space is limited.
One aspect that took a hit to help with the price is the monitor’s connectivity layout. It only has a single slot each for DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0, along with a 3.5mm jack. That’s barebones by today’s standards, but it is acceptable if the monitor’s price is dropped low enough.
The Samsung G30D S27DG30 also doesn’t have speakers, but that’s understandable since this is a budget model. It also deserves a gaming headset since its primary purpose is geared towards that since most built-ins are not powerful enough for it.
Display and Performance
The Samsung G30D S27DG30 sports a 27-inch VA panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 180Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms MPRT response time. The backlight has a 250 cd/m2 output while the contrast is listed at 3000:1. This model doesn’t have HDR certification, but it is listed to be compatible with HDR10 content.
1080p at 27 inches isn’t as crisp as 1440p or the smaller 1080p variants, but it offers excellent visibility and legibility. Its great for E-Sports use, and it works quite well for work and productivity. It won’t take a lot of GPU power to run this model, so its perfect for budget to midrange builds that would otherwise not work great for 1440p or 4K screens.
The Samsung G30D S27DG30 covers 99% of sRGB and 87% of DCI-P3 for great color in games and movies. Its default accuracy had a deltaE average of 2.87, so it’s already decent for games and movies. It is not pro-grade when it comes to accuracy, but most users won’t need to calibrate it out of the box for games.
Using a colorimeter improved the dE average to 1.37, which is more balanced than the default setting. The downside is that you will need a colorimeter to achieve similar results since it’s the only way to guarantee color quality and accuracy. However, the gadget is more expensive than the monitor itself, so it’s not worth it at this time.
Its backlight reached 239 cd/m2 at 100% brightness, so it can’t get bright enough to fight off glare. Its contrast reached 2311:1 at 80% brightness, so it can produce deep blacks and excellent night scenes. It’s not as high as what other VA monitors have, but it’s certainly better than what most IPS panels can provide.
The Samsung G30D S27DG30’s panel uniformity isn’t perfect since the are backlight leaks on the upper and lower corners of the screen. They aren’t immediately noticeable, but showing night scenes will let you know that they are there. Note that this varies with every monitor made due to tolerances, so there are worse units out there.
Another weakness of the Samsung G30D S27DG30 is its slow pixel response time. It is prone to blurring in fast and contrasting transitions, so hardcore E-Sports gamers might not like it. Its overdrive did very little to improve it, and maxing it out added overshoot instead of clearing it up.
The Samsung G30D S27DG30 is compatible with FreeSync and G-Sync for tearing—and stutter-free gaming. Dual compatibility is important so you can save the monitor if you switch to the other GPU brand but want to keep VRR functionality. Its input lag is 4ms at 180Hz, so it’s very responsive for any type of gaming.
Thoughts on the Samsung G30D S27DG30
The Samsung G30D S27DG30 offers excellent value when it comes to what kind of specifications you can get for the money. You get a screen with a 180Hz refresh rate and excellent contrast, making it perfect for mixed types of gaming. It also has an adjustable stand, so it’s great for daily use and those long hours of gaming.
However, it has quite a few limitations that some may consider a deal-breaker since there are a lot of options out there. It’s prone to blurring like many VA panels, and it doesn’t have many necessary features that most expect to see on a modern display. However, we can’t really complain since it’s so affordable, so it still is a great deal.
Pros:
- Very Affordable
- Adjustable Stand
- Excellent Contrast
Cons:
- Prone to Blurring
- Limited Features
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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