Samsung has announced yet another interesting ‘super’ ultra-wide display; The Samsung C49RG90 or CRG9 is a 49″ 32:9 gaming monitor with 5120×1440 Dual Quad HD resolution, DisplayHDR 1000, FreeSync 2, and a 120Hz refresh rate.
It is a step up from the previous Samsung CHG90 which has a lower 3840×1080 resolution and DisplayHDR 600, but a higher 144Hz refresh rate.
The main thing gamers held against the popular CHG90 model was the low vertical resolution of 1080 pixels that resulted in a pixel density of ~81 PPI (pixels per inch) which is equivalent to 1920×1080 on a 27″ display.
Now, the CRG9 ups the resolution to 5120×1440 for a pixel-per-inch ratio of 108 which is ideal as you get plenty of screen space and maximum details without any scaling necessary, same as 2560×1440 on 27″ screens.
Basically, the Samsung C49RG90 is like two 27″ 1440p monitors put side-by-side but without the bezel in-between whereas the Samsung CHG90 is like two 27″ 1080p displays next to each other.
A refresh rate of 120Hz is plenty for 5120×1440 as it’s slightly less demanding than 120Hz at 4K and it will still noticeably improve motion clarity in comparison to the standard 60Hz/75Hz displays.
Moving on, the Samsung C49RG90 is based on a curved (1800R) VA panel with a 600-nit peak brightness (1,000-nit for HDR content), a wide 95% DCI-P3 color gamut (125% sRGB, 92% Adobe RGB), a 3,000:1 static contrast ratio, and a 4ms response time speed.
It uses the quantum-dot technology to achieve such impressive colors while its HDR support is certified by VESA and qualified for their DisplayHDR 1000 certification.
AMD FreeSync 2 is supported which will ensure minimal input lag for HDR gaming, LFC (Low Framerate Compensation) which guarantees a VRR (variable refresh rate) range of at least 59-120Hz as well as a smooth performance when your FPS drips below the dynamic range, and simultaneous HDR and FreeSync operation.
No word on the actual FreeSync range or G-SYNC compatibility is yet available.
Other gaming features include Virtual Aim Point (custom crosshairs), Low Input Lag Mode, pre-calibrated picture presets (FPS, RTS, RPG, etc), and Game Mode (quick contrast and gamma adjustments).
The Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture modes are also available. The QLED backlight of the Samsung C49RG90 is flicker-free and there’s a built-in low-blue light filter.
The stand is fairly ergonomic with up to 120mm height adjustment, +/- 15° swivel, -2°/15° tilt, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility. Connectivity options are abundant and include two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, HDMI 2.0, a headphones jack, and a quad-USB 3.0 hub (two ports with fast-charging).
Since there are two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, you will almost certainly need to use both ports for 5120×1440 at 120Hz and 10-bit color depth since a single DisplayPort 1.4 connector lacks the bandwidth to do so.
This also means that in order to get 5120×1440, 120Hz, and 10-bit depth, some compromises will have to be made as, for instance, FreeSync most likely won’t work if you use both ports. We have yet to see what options will be available.
The Samsung C49RG90 price amounts to $1500 MSRP while the release date is set for May 2019.