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The Samsung Odyssey G81SF QD-OLED, a refreshed upgrade of last year’s Odyssey G80SD, is a dream come true for gamers seeking a gaming monitor that combines OLED technology with exceptional image quality. When it comes to gaming monitors, Samsung delivers some of the best displays, from the 32-inch G8 to the ultrawide beast, the Samsung OLED G9. Now, with the Odyssey QD-OLED G81SF, you’re getting a 27-inch masterpiece.
At its core, the Odyssey G8 delivers a class-leading 166 pixels per inch, in addition to excellent gaming features like HDR10+, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, and a panel that’s free of any glare. Out-of-the-box, this monitor can run any task you throw at it fluently, from visually demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 to creative content tasks and everything else in between. Beyond gaming, the Odyssey G81SF’s 1 billion color support and 99% DCI coverage make this a perfect choice for professional creatives.
Performance is equally fine as image quality. It has a fast 240Hz refresh rate, which translates to buttery smooth gameplay, and the super-low 0.03ms response time is a gold standard in modern PC gaming. Also, with support for FreeSync Premium Pro, the Samsung Odyssey G81SF not only displays visuals incredibly, but it plays flawlessly too.
About the Samsung Odyssey G81SF
- Model: Samsung LS27FG810SNXZA
- Display Size: 27 inches
- Resolution: 5120 x 1440 pixels
- Refresh rate: 240Hz
- Peak brightness: 250 nits (SDR rated), 232 nits (SDR tested), 400 nits (HDR rated), 418 nits (HDR tested)
- HDR support: VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, HDR10+
- Color depth: 8-bit + FRC
- Color saturation: 100% sRGB (rated), 99% DCI-P3 (rated); 100% sRGB (rated), 98% DCI-P3 (tested), AdobeRGB 96% (tested), Rec.2020 82% (tested)
- Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1 (rated), effectively infinite (tested, all modes)
- Pixel response time (GtG): 0.03ms
- Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Micro-HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C (upstream and DisplayPort Alternate Mode), 3x USB-A 3.0
- VRR Support: Adaptive Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
- Other features: 100mm x 100mm VESA mount, 2x 5-watt speakers, quantum dots, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Apart from the display size and curve, the Odyssey G81SF has almost identical features as the pricier OLED G93SC, which comes with a 49-inch 5120 x 1440 pixels resolution panel. Overall, this is a masterclass in both build quality and performance. It’s easily one of the top three gaming monitors to consider for 2025 and beyond.
What we like
Stellar Image Quality
The Samsung Odyssey G81SF has a 27-inch OLED display with a resolution of 5120 x 1440. OLED panels are unique in that they are capable of turning individual pixels on (and off) independently, which makes it possible for effective infinite contrast and perfect dark levels. The OLED panel is combined with quantum dots, nanocrystals that enhance how light spreads through the monitor surface and increase the spectrum of colors that can be displayed. It delivers crisp, vibrant color that pops and holds up well against the competition.
The Samsung Odyssey G81SF can display 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, 96% of Adobe RGB, and 82% of Rec.2020. In this category, competition is tough with most monitors offering the best gaming features; that includes the Dell 6K UltraSharp monitor and the more the Asus ProArt PA279CRV, but Samsung’s monitor leads the pack in the 27-inch gaming monitor niche.
The Samsung OLED panel also offers a wider color gamut than the LG Paper White OLED panel, which is present on more affordable 27-inch monitors such as the LG UltraGear 27GP950-B. Even with the many strengths, the Odyssey G8 shares a common flaw common to OLED monitors: average maximum brightness. It maxes at 250 nits of brightness, which is fine for a home office or gaming space, but would appear dim in a room with sunlit windows or intense overhead lighting.
Excellent gaming performance
Just by considering image quality alone and design, the Samsung Odyssey G81SF is one of the best gaming monitors right now, especially among 27-inch 4K monitors. Its strong gaming credentials start with the highest pixel density available in a display with 166 PPI. This is very crucial in the delivery of on-screen detail, ensuring every detail is rendered and visible when gaming, processing graphics or videos, or typing documents.
Colors are crisp, and there are various slides for brightness, contrast, colors, and such settings should you need to fine-tune the experience. Beyond that, there are some presets as well. The result is a display that does it all; it doesn’t matter if you’re playing Assassin’s Creed: Shadows or creating social media graphics in Adobe Photoshop, color accuracy is incredible. Image quality is further enhanced by HDR10+ capabilities with more defined lights and shadows.
Overall, the Samsung Odyssey G81SF is a gaming monitor for competitive gamers looking for a premium experience and top-notch performance. The 240Hz and 0.03ms response time promises buttery smooth gaming on intense titles such as Marvel Rivals, Call of Duty, and Fortnite, especially if you have an RTX 4090 graphics card – the newer RTX 50 Series cards are even better. To make screen tearing a non-issue, the display has a variable refresh rate (VRR) and supports AMD FreeSync Premium.
A unique, luxurious design
Samsung sells the Odyssey OLED for fairly more than the rest, but at least it rocks a luxurious design that’s a cut above more expensive competitors. It sports the familiar aesthetic of Samsung’s Odyssey series of gaming monitors – a premium build quality, sleek styling, and a sturdy metal finish from the base to the neck of the display.
Like the Odyssey G9, the G8 has this clean, modern aesthetic that justifies the money you’re spending here. The panel itself is thin with minimal bezels around the display that bolster its futuristic look. Around the back, there’s the Samsung signature RGB ring, with CoreSync and CoreLighting+, adding a dynamic light show that makes your gaming sessions even more immersive.
All ports are located at the back, and that includes a power adapter that’s located next to two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, one USB-B for upstreaming content, two USB-A, and one 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s pretty all you’d need for a gaming monitor, but we wish it came with a USB-C port for future proofing, as it’s becoming the standard connection now.
What we don’t like
No KVM Switch; No Samsung Smart TV
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 comes with something unexpected: a remote control for the 49-inch display. That’s not all, it’s a fully functional smart display with built-in apps, Wi-Fo connectivity, and Bluetooth. You can stream your favorite Netflix and Hulu shows, but sadly, that is missing on the Samsung Odyssey G81SF. We expect the Samsung Smart TV features, but somehow, that has not been included in this 27-inch gaming monitor.
Also, apart from lacking the Samsung Smart TV features, the OLE G8 lacks extras like KVM capability and speakers, something we expected to be included, considering the pricing of this monitor. A built-in KVM switch could make it possible to control all connected devices from one central point, It’s disappointing that Samsung opted not to include it here. A mentioned above, USB-C is also missing, but those are not major flaws to make you skip an otherwise excellent monitor.
Samsung Odyssey G81SF Review | Verdict
The Samsung Odyssey G81SF is a dream monitor for most pro-gamers and professional creatives. It has the color and contrast needed to deliver a sense of realism and depth, the sharpness required to provide detail, and the fast motion clarity for fluid, immersive, and responsive gameplay.
To the impressive performance, it adds some unexpected perks like an elegant design with a compact, functional display stand. While there are many reasons to recommend the Odyssey G8, it’s not perfect. It lacks the Samsung Smart TV features of its bigger sibling, the Odyssey G9; it doesn’t have a KVM switch, and USB-C isn’t included. But those flaws are easy to accept, especially when you’re getting premium performance and a beautiful design.
As a package, the Samsung Odyssey G81SF OLED stands out as one of the most impressive 27-inch gaming monitors to buy this year. It brings into the industry stunning visual excellence, an ultra-crisp 4K resolution, stellar color accuracy, and fluid motion to match the current generation of PC graphics cards.
Whether you’re a competitive gamer looking for a blazing-fast monitor for your RTX 5090-powered PC or a visual creator looking for top-notch visual fidelity, the Samsung Odyssey G81SF OLED exceeds expectations in ways that are beyond measure. It’s terrific value for the buck.
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