Samsung’s U28D590D 4K monitor is potentially the future of desktop computing. Few other monitors are capable of competing with the 3840 x 2160 resolution. We sat down with the display for a few moments to discover if it really is worth the effort, or if the UHD resolution will end up being just another fad.
Thick and thin
At first glance the U28D590D looks like any other monitor. It features a stand, a relatively thick bezel, and the display. Seeing the bezel was a bit unusual on a Samsung product, seeing that the company tends to prefer shrinking those down to be as narrow as it can possibly push it. Not that it looks out of place on a computer; perhaps some things are to be expected to keep things traditional.
One thing to note is that while the monitor is slim and quite thin, it still carries a substantial amount of weight. There was some concern that the tiny stand it balances on may give out at some point, but the construction appears to be quite sturdy and more than capable of holding everything up.
Achieving 4K
Turning on the monitor brings up the first hurdle than anyone buying this display will run into. It is set to full 4K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate by default. Meaning that the computer it is attached to should better be capable of putting out those kinds of graphics or the user experience quickly goes downhill. Users are also advised to stick with a Display Port connection; a HDMI cable is not capable of supporting the refresh rate and no amount of GPU power will be able to solve that issue. Older graphics cards will result in large amounts of screen tearing, even if one is just surfing the internet.
Meant for gaming
Speaking of surfing the internet, text is incredibly small on the immense amount of space available on the screen. This was not meant for every day computer use; even if Samsung is not explicitly saying it, this display was meant for serious MMORPG players.
The amount of real estate on the display is excellent for arranging toolbars, minimaps, quest markers, and anything else that your choice of online RPG likes to have on the display. The extra space is also excellent for situational awareness; provided that the graphics card is capable of keeping up.
Colours are bright, although lack the traditional saturation that is present with other Samsung displays. This is a good thing as it produces more accurate colours. We couldn’t tell just how accurate the colours are from the quick look, but it appears to be decent enough for basic photo editing and colour correction.
Conclusion
Overall, the U28D590D is great for those with the computing power to meet its needs. This mostly means gamers who want to play their PC games in the highest resolution that human technology is capable of producing, but it can also be of use for designers who will appreciate the extra room for placing toolbars or just viewing their work without having to constantly switch views.
In case you need to learn more about the monitor, head on to Samsung Malaysia’s official website.
