Samsung S25BG400EU monitor – Specs, Pros / Cons: Wide Color Coverage Is Just The Start!
Can another company seriously compete with Samsung, which has spanned its technology in many fields? Today we’ve got another one of their affordable gaming monitors, the S25BG400EU. The suffix at the end specifies it as a solely European model, but it doesn’t differ much from the previous G4 25BG400 we reviewed.
The model that we have here has many impressive gaming features, which are usually reserved for more expensive monitors. You get a 25-inch Full HD IPS panel, which ticks super fast, thanks to a 240Hz refresh rate while having a 1ms GtG response time. The monitor is also G-Sync compatible, which means you get the premiere Variable Refresh Rate technology that’s on the market right now.
However, a monitor isn’t made solely for gaming, so today we’ll explore the Odyssey G4 S25BG400EU’s Creator capabilities, by measuring the color coverage and accuracy. Our Display Profiles kick into high gear, offering insane accuracy improvements, as you’ll see by reading on.
You can check the current price of the Samsung S25BG400EU here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Contents
Specs sheet, What’s in the box?, Drivers, Design, Connectivity, OSD menu
Screen size | 25 inch (63.50 cm) |
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Refresh rate | 240Hz |
Response time | 1ms |
Panel type | IPS |
Backlight type | LED |
Screen finish | Matte |
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (FHD) |
Technologies |
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I/O |
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What’s in the box? Assembly
Drivers and Software
You can download the drivers, as well as any firmware updates from the monitor’s official Support Page. From there, you can also download the Easy Setting Box software, which enables to partition the screen in layouts, in order to better fit all of your apps on one screen. You can also control multiple Samsung monitors (assuming you have more than one).
Design and Connectivity
The design of the monitor is pretty decent, especially with the blue translucent ring on the back. While you don’t see it often, as it’s on the back, it’s certainly the defining design feature of the Odyssey series, as we haven’t really seen something similar on any other monitor. The construction is plastic, but there is metal framing on the inside for better durability. Looking at it from the front, the Odyssey G4 really brings a more industrial and rugged look, especially with these protruding pieces on the bottom corners.
The stand on the monitor is another highlight here, offering some of the best adjustment movements that you can find. You get Tilit, Pivot, Swivel, and Height Adjustment, which means you can make the monitor fit your setup and be as comfortable as possible ergonomically. (This is a reminder to stand up straight and maintain good posture).
In terms of connectivity, you’ve got the basics for any monitor, including two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.2 port, a USB Service Port, and an audio jack.
Display quality, Buy our profiles, Verdict
Samsung usually reserves the IPS panels for their mid-range monitors and higher, so the fact that this G4 gets a Full HD IPS means that Samsung considers it a part of the upper echelon of gaming monitors. They’ve also included G-Sync, which provides tear-free gaming at a range from 30Hz to the max refresh rate of the monitor. Now, let’s go over our color tests and see how much we can improve the monitor using our Display Profiles.
The correlated color temperature on a white screen after a Factory Reset in sRGB mode is 7150 K (Luminance 150 cd/m2 at 20% Brightness). The average gamma value is 2.18.
Color coverage
Here’s an illustration (Fig. 1). The whole “sail-shaped” map below consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Samsung S25BG400EU can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
Samsung S25BG400EU: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display. In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 100% of the sRGB color gamut and 92% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) Samsung S25BG400EU covers 88% of the Web colors (sRGB)
This means that if the Samsung S25BG400EU tries to show any color outside of its triangle, it will show the closest color to it that’s inside the triangle.
Color accuracy
Now let’s see how big is the difference between the real colors and the one you’ll see on the Samsung S25BG400EU. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the bigger the number, the more different they look.
For the next illustration, we’ve chosen 24 common colors like dark and light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Values below 2.0 are considered suitable for color-sensitive work. Before our calibration of the Samsung S25BG400EU, the Average color accuracy was 3.8 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Web Design and Office Work profile, it lowered to 1.2 dE (Fig. 3). This makes for more than a 3X Increase in Accuracy, meaning the monitor is perfect for Creator work.
Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom-tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate (they may seem strange at first but after a few minutes our brain will start recognizing them as accurate ones – that’s how Health-Guard differs from alternatives like f.lux).
Pro Tip: As the Health-Guard profile simulates paper and has as accurate as possible colors, it could be a great tool for prepress designers!
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Health-Guard Profile
Gaming and Movies
We also have a third Gaming and Movies profile, which regulates the black colors, making dark areas in games and movies appear more visible, thus giving you a better viewing experience. Shooting at your opponent first can be a make-or-break moment, so make sure you’re best prepared with our profile.
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
BUY OUR DISPLAY PROFILES
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for the Samsung S25BG400EU.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
Here’s how to prepare thе monitor for our profiles:
1. Open the OSD menu (On-Screen Display)
2. Reset Settings: Go to Menu ➡️ Support ➡️ Reset All, and click ‘Yes’.
3. Brightness: Navigate to Picture ➡️ Brightness and set it to 35% for optimal viewing.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount
Verdict
The Samsung S25BG400EU brings a great gaming experience, while silently being a fantastic Creator monitor. The 240Hz refresh rate and the 1ms response time, paired with the G-Sync support means you get smooth, responsive, and tear-free gaming, which is especially important for competitive games, where a quick reaction time can mean victory or defeat.
On the other side, the monitor covers the entire sRGB color gamut and shows 93% DCI-P3 coverage, which is the same color gamut used in digital cinema production.
Thanks to our Web Design and Office Work profile, we also make the profile incredibly accurate, with a more than a three-fold increase in accuracy from a dE value of 3.8 to a dE value of 1.2. This means that you can tackle studio-level production on this 25-inch monitor, as well as play games in your off-time.
Outside of gaming and content creation, the High % DCI-P3 coverage means that you can enjoy movies beautifully on this screen. We can offer help with that too, as our Gaming and Movies profile makes everything appear more clear, so scenes look beautiful, while dark scenes are more visible.
Lastly, the Health-Guard keeps your eyes healthy by minimizing PWM (Flickering) and Blue light, which are harmful. Blue light blocks the release of melatonin, preventing you from going to sleep, while the flickering can cause headaches, as your pupils have to constantly adjust their aperture to let more or less light. This movement is very tiring, so monitors and screens with aggressive PWM should be avoided.
You can check the current price of the Samsung S25BG400EU: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Pros
- Super high color coverage (100% sRGB and 93% DCI-P3)
- Amazing accuracy thanks to our Web Design and Office Work profile (1.2 dE)
- Robust design with a very functional stand
- 240Hz refresh rate + 1ms response time + G-Sync support
Cons
- We would have appreciated some more USB ports for functionality