If you're going to do something, you might as well own it. That applies to almost everything about the new Samsung Odyssey G7 C27G7. It's not just a little curved. It's crazy curved. And it uses all the latest LCD technology developed for the best gaming monitors. Local Dimming, Adaptive Sync, High Refresh, HDR, Quantum Dot.

Put another way, this is a monitor that doubles down on the basic concept of an LCD monitor for high-performance visuals, especially gaming. five years ago, the future looked like it would be OLED.

Today, this is its equal. [At least on paper it is; the core proposition of the G7 includes a 27" 1440p VA panel with an ultra-tight 1000R curve. There are higher-resolution panels, and there are larger panels, but 1440p at 27 inches remains the sweet spot for many gamers in terms of striking the optimal balance between detail and frame rate. For example, as the 4K pixel grid increases the resolution of the former, the resolution of the latter decreases.

This meshes well with the Samsung Odyssey G7's standout gamer-centric feature set.

It starts with a 240Hz refresh and 1ms response time. This response time figure is noteworthy in the context of VA panel technology. As we were recently reminded with the AOC C27G2U, the historical weakness of VA technology is its responsiveness. Sticking to theory, the G7 supports both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. Incidentally, G-Sync support is a more limited "compatibility" flavor; no Nvidia electronics are included.

The G7 is also VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified and features local backlight dimming; HDR capabilities include peak brightness of 600 nits and coverage of up to 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. To summarize key image quality-related features, the VA panel boasts 2,500:1 contrast, and Samsung has integrated both a low input lag mode and user-configurable overdrive, including a motion blur reduction mode.

As for inputs, there is HDMI and DisplayPort, but no USB-C. The latter is definitely a noticeable omission, especially given the expensive price point. For gaming applications, however, it probably makes sense: USB-C can theoretically provide up to 100W of power, but the maximum power the monitor has provided so far has been 65W. In any case, even 100 W is not enough for a high-performance gaming laptop.

Add to that a two-port USB-A hub, Samsung's rear-mounted Core LED mood lighting, a height- and tilt-adjustable stand, and an enclosure with styling and build quality that dwarfs most PC monitors. As we said, on paper, this thing rocks.

In fact, it does too. The pixel response of the G7 is truly stunning, as we instantly tossed our biggest concerns to the stands and consigned them to history. It is fast even in the least aggressive mode of overdrive. When overdrive is maxed out, the G7 improves even further, with almost no overshoot or reverse ghosting.

This is very impressive and reflects the fact that Samsung itself has invested heavily in the production of VA technology and arguably produces the best panels in the world.

In terms of general feel and accuracy, the G7 is also excellent. In terms of color balance, it would be difficult to distinguish it from a very good IPS panel at first glance. However, the contrast and black levels of the VA panel are also far superior. This is a great combo. When you factor in the butterfly-smooth 240Hz refresh and adaptive sync, this is one heck of a gaming panel.

There are some drawbacks, however.

Technically, the main drawback is HDR support; as the DisplayHDR 600 certification implies, the backlight supports local dimming. However, there are only eight edge-lit vertical zones; the G7 would definitely be better off with a single fixed backlight.

Whatever it is, this is not a true HDR display. It is better to think of it as a really punchy SDR panel, and in fact, this was the best performer in our tests, including comparing HDR-enabled games with many dark scenes, such as Metro Exodus, in both SDR and HDR modes.

Another big question mark is the extreme panel curvature, 1000R. This certainly gives the G7 a dramatic sense of turning around. This works quite well in-game; after all, this is its main purpose. On a Windows desktop, however, it is quite obtrusive and distorted, limiting this monitor's appeal as an all-rounder.

These caveats aside, this remains a pretty nice gaming panel, and if you're looking for a 1440p monitor and price isn't much of an issue, the G7 is almost certainly a contender. However, it is a reminder not only of the ultimate limitations of LCD technology, but also of the need to be careful when making assumptions, both good and bad.

On the one hand, G7 proves that VA technology is comparable to TN in pixel response. On the other hand, it confirms that HDR with local dimming is hardly guaranteed in the real world.