Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K smart monitor review

Looking for a monitor that can provide the highly detailed and colour accuracy needed for your digital content creation and professional work? But it should also be versatile so that you can use it for entertainment in your personal time. The Samsung ViewFinity S9 offers itself as the monitor solution for work and play. Here’s a look at the S9 and its features.

Samsung ViewFinity S9 set up and design

Assembling the Samsung ViewFinity S9 was a simple process. The stand can be adjusted for height and for viewing angle, so you can make sure it is in the optimal position for your individual line of sight. You can also rotate the screen 90 degrees. And the stand has a pass through to allow for better cable management.

Slim metal design

The metal design of the Samsung ViewFinity S9 bezel is esthetically pleasing. I love a shiny metal finish. You’ll find the appearance of the S9 will improve the overall look of your office space, which may make it a bit easier to convince your prospective clients that you’re the right one for the job. The bezel is as thin as possible, and the footprint of the stand is also minimal.

VESA compatible

For anyone looking to minimize the amount of desk space used for their workstation, the Samsung ViewFinity S9 is VESA compatible. So instead of having the monitor on its stand, you can mount it to a wall mount or articulated arm.

Samsung ViewFinity S9 display features

5K resolution

Your monitor’s resolution is the number of pixels it has available. A 5K monitor means over 5000 pixels horizontally. The Samsung ViewFinity S9 has a resolution of 5120 pixels horizontally and 2880 pixels vertically. And that gives you an astounding 14745600 pixels, which is about 7 times more than 1080p high definition. And what will you use all of those pixels for? Well, the fantastically detailed image quality is the first noticeable benefit. And an additional benefit is the ability to edit 4K video at full resolution. With a lower resolution monitor, your 4K video content is scaled down, so that there is room to display the editing software.

60Hz refresh rate

If you’re a serious gamer, there is one slight drawback to the Samsung ViewFinity S9. It has a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is perfectly acceptable, but lower than the preferred gaming standard of 120Hz. A higher refresh rate means smoother motion and fewer visual irregularities. Don’t get me wrong: I fully enjoyed gaming on the Samsung ViewFinity S9.   

Pantone colours

Colour plays an important part in digital content creation. No one wants to create an ad for a client and realize that the colour you thought you were using is different than the client’s established branding colours. The Samsung ViewFinity S9 display colours have been verified by the colour authority Pantone to be completely accurate. And that means the colour you see on screen is exactly the same as the one your client requested.

Matte display

Ah, glare. The perennial enemy of every computer user. You can try to reduce the amount of environmental light that interacts with your monitor, but unless you like sitting in complete darkness, you can’t eliminate it. So the matte finish of the Samsung ViewFinity S9 is a welcome feature. It reduces the amount of reflected light from the screen, which reduces the glare. And that improves both the quality of the viewing experience, and lessens the strain on your eyes. I could clearly see the reduced glare from the matte finish, and it’s a feature I’ve added to my must-have list.

Intelligent Eye Care

I am happy to see eye care taken into consideration by a monitor manufacturer. For the casual user, eye strain from computer use is a minor issue. But if you spend your work day staring at a screen, eye strain can impact your health. The Samsung ViewFinity S9 has Intelligent Eye Care, which automatically adjusts the various settings to minimize the amount of blue light you’re exposed to. I’ve found a noticeable decrease in headaches caused by eye strain since I started exclusively using monitors with eye care features.

Smart calibration

The Samsung ViewFinity S9’s Smart Calibration feature allows you to easily adjust various elements of colour display for different uses. Your smartphone will do most of the work, running the Samsung SmartThings app to make the changes for specific scenarios. The basic mode adjusts the settings for optimal movie watching, while the pro mode gives you more detailed calibration situations. The calibration was easy to set up and adjust.

Wireless display

Your workstation will most likely have a wired connection to the S9 via Thunderbolt or DisplayPort. But you may want instead to connect a laptop or other device to the S9. Lucky for you, that’s easy to do. The Samsung ViewFinity S9 supports wireless display connectivity options like Apple AirPlay, or Windows Wireless display. This is a great solution for the on the go digital professional, and I was impressed at how simple and seamless the process was.

Samsung ViewFinity S9 functionality features

Connectivity options

The Samsung ViewFinity S9 has a Thunderbolt 4 port, a display port, and 3 USB ports. It also has Bluetooth connectivity to use with additional devices like game controllers or additional remote controls. I would have liked an HDMI port just to have all the options.

4K slim fit camera

You won’t need to purchase a separate webcam for the Samsung ViewFinity S9. It comes with a 4K slim fit camera that connects directly to the monitor through a dedicated port on the back. When installed, the camera sits discretely on the top of the monitor, and you can easily remove it and re-install it if needed. The camera produced a very good quality image during the video call tests I did with it.

Embedded streaming apps

The Samsung ViewFinity S9 has several streaming service apps installed, so you can directly watch Netflix or Disney+ without needing your PC. With the included remote control, its very easy to let the S9 serve as your primary television if your work space is also your living space.

Samsung gaming hub

I was happy to see this feature on the Samsung ViewFinity S9. The gaming hub gives you access to several game streaming apps, so you can play games without needing to install them or run them on a separate device. Notably, it has Xbox Game Pass functionality, which gives you access to an impressive library of games. I took the opportunity to sign up for Xbox Game Pass and give Starfield a try. You should keep in mind that streamed games won’t have the same graphic quality that a game running on your PC will, but it’s an affordable way to try out a wide variety of games.

Final thoughts

I love the versatility of the S9. It has the high detail and visual quality that it promises, and a surprising amount of additional entertainment features. And that’s what makes the Samsung ViewFinity S9 perfectly suited for the home office. You can do the work you need to, and then relax afterwards with the smart TV streaming and gaming hub features.

Shop the Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K monitor at Best Buy Canada.