Samsung's New Monitor Can't Decide If It's for Gaming or Business

The differences between gaming and professional monitors are tremendous, not only in price but also in features. While gaming monitors generally prioritize speed, professional monitors focus on color and display quality. However, Samsung is marketing its upcoming C43J89 monitor for the gaming and professional crowd by listing it as both a gaming and business monitor with identical specs, turning it into a jack-of-all-trades, but really a master of none.

The C43J89 flaunts a 43-inch curved display (1800R) with thin bezels on the top, left and right side and a VA panel. The monitor's resolution of 3840 x 1200 pixels with a 32:10 aspect ratio is said to offer gamers a 99 percent field of view and general users a spacious landscape for multitasking. One of the monitor's highlights is the rapid 120Hz refresh rate that provides a buttery-smooth gaming experience. However, in a blow to its appeal to gamers, the Samsung C43J89 doesn't support any adaptive refresh technologies, such as Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync. 

The C43J89's other attributes include 8-bit color support, pixel density of 93.56 pixels per inch, 5 milliseconds grey-to-grey response time, coverage of 99 percent of the sRGB color gamut and a maximum brightness of 300 candela per square meter. 

Thanks to Samsung's proprietary VA panel technology, the C43J89 has a 3000:1 contrast ratio, allowing the monitor to display images with deeper blacks, brighter whites and enhanced colors. As a result, movie and gaming scenes look clearer and more vibrant. The C43J89 also incorporates an Eye-Saver mode and flicker-free technology to reduce blue light emissions and eliminate screen flickers so both consumers and gamers stay in front of the monitor with minimum eye strain.

The Samsung C43J89 comes equipped with a Picture-by-Picture function, which basically splits the screen in half to display output from two different input sources simultaneously without degrading the quality of the original image. Users can comfortably conduct various activities simultaneously, such as game, browse the web, watch a movie or YouTube video, gossip on social media et cetera. The monitor also has a built-in keyboard virtual mouse switch, giving users the power to control the two connected devices with a single keyboard or mouse. A special one-touch button under the monitor panel facilitates the task of toggling between the devices.

In terms of design, the C43J89 features a flexible stand where users can swivel, tilt and adjust its height to their liking. The standard 100mm x 100mm VESA mounting point on the monitor is useful for mounting it to a corresponding VESA-compatible arm. There's also a pair of 5W stereo speakers on the monitor for users who want to make use of the monitor's audio abilities. Connectivity options on the C43J89 include one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.2 output, two USB-C ports, one USB-C up port, two USB 2.0 down ports, one USB 3.0 down port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Samsung C43J89 is currently up for pre-order in the U.S. for $900 with the units expected to will be available later this year. We'll let you decide if you should use it for gaming or professional use, since Samsung hasn't. 

Zhiye Liu
RAM Reviewer and News Editor

Zhiye Liu is a Freelance News Writer at Tom’s Hardware US. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

  • Wes006
    Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one.
    Reply
  • why_wolf
    strange that they didn't add Freesync for a monitor in that price category.
    Reply
  • SkyBill40
    21157180 said:
    strange that they didn't add Freesync for a monitor in that price category.

    Given it's on the fence between the two categories, I'm not too surprised to see it doesn't include FS but it does, at least, have a workable refresh rate. If it did include FS, I wonder how much it would have elevated the cost by comparison?
    Reply
  • AgentLozen
    Isn't FreeSync baked into the VESA Displayport standard? I thought it was free to implement.
    Reply
  • grimfox
    There isn't a licensing fee for Freesync like there is for Gsync. So that doesn't add to the cost. But you do need a different screen controller that is capable of variable refresh. Which does add to the cost. The upgraded controller probably costs 20% more than a regular controller. Which is only a marginal cost compared to the screen itself thus you don't see a massive markup for Freesync like you do for Gsync. I think that down the line as we move into newer versions of Displayport as the standard Freesync will be available on all monitors with DP connections. It will actually be free at that point.
    Reply
  • darkomaledictus
    Its looking like no hdr, will have to keep waiting for acer and asus Ultra wide HDR solutions coming by the end of the year.
    Reply
  • SkyBill40
    21158519 said:
    There isn't a licensing fee for Freesync like there is for Gsync. So that doesn't add to the cost. But you do need a different screen controller that is capable of variable refresh. Which does add to the cost. The upgraded controller probably costs 20% more than a regular controller. Which is only a marginal cost compared to the screen itself thus you don't see a massive markup for Freesync like you do for Gsync. I think that down the line as we move into newer versions of Displayport as the standard Freesync will be available on all monitors with DP connections. It will actually be free at that point.

    I'm fully aware there isn't a licensing fee associated with FS as there is with GS; however, there may be some difference in terms of hardware to allow for adaptive sync and thus my question. I can't imagine there being much of a cost differential if there is one. It was just more of wondering aloud than anything else.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    You would have to be crazy to try to do office work on an ultrawide monitor.
    Dealing with text and documentation is all about vertical space, not width.

    I mean, I'm sure it's fine for the occasional homework assignment or reading an occasional website at home, but I would go nuts trying to use something like this for 8 hours a day.
    Reply
  • dseckard1
    I use 2 1920 by 1200 24" monitors now for working from home. This would take less space and eliminate the vertical bar. And my desktop resolution would be what it is now. One of the current monitors blanks once in a while so need replacements soon. Hmmm.

    For work, code on one side, what it is doing on the other side. And say, three windows side by side, something I don't do now due to vertical bar.
    Reply
  • Tanquen
    Curved is a gimmick and not for business.
    Super ultra wide may be of interest for gamers even then it's still pretty much just a gimmick and it's cheaper for them to make.
    I guess we're just never going to see a good 16 x 10 monitor again. Been waiting for ages to buy a good 4k monitor that's 16 by 9 or 16 x 10 and flat!
    Reply