Samsung U28E590D: Realistic 4K Picture and AMD FreeSync Support
The Samsung U28E590D gives you a big, 28-inch screen and highly-detailed UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution. Besides, in comparison with other large 4K monitors on the market, this one is not so pricey.
In fact, this model is a slight upgrade of the Samsung U28D590D that was released in 2014 — a year before the U28E590D did. Unlike this monitor, the U28E590D uses the HDMI 2.0 (instead of 1.0), has a VESA mount (75 x 75mm pattern), and AMD FreeSync support.
Dimensions
The panel has a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. The exact dimensions are 26 x 7.4 x 18.4 inches and the weight is 11.6 pounds. The frame around the screen is 0.75 inches thick. The panel is slim (1.75 inches).
Features
The monitor is based on the Twisted Nematic panel, so the colors look a bit washed-out when viewed from an angle. Nevertheless, most of the other U28E590D specs are quite impressive. The monitor has an awesome peak brightness level of 370 cd/m2. That is why the performance in a sunlit room is exceptionally good. It also supports a 10-bit color depth and shows more than one billion colors.
The pixel response is the fastest you can get: only 1ms. The HDMI 1 supports 30Hz and the HDMI 2 supports 60Hz, so the refresh rate is variable. I connected the monitor to my PC via the DP port. As I turned it on, the picture brightness was overwhelming and definitely required calibration. From the Samsung U28E590D manual, I found out that the OSD menu has several modes suitable for different environments and user purposes. There are Standard, Cinema, Dynamic Contrast modes, as well as Eco Saving, Game, and Eye Saver modes. There is also a Picture-in-Picture function that makes this monitor suitable for multitasking.
Note that you won't be able to watch the HDCP2.2-protected 4K content that is now available on the biggest streaming services since this monitor doesn't support HDCP2.2. However, it does support the previous, HDCP 1.4 version.
The panel has a not-so-good tilting capability (–2°/+20°): you have to apply a lot of pressure to tilt the monitor.
Thus, the overall performance of the monitor gets 8/10 from me.
Design
The Samsung U28E590D 28-inch 4K UHD LED-lit monitor comes in a matte black casing with glossy bezels. The matte screen coating reduces reflections to minimum.
There are no control buttons. Instead, there is a joystick (at the bottom) that serves to switch between the settings and turn the monitor on/off.
The T-shaped stand combines silver and black colors. It has a tilt-only design, so you can't swivel, rotate, or change the monitor’s height.
Turning the monitor backward, you will see a headphone jack, 2 HDMIs, and DisplayPort 1.2.
I estimated the monitor's design at 9/10.
Conclusion
To conclude this Samsung U28E590D review, I'll number some reasons why it may be an attractive option for you:
- Thanks to its reasonable price, it will please buyers on the budget.
- This 4K monitor will be a good choice if you want to upgrade from your old HD or FHD monitor since it not only has 4K resolution but also features a very high peak brightness level.
- There are 6 preset video modes making this monitor a universal option.
