Samsung SF350 Series 19-Inch Slim Design Monitor Review

Samsung’s new “Slim Design” 19-inch SF350 Series monitor fills an interesting need: for compact, quality-built monitors with wide viewing angles that don’t use a lot of energy.

At just 19 inches, a resolution of 1080p isn’t necessary to keep visuals looking sharp, which is why this screen’s native resolution is 1366 x 768. It also uses a relatively new panel technology, namely PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching), which is cheaper than IPS yet delivers better colours than the average TN panel.

Viewing angles are also good – this little screen won’t wash out or go blue even when looked at from a 178 degree angle. Plus, Samsung has made sure the thin design – this screen is 80.1mm thick at its thickest point – which is complemented by a high-gloss black finish, adds some pleasing aesthetics to the screen’s overall appeal.

The screen’s energy use and eco-friendliness is likewise excellent, and more relevant than ever with today’s rising electricity costs. There’s an “Eco Saving” feature that automatically dims the screen’s brightness to reduce power consumption, and Samsung says that no PVC was used in the screen’s production (although there is some present in some of its cables).

You have the option of two inputs here – HDMI and VGA – so this screen is compatible with a wide variety of applications. Should you only have access to a DVI connection, DVI-to-HDMI adapters are widely available.

The refresh rate of the screen is capped at 60Hz, which is more than enough for commercial applications, and even suited to gaming. Also, gaming at 1366 x 768 means less strain on the system GPU and thus higher frame rates and smoother gameplay than you’d see at 1080p.

Good design coupled with the right mix of screen technologies makes this monitor a smart buy for virtually any application, from hardcore work to gaming.