Samsung S3 S3 S36GD 24" 100 Black Review

Scoring in the 94th percentile for user satisfaction, this monitor is a budget favorite. It offers a smooth 100Hz experience on a curved 24-inch panel for around $100. Just don't expect great brightness or color accuracy.

The Samsung S36GD is a 24-inch, 1080p curved monitor that lands in the 94th percentile for social proof, which basically means people who buy it really like it. That's a strong start. It's a simple screen with a 100Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync, priced between $100 and $140, making it a solid contender for a basic, second monitor or a budget-friendly main display. It scores a 53.6 out of 100 in our overall rating, with its best showing in office tasks at 55.8. It's not a performance powerhouse, but it's a reliable workhorse for the price.

Performance-wise, this monitor sits in the 61st percentile, which is decent for its class. The 100Hz refresh rate is a nice step up from the standard 60Hz, making scrolling and casual gaming feel smoother. It's paired with a 4ms gray-to-gray response time and FreeSync, which helps keep things tear-free if you have a compatible AMD GPU. The display itself, however, is where it shows its budget nature. It ranks in the 32nd percentile for display quality and 30th for color, with a peak brightness of just 250 nits. That means it's fine for a dimly lit room, but you'll struggle with glare in a bright office.

At $100 to $140, the value proposition is clear: you're getting a reliable, curved 100Hz monitor from a trusted brand. You're paying for the core experience—a decent panel with above-basic motion handling—and not much else. The high social proof percentile suggests most buyers feel they got their money's worth, especially when snagged near the lower end of that price range. It's a classic case of 'does what it says on the tin' without any frills.

Compared to its listed competitors, this is playing a completely different game. The Samsung Odyssey G9, MSI MPG, and ASUS ProArt are high-end, large-format gaming or professional monitors costing many times more. A fairer comparison would be against other 24-inch 1080p budget curved screens, like some from AOC or Acer. Against those, the S36GD's edge is its strong user satisfaction and Samsung's brand reliability. You trade away high brightness, wide color gamuts, and extra features for that simplicity and proven track record.

Skip this monitor if you need accurate colors for photo editing, a bright screen for a sunny room, or a feature-rich hub. Its color performance is in the 30th percentile and its feature score is in the 31st. Creative professionals or anyone wanting HDR, USB-C, or high brightness should look elsewhere, even if it means spending a bit more.

We recommend the Samsung S36GD if you need a no-fuss, budget-friendly secondary monitor or a basic primary screen for office work and light media. The data backs up its reputation as a crowd-pleaser in its price bracket. Just go in with managed expectations: it's not bright, it's not color-accurate, and it won't wow you with features. But for under $140, a curved 100Hz Samsung that people consistently like is a pretty safe bet.