As gaming technology continues to make drastic leaps in performance, so too do the monitors displaying these achievements - and the Samsung CFG70 is one of the best.

The Samsung CFG70 Curved Gaming Monitor can be a little innocuous out of the box. In a world where gaming monitors continue to get bigger and better, putting out a 24-inch high-performance gaming monitor can be a risky proposition. There was certainly the danger that the Samsung CFG70 could have gotten lost in the shuffle or forced into the shadows by much bigger monitors in the same price range.

That would be to the detriment of gamers everywhere, however. The Samsung CFG70 is a wonderful addition for any PC or console gamer, and the 24-inch curved display is perfect for those gamers with limited real estate or a desire for a neater, less imposing presentation from their set-up. This is particularly noticeable when using the Samsung CFG70 as a PC monitor, where its streamlined stand and ability to rotate into a Portrait or Landscape setup mean that even the bulkiest gaming mice and keyboards will have plenty of room to operate.

One of the biggest things the Samsung CFG70 does to differentiate itself from other curved gaming monitors is its ability to do a 180-degree rotation and place itself in Portrait mode. Although seemingly superfluous at first glance, Portrait mode can seem like a divine gift to artists who do work on their PC, or gamers who have a fondness for multi-tasking with several windows - the ability to place windows on top of one another makes for some interesting single-monitor customization that isn't always available.

Of course, the biggest appeal of the Samsung CFG70 is the specs of the monitor itself, and they are very impressive for the pricetag. The 24-inch version of the monitor that we reviewed boasts a VA panel, a 1ms response time, and a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz. That refresh rate and response time are particularly useful to PC gamers who play multiplayer games online, and the immersive nature of the curved display combined with its lightning-quick refresh time will allow fans of Overwatch's colorful events and settings to enjoy the aesthetics without missing a beat in gameplay.

The thing that sets the Samsung CFG70 apart from its counterparts, especially within its price range of around $350 USD, is Samsung's implementation of Quantum Dot technology. The purpose behind employing Quantum Dot technology is to increase the color gamut of the display by increasing the intensity of red and green wavelengths. Essentially, increasing the intensity of these wavelengths in particular produces more accurate dark reds and greens, which in turns increases the contrast of the monitor and the quality of the overall display.

Those looking to make some changes to the presentation of the Samsung CFG70 will find themselves with a number of different ways to do so, all presented at their fingertips in a rear-mounted, one button menu that allows gamers to make changes to the monitor's refresh rate, color layout, use of AMD FreeSync, and more. For PC gamers, the Samsung CFG70 represents the perfect kind of sweet spot between cutting edge technology and devices that won't break the bank to guarantee strong performance. The customization options are just the icing on the cake for a brilliantly engineered gaming monitor.

Where the Samsung CFG70 really shines, however, is as a monitor for console gaming. The curved display, high refresh rate, and dynamic color display really brings console gaming to life, and the Samsung CFG70 is the perfect monitor for console gamers who want to game close to a television set but don't want to increase the strain on their eyes. We played some of the new Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue on PS4 using the Samsung CFG70, and the difference between a much larger high-end television and the CFG70 was noticeable. The smaller, curved screen made each scene a little bit brighter and clearer, and it was easier to appreciate the fluidity of Aqua's movements with such a powerful monitor.

All of the praise aside, there are some minor design choices that make the Samsung CFG70 one of the best gaming monitors available and not the flat-out best. The lack of any kind of counter weight system while adjusting the screen can lead to some very difficult times trying to make sure the screen is level, and the audio jack for headphones is behind the monitor rather than along the side or underneath the screen, meaning wired headsets will have to loop around the monitor while making efficient cabling a bit of a nightmare.

These are small detriments, however, and for the price, the Samsung CFG70 offers way more than most of its competitors - and more than it really should be able to, given the quality level of its technology and hardware. That the Samsung CFG70 monitor appeals to both PC and console gamers makes it a versatile, efficient, and beautiful display that suits any gaming set-up imaginable. The Samsung CFG70 is certainly a lot less powerful, or large, than some of its competitors at higher price points, but the CFG70 really is in a class of its own when it comes to affordable, curved gaming monitors.