Samsung unveils new premium OLED monitor technology - but will 'tandem OLED' really make all that much difference?

• Samsung’s Penta Tandem uses five organic layers to improve brightness and efficiency
• Multi-layer stacking allows higher pixel density without increasing panel size
• QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology increases luminous efficiency by 1.3 times and doubles panel lifespan

Samsung Display has introduced its QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology, featuring a five-layer organic light-emitting structure designed to improve brightness and efficiency.

Multi-layer stacking allows higher pixel density within the same panel size, reducing the light-emitting area of each pixel.

Effectively dispersing energy across the layers is crucial to maintaining stable illumination and consistent performance.

Multi-layer design boosts pixel density

This approach is central to Samsung’s push into premium 4K and 5K monitors, where high resolution and vivid visuals are essential for gaming and professional applications.

The company’s 27-inch UHD (3840 x 2160) panel, launched in 2025, reaches 160 pixels per inch, marking the highest pixel density for self-emissive gaming monitors.

By increasing the number of organic layers from four to five, luminous efficiency improves by 1.3 times while lifespan doubles, allowing the panels to achieve peak brightness levels of 1,300 nits for monitors and 4,500 nits for televisions, measured at 3% OPR (On Pixel Ratio).

Samsung claims that the high brightness does not come with additional power consumption, a key aspect of its new premium displays.

Panels using QD-OLED Penta Tandem can obtain VESA’s DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification, which measures HDR performance, including the ability to produce deep black levels.

The certification requires a black level of 0.0005 nits or lower while achieving a peak luminance of 500 nits at 10% OPR - currently, the only 31.5-inch UHD monitor meeting this standard is based on Samsung Display’s Penta Tandem panel.

This performance indicates a focus on delivering consistent visual quality in high-end business monitor applications as well as gaming setups.

Samsung Display plans to expand the Penta Tandem technology to a broader range of panel sizes this year, supplying flagship monitors and TVs to major customers.

Following the 27-inch UHD panels and 31.5-inch UHD monitors, the company will release a 49-inch Dual QHD (5120 x 1440) panel.

The technology has already been implemented in top-tier TVs, and although Penta Tandem enhances brightness, efficiency, and lifespan, its impact on overall monitor performance remains uncertain.

"Multi-layer organic light-emitting structure is not simply about adding more layers. It requires deep expertise in selecting materials and optimizing their thickness and combinations," said Brad Jung, Vice President and Head of the Large Display Marketing Team at Samsung Display.

"Penta Tandem, built on nearly five years of QD-OLED mass production experience since 2021, represents the ultimate choice for customers looking to demonstrate the premium value of QD-OLED."

Via TechPowerUp

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