Old school CRT monitor becomes world's fastest gaming display after hitting 700 Hz refresh rate

The retro but high-end-for-the-time IIyama Vision Master Pro 512 CRT monitor was recently pushed to a staggering 700 Hz refresh rate by the YouTube channel RetroGamingBase. This blasts past the current LCD record of 540 Hz and the OLED record of 480 Hz - as seen in LG and ASUS displays.

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IIyama Vision Master Pro 512 CRT monitor pushed to 700 Hz, image credit: YouTube/RetroGamingBase.

This makes the old-school monitor the fastest display in the world for gaming. However, there is one big caveat. The resolution had to be lowered considerably to overclock the display and have a stable 700 Hz image, right down to 320 x 120 pixels, in the region of a video game console or handheld from before the internet was a thing.

Plus, the image is letterboxed, and parts of the screen are cut off, so it's not precisely game-ready. The Vision Master Pro 512 CRT monitor can also be pushed to 500 Hz with a 320 x 200 resolution, anti-aliasing, and other visual effects. RetroGamingBase notes that games like The Witcher are playable at this speed and resolution.

Ultimately, if you're in the market for a super-fast gaming display, this isn't a sign that it's time to switch to an old-school CRT monitor, as there are 1080p LCDs like the ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP that can push 540 Hz. Also, at CES 2024, we saw the first OLED gaming monitors with refresh rates of 480 Hz.

• Read more: LG's 32-inch gaming OLED monitor with 480Hz refresh rate is imminent, with pre-orders live now
• Read more: ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP Gaming Monitor Review - Frames, frames, and more frames
• Read more: BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X gaming monitor: crazy 540Hz refresh rate for esports fanatics
• Read more: Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Review - A World's First Gaming Monitor

As for pushing the IIyama Vision Master Pro 512 CRT monitor to its limit, it's a friendly reminder that CRT-style monitors might be huge and cumbersome, but the technology is still impressive - even after the entire world seemingly dropped it in favor of LCD.

CRT monitors have improved motion clarity compared to LCD, so something like 700 Hz would look insanely smooth here. As for the outdated IIyama Vision Master Pro 512, it's a 22-inch 4:3 display with a respectable 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. It's widely considered one of the best CRT displays ever, and this new video by RetroGamingBase helps reinforce this.