Displays - Page 20

We recently reviewed the new ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN Gaming Monitor, a G-SYNC 1440p display for competitive and esports gamers that delivers impressive results. At Computex 2023, during a tour of NVIDIA's HQ, we saw a new firmware update to the high refresh-rate G-SYNC module found in the display, which reduces motion blur and improves image clarity. NVIDIA G-SYNC Ultra Low Motion Blur 2, or ULMB 2 for short, is impressive.

After a simple firmware update, the new ULMB 2 tech implements a new full refresh rate backlight strobing technique and uses the display's full brightness (in this case, 500 nits) to reduce motion blur and improve things like text clarity pretty dramatically. Due to the nature of the technology, this is one of those things that you need to see in person to get the full effect, and on that front, NVIDIA had two identical ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN displays side-by-side - one with ULMB 2 and one without.

How it works is quite impressive, and even though cranking a display to 500 nits might sound like you'll need to slap on a pair of sunglasses, the full refresh rate backlight strobing means that the backlight is only on when pixels are at their correct color value. As per NVIDIA's announcement, "the idea is to not show the pixels transitioning, and only show them when their color is accurate." For the demo we saw, this meant that perceived brightness was similar to the same display at 50% brightness without ULMB 2.

ASRock has showcased the already-released PG34WQ15R3A at Computex 2023, and I was lucky enough to get a full introduction to the company's first jump into the ultrawide gaming market.

During the ASRock press conference, the company explained that it will be rolling out a new selection of gaming monitors, and these refreshed displays will come with a range of upgrades. Notably, the PG34WQ15R3A is a 34-inch WQHD display with a resolution of 3440x1440, a 165Hz refresh rate, a 91% DCI-P3 color space, and HDR 400. Additionally, the PG34WQ15R3A supports AMD FreeSynch technology and is a mini-OLED that has an integrated 7dBi Wi-Fi antenna.

One of the most impressive aspects of the PG34WQ15R3A is the price, coming in at just over $400, with Newegg currently listing the display at $419.99. Furthermore, the PG34WQ15R3A sports a 1ms response time for all those fast-twitch gamers that enjoy the likes of a first-person shooter title or any other game that requires fast reaction times. If you were wondering how much curve this curved display has, ASRock has outfitted the PG34WQ15R3A with a 1500R curvature.

ASRock has announced a selection of new gaming monitors at Computex 2023, introducing a few conventional-sized displays aimed at mid-level gamers.

ASRock was kind enough to invite me to their press conference to debrief me on the selection of gaming monitors, and in this article, we are going to take a look at the company's 1440p and 1080p variants. Starting off, we have the PG27FF1A, which is a flat 1920 x 1080p 27-inch FHD IPS display equipped with a 165Hz refresh rate. Additionally, ASRock explained that the PG27FF1A has a 1ms response time, a color space of 94% DCI-P3 / sRGB 123%, a maximum brightness of 250 nits, a contrast ratio of 1100:1, and HDR10.

Furthermore, the PG27FF1A is outfitted with speakers, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 port, 2 x HDMI 2.0 ports, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, AMD FreeSync certification, and VESA mounting support. Moving on to the 1440p variant, ASRock explained to me the PG27QF2A is a 27-inch QHD flat IPS display that is also 165 Hz, has NTSC 90% color space, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 port, 2 x HDMI 2.0 ports, and an integrated 7dBi Wi-Fi antenna. Currently, there is no word on the price for either of these displays.

Computex 2023 is well underway, and today ASRock announced a slew of new gaming monitors. One of those monitors is the PG32UMF, and it's worth highlighting.

ASRock has a range of new monitors that were on display at the company's booth at Computex 2023. I was lucky enough to get a tour of ASRock's booth at the convention and learned a bunch about what these new monitors will offer gamers. Of ASRock's new range of monitors, the PG32UMF stood out among the rest as it sports a glorious 3840 x 2160 (4K) resolution with a flat IPS display at my favorite size, 31.5 inches.

Additionally, ASRock has slapped a 144Hz refresh rate on the PG32UMF, with a 97% DCI-P3 Color Space, at a maximum brightness of 600 Nits and HDR 1400. The specs don't stop there, as the PG32UMF Mini LED comes with AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync support, with HDMI2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 interfaces, as well as a USB Type-C PD3.0 90W fast charging (upstream) port and four USB Type-A (downstream) ports, providing gamers with the connectivity that become abundantly necessary in today's day and age.

Plenty of new products are emerging out of Computex 2023, and one to highlight is from ASRock. Introducing the PG558KF, an 8K IPS display slated for high-end gamers.

ASRock announced a new line-up of gaming monitors under its Phantom Gaming brand at Computex 2023, and the company was kind enough to give me an introduction to each of its new variants at its booth. More specifically, ASRock unveiled its PG558KF, an 8K UHD flat IPS display at 60Hz refresh rate, a 1200:1 contrast ratio, 750 Nits, and HDR 1000. Additionally, the PG558KF comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, one 90-watt USB-C Type-C port, and four USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports.

For those that don't know, there currently isn't any hardware that can efficiently run games at 7840 x 4320 (8K), and gamers that decide to pick up the PG558KF when it's available will likely be waiting a long time for hardware to release that can fully utilize its capabilities. While gaming on newly released maxed-out games may currently be a pipe dream, the PG558KF would still look incredible on a desk and be an awesome multi-purpose display for users looking to do any work or watch movies, TV shows, or high resolution YouTube videos.

If you thought ultra-wides were big, your socks will be blown off by ASUS's brand new ROG Swift PG49WCD OLED gaming monitor.

ASUS is gearing up to announce a bunch of new products at Computex 2023, and we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the company's upcoming PG49WCD: an OLED super-ultrawide display that measures an eye-watering 49 inches of high-definition doom.

ASUS has packed an impressive set of specs inside the PG49WCD, featuring a resolution of 5120x1440, an 1800R curve for intense immersive gaming, and a custom heatsink with a graphene rear panel that assists in lowering the operating temperatures, reducing the risk of burn-in.

World Exclusive - ASUS is a day away from unveiling the first of its kind 38-inch 4K gaming display, with the company expected to unveil the product fully at Computex 2023 tomorrow.

Introducing the ROG Swift PG38UQ, the world's first 38-inch 4K gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync technology, ASUS's IPS technology that enables a 1ms response time, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, NVIDIA G-Sync to reduce screen tearing, and Display HDR 600. Notably, the coming monitor features improved connectivity with DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, USB Hub and a tripod socket located on the top of the monitor.

ASUS is no stranger to the gaming monitor market, as the company is renowned for producing some of the highest end displays that gamers can get their hands-on. As Computex 2023 continues, we expect to learn more about what ASUS has to offer gamers in terms of slick monitors. As for the PG38UQ, currently there is no word on a release date or price, but we can assume that it will be sometime within the next year.

LG's new UltraGear gaming monitor (49GR85DC) is a beast, as it features a curved 49-inch display with a 32:9 aspect ratio and a blisteringly fast 240Hz refresh rate. With a resolution of 5,120 x 1,400 pixels, it's like having two 16:9 displays in one.

Ultrawide gaming monitors represent some of the most popular models out there, especially when it comes to delivering an immersive gaming experience. The wide cinematic view is brilliant for several games and great for expanding desktop real estate when it comes to productivity. On a side note, I've been playing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on an ultrawide, and outside of that game's performance issues, I wouldn't want to play it any other way.

However, most ultrawide displays come in the 21:9 aspect ratio flavor. The 31:9 aspect ratio of the LG UltraGear's 49-inch display goes one step further - and based on all the pixels, you'll probably need a high-end GPU from NVIDIA or AMD to get the most out of it. Though, it's worth noting that the total pixel count is still less than what you'd find on a 4K monitor.

The Acer Predator X34 was one of the first high-end gaming monitors to put ultrawide gaming on the map, with an IPS panel and a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440. The latest model due for release in November 2023, the Acer Predator X34 V, will see the premium gaming monitor from Acer embrace OLED.

The rise of OLED has been a long time in the gaming monitor space, with high-refresh-rate models from several display makers leaning into the unmatched contrast and image clarity the display tech can deliver. 2023 will see several OLED releases explicitly built for gaming from ASUS, LG, Alienware, MSI, and more - and it's not hard to see why.

Acer Predator X34 V sports a 10-bit 344-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 pixels and a curvature of 1800R. Acer notes that the typical peak brightness is 250 nits, with the HDR peak brightness reaching 1,000 nits.

One of the big PC display advances in recent years has been the introduction of high-refresh-rate OLED panels designed for gaming and content creation tasks. From Samsung to Alienware, ASUS, and LG's UltraGear OLED panels - more and more OLED options for gamers are becoming available.

TFT Central outlines some of the OLED displays from LG and Samsung expected in the second half of 2024 and beyond. Plenty of goodness is coming, including the ability to run some of the LG OLED panels in dual refresh-rate modes. Native resolution at 240 Hz or 1080p at 480 Hz is very cool.

For the 16:9 aspect ratio, LG has 27-inch, 31.5-inch, and 42-inch OLED displays that will double the existing 4K refresh rate of 120 Hz up to an impressive 240 Hz. For gaming, a few cards outside of the GeForce RTX 4090 can push frame rates higher than 120 fps in 4K, but this is still excellent to see.

OLED, it's what's on the menu - at least when it comes to new high-end gaming monitors like the new CORSAIR XENEON 27QHD240 OLED. A new 27-inch gaming monitor with a resolution of 2560x1440, a super-fast 240 Hz refresh rate, and all of the benefits of an OLED panel.

On that front, CORSAIR notes that the new XENEON 27QHD240 is built using a new third-generation OLED panel with META Technology that features a Micro Lens Array (MLA). A bunch of tech jargon for some, but the result is enhanced brightness via a focal lens placed in front of every pixel leading to a peak brightness of an impressive 1,000 nits.

On top of that, there's HDR 10 support, a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio (OLED contrast is essentially infinite), and 98-% DCI-P3 color for a vibrant image. Throw in a 0.03ms response time, NVIDIA G-SYNC, and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility, and this new CORSAIR gaming monitor is undoubtedly beast-level.

Q4 2022 could have been a better time for PC monitor shipments, with a new report by IDC outlining that shipments contracted by over 18% year over year. The 30.5 million units this represents is the lowest fourth quarter result since the firm started tracking the PC monitor market in 2008.

It's a trend that we've seen quite a bit of late, with reports across the entire range of PC hardware reporting a downturn during the tail end of 2022, with a mix of the rapid expansion during the pandemic and the current economic downturn seen as the reason. With so many people setting up a hybrid work-from-home environment, people aren't buying as many new PC monitors as they used to.

The Q4 2022 results led to an annual decline of 5.9% for the entire year, though IDC notes that the Q4 results align with its forecast of a 16.2% decline in shipments. Which at least means that it wasn't a surprise - so that's a plus. Sort of.

We're starting to see a lot more OLED panels specifically designed for gaming, where over the past couple of years, we've seen OLED gaming monitors from the likes of LG, Alienware, MSI, and ASUS. Although the recent trend has been companies looking to release more desk-friendly options in sizes - 27-inch and 34-inch ultrawide - BenQ's new MOBIUZ EX480UZ is a 48-inch OLED.

Featuring two HMDI 2.1 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4 port, with a 4K 120Hz AMD FreeSync Premium refresh rate, this is undoubtedly the sort of gaming display that will suit a high-end gaming PC and modern consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

With OLED technology, you can expect the absolute best when it comes to response times, with BenQ touting 0.1ms, not to mention 98% DCI-P3 color support for vibrant in-game visuals. The display uses BenQ's HDRi technology - found in many of the company's MOBIUZ gaming monitors - which automatically optimizes HDR content.

LG OLED. A bunch of acronyms, sure, but when it comes to TVs, they are highly regarded as delivering the best visual experience for gaming and watching media. So much so that we've seen many PC gamers buying up LG OLEDs specifically for PC use thanks to the perfect black levels you get from OLED and the unbeatable near-instantaneous response times. Not to mention the just about infinite contrast you get from self-lit pixels.

Although it's not the first company to release OLED gaming monitors, LG's new UltraGear OLED panels are set to debut this month and look very impressive. Available in two models, a 27-inch (27GR95QE) 1440p display and a massive 45-inch (45GR95QE) curved ultrawide with a WQHD resolution of 3440 x 1440 - they take full advantage of current OLED panel technology.

Both LG UltraGear OLED displays feature a fast 240Hz refresh rate with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support. And being OLED, this comes with a true 0.03ms Gray-to-Gray (GTG) response time to ensure clarity and the very best image stability. OLED means no light bleed, so you're getting vibrant DCI-P3 with 98.5% color accuracy for immersive cinematic visuals.

Alienware is prepping to launch its latest high refresh-rate display in the US, with the Alienware AW2524H featuring a 500Hz IPS full-HD (1920x1080) panel. Launching this month on March 21, it will be the first 500Hz display of its kind, though it won't come cheap as it also carries a price point of USD 829.99.

The Alienware AW2524H is a 24.5-inch gaming monitor with an out-of-the-box native refresh rate of 480Hz that can be overclocked to 500Hz. As an IPS panel, it also features impressive specs with 99% sRGB color accuracy and a wide viewing angle.

Usually, high refresh-rate 1080p displays for gaming use the more cost-effective TN panel technology, which is widely considered a step down from IPS regarding color, viewing angles, and other features.

The MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED is a new display from the hardware maker that fully uses the latest QD-OLED technology to deliver a curved ultrawide experience that will undoubtedly be awesome for games.

OLED panels in gaming monitors are still far and few between, but as we've seen in the 4K TV space, they not only deliver crisp and perfect black levels thanks to per-pixel lighting, but the response times are just about non-existent. The MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED features a 0.1ms response time.

MSI's new display features a Quantum Dot layer for more vibrant colors; it's VESA Display HDR True Black 400 certified and has a 175 Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro variable refresh-rate support. And with 139.1% sRGB, 99.3% DCI-P3, and 97.8% Adobe RGB accuracy, it's the sort of display that will be as good for content creators as it will be for PC gamers.

The new ROG Strix XG27AQMR Gaming Monitor features a 300Hz Fast IPS 27-inch display, but unlike other super-high refresh monitors, this one is WQHD with a resolution of 2560 x 1440. Which, for many, is the sweet spot at this size. ASUS calls it a display for professional gamers and those who love to be immersed in games. And it will pair nicely with the latest GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD, thanks to the latest generation of graphics cards actually being able to push 1440p frame rates to 300 fps without having to run things on low settings.

ASUS is backing the immersion claim up with DisplayHDR 600 compliance and 97% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is very impressive. In addition to going up to 300Hz, the ROG Strix XG27AQMR's Fast IPS panel features a 1ms gray-to-gray response time (GtG), with additional NVIDIA G-Sync Compatibility, AMD FreeSync Premium, and ELMB (low-motion-blur technology) support. So not only will it be fast, but it'll look great too. Naturally, as we start to see refresh rates top 300 Hz in the WQHD space, this is awesome for those playing competitive games and immersive cinematic titles.

Connectivity-wise, you've got two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, two USB 3.2 ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Here are the specs.

Cinemas have always been the realm of projectors, from traditional film-based projection to the rise of digital cinemas and digital projection. Some digital projectors in the home theatre space rival what you can find at cinemas with 4K and 8K images and impressive features.

Of course, projector technology fundamentally differs from what we see in the TV and desktop display space, where it begins and ends with LED. From OLED to QLED to VA and IPS, even though there are varying levels of quality and technology and resolutions that also go up to 8K, it's still backlit or self-lit panel technology. Projectors project light onto a screen, reflecting the latest Avatar or Marvel superhero adventure to audiences.

LG Miraclass (a combination of Miracle and Class) are massive LED screens targeting theatres directly. "Ideal for theater operators eager to present moviegoers with new, premium services and immersive viewing experiences, LG's latest lineup of LED screens delivers realistic images with natural colors and deep blacks," writes the press release.

Mini LED is the next big thing in display technology and is the next significant advancement in LCD tech. It improves backlighting by adding thousands of lighting zones, offering a brighter image for things like HDR and superior viewing angles compared to other displays.

Samsung's Odyssey Neo G7 (G70NC) is the company's first flat Mini-LED model for its Odyssey range, with a large 43-inch 4K 144Hz screen that includes VESA Display HDR 600 and HDR 10+ certification. Plus, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for smooth variable refresh rate (VRR) action.

Samsung calls its Mini-LED tech 'Quantum Mini LEDs,' resulting in richer blacks and vibrant colors. As a PC gaming-focused display, it's great to see that it also includes a matte finish, so there are no pesky reflections. There's also the ability to use it in 20-inch mode and dynamically switch between the two. Excellent features, like the Samsung Game Bar, offer complete control over aspect rations, HDR, VRR, response times, and game-specific picture modes.

When we think about product endorsements, it's easy to go the cynical route and think about the monetary and advertisement side - like product placement in movies. When it comes to the sporting world, though, it's pretty much the opposite, where an endorsement is often a sign of quality.

Competitive League of Legends is one of the most watched and celebrated esports, and when it comes to fast-paced gaming played at the level, displays need to be exceptional in the critical areas of refresh rate, response times, and support for VRR technology like NVIDIA GSYNC.

So, when LG lets us know that its UltraGear gaming monitor, the 25GR75FG, has been named as the official display of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) in 2023, that means it's an excellent esports display.