Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

27" Monitor Choice from Korea

Tags:
  • DVI
  • Monitors
  • HDMI
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
Share
April 2, 2014 5:53:03 AM

Hi, I'm looking at the monitors that are coming out of Korea at the moment.

My requirements are:
- 27"
- 2560 x 1440
- 10 bit
- Perfect Pixel guaranteed
- < £300
- DCR > 1,000,000:1
- GtG < 8ms
- DVI-I/D, DisplayPort & HDMI

I'm torn between two. The first is an S-IPS panel, the second is some new thing called AHVA (Advanced Hyper Viewing Angle). They are both about £270 quid allowing for dollar conversion.

The first is the CROSSOVER 2720MDP GOLD

The second is QX2710 LED Evolution II DPmulti TRUE10

I don't suppose anyone knows anything about these two models? They both fit the bill, but are completely different tech.

Or more generally about ordering monitors direct from Korea?

Or whether this AHVA tech is better/worse than S-IPS?

Thanks very much

More about : monitor choice korea

April 2, 2014 10:34:28 AM

My default reaction is the same, but the specs for the new QNIX AVHA panel look awesome to me.

I'm a noob at this so when I see 100% colour vs 72% colour, DCR of 1:2m to 1:1m, GtG of 4ms vs 6ms, virtual 4k and is overclockable anywhere from 60 to 120, I can't help but think I'm veering towards the wrong one.

How important are all these things? I am a visual gamer (basically a decrepit old man), rather than a fast one.

Has anyone ever seen one of these AVHA panels? I'm reading that it's newer tech than S-IPS, but that doesn't necessarily make it better.

Help! I'm sitting here with a loaded card ready to order...!
But which one?!
m
0
l
April 2, 2014 2:25:51 PM

Thanks Presler.
I was hoping you'd convince me!
I've been staring at the specs for hours now, and I am going to risk the AVHA.
m
1
l
Related resources
a b C Monitor
April 2, 2014 2:36:17 PM

Hey Dave,

when you receive the monitor could you post a comment here and tell me how much did the import tax and delivery cost you. I bought a pajamas for my wife from USA for 40 quid and had to pay £38 import duty which is retarded!
m
0
l
April 4, 2014 4:27:59 AM

Mouldread said:
Hey Dave,

when you receive the monitor could you post a comment here and tell me how much did the import tax and delivery cost you. I bought a pajamas for my wife from USA for 40 quid and had to pay £38 import duty which is retarded!


Yep, will do.
m
1
l
a b C Monitor
April 4, 2014 2:30:03 PM

Thanks Dave,

I hope you get a really nice monitor :) 
m
1
l
a b C Monitor
April 4, 2014 5:36:27 PM

Dave FromKent said:
I'm torn between two. The first is an S-IPS panel, the second is some new thing called AHVA (Advanced Hyper Viewing Angle). They are both about £270 quid allowing for dollar conversion.

The first is the CROSSOVER 2720MDP GOLD

The second is QX2710 LED Evolution II DPmulti TRUE10

I don't suppose anyone knows anything about these two models? They both fit the bill, but are completely different tech.

Or more generally about ordering monitors direct from Korea?

Or whether this AHVA tech is better/worse than S-IPS?

Thanks very much

The QX2710 supposedly uses a PLS panel type. I don't know why a site would say it has AHVA... as most sites list the panel as PLS. (see my reply)
PLS is made by Samsung and seems to be very similar to H-IPS (maybe even the same tech as H-IPS).

Clarification (not sure how accurate this is, but anyways...)
* S-IPS: I think S-IPS is the older IPS panel technology that made IPS so popular.
* H-IPS & e-IPS: These are newer panel types that have become quite common in recent years.
* PLS appears to be Samsung's version of H-IPS ... or at least seems very similar to it. For this reason, I tend to group IPS and PLS together.

If you care to read some more ...
* Here is a review of some e-IPS monitors:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/monitors/display/dell-...
* Here is a review when they introduced PLS:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/monitors/display/samsu...

Flaws?
When they introduced e-IPS, H-IPS, and PLS I started noticing some downsides or flaws that I didn't seem to remember being present in S-IPS panels. So, maybe S-IPS would be a safer option?

Disclaimer: I have yet to find out the source of the "flaws" Maybe they were also present in S-IPS in some form; I definitely will need to do some more research on the subject in the future. :) 


BTW, have you seen this site for getting overclockable IPS panels?
http://www.overclockmonitor.com/
I only saw the link today.
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
April 5, 2014 6:56:44 PM

I finally found out why the discrepency between AHVA and PLS on the QX2710. Apparently, there are two different QX2710, with two different panel types.

The first one is just the: "QX2710 Evolution II"
This is the PLS panel model.
The second is the one you were referring to in the first post: QX2710 LED Evolution II DPmulti TRUE10
This is the AHVA model. tftcentral says they will be posting a review of the AHVA model, BTW.
Source of these name(s): The model number(s) and differences are from amazon.

Anyways, that probably won't affect your purchase... but hope it's ok to mention it. :) 
m
1
l
April 8, 2014 9:04:26 AM

I appreciate the continuing interest!

I will be going with the AHVA panel, for no other reason that although the tech is new, it is not that new that some of the teething problems will have been fixed.

Anyway, I'm spending the extra forty quid for a perfect pixel, so we'll see what happens when it comes. There are several suppliers that offer perfect pixel, but add a rider that one or two dead/stuck pixels is acceptable.

Not to me it isn't!
So I've gone with the supplier that guarantees no stuck/dead pixels and will pay for return/replacement. Their reviews (>10,000) indicate that they live up to it.

Update to Mouldread:

I contacted the supplier and they said that they won't call it a gift because FedEx & IPS won't allow it. So I guess I'll be paying import duty. I've calculated that it will be about forty-fifty quid extra, but no VAT.
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
April 8, 2014 2:51:26 PM

Thanks for the update Dave,

I've been drooling at these monitors for long but always been afraid to order one. I really hope you get the best there is :) 
m
0
l
May 1, 2014 4:05:52 PM

OK, I've got the QX2710 LED Evolution II DPmulti TRUE10.

Firstly delivery.
Unbelievable. I live in England. Ordered on a Sunday evening. UPS delivered at 09:17 on Wednesday Morning. Very well packaged.
The down side is that you have to pay import taxes or levy or duty or something. Forty five quid! So the monitor cost £275, delivery £45. Net £320.00.

I paid extra for Perfect Pixel and a warranty. If you take a risk, then you can take about forty quid off the price. It is important to note that Perfect Pixel means different things to different retailers. The retailer I chose says that Perfect Pixel means NO duff pixels at all. I don't think I am allowed to name them but their name rhymes with Haccessories hole! All the other retailers seem to think that Perfect Pixel means that one or two dead pix is OK. Not for me, it isn't.

I've checked and you can't get a 10Bit, 2560 x 1440 monitor for less than 600 quid, so if the monitor was any good, this is the bargain of the century.

Happy to say that so far, this IS the bargain of the century!

The monitor is excellent. I am testing it on my old GTX 260 to see how much of an improvement I will get when my 780 ti arrives. Don't ask for colour gamut, or any of that stuff. All I can tell you is that the screen I've got has no dead pixels, no bleed anywhere and despite what you read elsewhere, will overclock; AND it is the DisplayPort/HDMI/DVI input board.

My GTX 260 is running it at 1980 x 1020, 119mz. 32bit colour. It will cope with 2560 x1440, but only at 60hz, and only on standard profiles. Start mucking about and it just sulks until the clock winds down to reset.

Once I have thrown in the 780 ti, it should send these figures into orbit and I will certainly try it on the 4k option.

The monitor frame & standard are adequate. Nothing special. The stand is not very robust and has a small wobble if you push the monitor. (So I don't push it!). TBH, I don't care what it looks like, I care about what the picture is like.

And it's good. Clear, crisp, super fast on 119hz. Probably a bit too bright, but that's easy to deal with. The OSD is fiddly, but usable.

The manual is largely in Korean, but there are enough English explanation to make it usable. Comes with a Dual DVI-I cable, a power block and a and a 'kettle' power cable. The power cable is wired for Korea, but they supply a (rather flimsy looking) adapter that I wasn't brave enough to use.

Gaming
As I said, I am testing it on my 260. Tried a few old games on this. Avatar, NTW, Lord of the Rings and maxxed the settings. Really really impressed. Noticeably clearer picture, more detail, although my GTX 260 struggled with anti-alias x 4. When the 780 ti (finally) turns up, I'll throw Thief at it and see what it looks like.

Verdict:
You will find reviews on this monitor, ranging from mediocre to reasonably good.
All I can say is that, yeah it's a risk, because you aren't buying from a big retailer. But for the price? For the lighting fast delivery, quicker than Amazon? For a 10 Bit monitor with 100% colour range? 2560 x 1440 with 4k emulation? Multi input ports, incl DP? AND it overclocks to 120hz.

Take the plunge. This is a good monitor. I doubt it is the best, but it has got to be the best you can get for 320 quid.
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
May 1, 2014 4:18:23 PM

Hello again Dave,

it's funny I was just thinking if you have received the monitor and then I received the notification of your post.

Thanks for the detailed review. It's really helpful. what you describe does sound amazing. Especially the delivery speed.

Thanks again for sharing and enjoy :) 
m
0
l
June 4, 2014 1:28:40 PM

Update:
I've now got it running off a Gigabyte 780 ti Windforce.

One month on, and physically, the stand is definitely the weakest part of the gear. It is crap and I'm considering ripping it off and getting a vesa mount

The monitor itself is the pups package, really good. I tested it through Heaven & Kombustor on max settings for a burn and although the 780ti started to cook (!!) , the monitor lapped it up on 2560 x 1440. Fps averaged at 50, but I reckon that even if I sli the GPU, this monitor can cope.

I have the Qnix permanently OC to 119hz. No issues or lag or nothing. Day to day I have it at 1080, but for big screen & fast games, it goes up to 1440. Doesn't break sweat, although I reckon that most cards under a 780ti would struggle to hit 1440 & 119hz.

Tried Thief. Epic stuff, fast, no ghosting, fantastic clarity.

Tried the 4k option. Interesting experiment, but not for day to day work. Bit of a gimmick.

I have identified a small bleed from bottom right corner on a blank screen, but this disappears when an image is up.

I have now seen some of the really expensive screens in action and tbh, the clarity of the screen on the Qnix is not quite as good. So my verdict is the same as before. It might not be the best, but you won't get better for the money. But spend the extra few quid on a PerfectPixel and get it from a company that regards even one dead pix as a reason to RMA.
m
0
l
July 2, 2014 12:02:15 AM

Wait, you can crossfire with only 1 input on the monitor?
m
1
l
a b C Monitor
July 2, 2014 1:40:00 AM

Interesting. Im also looking at getting one of these qnix monitors. How come you use it in 1080p day to day? I would have thought you would want it in 1440p all the time.
m
0
l
July 9, 2014 5:02:22 AM

Robby LEachman said:
Wait, you can crossfire with only 1 input on the monitor?


Not sure what you mean?
I don't use crossfire as my GPU is NVidia. I don't even know th edifference between crossfire and SLI. When I've saved up the pennies, I'll be getting a second 780 ti on an SLI. You bridge the GPs and use only one of the outputs.

m
0
l
July 9, 2014 5:10:27 AM

RobCrezz said:
Interesting. Im also looking at getting one of these qnix monitors. How come you use it in 1080p day to day? I would have thought you would want it in 1440p all the time.


Two reasons.

Firstly, I am an old man. I need to see the screen!
2560 x 1440 on the Qnix, through a 780ti provides amazing breadth of vision, without any loss of detail. However for day to day computing (work, letters, web editing etc) I need less detail, but more clarity.

Secondly, the temperature on the GPU is raised by about 8 - 10 degrees when the screen is at 1440. Not a huge problem, but I have a heat paranoia! (push & pull fans on the H100i, 5 x 140mm case fans). Changing the res is very quick and so I change it to suit the job I am doing. The monitor doesn't care. It's brilliant. Barely notices when it is on overclock, maybe a slight increase in temperature? But very slight.
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
July 9, 2014 5:14:15 AM

Dave FromKent said:
RobCrezz said:
Interesting. Im also looking at getting one of these qnix monitors. How come you use it in 1080p day to day? I would have thought you would want it in 1440p all the time.


Two reasons.

Firstly, I am an old man. I need to see the screen!
2560 x 1440 on the Qnix, through a 780ti provides amazing breadth of vision, without any loss of detail. However for day to day computing (work, letters, web editing etc) I need less detail, but more clarity.

Secondly, the temperature on the GPU is raised by about 8 - 10 degrees when the screen is at 1440. Not a huge problem, but I have a heat paranoia! (push & pull fans on the H100i, 5 x 140mm case fans). Changing the res is very quick and so I change it to suit the job I am doing. The monitor doesn't care. It's brilliant. Barely notices when it is on overclock, maybe a slight increase in temperature? But very slight.


Can you not just increase the text size scaling and keep it at 1440p? Or get new glasses ;) 
m
0
l
July 9, 2014 5:20:12 AM

RobCrezz said:
Dave FromKent said:
RobCrezz said:
Interesting. Im also looking at getting one of these qnix monitors. How come you use it in 1080p day to day? I would have thought you would want it in 1440p all the time.


Two reasons.

Firstly, I am an old man. I need to see the screen!
2560 x 1440 on the Qnix, through a 780ti provides amazing breadth of vision, without any loss of detail. However for day to day computing (work, letters, web editing etc) I need less detail, but more clarity.

Secondly, the temperature on the GPU is raised by about 8 - 10 degrees when the screen is at 1440. Not a huge problem, but I have a heat paranoia! (push & pull fans on the H100i, 5 x 140mm case fans). Changing the res is very quick and so I change it to suit the job I am doing. The monitor doesn't care. It's brilliant. Barely notices when it is on overclock, maybe a slight increase in temperature? But very slight.


Can you not just increase the text size scaling and keep it at 1440p? Or get new glasses ;) 


:) 
Yes, but I'm not the only user.

If everything was't just the way it should be, my missus would whine like a defective Seagate Hard Drive...
m
0
l
August 19, 2014 9:54:27 AM

How does the ahva screen compare to the pls?
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
August 19, 2014 2:29:07 PM

whatsup349 said:
How does the ahva screen compare to the pls?

In theory, I think AHVA, PLS, and IPS may offer a very similar choice and quality. However, based on recent reviews, it seems there is problem when dealing with Korean models and less common US brands: they don't implement overdrive ... and this negatively affects the response times (see below).

In the end if may be safer going with a big US name brand like Dell, Asus, or BenQ. Or, to be even more certain, pick one that was reviewed on xbitlabs or tftcentral (since they test response times properly).

Details:

From what I can tell, PLS, IPS, and AHVA, seem to be quite quite similar in the quality of the display (good news), but they all seem to suffer from the bad IPS glow problem (bad news) ... although there was one model PLS on tftcentral that had reduced IPS glow.
Sidenote: It thought I've seen IPS monitors without the IPS glow (old models & one or more new models), but I could be wrong -- I would need to check in more detail.


Response times
The real problem comes in the area of response times. Apparently, some of the no-name brand monitors (from the US and Korea) may not implement overdrive, which improves the response times. Is it enough to notice? I am not 100% sure; however, I would probably be very cautious about getting one without overdrive unless I could run extensive tests in person first.

BTW, overdrive has nothing to do with IPS, PLS, or AHVA; it is just a feature they can add to any panel to give it better response times.


See a few reviews for yourself:

QNIX QX2710 AHVA
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/qnix_qx2710.htm
Good viewing angles, but has the nasty IPS glow problem.
If you look at the numbers, some of the response times are fairly good, but quite a few are not so good because this monitor does not have overdrive. The question is, is that slow enough to cause issues?

Benq AHVA
Here's an example of how overdrive improves the response times on an AHVA monitor:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/content/benq_bl2710...

Dell PLS
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_p2714h.htm
Good viewing angles, but has the nasty IPS glow problem.
Somewhat decent response times for 60Hz because they have overdrive.

AOC PLS
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/aoc_q2770pqu.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuUV__XBW0w
Good viewing angles
The IPS glow seems to be reduced.
Unknown response times

BenQ MVA
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/benq_bl3200pt.htm
Good viewing angles
Good black levels; minimal angle glow problems.
Has overdrive; response times ranging from good to so so, to not so good; the bad parts might hurt you in various situations.

IPS without overdrive
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/achieva_27_ips-zero...
An example of an IPS that didn't implement overdrive ... and has not so good response times as a result.
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
August 20, 2014 1:27:06 AM

Ive ordered the Qnix 2710 Evo II PLS version (the one with DVI-D only), looking forward to testing it out.

Theres a good overview of these here, albeit slightly different brand names, but you can tell the PLS/AHVA/SIPS etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rQtubyNCQA&list=UUNovo...

m
0
l
a c 95 C Monitor
September 9, 2014 9:19:59 AM

Good to see I'm not the only one having these doubts, I'm also trying to decide between AH-VA and PLS, balancing that with price, pixel guarantees and display inputs.
Think I might end up with a PLS panel since it seems there is less confusion in general about it and the "true" 10bit colour from the AH-VA panels are really 8bit + FRC, which is nothing special apparently. Wish the PLS panels had more more display input options though, DisplayPort in particular, seems DVI is it unless I want to spend $50 more.

Luckily it seems here in Australia I wont be slugged with import tax, only imports above $1000 and Tobacco/Alcohol are hit.

Thinking of getting this one.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Perfect-Pixel-FREE-EXPRESS-X...
Apparently the Qnix QX2710 PLS version and X-Star DP2710 are the exact same monitor, this is just a bit cheaper and comes from a seller that has a known good reputation.
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
September 9, 2014 9:25:24 AM

Ive had the Qnix QX2710 PLS version for a couple of weeks now and it really is superb!

I cannot believe this was only about £200, amazing value for money. The resolution and picture quality is brilliant.
m
0
l
a c 95 C Monitor
September 9, 2014 10:57:17 AM

Hmm... It also seems that the PLS versions can actually overclock while the AH-VA panels will accept higher refresh rates but just drop the extra frames anyway.
I think my mind has been made up on which one to get, now its just a question of whether I get it or not...
m
0
l
September 9, 2014 12:29:06 PM

If you would be kind enough to let us know how.the monitor works out Im pretty curious I would appreciate it. I just bought an r290 which is way over powered for my 1920x1080 tv. Im torn between these korean models and waiting for freesync monitors.
m
0
l
a b C Monitor
September 10, 2014 1:56:14 AM

manofchalk said:
Hmm... It also seems that the PLS versions can actually overclock while the AH-VA panels will accept higher refresh rates but just drop the extra frames anyway.
I think my mind has been made up on which one to get, now its just a question of whether I get it or not...


Yeah from people who have used both, the PLS versions are best, unless you really need Displayport/HDMI ports.
m
0
l
a c 95 C Monitor
September 10, 2014 7:48:03 AM

Just bit the bullet and bought the X-Star I linked above, should arrive by the 22-29th according to the page, though from every account I hear it will probably show up faster than that.
m
0
l
!