Product 360
The first impression we got when we pulled the PXL2790MW from its box was, “boy this thing looks like an iMac!” Its slim profile, smooth face, and minimalist appearance invite comparisons to Apple’s all-in-one machine. This is a monitor that looks equally good on or off. Its front surface is almost featureless except for a textured band across the bottom. And there isn’t a single sharp corner or angle. Smooth, rounded edges and a gentle taper across the back are well-executed.

Planar bills this as a bezel-free design. Of course, there actually is a bezel; it’s just flush with the front layer. Turned on, there is a 26 mm black frame around the image. And it’s a true black, not the dark gray plastic you'd typically find. The best way to imagine it is to look at a black iPad. The frame actually enhances perceived contrast and brightness, especially in a dark room. When the lights are off, the image seems to float in front of you.
Across the bottom is a textured band that is not quite black. It has a molded Planar logo and five touch-sensitive controls on the right side. Starting on the left is the OSD button, followed by up and down arrows that double as volume and brightness hotkeys. Then we have the select key that also cycles through the inputs. Finally, there is a round power button that is actually molded in to make it easy to locate. The power LED glows a bright blue when the monitor is on and orange when it's in standby mode.

The side profile is not super-thin, but rather gently tapered to de-emphasizes the internal power supply's bulge somewhat. Sadly missing are USB ports, which appear on a vast majority of displays today. With the proliferation of mobile devices in our lives, you can never have too many USB ports.

Many style-oriented displays forgo the VESA mount in favor of an integrated base and upright, but Planar doesn't go that route. Remove the four screws and you can use your own bracket or wall-mounted solution. This is a smart decision on Planar's part too, because the only adjustment available from the included base is tilt. Fortunately, the monitor’s height is just about perfect, so you're probably only going to need to tilt it up a bit if your desk is of average height.

Inputs include DisplayPort 1.1, VGA, DVI, and HDMI. There is also an audio input and headphone output. We never really thought about the placement of headphone jacks until we reviewed NEC's EA294MWi, which is the only display we’ve seen with that connector on the side. It just doesn't make sense to put audio I/O out of reach on a down-facing panel around back.
Bundled accessories include DVI, DisplayPort, and stereo audio cables, along with an IEC power cord for the built-in supply. A printed manual rounds out the package.
- Planar PXL2790MW: Clarity, Performance, And Accuracy In QHD
- Packaging, Physical Layout, And Accessories
- OSD Setup And Calibration
- Measurement And Calibration Methodology: How We Test
- Results: Brightness And Contrast
- Results: Grayscale Tracking And Gamma Response
- Results: Color Gamut And Performance
- Results: Viewing Angle And Uniformity
- Results: Pixel Response And Input Lag
- Planar's PXL2790MW Gets Top Marks For Clarity And Performance
What do you seriously think that another 27" 2560x1440 60Hz monitor that is already in class with a dozen other models identical to it, deserves an award?
As for those overlord monitors, I wasn't impressed by them, mostly because I had it sitting next to a lightboost 2 120hz TN panel. Yes, the overclocked IPS panel has better colour (though that's largely negated by using it on minimal brightness in a dark room, like we've already been talking about), and it's certainly pretty and gives a lot of screen real estate... but it can't compare to a real 120Hz monitor, especially not one with a strobing backlight.
Now this sort of monitor clarity plus an OS that supports decent enlarged fonts would be really nice. Apps that scale well over a range of sizes would be even nicer. A 1000 pixel wide frame may be good for some people no matter how small it is; others of us would like at least a certain number of inches. Support all of us.
(Yes, I know that this isn't the monitor's fault. It's a poor convention in many parts of the software industry.)
QHD is not ready for gaming prime time yet, sorry folks.
Cheers!
As for those overlord monitors, I wasn't impressed by them, mostly because I had it sitting next to a lightboost 2 120hz TN panel. Yes, the overclocked IPS panel has better colour (though that's largely negated by using it on minimal brightness in a dark room, like we've already been talking about), and it's certainly pretty and gives a lot of screen real estate... but it can't compare to a real 120Hz monitor, especially not one with a strobing backlight.
When you say a real 120Hz - I don't get that. I have both 248s and Tempests and I prefer the Tempest all day every day. Monitors are clearly very subjective. Some people complain about strobing, PWm, etc. but it doesn't affect me at all. I prefer an IPS panel over a TN panel. The Tempest is a real 120hz monitor once OC'd so your comment makes little sense to me. Gaming on an IPS 1440 is much preferred and the added Hz makes the overlord the best gaming display for me.
QHD is not ready for gaming prime time yet, sorry folks.
Cheers!
Herpa Durp? QHD has been ready for "gaming prime time" for years now. Fortunately, panels are coming down in price and adoption is increasing as a result.
Your argument would be totally valid for 4K displays right now...excessively expensive, complicated input requirements, killer HW requirements. Very much a niche market.
1440p is **like** totally the new 1080p. Psshhya
It's not a real 120hz display i.e. designed for it. It has significantly more latency, and serious issues with motion blur... where a monitor designed for high refresh rates has virtually no input lag, and (if using lightboost technology set up to strobe), zero motion blur. An overclocked ips panel is still better than a non-overclocked ips panel, but I'll take a TN panel any day. The very high end TN panels look nearly as good as lower-end IPS panels, yet perform way better... and IPS panels don't handle being set to low brightness very well. I agree that IPS is superior for certain things; most notably tasks that require color accuracy. But for a gaming setup, I disagree. (Though a 1440p monitor, you're right, is a wonderful thing.)
That... is absolutely not true. Have you set your monitor up with lightboost, if you aren't using it? Have you gone into windows and your video drivers and told them to run the monitor at 120hz? Most of the time, when people say they can't see the difference between 120hz and 60hz, it's because they didn't set it up and never actually saw 120hz.
If you have it set up right, there is a VERY noticeable difference between 120hz and 60hz. Yes, 1440p is nice too, but you can't just say that one is worthless and the other isn't; I personally bought and returned a VERY nice iiyama recently, because even though it was basically the best on the market, there were notable issues with it while gaming - if there were a 1440p TN panel that didn't have all the issues that IPS panels have (yes, I know TN panels have issues of their own, but those are unimportant for gaming), then I would buy it on day one, and use it for MMOs and, say, racing games, for which a 120Hz monitor isn't as helpful, but which you still want a decent response and minimal ghosting.
For me, this is just another overpriced piece of equipment. Next.
Your argument would be totally valid for 4K displays right now...excessively expensive, complicated input requirements, killer HW requirements. Very much a niche market.
1440p is **like** totally the new 1080p. Psshhya
Well, I know there have been QHD monitors for quite some time, but they're still expensive as hell and don't offer a better "gaming experience" IMO to justify them over FHD@120/144Hz. Until QHD comes in 120/144 Hz, they won't be on my "must have" list at all. Specially with the crappy as hell colors.
Cheers!
Happy Thanks Giving!