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Response, Input Lag, Viewing Angles and Uniformity

I have some very speedy OLEDs in my database and the quickest ones are here today. At 480 Hz is Asus’ flagship PG27AQDP. 360 Hz is covered by Philips’ 27M2N8500, MSI’s MPG271QRX and Alienware’s AW2725DF. At 240 Hz is Aorus’ FO27Q2. Is that unfair? You’ll soon see that it isn’t one bit.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

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Asus XG27ACDNG — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Smooth motion is a given with any OLED running at 240 Hz or faster. Like the XG27ACDNG, they will all render moving objects with the same level of detail and clarity as stationary ones. 360 or 480 Hz isn’t better in that regard.

However, input lag is another story, and I’ve found that it doesn’t always go hand in hand with refresh rate. The XG27ACDNG is very quick with 15ms of total lag. But the Philips 27M2N8500 I reviewed recently still hold the all-time record at 10ms. And check out the Aorus. With just 240 Hz, it rocks the chart at 13ms. The PG27AQDP sits in the middle at 15ms. Don’t get me wrong, these are all very fast monitors with performance that most people can’t differentiate. But if you decide between the two Asus screens, the more expensive one won’t be faster even though it has a higher refresh rate.

Test Takeaway: Any OLED running at 240 Hz or more will be super smooth and provide instant response. Differences are easier to measure than to perceive. The XG27ACDNG delivers superb performance with a smooth feel and no perceptible control lag. When it comes to subjective evaluation, it doesn’t get better than this, or any fast OLED. It’s simply the best technology for gaming monitors.

Viewing Angles

Quantum Dot OLED monitors usually show a slight red tint in their 45-degree side photo. That is a byproduct of the extra layer which creates subtle polarization. The XG27ACDNG is like other QD OLEDs in this regard. This is not an issue because there is no brightness reduction nor is there a change in gamma. The image looks the same from all horizontal angles when showing full color content. The top view is solid too with just a small reduction in gamma and brightness.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

I have yet to encounter an OLED that doesn’t have visually perfect screen uniformity. As a premium technology, this isn’t surprising. The XG27ACDNG is just under 5%, which is a very low score in my test. This is excellent performance.

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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.