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To compare the VX2730D-4K’s performance, I’ve included Alienware’s AW2725QF, Acer’s XB273K, Titan Army’s P2712V, Gigabyte’s GS27U, and Asus’ XG27UCS. The Asus and Alienware monitors are dual-refresh, while the others make do with a single refresh rate.
Pixel Response and Input Lag
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I’ve only collected data on six LCDs using the Nvidia LDAT test kit, so there are different displays shown in the panel response test chart. Of note is the KTC H27P3, which is a dual-mode, 5K@60 Hz/2K@120 Hz screen. There is almost no difference in response there, but the VX2730D-4K differs by 1.1ms between 288 and 144 Hz. 288 is also where you can actually use the backlight strobe if you want. I tried it at 144 Hz/4K, and it had too much phasing to be viable. The VX2730D-4K at 288 Hz also matched Acer’s excellent G-Sync Pulsar-equipped XB273U F5 at 2.4ms. At 144 Hz, the ViewSonic is good but not great. You can see some blur, even with the overdrive maxed out.
The VX2730D-4K’s dual-mode switch is the path to super quick input lag. It’s the quickest LCD I’ve tested in a while, with just 14.2ms of total delay when averaged over 25 mouse clicks. It’s also quick at 144 Hz, where it beats the 320 Hz Titan Army P2712V. This is excellent performance.
Test Takeaway: The VX2730D-4K shows some motion blur at 144 Hz, but no more than any competitor. It is much smoother at 288 Hz and FHD resolution. The overdrive works well on its quickest setting with no ghosting artifacts visible. The MPRT backlight strobe can only be used effectively in the 288 Hz/FHD mode. It has too much phasing at 144 Hz. Overall, the VX2730D-4K’s video processing is excellent, especially given its low selling price.
Viewing Angles
The VX2730D-4K has off-axis image quality that’s typical of the newest IPS panels. You can see a red tint in both the 45-degree horizontal and vertical planes. In the side view, light output and gamma remain constant. From overhead, brightness goes down by around 30% with a significant gamma reduction resulting in a washed-out image.
Screen Uniformity
To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.
The VX2730D-4K’s 6.29% score in my uniformity test is better than I’d expect for a budget display. Remember that we’re talking about 4K at 144 Hz for $280 here. There are no visible hotspots, nor is there bleed or glow.
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