Incoming: 144 Hz QHD IPS Panels from AUO

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It looks like we might finally be getting some IPS monitors that are also good for gaming.

If we tell you that AUO is working on a new display panel with the model number M270DAN02.3, we’d probably lose your interest, so we’ll just go right out and tell you that this is an IPS panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a 2560 x 1440 resolution. Caught you off guard? Yes, TFT Central reports that this is really an IPS panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate -- the first of its kind.

Okay, saying that it’s an IPS panel isn’t entirely accurate, as the so-called IPS displays from AUO are actually AHVA panels. They do have their differences, but how they work and the end result are nearly identical. A lot of manufacturers sell monitors with AHVA panels as IPS monitors.

There aren't many details about the panel available yet, but we do know that it’ll have a static contrast ratio of 1000:1, a 350 cd/m2 brightness, a sRGB color profile and horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 178 degrees. Considering that the panel has a refresh rate of 144 Hz, we’re particularly interested in the response times, as low response times can mean that we suddenly have a monitor that addresses both gamers and folks who simply want good image quality –- something that even today cannot be combined.

In its report, TFTCentral indicated that the panel would be entering production this month, so we’re very curious to see how long it’ll be before we see it implemented in monitors, and when these will be available.

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Niels Broekhuijsen
Niels Broekhuijsen

Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.

25 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dovah-chan
    Seems too good to be true and I was not aware manufacturers marketed AHVA panels as IPS ones. That feels a little shady and misguiding in my opinion and should be dealt with. In fact that sounds like borderline false advertisement but I'm sure there is some kind of loophole :)

    Anyways I don't know about this monitor. It's from a manufacturer I've not heard of before so I don't know about their quality control. I await good tidings of response time though.
    Reply
  • airborne11b
    My ROG Swift is really awesome for gaming. If this monitor could be modded with Gsync and has a respectable response time I could pass my ROG Swift to my wife and get this one.

    But if it has poor response and gsync is out of the question, then this monitor will still be 2nd fiddle to the ROG Swift.
    Reply
  • NocelCrown
    You might not have heard of AUO before, but chances are you've used a monitor with their panels before. They don't actually make the monitors themselves, just the panels that go into them. Companies from the likes of Acer, Benq, and NEC make monitors with AUO panels. Which is no surprise cause their parent company is Benq and they're co-owned by Acer as well.
    Reply
  • NocelCrown
    You might not have heard of AUO before, but chances are you've used a monitor with their panels before. They don't actually make the monitors themselves, just the panels that go into them. Companies from the likes of Acer, Benq, and NEC make monitors with AUO panels. Which is no surprise cause their parent company is Benq and they're co-owned by Acer as well.
    Reply
  • dovah-chan
    I was not aware of that, thank you. :) The only major panel OEMs I am familiar with are Samsung and LG.
    Reply
  • haftarun8
    So are the panel characteristics more similar to other VA panels (high contrast ratios, deep blacks, good color accuracy, but input lag prone and worst ghosting), or to actual IPS panels (poor black levels / contrast, but high color accuracy and best off-angle viewing)? I personally prefer VA panels for everything except for critical image and video editing, VFX, etc. Contrast is the single most important factor for image quality and "pop". It just objectively looks better to have inky blacks, and makes colors jump out so much better.

    In short, if this is more like a 3000+:1 static contrast VA panel that's 144hz, has lower input lag and ghosting compared to other VA panels, and includes Gsync (or at least Displayport 1.2 with AMD's universal sync solution), then it'll be the first truly interesting monitor to come out that does gaming while actually delivering a good looking image that rivals the better HDTVs available.
    Reply
  • icemunk
    I wish the industry would name these monitor resolutions better.. 2560 x 1440 resolution is considered QHD+ - however some phone manufacturers release phones with "QHD" screens that are 960*540 pixels which is quarter-HD.
    Reply
  • CraigN
    My ROG Swift is really awesome for gaming. If this monitor could be modded with Gsync and has a respectable response time I could pass my ROG Swift to my wife and get this one.

    But if it has poor response and gsync is out of the question, then this monitor will still be 2nd fiddle to the ROG Swift.

    Being that the GSYNC DIY kit is only for the VG248QE, and was only done for that monitor because a version of it pre-installed can be purchased and as a test-run for GSYNC, it is probably safe to assume this monitor will not be moddable with GSync, as the other similar-specc'd monitors from BenQ and Acer have not received any GSync kits. I would not hedge your bets on that, personally, given Nvidia's track record for G Sync kits with other monitors (read: nonexistent) at the moment.
    Reply
  • CaptainTom
    Make it in 4K with FreeSync, DP 1.3, and HDMI 2.0. Then you will have the enthusiasts lining up...
    Reply
  • Integr8d
    My ROG Swift is really awesome for gaming. If this monitor could be modded with Gsync and has a respectable response time I could pass my ROG Swift to my wife and get this one.

    But if it has poor response and gsync is out of the question, then this monitor will still be 2nd fiddle to the ROG Swift.

    My Christie 4230 4K cinema projector is awesome for gaming too. But I may have to give it to the homeless guy that passes out on the corner of my street, if this monitor is as respectable as my Christie 4230 4K cinema projector.

    If this monitor doesn't accept HFR dual stream HDSDI, it'll be out of the question as my Christie 4230 4K cinema projector doesn't even know how to play a fiddle (or what one is).
    Reply