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The OLED panels I’ve reviewed come in QHD and 4K resolution at refresh rates of 120 to 240 Hz. Sizes range from 27 to 48 inches. The most direct comparison is Asus’ PG42UQ which I reviewed a few months ago. I also have Corsair’s 27QHD240, Asus’ PG27AQDM, Philips’ 34M2C8600 and Aorus’ FO48U.
Pixel Response and Input Lag
Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.
Response times are roughly the same for an OLED and an LCD at a given refresh rate. But the OLED is smoother and doesn’t need to rely on overdrive to maintain motion resolution. So, the 42M2N89 is smoother at 138 Hz than even the best LCD running at 144 Hz. Relative to the other OLEDs here, it isn’t quite as smooth as the 175 and 240 Hz screens. And it is visually the same as the 120 Hz Aorus. That extra 18 Hz doesn’t make a significant difference.
When input lag is added to the equation, the 42M2N89 moves up the order. It has a low input lag mode which I switched on for all tests. It has no downside, so you can always leave it engaged. It beat the Corsair by 3ms which is impressive considering the difference in refresh rate. The 42M2N89 is more than qualified for the competition. The only caveat is that you’ll need a stout video card to keep a game running at 138fps in 4K resolution.
Viewing Angles
OLEDs have better off-axis image quality than LCDs because their polarizing layer is much thinner. You can see in the 42M2N89 photos that there is no change in luminance in the horizontal plane, but there is a slight shift to red. Gamma is unchanged so you won’t see any reduction in detail rendering. The vertical view is also good, with a slight reduction in output and a blue shift.
Screen Uniformity
To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.
My 42M2N89 sample showed some unique behavior in the black field pattern tests. Typical OLEDs have unmeasurable black levels, but the 42M2N89 doesn’t shut its pixels entirely off, so I was able to get readings when testing. The blacks are super low, but they are measurable. That is not to say they are visible. Even with all the room lights off, I couldn’t see any light coming from the screen. But this meant I could conduct the black field uniformity test with a zero percent pattern. There were no visible issues, but the meter recorded a 10.9% deviation from the center zone.
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