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Viewing Angles, Uniformity, Response & Lag
Viewing Angles
It would be difficult to use more than 1 of these monitors in a desktop configuration. Its sheer width makes that an unlikely proposition, and the viewing angles confirm that. VA panels are inferior to IPS (in-plane switching models) in this regard but still better than TN (twisted nematic) panels. Fortunately, the head-on view is just fine. You could be sitting 3 feet away from this monitor, and when you turn your head, the image looks the same at all angles. But we don't recommend sitting off to the side. This screen is not for sharing. The light falloff at 45° is at least 60%, and you’ll see an obvious shift to green. From above, detail is almost completely invisible, and output is at least 50% lower.
Screen Uniformity
To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.
We wondered how the CHG90’s extreme curve and width would affect its uniformity. Luckily, it measured quite well. This monitor isn’t cheap, so we’re glad to see good quality control here. The black field result is only a tad higher than average, and the white field score is right up there with the best. The upper left and lower right zones of our sample showed a slightly elevated black level. The 100% field showed no issues. Color uniformity is excellent at a very low 1.44dE variation.
Pixel Response & Input Lag
Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.
The CHG90 is one of the faster ultra-wides we’ve reviewed, topping all but the 200Hz Acer Z301CT in our response and lag tests. There is no blur-reduction feature, but it is completely unnecessary at the frame rates this monitor produces. 1,080 vertical pixels means high speeds with a wide variety of mid and high-priced video cards. With just 29 milliseconds of input lag, fast-moving shooters were a breeze to play with no perceivable latency whatsoever.
Gaming With FreeSync
Now to discuss CHG90’s resolution some more. Yes, detail isn’t quite as sharp as one would see in QHD or UHD. And there are instances of jaggies here and there. But the wraparound effect is nothing short of amazing. Users of multiple screens will have already tasted this experience. And it can only be better when those dividing lines are gone. We found ourselves just running around the game’s environment and exploring because it was so much more real. To have this much image in one’s peripheral vision is something that can’t be duplicated with any other kind of monitor.
Response is equal to the best gaming displays we’ve reviewed. Lag is non-existent, and blur is minimal. Overdrive is locked to the on position when FreeSync is active and doesn’t create any ghosting. Its effect is a bit conservative though. When we moved the mouse fast enough, we saw a tiny bit of judder in areas of high contrast. But with adaptive refresh down to 36Hz, we didn't see a single tear, even with detail maxed. That low resolution will help owners of older video cards, like our AMD Radeon R9 285.
It’s important to remember the additional quality afforded by the CHG90’s excellent contrast. While we look forward to the day when HDR gaming is common, today’s SDR material looked fantastic on the monitor. Black levels were deep and detailed, while highlights popped right out from the background. The 3D effect here was palpable. Fine textures were rendered with a real tactility that can’t be achieved on a 1000:1-contrast IPS screen.
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