VP2770-LED Vs. S27B970D: 27" Monitors At 2560x1440

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If you demand maximum pixel density and the highest resolution on your desktop PC, these 27-inch screens from ViewSonic and Samsung do not disappoint. Today, we put ViewSonic's VP2770-LED and Samsung's S27B970D to the test. Is QHD right for you?

Results: Calibrated Brightness And Contrast

Since we consider 200 nits to be an ideal average for peak output, we calibrate all of our test monitors to that value. In a room with some ambient light (like an office), this brightness level provides a sharp, punchy image with maximum detail and minimum eye fatigue. It's also the sweet spot for gamma and grayscale tracking, which we'll look at on pages five and six.

Achieving exactly 200 cd/m2 is dependent on the resolution of the brightness control. In this case, we went a tad over the mark.

Grayscale calibration does affect the black level. You can see the numbers below are slightly higher than the stock measurements.

Samsung’s black level is most affected by calibration, rising 43 percent from the measurement taken at max brightness. ViewSonic, on the other hand, shows a reduction of nine percent after calibration.

The final calibrated contrast ratio numbers are a bit below other panels we’ve tested.

If ultimate contrast ratio is your goal, the previously-tested ViewSonic VX2770Smh is still the champ. These two QHD monitors both measure a little below average.

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

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.

59 Comments Comment from the forums
  • mayankleoboy1
    Why wouldn't you want a QHD screen like one of these two?
    Everything gets smaller.

    So increase the DPI scaling ?
    Reply
  • MauveCloud
    BigMack70I'm glad to see 1440p monitors getting some attention, but I just don't see the prices of these being justifiable to most users over the USA-based Korean 1440p IPS panels that are starting to become more numerous.$800-1200 is just nuts for anyone using these for home use or gaming, IMO.
    Agreed. I bought a Dell U2711 a few months ago, but if something forced me to replace it, I'd probably go with one of those cheap Korean panels -- or a TN panel 2560x1440 monitor if somebody would actually make one - I doubt I'm the only one who likes the resolution but isn't so picky about color quality. I had no objection to the color quality on my Samsung P2770HD, and the color shifts of a TN panel are affected by the physical size of the monitor, not the resolution, right?
    Reply
  • Why not do a review on those $330 Korean 1440P monitors that enthusiasts talk about? I like to see what i am missing with the extra $900. Really i'm serious i really want to know what justifies the 1 grand price tag.
    Reply
  • cangelini
    jupiter optimus maximusWhy not do a review on those $330 Korean 1440P monitors that enthusiasts talk about? I like to see what i am missing with the extra $900. Really i'm serious i really want to know what justifies the 1 grand price tag.It's coming. We're ramping up our display coverage, so we took note of the requests after the last display piece and put in the requests. You'll see this soon. Of course, if there are any other requests from you guys, do let us know. Christian is doing a phenomenal job of applying his extensive experience on Tom's Hardware.
    Reply
  • EzioAs
    Dell's UltraSharp U2713HM is less than $600 in my country if we go by standard conversion. Would you guys say that's a good price?
    Reply
  • festerovic
    cangeliniIt's coming. We're ramping up our display coverage, so we took note of the requests after the last display piece and put in the requests. You'll see this soon. Of course, if there are any other requests from you guys, do let us know. Christian is doing a phenomenal job of applying his extensive experience on Tom's Hardware.That's great to hear, I agree with the others that the price of these models is too much to consider unless they were generating $$$s for me. $3-400 seems like the range I would be willing to spend on these. And as for the USA based korean cheap models, are there any legit retailers of these? Please point me at them.
    Reply
  • JOSHSKORN
    Just bought a ASUS VS278Q-P for $310. It's a 60Mz monitor and I do game, but I'm happy. My previous monitor lasted 8 years (Samsung SyncMaster 213T, bought it for $1k). I'll upgrade when this one dies, hopefully 4k/UHD will be affordable. Supposedly, only serious gamers can tell the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz. I'm not a serious gamer, so it works just fine for me. 120Hz monitors of that size are nearly twice the price.
    Reply
  • mannam
    10449443 said:
    It's coming. We're ramping up our display coverage, so we took note of the requests after the last display piece and put in the requests. You'll see this soon. Of course, if there are any other requests from you guys, do let us know. Christian is doing a phenomenal job of applying his extensive experience on Tom's Hardware.

    Here are the inexpensive $300-$400 27" korean monitor brands: Yamakasi Catleap, Achieva Shimian, Crossover, PCBank, Potalion, Auria

    "The reason these monitors are cheap - LG makes IPS panels for apple cinema displays. Apple only accepts grade A+ panels. That means the all the grade A,A-,B+, etc are not accepted and returned to LG. LG resells those IPS panels to other manufacturers. You can get the whole story on google if you're interested. In addition, you're getting no support and no manufacturers warranty."

    Source: http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm?game=239&view=forums&post=5192222#5192222

    It would be really interesting to get a review of these monitors that go for 50% or less of the price of the Big Brand stuff. If it's even 85-90% quality compared to the big brands, then they are worth the plunge. :D
    Reply
  • ubercake
    Personally, I was not impressed with the Auria monitor. My Acer HN274H TN monitor has better contrast. Viewing angles are far better on the Auria, but that's to be expected on an IPS. At any rate, I returned the Auria after a day of use because after many attempts to adjust the contrast/color, it didn't hold a candle to the colors or contrast on my TN. The Auria definitely had deeper black, but the in-betweens seemed to be missing no matter how I set the contrast and color. I honestly couldn't justify the tradeoff of higher resolution to lack of contrast. Maybe I got one of the LG B+ throw-away panels?
    Reply
  • sanilmahambre
    Don't want too much ? Think again!
    Reply