Samsung Display has announced that it is now supplying its first mass-produced VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1400 monitor panels to laptop makers including Lenovo, Asus, Dell, and MSI. Get ready for the brightest and punchiest portable displays yet as these big-name laptop brands integrate Samsung’s latest tandem OLED displays into their designs. VESA only introduced this new standard earlier this month, and it is notable for requiring panels with at least 40% higher brightness than the previous top tier.

The VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1400 specs are rather strenuous. Earning this certification means that your display must “reproduce black levels of 0.0005 nits or lower while achieving peak brightness of 1,400 nits at a 10% On Pixel Ratio (OPR),” notes Samsung. Peak brightness is also boosted by 40% compared to VESA’s previous highest certification level, True Black 1000. In terms of actual brightness readings, Samsung’s new tandem OLEDs offer up to 1,600 nits, which is 40% higher than the 1,100-nit peak brightness of conventional OLED panels with a single emissive layer.

In case you haven’t heard of tandem OLED display panels, a big clue to their boosted visual performance is in the name. This display architecture stacks two organic emissive layers to improve light-emitting efficiency and achieve higher brightness. Another benefit is that the dual operation of the panels means a “tandem OLED can produce greater brightness using the same current or reduce the load on each emissive layer at the same brightness level, extending the panel’s lifespan,” notes Samsung in today’s press release. Thus, this kind of panel isn’t necessarily going to crater your laptop battery life when you only require modest brightness levels, as in a typical home/office environment, for example.

Lenovo’s Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition was the first device to feature Samsung’s new tandem OLED panel. Meanwhile, devices from Asus, Dell, and MSI are going to hit retail sometime in H2 this year.

We’ve already seen tandem OLED-enhanced desktop monitors launched from brands like Alienware, Gigabyte, and MSI. Samsung Display’s local rival, LG Display, is also gearing up to compete in this premium market segment.

TCL CSOT, a subsidiary of Chinese electronics and TV giant TCL, has been developing inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED displays since 2024, and it seems that it has finally brought it to market with the Lenovo Legion R9000P. Lenovo says that this is the first laptop in the world to feature the TCL CSOT technology, which marks a significant step towards “the commercialization of this next-generation display technology.”

This Lenovo Legion laptop will feature a 16-inch IJP OLED that can hit a 240 Hz refresh rate while also covering more than 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. This isn’t exactly groundbreaking when it comes to OLED monitors, but the biggest advantage that IJP OLED displays have over the traditional vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) method is that it’s cheaper and simpler to produce, resulting in higher yields. TCL CSOT’s IJP OLEDs also promise improved brightness, which is something that traditional OLED screens struggle with. This is especially important for laptops like the Legion R9000P, which are expected to face more varied lighting conditions due to their portable nature, compared to monitors and TVs that are often placed statically in one location for most of their lifetime.

If this technology catches on, it should reduce the cost of the best OLED gaming monitors, which, arguably, offer one of the best experiences when it comes to contrast and color. Unfortunately, Lenovo hasn’t revealed the specifications or the price of the Legion R9000P, so we cannot say for sure how the IJP OLED has affected its affordability and compare it with similar models that feature a more traditional OLED display.

While this is the first time that IJP OLED is being mass-produced for consumer electronics, TCL CSOT has been working on the technology for over 10 years now. In fact, the company has been mass-producing its 5.5-generation IJP OLED since 2024 (which is presumably used in commercial and industrial products like medical displays) and has started construction of its 8.6-generation IJP OLED production last year.

Aside from Lenovo, MSI is also using this new IJP OLED panel in the just-announced MSI Pro Max OLED 271UPJW12. While the company did not explicitly mention that it used a display from TCL CSOT, its specifications exactly match. Besides that, TCL CSOT is currently the only one manufacturing OLED screens using the inkjet printing technique.

MSI Unveils the PRO MAX OLED 271UPJW12: The World's First 27-Inch 4K IJP OLED Monitor from r/OLED_Gaming

Aside from laptops and monitors, we also expect to see this technology to eventually reach TVs and smartphones. This should make high-quality OLED TVs more affordable to more users and compete against cheaper TVs that use technologies like QLED and Mini LED. It could also allow for budget phones with beautiful screens that can give flagship models a run for their money.

Of the many sizes and shapes the best gaming monitors come in, the 34-inch ultra-wide 21:9 screen strikes a good balance between size and player immersion. It’s wider than the 32-inch 16:9 format but not as large as extreme displays like the 52-inch LG I reviewed recently.

What makes them even better is QD-OLED technology, and there, Alienware is offering a nice update to last year’s AW3425DW. It’s the AW3426DW, and it brings a few new features, like a five-layer tandem OLED for higher light output, V-stripe RGB sub-pixels for sharper rendering, a bump from 240 to 280 Hz, and a new anti-reflective screen coating. It’s still WQHD 3440x1440 pixels, and it still offers Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and wide gamut color, and adds Dolby Vision to its list of supported content. Let’s take a look.

Alienware AW3426DW Specs

The AW3426DW’s Tandem OLED is a new variant of the technology that takes the simple approach of stacking multiple OLED layers for greater light output with less energy consumption. It also taxes the layers less, so they last longer and are more resistant to burn-in. Alienware backs this with a three-year warranty that includes burn-in. The screen has a 34-inch diagonal, a 21:9 aspect ratio, a 1800mm curve radius, and WQHD (3440x1440) resolution.

V-Stripe RGB refers to the sub-pixel layout, which is finer and more precisely applied. This makes fine text and detail sharper by reducing color fringing. With its five OLED layers, the AW3426DW now boasts higher light output than last year’s model. The VESA DisplayHDR rating is now 500 nits for a full white field and 1,300 nits for a 3% window. To cap off the imaging improvements, there’s a new anti-glare coating applied to the screen that further deepens black levels and more effectively rejects ambient light.

With 280 Hz instead of last year’s 240, the AW3426DW is a tad speedier, and my test results, which you’ll see on the next page, show a nice drop in input lag. Panel response is typical OLED-quick, resulting in perfect motion resolution and smooth action free of motion blur. Adaptive-Sync is also supported on both Nvidia and AMD platforms.

It’s no surprise that the AW3426DW supports HDR10, but now it adds Dolby Vision to the mix. The benefits of its dynamic tone mapping cannot be understated. HDR10’s tone mapping is fixed to the content metadata, which usually has a peak of 1,000 nits. If a display can’t hit 1,000 nits, or its output exceeds that, it must tone map to render all brightness steps. Dolby Vision controls this process within the content and always knows the display's actual output level. Bottom line: it’s more accurate and consistent, and it looks better. It’s a difference you can plainly see. Dolby Vision isn’t common in games, but it is common from streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+.

All other features of the AW3425DW carry over to the AW3426DW, like AlienVision and its cool aiming point/sniper mode editor. You also get USB ports and a backlit Alienware logo on the back. There’s no headphone jack or internal speaker, but the downstream USB-A and USB-C ports are on the bottom edge of the panel, where they are within easy reach. Video inputs include two HDMI and a DisplayPort.

Assembly and Accessories

The AW3426DW arrived in secure molded pulp packaging that is completely recyclable. The base, upright, and panel assemble easily with no tools needed. The power supply is internal, so you get IEC power plus HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB cables. A small microfiber cloth is provided to keep that beautiful screen free of dust and fingerprints.

Product 360

The AW3426DW maintains the aesthetic Alienware introduced last year with softly rounded corners and smooth tapers. My favorite bit is where the upright and base meet; the joint appears to float with a slender swivel point that’s barely visible. In the back is a backlit Alienware head and a polished symbol; “Alienware 30” is the official term. The head can light up with different colors and effects. A subtle vent rings the fulcrum with small perforations that keep the internals cool. A graphite layer behind the OLEDs further cools the screen.

The side photo affords a good view of the rounded aesthetic. The stand has no angles or corners at all, just a small cable hole to keep wiring tidy. Ergonomics include a 5/21-degree tilt and a 20-degree swivel. The height range is 4.4 inches, and there is no portrait mode. Movements are firm and free of play. Build quality is premium in every respect. If you’d rather not use the stand, there is a 100mm VESA mount with fasteners included.

Underneath, you’ll find a small I/O panel with two HDMI 2.1 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4 with Display Stream Compression (DSC). A USB upstream port supports the two downstream jacks on the panel’s edge. You get a USB Type-A and Type-C. The Type-C port supports charging and peripherals, but not video. In the center, you can see the OSD joystick that controls all monitor functions.

OSD Features

Pressing the AW3426DW’s joystick opens a quick menu at the bottom of the screen with a large status bar at the top. It shows input signal info along with the current picture mode, HDR status, panel health, and dark stabilizer setting. The quick menu has five icons that scroll left to right. They can be programmed for many different monitor functions, such as brightness/contrast, input, AlienVision, HDR, and others. Clicking the joystick up opens the full OSD.

In the Game menu, you can choose from 13 picture modes. Standard works well by default and does not require calibration if you’re OK with using the full color gamut in SDR mode. It covers 105% of DCI-P3. If you want to make adjustments, select Custom Color, where you get RGB gain/bias and color management. To access sRGB, there’s a Creator mode with a gamut selector and gamma presets.

Game Enhance Mode contains a timer, frame counter, and alignment marks, but where are the aiming points? That’s one of the coolest features of the AW3426DW, it’s called AlienVision, and it is a completely customizable set of reticles and sniper modes, eight parameters in all, that can be edited and combined in hundreds of ways to create a custom view of the game environment. Once configured, there are three memories so you can have setups for different games.

In the AlienFX Lighting menu, you can customize the behavior of the power button and the Alienware head on the back. There are lots of color and effect options, and you can turn on Aurora, which coordinates the lights with what’s happening on screen. You’ll need Alienware Command Center and a USB connection to make that happen.

The Display menu has seven HDR modes for HDR10 content, including a tweakable Custom Color option. I found decent accuracy in both Desktop and HDR Peak 1300 Bright modes. I’ll tell you more about that on page five. You can also toggle Dolby Vision on and off here.

The AW3426DW includes PIP and PBP with options for window size and position. In Personalize, you can specify the functions of the five quick menu icons and the four joystick directions. This makes it easy to quickly change something like the input or the picture mode.

OLED care is much simpler now than in previous models. Functions like logo detection and pixel orbiting are handled automatically by the AW3426DW’s firmware. The only thing you can do manually is pixel refresh. This menu also has a factory reset option. In the Information menu, you’ll find an 11-page calibration report for each monitor, along with signal information and support resources.

Alienware AW3426DW Calibration Settings

Calibrating the AW3426DW is completely unnecessary. Just leave it in the default Standard mode and set brightness to taste. There is no variable brightness for SDR, so only one value is needed. If you want to calibrate, choose Custom Color. It has RGB gain and bias, plus hue and saturation sliders for each color. To change the gamut, use Creator mode. It lets you specify sRGB or P3 and includes five gamma presets. In the three Game modes, you can also adjust color and specify a custom value for the dark stabilizer. My SDR settings are included below.

For HDR content, there are seven more modes. Desktop is the default and is similar to HDR Peak 1300 Bright in its color and luminance tracking. The latter delivers the brightest highlights and the most vivid color.

Gaming and Hands-on

I suspect that some readers here will be wondering if the AW3426DW is a worthwhile upgrade over the AW3425DW. After several days of gaming and working, I will say that it is. HDR is brighter, and the new panel with its V-Strip RGB pixel structure is clearer than before. It’s hard to quantify this since OLEDs are sharp by nature, but the AW3426DW does make an incremental improvement. Brighter HDR certainly makes an impact with highlights that pop and a dimensional quality that no premium Mini LED can match.

Color accuracy is superb both out of the box and after calibration, where I changed just two settings, one click each. The AW3426DW is truly factory-calibrated. It equals any professional monitor in terms of measured performance and image fidelity.

Gaming was an addictive experience, as it is with any fast OLED. The smooth motion that comes with panel response, measured in fractions of a millisecond, is something you can’t get from an LCD. An OLED draws the screen about 10 times faster than an LCD with an equal refresh rate. The AW3426DW’s bump to 280 Hz is also a reason to upgrade. It reduces my input lag by 4ms in my test. Could I spot that difference in gameplay? No, but I’m not a competition gamer either. Those looking for every advantage will want to give this monitor an audition.

The 34-inch curved panel proved useful for both work and entertainment. It’s just large enough for me to display two documents side by side. It requires a bit more scrolling than my 16:9 32-inch screen, but the 1800R curve isn’t too severe. There was no image distortion, but I got a nice wraparound effect when navigating first-person shooters and graphical adventures.

I appreciated the inclusion of USB ports, especially the two located on the bottom edge of the panel. It’s easy to plug in peripherals or charge a phone from the USB-C port. But I missed the 3.5mm headphone jack. And there are no internal speakers, so to get audio, you’ll need USB-capable headphones or a desktop amplifier if you want to drive cabinet speakers. And I enjoyed the AlienFX feature with its glowing Alien head. It played colors off the wall behind my desk.

Takeaway: The AW3426DW is a worthy upgrade from the AW3425DW. It’s quicker and brighter, and the image is a tad sharper than before. Input lag is lower as well, which will appeal to skilled gamers looking for every possible advantage. Color is saturated and vivid with accuracy good enough to use right out of the box. The screen’s curve strikes an ideal balance between immersion and a square image.

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To compare the AW3426DW’s performance, I’ve included its predecessor, the AW3425DW, along with Asus’ PG34WCDN, Acer’s X34 OLED, AOC’s AG346UCD, and Gigabyte’s MO34WQC2. The response chart is a different group of OLEDs owing to my recent acquisition of the Nvidia LDAT tester. It includes Acer’s X27 X1, ViewSonic’s VX2738-2K, MSI’s MPG 322UR X24, Asus PG34WCDN, and Alienware’s AW2726DM.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

OLED panel response times are extremely tight, and in practice, you’re unlikely to see a difference unless frame rates are low. A panel like the AW3426DW, with its 0.24ms draw time, will retain smooth motion resolution down to about 160 fps. A faster panel like the Acer can maintain blur-free operation up to around 140 fps. If your video card can keep the action above 200 Hz, all the panels will perform equally from a visual standpoint.

In the lag test, the AW3426DW is among the fastest panels I’ve tested. The Asus is an extreme overachiever. Only a couple of other monitors can approach 10ms in my test. 14.1ms is very fast, more than enough for pro-level competition. And it’s a tad quicker than last year’s AW3425DW. Most gamers will be satisfied with the AOC and Gigabyte screens at 22ms. Remember that the fastest human reaction time is typically around 100ms.

Test Takeaway: The AW3426DW improves slightly over its predecessor, with nearly 4ms less input lag. Its panel response is on par with the other fast OLEDs I’ve tested. Motion resolution is extremely high, with moving objects rendering blur-free. It is fast and smooth enough for pro-level competition.

Viewing Angles

Most Quantum Dot OLEDs show a slight tint in 45-degree-angle photos, but the AW3426DW’s tandem OLED tech seems to have eliminated that issue. There is no change to gamma or brightness either. This is about as good as it can possibly be. Viewing angles up to 45 degrees are visually perfect. The top view has a slight red shift with a 10% brightness drop and reduced gamma.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

Fittingly, the AW3426DW aces my uniformity test and is bested only by its predecessor, the AW3425DW. Visually, there is no difference here. You won’t see any variation among these screens, as they are all below the visible threshold of 10%. It doesn’t get better than that.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The AW3426DW is a bit brighter than last year, with over 320 nits peak for SDR. That’s from a full field white pattern. There is no variable brightness option, so you’ll see the same number from smaller windows and highlights in actual content. This does not reduce the impact of OLED’s infinite contrast and its unmeasurable black levels. The new anti-glare layer and five-layer Tandem OLED are said to lower black levels, but to the naked eye, they were already as black as black gets.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration doesn’t change the black level or contrast result. It still cannot be measured. You’ll only need one brightness value since there’s no variable option. That comes into play for HDR content, though. ANSI, or intra-image contrast, also cannot be measured.

Test Takeaway: The AW3426DW offers the same black level and contrast performance as any OLED. That said, its new anti-glare layer offers better light rejection, which improves the perception of blacks in environments with medium to high ambient light levels. That is a visual observation that I cannot measure with instruments. One point in favor of upgrading your AW3425DW to an AW3426DW is the extra 60 nits of peak brightness it offers.

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The AW3426DW came to me set to Standard picture mode, which, as you’ll see, does not need calibration. There is an 11-page report stored in each sample’s firmware that you can read from the OSD. My tests confirmed that it is indeed calibrated at the factory.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

If I were just going to put the AW3426DW on my desk and use it for gaming and productivity, I would not bother with adjustments. The first chart shows that it has no grayscale errors above 2dE, and the gamma is slightly dark but very close to the 2.2 reference. This is impressive out-of-box performance.

In the Custom Color mode, you get RGB gain and bias sliders. I didn’t have to touch the bias, but I lowered red and green gain by one click each. The result was all errors below 0.5dE and a slightly tighter gamma. The visual difference is extremely small, but if you have the desire and the means, why not? This is a superlative performance.

The Creator sRGB mode has very accurate grayscale, but gamma is a tad wonky. It’s too light at 10%, making the shadow areas less black. And there’s a rise between 60 and 80%, which takes a bit of definition out of the brighter mid-tones. This is a minor error, but it would be nice to have tighter gamma. You can change the preset, but you can’t alter the curve’s shape.

Comparisons

Though the AW3426DW impresses with a 1.46dE default grayscale score, it is slightly bested by its predecessor and by the Gigabyte. These numbers are more like talking points as the visual difference can’t be seen with the naked eye. But I am here to be precise in my testing.

Calibration takes the AW3426DW down to 0.44dE, but again, it is pipped by the AW3425DW by 0.01dE. Yes, that is a hair at best. All the monitors here test extremely well.

Gamma performance is excellent but middling by comparison. The range of values is very tight at 0.08 from lowest to highest. The deviation is 2.73% with an actual average of 2.26. This is excellent performance.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The color test result clearly shows the advantage of Quantum Dot technology. The AW3426DW fully covers all primaries, including green with slight oversaturation at all points. This means the picture will be very colorful but also well-balanced. Calibration barely makes a difference, but you can see slightly better hue tracking in cyan, magenta, and yellow.

The sRGB chart is very good overall, but with some slight undersaturation in the midrange red tones. This is an extremely small error. The AW3426DW is qualified for color-critical applications.

Comparisons

The color difference between all six monitors is extremely small. From an error standpoint, there is no visible difference. The only variation comes in the volume test, where the AW3426DW sits at the bottom of the Quantum Dot screens. It has about 1.5% less color volume than the AW3425DW, which is an invisible difference. The AOC and Gigabyte screens have a touch more green and red, but you’ll only see that in the brightest content. For everyday games, videos, and applications, all six monitors will look the same.

Test Takeaway: The AW3426DW has exemplary out-of-box color, grayscale, and gamma accuracy. It does not need calibration, but a couple of tweaks generated awesome numbers in my tests. Its color volume is on par with other Quantum Dot screens at a hair shy of 105% of DCI-P3. No one would complain about its colorful and clear image.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The AW3426DW offers higher brightness than its predecessor for both SDR and HDR content. It’s rated for 1,300 nits from a 3% window and certified by VESA for DisplayHDR 500. HDR10 signals get seven specific modes, and it supports Dolby Vision.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

For my tests, I measured HDR10 performance and noted a 70-nit higher peak for the AW3426DW over the AW3425DW. This is from a 25% window pattern. A 3% window is claimed at 1,300 nits, and this result leaves no reason for doubt. The AW3426DW is definitely brighter than before, and its HDR is more impactful. Variable brightness is in play here and cannot be turned off, not that you’d want to. This is excellent performance.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

I measured the Desktop and HDR Peak 1300 Bright modes and got similar color and grayscale results. There are no visible errors in the first chart, and EOTF tracking is solid. The trace starts a tad dark, but I could still see all the steps in a test pattern. Shadow detail is clear and visible in all cases. The tone map transition is at 65%, which is correct for the measured white and black thresholds.

In the color gamut test, the AW3426DW uses all available coverage with extra saturation for P3 and almost 80% coverage of BT.2020. All points are slightly oversaturated, which is typical of the HDR monitors I’ve tested. They all push the envelope for extra impact, and it is effective. In the BT.2020 chart, the AW3426DW runs out of color at 90% red, 75% green, and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The AW3426DW presents a stunning HDR image with deep blacks and very bright highlights. It is a clear improvement over the AW3425DW. If you enjoy a lot of HDR content, it’s a worthwhile upgrade. Color and grayscale are very accurate in both Desktop and Peak 1300 modes.

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The benefits of 34-inch 21:9 curved gaming monitors are many when compared to the vast array of sizes and shapes currently available. Play is enhanced by a screen that mimics VR headsets by encompassing the viewer’s peripheral vision. And this size doesn’t have a huge footprint. While jumbo screens are cool, they demand a larger desktop and can be costly. The AW3426DW strikes a good balance between usability, performance and cost. At this writing, it’s brand new to the market with an opening price of $800, the same as last year’s AW3425DW.

The AW3426DW offers several compelling reasons to upgrade. It’s brighter for both SDR and HDR content by around 60 and 70 nits, respectively. It also boasts much brighter small highlights for HDR, around 1,300 nits for a 3% window. This is thanks to its new five-layer Tandem OLED tech. Color remains vivid, with 105% DCI-P3 coverage from its Quantum Dot layer.

Speed has increased from 240 to 280 Hz, and that brings with it a 4ms drop in input lag, about 22%. That will be worthwhile to the most skilled gamers who want every possible advantage. The new anti-glare coating helps keep the image solid in bright rooms. And the V-Stripe RGB sub-pixel layout sharpens fine detail and text better as well.

At $800, the AW3426DW is a solid value among OLED gaming monitors. If you already own an AW3425DW, it’s worth upgrading for the improvements in speed, brightness and clarity. If you’re looking for your first OLED, it’s a great choice for all-around use, work, and play that is worth checking out.

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E-ink displays have come a long way since their introduction, with advancements in refresh rates and colors allowing them to be used as monitors for PCs. Bigme is once again pushing e-ink monitor technology with the 25.3-inch Bigme B251 Pro, which is on sale on its website for $1,279.00 (down from $1,599.00). This isn’t the first color e-ink monitor, as Dasung previously launched the first one in 2023, while e-ink device manufacturer Boox also debuted its 25.3-inch option last year. Nevertheless, what made the B251 Pro different is its claimed 60 FPS refresh rate.

This is the fastest claimed refresh rate we’ve seen so far on an e-ink monitor, with the previous record sitting at just 33 Hz. That doesn’t mean that you can start gaming on an e-ink display, though. VideoCardz points out that displays like these still face slow pixel response rates, latency, ghosting, and image quality issues, especially during fast motion, so it’s better to stick with the best gaming monitors if you need a monitor for competitive gaming. Nevertheless, this might be a viable solution if you have a text-heavy workload and have grown tired of dealing with strained eyes at the end of the workday.

Its 3200 x 1800 resolution, paired with a 25.3-inch screen size, gives it 145 DPI, which is slightly better than the 92 to 93 PPI you’d get from a 24-inch Full HD display. It also supports 4096 colors and 16 gray levels — although this is miles away from the millions of colors that modern monitors support, but that is the limitation that e-ink monitors face for now. The Bigme B521 Pro offers HDMI or DP connectivity, but also comes with wireless screen mirroring and a remote control. It also has a built-in front light with adjustable temperature, allowing you to use it in the dark without requiring an external light source.

The Bigme B251 Pro is an interesting development in e-ink technologies, and it would be nice to see if it can actually deliver a usable experience outside of reading. While we doubt its capabilities when it comes to gaming, we still want to see if it’s a usable alternative for productivity. Those on a budget will likely be deterred from buying it, though, especially as its high price point makes it more expensive than some of the best 4K gaming monitors you can buy today.

In the enthusiast market, the most shopped-for monitor category is, without a doubt, 4K, specifically in the 27- and 32-inch sizes. The density of 3840x2160 pixels in these two screen formats is, put simply, where you stop seeing the dots. This makes anything look better, be it graphics, photos, documents, videos, or games. And once you’ve experienced it, you can’t go back to QHD or FHD.

The hurdle to resolution nirvana used to be price, but today there are plenty of 4K monitors available for less than $500. But for gamers, the question of frame rates remains. Yes, you can buy a fast 4K monitor, but how much will you have to spend on an equally fast video card? Moving 8.3 million pixels at 200fps is expensive. Luckily, there is a solution – the dual-mode display.

This is a fairly new trend where you get one of the best 4K gaming monitors that can switch to FHD and double its refresh rate with the push of a button. I’ve already reviewed a number of them, and here's AOC’s latest entry, the U27G4XM. It’s a 27-inch IPS screen with 160 Hz, 320 Hz in FHD, Adaptive-Sync, a full-array local-dimming Mini LED backlight with 1,152 zones, wide-gamut color, and DisplayHDR 1000. Let’s take a look.

AOC U27G4XM Specs

The U27G4XM maximizes the nit-to-dollar ratio with a full-array Mini LED IPS panel that has 1,152 local dimming zones. There are three different settings that reduce the black level to increase contrast. This gets the monitor closer to the broad contrast delivered by an OLED at a lower cost, and with higher brightness. DisplayHDR 1000 means a 25% window pattern will exceed 1,000 nits peak, and the U27G4XM achieves this with over 1,100 nits measured from my review sample. Black levels can go all the way down to the backlight being turned off (unmeasurable), but with local dimming on medium, I saw just over 13,000:1.

There’s plenty of color saturation that covers a measured 109% of the DCI-P3 gamut, and that’s without the benefit of Quantum Dots. The U27G4XM is reasonably accurate out of the box, but a quick calibration takes it to reference-level. And there’s a spot-on sRGB mode that’s suitable for color-critical tasks.

The dual-mode feature is a one-button affair that switches between 4K/160 Hz and FHD/320 Hz. It’s great for systems without a high-end video card. To run 160 fps at a game’s max detail level in 4K will require a GeForce RTX 4090. But you can run 320 fps in FHD with a cheaper GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super. So, what you save on the video card will buy you the U27G4XM with a few bucks left over for a nice mouse and keyboard.

At this writing, that price is $350, which gets you terrific performance and a bright, colorful image. It also includes aiming points, sniper modes, and a frame counter. There are plenty of image modes and HDR support, with four presets for HDR10 content. You even get side USB ports, which I haven’t seen in a long time. The only things missing are LED lights and internal speakers. But you get a 3.5mm headphone jack alongside the HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 inputs, all of which support Display Stream Compression (DSC). On paper, the U27G4XM is an impressive package. Let’s see how it performs.

Assembly and Accessories

The U27G4XM comes in fully recyclable packaging, with molded pulp that protects the contents. The panel, upright, and base assemble without tools into a lightweight setup that fits easily on the average desktop. The accessory bundle includes IEC for the internal power supply, plus nice HDMI and DisplayPort cables.

Product 360

The U27G4XM goes for a chiseled look with flat, angular surfaces making up the back of the panel and an all-screen configuration in the front. Bits of red trim outline the stand’s fulcrum and the offset cable hole in the upright. This is unique in that it’s turned to the side, so you don’t see through it if you’re not using it. The base is cast aluminum with a wide stance and solid construction. The panel snaps on, and though the fulcrum looks large, it’s a little wobbly. It’s perfectly secure, but there is some play when you tilt or rotate the screen. Ergonomics include a 5/23-degree tilt, 20-degree swivel, a 90-degree portrait mode, and a 5.3-inch height range. If you want to use an arm, there’s a 100mm VESA mount with fasteners included.

The front bezel is thin and flush with just a small AOC logo at the bottom. The OSD is controlled by buttons rather than a joystick, a move that probably helped drop the price a tad. A tiny LED indicates power status with a soft glow. The anti-glare layer has a 3H hardness and is free of visible grain.

The input panel is up and under and features two HDMI 2.1 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4 hookup. All ports have DSC and work at full resolution and refresh. There are two USBs here, too, an upstream and a downstream. Three more downstreams grace the right side for easy access. This is a rarity nowadays, and I’m glad to see a nod to convenience from a budget display. There are no internal speakers, but you get a 3.5mm jack for headphones.

OSD Features

The U27G4XM’s OSD is controlled by a row of buttons, which, by modern standards, is a little old-school. But you get one-button access to the refresh mode switch, which is nice.

The dual-resolution feature is up first in the U27G4XM’s Game Setting menu. The easier way to do it is with the second control key, which pops up a little selector. The switch takes a few seconds once you’ve set it up in Nvidia or AMD’s control panel. Also, there are seven picture modes, Standard is the default and best. You also get shadow control to brighten up dark parts of the image, general color saturation, aiming points, sniper modes, a five-level overdrive and a frame counter.

The Picture menu has eight more image modes, which is a bit confusing since you can theoretically combine them with the Game modes for hundreds of combinations. I recommend sticking with Standard/Standard for all content. There are three gamma presets plus fixed color temps and RGB sliders. HDR gets four modes, three of which can be used as emulators for SDR content. HDR10 signals add a mode called Display HDR, which is fairly accurate for color and luminance tracking. Local Dimming gets three levels of aggressiveness. Each further lowers the black level while leaving peak brightness unchanged. Strong turns off the backlight completely under zero signal conditions. You can also choose the sRGB color space here. This mode is very accurate and can be used for critical applications. The U27G4XM also has a PIP/PBP feature for the viewing of two sources at once. The PIP window can be sized and moved.

AOC U27G4XM Calibration Settings

The U27G4XM can be used without calibration in its Standard picture mode. You can use local dimming for SDR and HDR content if you like. The medium setting increases the contrast ratio to around 13,000:1 for HDR and 1,600:1 for SDR content. I improved grayscale tracking to reference level with a few tweaks to the RGB sliders. I also noted that the sRGB mode is spot-on out of the box if you need the smaller gamut. The native color space covers just over 109% of DCI-P3. Local dimming does not change peak brightness, only black levels, so the brightness values below work in all dimming modes.

Gaming and Hands-on

After spending time with the U27G4XM playing games and getting through some work, I found that I only had two minor complaints. The stand, while secure, has a wobbly fulcrum where the panel attaches. This isn’t a big deal except when operating the OSD, which ties into my second nitpick. I am so spoiled by joysticks that on the rare occasion I get control buttons, I am sad. I realize that this is a budget monitor and at that vocation it excels. But pressing the arrow keys while the panel jiggles about is annoying.

These things aside, the U27G4XM is close to flawless. I’ve noticed that budget 4K screens have been getting quicker with each new model I review. This is the fastest one I’ve seen to date with extremely low input lag and smooth panel response from an excellent overdrive. Though 4K tops out at a mere 160fps, it is free of blur or phasing artifacts. In-game movement is precise with instantaneous reaction to control inputs. It seems counterintuitive to pair a $350 monitor with a $1,600 video card, but the U27G4XM qualifies as a competitor’s tool. It’s a frag master for sure.

The dual-refresh feature was seamless in operation once I set it up in the Nvidia Control Panel. I had to set the options for UHD and FHD just once, 160 and 320 Hz, respectively, then it worked every time. I noted that each mode retained its HDR status, on or off. So, if I was in HDR/160 Hz and switched to 320 Hz, it wouldn’t stay in HDR mode if I hadn’t set it that way previously; no complaint, but just to make you aware. Fortunately, I was fine with running at 160 fps in 4K, so I had no real need for 320 Hz. If you have a slower video card, though, it’s a great alternative to backlight strobing, which usually brings phasing artifacts.

The image is gorgeous in both SDR and HDR. The native color gamut covers over 109% of DCI-P3, so there were always vivid hues to enjoy. When I needed the correct color space for SDR, I could reach for the very accurate sRGB option. The U27G4XM is qualified for color-critical apps.

Work tasks were accomplished with a clear and bright picture that made small fonts and graphical details easy to see. I could sit as close as I liked thanks to the U27G4XM’s 163ppi pixel density. The local dimming worked well on its medium setting. It didn’t increase the peak output, which was nice because then there was no need to change the brightness setting. Rather, it lowered the black level, so contrast was increased with no clipping of detail.

Other things of note were the U27G4XM’s USB ports, three of which are on the right side of the panel. Many budget screens forgo USB ports entirely so to find them here at all is a bonus. I also made use of the gaming aids, aiming point, sniper mode and frame counter. The only thing missing is internal speakers. I had to use headphones to hear game sounds.

Takeaway: The U27G4XM is a superlative value. For $350, you get 4K, 160 Hz, dual-refresh flexibility and a bright, colorful picture. It’s accurate out of the box and calibrates to a high standard. Video processing is top-notch with smooth response and super low input lag. Aside from the OSD buttons and the stand wobble, I have no complaints.

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To compare the U27G4XM’s performance, I’ve rounded up dual- and single-refresh 4K 27-inch monitors. The dual models are Titan Army’s P2712V, Acer’s XB273K V5, and ViewSonic’s VX2730D-4K. Single-mode displays include TCL’s 27R94 and Gigabyte’s GS27U.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

The monitors in the response time chart are different because it’s unfair to compare LCDs and OLEDs in this test. OLED’s black-to-white transition is much faster, which is why they are smoother at lower refresh rates. On planet LCD, the XB273U F5, a G-Sync Pulsar monitor, shares the speed crown with the ViewSonic VX2730D-4K in its 288 Hz FHD mode. The U27G4XM is a bit behind at 3.58 and 3.74 ms, respectively. Doubling the refresh rate does not halve the response time. This is with the overdrive set to medium, which is the smoothest option that doesn’t have ghosting artifacts.

In the lag test, the U27G4XM takes the win at 320 Hz with a 14ms average of 25 mouse clicks. At 160 Hz, it’s 16.5ms, which is faster than nearly every other screen, including two that are running at 320Hz. So, if you can run in 4K, you’ll have one of the quickest examples available.

Test Takeaway: The U27G4XM has an average panel response for a gaming LCD with an overdrive that removes most motion blur. It’s one of the quickest in my lag test with 14ms at 320 Hz and 16.5ms at 160 Hz. That puts it above all the other 27-inch 4K LCDs I’ve tested except for the ViewSonic VX2730D-4K at 288 Hz. It is certainly the quickest 4K monitor you can buy for $350.

Viewing Angles

The U27G4XM’s off-axis image quality is a little better than most of the IPS panels I’ve photographed. The side view has a slight red tint but no change to brightness or gamma. The top view is also a bit red with reduced brightness and gamma. This is a very shareable monitor.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

It’s safe to say that IPS glow is a thing of the past. Today’s panels, like the U27G4XM, show excellent uniformity with no visible issues whatsoever. My sample had no problems in any part of the screen and was uniform in all field patterns, color and neutral.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The U27G4XM has more than enough light output for any indoor or outdoor environment. With nearly 500 nits peak available, it could be used at a location shoot or turned down to 50 nits for dark room gameplay. The panel’s native contrast is 923.3:1, a bit below the IPS average of 1,000:1. With local dimming set to medium, it delivers around 1,600:1 for SDR content with no clipping in shadow or highlight areas.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration bumps the contrast up to 989.2:1, a slight improvement. With local dimming on medium, it’s around 1,600:1. If you set it to strong, the backlight is shut off, making measurements impossible. ANSI contrast stays relatively consistent at 922.1:1, which is average for IPS panels with either full-array or edge backlights.

Test Takeaway: The U27G4XM offers effective local dimming for SDR content, which sets it apart from some other screens that only dim for HDR. It has nearly 500 nits peak available, making it good for brightly lit environments. Native contrast is just below 1,000:1, and dynamic contrast is 1,600:1 with local dimming on medium. Image depth and texture are exemplary at this price point.

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The U27G4XM ships in its Standard picture mode. In the OSD’s parlance, that’s the Standard Game Mode and Standard Eco Adjustment. There are gamut selections available and accuracy is high both before and after calibration.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

The U27G4XM’s default grayscale is a tad cool, but errors barely crack the 3dE threshold, the point where they become visible. Most are below the line, so this monitor can be enjoyed right out of the box. Gamma is right on the 2.2 reference line as well, with no visible issues.

Calibration takes grayscale tracking down to a pro-level 0.42dE. It doesn’t get much better than that. Gamma gets a shade light from 50-90%, but the change is barely visible in actual content. This is excellent performance.

The sRGB gamut mode cannot be calibrated, but it has visually perfect grayscale tracking and slightly light gamma that closely tracks the 2.2 reference. It is suitable for color-critical tasks.

Comparisons

The top three screens, including the U27G4XM, are visually identical in the grayscale test. 2.40dE is a solid result. After calibration, there is no visible difference among the monitors. The U27G4XM’s 0.42dE is a standout result. In the gamma test, the range of values is fairly tight at 0.11 from smallest to largest. Overall tracking is a tad light with a 3.18% deviation representing an actual value of 2.13.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The U27G4XM is a very colorful monitor with extra punch across the entire gamut triangle. The default is close to perfect with slight oversaturation and hue errors in red and green. The points track linearly, so there is no loss of detail in any part of the image. Calibration only makes a slight difference that will be hard to see in a before-and-after comparison. But it’s worth doing for the improvement in grayscale tracking. The sRGB mode is better than many pro monitors I’ve tested with an average error of just 0.80dE.

Comparisons

As impressive as the U27G4XM’s accuracy is, it is competing with some equally precise displays. 2.27dE is a great score, but others score better. Is that a difference worth paying for? Not in my opinion, especially when you consider gamut volume, which is the U27G4XM’s main advantage. Amazingly, it does not have a Quantum Dot layer, but it does a great impression of that tech with over 109% coverage of DCI-P3. You will see that in the brightest content where primary colors dominate. There is a good deal of extra red, green, and blue. The sRGB result of 97.93% is nearly ideal and qualifies the U27G4XM for critical tasks.

Test Takeaway: The U27G4XM can be enjoyed without calibration, but a few tweaks take it to reference levels. Gamma is a touch light, but color is exemplary and richly saturated. It has more coverage than the competition, which is a difference that can easily be seen. The sRGB mode is very precise with nearly perfect color and grayscale.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

Mini LED displays like the U27G4XM are great for HDR content thanks to their bright backlights and full array zone dimming (FALD). This monitor is rated for VESA DisplayHDR 1000, which is something rarely seen in the OLED category. The signal switch is automatic, and you get four additional picture modes.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

It’s easy to identify which screens are Mini LED in the first chart above. The U27G4XM exceeds its HDR1000 rating, reaching a peak of 1,107 nits. I measured that from a 25% window pattern, and it is extremely bright. Only the TCL is brighter. Local dimming can be used to make the contrast ratio unmeasurable at its highest setting. On medium, the ratio is 13,061.4:1, which is excellent for an IPS panel. I noted that different local dimming settings did not change the peak value, only the black level.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

In the HDR grayscale test, the U27G4XM is slightly warm in tone from 70% brightness and higher. The error is hard to spot in content, but it would be nice to have RGB sliders available. Of the four HDR modes, Display HDR delivers the best EOTF with values a little below the reference until 60%, where it goes a bit light. These are small variations that will not negatively impact the image. The tone map transition is at 75%, which is correct for the measured white and black levels.

In the color test, the U27G4XM’s large gamut is used to full effect with general oversaturation in all colors. This gives HDR content some extra punch that isn’t strictly accurate, but it is pleasing. The BT.2020 test shows the same response with color running out at 90% red, 80% green and 95% blue. In both charts, hue targets are on point for all six colors.

Test Takeaway: The U27G4XM is a superb HDR display with bright highlights and deep shadows. The Mini LED backlight effectively increases contrast to over 13,000:1 with no penalty. Color is pleasingly oversaturated with vivid hues that deliver great impact to game and video content.

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With OLED commanding the premium market, it has driven down the prices of other premium technologies, namely 4K and Mini LED. It is now possible to buy a 27-inch 4K IPS monitor with wide-gamut color, 160 Hz, premium video processing, accurate imaging, and high brightness, and that is a clear sign of progress. The U27G4XM exemplifies that design goal for $350 and offers performance we’d have paid over $1,000 for just a few years ago. And did I mention the Mini LED backlight with 1,152 dimming zones? Yeah, it has that too. For perspective, Acer’s X27 from 2018 had 384 dimming zones, 4K, and 144 Hz for an eye-watering $2,000. Check out that review here if you’re curious.

The AOC U27G4XM is better than that Acer in every way. It has 1,152 dimming zones. It has 109% coverage of DCI-P3 color. It has 160 Hz and a 320 Hz FHD mode. It has lower input lag and better panel response – and it’s $350. That’s what eight years of progress looks like. My only complaints are that the OSD is controlled by buttons instead of a joystick, and the stand is secure but a little wobbly. But performance and image-wise, there are no flaws. For the money, I can’t fault it at all. It games with the very best and provides a bright, colorful, and accurate picture for work and play alike.

If you’re looking for an affordable 4K monitor that pairs well with budget and premium video cards alike, the AOC U27G4XM is well worth checking out.

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LG Display (LGD) is the arm of LG that manufactures monitor and TV panels for its parent firm, as well as a great deal of other players including Apple, Dell, Sony, and Asus among many others. The company has just announced that its large-format OLED panels earned an Intertek certification for "perfect" color and brightness accuracy under ambient lighting up to 500 lux.

Large-format panels are those going into TVs, generally meaning size 48" or larger. We're taking LG Display at its word, as the press release states the certification means the TVs "accurately reproduce both color and brightness regardless of viewing conditions or content." 500 lux of ambient is actually a pretty demanding viewing environment for a TV, as it's roughly the equivalent to a well-lit office, conference room, or kitchen work surface.

LGD says the certification validates the OLED panels in question for "100% color accuracy" and "100% brightness accuracy," remarking that Intertek used multiple test patterns, and that the panels maintained both accurate color and consistent brightness with all of them. The text also notes the panels are "color cross-talk free," an impressive feat if true. Broadly speaking, OLED panels generally don't bleed light into dark areas, but color contamination in adjacent areas is a real problem thanks to subpixel cross-talk. That's actually a very tricky problem to solve (especially for tandem panels), and it's an impressive feat if LGD truly managed to kill it altogether.

Intertek is a a pretty large UK-based technology and certification company (accredited with ISO/IEC 17025), but there aren't details on the test processes it used. It's worth noting there's no standardized certification process for TV panels to begin with, unlike the monitor-specific DisplayHDR and its strict, OLED-specific True Black variant. LGD has worked with Intertek for many years, and the test results tend to include at least some actual figures.

I’ve been reviewing video tech long enough to remember the advent of 4K displays. In 2013, my first experience was with an Asus PQ321Q. It cost around $3,500, delivered 3840x2160 pixels at 60 Hz, and only worked with a handful of graphics cards that had a DisplayPort 1.2 output.

As prices dropped and choices multiplied, I saw that one of the most common searches on Tom’s Hardware was “budget 4K”. Even though you still need a powerful video card to game at 8.3 megapixels, most users want that high pixel density on their desktops.

The good news is that 4K monitors are no longer $3,500. The ViewSonic VX2730D-4K I’m reviewing here isn’t even $350. It’s $280 and works with many video cards. And it runs at 144 Hz with a dual-mode switch that lets you reach 288 Hz at 1080p resolution. And you get wide-gamut color and HDR on a 27-inch IPS panel with high contrast and high performance. Let’s take a look.

ViewSonic VX2730D-4K Specs

The VX2730D-4K has an impressive feature set wrapped up in an IPS panel that delivers an impressive 1,500:1 contrast ratio. That’s claimed by ViewSonic and verified by me. In fact, I measured over 1,600:1 after calibration, which isn’t necessary because it’s nearly pro-level accurate out of the box. There’s plenty of color coverage too, over 98% of DCI-P3. It also supports HDR10 signals, and there I found a couple of issues that I’ll get into later.

A 144 Hz refresh rate anchors gaming performance at the full 3840x2160 pixels. You can run that signal over DisplayPort or the two HDMI 2.1 inputs. A dual-mode switch changes the resolution to FHD 1920x1080 and 288 Hz. In both cases, you get G-Sync with Nvidia certification and FreeSync Premium. It’ll also do VRR with consoles. There’s a three-level overdrive to smooth out motion blur, and you get MPRT backlight strobing to use when speeds drop below 120fps.

A few unimportant things have been sacrificed on the altar of value. There’s no LED lighting, nor are there USB ports. But you do get internal speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A decent stand and cable bundle come in the box as well. The VX2730D-4K is more than prepared to take on your favorite games, be they twitchy shooters or lavish adventures.

Assembly and Accessories

The VX2730D-4K comes in the cardboard version of a plain brown wrapper with nothing but the words “ViewSonic Gaming” to signal the intent of what’s inside. Crumbly foam disgorges the three main bits, panel, upright, and base, which assemble without tools. Cables are DisplayPort and IEC for the internal power supply.

Product 360

The VX2730D-4K’s styling is minimalist industrial with nothing in front but the screen and its effective anti-glare coating, a ViewSonic logo, and a thin flush bezel. The IPS variant is proclaimed as “Super Clear,” which refers to its higher-than-average contrast. More on that later.

The stand is solid and stable and includes a 4.7-inch height range, 90-degree portrait mode and 5/20 degrees tilt. There is no mechanical swivel, but the metal plate base slides easily on the desktop if you want to turn the panel to either side. The package has decent heft and is very solid in operation. Build quality is well above the norm for a budget display.

In the back, there is purposeful grillwork that provides cooling airflow to the hardworking internals. A larger ViewSonic logo lets others know where your monitor comes from. And there’s a tiny OSD joystick reachable from the front bottom right that controls all functions. The side view shows a relatively slim panel with a component bulge. There’s a small cable hook on the back of the stand.

There are three video inputs in total, one DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1. All support 4K at 144 Hz and FHD at 288 Hz with Adaptive-Sync and HDR. You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack should you wish to forgo the internal speakers, which play politely in the upper mid frequency band.

OSD Features

The VX2730D-4K’s OSD is operated by a joystick, which I found to be a bit different than others. You’d expect that pressing it would bring up the menu, but instead, it’s the dual-mode switch so the screen goes blank for a few seconds, then changes resolutions and refresh rates. There’s no provision to change this, but the dual-mode switch is super quick and convenient.

There are nine picture modes aimed at different game types and uses. Standard is the default and best choice. It’s within a whisker of perfect; the VX2730D-4K does not require calibration. But tweaks are available in the Color Adjust menu where you can change the color temp, adjust saturation and hue and panel luminance. HDR is simply Auto or Off, there are no adjustments there. The sRGB choice in the color temp menu does not change the gamut size, so there is in effect, no sRGB picture mode. You get full color all the time, covering just over 98% of DCI-P3.

You can switch resolution/refresh modes in the OSD using the Dual-Mode field if you’d rather. Like any dual-refresh monitor, you must set up the refresh rates in the Nvidia Control Panel once initially before you can toggle back and forth.

There are three overdrive levels, of which Ultra Fast is the smoothest. I saw no artifacts on any setting. It is reasonably effective, but 144 Hz still has some blur. In the Setup menu, you can turn off Adaptive-Sync in favor of MPRT, which is a backlight strobe. At 144 Hz, the phasing artifact is severe enough that I couldn’t use it. It’s better at 288 Hz where you can only see it slightly. Adaptive-Sync, along with a video card that can maintain max frame rates is the best option. The VX2730D-4K includes PIP and PBP, which is called Multi-Picture. It allows the viewing of two video sources at once.

ViewSonic VX2730D-4K Calibration Settings

The VX2730D-4K measured extremely well out of the box in its Standard picture mode. Grayscale, gamma and gamut tracking were without visual flaws. I found a tiny improvement with a couple of changes to the RGB sliders in the color temp menu. I noted that though there is a choice labeled sRGB, it is not a color space selector. You will see the full native gamut in all scenarios, covering just over 98% of DCI-P3. My recommended SDR settings are below. In HDR mode, there are no options and I noted some issues, which you can read about on page five.

Gaming and Hands-on

The VX2730D-4K’s gameplay experience was excellent in every important way. It is a seriously quick monitor with extremely low input lag on par with many premium screens. Movement and aiming are very precise. Motion blur is well below the level of distraction, even at a relatively pedestrian 144fps when playing in 4K mode. Detail is tack-sharp thanks to that 163ppi pixel density. The panel’s high contrast and saturated color made fine textures pop in both the foreground and the background.

The dual-mode switch worked perfectly once I had set up both resolutions in the Nvidia Control Panel. I found I could switch when paused in Doom Eternal without exiting to the desktop. Playing in FHD/288 Hz mode showed even less motion blur. There is measurably less input lag, but I could not perceive the difference of just 3.1ms. Ultimately, I preferred the sharper detail of 4K even though the frame rate was lower. The overdrive is good enough to keep moving objects sharp, so I could aim precisely at a distance. Lobbing grenades across the icy arena was child’s play as they almost always fell on target.

The only flaw I found was in the VX2730D-4K’s HDR presentation. There is a blue cast to the image, and it is less bright than SDR. You’ll see this confirmed in the tests on page five. The color saturation is there but I ultimately preferred playing in SDR mode because it had more impact.

I’ve noted in the past that dual-mode monitors create a compromise where you get high frame rates but with a sacrifice in resolution. FHD was once a gold standard, but when compared to 27-inch QHD or UHD, it looks soft. There’s no getting around acquired perceptions and after reviewing almost 500 monitors in the past 13 years, I have a few. That said, 27 inches is tolerable for FHD. I can see its appeal to competition gamers who prize response and frame rates above all. The VX2730D-4K is a worthy gaming display for players of all skill levels.

For everyday use, the VX2730D-4K’s high pixel density and accurate color is a real boon. It’s ready to rock out of the box, no calibration needed. I tweaked it to a little higher standard but that’s more to satisfy ego than anything else. It’s colorful and bright and extremely sharp. It has about 60% more contrast than the average IPS panel and that’s a clearly visible difference. The image is cleaner and more textural, almost on the level of a good VA screen. The only thing I missed was an sRGB mode. There’s an sRGB label in the color temp menu, but it doesn’t change the gamut size. You get full DCI-P3 color for all content.

Takeaway: The VX2730D-4K is an extremely capable monitor with just a couple of flaws. HDR doesn’t look any better than SDR thanks to lower brightness and incorrect grayscale tracking. But SDR content is rendered with nearly perfect color accuracy and excellent contrast thanks to low black levels. Gaming is addictive thanks to extremely low input lag and a smooth overdrive. Flaws aside, the VX2730D-4K is a 4K display for $280. That’s about all you actually need to know.

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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

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

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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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The VX2730D-4K is firmly in the “not super bright but bright enough” category. For indoor use, 300 nits is plenty, and you’ll be more comfortable at 180-200 nits peak. What’s more important is the black level, which is almost 50% below the next screen from Titan Army. The resulting contrast of almost 1,600:1 is a standout among IPS panels. This feat is achieved without any clipping.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Contrast gets a tad higher after calibration, where it tops 1,600:1, well ahead of the P2712V. This is a difference you can see in a side-by-side comparison of actual content. Though a VA or OLED screen will look even better, the VX2730D-4K easily outpaces its direct competitors.

In the ANSI test, the VX2730D-4K stays consistent, even adding 3.7 points to the total. It’s rare for any monitor to be this consistent in my contrast tests. On planet IPS, it doesn’t get much better.

Test Takeaway: The VX2730D-4K has lower-than-average black levels for an IPS monitor, resulting in a contrast ratio of over 1,600:1. That delivers a greater perception of color saturation, depth, and sharpness. Coupled with its 163ppi pixel density, it delivers a supremely clear, detailed image. It isn’t super bright, but for any indoor environment, it has more than enough light output.

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The VX2730D-4K comes set to its Standard picture mode, which is accurate enough to be enjoyed without calibration. It’s close enough to spec that there are no visible errors for color, grayscale, or gamma.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

If you look very closely at a grayscale step pattern, you might see a hint of red tint at the 90% brightness step. But more than likely, you won’t see anything wrong. And you certainly won’t see any problems in actual content. Gamma is also nearly perfect with close tracking to the 2.2 spec over the entire luminance range.

By calibrating the RGB sliders, which only required one click changes to red and green, I got all grayscale errors below 1dE. That’s pro-level accuracy. Gamma was mostly unchanged but the 70-90% region got a tad darker. This was not a factor in actual content. I noted a slight increase in overall contrast, too so it’s worth making the adjustments.

Though the VX2730D-4K includes an sRGB option in the color temp menu, it does not change the gamut volume, so there is no actual sRGB mode.

Comparisons

The VX2730D-4K’s out-of-box grayscale error of 2.14dE is impressive but not unprecedented. The Asus and Titan Army screens measure a bit better. But the top three monitors are without visible errors, so it’s a wash. After calibration, all the screens look the same, with no visible grayscale issues.

In the gamma test, the VX2730D-4K’s slight rise at 70-90% makes its value range a tad less tight than the rest. The 1.82% deviation represents an actual value of 2.24. There are no visible gamma issues with any of the monitors. They all exhibit excellent performance.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

Though you won’t see any color errors in content, the VX2730D-4K has slight hue anomalies in the secondary colors, magenta, cyan, and yellow when put under the colorimeter. Red is also a tad oversaturated throughout. Calibration fixes those bits neatly and takes the average error to an impressive 0.99dE. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Comparisons

All the monitors have impressively accurate color gamuts, but the VX2730D-4K is the best at 0.99dE. It’s rare for any monitor, even a professional screen, to get under 1dE for a 31-point average test. This is exceptional performance. In the volume test, the ViewSonic nearly covers the full DCI-P3 gamut, coming up a tad short only in the green primary. My only complaint is that there is no sRGB mode. You’ll have to perform color-critical tasks in P3, which is more than accurate enough. sRGB is useful for photography and web graphics so it would make a good addition for a future firmware update.

Test Takeaway: The VX2730D-4K has better than average out-of-box color with no need for calibration in its Standard picture mode. It covers almost 100% of DCI-P3, 98.38%, coming up a tad short in the green primary. It calibrates to a very high standard that only some pro monitors can match. The only thing missing is an sRGB mode. There is no provision for gamut selection here.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The VX2730D-4K supports HDR10 signals with an automatic switch if HDR is set to Auto in the OSD. I noted some issues which I’ll detail below.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The VX2730D-4K has an edge LED backlight with no dimming available for HDR so I expected that it would match output levels between SDR and HDR. I could only get to 207 nits with no provision for improvement. I checked full field and window patterns and got the same result. Black levels are about the same as they are in SDR with the backlight maxed, so contrast drops to 1,080.6:1. This gives HDR content the same appearance as SDR with no additional depth or impact.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

HDR grayscale tracking is decidedly blue, and I didn’t need the meter to tell me there was an error. I could see it in step patterns and full fields. This further flattens the image to where it has less impact than its SDR counterpart. The EOTF runs a bit dark, below the reference line, but stays consistent enough to keep all detail visible.

In the gamut test, you can see the effect of the skewed grayscale tracking. All colors are pulled off their hue and saturation targets. HDR is colorful thanks to the VX2730D-4K’s large gamut, but it is not impactful due to the errors I noted. In the BT.2020, color runs out at 90% red, 75% green and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The VX2730D-4K’s HDR presentation is lackluster at best. Brightness is reduced by around 30% from maximum and contrast goes down as well. Grayscale errors result in a flat image with no more impact than its SDR counterpart. While the HDR mode is usable, it doesn’t provide any advantages over SDR.

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4K monitors have long been in the realm of the exotic, but they’ve come very far from their $3,500 roots. That you can buy a 27-inch UHD screen with 144 Hz, Adaptive-Sync and extended color for $280 is a clear indication of progress to the positive.

The ViewSonic VX2730D-4K delivers tremendous performance and quality for the price. Not only is it 4K at 144 Hz, but it is also Full HD at 288 Hz. Gaming is super quick and smooth thanks to excellent video processing and a convenient resolution switch, and I was even able to toggle it without leaving the game, which is a first in my experience. The overdrive removes nearly all motion blur, and gameplay is precise and satisfying at either resolution. There’s MPRT backlight strobing for smoothness at lower frame rates, but I found it was only usable in the FHD/288 Hz mode.

My only complaint here is with the VX2730D-4K’s HDR presentation. It is less bright than SDR by around 30% and its bluish grayscale is visible in content. Though the monitor supports HDR10 signals, it doesn’t give them much love. I found that after some time, I preferred playing everything in SDR mode.

Minor issue aside, the ViewSonic VX2730D-4K is a 4K gaming monitor for $280. That forgives a lot and at this point in time, it has no serious competition. If you’re looking for a budget monitor that’s speedy, responsive and colorful, you should definitely check it out.

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Dare I say it, prices on the best OLED gaming monitors are trending downward. They’ve been trickling down for a while, but recently I’ve received some new models that have lopped more than $100 off the prices of their predecessors. You’ll still pay more than an equivalent-spec LCD, but not a ton more.

ViewSonic has always delivered good value, and its latest entry is the VX2738-2K OLED. This 27-inch QHD 2560x1440-pixel panel boasts Quantum Dot color, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync and HDR for just $450 as I write this. Let’s take a look.

ViewSonic VX2738-2K OLED Specs

The VX2738-2K uses an OLED panel fronted by a Quantum Dot layer to deliver almost 109% DCI-P3 coverage, according to my measurements. That’s about average for the QD-OLEDs I’ve tested, and it is visibly more colorful than OLEDs or LCDs without the tech. Brightness is claimed to be 200 nits, which I verified with a full-field pattern, and I measured over 300 nits from a 25% window with variable brightness engaged. HDR reaches peaks over 400 nits, earning the VX2738-2K VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification.

Gaming performance is given equal attention with a 240 Hz refresh rate and Adaptive-Sync. The VX2738-2K is certified by both AMD and Nvidia for tear-free operation. Being an OLED, it has super quick response as well. Motion resolution is perfect at speeds above 180 fps. And you can achieve that without spending a fortune on a high-end graphics card.

Despite its attractive price, the VX2738-2K isn’t a barebones monitor. You get four video inputs, two HDMI 2.1 and two DisplayPort 1.4 with Display Stream Compression (DSC), along with a headphone jack and internal speakers. The only things left out are USB ports and LED lighting. But you do get a nice, solid stand and a premium DP cable. I also found an aiming point that turns on with a down-click of the OSD joystick. And there are plenty of OLED care options to keep the panel safe, along with variable brightness for SDR and HDR content.

ViewSonic is offering a solid display with a stunning picture and excellent gaming performance for $450. It wasn’t long ago that a 240 Hz QHD LCD cost that much. The era of affordable OLEDs may indeed be upon us.

Assembly and Accessories

ViewSonic doesn’t ship the VX2738-2K in look-at-me packaging, opting instead for a plain brown wrapper that just says, “ViewSonic Gaming.” The contents are encased in crumbly foam with the base, upright, and panel going together without tools. Build quality is high, and you get a three-year warranty too. The accessory bundle includes an external power supply and a DisplayPort cable.

Product 360

The VX2738-2K features angular styling with simple shapes and slightly rounded corners. The front is all screen with a narrow flush bezel that ranges in width from eight to 23 millimeters. A badge graces the lower left corner, indicating Nvidia G-Sync certification. It also meets FreeSync Premium standards. Other bits include a small ViewSonic logo and a tiny power status LED.

In the back are more triangles and a central box containing the internals. A joystick operates the OSD along with a separate power toggle button. The stand snaps into place over a 100mm VESA mount. If you want to use an arm, ViewSonic provides four large fasteners that you can tighten by hand if you like.

The stand has full ergonomics with 5/20 degrees tilt, 45 degrees swivel, and a 90-degree portrait mode. The OSD can be rotated manually as well. The height range is 5.1 inches (130mm). Movements are smooth and firm, better than what you’ll find with most budget screens. The package with stand weighs 12 pounds and sits on a thick metal plate base.

Underneath are four video inputs, two HDMI 2.1 and two DisplayPort 1.4 that support Display Stream Compression (DSC), which keeps frame rates at their maximum potential. There are a pair of two-watt internal speakers, and you get a 3.5mm headphone jack.

OSD Features

The VX2738-2K’s OSD is very business-like with six sub-menu headers across the top. It’s reasonably intuitive and has plenty of picture modes and image options to tailor things to your liking.

The fun starts with seven picture modes. The Game mode includes four additional presets, one of which includes a black stabilization slider. This can be increased to brighten shadow areas for better visibility. While it makes the picture less dramatic, it helps you find hidden enemies more easily. Standard is the default mode, and it includes everything needed for a precise calibration. And that’s a good thing because the VX2738-2K isn’t quite on spec out of the box, more on that later.

There are five fixed color temps and a user color with RGB sliders. Don’t be fooled by the one labeled sRGB. It does not change the color gamut from the native space, which covers almost 109% of DCI-P3. You’ll see the VX2738-2K’s full color for all content, be it SDR or HDR. You also get three gamma presets. HDR has no options, but you can turn off the effect if you like. Leaving it on Auto means the VX2738-2K switches without user intervention.

Manual Image Adjust is where you’ll find OLED care options like pixel orbiting, screen refresh and static detection. The one labeled OLED APL is a variable brightness setting. Turning it on raises the peak white level for small areas of the screen.

The Setup menu includes an Adaptive-Sync toggle, OSD appearance options, and power settings. The second screen includes PIP and PBP for viewing two sources at once.

ViewSonic VX2738-2K OLED Calibration Settings

In the VX2738-2K’s Standard mode, I observed a slight purple tint in grayscale patterns and very dark gamma, which gave the image a murky appearance. Fixing the RGB sliders took care of the color, but gamma could only be corrected by turning the OLED APL option on. That means you’ll see variable brightness all the time. While this isn’t my favorite approach, ViewSonic’s VB isn’t super aggressive so there is no obvious image pumping or rapid changes in brightness. It is the way to the best image, so I recommend using it. It’s locked on by default for HDR content. Below are my recommended SDR settings. HDR has no provision for adjustment; just set the HDR option to Auto for an automatic switch.

Gaming and Hands-on

There is no activity that cannot be enhanced by an OLED monitor and the VX2738-2K proved that to me yet again. The broad contrast and saturated color offered by this technology cannot be completely duplicated by LCD, and that includes Mini LED panels.

The VX2738-2K isn’t the brightest OLED I’ve reviewed, but it is more than bright enough to be satisfying. I found that the variable brightness option was required for the best picture. Usually, I use constant brightness for work tasks and variable for entertainment. With OLED APL turned off, the picture was dull in comparison to other OLEDs. This turned out to be due to dark gamma, which you can learn more about on page four. Turning it on addressed my concerns. And it wasn’t aggressive in operation, there were no artifacts like pumping or changes in brightness that lagged behind the moving image. I left it engaged for all content. And it’s locked to on for HDR.

HDR looked spectacular as all OLEDs do. Color was rich and vibrant thanks to the Quantum Dot layer. It’s awesome to get this tech in a $450 monitor. Accuracy was excellent once I had calibrated. A few tweaks to the RGB slider took color, grayscale and gamma to reference-level. That showed in all areas, gaming, video and productivity.

Video processing was exemplary and with frame rates staying at or near the 240 Hz maximum, moving objects were rendered with perfect clarity and full detail. There was no smearing or blur of any kind. The VX2738-2K was extremely responsive to my inputs as well. You’ll see how good it is on the next page as it’s one of the fastest 240 Hz screens I’ve tested to date. To get visibly better performance, you’ll need to go to at least 360 Hz. And only the most skilled gamers would be able to tell a difference. My abilities are not at that level. I would happily frag all day and twice on Sunday. The VX2738-2K has that addictive quality.

For daily use, the VX2738-2K serves extremely well. 27 inches is ideal for QHD resolution; it’s a reasonably pixel-dense 109ppi but not so much that frame rates suffer. My GeForce RTX 4090 was more than stout enough to keep speeds at 240fps with games set to their highest detail levels. And the dot structure is invisible from more than two feet away. You can sit close when working in Photoshop or Premiere Pro. Or relax and sit back when watching videos on YouTube.

My only complaint is a small one. I was glad to see the inclusion of internal speakers but the VX2738-2K’s are quite tinny. At 50% volume, they were reasonably loud but somewhat distorted in the highest frequencies, which made them harsh. They’re fine for system sounds but for music or game audio, they don’t offer much impact or detail. I suggest plugging in your favorite headphones to the provided 3.5mm jack. Speaking of plugs, I noted the inclusion of four video inputs instead of the usual three with an extra DisplayPort in the mix, nice.

Takeaway: The VX2738-2K is an extremely versatile monitor with excellent gaming performance and enough brightness, color saturation and clarity to suit it for photo editing, web browsing or any computing task. It delivers fast and smooth video processing along with accurate and vivid color once calibrated. The internal speakers aren’t the greatest but plug in a pair of headphones and you’ll be fine. Above all, it’s a superlative value at just $450 and that’s the best part.

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27-inch QHD OLEDs come in a wide variety of refresh rates, up to 540 Hz in fact. I tried to find screens closer in speed to the VX2738-2K and came up with Alienware’s AW2726DM and AW2725D, Gigabyte’s MO27Q28G, Asus’ XG27AQWMG, and AOC’s Q27G4ZD.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

I didn’t have enough 27-inch QHD OLEDs to compare the VX2738-2K’s panel response, so I have a different group there. You can see that refresh rate doesn’t always go in lockstep with response time. The quickest screen is a 240 Hz Acer at 0.12ms, and the ViewSonic isn’t far behind at 0.20ms. Even at the slowest 0.24ms, you won’t be able to see any differences at speeds above 180fps. The Acer would have a slight edge between 150 and 180 fps. But these are tiny issues that are nearly impossible to see with the naked eye.

In the lag test, the VX2738-2K proved to be one of the faster screens available, with a total lag time of just 15.7ms averaged over 25 mouse clicks using Nvidia’s LDAT tester and utility. 240 Hz is in no way a limitation when compared to the 280 Hz screens in the group, which are a tad slower. Again, this is a minute difference that anyone outside the Jedi Order will be unable to distinguish.

Test Takeaway: The VX2738-2K is very quick with low input lag and smooth motion resolution. At frame rates above 180fps, moving objects render with the same clarity as stationary ones. It is quicker than at least two monitors with higher refresh rates. It’s safe to say that if you want to beat the VX2738-2K, you’ll need to go at least 360 Hz or faster.

Viewing Angles

Many Quantum Dot monitors show a slight red tint in the 45-degree side photo, but not the VX2738-2K. It looks the same as the head-on image with consistent color, brightness and gamma. The top view has slightly reduced gamma and luminance. This is excellent performance.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

When I first measured the VX2738-2K’s screen uniformity, it was an unimpressive 13.55%, which is much higher than average for an OLED. Some monitors need an initial pixel refresh cycle to look their best, so I ran the procedure and saw a significant improvement to 2.55%. I have encountered this issue before with Samsung monitors, so ViewSonic is not alone. And once I had done it, the uniformity value did not change. Once set up, the VX2738-2K delivers excellent performance.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

ViewSonic rates the VX2738-2K at 200 nits. This tracks when measuring a full field pattern with OLED APL (variable brightness) turned off. To see its full potential, I turned it on and measured a 25% window for 381 nits. This also improves gamma, which in turn improves image quality by quite a bit. I’ll show more detailed tests on the next page. Black levels and contrast cannot be measured.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration makes no difference to the contrast result. I set 200 nits based on a full field pattern so that meant brightness was turned up all the way. This maximizes the VX2738-2K’s image quality and fidelity. Black levels, static contrast and ANSI contrast cannot be measured.

Test Takeaway: The VX2738-2K delivers contrast performance that’s equal to any OLED monitor. With infinite black levels, the picture has a depth and quality that no LCD can match. To get the best result, I recommend leaving OLED APL (variable brightness) on all the time. It’s not aggressive in operation, so it is appropriate for productivity and color-critical tasks.

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For the grayscale, gamma and color tests, I used the VX2738-2K’s Standard picture mode, which is the default. It offers color temp presets, RGB sliders and gamma presets.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

You can see in the first chart what I meant earlier by skewed gamma. Grayscale tracking isn’t too far off, with just a bit of purple tint seen in steps above 50% brightness. But gamma is dark enough to make the picture look flat and undefined. I normally leave variable brightness off for all tests and calibration, but in this case, its use is necessary.

Turning it on and tweaking the RGB sliders makes the VX2738-2K a whole lot better. All grayscale errors are below 1dE, and gamma is visibly and measurably perfect. This is an improvement that is easy to see in an A/B comparison. With the proper settings, the VX2738-2K is capable of reference-level performance.

Comparisons

With a starting value of 5.01dE, the VX2738-2K needs some attention to look its best. In this group, only the AOC and Asus displays can be enjoyed without calibration. Once adjusted, all screens have perfect grayscale tracking. There would be no visible difference between them. In the gamma test, the VX2738-2K excels with a tiny 0.08 range of values and a perfect average of 2.2, 0% deviation. This is excellent performance.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

You can see how the VX2738-2K’s inaccurate gamma affects color in the first gamut chart. Every color is almost 20% oversaturated, with red looking a bit pink and cyan being too blue in tone. These are clearly visible errors.

With OLED APL turned on and the grayscale calibration in place, color is far better than before, with just some slight oversaturation in red and magenta that is well within visually tolerable limits.

Comparisons

The VX2738-2K’s gamut result goes from 4.49dE to 1.44dE with calibration, which is an obvious improvement. You’ll need to turn OLED APL on and tweak the RGB sliders to achieve this. If you don’t have the means, put in my settings from page one and you’ll be very close to the above result.

With a gamut volume of 108.86% of DCI-P3, the VX2738-2K is average among Quantum Dot OLEDs. The extra three-ish percent shown by the Alienware displays would be hard to spot in a side-by-side comparison. But it’s easy to tell the ViewSonic from a monitor without a QD layer. The sRGB volume is huge at 161.41%. This is because the VX2738-2K has no sRGB mode. There is an sRGB option in the color temp menu, but it doesn’t change the gamut size, and there is no other color space selection in the OSD. You can use it for a DCI-P3 reference only.

Test Takeaway: The VX2738-2K is very color accurate once calibrated. Out of the box, it has a slight purple tint and dark gamma. You must turn on the OLED APL option to fix gamma and adjust the RGB sliders for neutral grayscale tracking. Color covers almost 109% of DCI-P3, which is about average for Quantum Dot displays. And users needing the smaller sRGB gamut for color-critical work won’t find it here.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The VX2738-2K switches to HDR mode automatically if the HDR option is set to Auto in the OSD. There are no adjustments or additional picture modes available.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The VX2738-2K delivers its brightest possible picture in HDR mode with 419 nits measured from a 25% window pattern. Variable brightness is in operation and cannot be turned off. It easily qualifies for VESA DisplayHDR 400 like much of its competition. Asus and Gigabyte drive their panels a bit harder to get 580 and 653 nits peak, respectively. The VX2738-2K has decent impact with deep blacks and infinite contrast, but is not exceptionally bright.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

The VX2738-2K’s HDR color is fixed with no provision for adjustment. Grayscale tracking is excellent in the darker parts of the image where there are no visible errors. At levels above 50%, it gets a bit warm in tone. These errors do not significantly diminish image quality. It would be nice to have the RGB sliders available, though. The EOTF runs a bit dark from zero to 40%, then stays close to the reference and a 65% tone-map transition point, which is correct given the measured black and white thresholds.

In the color tests, the VX2738-2K tracks hue points well with only slight variation in magenta. The chart is generally oversaturated like nearly all HDR monitors but with points that progress in a linear fashion. This approach keeps fine detail sharp and clear in all parts of the image. DCI-P3 is fully covered as it should be. BT.2020 runs the VX2738-2K out of color at 90% red, 80% green and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The VX2738-2K delivers an HDR image of average brightness with infinite black levels and contrast like any OLED display. With 419 nits peak, it has a satisfying impact and makes an obvious difference between SDR and HDR. Color is nicely saturated and accurate enough to be pleasing. No one will complain about the VX2738-2K’s HDR quality, it is very high. I noted slight grayscale errors that could not be corrected, but this did not affect the image in any significant way.

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There was a time when I couldn’t be sure desktop OLED monitors would ever exist. The tech only came in exotic TVs that cost $6,000 for a 55-inch panel. Today, they’re almost as common as bison were in the Wild West. And with the quantity of choice comes cost savings. Prices only trickled down for a time, but now we’re seeing some real values hitting the market. The ViewSonic VX2738-2K is a high-performance gaming OLED with Quantum Dot technology for $450. That’s almost all you need to know for a purchase decision.

Despite its low price, the VX2738-2K doesn’t skimp on image quality or performance. Though I noted some gamma anomalies out of the box, it just took the right settings and a quick calibration to bring it to reference-level. I achieved visually perfect color, grayscale and gamma with little effort. And with the extra color afforded by Quantum Dots, it delivered a great SDR and HDR image. The only miss there is the lack of an sRGB mode. Most users won’t care since they’ll prefer more color even if it isn’t strictly correct. But photographers needing that gamut choice won’t find it here.

Gamers definitely won’t complain about the VX2738-2K’s smooth motion response and low input lag. It’s one of the quickest 240 Hz monitors I’ve tested and it keeps up with its higher refresh rate competition. You’ll need to buy 360 Hz or more to beat it and that victory will be a slim one. Competition gamers looking to add a value-priced monitor to their toolkit should have a look.

The ViewSonic VX2783-2K OLED breaks price barriers by offering a high-performance gaming OLED display for $450. In perspective, that’s about what you’d have spent on an equivalent LCD a few years ago. That’s progress for sure. If you have been waiting for OLED prices to drop, now might be the time to pull the trigger. Definitely check it out.

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What makes a monitor professional-grade? There are many things that pros need to get the job done, and most screens billed as “professional” don’t cover all the bases. You can always expect accurate color, flexible calibration options, and rugged build quality. But do you get a fast refresh rate? Adaptive-Sync? Multiple stand options? Self-calibration?

That’s a lot to ask for, but Asus has baked all those qualities into the ProArt PA27USD. It’s a 27-inch QD-OLED panel with 4K resolution, professional image modes, auto-calibration, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, and wide gamut color. And it’s ruggedly built with two stands included, cable management, a light hood, an SDI input, KVM, USB, and internal speakers — jeez, what doesn’t it have? And it’s not super expensive as far as pro monitors go. Let’s take a look.

Asus ProArt PA27USD Specs

From an image quality standpoint, we can all agree that OLED is the best technology currently available. It offers deeper contrast than any other panel, along with wide gamut color, excellent screen uniformity, and repeatable accuracy. Self-emissive pixels render the picture with minimal polarization, which means wider viewing angles and better clarity.

The PA27USD has a Quantum Dot panel with gamut coverage up to 102% of DCI-P3. It won’t quite do BT.2020, but for any P3 or smaller color space, it is spot on. And selecting parameters is as easy as finding what you want from the seven SDR and five HDR modes, including support for HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision. SDR modes cover sRGB, Adobe RGB, BT.709 and 2020, plus Display and Cinema P3, and DICOM.

It’s rare for a professional panel to be game-worthy, but the PA27USD includes a 240 Hz refresh rate and Adaptive-Sync. You won’t find aiming points or sniper modes, but when paired with a fast video card, it delivers low input lag and the smooth response that only a fast OLED can provide.

For video pros, there are a host of features that cater to use in the studio or on set. There are screen-fit markers to aid composition. You get two different stands and a large metal grab handle, which makes the PA27USD great for location shoots. And here’s something I haven’t seen before, an SDI input. SDI (Serial Digital Interface) has long been an industry standard for cameras and professional video. I’m sad that it never made it to the consumer side, and that is because it doesn’t include copy protection. Here, it’s a 12G input, which is sufficient bandwidth for 4K at 60 Hz. I’ll talk more about this later.

The PA27USD also follows current trends with the inclusion of a built-in calibrator. A tiny colorimeter swings up from the bottom of the screen and, using internal patterns and software, calibrates a picture mode in about five minutes. You can adjust any existing mode or create three of your own. You can also calibrate with Asus’ ProArt Calibration app or third-party solutions like Calman and ColourSpace. The ProArt Color Center app lets you manage multiple monitors to keep everything in line.

There are pro monitors less capable than the PA27USD that cost $5,000 or more. Asus is offering this one for $2,199. While that’s a lot for a 27-inch OLED, it’s a bargain in the pro-video world, especially considering its huge list of capabilities.

Assembly and Accessories

The PA27USD comes in a clamshell box packed in fully recyclable molded pulp. Two stands are included, one with two rotating legs and a traditional telescoping type with full ergonomics. You also get cable management bits that attach to the panel sides and the upright. A rigid light hood features light-absorbing felt on the inside, easy toolless attachment, and holes for cabling and light meters. The cable bundle includes three USB, HDMI, and DisplayPort, plus IEC for the internal power supply.

Product 360

The first photo shows the PA27USD’s default stand option. The feet snap into the bottom of the panel and swivel for easy storage. They are ruggedly constructed from cast aluminum. If you want to use the traditional desktop stand, it has a heavy metal base with an equally solid upright. To install it, you first have to pluck the tiny rubber plugs from the 100mm VESA mount threads on the panel, then bolt it up with the included Phillips-head screwdriver. It includes a 5/23-degree tilt, a 30-degree swivel, and a 90-degree portrait mode. The height adjustment range is 5.2 inches. Movements are smooth and solid, making the PA27USD feel nearly indestructible.

The panel is designed for location use with a large metal handle on the back and ports on the sides. On the right, you get a DisplayPort 2.1, two HDMI 2.1, two Thunderbolt 4, which are chainable, and USB-C and A ports for the KVM function. On the left is the 12G SDI port. This means that you can hook a camera or signal distribution hub directly to the PA27USD in tether mode. If you’ve ever watched the guy behind roving cameramen at football games on TV, he’s carrying a coaxial cable. SDI is robust and has a locking bayonet connector.

The PA27USD also includes audio support in the form of a 3.5mm headphone jack and a pair of internal speakers, which play to a reasonable volume in the upper midrange frequencies.

On the bottom front of the panel is the integrated colorimeter. It swings up into place when activated by the OSD. Calibrations can be performed manually or scheduled for later. Also in the front is a row of buttons for quick access to input selection, picture presets and other functions. A joystick controls the OSD and it can be accessed from the Windows or Mac desktop using Asus’ DisplayWidget Center app.

OSD Features

The PA27USD has a comprehensive OSD that covers its multitude of capabilities. It’s divided into nine sub-menus. Calling it up takes two clicks of the joystick.

First up are the image presets, labeled to match industry standards. Native is the default, and it is the same as Display P3 but with a little extra color saturation. The other modes are nearly spot-on with their respective specifications, though I found slight gamma anomalies that I’ll tell you about later. SDR signals get seven modes, while HDR gets five, including HDR10, Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), and Dolby Vision support. There are also three user memories, which can be anything you like. You start with a target spec, then modify it in the OSD and run the calibration to save it.

The Palette field shows the parameters for each mode including the target brightness. You can adjust the white balance with a two-point RGB slider if you wish. You also get hue and saturation sliders for all six colors.

Remaining image controls are in the Image menu where you get sharpness (edge enhancement), aspect control, input range (black and white thresholds) and a blue light filter.

Calibration is super easy, you just pick a target, or all the modes if you want, make sure the PA27USD is warmed up for 30 minutes, then execute. Or you can schedule it for later when you’re not working.

The QuickFit menu is a staple for ProArt monitors and includes preset and custom markers to aid in camera composition and design tasks. You can also put up a center marker and rulers on the screen.

The input list shows that the SDI port is shared with HDMI 1, which means the total connections can be four at most. There are two Thunderbolt ports, and they are for daisy chaining multiple monitors.

The Settings menu is a catchall for everything else and includes the Dolby Vision and Uniform Brightness toggles. In the second screen of options is Light Sync which refers to the front-mounted sensors that can adjust brightness and color temperature to match changing ambient light conditions. You can adjust the sensitivity or turn the option off. Screen Saver is where you’ll find the panel care options, which include pixel orbiting, logo, and perimeter dimming. The KVM setup is also here and allows the binding of USB ports to specific video inputs.

Finally, two of the keys on the panel’s bezel can be programmed to different monitor functions.

Asus ProArt PA27USD Setup And Hands-on

The PA27USD arrives ready to go out of the box. All the presets are factory-calibrated before shipping. For my review, I set about measuring every mode to verify its accuracy. You can see all the results on page four. For HDR signals, you must choose a specific HDR standard. HDR10, PQ in Asus’ parlance, can be rendered with either P3 or BT.2020 color. If you want to work with HLG or Dolby Vision content, just choose that mode. I noted that for P3, you could choose between D65 and D63 color temps and 2.2 or 2.6 gamma. This corresponds to Display P3 and Cinema P3, respectively. Other SDR modes include sRGB, BT.709, Adobe RGB and BT.2020. Here is a rundown of the SDR modes and their default gamut, color temp and gamma settings.

The calibration procedure could not be easier. In the calibration menu, you simply choose a target and select execute. The meter flips up into place, and the patterns appear beneath it. It takes around five minutes per mode. I tried one run for Display P3 and found that it improved gamma tracking from the default. More on that later. You can also calibrate using Asus’ ProArt Calibration app. Any custom configurations you create are stored in one of the three Calibration memories.

The PA27USD includes a rigid light hood with light-absorbing felt on the inside. It installs easily by snapping it onto the bezel. I noted that the inside fittings used to hold it in place were not covered by felt and they reflected the image. I suspect that there will be users covering them with black tape.

For daily use, I chose the Native preset, which conforms to Display P3 but with a little extra color. The PA27USD covers 102% of DCI-P3 which is a nice bonus for things like web browsing and watching video for entertainment. I noted good sound quality from the internal speakers and easy access to the headphone jack and other inputs from the right side of the panel.

Interacting with the PA27USD’s menus is intuitive using the joystick and buttons but I would like to see a remote included with any pro monitor. There will inevitably be times when you’re not sitting directly in front of it, but you’ll want to control it, perhaps in a group setting in a location tent or a post-production studio.

Gaming had the same addictive quality I find with every fast OLED. My RTX 4090-equipped PC maintained around 220 fps, which is a must for the smoothest motion and lowest input lag. The image was gorgeous, too, and it was nice to finally experience a pro screen that is also a premium gaming display. My Nvidia LDAT tests revealed slightly more input lag than other 240 Hz OLEDs, but this did not affect gameplay in the slightest. Every turn and slide was instant and precise. Moving backgrounds stayed clear while moving objects retained their detail at the fastest speeds. If I had to complain, I’d say include a frame counter, but honestly, that’s a tiny nit at best.

When you look at HDR on a screen this good, it takes on a very different feel. The depth and realism are incredible thanks to spot-on tone-mapping and color tracking. Though the PA27USD isn’t a BT.2020 monitor, it was beautifully saturated for all types of content from rendered games to video from YouTube, Apple TV or 4K Blu-ray.

A monitor like this is certainly overkill for anything but content creation. But it looks so good, I’d gladly make it my everyday screen.

Takeaway: The PA27USD is the most capable and versatile professional monitor I’ve reviewed to date. It covers every color standard currently in use plus every form of HDR signal except HDR10+. The image is bright, clear and colorful in every scenario with excellent out-of-the-box accuracy. It also games well thanks to a 240 Hz refresh rate and Adaptive-Sync. I also loved the side input panel and the inclusion of SDI support. And with two quality stands in the box, you have more installation options.

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Normally, I wouldn’t say much about a professional monitor’s speed and response because most of them top out at 60 Hz and don’t include Adaptive-Sync. The PA27USD has the latter and a 240 Hz refresh rate to go with it. It games just fine, extremely well in fact.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

· Response Time Full black to white transition – 0.24ms

· Absolute Input Lag Full black to white transition – 20.4ms

The PA27USD has panel response typical of the 240 Hz OLEDs I’ve tested. They all transition from black to white (one-inch square) in 0.12-0.24ms, a minute difference. This means motion resolution is visually perfect, moving objects render with the same clarity as stationary ones.

In the lag test, the PA27USD proved a tad slower than other 240 Hz Ultra OLEDs, but only by a few milliseconds. The closest competitor here is Dough’s Spectrum Black, which measured 20ms. The current speed king amongst 240 Hz 4K OLEDs is Asus’ XG32UCWMG, which scored 14ms in my test.

Test Takeaway: The PA27USD is by far the most game-worthy professional display I’ve tested. It isn’t super speedy, but it is more than speedy enough for skilled gamers. It has the same perfect motion resolution as any OLED gaming monitor running at 240 Hz or higher.

Viewing Angles

I’ve noted that Quantum Dot OLEDs show a slight green tint in the 45-degree horizontal photo. The QD layer creates a slight polarization. The PA27USD maintains consistent gamma and brightness though. From the top, light drops by around 10% and there is a loss of gamma which washes the image out a bit.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

· Screen Uniformity Deviation From Center 0% Black Field – 6.62%

I have yet to find an OLED with a non-uniform screen. The PA27USD is about average with its 6.62% deviation from the center zone. There are no visible issues in any field pattern of any brightness level or color. This is excellent performance.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Maximum Backlight Level

· Maximum White Luminance Native Mode – 446.755 nits

· Maximum Black Luminance Native Mode – Unmeasurable

· Maximum Contrast Ratio Native Mode – Unmeasurable

· ANSI Contrast Native Mode, Uniform Brightness off – Unmeasurable

· ANSI Contrast Native Mode, Uniform Brightness on – Unmeasurable

The PA27USD is certified for VESA DisplayHDR 400, and it delivers that same brightness for SDR content. Since it has the option for variable brightness, I measured a 25% window pattern to get 446 nits peak. Smaller windows would measure brighter. A full field pattern measured 301 nits. When uniform brightness is turned on, the brightness value in the OSD closely matches the actual light output. In other words, if you want 200 nits, set the slider to 200 nits. In all tests, the black level and contrast ratio cannot be measured by currently available methods.

Test Takeaway: The PA27USD delivers the same brightness and contrast performance as a typical Quantum Dot OLED display. It offers variable brightness which takes peak highlight values over 400 nits. Uniform Brightness delivers around 300 nits peak. The picture is stunning to look at thanks to deep contrast that is unmatched by any other display technology.

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The PA27USD is very easy to configure when creating content. Just pick the color standard you want from the list of presets. It’s calibrated at the factory before shipment and if you want to verify or modify any mode, that’s easy to do with the integrated calibrator.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

Above are the grayscale and gamma charts for the PA27USD’s default Native preset and all other SDR modes. Grayscale tracking is very consistent from mode to mode with no visible errors anywhere. However, gamma isn’t quite as solid as I expected. It’s a tad light in general with some variation in the 80-90% brightness steps. These errors aren’t huge, but given the precision I saw in the color tests, there is room for improvement. Luckily, it took me just five minutes to improve one mode. I got the gamma for Display P3 in line with the reference at every point except 10%, which was still a tad light.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The color gamut charts are the definition of professional. This is what one expects from a reference display. All measured points are on target in every mode except for BT.2020 and Adobe RGB. 2020 is an easy one because the PA27USD isn’t a 2020 monitor. It tops out at 102% of DCI-P3. But it hits every point it is capable of. Adobe RGB is also a bit short in green, which is also typical of Quantum Dot screens. A true Adobe RGB monitor is rare these days, thanks to the advent of LED backlights. In the past, Adobe monitors had a special CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent) backlight, which gave the extra green required to meet the Adobe RGB spec. Modern-day LEDs and OLEDs can’t quite get there. But again, the PA27USD hits every target it can.

Grayscale, Gamma and Color Gamut Test Summary

Below is a table with all the measured results for grayscale tracking, gamma range and average, gamut accuracy and gamut volume. I tested the seven SDR modes that cover all signal formats currently used for video and game production

Test Takeaway: The PA27USD is extremely color accurate out of the box. Gamma was a little off the mark in all preses but could be corrected with the built-in calibrator in around five minutes per mode. I noted that P3 could be configured with either D63/2.6 cinema or D65/2.2 display settings. Gamut volume is nearly 100% for each mode except BT.2020 and Adobe RGB. The most colorful mode for non-critical use is Native with 102% coverage of DCI-P3.

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The PA27USD supports every HDR standard currently in use except for HDR10+. That includes HDR10 (PQ), Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) and Dolby Vision. It’s certified for VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400.

Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

· HDR White Luminance – 452.1932 nits

· HDR Black Level – Unmeasurable

· HDR Sequential Contrast – Unmeasurable

The VESA DisplayHDR standards use a 25% window pattern to set their parameters and the PA27USD easily surpasses 400 nits with a score of 452 in my test. Smaller windows are claimed at 1,000 nits and I have no reason to doubt this. Black levels and contrast are immeasurable.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

The PA27USD offers multiple EOTF options, including PQ Optimized, Clip or Basic. I found that Clip came closest to the reference when measured white and black levels are taken into account. This flexibility lets you master HDR for displays with less accurate tone-mapping. As expected, grayscale tracking is visually perfect. All the HDR modes can be calibrated with the built-in meter or outboard software just like SDR.

For the color test, I had the choice of P3 or BT.2020 gamuts. 2020 came the closest to all saturation targets for both P3 and 2020 references. The 2020 saturations remained linear so points over 50% appear undersaturated. This is a minor error. I also noted slight hue errors in magenta. All of these are easily corrected using whichever calibration method you choose. The BT.2020 chart tops out at 90% red, 75% green and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The PA27USD is very color accurate in all its HDR modes and can be calibrated to a high standard using the same methods as the SDR presets. It is a P3 monitor so it won’t fully cover BT.2020. You get three different EOTF options for HDR10, which is handy for content creation. It has a brightness similar to other 4K OLEDs I’ve tested, with effective variable brightness that pushes peak highlights up to 1,000 nits.

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I have reviewed many capable professional monitors that meet color standards and offer the flexibility necessary for all types of content creation. But I haven’t experienced one until now that could game well. A few have tried, but only the Asus ProArt PA27USD can truly call itself a high-performance gaming monitor. With 240 Hz and Adaptive-Sync, it stands head and shoulders above the competition.

As a professional content creation display, it excels. It delivers every color standard necessary for video, movie and game authoring. The built-in calibrator keeps it accurate with just five minutes needed to adjust and verify one preset. It also integrates with third-party solutions like Calman and ColourSpace so you can use it with the systems and hardware you already have. And with every possible video input, including SDI, you can connect to computers, distribution hubs, cameras and even gaming consoles.

The hardware is professional grade as well. You get two rugged stands in the box plus a large grab handle in the back and useful cable management with rubber and plastic looms. There’s a nice light hood too that installs and removes easily. I also loved the side inputs, making cable swaps super easy.

The best part here is that you get a tremendously capable and flexible display for $2,100. That sounds like a lot for a 27-inch OLED, but in the pro world, it’s a bargain. And the PA27USD has more features and abilities than any other pro monitor I’ve reviewed. If you’re looking for a do-it-all display for content creation, gaming, entertainment or workday tasks, and you have the budget, you should definitely check it out.

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Everyone is talking about next-gen OLED monitors at Computex, but there's a high-end LCD panel slowly creeping up with insane specs. MSI and Gigabyte have announced new 27" Mini-LED monitors featuring a native 5K resolution, enabling retina-level pixel density across 2,304 dimming zones that are further enhanced by a glossy coating. With dual- and even multi-mode support, along with a range of other features, these new monitors can genuinely rival OLEDs for certain use cases.

Both monitors use the same panel underneath (made by BOE), so they share identical specs for the most part. LG has already released its own model featuring this panel, but it has a matte coating instead. Glossy coatings are generally preferred for punchier colors and deeper blacks, and they can particularly help sell the illusion of pixel-level control with Mini-LED technology. But since Mini-LED monitors use IPS or VA panels, they've been almost exclusively matte... until now.

Let's start with MSI's offering, which is called the "MPG 271KRAW18." It uses a 27" Rapid IPS panel with a native resolution of 5,120 x 2,880, which comes out to 218 PPI and would be classified as "Retina" according to Apple. That means you won't be able to discern its individual pixels at regular viewing distances. At 5K, the monitor has a native refresh rate of 180 Hz that can be doubled to 330 Hz at 1440p, thanks to dual-mode support.

The Mini-LED backlight here consists of 2,304 dimming zones, up from 1,152 zone count limit we've seen for a long time. That allows for a DisplayHDR 1400 certification, meaning this monitor has a peak brightness of 1,400 nits. There's a quantum-dot layer in the LCD stack as well, which enables 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and an average Delta-E of less than 2, so it's ready for even professional work.

For connectivity, you get a full-fat UHBR20 DisplayPort 2.1 port for up to 80 Gbps of bandwidth. There's also 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB Type-C (with DP Alt Mode and 98W power delivery), 2x USB Type-A, 1x USB Type-B and a 3.5mm audio jack. The monitor has a bunch of AI features and support for Nvidia G-Sync. There's no pricing but MSI says the MPG 271KRAW18 will come out next year in January.

Moving on to the Gigabyte model, it's called the "Aorus FM275K16P" and it has the same base features and specs. The main difference lies in its unique multi-mode support. Unlike the MSI that can only switch between 5K and 1440p, the Gigabyte model has a third mode. By default, it's 165 Hz at 5K, but it can be overclocked to 180 Hz, then you can switch to 330 Hz at 1440p, or 220 Hz at 4K.

The HDR certification is also different; Gigabyte only advertises DisplayHDR 1000 but says the monitor can hit 1,250 nits of peak brightness. Lastly, the connectivity gets a boost because the HDMI 2.1 port also features eARC, which is incredibly rare on monitors. But the power delivery on the USB-C port drops to just 15W. Apart from that, we get the same 2,304 dimming zones and a glossy coating.

Each of those zones is made up of 4 LEDs, which means there are almost 10,000 LEDs behind the IPS panel. And they're really right behind it because the BOE panel has "0-OD" or zero optical distance, meaning there's no physical gap between the backlight and the panel itself. This helps with dimming, reducing blooming and halos while maintaining proper blacks that aren't crushed by an aggressive dimming algorithm.

Gigabyte has both a price and a release window for this monitor. The Aorus FM275K16P is supposed to launch sometime in Q4 2026 and will cost $999. That's around $200 cheaper than LG's equivalent, but still in 4K OLED territory. Current 4K-class Mini-LED monitors retail for around $500, but since these 5K models bring so many improvements together, it makes sense why they'd be expensive initially.

Lastly, it's important to mention that the Gigabyte model comes with a built-in upscaling chip that handles 4K to 5K upscaling on the hardware level, similar to LG. MSI has not spoken of dedicated silicon, but it does have AI-based upscaling features that work at the software level. We'll have to wait and see how either implementation fares in person, but for now, these monitors look like a robust overall package.

We’ve seen numerous announcements from major players in the gaming monitor space over the past few days, including Alienware, Asus, and Gigabyte. Not to be left out, Samsung also has five new gaming monitors in 27-inch and 32-inch screen sizes across the Odyssey G8, OLED G8, and Odyssey OLED G7 product families.

The Odyssey G8 is available in 27-inch (G80HF) and 32-inch (G80HS) sizes, both featuring IPS panels. The 27-inch model features a 5K resolution (5120 x 2880), which results in 218 pixels per inch (PPI). The monitor supports dual-mode operation, so at native resolution it maxes out at 180 Hz. At 2560 x 1440 resolution, the maximum refresh rate jumps to 360 Hz.

The 32-inch model bumps the resolution to 6K (6,144 x 3,456) and 224 PPI. This monitor also supports dual-mode operation, with a 165 Hz refresh rate at 6K, and a 330 Hz refresh rate at 3K (3,072 x 1,728).

Both monitors have a typical brightness of 350 nits (400 nits peak), support G-Sync and FreeSync, and include two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 2.1 port.

There are also two new additions to the Odyssey OLED G8 family, the 27-inch and 32-inch G80SH, which feature QD-OLED panels. Specs-wise, the monitors primarily differ in screen size and brightness (while both peak at 1,000 nits, the 27-inch model has a typical brightness of 250 nits versus 300 nits for the 32-incher).

With that said, both offer a 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160), a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz, and a 0.03 ms response time. AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is supported, although there is no mention of Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. You'll find two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 2.1 port, and a USB-C port (96-watt Power Delivery) for your video needs.

Finally, there's the Odyssey OLED G7 (G73SH), which is a dual-mode 32-inch OLED panel. It's another 3,840 x 2,160 panel, this time with dual-mode capabilities: it operates at 165 Hz at 4K and 330 Hz at 1080p. The monitor boasts a 1,500,000:1 aspect ratio, 275-nit typical brightness, and 1,300-nit peak brightness (1.5 percent window). The Odyssey OLED G7 has one HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4 port.

The 27-inch and 32-inch Odyssey G8 are priced at $949.99 and $1,599.99, respectively. The 27-inch and 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 come in at $1,099.99 and $1,299.99, respectively, while the Odyssey OLED G7 costs $1,099.99. Samsung is also currently offering up to a $300 E-Certificate when purchasing these monitors from its online store.

Gigabyte has unveiled a new line of Aorus Elite gaming monitors for Computex 2026, ranging from 27 to 32 inches. Three of the monitors feature fourth-generation Tandem WOLED technology, which helps to boost color and brightness output, while one includes a Mini LED backlighting.

There are actually two 32-inch models that were introduced: the FO32U24GP and the FO32U24G. The FO32U24GP features a dual-mode 4K panel with a native refresh rate of 240 Hz. However, when you flip the switch to 1080p resolution, the maximum refresh rate doubles to 480 Hz. You get a 0.03 ms response time, 99.5 percent coverage of DCI-P3, and 1,500 nits peak brightness.

For ports, you'll find DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20) and HDMI 2.1 (eARC supported) connectivity. In addition, the FO32U24GP supports Gigabyte's Tactical Features, including the Tactical Crosshair, which dynamically changes color from green to red depending on the background. And given that this is an OLED monitor, Gigabyte includes a comprehensive suite of tools to increase panel longevity, including adaptive light control and burn-in protection mitigation.

As for the FO32U24G, it is the cost-optimized version of the FO32U24GP and lacks UHBR20 support, which enables 80 Gbps connectivity exclusive to Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards. This appears to be the only difference between the monitors that we can identify.

The FO27Q28G is in the same family, but as its name implies, features a smaller 27-inch panel. You'll get the same DCI-P3 coverage, response time, and maximum brightness rating as its 32-inch siblings. However, you lose dual-mode functionality and are instead presented with a 2560 x 1440 panel at a 280 Hz refresh rate.

The final piece to the puzzle is the FM275K16P, which is among a growing number of multi-mode monitors. While we are all familiar with dual-mode monitors, such as the aforementioned FO32U24GP and FO32U24G, tri-mode monitors offer even greater flexibility in resolution and refresh rates. The FM275K16P supports a 165 Hz refresh rate (180 Hz overclocked) at its native 5K resolution, 220 Hz at 4K, and 330 Hz at QHD.

The FM275K16P features Mini LED backlighting with 2,304 local dimming zones and peak HDR brightness of 1,250 nits. It also boasts 99.5 percent DCI-P3 coverage, HDMI 2.1 with eARC, and full-featured DisplayPort 2.1 ports that are UHBR20-compliant.

Gigabyte hasn't announced pricing or availability for this new crop of Aorus Elite gaming monitors.

The Asus ROG gaming monitor family is expanding greatly today with four new entries, including a new OLED esports monitor capable of 540 Hz at 1080p. Not surprisingly, given the overall direction the gaming monitor segment seems to be pivoting toward, three of the four use OLED panels.

The ROG Swift OLED PG32UCWM features a 32-inch panel using LG’s RGB Stripe OLED technology. The panel features two light-emitting layers combined with an RGB stripe subpixel arrangement, resulting in sharper text (which is a sticking point for some with popular QD-OLED monitors). You’ll also be on the receiving end of up to a 27 percent boost in color volume, while a gloss finish for the display should help those colors look even more vibrant.

The PG32UCWM has a native 4K resolution with a 240 Hz refresh rate, but it’s also dual-mode capable, allowing it to operate at 1080p resolution with a maximum refresh rate of 480 Hz. On the connectivity front, you’re covered with DisplayPort 2.1a UHBR20 and HDMI 2.1 ports. You’ll also find USB-C connectivity with 90W PD.

Style-wise, the PG32UCWM has a stealth black finish with RGB lighting along the upright and base. There also appears to be an RGB display on the back that displays the ROG logo. Asus also employs a GAN in the monitor’s power supply to improve power efficiency and reduce heat.

For the eSports fanatics in the house, Asus presents the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace. While this segment is currently dominated by TN and IPS panels promising 500+ Hz refresh rates, Asus is looking to give gamers unparalleled color performance to go with those blistering speeds. The XG259QWPG Ace addresses this market with a Tandem OLED panel, making it what Asus calls the “world’s first OLED esports monitor.”

It features a 24.5-inch 1080p display with a maximum refresh rate of 540 Hz and a 0.02 ms response time. It delivers those specs with the color performance and accuracy that TN panels could only dream of achieving (99.5% DCI-P3, 10-bit color, VESA DisplayHDR 600 True Black). And since Asus is targeting eSports players first and foremost, the XG259QWPG Ace even includes a QuickOSD, giving you instant access to frequently adjusted monitor settings without opening the full OSD.

The final two gaming-centric monitors announced today are the ROG Strix OLED XG32UQWMS and the ROG Strix 5K XG27JCEG. The XG32UQWMS is another 32-inch dual-mode that can operate at 240 Hz at 4K resolution and 480 Hz at 1080p. It features a Tandem WOLED panel with 99.5 percent DCI-P3 coverage and 1,500-nit peak brightness.

Finally, the XG27JCEG features a 27-inch “Fast IPS” panel that boasts a 5K (5120 x 2880) resolution. However, this is a dual-mode monitor operating at 75 Hz at native resolution (80 Hz with overclock) or 300 Hz at 2560 x 1440 (320 Hz with overclock). The XG27JCEG features one HDMI 2.1 port, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt mode support, along with 15W PD. It also includes built-in KVM functionality.

Acer’s latest portable monitor looks to occupy a few niches – and at first glance, it might be a few too many. At a wide-but-narrow 1920 x 720 resolution, the PM131QT supports 5-point touch, a pogo pin keyboard (which Acer didn’t have on hand), and the company says it can be mounted with magnets, and is designed for “secondary and in-vehicle use.” It might be a good screen for media and map controls while on the go, and chats or data display at home under your main screen.

It’s early days here at Computex 2026, but the PM131QT is the most interesting portable monitor I’ve seen so far, in part because of its odd collection of features. Its squat form factor and kickstand make it well-suited to living under a primary desktop monitor for things like chats or at-a-glance data displays. And curiously, Acer has put pogo pins on the bottom for a keyboard, which might make it useful for plugging into a smartphone for some productivity work. But Acer didn’t have the keyboard available at the show.

It also has a headphone jack on top, along with control buttons, and two USB-C ports alongside what looks like Mini-HDMI on the back in a recessed area. There’s a nice metal kickstand for desk use, but Acer says it can snap onto things magnetically, as well. This puts it in direct competition with Corsair’s Xeneon Edge, which is a little larger, at 14.5 inches, and sports a 2560 x 720 resolution, but also costs more, at $249. Acer says the PM131QT will sell for $179 in the U.S., starting in Q4 of 2026.

Curiously, Acer also markets the monitor as a car display – likely for controlling things like Android Auto in vehicles that don’t already have screens (or at least screens where you want them). While the keyboard, kickstand, pogo pins, and car marketing make the PM131QT feel a bit like Acer doesn’t quite know what it’s for, its size and relative affordability make me curious about all the ways I could use it. I’d also love to see other accessories that use the pogo pins.

While the advertised 300 nits of brightness and 75% of the NTSC color gamut don’t sound amazing, this screen isn’t for editing photos or watching movies – it actually looked quite good in person. Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to test the PM131QT before it officially arrives late this year.

Dell has been at the top of its game when it comes to gaming monitors for years, and the Alienware brand has delivered pivotal technological advances, ranking among the first to embrace 500 Hz refresh-rate panels and QD-OLED technology. Dell is now claiming another “first” with its 39-inch Alienware AW3926QW, along with a fresh 34-inch QD-OLED SKU and two QHD/WQHD VA entries. All four new monitors use the same Alienware 30 design language, with AlienFX lighting, 360-degree ventilation, and streamlined cable management.

Alienware’s two new OLED gaming monitors

The Alienware AW3926QW is the largest monitor announced today and is billed as the world’s first 39-inch monitor to use an RGB Stripe Tandem OLED arrangement with 5K resolution. Dell is using an LG-sourced panel with a 4-stack light source consisting of two blue elements along with red and green elements. The stacked emissive layers reside behind an RGB-stripe subpixel layout.

Because of this particular architecture, we’re expected to see further improvements in color volume and brightness, as well as in text clarity, over legacy WOLED panels.

Using LG’s tech as the foundation, the AW3926QW features a 5120 x 2160 resolution with a native refresh rate of 165 Hz. However, since the AW3926QW is a dual-resolution monitor, dropping the resolution to 2560 x 1080 boosts the maximum refresh rate to 330 Hz. Dell boasts a 1.75 million:1 contrast ratio, aided by a polarizer layer that blocks ambient light and reduces reflections. As you might expect, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync are supported, and you’ll get a 0.03 ms GtG response time with 99 percent coverage of DCI-P3.

The monitor also supports various eSports display modes, allowing you to use just a portion of the display in predefined screen sizes. For example, you can simulate a 24.5-inch monitor with a 1520 x 855 resolution with a 330 Hz refresh rate or a 27-inch monitor with a 1680 x 945 resolution and a 330 Hz refresh rate. You can also configure the AW3926QW to work as a 31.5-inch monitor with a 4K resolution at 165 Hz. In each of these eSports configurations, the unused portion of the screen will remain black.

Additional features include an enhanced “personalized algorithm” that uses machine learning to predict your usage patterns and intelligently optimize panel brightness to extend panel longevity.

On the connectivity front, the AW3926QW includes two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 2.1 port, and a USB-C port (DisplayPort 2.1 Alt Mode with 90W PD) for video. There’s also a USB hub with two downstream USB-A 5 Gbps ports and one USB-C 5 Gbps port.

The next new monitor on the docket is the AW3426DW, which uses a QD-OLED panel with 5-stack “Penta Tandem” technology (the blue-emitting stack has increased from 4 to 5 layers). The Samsung-based tech is said to have a 1.3x uplift in luminous efficiency and a 2x improvement in panel longevity. A V-Stripe RGB subpixel arrangement is employed to deliver clearer, sharper text without the fringing that is common on traditional QD-OLED panels.

The end result is a 34-inch panel with a 3440 x 1400 resolution, a 1800R curve, and a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits (300 nits typical). You get a native refresh rate of 280 Hz, which is available over HDMI and DisplayPort connections. VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 and Dolby Vision are supported, along with FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync.

The AW3426DW features two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port for video. You’ll also find a USB hub with USB-A 5 Gbps and USB-C 5 Gbps ports (the latter of which supports 15W charging).

Alienware hasn’t forgotten about mainstream gamers with its new Alienware 32 and 34

There are also two monitors aimed at the mainstream gaming market: the AW3226DM and AW3426DWM. Both feature 1500R curved VA panels with a 240 Hz refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR 400 support, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, and 1ms GtG response times.

The two monitors primarily differ in their screen size and resolution. The AW3226DM features a 32-inch panel with a 2560 x 1440 (16:9) resolution, while the AW3426DWM has a 34-inch panel with a 3440 x 1440 (21:9) resolution.

Both monitors have two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, along with downstream USB-A 5 Gbps and USB-C 5 Gbps ports.

At this time, Dell has not announced pricing for the AW3926QW or the AW3426DW, but the former will launch this fall, while the latter will be available in July. The AW3226DM and AW3426DWM debut in July, priced at $299.99 and $399.99, respectively.

MSI just unveiled a beast of a monitor ahead of Computex 2026, with truly flagship specs in every way — plus a few world firsts. The new MPG OLED 322URDX36 is a 32-inch 4K 360 Hz QD-OLED monitor powered by Samsung's latest dual-mode Penta Tandem QD-OLED panel that MSI has somehow turned into a triple-mode monster, allowing the monitor to ramp up to a whopping 680 Hz at 1080p.

First, let's talk about the underlying panel, since that was also recently unveiled by Samsung. We're looking at a 32-inch 4K 360 Hz screen with native dual-mode support — a first for QD-OLED monitors — so it can downclock to 1080p resolution at 680 Hz. This is lower than the 720 Hz some WOLED panels offer — but that's at a measly 720p resolution, which makes Samsung's offering better overall.

A few months ago, Samsung Display unveiled its 5th Gen QD-OLED panels featuring the Penta Tandem tech, referring to a five-layer OLED stack that improves brightness. A month before that, at CES 2026, the company also showed off its first-ever V-stripe QD-OLED panel that shifted away from a triangular subpixel layout to a more conventional RGB-stripe config. This new panel combines both of those together.

Not only that, but this seems to be the first panel in the world to achieve a VESA DisplayHDR 600 True Black certification. We haven't seen any OLED monitor go past True Black 500; in fact, Samsung's Penta Tandem technology was unveiled with a TB500 rating. A True Black 600-tier monitor represents 600 nits of peak brightness across a 10% window and 350 nits of brightness across the full screen.

Now that you understand just how impressive this panel is, onto the monitor itself. Between 4K 360 Hz and 1080p 680 Hz, the MPG OLED 322URDX36 adds a third 1440p 520 Hz option. Switching from 4K to 1080p can often feel jarring, so a 1440p middle ground is a great addition, especially when it's still boosting the refresh rate significantly.

To be clear, it's not "2K" as the marketing material emphasizes — it's more like 2.6K (2560x1440) since FHD (1920x1080) technically rounds up to 2K. Regardless, most monitors have stuck to a 1080p dual mode so far — including the native version of this very panel — because 4K scales perfectly to 1080p. Through integer scaling, two pixels combine to simply become a single pixel, and you achieve a lower resolution.

The same math doesn't work with 1440p because you'd have to combine 1.5 pixels into one, which is simply not possible and requires interpolation. Simulating 1440p across a 4K panel will, therefore, result in a blurry mess that looks way worse than a native 1440p panel. Keep in mind, we're talking about a 32" screen here, so pixel density is also a factor. Interpolated 1440p at 32 inches might even look worse than 1080p.

That said, MSI's implementation likely uses a hardware scaler where 1440p is being spatially interpolated at the silicon level. The true RGB stripe subpixel layout also helps here. But that's just a guess and we'll have to wait for reviews to see how the company manages to address this logical fallacy. It's still impressive as hell, though.

The MPG OLED 322URDX36 has a full-fat DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20 interface allowing for up to 80 Gbps of throughput. Thanks to the Penta Tandem panel, the monitor has a "DarkArmor" film that reduces black level raise and provides 40% deeper blacks. The surface hardness is also improved from 2H to 3H, making the monitor 2.5 times more scratch resistant. If you've owned a QD-OLED monitor before, you'll understand how much of a relief that is.

The HDR specs are also impressive. Beyond the True Black 600 rating, the MPG OLED 322URDX36 can achieve up to 1,500 nits of peak brightness in small windows, matching LG's Tandem OLED panels. There's also a feature called "Uniform Luminance" that will address the ABL (automatic brightness limiter) that most QD-OLED monitors come with. Apparently, you can customize the ABL curve yourself in the OSD.

There are other niceties such as a USB-C port with 98W power delivery, all the OLED care features, and the typical 3-year burn-in warranty that we've come to expect from high-end OLEDs. We're not going to mention the AI features but, of course, there's a "Gaming Intelligence" app and an "AI Care Sensor" that seems like a proximity sensor that'll turn off the display when it detects you've walked away. More details and pricing should be revealed soon on the show floor at Computex 2026.

Another Computex means that Acer is back with new gaming monitors. This year, the company is launching five new screens, spread across its Predator and Nitro product families. There’s a little bit for everyone, including a 27-inch 3D Predator monitor and a 27-inch QHD IPS monitor with up to a sizzling 1,000 Hz refresh rate.

Acer Nitro Gaming Monitors: 5K resolutions and 1,000 Hz refresh rates

Acer is launching three new Nitro monitors at Computex: the Nitro XV345CKR P ($899), Nitro XV320QX ($1,099), and the Acer Nitro XV273U F5 ($699). The Nitro XV345CKR P is a headturner with its 34-inch 5K (5120 x 2160) display. The monitor uses a VA panel that’s augmented by a Mini LED backlight with an impressive 1,344 dimming zones. VA panels already excel in contrast ratio compared to IPS panels, but local dimming should further enhance this advantage (the monitor is speced at 4,000:1 native).

The Nitro XV345CKR P has a native refresh rate of 180 Hz (over DisplayPort, HDMI, or USB-C), but dropping the resolution to 2560 x 1080 doubles that metric to 360 Hz. The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, while native brightness is pegged at 500 nits (1,000 nits peak HDR). When it comes to video ports, you’ll find two HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB-C (65-watt PD).

If you need a more vertical resolution (at the expense of sheer panel size), there’s the Nitro XV320QX. This is a 31.5-inch monitor with a 5120 x 2880 resolution that Acer is aiming at gamers and content creators. The IPS panel has a 165 Hz refresh rate at native resolution, but with Dynamic Frequency and Resolution (DFR) enabled, the maximum refresh rate doubles to 330 Hz at 2560 x 1440. The Nitro XV320QX supports AMD FreeSync Premium, has a typical brightness of 350 nits, and covers 95 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. As for ports, the monitor includes two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 2.1.

Finally, from the Nitro monitor family, we have the Nitro XV273U F5, which is designed for serious eSports gamers. The monitor features a 27-inch IPS panel with a QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution. The monitor already has an impressive 540 Hz native refresh rate at QHD resolution, which ranks it among the best gaming monitors on the market. However, drop the resolution to 1280 x 720 with DFR and the refresh rate maxes out at 1,000 Hz. Of course, you’ll need some beefy hardware to push those insane frame rates, but it’s an impressive feat if you’re willing to put up with a resolution that was popular back in the early 2000s.

Acer Predator Monitors: Embracing 3D and OLED panels

Now, we switch gears to Acer’s Predator family, which includes the Predator XB273K 3D ($1,299) and Predator X34 F1 ($1,099). In what reminds me of a scene from Mean Girls, Acer is still trying to make 3D happen, despite a somewhat lukewarm reception by the enthusiast community.

We’ve reviewed the Predator SpatialLabs View 27 PSV27-2, which provides glasses-free 3D imagery at 4K resolution and a 160 Hz refresh rate. The Predator XB273K also provides a glass-free 3D experience at the same 4K resolution, but the maximum refresh rate is bumped slightly to 180 Hz. Acer uses 3D eye-tracking to power the 3D viewing experience and local AI to convert standard 2D content into more immersive 3D imagery.

[GALLERY]

Acer Predator XB273K

Acer Predator X34 F1

The Predator XB273K uses an IPS panel with 400-nit typical brightness, a 1 ms response time, and 95 percent DCI-P3 coverage rating. You’ll also find FreeSync Premium and G-Sync compatibility along with two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a USB hub.

Finally, there’s the Predator X34 F1, which, surprisingly, is the only OLED monitor announced today by Acer. The Predator X34 F1 uses a 34-inch QD-OLED panel with a 1800R curve and a 3440 x 1440 resolution. Specs-wise, the monitor features a 330 Hz refresh rate, 0.03 ms response time (gray-to-gray), is VESA DisplayHDR 400-compliant (1,300 nits peak), and supports FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync. The Predator X34 F1 features two HDMI 2.1 ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, a USB-C port, and a USB hub.

All of the Nitro and Predator monitors are launching in Q2 2026.

Samsung Display is pushing the envelope in high-resolution, high-refresh rate displays with the announcement of its 360 Hz 4K QD-OLED panel. The company says that it will launch the new screen at Computex 2026, which is said to be the first one to go beyond 240 Hz while running at a native 4K resolution. We’ve already seen monitors that can go beyond 1,000 Hz, but these are often limited to 1080p or even lower resolutions. The new display achieved a higher refresh rate through optimized panel circuitry and driving systems, which must handle an increased amount of data compared to older, slower displays.

Aside from achieving 360 Hz at 4K, the Samsung panel also comes with other technical improvements. This includes Dual Mode, which allows competitive gamers to go up to 680 Hz at a reduced 1080p resolution. It also comes with VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification, meaning the display can hit 600 nits of brightness while keeping black levels at 0.0005 nits or lower, giving users excellent contrast while ensuring that they can still see the QD-OLED screen even in bright situations. Samsung says its engineers also revamped the display’s pixel structure, using a V-stripe pattern for sharper text rendering.

All these features should make it an excellent all-around panel for both professionals and gamers, ensuring that users get a sharp, crisp image while giving them deep blacks and a bright screen. “Many customers have described the new 31.5-inch 4K 360Hz product as a near-perfect monitor that delivers everything consumers expect from a premium monitor, including ultra-high resolution, an ultra-high refresh rate, high brightness, and enhanced readability,” Samsung Display Vice President Brad Jung claimed. He also added, “Building on the fundamental image quality advantages of QD-OLED and our continuous research and development efforts, Samsung Display will continue to introduce innovative products that exceed market expectations.”

The company says that it’s already in talks with 10 manufacturers to supply this particular panel. If all goes well, we expect to see new monitors equipped with this panel appear in the market in the next 12 months, especially as Samsung plans to mass-produce the display in the latter half of 2026. We’re excited to test monitors with this technology once they hit the market, but until then, you can check out the best 4K gaming monitors if you need a new screen right now.

If popularity and availability are any indication, the 27-inch 16:9 flat panel is the most desirable size for a desktop monitor. But I can’t imagine anyone would say no to a 32-inch display. The footprint isn’t much bigger, but the screen covers much more of the user’s peripheral vision, affords easy side-by-side document editing, and is a great size for a personal TV in an office or small media room.

When OLED enters the conversation, price is always a consideration, especially when we’re talking about the best 4K gaming monitors. You’ll pay around $200 more for a 32-inch 4K panel than a 27-inch one. If that’s doable for you, I recommend checking out MSI’s new MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24. It’s a 32-inch 4K Tandem OLED with Quantum Dot color, 4K resolution, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, DisplayHDR 400 True Black, and accurate out-of-box color. Let’s take a look.

MSI MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24 Specs

Tandem OLED is a relative newcomer to the market, and it features OLED emitters arrayed in layers. There are four layers in the MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24, hereafter known as the MPG 322UR X24. This approach reduces overall power consumption, and it means that each layer can be driven more conservatively, which reduces heat and the risk of burn-in.

MSI further enhances the image with a screen coating called Dark Armor Film. It reflects ambient light neutrally, eliminating the purple tint seen on some QD-OLEDs. It also increases hardness and, therefore, scratch resistance. Black levels have a bit more impact, too.

The MPG 322UR X24 ships with a calibration data sheet, as with many monitors, and my sample measured nearly perfectly out of the box. You don’t need to tweak it, but if you wish, there are gamma presets, color temps, and color management settings available. The gamut is larger than DCI-P3, like most QD-OLEDs, and this one covers just over 107% of that space. There are pro modes too that provide reference to sRGB, Adobe, and DCI-P3.

For perfectly smooth gaming, there’s a 240 Hz refresh rate, which would be enough on its own, but MSI adds black frame insertion (MPRT), which helps keep the action clear at low frame rates. There’s Adaptive-Sync too, with support for Nvidia and AMD hardware. AI-labeled options include dynamic aiming points, sniper modes, screen protection, and brightness modulation. You can control everything from a desktop app called Gaming Intelligence if you’d rather not reach for the handy OSD joystick. Other AI bits include automatic brightening of shadow areas, color shift, and customizable game profiles.

The MPG 322UR X24 doesn’t have internal speakers, but it does include USB ports with a KVM function. Video inputs are all maximum bandwidth, two HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort 2.1, along with USB-C that has 98 watts of power. A 3.5mm headphone jack provides personal audio. LED lighting shows up in a small graphical bar on the panel’s backside.

The MPG 322UR X24 is an impressive package with all the features a gamer could want, solid build quality, and a gorgeous image. It’s $869 at this writing, which is about average for a premium 32-inch UHD OLED.

Assembly and Accessories

MSI has gone with all-recyclable packaging for the MPG 322UR X24, which is secured in molded pulp forms. The base, upright and panel assemble without tools into a solid package that feels substantial and rugged. Bundled cables come in a zippered pouch and include high quality HDMI, DisplayPort and two USBs. IEC feeds the internal power supply, and you get a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Product 360

The MPG 322UR X24 has a relatively shallow profile, though it is completely steady on a very substantial stand with a heavy base. The panel is just a shade over three millimeters thick at the top and backed with a metal plate. The component bulge takes total depth to 2.8 inches, which is about average for a 32-inch OLED. The bulge has plenty of ventilation and heat was never an issue for me. A small LED graphic sits at the top with an MSI logo flanked by a fading pattern. The lighting can be tweaked in the OSD for different colors and effects.

The stand is monolithic and includes 5/15 degrees of tilt and 30 degrees of swivel. There is no portrait mode, but you can rotate the panel 10 degrees in either direction. Perhaps this is to ensure a level screen on a tilted desktop. Height adjustment range is 4.4 inches. Movements are super solid and befit a premium display like this one.

The OSD joystick is behind the bottom center where a small protrusion casts a glow on the desktop to indicate power status. There is a sensor here that when activated can dim or blank the screen when you leave the area. It can also sense room lighting and adjust brightness and color automatically if you wish.

The input panel is up and under and includes two HDMI 2.1, a DisplayPort 2.1a and a USB-C (DP alt). The latter has 98 watts of charging power. All inputs accept 4K signals up to 240 Hz with Adaptive-Sync and HDR. You also get USB 3.2 ports, one upstream and two down. There are no internal speakers but a 3.5mm headphone jack provides personal audio.

OSD Features

The MPG 322UR X24’s OSD is complete with many options for image control and gaming. Submenus are represented by icons, which is a little confusing, but most options include a brief explanation, which is helpful.

AI options include dynamic crosshairs, or you can pick one with fixed color. The position is customizable too. The Care Sensor blanks or dims the screen when you leave the monitor by using the sensor on the front of the bezel. You can also let the sensor modulate image brightness under changing room light conditions.

Further game enhancements include a sniper mode called Optix Scope with four different magnifications. This menu also has the KVM settings and MPRT, which is a backlight strobe. You don’t see this feature too often with OLEDs, but it is handy when frame rates drop below 160fps. That gives the MPG 322UR X24 flexibility to provide smooth operation with a wider range of video cards. It takes a lot of horsepower to move 8.3 million pixels around the screen. Here, you also get SDR Brightness, which is a toggle between uniform and variable brightness. For the highest peak output, choose Dynamic and for constant light, choose Uniform.

The MPG 322UR X24 is the first monitor I’ve encountered that lets you adjust HDR luminance in a 14-point scale. You start with either Peak 1000 or True Black 500 and from there, you can reduce brightness at any or all of the points. This keeps super bright highlights from being too harsh. It’s useful in a dark room, but for the most part, I did not have to make any changes for a great HDR picture. You can also reduce overall HDR brightness if you wish. This menu also includes a timer and a refresh rate indicator.

There are eleven picture modes in total. Eco is the default and it limits brightness significantly. I went for User to do my tests and calibration. You also get gamut-specific options for DCI-P3, Adobe RGB and sRGB that are very accurate. Each mode has its own settings for luminance and calibration. User leaves all adjustments available.

OLED protection is extensive. Not only are there a myriad of options, but many of them also let you specify how far the luminance reduction goes. You can let the MPG 322UR X24 sense taskbars, icons and corner logos and dim them to your preference, or not at all. There are pixel orbiters and a panel refresh routine as well.

RGB LED is the control for the backlit graphic on the back of the panel. There are options for color, effect and brightness. The four joystick directions can be programmed by the user for many different functions.

MSI MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24 Calibration Settings

The MPG 322UR X24 doesn’t need to be calibrated but the default gamma is a tad light in the brighter parts of the picture. I tried out the user color temp and its RGB sliders and was able to mostly correct the problem. Color is nearly perfect in either case. I’ve included my settings below along with brightness values for the uniform or dynamic settings of the SDR Brightness option.

HDR has five of its own modes, found in the DisplayHDR sub-menu. The two Custom modes have a 14-point luminance adjustment which is a first in my experience. You can also adjust the overall brightness if you wish.

Gaming and Hands-on

I recently reviewed an excellent Mini LED monitor, TCL’s 27R94, that has over 1,700 nits peak HDR brightness, 2,304 dimming zones and Quantum Dot color. And it has 4K in 27 inches, more pixel density than the MPG 322UR X24. But the MSI looks better thanks to its OLED panel. When you view detailed objects close up, I’m thinking of the zombies in Doom Eternal, you can see so many tiny bits like shiny goo and blood and textural gore (yes, textured gore is a thing), which makes the experience more real.

This monitor is simply stunning to look at. Color is richly saturated and completely natural in tone. Though it is slightly more colorful than DCI-P3, it never looks overblown. When I needed sRGB color, it was just a click away in the OSD, also very accurate. There’s an Adobe RGB mode though it doesn’t quite cover all of that spec’s green primary. But for P3 and sRGB, the MPG 322UR X24 is completely pro-level if you want to use it for photography or video postproduction.

Gaming is an addictive experience. This is one of the quickest screens I’ve tried and that includes comparisons to monitors with higher refresh rates. When you get to 240 Hz, the advantage of an even faster monitor is small at best. You’ll see in my response and lag tests that the MPG 322UR X24 is on par with the fastest screens I’ve reviewed. Movement and aim are super precise with easy repeatability. You can go, stop and turn exactly where you want to, and every mouse click is met with instant weapons fire. This monitor is a tool that any seasoned competitor will enjoy using.

My everyday monitor is also a 32-inch UHD OLED, but it’s curved and when looking at it next to the MPG 322UR X24, it looks smaller, or the MSI looks bigger, however you want to see it. Having so much screen is a real advantage when working with multiple documents or in Photoshop when you want many toolbars at hand. I can put up two Word files side-by-side and they’re easy to read. Or I can see a big spreadsheet without scrolling. If I’m browsing the web in a centered window, I can keep smaller apps open on the sides and glance at them when needed. This is a super convenient screen size and shape, and its footprint isn’t much bigger than the 27-inch display I used in the past.

The MPG 322UR X24’s build quality is first-rate. It feels solid and substantial in its physical interactions with a steady stand and easy but firm ergonomics. The USB ports are handy as are the video inputs which are all the latest versions. I missed internal speakers but there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack. I also enjoyed the small but colorful LED light feature in the back.

Takeaway: The MPG 322UR X24 is a superb monitor that’s great for anything work or play related. It’s a nice size for watching video up close and it’s a great tool for Photoshop, Word or Excel. There is nothing it does not do well and the image in every instance is gorgeous. Premium video processing puts it among the very best for gameplay.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

To compare the MPG 322UR X24’s performance, I’ve mined a group of 240 Hz 32-inch 4K OLEDs from my test database. They are Asus’ XG32UCWMG and PG32UCDM3, HP’s Omen 32 OLED, Acer’s X32 X3, and the Dough Spectrum Black 32.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

Some of the screens were tested before I had Nvidia’s LDAT sensor so for the response chart, I substituted the OLEDs from my most recent reviews. The Acer and Gigabyte have the quickest, and therefore smoothest panels with 0.12 and 0.16ms gray-to-gray times. The MSI comes close at 0.20ms, while the last three are equal at 0.24ms. I noted that the 360 Hz Asus was not the smoothest panel in the group.

All are on equal footing in the lag test, with only 240 Hz 4K panels represented. The MPG 322UR X24 is very quick at just 14.2ms of average total lag calculated with 25 mouse clicks. It is one of the quickest monitors I’ve tested to date.

Test Takeaway: The MPG 322UR X24 is fully qualified for competition, though you’ll need a fast video card to drive it at 240fps in 4K resolution. If you have the hardware, it’s a completely worthwhile experience, though. On a side note: the MPG 322UR X24 includes black frame insertion so you can get very smooth operation at lower frame rates with just a small brightness penalty and the occasional frame tear. Adaptive-Sync and MPRT don’t work together.

Viewing Angles

The MPG 322UR X24’s Quantum Dot layer creates a subtle red tint in the 45-degree horizontal plane. This is typical of the QD OLEDs I’ve tested. The tint is almost impossible to see in actual content. Brightness and gamma are unaffected by off-center viewing. The top view retains its peak output, but gamma is a bit lighter, which reduces detail and overall clarity.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

OLEDs as a category are pretty solid in the uniformity test but the MPG 322UR X24 is exceptional. 4.81% is a tiny number and you won’t see an issue in a field pattern of any brightness or color, and certainly not in real-world content.

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MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

Though Tandem OLED tech promises higher brightness, the MPG 322UR X24 doesn’t have any more output than its competitors. That is not a weakness because 495 nits peak is plenty of light. This was measured from a 25% window pattern with SDR Brightness set on Dynamic. A full field is around 300 nits which is also the peak when uniform brightness is in play. Again, that’s more than enough for an indoor setting. Black levels and contrast are immeasurable.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration has no effect on the results. To set 200 nits for both dynamic and uniform modes, you’ll need different values and the MPG 322UR X24 doesn’t remember them when switching back and forth. You can see the numbers in my settings table on page one. Black levels and contrast remain unmeasurable and there is no way to determine an ANSI result either.

Test Takeaway: The MPG 322UR X24 has the same infinite contrast and unmeasurable black levels as any OLED. It delivers about the same peak output as well, which isn’t super bright but more than bright enough. It lets you choose uniform or variable brightness for SDR content which is something not every OLED offers.

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The MPG 322UR X24 has some of the most accurate out-of-the-box color I’ve seen from a gaming monitor. It doesn’t need to be calibrated, but there is a gain to be had from a little tweaking. I ran the tests in the User mode since the default, Eco, limits peak brightness.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

You can see in the first chart that grayscale tracking has no visible errors with all values below 2dE. That is impressive indeed. But the gamma needs some love. The drop seen from 70 to 90% means that many highlights will lack clarity and depth. This casts a slight haze over the image. You can’t fix this with gamma presets so what to do?

Many monitors will change their gamma when you select the user color temp, even before the sliders are adjusted. Luckily, the MPG 322UR X24 is one of those. With a few changes to the RGB values, grayscale is better with all values below 1dE and gamma is considerably tighter. Only 90% takes a small dip and this is a difference you can see in a side-by-side comparison. This is excellent performance.

If you choose the sRGB gamut, you don’t get gamma choices, but you can change the color temp by Kelvin value while the RGB sliders are grayed out. There’s a dip at 10% brightness, which makes some shadow areas a little too light. Otherwise, this is pro-level result.

Comparisons

The MPG 322UR X24’s grayscale accuracy is nearly unmatched both before and after calibration. Going from 1.2dE to 0.47dE is like going from perfect to more perfect. The reason for the adjustment is to improve gamma, which is a good thing. The 90% dip widens the range of values to 0.19, but the average is 2.19, a 0.45% deviation.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The MPG 322UR X24’s color is exemplary with just a 1.44dE average error out of the box when referenced to DCI-P3. Like nearly all QD-OLEDs, there’s a bit of red oversaturation while the other colors are spot-on. Green is fully covered. It doesn’t get much better than that but after a grayscale calibration, the error drops to 1.05dE. When viewing a color bar pattern, there’s no difference but in practice, you get a bit more depth and texture in the image.

The sRGB gamut is at reference level with a 0.98dE average error. The MPG 322UR X24 is fully qualified for color critical applications.

Comparisons

The MPG 322UR X24’s color gamut accuracy is certainly impressive, but the other screens are equally precise. When a monitor comes in fourth with a 1.05dE score, you know it’s a tight race between excellent displays. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a bad OLED from any brand.

In the volume test, the MPG 322UR X24 sits at the top with the PG32UCDM3 at over 107% coverage of DCI-P3. That’s better than some QD-OLEDs but not all. I’ve seen a few 27-inch models like Alienware’s AW2726DM top 110%. But among 32-inch 4K models, MSI is one of the best. sRGB is just short of 100% coverage due to slight undersaturation in green and blue. This would not be visible in content.

Test Takeaway: The MPG 322UR X24 has extremely accurate color and just needs a tweak to tighten up its gamma. But if you just used it out of the box, you’d be satisfied. The picture is natural and vivid in every case. Specific gamut modes for sRGB, Adobe and DCI-P3 are useful in professional settings. And it has comparable color volume to other 32-inch 4K Quantum Dot OLEDs.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The MPG 322UR X24 is rated for VESA DisplayHDR 400 and supports HDR10 content with an automatic switch. There are five HDR modes, two of which feature 14-point adjustable luminance, a first in my experience.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

To get the highest HDR output, I used the Peak 1000 mode because it has a slightly more accurate EOTF curve. In either mode, you get about 500 nits from a 25% window pattern. Smaller windows would be brighter, and in practice, the HDR image is very impactful.

The adjustable HDR modes can be used to reduce the brightest highlights. This is handy when using the MPG 322UR X24 in a dark room. You cannot increase peak brightness in these modes. If you were to lower all 14 points to their minimums, the result would be uniform brightness with a 300-nit peak. I noted that the EOTF became skewed when adjusting these modes. This can obscure detail in some content. They are there for personal preference only. My recommendation for those who want to dial back the MPG 322UR X24’s HDR brightness is to use the slider at the bottom of the menu labeled HDR Brightness. That will lower all values while maintaining the EOTF’s integrity.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

The MPG 322UR X24 is very accurate in HDR mode with visually perfect grayscale tracking. All values are less than 2dE, which is excellent performance. The EOTF in Peak 1000 mode rides just below the reference. It’s a tad too dark, but since it progresses linearly, there is no loss of detail. That precision carries over to the color test where you get a linear amount of oversaturation, just enough to make an impact without clipping any detail. In the BT.2020 test, color runs out at 90% red, 80% green and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The MPG 322UR X24 isn’t super bright, but its HDR presentation is enhanced by accurate color, grayscale and luminance tracking. It’s better than most HDR monitors in this regard and the picture benefits from a high level of precision. MSI is the first company I’ve seen to offer a multi-point HDR luminance adjustment. Though it isn’t strictly accurate, it’s a nice option for those who want to dial back the bright highlights a bit.

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Just looking at the numbers, I get at least three or four 27-inch monitors to review for every 32-inch model. 27 inches offers a lot of bang for the buck, but once you’ve used a 32, it’s hard to go back. There is a price premium in the OLED category of around $200 for a 4K screen, but again, it’s hard to go back. And no one will say that their monitor is too big.

The MSI MPG 322UR X24 is an excellent mascot for this premium category. It renders a gorgeous and clear image with vivid, accurate color and the deep contrast that only an OLED can deliver. For gaming, it delivers quick panel response for perfect motion resolution at frame rates over 160fps. And for lower speeds, it offers MPRT black frame insertion so you can pair it with a mid-tier video card. AI features let you modulate brightness and color as the room lighting changes. And it ships with no calibration needed and pro-level color, gamma and grayscale accuracy. It can be both a gamer’s weapon and a photographer’s creative tool.

There are no real flaws here. I usually ding monitors for leaving out internal speakers, but the MPG 322UR X24 is so good, I’m giving it a pass. It is nearly perfect in every other respect. At the current price of $869, it’s competitive in the high-end category. But with exceptional speed and adjustable HDR luminance, it offers a bit more than others.

If you have the budget and a sufficiently fast video card, a 32-inch 4K OLED like the MSI MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24 is a great choice. Definitely check it out.

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Over the years, I’ve tested several dual-screen portable monitors that aim to vastly increase the amount of real estate you have to work with while mobile. Most of these monitors have a central panel that sits behind your laptop’s built-in display and two displays that jut out from either side (like a pair of ears).

The Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED (MQ149CD) differs in that the two OLED panels are stacked on top of each other (in landscape mode) or lined up side-by-side (in portrait mode).

Asus offers all this flexibility in a thin, lightweight form factor, complete with USB-C (DisplayPort) and HDMI connectivity options, albeit with a hefty street price of around $500. Despite the price tag, the MQ149CD represents one of the best portable monitors available today.

Design of the Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED (MQ149CD)

The 2.36-pound MQ149CD offers a somewhat unorthodox (for a portable monitor) design. There are two 14-inch 1200p OLED panels (16:10 aspect ratio) joined together via two 360-degree hinges in a book-style configuration. When folded closed, the MQ149CD has the same footprint as any other 14-inch portable monitor, albeit twice as thick. However, when you open it, you also get twice the screen real estate (with roughly a 20-inch diagonal measured from corner to corner).

Build quality is good all around, with aluminum used for the display panel housings and hinges. Plastic is used for the black bezels around each panel. There are also tiny rubber feet strategically placed around the perimeter of the displays to provide some grip when using the MQ149CD in portrait or landscape orientation.

You can stand the two displays vertically (with each in portrait mode) using the open book footprint to keep the unit upright. You can also use the displays in landscape mode, where one display sits on top of the other. The bottom display features a kickstand that keeps the entire apparatus upright. The aluminum kickstand covers nearly the width of the display and provides a stable base when using both panels in landscape mode. The multi-position stand, along with the display hinges, allows for a wide variety of viewing angles.

Asus includes four ports aligned along the top right side of the MQ149CD (if you’re using it in landscape mode). The bottom port is a Mini-HDMI port, while the two middle ports are USB-C 1 and USB-C 2, both of which support DisplayPort Alt Mode. The final port is a dedicated USB-C port for power (a USB-C power brick is included in the box). Also on the right side of the MQ149CD are two OSD buttons and a jog wheel.

Two final additions are a small, 2.5-inch socket on the back of the unit, which can be used to mount the MQ149CD on a tripod, and a Kensington Lock. A well-padded carrying case is also included in the box.

Design of the Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED (MQ149CD)

Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED (MQ149CD) Operating Modes

Asus provides four distinct ways of operating the MQ149CD, all of which I tried. The first is Mirror Mode, which simply duplicates the image source from your laptop to each of the MQ149CD’s displays. Split Mode duplicates the source image, but spreads it across both displays.

Extend Mode allows each display to display content independently. For example, you could have a game playing on your laptop’s display, a movie playing on the MQ149CD’s top display, and a Word document open on the MQ149CD’s bottom display. Finally, Independent Mode allows you to exploit two separate display sources with the MQ149CD. You could have one laptop outputting content to the first panel and a second laptop outputting content to the second panel.

All four modes are accessible from the OSD. Additionally, if you install the Asus Display Widget Center (available on Windows and macOS), the MQ149CD supports auto-rotation when switching between landscape and portrait modes (and vice versa).

Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED (MQ149CD) OSD

The MQ149CD includes a rather comprehensive OSD, accessible by pressing the bottom OSD button or by pressing in on the jog wheel. Pressing the jog wheel once brings up a “mini” OSD: flicking up lets you control brightness, while flicking down gives you quick access to the four display modes.

Pressing in on the jog wheel twice brings up the full OSD. From here, you have access to Asus’ preset picture modes, image settings, color settings, input selection, and overall settings (e.g., OSD timeout, power-saving options, language settings, etc.).

In addition, the Asus Display Widget Center allows you to access picture modes, hot keys for specific monitor features/functions, and power management.

Display Performance on the Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED (MQ149CD)

The MQ149CD features two 14-inch OLED panels, each with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate. Each display features a glossy screen coating, which was a magnet for reflections in my brightly lit home office. I was able to minimize the reflections somewhat by making slight adjustments to both the kickstand and the angle of the panels.

When it comes to dual monitors, there may be slight variances between the panels due to manufacturing tolerances. Although each panel should have identical specs, we noticed slight differences between the top and bottom OLED panels, as noted in the charts below. With that said, the differences weren’t enough that you would notice them side-by-side.

Color performance from the two OLED panels is exemplary, as we’d expect. The MQ149CD is rated for a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and black levels are immeasurable. In the default, Standard display mode, we measured 145.9 percent DCI-P3 coverage with the bottom panel and 131.2 percent on the top panel. Our measurements pegged the bottom panel at 206 percent of sRGB, while the top panel was slightly higher at 213.5 percent.

There were also differences in maximum panel brightness, with the bottom panel reaching 350.6 nits in Standard mode, and the top panel topping out at 329.8 nits. However, both figures were well below the manufacturer's claim of 400 nits for SDR content. In our HDR testing, the top panel reached 503 nits with a 10 percent window, while the top panel was slightly behind at 493 nits.

I had no trouble fitting it into my workflow, connecting it to an HP OmniBook X via a single USB-C cable. I found myself using both landscape and portrait orientations equally. If I wanted to watch a movie or TV show while I worked, I’d stack the two displays, with the media content playing on the top panel.

When working with text-heavy content and looking up information in my web browser, I’d have the two panels side-by-side in portrait mode. Thanks to the Asus Display Widget Center software, I can switch from landscape to portrait automatically, without having to open Display Settings in Windows 11.

Bottom Line

The Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED (MQ149CD) is one of the best dual-screen monitors I’ve tested to date. It improves upon the dual IPS panels I’ve tested in the past with the vibrant colors and deep blacks that OLED provides. Build quality was excellent across the board, and overall brightness was competitive in this field.

Asus provides several operating modes for the MQ149CD, including the ability for two systems to each control one panel. In addition, you can use the two panels side-by-side (portrait) or stacked on top of each other (landscape), with autorotation supported via companion software.

There are only two dings that I would level against the MQ149CD, with one of them being major. The minor flaw is that it lacks built-in speakers, although that isn’t an unforgivable sin, given that most speakers on portable monitors are mediocre at best. However, the biggest downside is the price tag. While you can find dual-screen portable monitors from KYY for around $250 or less, the MQ149CD has an MSRP of $600. While Amazon regularly puts the MQ149CD on sale for $500, it’s still a hefty price to pay for dual screens.

LG has announced the new UltraGear 25G590B gaming monitor, which it claims is the world’s first to offer a native refresh rate of 1,000 Hz. Naturally, it has been designed specifically for first-person shooter (FPS) games and targets competitive esports gamers. The monitor features a 24.5-inch IPS panel with a full-HD (1920x1080) resolution, along with a clean, minimalist design approach to avoid any distractions.

It is important to note that the UltraGear 25G590B is not the first monitor to offer a 1,000 Hz peak refresh rate. However, it is the first to support it natively at 1080p resolution. Until now, we have only seen dual-mode monitors achieve similar refresh rates at reduced display resolutions.

For instance, Acer showcased the Predator XB273U F6, a 27-inch 1440p IPS display, at CES earlier this year with a native refresh rate of 500 Hz and the ability to hit 1,000 Hz using its Dynamic Frequency and Resolution (DFR) mode at 1,280 x 720 resolution. Similarly, HKC announced the AntGamer ANT275PQ MAX last year, featuring a fast TN panel with a native 1440p resolution and a 1,080 Hz refresh rate at 720p.

According to LG, gamers can expect enhanced smoothness, motion clarity, and overall responsiveness, which is crucial in competitive environments. When a player or object quickly moves across the display, it should stay sharper and easier to spot instead of turning into a blur. To ensure visual precision and motion clarity, the monitor comes with LG’s Motion Blur Reduction Pro technology, which is said to reduce the smearing or blur effect that is usually seen in fast-paced action games. The IPS panel on the monitor also comes with a special low-reflection film to help in consistent color reproduction and reduce glare.

The company has also added some AI features to the monitor, including AI Scene Optimization that is said to add “visual realism and depth” by automatically adjusting picture settings based on the game genre. There is also AI Sound that can provide a spatial audio experience paired with clearer in-game communications when used with compatible headsets.

In terms of design, the monitor comes with a sleek stand and a minimal base footprint to maximize desktop real estate, along with calibration indicators for precise height, swivel, and tilt adjustments. There’s also some adjustable RGB lighting at the back for added gamer flair. Expect the UltraGear 25G590B to launch sometime during the second half of 2026, which is probably when LG will share more information around its pricing.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen an absolute explosion of activity in the OLED monitor space. What was once a niche panel option available on premium laptops has wonderfully spread to encompass the best gaming monitors for desktop PCs. That makes understanding the inner workings of the panels more important now than ever, especially when it comes to burn-in, the most common source of anxiety for potential customers. Below, we'll outline why this occurs, and this guide will also teach you how you can prevent it.

OLEDs differ from traditional LCDs because each pixel in the panel emits its own light when current passes through it. This design means there is no need for a separate backlight to illuminate each pixel, unlike LCDs. So, to display black, the individual pixels can be turned off, allowing true “inky” blacks, infinite contrast, and vibrant colors unmatched by LCD-based monitors. That means the necessary pixels are turned off when representing the color black.

The different types of OLED monitors

There are several types of OLED monitors, with WOLED and QD-OLED among the most popular. WOLED monitors feature red, green, blue, and white subpixels overlayed on a white OLED layer. The white light passes through the red, green, and blue filters to produce color, while the light passing through the unfiltered white subpixel can be used to enhance overall brightness (and to compensate for the inefficiency of the color filters).

QD-OLED monitors, on the other hand, use a blue-emitting layer instead of WOLED’s white layer. Furthermore, the light passes through a quantum dot layer without the need for color filters, which helps to boost color saturation compared to WOLEDs.

LG has been a big player in this space, supplying WOLED panels not only for its self-branded monitors, but also to third-party customers. The company recently announced at SID Display Week 2026 that it is launching 3rd generation Tandem OLED panel technology. LG’s development in this space has come at a rapid clip, as the company only announced its 2nd generation Tandem OLED technology back at CES 2026.

Tandem OLED is the successor to LG’s WOLED panel technology and offers some key advantages. It uses a four-layer stack (blue, green, blue, red) which passes through a filter. Whereas older WOLED panels use a separate white subpixel, the latest Tandem OLED panels use a Primary RGB layout, negating the need for the white subpixel. In practice, Tandem OLEDs tend to be brighter than their WOLED counterparts while offering improved color volume, putting them on more equal footing with QD-OLEDs.

According to LG, its 3rd-generation Tandem OLED panel technology offers peak brightness of 1200 nits and typical brightness of up to 500 nits. Despite these impressive figures (for an OLED), LG claims that it has reduced power consumption by 18 percent, while offering a panel service life of over 15,000 hours. That last figure is a 2x improvement over 2nd-generation panels.

“This advancement is enabled by a newly developed OLED element that optimizes hole and electron movement to minimize degradation while ensuring uniform picture quality, along with the application of a deep blue dopant to further improve color purity, color reproduction, brightness, low power consumption, and longevity,” LG wrote in a press release. “LG Display plans to begin mass production of the automotive panel within this year before later expanding into IT and other applications.”

Of course, these are just manufacturer claims, so we have to temper our expectations until we see the results in the real world. However, if the claims do hold up, the performance of the 3rd-generation panels should go a long way towards alleviating some of the reliability concerns some consumers have about OLED panels.

Should you be concerned about OLED burn-in?

Before we discuss OLED burn-in, we must first explain what exactly makes up an OLED. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. It’s the “organic” in the name that can cause issues with extended use. The use of organic compounds makes OLED panels more fragile and susceptible to power input and high sustained brightness levels.

In addition, OLEDs provide their own light source, as they are self-illuminating. Over time, these self-illuminating diodes will lose brightness and will appear dimmer to the naked eye as their luminescence degrades. When these overworked diodes sit next to diodes that haven’t seen such frequent use, what you’re witnessing is “burn-in.”

An easy example to explain how this can occur is with 24-7 TV news channels. These channels often have a mostly static banner sitting at the bottom of the screen. Because of the banner's persistence, with little movement of text and logos that can appear within it, the pixels see significantly more “power on” time than the surrounding pixels, where there is more dynamic action. If you leave that static banner in place for weeks or months at a time, you’ll eventually notice burn-in if you switch to a solid-color background.

However, there are some best practices you can implement in your daily workflow to help prevent burn-in in the first place.

OLED monitor care tips

• Set your OLED monitor to turn off or switch to a screensaver for 5 or 10 minutes if you’re not active.
• If you use a background on your computer, consider a dynamic background or a slideshow of images that rotate frequently.
• Rather than have a taskbar that is permanently docked, set it to auto-hide.
• Refrain from prolonged use of maximum brightness settings, as this can accelerate pixel decay.
• When possible, use dark mode in your operating system to limit the amount of power passing through pixels.
• When gaming, avoid using HUDs that are static in nature, as lengthy gaming sessions can accelerate image retention

Those are things you can do on your own that will go a long way towards reducing image retention. However, modern OLED monitors include automated mechanisms to help prevent and minimize image retention. For example, I personally use a Philips Evnia 8000 49-inch 240 Hz DQHD QD-OLED monitor for work and gaming. It offers a couple of tools for managing burn-in, including:

• Pixel orbiting/shifting: moves the image a couple of pixels left or right at regular intervals to prevent burn-in from static elements.
  
• Pixel refresh: this feature runs automatically after roughly 4 hours of screen on time, and it measures and adjusts voltage levels for individual pixels in the OLED screen. The feature runs for about 4 minutes.

Each OLED monitor manufacturer has their own specific tools for dealing with the same issues. For example, Asus offers Pixel Shift technology, controls for adjusting logo brightness, manual Pixel Cleaning, and automatic cleaning in standby mode.

I’ve owned my Evnia 8000 for roughly 18 months, and over that time have accumulated 1,800 hours of on-time according to the monitor’s OSD. I ran the XbitLabs Screen Burn-in Test and didn’t notice any issues, which was a relief.

Should you take the OLED plunge?

The two biggest knocks against OLED monitors are continually being addressed. There’s the issue of panel longevity, particularly with burn-in/image retention. However, sticking to common best practices when using OLEDs and enabling automatic panel refresh routines and mitigation strategies offered will go a long way toward ensuring that you get years of useful life out of your monitor. Manufacturers are also stepping up the quality of the components they’re using and reducing power consumption to help extend the life of OLED panels.

Another concern people have is cost. It’s true that OLEDs carry a premium over traditional IPS and VA panel technology. However, that premium is shrinking as production volume increases. We can’t be certain that OLED monitors will eventually reach price parity with their LCD counterparts, but the difference will likely shrink to the point where many customers will gladly fork over the extra money for a superior viewing experience (and given the popularity of OLED panels, many people are already making that jump).

With OLEDs having crossed over into nearly every facet of computing life, from smartphones to tablets, to laptops, to the best OLED gaming monitors, to productivity monitors, to portable monitors, I can say with confidence that it’s time to stop being leery of the technology and jump in with both feet.

While 27-inch monitors are the bread-and-butter display for best gaming monitors, and I’m saying that based on how many there are, few will deny that bigger is better. So many games create a virtual world, whether it's a battlefield or a racetrack, and the bigger the screen, the more immersive the experience.

There are two main categories in play. One is large flat panels, TVs, and monitors over 40 inches. The other is ultra-wide, where extreme aspect ratios and curved screens attempt to wrap the experience around the user.

I’m checking out one of the latter here, from LG. It’s the UltraGear 52G930B, and it is extreme in every respect. The panel is 52 inches diagonal with 5120 x 2160 resolution, and a 1000R curve. VA tech delivers high contrast for HDR and SDR content. It’s VESA DisplayHDR 600 compliant with wide gamut color, a 240 Hz refresh rate, and Adaptive-Sync. Let’s take a look.

LG UltraGear 52G930B Specs

The 52G930B is the perfect display for a simulator if you’re looking to eliminate the dividing lines between multiple screens. A 1000R curve means that a circle of them would be just two meters across. The curve is so tight that it reflects sound into the user’s ears. It has internal speakers that sound good, but it is best enjoyed with headphones. And to that end, LG has included DTS Headphone:X processing, which creates a surround effect inside the player’s head.

The image is super sharp thanks to the extreme resolution. 5120 x 2160, or 5K2K, is the current pinnacle for 21:9 monitors. Pixel density is 108ppi, about the same as a 27-inch 16:9 QHD monitor. If you have sufficient graphics horsepower, the 52G930B’s 11-million-plus pixels can be driven at 240 Hz over its DisplayPort 2.1 or HDMI 2.1 inputs. Adaptive-Sync is included as well.

Color gamut coverage is excellent at 94.4% of DCI-P3, and accuracy is superb right out of the box. There’s plenty of light output too, with over 450 nits measured for SDR and 625 in HDR mode. The 52G930B supports HDR10 and is VESA-certified DisplayHDR 600. A dimming feature takes contrast up to 16,000:1.

There is no remote control included, but you can navigate the OSD from the Windows desktop with the LG Switch app. It also adds custom calibration functions with an app called LG Calibration Studio. USB ports, including USB-C, let you connect peripherals. A large, steady stand puts the screen at just the right height for vertical viewing.

The 52G930B is a luxury item for sure, with a $1,700 asking price at this writing. But it is relatively unique in that it combines the best elements of jumbo and curved screens into a high-performing and immersive package.

Assembly and Accessories

The 52G930B’s box is understandably huge but very easy to unpack. Everything is well secured in crumbly foam and lifts out the top like a big TV. The baseplate is quite heavy and attached to the upright with two captive bolts. The panel snaps on, or you can use the 100mm VESA mount for an aftermarket arm or bracket. There’s an enormous external power supply, along with cables for HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C.

Product 360

At nearly four feet wide, you’ll need a bit of extra desktop space for the 52G930B. The stand looks small in the photos, but it is very substantial with a thick metal baseplate and a wide upright secured with two bolts. Ergonomics are firm and free of play and include a 4.7-inch height adjustment and 20 degrees of tilt. There is no forward tilt which is a good thing because the best way to enjoy a screen like this is perfectly vertical with your eyepoint at the center. The stand is tall enough to allow this.

Styling is minimalist, but a few details set the 52G930B apart. An UltraGear logo, which looks a bit like wings, graces the back with LED light bars framing it like parentheses. The word “UltraGear” also appears on the upright above a convenient cable hole. From the front, it’s all screen with a flush bezel, though not a particularly narrow one. It’s 12mm around the top and sides and 19mm at the bottom. In practice, you won’t notice it when the picture is literally wrapping around you.

The OSD joystick is in the center, just behind and below the input panel. There, you get all the latest port versions: DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1, and USB-C. To run full resolution at 240 Hz, you can use either DP or HDMI. USB-C is DisplayPort-compatible but is limited to 120 Hz.

I was surprised to see there was no remote included with the 52G930B. Granted, you’ll likely be sitting very close to it. But you can download LG Switch and control everything from the Windows desktop. It offers a customizable image mode called Personalized Picture, and you can go further into calibration with LG Calibration Studio. It has two of its own setting memories in the OSD.

OSD Features

The 52G930B’s OSD appears with two clicks of the joystick. It’s a small menu that sits at the bottom center of the screen, out of the way of test patterns, and cannot be moved about. It’s logically organized into five sub-menus.

First up are the Game Modes and picture modes; there are 13 in total. They include different game types, gamut choices for sRGB and DCI-P3, color weakness, and two memories for use with the LG Calibration Studio app. Gamer 1 is the default, and it measured within a whisker of perfect with no adjustments needed.

This menu also has a three-level overdrive, which works well on its Fast setting. It keeps blur to a minimum with no visible ghosting artifacts. I noted that there was no backlight strobe option like ELMB or MPRT. This would be helpful at lower frame rates, especially considering this monitor’s high pixel count. A set of crosshairs comes next and there’s a frame rate counter that can sit in any corner of the screen.

In Picture Adjust, the 52G930B has four gamma presets and three fixed color temps. The Manual option lets you adjust grayscale as a unit while Custom unlocks the RGB sliders. You also get a six-color adjustment and Deep Black Pro which is the dimming feature. It has three levels with the highest bumping contrast to around 16,000:1.

If you choose H/P (headphone) as the audio output, the 52G930B engages DTS Headphone:X processing. You’ll need to buy an app from DTS to enjoy it, but it’s worth the investment because the sound is truly immersive. And it works with any headphones, though it’s best to have a model optimized for the technology. It’s like a surround system inside your head and it’s super effective for gaming and movie watching.

The 52G930B is a great candidate for PIP and PBP when you want to view two sources at once. The PIP window can be sized and moved as well. Hexagon Lighting refers to the two LED strips in the back, which can cycle through different colors or show a single hue. User-Defined Key refers to the left and right joystick clicks, which can be programmed for convenient access to often-used commands.

LG UltraGear 52G930B Calibration Settings

My 52G930B came set to its Gamer 1 mode and initial measurements showed it to be spot on for grayscale, gamma and color gamut tracking. I attempted a calibration but could make no improvement. The native gamut covers just under 95% of DCI-P3, which is great for both SDR and HDR content. If you want sRGB, it’s one of the picture modes. There is also an HDR Effect mode, which alters gamma to make SDR content look like HDR. It makes some content look better, but doesn’t always improve the image. Below are the brightness values with Deep Black Pro (dimming) turned off.

For HDR content, you can adjust overall brightness and change the color temp, but the RGB sliders are grayed out. Picture modes remain available too, but only Gamer 1 and 2 are accurate to industry standards.

Gaming and Hands-on

Make no mistake, the 52G930B is a very large monitor. It’s nearly four feet wide, more than a meter, and though it doesn’t require a ton of depth, you will want some space on either side and room to sit back a little. You should sit close to get the immersive effect, but if you get in too tight, you’ll be turning your head a lot more than necessary. I found a good spot about three feet away.

Since the aspect ratio is 21:9 versus 32:9, like most screens this wide, there’s a lot of extra height. Game characters are approximately the size of GI Joe dolls so if you’re used to smaller screens like me, it takes some getting used to. In your face would be the appropriate phrase to use here.

Once acclimated, I could dispatch monsters and aliens with ease. Video processing is excellent and that’s good because my RTX 4090 couldn’t manage much more than 200 fps in Doom Eternal. And it was working hard if the warm breeze coming from my PC’s vents was any indication. The fans were at their max speed. You can tap the 52G930B’s potential with this video card, but an RTX 5090 would be even better. The overdrive worked well for me and kept motion blur below the distraction level. If you have less than a 4090, there is no backlight strobe to prevent smear at low frame rates.

This is one of the few LCDs that can keep up with an OLED when it comes to input lag. I compared it to other jumbo curved screens, and it trounced all of them in testing. Gameplay is quick and precise with no hesitation or stutter. Mouse inputs are instantly translated, and motion resolution is high, making aiming easier. My hit percentage was very high.

The 52G930B’s audio quality is above average as well. The speakers play quite loudly without audible distortion. And the extreme curve directed the sound right into my ears. There was decent bass, too, thanks to the monitor’s large size, which affords room for bigger drivers.

Using a monitor this large for everyday tasks requires some adaptation. I couldn’t sit quite as close for things like spreadsheets and document editing because I had to turn my head just to pick from a menu or access a toolbar. If you’ve tried web browsing on a jumbo flat panel, you’ll know what I mean. It’s best if you can see an entire page from top to bottom without moving your head. To do that on the 52G930B, I had to slide back to four feet.

The image in all scenarios was excellent. Color is vivid and bright with deep contrast. It isn’t quite an OLED, but it’s one of the better LCDs I’ve come across. I’ve said that VA is the next best option and the 52G930B supports that statement.

My only ergonomic complaint was that there is no remote. Large screens are tough to adjust with an OSD joystick. I got relief from the LG Switch app that allowed Windows desktop control. But a handheld remote would be better. And given the $1,700 price tag, it seems like an unfair omission.

Takeaway: Remote wishes aside, the 52G930B is a superb gaming and entertainment display. Playing is a completely different experience than smaller monitors with the action literally becoming big as life. Audio quality is among the best I’ve heard from internal speakers with loud clean sound. The inclusion of DTS Headphone:X is a nice value-add. Video processing is on par with the best OLEDs in terms of input lag and a high-quality overdrive. Motion blur is minimal and the panel is extremely quick and responsive. Work tasks require some adaptation, but the picture is sharp and colorful enough for any use.

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To compare the 52G930B’s performance, I’ve included a group of jumbo monitors running at different resolutions and refresh rates. Three of them are OLEDs, AOC’s PD49, LG’s 45GX950A, and Philips’ 49M2C8900. The others are VA, Samsung’s Odyssey G7, and Lenovo’s R45w-30.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

My data from the Nvidia LDAT is still growing, so I have a different group of LCDs with which to compare the 52G930B. With five total panels, the trend is starting to show that refresh rate and GTG response are linked. The 52G930B is smooth at 2.6ms and is only a tad slower than the 360 Hz Acer. LG includes a good overdrive, which keeps motion blur to a minimum. This is at 240 fps, which will take a lot of graphics card power to achieve. There is no backlight strobe feature here, which would be nice for slower systems.

In the lag test, the 52G930B proved extremely quick with just 14.3ms of average lag for 25 mouse clicks. No other jumbo curved screen even comes close, even the OLED PD49. Granted, 21ms is still plenty fast, but who wouldn’t want to go even faster.

Test Takeaway: The 52G930B proved to be very smooth and responsive in tests and in actual use. It has lower input lag than other jumbo ultra-wides and exhibits extremely low motion blur at 240 Hz. There is no backlight strobe feature here, so I recommend pairing it with the fastest video card possible to get the most from it.

Viewing Angles

VA isn’t usually the best choice for ultra-wide screens this big. But LG has chosen an excellent panel for the 52G930B. The 45-degree side view has a slight red tint but no loss of gamma or brightness. You could share it with another user if you wanted. The top view is also a bit red with reduced gamma but consistent brightness.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

Screen uniformity is a difficult task for panels this big. The three OLEDs do very well with the LCDs, showing a few minor anomalies. My 52G930B sample was a tad brighter down its left side when showing a black field pattern. I could not see the issue in actual content unless it was predominantly dark, both on the screen and in the room. This is solid performance.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The 52G930B is an extremely bright monitor, especially considering its large size. You don’t need to crank it up as high to perceive vivid color and deep contrast. I measured over 452 nits, which is enough to tire one very quickly in practice. You could use this screen in a very brightly lit room or outdoors at a location shoot. With very deep black levels, it trounces the other VA panels with over 4,100:1 contrast. While it isn’t quite in OLED territory, it is indeed the next best thing.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration doesn’t change the results by more than a whisker. The 52G930B still has the deepest blacks and the broadest contrast of any VA jumbo ultra-wide monitor. These tests show the monitor in its native state. When you turn the Deep Black Pro setting to high, contrast goes up to 16,000:1. It does this by lowering black levels. Peak output is unchanged.

The 52G930B shows consistent performance in the ANSI test with 3718.1:1 contrast, barely less than the static number. It is comparable in that regard to the Lenovo and Samsung displays. This shows good component selection and quality control on LG’s part.

Test Takeaway: The 52G930B has deeper blacks and better contrast than other large LCD ultra-wide screens I’ve reviewed. It isn’t quite as dramatic as an OLED, but it offers high brightness and option for dimming to take the ratio up to 16,000:1. Even at its native 4,000:1, the image is bright and impactful.

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The 52G930B offers a large variety of picture modes aimed at specific game types, applications and color gamut options. The default, Gamer 1, proved to be spot-on out of the box.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

Notice that there is no post-calibration chart shown above. That’s because the 52G930B is extremely accurate by default. And I could not improve upon the result using the gamma presets or the RGB sliders. Grayscale rides well below the 2dE line and gamma tracks the reference almost perfectly. And you can see the same performance in the sRGB mode. That allows you the flexibility of selecting the correct color gamut for SDR content or going for a little more vivid presentation. This is excellent performance.

Comparisons

I’ve charted the same result for the 52G930B pre and post calibration because I could not get grayscale tracking any better than 0.98dE. And that’s more than fine when 3dE is the accepted point where errors become visible. There is literally nothing to see here. Gamma is equally precise with a 0.10 range of values and a 1.82% deviation from the 2.2 reference. The actual value is 2.24.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The 52G930B’s native color gamut is high in both volume and accuracy. All the DCI-P3 primaries are fully covered with a bit of bonus blue. This will make sunny skies and water look a little more brilliant. I noted slight hue errors in magenta and blue, but these were not visible in content. The sRGB result is even better with every point on target. It truly doesn’t get better than this for a display I haven’t calibrated.

Comparisons

2.05dE puts the 52G930B right in the middle of the pack, but remember that the other screens have been calibrated. This is an impressive result indeed.

In the volume test, the 52G930B covers more of DCI-P3 than the other LCDs and only a bit less than the 45GX950A OLED. Most screens without a Quantum Dot film can’t fully render green, but this monitor can. Only the AOC and Philips with their QD tech can boast a more colorful image.

Test Takeaway: The 52G930B is one of the most accurate out-of-the-box displays I’ve reviewed to date. It cannot be improved with an OSD calibration, nor does it need to be. It also has a good deal more color volume than other LCD jumbo ultra-wide panels. Its sRGB mode is also very precise and is fully qualified for color-critical use. Content creators could easily add one of these to their toolkits.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The 52G930B supports HDR10 signals with an automatic switch. HDR retains access to picture modes, brightness and the fixed color temperatures.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The 52G930B is VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified and it easily achieves that when measuring a 25% window pattern. Here, the Deep Black Pro setting is turned to High which increases the contrast fourfold to over 16,000:1. The two other VA monitors offer dimming as well, but are less effective at broadening dynamic range. Having the OLEDs here is a bit unfair, but in practice, the 52G930B delivers an image almost as impactful.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

I noted a few errors in the 52G930B’s HDR grayscale test. Brightness levels below 50% are neutral, but as output rises, a cool tint becomes visible. This is the only weakness among all the color tests. The EOTF tracks very close to the reference with a correctly placed tone map transition at 70% brightness.

In the color tests, there is slight oversaturation in all colors, which is typical of the HDR monitors I’ve tested. This lends more impact to the image and separates it more clearly from SDR content. There are slight hue errors in yellow and magenta, but all points progress linearly, preserving detail across the entire image. In the BT.2020 test, the 52G930B runs out of color at 90% red, 75% green, and 95% blue. It’s close to a Quantum Dot monitor in this test with just a little less green overall.

Test Takeaway: The 52G930B has very accurate HDR color and luminance tracking. Only a slightly cool tone mars an otherwise excellent result. There is plenty of brightness and very high contrast once the dimming is engaged. It performs better than its LCD-based competitors and though it won’t make you think it’s an OLED, it makes a good attempt at impersonating one.

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Ever since Gateway 2000’s Destination PC from the 90s that came with a 31-inch TV as its monitor, the idea of a big-screen computer has remained attractive. Now, we can buy giant panels that are four feet wide and two feet tall with a curve that rivals the canopy of an F-16. I’d call that progress.

The 21:9 curved monitor has ushered in an immersive experience that can only be equaled with good VR goggles. If you have enough desktop space, and enough money, you can have a high-performance simulator right in your office.

The LG 52G930B combines the best elements of a big screen with a truly immersive form factor. The 1000R curve wraps around your head. The sound is reflected right into your ears, or you can get surround sound in your head from DTS Headphone:X. Resolution is high enough for a 108ppi pixel density, which means you can sit close and still see a sharp picture. Color is vivid and saturated with plenty of brightness. And there are more than 450 nits available for SDR content and 625 for HDR with high native contrast of 4,000:1 and enhanced dynamic range over 16,000:1.

Gameplay is on par with many OLED displays. Not only do you get 240 Hz and Adaptive-Sync, but there’s a precise overdrive and super-low input lag, too. And the play experience goes to eleven with larger-than-life action right in your face. Using a monitor this big took me some getting used to, but the effort was rewarded with a truly immersive and realistic experience. The only thing I wished for was a handheld remote.

I can’t fault the 52G930B’s performance, but there is a caveat here. The 5120x2160 resolution requires at least a GeForce RTX 4090 video card if you’re going to get close to its full potential. A 5090 would be even better. And there’s no backlight strobe to smooth things out at lower frame rates.

If you have the budget for a premium gaming rig, the LG UltraGear 52G930B is perfect for those who want an extreme monitor. It has no real faults in the performance department, and it provides a unique and immersive play experience. It’s definitely worth checking out.

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TCL is well known for its value-priced TVs, but I have yet to review one of its consumer-oriented monitors. I have come to learn that it offers a well-rounded line of 13 displays, ranging from 24 to 57 inches, including some impressive Mini-LED panels with high brightness and a lot of dimming zones.

I’m checking one out today: the 27R94. Though its name is short, the list of features and tech is long. It’s a 27-inch HVA panel with a full-array Mini-LED backlight rated at 1,600 nits and featuring 2,304 dimming zones, the most I’ve seen to date. It also has Quantum Dot color, 4K resolution, 165 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, and HDR. Value is included, too, with a street price of $550. Let’s take a look.

TCL 27R94 Specs

The 27R94 starts with a panel type that is new to me. It’s labeled HVA (High-value VA), and it is a technology developed by TCL. The design goal is to provide the high contrast of VA with the off-axis image quality of IPS. I measured it at around 3,000:1 in my tests, which is comparable to the average VA monitor and three times the dynamic range of most IPS screens. And it does indeed have better viewing angles than any VA I’ve seen.

A Quantum Dot film provides the wide color gamut, which I measured at nearly 100% of DCI-P3. That’s a bit less than other QD monitors I’ve tested, but a good bit more than those without the tech. The 27R94 has around 10% more coverage than average. I found decent accuracy, too, though there were some minor grayscale anomalies that I’ll tell you about on page four. Plenty of picture modes provide flexibility for a variety of gaming and workday scenarios, including a usable sRGB preset.

The 27R94’s biggest asset is its Mini LED backlight. I’ve grown accustomed to monitors with 1,152 dimming zones, but this one doubles that to 2,304. And there’s plenty of peak brightness to go with that. You can have over 600 nits peak for SDR content, and I saw more than 1,700 nits from a 25% window pattern in HDR mode. It’s brighter than any OLED I’m aware of, and with the local dimming turned on, you’ll get incredible contrast too.

To ensure smooth gaming, TCL includes a 165 Hz refresh rate, which at first blush doesn’t sound like a lot, but this HVA panel operates with lower motion blur than typical VA or IPS models. There’s a good overdrive to go with it, so even at a seemingly low 165 fps frame rate, the action is very smooth.

The 27R94’s feature set further enhances the value quotient. You get all the helpful gaming aids like crosshairs and a frame counter. There’s a decent pair of internal speakers, and you get USB ports with a KVM function. Two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort port, and a USB-C port round out the video inputs. LED lighting trims the panel and stand with colored strips, providing a nice accent.

Assembly and Accessories

The 27R94 ships in blocks of crumbly foam in its three component parts. The base is very wide and deep and attaches to the upright with a captive bolt. The panel then snaps on. Arm users get a 100mm VESA mount with fasteners included. The cables are neatly packed into their own little box in a bundle that includes two USBs, DisplayPort, and HDMI. Also in the box is a very large external power supply.

Product 360

My favorite angle of the 27R94 is the back with its lined black center and white bits. It’s almost a retro-Star Wars vibe, and it stands out from the hundreds of black displays that cross my desk. The transitions are marked with LED strips both on the panel and the stand. You can change the colors and effects in the OSD.

The stand has a large, wide, and deep base. In fact, it is wider than the panel. It could easily support a larger monitor. It’s rock-solid and very well-made, with full ergonomics. You get 5/15 degrees tilt, 20 degrees swivel and a 90-degree portrait mode. The height adjustment covers a 3.7-inch range. Movements are firm and smooth, showing excellent build quality and durability.

You’ll note in the side profile photo that there is a small protrusion near the top of the panel. It’s a slide-out headphone holder that is quite substantial. That’s a nice touch to go with the 3.5mm jack on the down-facing input panel. You also get two HDMI 2.1s, a DisplayPort 1.4 and a USB-C with 90 watts of power. Peripherals connect to one upstream and two downstream USB 3.0 ports.

OSD Features

The 27R94’s OSD is operated by a small joystick that sits under the bottom center of the panel and is the monitor’s only control. It navigates a comprehensive and well-ordered menu.

Press or click the joystick, and a small quick menu appears at the bottom of the screen. The top and right options are programmable to a variety of functions. The left click opens the full OSD.

GameMode has all the video processing and game enhancers. You can toggle FreeSync/Adaptive-Sync/G-Sync/VRR, brighten the dark areas of the image for better visibility, activate a crosshair, turn on a timer, and control the LED strips’ colors and effects. Ambient Light has static modes and three animated settings for your entertainment. The Response Time option is a three-level overdrive that works precisely to remove motion blur. When frame rates are in the 165fps range, Fast works the best. The 27R94 does not include any form of backlight strobing.

Local Dimming is available for both SDR and HDR. When it’s off, the contrast ratio is just under 3,000:1. Standard ups that to around 5,000:1 by lowering the black level. Medium and High shut off the LED completely when there is a zero-level signal, which makes contrast unmeasurable. You can also tweak luminance with two gamma presets.

The Color menu offers three white balance presets, plus RGB sliders in a single-point configuration. I noted some issues when calibrating that I’ll detail on page four. A separate menu called Scenario Mode is where you’ll find the picture presets. Standard is the default and best option there. You can also specify color gamuts, sRGB, Adobe, and P3; or dial up a particular game type. There are 11 choices in total.

KVM is supported with either the USB-C or B ports acting as the hub point. There are two Type A downstream ports to connect a keyboard and mouse, or any other USB device you wish.

TCL 27R94 Calibration Settings

I explored the Standard picture mode for the 27R94’s calibration. It allows access to all image controls, including white balance and grayscale. If you want different gamuts, they are found in the Scenario Mode menu. You get P3, sRGB, and Adobe with a fixed color temp and gamma but adjustable brightness. Initial measurements showed a slight cool tone in the brighter steps and some warmth in dark parts of the image. I could only correct the upper part of the grayscale using the RGB sliders. The adjustments made a slight improvement overall. Gamma tracks well as does gamut saturation and hue. My recommended settings are below.

In HDR mode, the 27R94 switches over automatically and leaves brightness and local dimming available. You can also tweak the color temp and the saturation level, which is unusual for an HDR monitor.

Gaming and Hands-on

Having read up on HVA (High-value VA) panel tech, I was expecting a smooth experience and I got one. The 27R94 is impressively smooth for 165 Hz. Though I noted average response times in testing of around 4ms GTG, the addition of TCL’s precise overdrive delivered blur-free gameplay. I was able to lock the framerate at 165fps when playing on a GeForce RTX 4090-equipped PC. Lower rates will introduce some blur. And there is no backlight strobe here, so if you can’t keep it over 140fps, you’ll need to upgrade your video card to pair it with this monitor.

Input lag was also very low. The 27R94 tested and played extremely well on that count with no perceptible delay for any control input, mouse or keyboard. It is much quicker than any 144 Hz LCD and easily keeps up with many 240 Hz panels. When considering bang-for-the-buck performance, this TCL has lots.

The image was stunning, especially in HDR mode. A 27-inch 4K monitor boasts 163 ppi, which is more than enough to hide the pixel structure from view at any distance. Add in the 27R94’s tremendous brightness and you have HDR with a lot of impact. The Quantum Dot color helps too by bringing high saturation and vivid hues throughout. Many users, including myself, would find this image very close to an OLED in quality and definitely brighter.

The 27R94 is one of the rare monitors that lets you adjust color temp and saturation for HDR content. It was nice to be able to amp up the color if I wanted for specific games like Doom Eternal. Many of its environments are either monotone or drab in color. Upping the saturation slider made them more three-dimensional. I also tried the different local dimming options and settled on Medium as the best and most accurate one. When playing at night, I was able to lower the brightness slider to reduce eye fatigue.

This is an excellent monitor for daily tasks as well. If you’re spoiled by 4K like I am, you won’t want to use anything with less pixel density. The 27R94 has more density than my 32-inch reference screen and that is a visible difference. Coupled with its insanely bright highlights, the picture really pops with a texture and dimensionality that few LCDs can match.

I also appreciate TCL’s inclusion of internal speakers, USB ports and LED lighting in a value-oriented product. At $550, the 27R94 is a really good deal that sacrifices nothing on the altar of value.

Takeaway: The 27R94 is a superb gaming monitor that is also well-suited for productivity and other kinds of entertainment. It’s super smooth with better-than-average LCD panel response and class-leading input lag. Though value-priced, it still includes extras like LED lighting, speakers and USB ports. In practice, there is nothing to complain about here.

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27-inch 4K LCD monitors are relatively rare, so I had to go back a bit in the archives to find comparisons for the 27R94. The group includes Titan Army’s P2712V, Asus’ XG27UCS, Gigabyte’s GS27U, Acer’s XB273K, and Samsung’s 3D G9.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

The 27R94 is the fourth LCD I’ve tested with Nvidia’s LDAT sensor, so that chart includes some screens with higher refresh rates. Here, more Hertz equals fewer milliseconds of gray-to-gray response. The 27R94 is relatively smooth and matches the faster M27T6S. I’d say that HVA’s promise of faster draw times is fulfilled.

In the lag test, the 27R94 sits at the top of the pack against its nearest competitors. Though the range is tight, gamers looking for every advantage will want to audition this TCL. It’s quick in the test, and it’s quick in practice.

Test Takeaway: The 27R94 is equal to the quickest 27-inch 4K LCDs that I’ve tested. It is also equal in response to faster LCDs that run at 210 Hz. The HVA tech used here delivers on its promise of faster response. And it boasts significantly more contrast and brightness than similar IPS monitors.

Viewing Angles

While the 27R94’s viewing angles aren’t quite as good as the average OLED, they are as good or better than many IPS panels I’ve photographed. The side view retains full brightness with unaltered gamma and only shows a slight red tint. This is excellent performance. HVA definitely delivers here as well.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

Considering that there are 2,304 LED dimming zones behind the 27R94’s screen, its uniformity score of 11.63% is good. If I were to take the lower right corner zone out of the equation, the number would be closer to 6%.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

Brightness is Mini LED’s, and the 27R94’s biggest asset. I measured over 612 nits peak in SDR mode, which is more light than anyone would need indoors. I noted that turning on Local Dimming did not change the peak number; only the black level changed. That means you can get 612 nits with a full field or a window pattern. That’s a lot of brightness. Only Local Dimming Standard delivers a measurable black level. Medium and High completely shut off the backlight. I left LD off for this test and got a native contrast ratio of 2,880.3:1.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration has little effect on contrast, which is impressive, since I had to lower the contrast slider to resolve a clipping issue. The 27R94 isn’t quite as dynamically broad as some VA screens, but it has triple the contrast of the average IPS monitor. Turning the Local Dimming to Standard ups the ratio to around 5,000:1 by lowering the black level further.

ANSI contrast is consistent at 2,566.5:1. This is with LD turned off and I noted that turning it on had no effect on my checkerboard pattern. This is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: The 27R94 has contrast comparable to other VA Mini LED monitors and around triple the dynamic range of an IPS panel. With SDR brightness over 600 nits, it’s brighter than its nearest competitors and brighter than any OLED I’ve tested.

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The 27R94 ships in its Standard picture mode, which retains access to all image controls, including gamma and white balance. Local Dimming is also available for both SDR and HDR content.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

The default grayscale measurement is a bit unusual. You can see that the 27R94 is a bit warm below 30%, and a bit cool above 60%, with neutral tones in the middle. Most monitors show a progressively larger error as brightness rises. Gamma tracks almost perfectly on the 2.2. reference with just a slight dip at 10% that cannot be seen in actual content.

Calibration demonstrates that the 27R94 would benefit from a two-point RGB control. I dialed in the steps from 40 to 100% with the sliders and a reduction in the contrast value. But I could not fix the lower steps, which got a tad warmer from the adjustment. Overall, the picture is slightly improved, so I left this setup in place for the rest of the review.

sRGB grayscale tracking is excellent with only tiny errors from 80-100% brightness. Gamma takes a larger dip at 10%, which is a minor error. This mode is completely usable for color-critical work.

Comparisons

The 27R94 goes from mid-pack to the bottom when compared to the other screens’ grayscale tracking. The default value of 3.34dE is almost in the don’t-need-to-calibrate realm, but the errors are visible in the brighter parts of the image. Though the new value of 2.18dE doesn’t seem much better, it makes a visible impact for the positive.

Gamma tracking is excellent and that’s true for all the screens, which have nearly perfect tracking. The 27R94 is solid at a 0.13 range of values and a 1.82% deviation from the 2.2 reference. The actual average is 2.16, and that’s solely because of the 10% brightness step.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

You can see the 27R94’s Quantum Dot layer is doing its thing with a completely covered DCI-P3 gamut. All primaries are fully rendered, and there’s some bonus blue and magenta. Saturation targets are on point with only minor hue errors. These are fixed by the grayscale calibration to lower the average error slightly. This is excellent performance.

The sRGB gamut is spot-on with a tiny 1.63dE error. There is nothing to complain about here.

Comparisons

If you lined up all six monitors, there would be no visible difference in their color accuracy. The range of values of 1.06 to 1.83dE is very tight. You will see a difference in color volume, though, specifically in the red and green parts of the image. There, the 27R94 and XG27UCS have a clear advantage. Also, the 27R94 covers an ideal 100.83% of sRGB, making it well-suited for color-critical applications.

Test Takeaway: Aside from a slight grayscale anomaly in the darker parts of the image, the 27R94 exhibits very accurate color and gamma. A two-point RGB control would be a good fix for this. It compares well to its competition and is qualified for sRGB reference use. It covers more color than its non-QD counterparts, especially in the red and green parts of the image.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

Good HDR requires broad contrast, and the 27R94 delivers that with its 2,304-zone Mini LED backlight. HDR10 signals activate an automatic switch where you still have access to Local Dimming, brightness, color temp and color saturation adjustments.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The 27R94 is certified for VESA DisplayHDR 1400, and it blows past that number with 1,765 nits peak when measuring a 25% window. This is a seriously bright monitor, one of the brightest I’ve ever tested. It smokes the competition, which are doing well to crack 500 nits in the same test. This makes a huge visual impact, especially when viewing HDR content in a bright room.

I tried the three Local Dimming settings to see which one delivered the best luminance tracking (EOTF). Medium was the winner, but it prevented me from measuring the HDR black level. When I tried LD Standard, the contrast ratio was around 5,000:1, still solid. While the Acer and Samsung up their game in the HDR contrast test, they don’t hold a candle to the 27R94.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

The 27R94 shows similar grayscale performance for HDR as it did for SDR. Brightness steps from 30-50% are a tad warm, while the rest are neutral. The best EOTF tracking comes when Local Dimming is on Medium. Standard made the low end much too bright, which considerably reduced the image's impact. I noted that brightness remained adjustable, which is handy for playing HDR games in a dark room. When the monitor is cranking out 1,700-nit highlights, it gets a bit fatiguing unless there is some ambient light.

In the color test, the 27R94 tracks close to both saturation and hue targets. DCI-P3 is fully covered, with only slight hue errors in red, blue, and magenta. BT.2020 is covered until color runs out at 90% red, 75% green, and 90% blue.

Test Takeaway: The 27R94 is one of the brightest 27-inch monitors you can buy, regardless of type. It tops 1,700 nits peak for HDR content and has black levels low enough to make contrast unmeasurable. It comes within striking distance of an OLED for overall contrast, depth and impact. It also has very accurate HDR color with full coverage of DCI-P3. For $550, you’re unlikely to find a better HDR-capable LCD.

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When shopping for a premium gaming monitor, it’s hard to look past all the OLEDs currently vying for attention to see that there are still high-performance LCDs that can do most of the same things for less money. And there are Mini LED screens that outshine all OLEDs in peak brightness.

The TCL 27R94 is one of those and in many ways, it’s a class leader. I’ve reviewed other Mini LED panels that can top 1,000 nits but this one measured over 1,700. And few deliver black levels this low with effective local dimming and 2,304 zones, double the count of most others. The HDR image is a cut above all but the best and brightest OLEDs. And there’s also plenty of color, thanks to those Quantum Dots. 100% coverage of DCI-P3? Sign me up.

The only negative I encountered was grayscale tracking, which was a tad too warm in the darker parts of the image. That’s a nit-pick for sure, and one that could be solved with a two-point adjustment. In the end, calibration improved the image and that’s a win.

With a great picture, smooth and responsive gaming and plenty of features, the TCL 27R94 runs with the best gaming monitors I’ve reviewed. If you have $550 burning a hole in your pocket, and you want extreme brightness, definitely check it out.

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We’ve seen a few dual-mode gaming monitors gracing the lineups from major display manufacturers. They offer flexibility, as they can be quickly switched between complementary resolutions to increase frame rates. Most are 4K natively and double their refresh rate at Full HD resolution, AKA 1920x1080. The only downside is that you have to play at Full HD resolution.

Recently, I reviewed the Asus XG27JCG, a 5K monitor that switches to QHD (2560x1440) at 330 Hz. That’s 5K, as in 5120x2880, which equates to a pixel density of 218 ppi. If you’re willing to go a bit slower, say 5K/60 Hz and QHD/120 Hz, KTC can save you some money with its H27P3. It’s an IPS Black panel with Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and wide gamut color. How much will you save? Around $300 at this writing. The Asus is a very capable monitor, but it’s $850. KTC offers the H27P3 for $550. Let’s take a look.

Asus PA329Q Specs

Now to be fair, the H27P3 is a gaming monitor for casual players. 120 Hz won’t deliver super low input lag or a blur-free experience when the action gets frenetic. But you will get a stunningly smooth image from that 218ppi pixel density. You can literally press your nose onto the screen (don’t do this, grease spots are hard to remove) and never see the dots. If a monitor’s image can be called photographic, this one is. When you view graphics at 5120x2880, it’s a completely different level of sharpness than you’ve seen before. And yes, you can tell it apart from a 27-inch 4K display.

The H27P3 adds wide gamut color to the resume with a measured 110% coverage of DCI-P3. It’s spot-on accurate out of the box, too. My sample was so close to perfect that I could not improve it with calibration, not even slightly. It’s bright in SDR mode as well, with over 500 nits peak from an edge-LED backlight. HDR10 is supported with an automatic signal switch.

To improve the gaming experience, the H27P3 includes a decent overdrive with fixed levels and a variable option. Though refresh rates are relatively low, Adaptive-Sync effectively eliminates frame tears in both resolution modes. You also get MPRT backlight strobing, which works instead of Adaptive-Sync. You can pair the H27P3 with Nvidia or AMD video cards and get the same capabilities.

The game enhancement suite includes aiming points, sniper modes, night vision, timers, and a frame counter. There are USB ports for peripherals and three video inputs, one each of HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C. The latter includes 65 watts to charge phones, tablets, or laptops.

Physically, the H27P3 is minimalist. It’s super slim and has a basic stand that only tilts. There is no LED lighting, nor are there internal speakers. But it’s a 5K monitor with wide gamut color for $550. That’s going to make it hard to fault.

Assembly and Accessories

The H27P3 comes in a simple carton with no frilly graphics. Crumbly foam disgorges three bits: panel, upright, and base. The stand is slim but all metal and rigidly constructed. Cables include an external power supply plus USB-C and HDMI. You’ll need a Phillips-head screwdriver for assembly, and a small one is included.

Product 360

Looking at the photos, you’d think the H27P3 is easy to topple, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The slender stand is made of cast aluminum and is very rigid. It’s also perfectly balanced so that the panel sits right over the center of gravity. It ain’t goin’ nowhere. That minimal design means you only get tilt, 5/15 degrees. And the panel hinges at the bottom, meaning adjustments take the top of the screen away from you. If you’d rather use an arm, there’s a 100mm VESA mount in the back, but you’ll need to provide your own fasteners.

The back view is marked only by a KTC logo on top. The slim part of the panel is finished in shiny black plastic, while the component bulge below is matte. The stand snaps in and out easily. In the lower right corner, as you look from the front, there’s an OSD joystick that controls all monitor functions. A tiny hole graces the upright for cable management; fat connectors need not apply.

The input panel faces backward and includes one each of HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C (DP Alt) with 65 watts of power. HDMI is limited to 3840x2160 @ 60 Hz, which is not a multiple of 5K’s 5120x2880. That means a 4K image will look a bit rough. Stick to native resolution or QHD, and you’ll be fine. DP and USB-C support full-bandwidth and dual-mode operation. The input panel ends with two USB ports and a headphone jack.

OSD Features

KTC is the only manufacturer I’ve seen that lets you change the OSD color. It’s a small thing but unique, nonetheless. The H27P3’s menu has six logically laid-out sections.

The Display menu has luminance controls, black equalize, seven picture modes, and gamut selection, called Professional Modes. You get sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P,3 and BT.2020, all of which are handy for color-critical tasks. They’re all very accurate as well. Native delivers the H27P3’s full gamut, which covers over 110% of DCI-P3. It’s one of the most colorful monitors you can buy, period.

In the Color menu, there are color temp presets, three fixed and one with RGB sliders. There are four gammas, hue and saturation for all six colors, and a low blue light mode. Though you can calibrate with precision, it’s completely unnecessary.

Gaming Setup includes four overdrive settings, one of which is variable, as in, it varies with frame rate. It cuts blur well, but the H27P3 is limited by its 120 Hz refresh rate in QHD resolution. The Game Assist sub-menu includes fixed and variable-contrast crosshairs, a frame counter, sniper mode, and night vision.

Advanced Settings is where you’ll find the HDR toggle (leave it on Auto for automatic switching), KVM for the two USB ports, the OSD color, and the Dual Mode toggle. It switches between 5K/60 and 2K/120. Once you set up the two resolutions in Windows, the change is quick and easy.

KTC H27P3 Calibration Settings

The H27P3 is one of the most accurate out-of-the-box monitors I’ve ever reviewed. It includes a full set of calibration controls, but I didn’t need any of them. Just set the brightness to taste and enjoy. I noted that changes to the color space, called Professional Modes, retained access to the color temps and brightness slider, but all other picture controls were greyed out. Only Native has full calibration ability. My SDR settings are below. For HDR, there is only one setting, Auto.

Gaming and Hands-on

Like any dual-mode monitor, the H27P3 must be set up in Nvidia Control Panel or Radeon Settings. First, make sure it runs at 5120x2880/60 Hz, then switch to 2K mode and set the 2560x1440 speed to 120 Hz. Then, the H27P3 will switch back and forth between the OSD without needing to change software settings. I noted that HDR won’t always stay active, so you might need to switch that back in Windows Display Settings.

The picture in 5K mode is stunningly sharp. It’s super colorful too, in either resolution, thanks to that IPS Black panel. It delivers more color volume than many of the Quantum Dot screens I’ve experienced. I also noted a VA-level contrast with deep, convincing blacks. While you won’t mistake the H27P3 for an OLED, it is more textural than the average IPS monitor. With over 500 nits available, it’s brighter than many OLEDs as well.

When watching video in 5K mode at 60fps or less, it looks solid with minimal blur. I found the best overdrive setting to be Auto, since it varies the overshoot with frame rate. Gaming required some compromise, though. Playing casual titles with slow rendering, like Myst, is a superlative experience on 5K. The pixel density is incredible, with not even the slightest suggestion that the image is made from dots. If you like to sit inches from the screen, this monitor is for you.

When the action intensified, I found myself reaching for the 2K mode right away. Playing Doom Eternal and other 3D shooters at full resolution and 60 Hz was a challenge. I’m very spoiled by speedy monitors and OLEDs, and the H27P3 just isn’t one of those. To be fair, gaming at 60fps on any LCD won’t be fun. Motion blur makes aiming difficult with the moving background constantly smearing. If you want to explore at a leisurely pace, it’s fine. But if fragging is the goal, this isn’t a great monitor. I did find it responsive, though. Input lag in 5K mode is lower than you might expect.

Work tasks were a pleasure thanks to the sharp and smooth-toned image. Color is a level above most other monitors. Only the best QD screens I’ve reviewed can match the H27P3’s volume and accuracy. I discovered in testing that it was spot-on out of the box, with calibration unnecessary. This would be a great display for color grading and Photoshop. It was also great for documents because text of all sizes looked like fine printing on high-end paper.

Physically, I wished for more adjustments from the stand. Though it is solid and elegant, I had to tilt the panel upward to my eyepoint. I prefer a vertical stance, and you can only achieve that with the H27P3 if you put it on a pedestal or arm. I also missed internal speakers. I did appreciate the inclusion of USB ports and KVM, though.

Takeaway: The H27P3 is only a fair gaming monitor thanks to its relatively low refresh rates, but it is stunning to look at when the action is laid back. It’s gorgeous for photos and video, too, with tremendous color saturation and precise accuracy. I enjoyed its elegant styling and slim profile, but wished for a more adjustable stand. Overall, it’s impossible to deny the value factor. You’re getting a 5K monitor for $550. That’s pretty amazing.

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To compare the H27P3’s performance, I’ve rounded up one other 5K/2K monitor, Asus’ XG27JCG, and four 4K screens, Acer’s XB273U F5 and XB273K V5, KTC’s H27E6, and Titan Army’s P2712V. All are 27-inch IPS panels.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

Panel response differs between OLEDs and LCDs, so to make a fair comparison, I added only Acer’s XB273U F5 for the first test. The Nvidia LDAT timed a one-inch square, black-to-white transition at 2.4ms at 360 Hz. The H27P3 has nearly identical times at 60 and 120 Hz, 6.75 and 6.63ms, respectively. With so little data, I can’t identify a trend, but stay tuned to this space, as there will be more monitoring tests with the LDAT to come.

In the lag test, the H27P3 makes up for its low refresh rate with a respectable 27.7ms score at 60 Hz. That’s a tad quicker than the P2712V and XG27JCG, both running at faster rates. At 120 Hz, the H27P3 is 10.3ms faster with a 17.4ms score. That puts it in range of many 144 and 200 Hz screens. Note that it’s only 0.4ms behind the XG27JCG, which is running nearly three times faster.

Test Takeaway: The H27P3 does its best with motion blur using a decent overdrive, but at 120 Hz, you won’t have perfect motion resolution. You can expect low input lag, though it may be on par with some faster displays. The H27P3 isn’t a great gaming monitor, but it clearly is a good one.

Viewing Angles

The H27P3 acquits itself well against other IPS panels, with a slight red tint at 45 degrees off-axis. Brightness is reduced by less than 10%, and gamma is stable. The top view is also better than most, with a green/red tint and reduced brightness but solid gamma. This is excellent performance.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

My H27P3 sample had a thin band at the top of the screen that was a tad light. Otherwise, it was uniform in all field patterns from black to white and in the primary and secondary colors. 10.35% is a decent score that’s just over the visible threshold.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The H27P3 is one of the brightest 27-inch LCDs I’ve seen with an edge backlight. Normally, you’d need a full-array Mini LED to get over 400 nits. The black level is even more impressive. When I ran the initial tests, I thought I was dealing with a VA panel, but it is indeed IPS. Its native contrast of almost 2,000:1 is a new record for the category. I consider 1,000:1 to be an average and 1,400:1 to be exceptional. KTC has a winner here.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration consisted only of reducing the brightness slider. No other changes were made. Contrast remains just shy of 2,000:1, and the H27P3 retains first-place status in the black level test. The image is very textural and deep with tremendous dynamic range.

ANSI contrast is slightly reduced due to the uniformity issue I noted earlier. Other H27P3 samples might measure better than this. Even with that flaw, it’s still the most contrasty IPS panel I’ve seen in a while. In practice, it’s a difference you can see.

Test Takeaway: The H27P3 has greater contrast than any other IPS monitor I’ve reviewed. It’s tickling the underside of VA territory but delivers much better viewing angles than that technology. With extremely low black levels, the image is more vibrant and realistic. Add 218 ppi pixel density, and you have an incredibly sharp picture that has few, if any, equals.

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The H27P3 ships in its User picture mode. I quickly found that it could not be improved upon. It was almost perfect at factory defaults. I also tested the sRGB mode and noted that it included Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, and BT.2020 options.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

KTC promises color accuracy below 2dE, and the H27P3 delivers less than 1dE in the grayscale test. There are no visible errors, and from my experience, many monitors aren’t this good after calibration. Gamma is spot-on as well with no visible shifts in luminance.

The sRGB mode has equally accurate grayscale tracking, but gamma is slightly off the mark with an obvious dip at 10% brightness. That means some shadow areas will be too light in tone. It is still good enough for most color-critical tasks.

Comparisons

I charted the H27P3’s 0.56 dE grayscale score in the before-and-after comparisons. It doesn’t get much better than that. With a field of screens this good, though, you won’t see a difference between them in a side-by-side comparison. This is excellent performance.

In the gamma test, the H27P3 delivers a tight 0.07 range of values from lowest to highest. That’s very consistent luminance tracking. The actual average of 2.18 represents a 0.91% deviation from the 2.2 specification.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

Since I didn’t calibrate the H27P3, the first chart above shows the out-of-box state. Since the native gamut is a bit bigger than DCI-P3, the bonuses come in red and green, which are both slightly oversaturated. Hue tracking is perfect except for magenta, which moves slightly towards red. This is an invisible error that you won’t see in actual content.

The sRGB chart is almost perfect except for a tiny undersaturation at 80% red. This is an invisible error, and with an overall average of just 0.58dE, you can stack the H27P3 up against any pro monitor and be happy. This is phenomenal performance for a $550 display.

Comparisons

All the monitors above show their calibrated results, except the H27P3, which has not been adjusted in any way other than to set the brightness to 200 nits. 1.57dE is firmly in professional territory. I noted that KTC’s other screen in my database, the H27E6, delivered a similar result but required calibration to get there.

In the volume test, the H27P3 delivers a standout score of nearly 111% DCI-P3 coverage. That makes it one of the most colorful displays you can buy at any price. Surprisingly, it achieves this without a Quantum Dot layer. The panel tech is called IPS Black, which also accounts for the high contrast ratio. Along with a perfect 99.88% score for sRGB, it is fully qualified for pro-level color work.

Test Takeaway: The H27P3 is one of the most accurate and colorful monitors you can buy, at any price and of any tech. That you can get this kind of performance for just $550, and a 5K panel too, is amazing.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The H27P3 supports HDR10 signals with an automatic switch. It works in either 5K or 2K mode over the DisplayPort and USB-C inputs.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The H27P3 is certified for DisplayHDR 400, and it exceeds that spec but is a little less bright than its competitors. It still has plenty of punch, though, and the incredible pixel density uplevels perceived sharpness by a significant amount. There is no dynamic contrast available, so the ratio is only slightly better than SDR, 2,116.3:1. That’s better than three of the others here, so this choice by KTC is a typical one for value-priced screens. The top two monitors are more expensive, so a better HDR experience is expected. But the H27P3 holds its own.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

I noted a few issues in the HDR color tests. Grayscale tracking is just fair with some green tint noted above 50% brightness. The EOTF tracks darkly below the tone-map transition. This effectively clips some shadow detail. Levels from zero to 20% are the same, which means you’ll only see black in the darkest parts of the image. If your game or video player includes HDR tweaks, you’ll need to enable them to see the full picture. I was able to do this effectively in Doom Eternal.

There is some clipping in the color test as well. Look at the 100% green and red squares. The measured points for 90 and 100% are both crowded into them. That means there will be some color clipping in the most vivid scenes. Inner points are around 20% oversaturated, which gives the image a lot of punch, but some highlight detail is lost. Again, you can compensate using game or player menus as I did. In the BT.2020 test, the H27P3 runs out of color at 90% red, 80% green, and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The H27P3 has a few HDR tuning issues that I noted in the color tests. But it is bright and contrasty with deep blacks and sparkling highlights. HDR quality is enhanced by its next-level sharpness. And you can get that detail back if your software offers adjustments like Doom Eternal’s menu does. My main wish was for dynamic contrast, which was absent.

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Any thoughts I or anyone else might have about 5K gaming monitors should be qualified by the fact that there aren’t many available. It’s not a prolific genre at present, so you don’t have many choices. That said, KTC is offering excellent value in the H27P3.

The standout feature here is the H27P3’s color. It’s both perfectly accurate out of the box and highly saturated. My initial tests showed such low errors that I could not improve them with calibration. And that’s something you can see when comparing it to other monitors of any type. It also has more color volume than almost anything else, and more than many Quantum Dot displays, even though it is not a QD monitor. IPS Black has made a serious statement here. That tech also delivers the highest IPS contrast I’ve ever measured, around 2,000:1, which is VA territory.

As a gaming screen, the H27P3 is just fair. Though it’s stunning to look at, it doesn’t have a refresh rate fast enough to mitigate motion blur. If you stick to graphical adventures that don’t require frenetic movement, it’s fine. But shooters are more challenging when you’re used to the magic of a 360 Hz OLED. If you really want to game in 5K, the Asus XG27JCG is a better bet, albeit for $300 more.

Besides terrific color and contrast, the H27P3 delivers value. A 5K monitor for $550 is amazing when you consider that it wasn’t long ago that the first 4K screens arrived for around $3,000 and were useless for gaming. If KTC could double the refresh rate here, it would be a homerun. But if you want to see a stunningly sharp, colorful image when watching movies or working in Photoshop, the H27P3 is well worth checking out.

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It’s a given that speed and smoothness are what separate the best gaming monitors from average ones. Once you get to the short list of candidates for purchase, the next consideration is brightness and color. A vivid and luminant screen enhances the gaming experience almost as much as high refresh rates.

The brightest and most colorful category right now is Quantum Dot Mini LED. Full-array local dimming, when done right, can deliver blacks almost as deep as a good OLED and peak highlights over 1,000 nits. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an OLED that bright.

Monitors like this were once expensive, but here I have a sample from KTC, the M27T6S. This 27-inch Fast IPS monitor sports QHD 2560x1440 resolution, 200 Hz (210 Hz with overclock), a Mini LED backlight with 1,152 dimming zones, Quantum Dot wide gamut color, Adaptive-Sync, and HDR1000 for just $290 at this writing. Let’s take a look.

KTC M27T6S Specs

KTC is new to me as a reviewer, but not to the market. It has been selling monitors in the US for 30 years, some under other badges, but since 2021, it has broken out as its own gaming brand. KTC means “Key To Combat” and focuses on high performance and value.

The M27T6S has an impressive list of attributes. A Mini LED panel with 1,152 dimming zones and HDR1000 for $290? That’s enough to drive a purchase on its own. A Quantum Dot film widens the color gamut to a near-record-setting 117.24% coverage of DCI-P3. That’s a lot of color, and it makes a significant difference, easily seen in a side-by-side comparison. You also get selectable gamuts for when you need sRGB or Adobe RGB. Accuracy out of the box is fair and gets better with calibration.

Gamers will enjoy the 200 Hz refresh rate, which can be reliably overclocked to 210 Hz with a switch in the OSD. There’s Adaptive-Sync, of course; it works with Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. And when running at slower frame rates, MPRT activates a backlight strobe to cut motion blur. The overdrive includes an Auto setting, which varies the amount of overshoot with changes in refresh rate.

A full-array local dimming (FALD) Mini LED delivers better depth and contrast than an edge-lit monitor. The M27T6S’s IPS panel had a typical 1,000:1 native contrast. However, turn on local dimming, and dynamic range jumps to over 41,000:1. Peak brightness is very high, with 540 nits in SDR mode and 1,300-nit highlights in HDR. The M27T6S is VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certified.

That super low price means a few things have been left out. There are no USB ports, speakers, or LED lights. But there are some gaming aids like aiming points, a timer, and an FPS counter. Local dimming has four levels, and HDR includes four modes of its own. You also get a somewhat unique look with areas of light gray in the back and on the stand, which makes a refreshing alternative to the usual black. It’s hard to overstate the value of a $290 monitor that offers this much.

Assembly and Accessories

Aside from a few simple white graphics, the M27T6S’s carton does nothing to attract attention. Only a small label on the side tells you what’s inside. The screen and upright, along with the base, are packed in crumbly foam and assembled without tools. A 100mm VESA mount is provided for aftermarket arms, but you’ll have to source your own fasteners. The cable bundle includes IEC for the internal power supply plus DisplayPort.

Product 360

The back and base of the M27T6S look white in the photos, but they are a very light gray with a semi-matte finish. Black accents are textured and look a bit like carbon fiber. A purple KTC logo graces the back of the panel, and though it seems to glow, it is not backlit. The front bezel is flush and narrow with a tiny logo front and center. Reach around the back right to find the OSD joystick, which is the only control.

The upright includes a small cable clip and delivers full ergonomics. There is a 5.2-inch height adjustment, plus 5/20 degrees of tilt, 45 degrees of swivel, and a 90-degree portrait mode. Movements are firm, but there is a little wobble at the fulcrum. The M27T6S is stable, but you’ll need to tweak it a bit to get the screen exactly where you want it. The stand is tall enough to set the panel vertically while centering your eyepoint.

The input panel faces downward and includes two HDMI 2.0 ports, which top out at 144 Hz in QHD resolution. They are compatible with consoles and support HDR and VRR. A single DisplayPort 1.4 supports the full overclocked 210 Hz, along with Adaptive-Sync and HDR. There is a USB port, but it is only for service; it doesn’t accept peripherals or provide power. Audio is only available through the 3.5mm headphone jack; there are no internal speakers.

OSD Features

Pressing the M27T6S’s joystick brings up an organized OSD with six sub-menus. It includes input signal information plus HDR and Adaptive-Sync status.

Display includes nearly everything needed to tweak the picture. After brightness and contrast, there’s a black equalizer control that brightens up shadow areas for better visibility. I found no need for this when local dimming was engaged. Preset is where you’ll find the nine picture modes. Changing any parameter puts the M27T6S into User mode, where all controls are active. At the bottom, Professional Modes contain the five color gamut selections. Native shows the monitor’s full color, which covers over 117% of DCI-P3.

The Color menu has four fixed color temps, plus RGB sliders, along with five gamma presets, hue and saturation for all six colors, and a low blue light slider. The M27T6S’s Gaming Setup includes overdrive with three fixed levels and a dynamic option that varies overshoot with frame rate. You can also engage MPRT (backlight strobe) for further blur reduction. It cuts brightness by around 20% and cancels Adaptive-Sync. But it works at 210 Hz and has none of the phasing artifacts common to this tech. It’s one of the best backlight strobes I’ve seen in a while.

Advanced Settings is where you’ll find the four HDR modes, which work when an HDR10 signal is present. HDR Cinema is the default and best choice there. If 1,300-nit highlights are too bright for your environment, the HDR600 mode dials back the peak. Or you can just lower the brightness slider, which remains active in HDR mode. Here also are the local dimming options with three fixed levels and an auto mode. They bump contrast up to over 41,000:1 and are especially effective for HDR content.

KTC M27T6S Calibration Settings

My M27T6S was a little cool in tone out of the box, with a lighter image than I expected. Gamma is set to 2.2 by default, but it measured closer to 2.0. A few tweaks of the RGB sliders and a change to the gamma 2.4 preset set things right. The Native color gamut setting is very colorful, especially in red and blue. It will appeal to most users, but if you want to dial it back just a bit, the Professional Modes include P3 and sRGB options. My recommended settings are below.

Gaming and Hands-on

The value quotient was uppermost in my mind as I put the M27T6S through its paces. The gaming experience was on par with the best monitors I’ve reviewed, thanks to low input lag and an excellent overdrive. Though variable OD is an option, I found it worked best when set to Advanced. That tracks because my GeForce RTX 4090-equipped system pegged the frame rate at 210fps. QHD will let you do that with a wide variety of video cards. There was no need for additional processing to keep the action smooth and free of artifacts. Blur was minimal, not quite gone but well below the level of distraction.

Control response reminded me of the fastest monitors I’ve tested. You’ll see on the next page that it measures up to many faster, more expensive screens. Mouse and keyboard inputs were instantly translated into 180-degree turns and precise circle strafing. I could aim easily and consistently as well. The M27T6S is fully competition worthy.

The HDR picture was breathtaking in both color and contrast. The Mini LED backlight has 1,152 dimming zones, so it is very effective at boosting dynamic range. I measured almost 45,000:1 in HDR mode, and it presented an almost OLED-quality image. Blacks were true and finely detailed while highlights popped from the screen. I could see a case for the HDR600 mode or simply turning the brightness down because some flashes were a bit too dazzling when playing in my dimly lit office. The M27T6S is one of the few HDR monitors that lets you dial down the output. I noted that there were no internal speakers, so game audio had to be relegated to headphones, which I plugged into the 3.5mm jack. There are also no USB ports so those needing a hub won’t find it here.

For everyday use, the M27T6S works well with its 109ppi and a sharp image. Color is the star with vivid primaries that make it look even brighter. I normally set the peak to 200 nits for testing, but I found I had to reduce it a bit to 180 to keep fatigue from setting in. This is a seriously bright display that stands out from its competitors. My only complaint is that the stand is a bit wobbly. It keeps the display rooted, but adjustments take a little more trial and error to get right. I was happy to see a large height range so I could set the panel at vertical with my eyes at center screen.

Takeaway: The M27T6S is a great all-around display and an excellent gaming monitor. Though there are higher refresh rates out there, it made the most of its 210 Hz with a precise overdrive and completely usable MPRT backlight strobing. With low input lag, it delivered a competition-level play experience. The picture is incredibly bright and colorful for any purpose, from work to entertainment. With such a low price of admission, it’s hard to fault.

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To compare the M27T6S’s performance, I’ve extracted five 27-inch QHD screens from the database. They include KTC’s H27E6, HP’s Omen 27qs, AOC’s Q27G40XMN and Q27G4ZMN, and Acer’s XB273U F5.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

I tested the M27T6S with overclocking enabled at 210 Hz and compared it to the other LCDs I’ve tested with Nvidia’s LDAT sensor. So far, response time goes hand in hand with refresh rate. This result was with overdrive set to Advanced, the middle level. Ultra Fast gave a 3.54ms time, but it had too much ghosting to be useful.

In the lag test, the M27T6S beats some monitors with higher refresh rates, posting a respectable 15.9ms score. It’s as quick as most premium screens with instant control response in twitchy 3D shooters. This is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: The M27T6S has very low input lag on par with the best monitors I’ve tested. It shows a bit more motion blur than premium OLEDs, but it has excellent overdrive and an effective backlight strobe. That makes it competition-worthy and flexible enough to run smoothly with slower PCs and consoles.

Viewing Angles

The M27T6S has off-axis image quality comparable to the better IPS panels I’ve tested. You can see a little red and green in the side photo, but there is no change in brightness or gamma. It is completely shareable. The top view goes blue/red with lower brightness and washed-out detail. Overall, this is excellent performance.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

My M27T6S sample just made it under the 10% point where glow or bleed becomes visible to the naked eye. The meter noted a tad more brightness in the center zones, but I could not see this in content. Other neutral and color field patterns were equally uniform in my observation.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

Can you tell which of these screens is Mini LED? SDR tests don’t always reveal the answer since they often save their extra output for HDR content. But the M27T6S lets you crank the light up to 540 nits if you wish. And that’s a full field measurement. Turn on local dimming and measure a 25% window, and it shoots up to over 1,300 nits. You can use the dimming for SDR content and see 41,545:1 contrast if you like. When it’s off, it’s a more IPS-typical 921.2:1

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration doesn’t change the contrast level much; it’s still just under 1,000:1. You can see the advantage of VA here. The top two screens have almost 5,000:1 natively. I recommend using local dimming for SDR to achieve better black levels and higher contrast.

In the ANSI test, the M27T6S scores very well with over 973:1, higher than the static score. This shows good component selection and quality control on KTC’s part.

Test Takeaway: The M27T6S has similar contrast to other IPS panels but can get very bright if you wish, well over 500 nits. Local dimming bumps that up to over 1,300 nits for small highlights and takes contrast over 41,000:1. This is a very flexible display that works in any environment, from dark rooms to bright outdoor venues.

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My M27T6S sample looked a little off the mark before calibration in its User picture mode. Luckily, there are plenty of options to deal with any image anomalies.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

The M27T6S runs a bit cool in tone out of the box, with errors visible from 20 to 100% brightness. It also looks a little light with flat textures and a slightly hazy appearance. This is mainly due to the light gamma you can see in the first chart. Though the preset says 2.2, it’s closer to 2.0, which is too light. With some back and forth of the RGB sliders and a change to 2.4 gamma, the picture is much more realistic. The haze is gone and color is much more vivid.

sRGB mode shows similar traits with a cool grayscale and light gamma. Unfortunately, when you use the Professional modes, color temps and gamma presets are grayed out, so you can’t fix the errors.

Comparisons

The M27T6S’s 6.74dE grayscale value means you should calibrate for a more neutral tone. With changes to the RGB sliders, the number drops to 1.35dE which puts it on par with its competitors. There is no visible error. Changing the gamma preset from 2.2 to 2.4 also makes a significant improvement in that the picture gains depth and texture. At the defaults, it’s a bit hazy. That change also brings the M27T6S in line with the other screens.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

You can see that the M27T6S’s native color gamut is very large and goes well past the DCI-P3 perimeter. All three primaries are oversaturated with green and yellow off in hue. This makes me wonder if KTC is going for BT.2020. And the second chart above confirms that they are. It almost fills green, goes over 100% for blue, and hits 90% red. This is one of the most colorful monitors I’ve ever tested.

After calibration, the inner points are more oversaturated due to the change in gamma. This is something of a compromise, but ultimately, the picture looks much better with the changes.

In sRGB mode, the blue/green color temperature pulls magenta and yellow off their hue targets. The light gamma indicates that the inner red points are undersaturated. With an average error of 3.28dE, this mode is usable but not quite at the professional level.

Comparisons

The M27T6S has some room for improvement in the out-of-the-box color tests, but gets closer to the mark with calibration. Grayscale gets there, but the color gamut still has a few visible errors. But since they are oversaturation errors, they are easier to forgive. Few users will complain about a very colorful monitor. This one is more colorful than just about anything else out there.

You can see that in the volume test, where the M27T6S fills over 117% of the DCI-P3 gamut. It is rare to find that much color volume outside the professional genre. KTC uses Quantum Dot tech to its fullest potential here. The sRGB volume is nearly ideal at 96.93%.

Test Takeaway: Aside from a few out-of-the-box issues, the M27T6S delivers good color performance with tremendous volume and a vivid presentation. It isn’t the most accurate screen I’ve tested, but it is very nice to look at. And no one will complain about a very colorful display.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The M27T6S supports HDR10 signals with an automatic switch. There are four HDR-specific picture modes, one of which dials down the brightness by 40% for better use in dark environments.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

This is where Mini LED monitors shine, literally. To see this kind of brightness from an OLED will cost you a lot more than the M27T6S’s $290 asking price. It’s rated for HDR1000, and it blows past that with a 1,309.1191-nit score. I measured a 25% window with local dimming set to Auto. A full field pattern measured 632 nits.

With any setting of the local dimming, black levels drop to barely measurable. To the naked eye, the backlight appears to be off, but my meter detected a tiny amount of light. The resulting contrast is almost 45,000:1. This is on par with the best plasma TVs of yesteryear, like Pioneer’s Kuro line of high-end displays. It’s rare to see this kind of performance in the LCD genre, but Mini LED makes it possible. In practice, the M27T6S renders deep blacks that retain fine detail and bright highlights. HDR looks spectacular.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

The M27T6S’s HDR grayscale and EOTF tracking aren’t quite at reference level, but they are good. Brightness steps above 50% run a little cool, but the error is barely visible in content. The EOTF tracks on the reference level in shadow areas but rises too quickly and runs light from 40% to the tone map transition at 75%. That is the correct value for the measured black and white levels. There are no adjustments available in HDR mode except for brightness, which won’t affect these tests.

In the HDR color tests, the M27T6S is very oversaturated, but like the SDR results, I don’t expect anyone to complain. Color is beyond vivid with a glow and brightness that is a pleasure to look at. The BT.2020 result is extremely impressive. Red runs out at just over 90% while green gets to 85% and blue hits 95%. If you want lots of color, no monitors selling for less than $300 have more than the M27T6S.

Test Takeaway: The M27T6S’s HDR color isn’t strictly accurate, but it is extremely vivid and bright. It’s one of the most colorful monitors I’ve ever tested, and its extra volume can be clearly seen when compared to other Quantum Dot monitors. With peaks over 1,300 nits, the image is deeply textured and impactful.

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With so many new gaming displays relying on OLED technology, it’s easy to forget the much less expensive alternative, Mini LED. With a full-array local dimming backlight and high brightness, it can approach the contrast of OLED at a much higher output level. Add in a Quantum Dot film and color volume gets to the premium level as well. You’d think a monitor like that would be expensive, but KTC is offering the M27T6S for just $290 at this writing. For performance and features like that, it’s a compelling choice.

Color volume is the most impressive number from the tests, with measured DCI-P3 coverage over 117%. The M27T6S almost qualifies as a BT.2020 monitor. Accuracy isn’t great out of the box, but it calibrated well. Brightness is up there too, with over 500 nits peak in SDR mode and HDR highlights topping 1,300 nits. And the local dimming drops the black level without obscuring fine detail for a dynamic contrast ratio of almost 45,000:1. You won’t find 1,300 nits from many OLEDs.

Video processing definitely punches above its weight class. I measured extremely low input lag and panel response smooth enough to eliminate most motion blur. The overdrive is very useful and precise, and there’s a backlight strobe for lower frame rates that runs artifact-free.

If you’re looking for extreme color, extreme brightness, and a great gaming experience, but don’t have the budget for an OLED, the KTC M27T6S is a great choice worth checking out.

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OLED monitors have been getting more and more accessible over the past few years as both LG and Samsung iterate on their respective panel technologies. Cheaper models were previously relegated to older panels, but throughout 2025, we regularly saw modern OLED displays for around $500. Now, Alienware has just launched its latest 'AW2727DM' OLED monitor for only $350, marking a new era of OLED accessibility.

• Get the Alienware AW2726DM for $350

The AW2726DM is a 27-inch, 1440p gaming monitor featuring a 3rd Gen QD-OLED panel from Samsung with the updated subpixel layout for improved text clarity. It has a 240 Hz refresh rate, with FreeSync Premium built in, so you're not getting entry-level barebones specs either. The only notable downside is the maximum brightness, rated at 200 nits. Keep in mind that's SDR brightness; your HDR content will still peak at around 1,000 nits and look incredible.

That's because this is still a QD-OLED panel with excellent color volume (better than competing WOLED options), perfect blacks, and a glossy coating to ensure clarity. Alienware is listing 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, and it's a 10-bit panel, so it can display over a billion colors. The perceived contrast enabled by OLED's pixel-level dimming helps make HDR pop more than you'd think, given its on-paper specs.

We've already reviewed the monitor and gave it an Editor's Choice award because there's simply nothing else on the market that challenges its value. Yes, you can find better specs, but you won't find them at this price. The cheapest OLED monitor on Amazon is the AOC Q27GAZD, which goes for $380 right now. The next step up from there is MSI's MAG 274QP X24, which is listed for $430, and that's on sale for $500.

For connectivity, you get 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There are extras such as a KVM, speakers, or even a USB port for firmware upgrades. But the monitor does come with a 3-year burn-in warranty, typical for OLED displays these days. The OSD also features various OLED care options, such as pixel refresh, to make sure the panel stays as good as new for a long time.

Not that it matters much, but design-wise, the AW2726DM is a clean-looking unit with no frills. Usually, you'd see RGB on the back of an Alienware monitor, but $350 doesn't buy you that. The build quality is, however, very solid, and we were impressed with the stand included in an otherwise basic package. It has tilt, height adjustment, rotation, and swivel capabilities; more than enough to get you started. Alienware is offering all this at a $350 MSRP; no discount required.

Dual-mode gaming monitors are becoming more commonplace among the best gaming monitors, and Sony is getting in on the action with the Inzone M10S II. This is a relatively heavy refresh of the existing Inzone M10S that's currently available. While the Inzone M10S offers up to a 480 Hz refresh rate at its native QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution, the Inzone M10S II ups that to 540 Hz.

But Sony didn't stop there; the Inzone M10S II is also dual-mode capable, so if you drop the resolution to 720p, you can enjoy up to a 720 Hz refresh rate if you have one of the best graphics cards for gaming that can spit out pixels fast enough. For those who like to partake in eSports games at a professional level, that's a strong showing for the monitor. The Inzone M10S II also uses a new fourth-generation LG WOLED panel with Primary RGB Tandem technology infused.

Sony also made some other enhancements to make the Inzone M10S II more flexible. The standard matte display coating has been enhanced with what it calls a Super Anti-Glare Film to further minimize distracting reflections (which can be burdensome in brightly lit gaming arenas). Panel response time has dipped slightly from 0.03 ms (GTG) to 0.02 ms, and there is now motion blur reduction with a brightness compensator. The maximum refresh rate with MBR enabled is 270 Hz at QHD resolution.

The Inzone M10S II also features an improved 1080p (4:3 aspect ratio) display mode that reduces the displayed panel size from 27 inches to 24.5 inches. Sony also added Anti-VRR flicker support to the monitor, and it is supported in the 24.5-inch display resolution mode.

One helpful addition is a dynamic crosshair that adjusts its colors based on the background. This ensures that your crosshair is visible in an environment and was explicitly added following feedback Sony received from players during the ALGS Championship. Finally, Sony increased the maximum tilt angle from 25 degrees to 35 degrees, which was another request from professional gamers that was addressed.

Sony says that the Inzone M10S II will launch later in 2026 with an MSRP of $1,099. That's a huge chunk of change to spend on a 27-inch QHD monitor, but Sony is targeting a specific segment of the pro-gaming market, and those folks know what they want and are often willing to pay the premium.

To start this off as clearly and plainly as possible, this review is of a $350, 27-inch OLED gaming monitor with Quantum Dot color, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10 and QHD 2560x1440 resolution. If you’ve been paying attention to the gaming monitor market, you might want to stop reading right here and go buy one on those specs and pricing alone. The Alienware AW2726DM is far more than an incremental price drop for the category; the $500 barrier hasn’t been smashed, it’s been erased.

But please read on, because below you’ll find my full battery of test results, with comparisons to more expensive monitors with higher refresh rates. Let’s take a look.

Alienware AW2726DM Specs

For this price, you’d expect the AW2726DM to be stripped down to bare essentials. But while it isn’t festooned with features, this display isn’t a barebones proposition, either. You get a 27-inch QHD OLED panel with Quantum Dot color that fills over 111% of the DCI-P3 gamut, which is a tick higher than average. Accuracy is decent out of the box, with even better image fidelity after a quick calibration. The only thing missing on the color front is an sRGB mode, which isn’t a big deal for gaming.

There are plenty of other picture modes though, 11 for SDR and another three for HDR10 content. Brightness is one thing that is sacrificed on the altar of value. While I measured 400-nit peaks in HDR mode, SDR topped out at around 200 nits. You still get OLED’s perfect blacks, though. Like all its more expensive competitors, contrast is so good that it can’t be measured.

There are no sacrifices when it comes to gaming performance here. You get a 240 Hz refresh rate with Adaptive-Sync. That’s more than enough to eliminate motion blur, and coupled with the QHD resolution, speedy frame rates are easy enough to achieve. There’s no black frame insertion, AKA ELMB/ULMB, but it’s not needed unless you pair the AW2726DM with a slower gaming rig.

Less important omissions include internal speakers, USB ports, and LED lighting. And the stand is simply designed, though it has full ergonomics. Build quality is up to par with any Alienware display I’ve worked with, and long-term reliability is backed by a three-year warranty that includes burn-in. And that can be staved off with the pixel refresh you’ll find in the OSD.

Small misses aside, the AW2726DM is going to be hard to fault given its $350 price tag. The last few 27-inch QHD OLEDs I reviewed all had prices north of $500. Let’s see what the instruments reveal.

Assembly and Accessories

The AW2726DM’s carton is unassuming, and aside from a small line of text announcing the model number, 240 Hz and QD-OLED; you’ll have to open it up to experience the incredible bang-for-the-buck that it offers. The base and upright mate with a captive bolt and you’ll need to find the four screws and included tool to attach the panel. There is no snap on fitting here. The mount is 100mm VESA compatible, so aftermarket arms are easy to employ. The power supply is internal, so there’s an IEC cord plus cables for HDMI and DisplayPort.

Product 360

Styling is minimalistic thanks to the all-screen look Alienware is going for. The front bezel is flush and narrow, with a strip at the bottom just wide enough for an Alienware logo. Moving around the side, you can see the two-part design that many OLEDs feature. The panel is among the thinnest I’ve seen at just three millimeters deep. The component housing takes the total thickness to just 1.65 inches. And if you don’t use the included stand, the back is completely smooth. The AW2726DM is one of the slimmest displays you’ll find in any size.

The back features just a small Alienware head and the OSD joystick. A Kensington lock is provided too. There’s plenty of ventilation on top of the bulge, and the screen is further shielded from heat by a graphite layer. There are no internal fans.

The stand is reasonably solid, with full ergonomics that include 5.2 inches of height range, a 90-degree portrait mode, and 5/21 degrees tilt. Swivel is a full 360 degrees, thanks to a bearing ring in the base that allows the entire package to turn smoothly.

The input panel is up and under and is made up of a DisplayPort 1.4 with Display Stream Compression (DSC) and two HDMI 2.1 ports. They support consoles with VRR up to 120 Hz. For the full 240 Hz, you’ll need to use DisplayPort. You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack.

OSD Features

The AW2726DM includes a tiny joystick around the back right as its only control. Pressing it brings up a quick menu, and an up-click opens the full OSD.

The quick menu has five icons that can be programmed for easy access to commonly used features like picture modes or game enhancements. At the top of the screen is a signal status bar that shows the input resolution, refresh rate, picture preset, HDR status, panel health, and the dark stabilizer setting. When panel health turns red, you can run the pixel refresh routine found in the Others sub-menu.

The Game menu has 11 picture modes for different game types, a color temp (warm or cool) preference, or Custom Color where you’ll find a two-point white balance control plus color management. There are no gamma presets, but the AW2726DM sticks close to the 2.2 reference for SDR and ST.2084 for HDR. Game Enhance refers to the available timers and frame counter. You also get alignment marks, but there are no aiming points or sniper modes.

HDR10 signals get three of their own modes. Display is the default and best choice there. I observed very obvious edge enhancement in the Movie and Game presets, but Display was free of artifacts.

There are many ways to customize the operation of the AW2726DM. Shortcut Key refers to the five icons in the quick menu. You can scroll left or right through the available settings and make them convenient things like input selection or picture mode. The four joystick directions can be programmed as well, for a total of nine options.

The AW2726DM’s only panel maintenance feature is a pixel refresher. I have never seen burn-in on any OLED display, and that includes the monitor I’m currently writing this review on and my nearly six-year-old LG television. Both have gotten by on pixel refresh alone with no need for orbiters or logo protection. And Alienware includes a three-year burn-in warranty if you’re still concerned.

Acer Predator X27 X1 Calibration Settings

My AW2726DM review unit wasn’t quite perfect out of the box in the Standard picture mode. It looked slightly green in tone when viewing grayscale test patterns, so I went for the Custom Color mode and its two-point RGB controls. That got me to reference level. There are no gamma options, but the monitor sticks close to the 2.2 power spec for SDR. Color is very saturated thanks to the Quantum Dot layer. It covers over 111% of DCI-P3. There is no sRGB option, so you’ll be seeing that extra color for all SDR and HDR content. I doubt anyone will consider that a bad thing. When I ran the initial measurements, brightness peaked at around 204 nits, but after calibration, it dropped to 185 nits. There is no variable brightness for SDR. To dial in your AW2726DM, try the settings shown below.

HDR signals get three of their own modes, with no options for adjustment. I found color and luminance to be nearly spot-on, which is a good thing. You can read more about that on page five.

Gaming and Hands-on

The AW2726DM is a 27-inch OLED for $350, so it’s really hard to fault. But in practice, it gives nothing away to more expensive displays. The picture looks gorgeous, even though it doesn’t quite have the measured brightness of others. But it is bright enough once set up. I learned during testing that it peaks around 185 nits after calibration, which was plenty of output for my moderately bright office with one sunny window opposite the test bench. The screen’s anti-glare layer was effective in this situation.

The picture is as stunning as any premium OLED, with deep blacks and lush color. The Quantum Dot tech is used to full effect here, with the AW2726DM covering over 111% of DCI-P3 in my tests. I had to calibrate for the best picture, but it wasn’t difficult to get to reference level.

The gaming experience was no different from other OLEDs either. The 240 Hz rating is a reliable and honest one, with no hiccups or artifacts to spoil the fun. Input lag is extremely low, as you’ll see on the next page. The AW2726DM punches well above its weight class, not only on price but also on speed. It’s just as quick or quicker than monitors with higher refresh rates. While a 500 Hz screen is great, you won’t see much need for it next to this one. I had no trouble mowing through alien monsters with precision and proliferation. My aim was true, and my defensive moves were exactly as planned. There was no motion blur and no breakup of finely detailed textures as I whipped about the virtual environment.

For everyday tasks, I was completely satisfied with the monitor as well, except for the missing sRGB mode. Most tasks are fine with extra colo,r but when working on graphics, it’s nice to at least do a reality check using the correct SDR gamut. Most users won’t have an issue, as the AW2726DM is very colorful in a good way. But it’s always nice to have options. The picture was super sharp and smooth though. 27-inch QHD has an ideal 109ppi pixel density, which is enough to hide the dot structure beyond a two-foot viewing distance.

The only things this screen gives to the competition are a few bells and whistles. It’s not difficult to live without USB ports, internal speakers, or LED lights. And getting a monitor with those extras and the AW2726DM’s performance will cost a lot more money.

Takeaway: The AW2726DM performs on par with premium OLED displays in every area that affects gameplay. It’s quick and smooth with very low input lag, so functionally, it is no different. You won’t have a significantly better experience with a 360 or 500 Hz monitor. It also has equal or better image quality than any Quantum Dot monitor. The only thing it gives up is peak brightness, which is a bit lower than pricier competition. For my needs and desires, though, I would be happy to use this screen every day.

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Many of the latest 27-inch QHD OLED displays run at 240 Hz or more. In fact, the AW2726DM is on the low side of the numbers game when compared to others at 360 or 500 Hz. But that doesn't mean it’s less smooth or has more lag. To compare, I’ve included Gigabyte’s MO27Q28G, Asus’ XG27ACDNG and XG27AQWMG, Samsung’s OLED G6 and AOC’s Q27G4ZD.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

I’m still adding new results from Nvidia’s LDAT to my test database, so the first chart includes the OLEDs I’ve reviewed since I started using it. Clearly, refresh rate is not a guarantee of fast response. The Acer sits atop the group at 0.12ms while the AW2726DM matches the 360 Hz Asus at 0.24ms. In practice, this difference cannot be seen by the naked eye. Moving test patterns at 240fps have perfect resolution.

In the lag test, the AW2726DM takes the win with a super quick 13.6ms of total input lag. This is an average of 25 mouse clicks at 240 Hz. Given the test results and my visual observations, I cannot say that a 360 Hz OLED like the XG27ACDNG is any better for gaming. While this is not a universal truth, one should check out tests like these to see a monitor’s actual performance in comparison to its competitors.

Test Takeaway: The AW2726DM offers phenomenal performance for a $350 monitor. That it is an OLED is a bonus. It offers perfect motion resolution at 240fps and has less input lag than almost every monitor I’ve ever reviewed. That includes OLEDs running at 360 Hz and higher.

Viewing Angles

Many QD-OLEDs show a slight color shift when viewed from the side,s but not the AW2726DM. It has identical color and grayscale from all horizontal angles up to 45 degrees. It is very shareable by two users. There’s no change in brightness or gamma either. From the top, you can see a slight red tint and a reduction in gamma, which washes out the image. Brightness remains steady, though.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

Screen uniformity remains a sample-specific result, but my AW2726DM certainly excelled in this test. It’s one of the smoothest screens I’ve ever measured. Amazingly though, it isn’t the record holder. That honor belongs to the AOC Q27G4ZD. As a category, OLED offers uniformity that is superior to most LCDs.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The AW2726DM has many impressive attributes, but high brightness is not among them. It offers just enough light to do well in a typical indoor setting like an office or media room. It should be kept away from sunny windows, though. Black levels are no different from other OLEDs. They cannot be measured, and neither can contrast. You get the rich and deep OLED picture but not a ton of light output. I noted that variable brightness was not an option for SDR signals. That’s unfortunate because the AW2726DM can top 400 nits (25% window pattern) in HDR mode. The headroom is there, but it isn’t made available for SDR content.

After Calibration to 200 nits

I kept the brightness slider maxed, but calibration cost me a few nits. I wound up at 185, which is still enough for workday tasks and gaming. Stay away from bright light sources, and you’ll be fine. Black levels are still unmeasurable as is static and ANSI (intra-image) contrast. This is typical OLED performance.

Test Takeaway: Aside from a little less brightness than others, the AW2726DM performs like any OLED, regardless of price. It has the black levels and contrast of its competition, just not the peak output. But it has enough light for a satisfying experience and a gorgeous picture. The only thing I’d like to see is a variable brightness option for SDR.

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The AW2726DM includes 11 picture modes with Standard being the default option. You can calibrate grayscale with two-point precision in Custom Color, which is where I ran my tests.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

My AW2726DM sample looked a little green out of the box with visible errors at 50% brightness and higher. You can just see the tint in test patterns or in neutral content like hockey games or black and white video. Gamma tracks almost perfectly to the 2.2 reference. That’s a good thing because there are no additional gamma presets.

I only needed to adjust the RGB gains to achieve perfect grayscale tracking. All errors are below 1dE, which is reference level. Gamma got a tad darker because I could only reduce the RGB sliders; they start at their maximums. Picture quality is visibly improved after these adjustments.

Comparisons

OLEDs are generally good out of the box so the AW2726DM’s 4.15dE score is a bit below average. In practice the error isn’t too obvious, but it is visible, so I recommend calibration. Adjusting just the RGB gain sliders made a significant improvement both measurably and visually. It’s impressive that 0.56dE is only good enough for fifth place here. That speaks highly to OLED’s quality and precision as a display technology.

In the gamma test, the AW2726DM maintained a tight 0.17 range of values from highest to lowest. The actual average of 2.25 equates to a 2.27% deviation from 2.2. This is excellent performance.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The AW2726DM has solid out-of-box color accuracy with a 2.5dE result. You can see the bonus color in red and green, which are oversaturated when referenced to DCI-P3. The points are linear in progression, which keeps all hues looking natural and finely detailed. No picture information is clipped.

Calibration makes a slight difference in the chart with secondary colors closer to their hue targets and a bit more saturation in general. This is a good thing. The picture, like all good OLEDs, looks stunning. I noted that the AW2726DM does not include an sRGB mode. You’ll be enjoying its large color gamut for all content, SDR and HDR alike.

Comparisons

Like the grayscale test, OLED displays excel in the accuracy department, and the AW2726DM is no different. Its final score of 1.74dE means there are no visible errors. It is oversaturated but in a good way. No one will say that it is too colorful. In the volume test, it scores slightly above average for Quantum Dot screens with 111.51% coverage of DCI-P3. Anything over 100% is good, which makes the AW2726DM really good. There is no sRGB mode, so that coverage is a whopping 165.33%. You can’t use it for critical work unless P3 is the reference.

Test Takeaway: The AW2726DM is a tremendously colorful monitor with reasonable out-of-box accuracy and excellent results after calibration. I recommend an adjustment for the best picture. It has higher-than-average color volume but no sRGB mode. It’s fine for critical applications, as long as P3 is the goal.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The AW2726DM supports HDR10 content with an automatic switch and three dedicated picture modes. After seeing obvious ringing (edge enhancement) in Game and Movie, I settled on Display as the best choice. It also happens to be the default. There are no adjustments available in HDR mode.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The AW2726DM has variable brightness for HDR content, as you can see by its peak value of 404.1313 nits. This is from a 25% window pattern. A full field is around 200 nits. This clearly differentiates HDR content from SDR with bright highlights and more vivid color. The AW2726DM is on par with most of its more expensive competitors, but a few go even higher, like the Asus and Gigabyte screens.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

There are no adjustments available in HDR mode, but given the above results, none are needed. Grayscale tracking is visually free of errors, with all values below 3dE. The EOTF tracks close to the reference, with slightly dark values below 30% brightness. This error cannot be seen in the content, as all detail is fully rendered. The transition to tone mapping is softer than the reference, but this does not affect the actual material. The transition point is at around 58%, which is correct for the measured black and white levels.

The AW2726DM is more color accurate in HDR mode than most of the displays I test. It is just slightly (rather than extremely) oversaturated. This gives the picture a smoother and more natural look. It is never cartoony or overblown. The monitor uses all its gamut volume in the P3 test and covers a good portion of BT.2020 as well. There, it runs out of color at 90% red, 80% green, and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The AW2726DM renders punchy and colorful HDR content. It isn’t quite as bright as some other screens, but it is on par with most of the competition. It is a bit more color-accurate than most, with only slight oversaturation that adds enough verve to distinguish HDR from SDR.

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For years, OLED gaming monitors solely resided in a premium price category. The cost has come down a little, but progress has been slow and incremental. And if you want great game performance, 240 Hz is a minimum. Image enhancers like Quantum Dot color have been cost increasers, too. Until now, you’d need $500-600 in your budget for a 27-inch QHD resolution QD-OLED with 240 Hz and Adaptive-Sync. Alienware decided that you should only have to spend $350 when it unveiled the AW2726DM.

To be fair, this isn’t a fully loaded display. There aren’t extras like sRGB modes, USB ports, LED lighting, or internal speakers. But you do get a fully adjustable stand and solid build quality. The AW2726DM has a three-year burn-in warranty that you are unlikely to ever need. And most importantly, it has the performance to compete with the best gaming OLEDs I’ve reviewed, at any price.

During both tests and gameplay, I noted very low input lag, and panel response quick enough to eliminate motion blur above 200 FPS. Since the AW2726DM is QHD, it isn’t difficult to drive to its 240 Hz maximum. When playing games, I experienced the same feel as I do with displays costing twice as much. At best, you’re looking at around $500 for a comparable screen from another brand. The only thing I truly missed was an sRGB mode. And that is only a workday issue. If you don’t edit graphics for publishing like I do, you won’t care about that. You’ll only notice how colorful it is.

If you have $350 to spend and you’ve been wishing for an OLED monitor, the Alienware AW2726DM is your ship that has just come in. Don’t look for USB ports, internal speakers, or RGB lighting, but do look for premium game performance, because it’s here and you definitely want to check it out.

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Espresso is an Australian tech company that produces a growing range of portable monitors and accessories. Over the years, we’ve had a chance to look lots of the company’s products, ranging from entry-level monitors to their high-end, touch-enabled 4K offerings.

Today, we’re looking at the Espresso Lite 15, which, as its name implies, is a 15-inch monitor (15.6 inches, to be exact). It sits below the Display 15, taking the mantle as the company’s cheapest portable monitor. At $249, the Lite 15 is also $50 cheaper than the Display 15, but does it offer enough to be ranked among the best portable monitors?

Design of the Espresso Lite 15

The first thing you’ll notice about the Lite 15 is its color, which, on our review unit, is orange. I’m used to reviewing portable monitors in some shade of grey (i.e., silver, black, or grey). However, our orange review unit is a breath of fresh air in this space, giving it a more playful vibe than the typically “all business” monitors available on the market. But orange isn’t the only color available on the Lite 15: Espresso makes the monitor available in white, green, and purple. And if you intentionally want to be boring, you can also get it in black.

Espresso can offer these colors because it does not use the typical aluminum-alloy chassis as featured on its pricier models. The Lite 15 uses a plastic shell, which is not only lighter but also lends itself to the more cheerful colors. It also allows Espresso to reach the lower price point. With that said, the Lite 15 doesn’t feel cheap and has a nice, textured finish, making it easier to grip.

That grippy finish comes in handy because the Lite 15 ships with Espresso’s Stand+, which attaches magnetically to the back of the monitor. The Stand+ attaches with a relatively strong force, so the textured case allows your fingers to get a better grip to pry it off. The Stand+ is adjustable for height and tilt. You can also rotate the Lite 15 from landscape to portrait mode thanks to the magnetic attachment point. It is made of aluminum, finished in black, and features a weighted base to prevent the monitor from toppling over.

Unlike the Display 15, the Lite 15 doesn’t feature an overly large bottom bezel. Instead, the side bezels are both roughly 3/8 of an inch thick, while the top and bottom bezels are just under half an inch thick. This creates a more symmetrical appearance and makes things look less awkward than on the Display 15 in portrait mode.

The Lite 15 features two centrally located USB-C ports that support power pass-through for your laptop, and a single USB-C cable (in Espresso’s usual purple) is included. While Espresso includes a cleaning cloth in the box, which is needed for the monitor's glossy finish, you won’t find a carrying case like you do on some cheaper monitors.

The Lite 15 measures 14.34 x 8.58 x 0.37 inches and weighs 1.55 pounds (compared to 14.09 x 10.07 x 0.2 inches and 1.68 pounds for the Display 15).

Espresso Lite 15 Monitor Specifications

Display Performance on the Espresso Lite 15

The Lite 15 features a 15.6-inch IPS panel, 1920 x 1080 resolution, and a 60 Hz refresh rate. Espresso says that the Lite 15 has a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and maximum brightness of 400 nits (which we’ll get to in a moment). Those specs put it smack dab in the middle of the mainstream portable monitor market. In fact, you’ll find a bevy of monitors in the sub-$100 segment that feature similar specs.

Like Espresso’s other monitors, the Lite 15 features a glossy finish rather than an antireflective coating. While this slightly improves contrast and makes colors “pop,” it also makes the surface highly reflective. As long as you have a primarily white background (i.e., when viewing most webpages and typing in my word processor), reflections weren’t a problem. However, when using Pixelmator Pro in dark mode, reflections were quite prevalent, although my brain eventually managed to “reject” them.

One item of note: I left the Lite 15 on my desk and turned off the light in my home office. It was then that I noticed four points of light shining through the orange plastic casing, most likely from the backlight. It’s not something I’ve seen with other portable monitors, because they featured dark grey, black, or aluminum housings that would prevent any light bleeding.

Our instrumented tests showed that the Lite 15 performed similarly, if not slightly better than, the Display 15 and the Arzopa Z3FC. The Lite 15 achieved 85.4 percent coverage of DCI-P3 and 120.5 percent coverage of sRGB in our colorimeter tests. Our light meter showed just 237 nits with the default picture profile, ranking it last among its peers. However, the light output was more than sufficient during my testing. If you need more light output, the “Create” picture profile boosted it to 291.4 nits with no trade-offs in color performance.

Placing the Display 15 and the Lite 15 side-by-side under the same lighting conditions at maximum brightness, I couldn't detect much, if any, difference in color or off-axis light falloff. While the Z3FC puts up similar numbers, I preferred the glossy finish of the Lite 15, especially when watching YouTube content and movies.

Although the Lite 15 doesn’t feature a traditional OSD, you can control picture settings using the EspressoFlow app.

Bottom Line

At a time when the vast sea of portable monitors seems to blur together in terms of size, specs, and price, the Lite 15 stands out from the crowd. When purchasing a portable monitor, you don’t get much choice on exterior color options – you get what the manufacturers think will appeal to the most people, and you accept it. However, Espresso offers users multiple bright colors to choose from that match their style.

The question is whether folks will pony up the cash just to have some flashy colors. The Arzopa Z3FC is $10 less, offering a slightly larger 16.1-inch display with QHD resolution and a 180 Hz refresh rate. I’m all for adding some more color to portable monitors, but the additional resolution and faster refresh rate for less money are much more appealing overall.

An OLED is a premium gaming monitor for sure, but with so many new models coming out, the bread-and-butter categories are emerging. For the speediest screen, the go-to is the 27-inch size. Most of these displays are QHD 2560x1440, running at 240 Hz or higher, but recently 4K panels have appeared. They offer terrific pixel density and present a smooth image with no visible dot structure. You can press your nose right up to the screen and see photo-quality graphics and video with no jaggies or artifacts.

Prices have been inching downward for the best OLED gaming monitors, and now we have a solid value from Acer: the Predator X27 X1. It’s a 27-inch Quantum Dot OLED with 4K 3840x2160 resolution, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, DisplayHDR 400, and wide-gamut color. It promises 1,000 nit highlights in HDR mode and delivers speed and saturated color for gaming and entertainment. Let’s take a look.

Acer Predator X27 X1 Specs

Speed and color saturation are major selling points in any monitor category, and the X27 X1 has plenty of both. A Quantum Dot layer delivers over 103% coverage of DCI-P3 with decent accuracy. That is a little less than some of the competition, but it is visibly more colorful than monitors that lack QD tech. It also sits in a somewhat rare category of screens that move 8.3 million pixels at 240 Hz. 4K packed into a 27-inch screen yields 163ppi. You can sit as close as you like and never see the dots. A shiny front layer means optical clarity and high contrast.

The 240 Hz refresh rate is accompanied by Adaptive-Sync and smooth video processing. The X27 X1 is one of the most responsive OLEDs I’ve tested so far using Nvidia’s LDAT tool. It has decently low input lag as well, so those with sufficient graphics card horsepower can enjoy frame rates north of 200fps in their favorite games set to max detail.

There are plenty of convenience features here as well. Gaming aids include the requisite aiming points, sniper modes, timers, and frame counter. You get a decent pair of internal speakers and USB ports for peripherals. Video inputs include two each of DisplayPort and HDMI, and a USB-C port with 65-watt Power Delivery.

I mentioned value already. The X27 X1 comes out of the gate for $899 as of this writing. That’s not a small investment, but it is a little less than the other 27-inch 4K 240 Hz OLEDs. And it’s a complete package with only LED lighting absent from the party.

Assembly and Accessories

The X27 X1’s packaging is fully recyclable and made from strong molded pulp forms that fully protect the contents. The stand and base bolt together, and the panel snaps on. If you’d rather use an arm, there’s a 75mm VESA mount in the back. You’ll need to source your own fasteners, though. The cable bundle includes a power brick plus HDMI and two USB ports.

Product 360

The X27 X1’s styling clearly marks it as an OLED monitor. The panel has a metal backing, and around its perimeter is only 3mm thick. It flares out a bit at the bottom, and a component bulge is attached to the back, bringing the total depth to 1.5 inches. It’s one of the slimmest monitors I’ve seen in a while. The backing is all metal while the bulge is enrobed in hard plastic with a matte finish. The screen is shiny and rejects light reasonably well, but it won’t hold up to bright sunny windows or harsh desk lamps. Keep the light controlled, and you’ll be rewarded with a crystal-clear image that’s colorful and contrasty. There are no artifacts or grain here.

The back photo above shows a white ring around the panel’s attachment point. It does not have a backlight, but it glows a bit when light hits it. The louvered vents on the sides do the same thing. The stand is very solid and makes liberal use of metal in the wide footprint base and for chunky bits like the headphone hook up top and the cable manager on the bottom. Ergonomics include a 4.7-inch height adjustment plus 5/20 degrees tilt, 20 degrees swivel and a 90-degree portrait mode. Movements are firm and befit a premium display. The base is very large and will ensure the X27 X1 stays put.

The input panel faces backward, making it super easy to access. It contains two DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 inputs, plus a USB-C (DP Alt) port with 65 watts of power. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack to supplement the two five-watt internal speakers. And USB ports are version 3.2 with one upstream and two downstream.

OSD Features

Press the X27 X1’s joystick in the bottom center, and a small quick menu appears with input selection, modes and brightness options. Press it again and the full OSD is revealed.

The video processing and game aids are grouped into two sub-menus. The first one has aiming points, sniper modes with night vision, and a set of countdown timers. The second one has aspect options, a VRR toggle, and a frame counter.

The X27 X1 includes most of the picture options you’d find in a professional monitor. In the Picture menu, the important one is called Max Brightness, which you need to turn on to have, you know… The HDR options include Auto and HDR-1000(Max). They measure and appear to be the same, and I noted that the signal change was not automatic. If you leave it set to Auto, it will remain in HDR mode for SDR signals, which is effectively an emulation mode. This can be used to give SDR content more impact. It isn’t strictly accurate, but it might be preferred by some users.

In the Color menu, there are eight picture modes. The default one is Standard, but if you make any changes to other options, it changes to User. The choice of color spaces covers most industry standards. HDR equates to BT.2020 while General uses the X27 X1’s full native gamut that covers around 103% of DCI-P3. This menu also has five gamma presets and four color temps. The RGBs have gain and bias sliders for fine control of grayscale tracking. You can also tweak hue and saturation for all six colors.

The System menu is a catchall for everything not found in the other sections. You can control the USB port versions, toggle Display Stream Compression for the DP ports, and set OLED care options. They include pixel refresh, orbiter, static image protection, and edge protection. To reset all options to defaults, go to the Information menu. And once you’ve got the X27 X1 to your liking, save the configuration to one of the three user memories.

Acer Predator X27 X1 Calibration Settings

The X27 X1’s color and gamma are nearly spot-on out of the box, but I noticed a slight purple tint in grayscale step patterns. I was able to correct this, but gamma became too light in the brighter parts of the image. Switching back and forth between calibrated and uncalibrated modes, I found I preferred the calibration even with its skewed gamma. Some highlights were less vibrant, but the overall image looked better to my eyes. My settings are below.

I noted that there was no option for variable brightness in SDR mode. Window and full field patterns measured the same. But variable brightness is active for HDR content, which increases perceived contrast and gives that material more impact with small highlights nearing the 1,000-nit level.

Gaming and Hands-on

It bears mentioning in any 4K monitor review that you will want the fastest video card you can afford to run at 240 Hz. The X27 X1 is a decent value, but it’s still expensive, and you don’t want to play below its potential. To see perfect motion resolution, you’ll want at least 150fps and preferably, 200fps. I accomplish this with a GeForce RTX 4090, and it does break a sweat in the process. I’d say that I enjoy the sound of fans at full honk and a swirl of warm air around my legs coming from the PC tower on the floor. But I live in Florida, and it’s hot here.

Climate control aside, the X27 X1 is a superb gaming monitor in every respect. The panel is incredibly fast, fast enough that I could dial the frame rate down to 144 Hz and still see perfect motion resolution. By this, I mean that fine detail remains clear whether objects are moving or stationary. I also enjoyed super low input lag. In testing, which you can read about on the next page, it was one of the fastest 4K OLEDs I’ve reviewed, pipped only by an Asus ROG Strix display.

Smooth motion and low lag mean precise aiming, easy avoidance of incoming fire, and the ability to stay a step ahead of the enemy. I could time movements and shooting to make them occur exactly where and when I wanted. The X27 X1 is a true extension of the hand and eye. Competition gamers will want to add one of these to their systems. And that would be true for PC or console. The HDMI inputs support full bandwidth signals at 3840x2160 with VRR and HDR at 240 Hz.

The picture is gorgeous as well. You’ll want to add more leisurely games to the library so you can enjoy the rich color, deep contrast, and fine detail. Though I don’t usually rate resolution above contrast, a 27-inch 4K monitor like the X27 X1 delivers compelling pixel density. You can sit as close as you like and never see a dot or a jagged line. 163ppi is a significant and visible upgrade from a QHD 27-inch screen’s 109ppi, and a 32-inch UHD’s 138ppi.

During calibration, I noted that a compromise was necessary. Out of the box, the X27 X1 has nearly perfect gamma but slightly warm grayscale tracking. After tweaking, grayscale is perfect, but gamma became skewed with slightly elevated highlights. I preferred the latter state, but some users may want to leave the RGB sliders alone.

The X27 X1 includes a large variety of gamut options that cover everything except Adobe RGB. This makes it more versatile for color-critical use. It can easily serve as a post-production monitor or a photographer’s tool. It’s great for the more mundane spreadsheet or word processor, too, with crystal-clear rendering of tiny fonts and thin lines.

I appreciated the inclusion of internal speakers. They played with good volume and low distortion. They’re great in a pinch when you don’t have a pair of headphones handy, and for system sounds. The stand includes a sexy metal hook for your cans so you can always have them within reach. I also noted the extra DisplayPort input as well as the USB-C, making a total of five video jacks. There are plenty of USB ports for peripherals too, but sadly, no KVM.

Takeaway: The X27 X1 is a supremely useful everyday monitor that happens also to be a gaming weapon. It’s super-fast and smooth with everything an enthusiast might want. It’s built well with liberal use of metal and a slick headphone hook. It’s flexible with lots of USBs and video inputs, and it has a decent pair of internal speakers. The only thing you don’t get is LED lighting, but that doesn’t affect its extreme performance or gaming capabilities.

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27-inch 4K OLED monitors like the X27 X1 are scarce in my test database, so I had to include two 32-inch screens in the comparison, Asus’ PG32UCDM3 and XG32UCWMG. The remaining displays are Alienware’s AW2725Q, Asus’ PG27UCDM, and BenQ’s EX271UZ.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

I’m still new to the Nvidia LDAT analysis tool, so my response results are only from the four OLEDs I’ve tested so far. The trend is that refresh rate and panel response don’t go hand-in-hand. The X27 X1 runs at 240 Hz but draws a one-inch white square in 0.12ms, faster than the Gigabyte at 280 Hz and the Asus at 360 Hz. Interesting.

The LDAT’s lag test compares to what I used to do with a 1,000fps video camera. The X27 X1 is one of the quicker 4K monitors in my stable, with a 15ms score averaged over 25 mouse clicks. This is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: The X27 X1 is the quickest OLED I’ve yet tested for panel response. That translates to perfect motion resolution at frame rates over 144fps. Input lag is low among 4K screens, but there are some 27-inch QHD monitors that are in the 10-12ms range. Either speed is well below the quickest human reaction time, so you can be assured that the X27 X1 will deliver a competition-worthy gameplay experience.

Viewing Angles

Most QD-OLEDs show a slight green tint in the 45-degree horizontal photo, but the X27 X1 avoids this artifact. Whether viewed from the side or head-on, it is identical in color, brightness, and gamma. The top photo shows a red tint with a slight reduction in brightness and gamma. Overall, this is excellent performance.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

A result of 10% or less equates to visually perfect uniformity, so the X27 X1 is right on the edge in this test. The meter noted a slightly darker number for the center zone in a 10% field pattern. This could not be seen in content. I have noted that the uniformity value changes after pixel refresh routines are run, so it is possible for this result to go up or down. My sample had not gone through a refresh cycle.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

My X27 X1 sample measured over 310 nits peak, which is well above Acer’s claim of 250 nits for SDR content. While it’s not the brightest OLED out there, it is more than bright enough for use in a typical media room or office. There is no variable brightness available in SDR mode, so full field and 25% window patterns measure the same. Black levels and contrast cannot be measured.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Calibration doesn’t change the contrast result; it still cannot be measured. I noted that brightness changed inconsistently as I moved the slider up and down. To set 200 nits, an ideal level for SDR content, I only had to reduce it by a few clicks from the max. But further down the scale, it made much finer changes. It’s a bit difficult to set a precise level.

Test Takeaway: The X27 X1 delivers the same infinite contrast and deep blacks as any OLED display. It isn’t super bright, but it is bright enough. It only has constant brightness for SDR, which isn’t unusual, but it would be nice to have the option. However, variable brightness is available for HDR.

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The X27 X1 has many picture options, including a full set of color gamuts that cover most industry standards. It ships in Standard mode, which is reasonably accurate out of the box.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

The first grayscale chart is reasonably close to the mark for gamma but shows a slight purple tint in the steps above 40% brightness. It’s hard to see in content, but the error is visible. When I calibrated the RGB sliders, I noted that Acer included gain and bias controls, something that’s common on televisions but rare for computer monitors. I tweaked both points to improve tracking significantly, but gamma accuracy suffered. It’s now lighter in the brighter parts of the image, and highlight detail is a little less clear. It’s a compromise that will come down to user preference. I liked the calibrated image better, but you may disagree. I recommend trying both ways to see which you prefer.

The sRGB gamut selection is actually closer to the BT.709 spec because it uses BT.1886 gamma rather than 2.2 power. This is fine for SDR content and video. Grayscale is a little warm and cannot be adjusted in this mode.

Comparisons

The X27 X1 needs a bit of help in the grayscale department with a 4.32dE out-of-box result. In practice, it looks OK, but there is room for improvement. With calibration, the number drops to a pro-level 0.75dE, but gamma is compromised. The final result was more than 6% off the 2.2 reference (2.05 actual), with a large value range of 0.59 from lowest to highest.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The gamma issues I noted above don’t negatively affect the X27 X1’s color gamut accuracy. It starts at an excellent 2.11dE and goes down to a reference level 1.12dE after calibration. The visual difference is small, but the improved hue tracking is the reason I prefer it, even with the altered gamma. You can see the Quantum Dot layer in action here in the fully covered green and oversaturated red primaries.

Red is also a bit over in the sRGB test. The other colors are on point, and the error is still below visual at 2.16dE. This is excellent performance. I noted that grayscale cannot be adjusted in this mode and the gamma is fixed at BT.1886.

Comparisons

The X27 X1’s color gamut accuracy is excellent whether you calibrate or not. OLEDs in general are very accurate, so the 1.12dE score shown here is about average for the category. If you use the Standard mode, it’s 2.16dE, also excellent. There are no visible color errors here.

In the volume test, the X27 X1 is about average among the other 4K QD-OLEDs I’ve reviewed. Some QHD screens, like the Alienware AW2725D, render over 110%. But the Acer monitor’s 103% is still very colorful with deep reds and vivid greens. For color-critical tasks, these color volumes are ideal when working in the P3 or sRGB realms. This is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: The X27 X1 has very accurate color but has room for improvement in the grayscale and gamma tests. Calibration improves grayscale to reference-level but compromises gamma in the process. Adjustment requires compromise, but for me, it looks better in the User mode. It has a two-point white balance, which is a nice touch. It also has ideal color volume for critical applications.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The X27 X1 must be switched manually to HDR mode when an HDR10 signal is present. It also offers HDR emulation for SDR content, which is a rarity in this segment.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

I measured both field and window patterns and found the 25% pattern to be the brightest at over 445 nits. This meets the HDR400 spec and shows that the X27 X1 is using variable brightness. A full field pattern measured around 273 nits. HDR has plenty of depth and impact with perfect blacks and infinite contrast. Its peak level is about average for the category.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

I measured HDR Auto and HDR-1000(Max) and found them to be identical. The charts above represent Auto. Grayscale has a slight warmth with errors around 5dE at brightness steps above 50%. The EOTF tracks a bit dark below 30% and hits the reference at all other points. The tone map transition is slightly smoothed and happens at 60%, which is correct for the measured white and black thresholds. This is excellent performance.

In the color test, the X27 X1 sticks to the hue targets for all colors in both DCI-P3 and BT.2020 charts. Most points are slightly oversaturated, which is typical of the HDR monitors I’ve tested. HDR color is very accurate here. In the BT.2020 test, color runs out at 90% red, 75% green, and 95% blue. This is also typical of Quantum Dot displays.

Test Takeaway: The X27 X1 has average HDR brightness with an impactful image that is color accurate. It uses variable brightness and slightly oversaturated color to effectively add impact to the image. It is on par with the better HDR OLED monitors I’ve tested.

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If you’re shopping in the bread-and-butter category of 27-inch 16:9 flat panel gaming monitors, there are just a few choices to make. OLED or LCD? For the smoothest performance and best image, OLED all day. Then it’s resolution, QHD or 4K? QHD is the most common pick, and there are lots of good options for around $600. But if you have enough graphics power, 4K in the 27-inch size offers incredible pixel density and the sharpest image outside an 8K display. The Acer Predator X27 X1 isn’t budget-priced, but it is a good value relative to the competition. It’s also a welcome addition to a thinly populated genre.

The X27 X1 delivers super low input lag and the fastest panel response I’ve yet measured from an OLED display. That translates to blur free operation down to 144fps and addictive gameplay with instant action from any control input. This is a player’s display for sure and it’s suited for anyone, novice to pro.

The picture is incredibly sharp and colorful as well. Though there are a few QD-OLEDs with more color volume, the X27 X1 is visibly more saturated than a non-QD screen. This is a technology that has become a must-have for any premium gaming monitor. My only complaint is that I had to compromise accuracy during calibration. It’s decent out of the box, but could use some help in grayscale. But getting that right means a slightly lighter gamma. I also wished for automatic switching to HDR mode.

Minor flaws aside, the Acer Predator X27 X1 has the image and gameplay to be a great display. And it’s priced attractively. If you’ve been considering a 27-inch OLED display, and you have a fast video card, definitely check it out.

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One of the coolest things to come to the professional monitor genre is the built-in calibrator. These monitors have a tiny sensor that swings up or down from the bezel, and along with internal test patterns, the display literally calibrates itself. While there are plenty of aftermarket software and hardware solutions, such as Portrait Displays’ Calman and the Calibrite line of meters, the convenience of simply clicking a menu option and calibrating your monitor in a few minutes is extremely attractive.

I’ve already covered monitors like this from Dell and Asus, and here, I have one from BenQ, the DesignVue PD2770U. It’s a 27-inch IPS panel with 4K resolution, multiple color modes, integrated color meter, HDR10 and HLG, wide gamut color, and a cool remote control. Let’s take a look.

BenQ DesignVue PD2770U Specs

The PD2770U is first and foremost a professional display. It has no gaming features, no Adaptive-Sync, no overdrive, no fast refresh, and no built-in speakers. But like its competitors, it has color modes that align with industry standards like Adobe RGB, sRGB, BT.709 and both Cinema and Display P3. It also includes support for DICOM (medical imaging), CAD/CAM and M-book. HDR comes in HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma variants. Unfortunately, there is no Dolby Vision or HDR10+.

The color gamut is wide, of course; BenQ calls their tech AQColor, and the panel is Nano Matte Black. This ensures that ambient light has a minimal effect on black levels, and it delivers a very wide color gamut. Rather than going for BT.2020 as most pro monitors do, the PD2770U is an Adobe RGB panel. Why is that significant? Because that gamut has considerably more green than P3. I’ve noticed in testing that many of today’s pro monitors come up short in the Adobe RGB test by five or six percent because they are short on green. The PD2770U fills almost 99% of that gamut. It also covers around 96% of P3. Out of the box, it promises less than 1.5dE color error and each sample is calibrated before leaving the factory.

Speaking of calibration, there are several ways to keep the PD2770U in precise tune. The OSD lets you adjust and verify any or all of the color modes in a single step. This procedure can be scheduled so it takes place at regular intervals during off-hours. BenQ also offers Palette Master Ultimate software that can create custom configurations and manage multiple displays. And you can tie in auto calibration with a custom Calman workflow.

To enhance and streamline the creative process, the PD2770U includes some cool extras that are unique in my experience. One is GamutDuo, which lets you compare color settings in a side-by-side display. Two versions of the image are shown, and you can change parameters in the right pane to easily make a visual evaluation. You can calibrate while taking ambient light into account using a front-mounted sensor, and Uniformity Compensation is included.

BenQ has always been a standout in its design of remote controls, and the latest version of the HotKey Puck is my new favorite. It’s wireless and features a large dial on top, which defaults to the brightness adjustment. Changing luminance the way you’d adjust volume is super intuitive. It has programmable buttons that can access monitor functions or open most-used apps through a BenQ utility called DisplayPilot. You can also manage multiple displays through an Ethernet connection. And speaking of ports, they are aplenty with HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C/A, and a headphone jack. These are all conveniently located either facing back or under the bezel in front.

The PD2770U is a decent value among professional screens for $1,700 at this writing. It’s built to BenQ’s usual high standard and, with all its features, makes for a compelling choice if you’re shopping for a color reference monitor.

Assembly and Accessories

The PD2770U comes in fully recyclable packaging with no crumbly foam in evidence. The panel, upright and base are heavy and substantial and form a solid package when assembled, no tools required. The accessory bundle includes a screen cleaning cloth, DisplayPort and two USBs, IEC power, and the HotKey Puck controller. BenQ doesn’t include batteries, so you’ll need to find two AAAs to power it. You also get a nice snap-on light hood lined with light-absorbing material.

Product 360

The PD2770U looks upside down from the front because of its large meter housing at the top. It’s over an inch wide with a bulge in the middle. The rest of the bezel is flush and narrow. Underneath are control keys and an OSD joystick. You’ll never need them once you’ve acquainted yourself with the HotKey Puck. BenQ is better than anyone else at designing remotes and this is my new fave. It’s wireless and features a large dial in the center flanked by five buttons. On one edge is a key to display signal information. The dial adjusts brightness when the menu isn’t showing. Pressing it brings up a quick menu that is programmable. The full OSD is loaded with goodness, which I’ll talk about below.

The side view is slim unless you attach the light hood, which is over eight inches deep. You can see in the photo that there is a cable management loop on the upright, which telescopes through its 4.6-inch range. You also get 5/20 degrees tilt, 15 degrees swivel and a 90-degree portrait mode with OSD auto-rotate if you wish. Movements reflect BenQ’s premium build quality. The PD2770U is clearly built to last.

Facing out the back is a well-stocked input panel. There are two HDMI 2.0, one DisplayPort 1.4 and two USB-Cs. One handles video and provides 96 watts of power and the other is an upstream port for USB hub functions. The PD2770U has two KVM modes that let you bind video and USB ports for control of multiple systems. On the bottom of the bezel are two USB-A ports (v3.2) and a headphone jack. There are no internal speakers.

OSD Features

The PD2770U’s OSD is all business and includes everything needed for calibration and color management. Pressing the puck’s dial brings up a quick menu that is user programmable. Another press opens the full OSD.

The first sub-menu, Display, has an input selector, aspect ratio control and PIP/PBP functions to view two sources at once. That’s followed by the Color menu where you can make manual tweaks to the 12 color modes. Different presets allow different adjustments, in other words, you can’t change gamma or color temp in certain modes. But there is a way to create custom calibrations using the three Custom memories. They connect with BenQ’s Palette Master Ultimate app where you can set up any combination of gamut, gamma, color temp and luminance that you like.

Each preset mode has a choice of screen uniformity or brightness as the priority. Choosing the former limits brightness to around 230 nits. The latter setting bumps that up to 315 nits. I found very good uniformity in my sample, so I turned the compensation off in all modes.

The calibration menu is a simple affair. Just pick one or more modes to adjust, then select execute. Each mode takes around 12 minutes to complete. If you use Palette Master Ultimate, it takes the same amount of time. This menu lets you use the light sensor, or not, and schedule calibrations for any period you wish.

GamutDuo is a cool feature that lets you compare different color parameters side by side. You get two versions of the image, and the toggles change the right pane. You can view differences in color gamut, color temperature and gamma. You can also see the effect of sharpness on the image.

Control of the PD2770U is firmly in the hands of the user, with multiple functions available for the HotKey Puck, monitor keys and OSD joystick. The dial has a quick menu of its own with five adjustable slots. My favorite thing of all is the ability to change brightness with the dial, just like a volume control.

BenQ DesignVue PD2770U Setup And Hands-on

The PD2770U is ready to go out of the box with a factory calibration in place. You’ll see in the tests that it is spot on for gamut tracking, nearly perfect for gamma and just inside the visible error threshold for grayscale. My sample benefited from an initial calibration using the built-in meter. I did this using the OSD and BenQ’s Palette Master Ultimate (PMU) app. Either method takes around 12 minutes per mode. You can create custom configurations, up to three, with PMU. It lets you specify luminance, gamut, color temp and gamma. When finished, it shows you all the data along with reference photos to help you evaluate flesh tones and other familiar things like landscapes and black and white images.

I explored the color modes I would use most: Display and Cinema P3, Adobe RGB, sRGB, and BT.709. They default to specific gamma and color temperature settings, which I’ve listed in the table below.

These are not absolute specs, and in fact, BenQ is a bit different than the Asus ProArt screens I’ve covered here. sRGB gamma has undergone revisions in the past, and its latest spec is closer to 2.4 power. BT.709 is more commonly associated with BT.1886 gamma, though 2.4 power is also correct. I noted that the PD2770U made the correct distinction between Display and Cinema P3 by altering the color temp for Cinema to compensate for the reddish Xenon bulbs used in theater projectors. If you want to change any parameter, run the PMU app and save the result to one of the three Custom modes. To recalibrate any fixed mode, the OSD makes it very easy. And you can do multiple modes in one go, and schedule it for off-hours if you like.

In use, the PD2770U is simply gorgeous to look at. Though it doesn’t have the deep blacks of an OLED, its Nano Matte panel manages ambient light better than most LCDs, which makes the image appear deeper and more realistic. It looks even better with the light hood installed.

My absolute favorite thing here is the HotKey Puck. I know a remote seems like a minor part of the equation, but how I interact with a display is important, especially since most of the pro screens I review are close in performance. Dialing brightness up and down like an old-fashioned volume control is super fun and easy. The dial also makes OSD navigation a snap. It has three buttons that can be set to monitor functions or, through Display Pilot, to open your most-used apps. Press button one and get Photoshop, for example. And viewing signal info with one press is handy.

I’ll talk about this during the test notes later, but I must give BenQ kudos here for making the PD2770U a true Adobe RGB monitor. This standard isn’t common for on-screen graphics or photography, but it is used extensively in the print industry because of its ties to Pantone Matching. The PD2770U is both Pantone and Calman certified. In days of old, when LCD backlights were CCFL tubes, Adobe monitors had a special version of this tube that increased green saturation. Adobe RGB green is a little greener than P3 green. Today’s LED backlights, even with Quantum Dot films, can’t quite get there. BenQ has found that extra color. If you grade content for print, the PD2770U is a class leader.

The only thing I wish for here is something for game content creators. The PD2770U is a 60 Hz display with no Adaptive-Sync or overdrive. It has decent input lag relative to other 60 Hz screens, but fast-motion gaming is just too blurry to be fun. With so much content creation focused on motion, it seems like an unnecessary omission. It’s great for video postproduction, but rendered content needs more than 60fps to be smooth.

Takeaway: If you’re a content creator, the PD2770U is an awesome choice for photography, print, onscreen graphics, video postproduction or any workday task. It has a thoughtfully designed calibration routine that’s equally convenient whether you use the OSD or outboard software. It’s easy to manage with scheduled calibration and multiple display monitoring. It’s also one of the few true Adobe RGB monitors you can buy at any price. It sports premium build quality and can serve as a trusted tool for the long term.

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There won’t be any comparisons for my review of the PD2770U. I tested it in its out-of-box state using the most common picture modes. It’s all about color accuracy so response and lag tests carry less weight given the monitor’s design intent.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

· Response Time Full black to white transition – 8.1ms

· Absolute Input Lag Full black to white transition – 24.4ms

The PD2770U is a 60 Hz monitor without Adaptive-Sync or overdrive. It isn’t suitable for anything but casual gaming but it isn’t the slowest monitor I’ve encountered. In the LDAT test, it drew the one-inch square in 8.1ms from black to white. Though there is motion blur, it isn’t enough to distract in slower-paced games like Myst. Just don’t try to engage in a fragging session; it won’t be pretty. The lag score is surprisingly low at 24.4ms. If you do play a shooter, the PD2770U will respond quickly to control inputs.

Test Takeaway: Gaming content creators might want a monitor with Adaptive-Sync and a faster refresh rate than the PD2770U. But it does a decent job with control inputs thanks to surprisingly low lag.

Viewing Angles

The PD2770U has average off-axis image quality when compared to other IPS monitors. The side view is a bit red in tone with no significant change to brightness or gamma. Though you won’t be likely to share a 27-inch monitor, it can be done if needed. The top view is a tad blue with reduced gamma and brightness.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

· Screen Uniformity Deviation From Center 0% Black Field – 10.18%

To measure the PD2770U’s uniformity, I switched each picture mode to Brightness First. The default is Uniformity First and it reduces brightness by around 30%. Uncompensated, a score of 10.18% is about average for the IPS monitors I’ve tested. The meter noted a hotspot in the lower right corner, but I could not see this in actual content. With compensation turned on, the score dropped to 4.31%, a barely perceptible difference.

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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Maximum Backlight Level

· Maximum White Luminance – 315.1176 nits

· Maximum Black Luminance – .3423 nit

· Maximum Contrast Ratio – 920.5:1

· ANSI Contrast – 913.9:1

To see the PD2770U’s maximum brightness in any picture mode, switch the Uniformity setting to Brightness First. If you select Uniformity First, the screen is a tad more uniform, but brightness peaks at around 230 nits. Contrast stays between 900 and 1,000:1 in either case so there is no downside to the compensation option. ANSI contrast is very consistent with the static value at 913.9:1. Calibration does not affect this result in any visible way. I noted that there was no dimming option, either field or local.

Test Takeaway: The PD2770U isn’t super bright, so you might not want it at an outdoor location unless there is some light control. But for any indoor environment, it has more than enough output capability.

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The PD2770U has 12 total fixed color modes plus three custom memories for user calibrations. Each is labeled according to the standard it supports. You get everything currently in use except for BT.2020, along with DICOM, M-book, Animation and CAD/CAM.

I tested the color modes I would use most, Adobe RGB, sRGB, BT.709 and Display and Cinema P3. They default to specific gamma and color temp settings, which I’ve put into the table below.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

The grayscale and gamma runs from the five tested modes are very consistent. Grayscale errors run a bit cool in the brighter steps, and there is a slight dip in gamma at the 10% step, which is too light. Visually, these are minor errors, but I recommend performing an initial calibration of the PD2770U before putting it to work.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The out-of-the-box color results are impressive, with the highest error recorded in sRGB mode, 1.67dE. All five modes are visually perfect with fully saturated primary and secondary colors. I noted very slight undersaturation in 60 and 80% red in some of the charts. This ties to the gamma dip I mentioned earlier. Running a calibration during initial setup takes care of this issue. I also noted that the PD2770U is the first true Adobe RGB monitor I’ve seen in a long time. This gamut has more green than P3, and few monitors, even Quantum Dot ones, can fully render it. BenQ achieves almost 100% coverage here, which makes it a great tool for the creation of printed content.

Grayscale, Gamma and Color Gamut Test Summary

Below is a table with all the results from the five tested modes. The PD2770U is extremely consistent and will deliver accurate color in any of its presets. I recommend an initial calibration to firm up grayscale and gamma tracking.

Test Takeaway: The PD2770U compares extremely well to the other professional screens I’ve reviewed recently from Asus and Dell. There were some slight errors in grayscale and gamma in my sample, so I recommend that new users run an initial calibration using either the OSD or the Palette Master Ultimate app. It is one of the rare displays to fully cover Adobe RGB which makes it a standout choice for print content creation.

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The PD2770U supports HDR10 and HLG signals with an automatic switch. It does not support Dolby Vision or HDR10+.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

· HDR White Luminance – 373.9316 nits

· HDR Black Level – 0.3640 nit

· HDR Sequential Contrast – 1,027.4:1

The PD2770U offers a bit more brightness for HDR content with a measured 374 nits peak. Contrast is just over 1,000:1, which means there is no zone or field dimming happening here. It would be nice to have that option. I noted that brightness, contrast and color saturation remained adjustable in HDR mode.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

Out of the box, the PD2770U is a tad green in steps brighter than 50%. This is similar to what I observed in SDR mode. You can calibrate this mode without an HDR signal if you wish, just select it from the list and click Execute. The EOTF tracks too light above 20% brightness and hits the tone-map transition point at 55% instead of 65%. This is a minor error that is hard to see in actual content.

In the color test, you can see slight oversaturation across the full gamut with excellent coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020. That extra green comes in handy here and it visibly enhances HDR images. In the BT.2020 test, the PD2770U runs out of color at 90% red, 85% green and 95% blue. I calculated the 2020 volume at 79.71%, more than any Quantum Dot monitor I’ve reviewed.

Test Takeaway: The PD2770U has superb HDR color but could be brighter overall. With a peak of 374 nits and no dynamic dimming, HDR content is less vivid than other screens. It is extremely colorful though. The gamut coverage is enormous with more green saturation than anything else I’ve tested. It comes closer to BT.2020 than the competition.

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Professional displays are designed and engineered for specific purposes. Comparing them is a bit of an apples-to-oranges affair. And there isn’t one that’s better than others in every aspect. When considering a purchase, make sure you know what you plan to do with it. Will it be for video postproduction? Are you creating web graphics or editing photos for digital display? Or do you need a Pantone monitor for print work? Are you crafting a new game environment? There isn’t a single monitor that dominates all categories.

The BenQ DesignVue PD2770U is nearly all these things but one thing it isn’t is a gaming screen. If you need to play test your latest fragfest, there is no Adaptive-Sync, overdrive or fast refresh. Slow-moving VR worlds? You’re good there. The PD2770U has decent response and low input lag.

But it does have everything else needed to be a reference screen for print, photography, video and digital display. It’s the first true Adobe RGB monitor I’ve seen in a while and it’s Pantone certified. It has tremendous color volume filling nearly 100% of both Cinema and Display P3 gamuts. And it’s reasonably accurate out of the box, but I recommend an initial calibration to firm up gamma and grayscale tracking.

The built-in calibrator is super convenient. Controlled by either software or the OSD, it takes just 12 minutes per mode and can be done hands off when you’re not working. There’s plenty of customization there as well. I also loved the HotKey Puck controller. It’s the coolest and most useful remote I’ve seen, included with any monitor.

For $1,700 at this writing, this monitor is firmly in the premium professional territory but relative to others, it’s a decent value. When you consider the integrated meter and auto calibration, it becomes a bargain. If your work requires accurate color from a flexible reference display, the BenQ DesignVue PD2770U is a great choice. Definitely check it out.

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Modos Tech sent me a couple of its latest e-paper monitors to take a closer look and enjoy some hands-on time with them. The first model was a pre-built version of the Modos Paper Monitor Dev Kit: a 13-inch monitor with a USB-C cable attached, currently available from Crowd Supply. I also got a chance to sample the newest Modos Flow monitor, a powerful sequel to the original offering that expands the feature set with touch and stylus compatibility, among other features. Both samples use color e-paper displays.

Modos Tech and its e-paper mission

Founders Alexander Soto and Wenting Zhang formed Modos Tech at the start of 2022. Inspiration came out of the pandemic, during which staring at the screen for extended periods led to “eyestrain, discomfort, and exhaustion.”

Modos is an open-source hardware and software company, determined to invigorate and democratize the use of e-paper displays in computing, and, as per our intro, is just about to launch its second cutting-edge project on Crowd Supply.

For quite some time, e-paper monitors have been an attractive option for folks who spend long hours staring at computer screens, but they haven’t broken through to the mainstream yet. This disconnect is quite a surprise given how many people enjoy great experiences with e-paper tech in the e-reader tablet segment, most famously dominated by the Amazon Kindle.

So, it is clear that e-paper’s key strengths are sunlight readability, reduced eye strain, and low energy consumption. In terms of usage, it fits best for reading text; it can also be a good choice for writing and suffices for other common/popular tasks that are text-heavy, like browsing the internet and everyday computing. Tasks like gaming, watching movies and TV shows, or photo and video editing are not strong points of this technology in 2026, even with the new color e-paper displays.

What companies pioneering e-paper screens for computers are now doing is chiseling away at the weaker aspects of this panel technology – color reproduction, refresh rate, responsiveness, and pricing. Thus, Modos Tech is helping push this technology while embracing non-proprietary hardware and open-source software.

OK, now let’s look at the two hardware samples that arrived at Tom’s Hardware towers. What first? Let’s start with the older Dev Kit screen.

Modos Paper Monitor Dev Kit

Modos sent along a dev kit model pre-assembled and encased in a wooden frame. Please note that the wood frame isn’t part of the kit, but was used here to demonstrate just one potential DIY case option. As per its Crowd Supply page, this $599 kit features a 13.3-inch e-paper display that works using a single USB Type-C cable. It also has a Mini HDMI port if you don’t have a computer that supports fully functional USB-C with DP-Alt and power delivery (PD). If you go the HDMI route, you will also have to use the lower USB-C port for power.

Other key features of the Modos Paper Monitor Dev Kit are its ease of use, built-in adjustable front lighting, and three-button interface. While the hardware supports up to a 75 Hz refresh rate, my sample came with a 41 Hz panel. The document supplied with this sample said that touch is not supported with this model, but it may be implemented in the future.

Modos Paper Monitor Dev Kit specifications

• 13.3-inch 2,200 x 1,648 pixels e-paper display panel using RGBW technology
• Frontlight with brightness and color temperature adjustments
• Glider Mega Adapter to support a wide range of panels (remember this is a configurable kit-style device)
• Xilinx Spartan-6 LX16 FPGA with a DDR3-800 framebuffer running the Caster gateware
• The open-source Caster supports binary, 4-level grayscale, and 16-level grayscale output modes
• Hardware Bayer dithering, blue-noise dithering, and error-diffusion dithering with no additional latency
• Very low processing delay (<20 µs)
• On-board STM32H750 microcontroller for USB communication, firmware upgrades, and standalone applications
• Processing rate up to 133 MP/s when error-diffusion dithering enabled and 200 MP/s when disabled
• Physical: 12.4 x 10.0 x 0.65-inches, 1.75 pounds
• 2x USB-C, 1x Mini HDMI, 3x buttons
• Linux, macOS, and Windows compatible

In use, I found the Modos Paper Monitor Dev Kit very easy to integrate into my setup. I used it with the single USB-C connector on both my laptop and desktop to check different scenarios. Modos Tech told me this model may feel a little sluggish, as the panel used in this kit build was 41 Hz. Nevertheless, I found it responsive enough for the second-screen text work I was most interested in using it for.

It is important to talk about the ‘special sauce’ from Modos now – the quad-mode selection, offering four sweet-spot tradeoffs between grayscale production and responsiveness. These one-click presets are the Reading Mode, Typing Mode, Watching Mode, and Browsing Mode. Rival e-paper monitor companies often have just three modes (text, graphics, video). Moreover, as the Modos Dev Kit is open source, developers can access a C programming API to directly control Caster modes for specific needs or preferences.

The lower two buttons (in landscape orientation) move up and down through the Modos mode presets. The third button (furthest from the USB-C video port) forces a screen refresh if needed. Holding the buttons changes backlight temperatures and intensities and can power the screen on or off. A good selection of warm and cool backlight intensities can be toggled through.

Importantly, this monitor works just like any other portable monitor you might have used; you can plug it in or detach it ‘hot’ with no worries. I wished it remembered the last-used settings (backlight intensity and warmth). Windows 11 remembered the orientation set.

Pure black-and-white graphics can be rendered in half or a third of the time of 16-level grayscale images. On the other hand, grayscale modes introduce grainy patterning or noise. Dithering modes like Bayer or blue noise make photos on the screen look better, but can make the text a bit less sharp.

How I used the Modos Paper Monitor Dev Kit e-paper display

I did a little bit of research before trying to slot the e-paper monitor into my workspace in the best way possible. Traditionally, I positioned my portable IPS monitor in portrait mode directly to the right of my 32-inch main VA display. But to get the best from the Modos monitor, it needs more prominent usage, to save my eyes from nasty emissive displays. Thus, I decided to angle it neatly into the space between my keyboard and main monitor. With this arrangement, I could read source materials on the e-paper display, and occasionally glance up at the text editor above it, on the large main display.

Propping the monitor like this might seem like a ‘kludge,’ but I think the only improvement would be to raise it a little, which would require adjusting my 32-inch monitor to accommodate it. Since the main monitor isn’t height-adjustable, I’d have to upgrade the stand or shove something under the current fixed pedestal.

I’ve been pretty happy with this arrangement for workflow and ergonomics. As I don’t need to consume color imagery on the Modos display (it is a secondary screen), I nearly always stick to the typing mode. That’s the sweet spot for how I spend most of my computing time. I basically didn't like the image dithering 'noise' introduced in modes like Watching and Reading.

One other comment I’d make about the Dev Kit is that I don’t think the lighting is very even on my pre-made sample; it seems to come in stronger from the left side. This is something that may be tweakable in the making stage (or if I took it apart). To make the most of its strong-light readability, I think using a glossy screen here was a mistake. You can see the readability issues in my house in daylight, with a window facing the screens. It isn't much more readable than my laptop's OLED display at its max brightness.

As we mentioned in the intro, the 13.3-inch Modos Paper Monitor Dev Kit is available for $599 on Crowd Supply. It is now shipping, and the first wave of backers has begun receiving their units. There’s also a 6-inch kit at $199, which might appeal to folks looking for a compact second screen, an e-paper display for a maker project, or a way to reuse an existing screen from an old e-reader or similar device.

The Modos Flow monitor

Modos is currently busy preparing its second-gen product, dubbed the Modos Flow. This can be seen in the Kickstarter preview right now, but the project will actually launch on Crowd Supply. Modos Flow distinguishes itself from the Dev Kit by being a refined, finished consumer product with a full-metal chassis and an integrated, flexible protective cover/stand. Obviously, it targets people who want an off-the-peg yet flexible solution and don’t want to DIY anything to enjoy the benefits of e-paper.

In essence, the Modos Flow is being pitched similarly to the Dev Kit, with talk of eye health and the reduction of screen-glow-induced fatigue. It also includes more features and better performance. This e-paper display refreshes at 60 Hz and offers sub-100 ms latency.

Again, this is a 13.3-inch monitor, but there are several upgrades, beyond the finished consumer-ready build. Most importantly, my sample has an improved color screen (mono also available) and touch/stylus support. The three button controls here can be used to make similar quick adjustments, as with the Dev Kit. But I also appreciated a new two-button combo which opens up an on-screen menu for mode selection, front lighting intensity, contrast, color temperature adjustment, and more.

Modos Flow specifications

• 13.3-inch E Ink screen (B/W or Color)
• 3,200 x 2,400 pixels resolution, 300 PPI
• 60 Hz refresh
• Next-gen powered controller
• USB-C DisplayPort Alt-Mode
• Sub-100 ms latency
• Works with Linux / macOS / Windows
• Touch and stylus support
• Front light with variable intensity and tone
• Multiple display modes
• VESA Monitor Mount

Before we get into some hands-on analysis, the Modos folks warned me that the Flow sample I received featured an “alpha version” of the new controller. This next-generation e-paper display driver board supports larger, higher-resolution, and even multiple e-paper screens. In the new Flow, it replaces Caster, which drives the Dev Kit I road-tested above.