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I discovered I only had a small number of 240 Hz QHD screens in my test database to compare the PG279QM’s performance. I suspect that number will be changing soon, though, as new speedy models are released. At 240 Hz are AOC’s Porsche Design PD27 and Samsung’s Odyssey G7 C32G75T. At 165 Hz are BenQ’s EX3201R, Corsair’s 32QHD165 and the Razer Raptor 27. All are premium screens with speed and image quality commensurate with their price tags.
Pixel Response and Input Lag
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5ms is typical for a 240 Hz monitor, regardless of resolution. The AOC gives just a bit more at 4 ms, but the PG279QM matches the Samsung frame for frame. Motion is so smooth at 240fps that there’s no need for a backlight strobe and its light-robbing effect. Both test patterns and actual content move with an uncanny sharpness and realism.
The PG279QM is right in the middle of the pack for total input lag. 27ms is competition-worthy for sure. Even top players will be at home dispatching opponents with any of the top four screens. It must be noted how quick the Razer is. Even though its response time is 1 ms slower, it has extremely low input lag putting it on par with the 240 Hz screens. Its actual motion isn’t quite as smooth, but the control response is excellent.
Viewing Angles
The latest IPS panels deliver excellent off-axis image quality and the PG279QM is no exception. Though you can see a color shift to the side, light only drops by a hair and the grayscale still looks neutral in tone. It’s gone a bit cool, but this won’t affect actual content much. The top view is quite dark with murky detail and a greenish cast.
Screen Uniformity
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The black field pattern showed a couple of minor flaws. There was a hotspot in the center of the screen and on the right lower zone. I had to turn off all the room lights to see it with the naked eye. However, there were no problems in actual content. The zone dimming feature can show some light and dark vertical bands depending on the picture but again, this is something you’ll only notice if you’re looking for it.
