27-32″ IPS WQHD or 4k monitor for office (clear text) and light FPS gaming

Hi tanne,

It is more accurate to say that the Dell U2311HM has a 1.1ms signal delay and 9.3ms input lag, according to PRADs measurements. Whilst signal delay is the important part of input lag in that it’s the main element you ‘feel’, when other websites including ours and users discuss input lag more broadly, it refers to both elements. I’m not really sure I trust PRAD’s signal delay measurement there and some of their input lag measurements on various reviews have been highly suspect, but I don’t want to discuss that here. There’s nothing special about the responsiveness of the U2311HM, I used it myself a while back and the original version of our website even had a review up. Don’t think of this ‘1.1ms’ as anything other than fantasy, nor that you need a monitor with that level of input lag (this isn’t input lag). If you’re happy with 60Hz, you’ll find many of the 60Hz ‘4K’ UHD models including those we recommend just fine. Further discussions on the ‘4K’ path can be found in these threads and a few others:

https://forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/best-32-4k-options/
https://forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/32-inch-for-dci-p3-and-rgb-work-with-good-text-clarity/
https://forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/which-4k-uhd-monitor/
https://forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/4k-uhd-monitor-to-work-with-text/

I also need to make you aware that using ‘2K’ alongside ‘4K’ is extremely inaccurate and misleading. You should avoid using the term ‘2K’, which is why I changed every instance of that in your post to WQHD. The 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution is NOT half of the 3840 x 2160 (‘4K’ UHD) resolution. 1440p is also acceptable shorthand for this resolution, or simply QHD (Quad High Definition) without the W (Wide) at the start. To address your questions:

1) I don’t agree that the EX2780Q is “ugly”, but looks are subjective so that’s a pointless argument to have. I didn’t think much of it from pictures of the monitor, but found its rustic aesthetic quite endearing in person. I find most models quite ‘boring’ in comparison. We cover these models and others in detail in this thread which is well worth reading through.

2) Not at all true. The aforementioned BenQ model and most others sharing its Innolux panel are fine for text viewing, as are models with Nano IPS panels and recent AUO panels – all of these are mentioned in that thread I just linked to. Most users will actually find even the Gigabyte M27Q fine for text clarity, although I’m not sure that would necessarily be the case on Linux. There are no specific issues most of these modern IPS-type gaming monitors have which are related to their subpixels. And many of the panels they use have 60Hz variants which are really very similar aside from refresh rate and perhaps backlight used. Many factors affect viewing comfort more broadly, but these apply to all models.

3) The LG 27GN800 is mentioned in the thread I just linked to. It is simply a mild refresh of the 27GL83A, which is not a Nano IPS model. I believe they might actually use a BOE panel, but I’m not 100% sure. They certainly don’t have a KSF phosphor backlight, which is a key feature of Nano IPS and actually used in various iterations in most of the wide gamut models being considered here. I believe all Acer ‘KV’ (VisionCare 3.0) and ‘NV’ (VisionCare 4.0) models, which includes the XV272U KV, use Innolux AAS panels with KSF phosphors. But the blue peak is shifted to be less energetic vs. current known ‘Nano IPS’ iterations, which is a key criteria for ‘Eyesafe’ certification by TÜV Rheinland.

All things considered, with your uses in mind and the fact you are by your own admission quite happy with your current Dell in terms of responsiveness and refresh rate. I think you’d find the ASUS PA278QV a nice upgrade. You’d find the design agreeable as well, which I know can be an important part of the overall experience. The 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution is much better for productivity than 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) and a large step up (‘legacy article’ – yay) even without going all the way to 3840 x 2160 (‘4K’ UHD). You didn’t mention your GPU or what games you ‘lightly play’. But you also need to be aware that having a 144Hz refresh rate is only useful in games if you can drive a suitably high frame rate. If your frame rate is likely to be 75fps or under at 2560 x 1440 with the settings you use and games you like to play, there’s no advantage there with going for a higher refresh rate than 75Hz anyway. So the PA278QV should be perfectly adequate in that respect.

There’s a huge gulf between a total latency of 9.3ms and 25.5ms and the ZR2440W is clearly the ‘laggier’ monitor – but that doesn’t mean the figures are accurate and should be taken and gospel. As I said, not going to get into it too much here but there are some models they’ve tested that have set off alarm bells due to my own testing, other professional testing, user feedback and if I recall correctly even the G-SYNC certification process in some cases. One of those models is the 328E1CA, by the way, which I am extremely confident does not have anywhere near the input lag they state at its native resolution. In fact I even recommended it to somebody who disliked the input lag of their old monitor (Samsung S27A850) which PRAD measured as having 19.3ms input lag and I tested myself a long while back. I’d agree with that figure both based on measurements and what I could clearly feel when using the monitor. And this user was much happier with the 328E1CA in terms of how it felt to use and its latency. It has some definite pixel response time weaknesses, but the signal delay is absolutely fine and many pixel responses are quite decent really.

So you really need to separate out signal delay (the main element you feel) from the equation when thinking about how snappy the monitor will feel in response to your input. And then need to consider its motion performance across a broad range of transitions. You’re putting yourself off monitors that are perfectly respectable for responsiveness, such as the Philips 276E8VJSB (PRAD hasn’t reviewed that, anyway) which as covered in our review offers only minor weaknesses in pixel responsiveness and a low input lag of under 3ms. It’s really no different to the U2312HM in that respect, in fact if anything it’s a bit stronger. Felt latency comparisons with monitors used on other systems can be complicated by the fact the system likely uses a different mouse with a different sensitivity, by the way.

I’ve received some nice positive user feedback on the ASUS PA278QV in terms of viewing comfort. And plenty of people use their monitors for extended periods of time, that’s not unique at the moment at all. I used that monitor extensively during the review and actually found it more comfortable than quite a few others and didn’t feel it accelerated eye fatigue. So whilst I appreciate it’s nicer if a monitor is free from PWM entirely, I think you’re worrying unnecessarily about PWM usage on this one. As covered in the review, this is a very high cycling frequency of ~20kHz. Which is very unlikely to even accelerate eye fatigue any more than simply looking at a PWM-free monitor for a similar length of time. Again, there are many factors to consider when it comes to viewing comfort, 20kHz PWM would be way down my list of concerns.

If you take a look at the recommendations section where the 276E8VJSB is currently listed and other threads discussing that model, you’ll see the Philips 278E1A is listed as an alternative that includes VESA mounting. Plus a different chassis design and some basic integrated speakers. It’s otherwise very similar to the 276E8VJSB and shares the same panel.