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SpoonyBardIVHi! I’m new to the forums here so I apologize if this isn’t the right place to post this, but here it goes.
I’ve been looking for a decent 1440p monitor (ideally 32”) to replace my current 1080p Apple Cinema Display. I’ve tried both the Samsung Odyssey G7 and the LG 32GK850G-B, and although they were both otherwise flawless, they both had extremely noticeable pixel inversion artifacts (horizontal lines and a grid pattern on the G7, and vertical lines on the LG). I’ve been looking for a display that doesn’t have this issue but it’s tough to find anything I can be sure about. I don’t care what refresh rate the display is, I just need a good 1440p 32” panel without pixel inversion artifacts. I’ve been considering the BenQ PD3200Q (newer revision of the BL3200PT you reviewed) but I’m worried that one will have noticeable ghosting (I didn’t see any on the Samsung or LG). What’s a display you’d recommend?
PCM2Hi SpoonyBardIV and welcome,
I know all too well, from annoying personal experience, that inversion artifacts (‘dynamic interlace pattern artifacts’) can be rather annoying if you’re sensitive to them. The BenQ PD3200Q should certainly be free from them. And assuming you’re open to IPS-type panels as well, I’m quite sure most of the ~32″ high refresh rate 1440p IPS options are free from them when running at high refresh rates. At least, I’m not aware of them being reported. I’m hoping to review the Gigabyte M32Q in the not too distant future so would confirm this, but not positive Gigabyte can send one out just yet. I can confirm from my own testing that they aren’t really an issue on the Acer XB323U GP. They can be noticeable at lower refresh rates, but at higher refresh rates they’re not eye-catching. And certainly not comparable to the 240Hz Odyssey G7s or 32GK850G.
SpoonyBardIVThanks for the reply! 🙂
You mentioned that the PD3200Q should be free of inversion artifacts, but you also listed a couple of IPS monitors as well. Which type would you recommend for my usage? I primarily use my display for single-player games like Witcher 3, never really enjoyed fast-paced shooters. I use my PC in a relatively dark room so I’m a bit concerned about the lower contrast of IPS displays. I seem to be relatively insensitive to smearing, I only noticed anything significant during a few very specific transitions like black>>dark grey on the LG, and generally found it extremely difficult to notice smearing in games unless I was actively searching for it. I also find 60hz to be plenty smooth, so as long as the majority of transitions are good for 60hz I’m fine. Would you recommend IPS or VA for me?
PCM2Given what you’ve said VA may be a more appropriate choice. But it may be worth considering an IPS model alongside some bias lighting or other lighting behind the monitor instead. You’ve used two of the most capable VA performers, so they’re not a good benchmark to use on sensitivity to typical VA performance issues. They’re well above average in that respect, particularly the Samsung. It’s probably worth giving the PD3200Q a go and seeing how you find it, but its 60Hz performance really isn’t as good as those you’ve tried. Or a higher refresh rate alternative such as the Gigabyte G32QC, which doesn’t suffer ‘dynamic interlace pattern artifacts’ but has static ones, per the review. And again, 60Hz performance is weaker than those you’ve tried. Unless you tried the LG with response time set to ‘Normal’ and found that fine in which case the Gigabyte would probably be alright for you.
SpoonyBardIVHi!
I recently purchased a BenQ PD3200Q 1440p VA monitor. It truly is a beautiful display coming from my IPS. The deep blacks and lack of IPS glow add a sense of depth that my previous display simply couldn’t achieve. On top of that, it has zero dead pixels and no backlight bleed, and it’s completely free of annoying inversion artifacts that I’ve seen on most high refresh rate displays I’ve used. The only problem I have with it currently is the grey uniformity. Whenever there’s a large amount of grey on-screen, it almost looks like it’s smudged a bit, with patches of the screen being lighter or darker than the rest. I feel like uniformity issues are where I start to enter the realm of “panel lottery” defects that could easily be resolved by trying another PD3200Q unlike the inversion issues I’ve had before which usually affect every display of that model. Sort of like backlight bleed, where one panel could be dramatically worse than the other even within the same model. I’m just kinda looking for an informed opinion on this. Would I be able to possibly get a better unit in exchange for mine, or is this something that would affect all PD3200Qs and I should look for another model? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
PCM2VA models are notorious for ‘DSE’ (‘Dirty Screen Effect’) which is why we specifically cover grey uniformity and DSE in our reviews of VA models. It is something that varies between units but some models are more prone to it than others. The PD3200Q isn’t really prone to bad DSE as far as I’m aware – your picture shows more than just minor DSE in my view, but it’s highly overexposed so could be exaggerating the effect as well. You might expect a bit of patchiness and minor striations, but in your image it looks more severe centrally. Opting for another PD3200Q is probably more worthwhile than switching to another VA model that may be as prone or more prone to such things anyway. For reference none of the VA models I mentioned had anything like what you’ve shown there, including the G32QC where the following was noted:
“we performed a subjective assessment of the uniformity using a variety of ‘medium’ shades, including 50% grey. Some monitors exhibit uniformity issues such as splotches or striations when viewing screen fills of such shades, giving an inconsistent appearance that some users refer to as ‘DSE’ (‘Dirty Screen Effect’). VA models are particularly prone to this. We didn’t observe any particular issues of concern on this model. There were some very faint striations and minor patchiness in places, but no clear patchiness or obvious striations.”
SpoonyBardIVThanks for the advice. I think I’ll just try another PD3200Q, if anything the DSE looks slightly worse in person than in the photo so it’s probably not normal. I tried to take a photo that’s as close as possible to what I can see in person.
VernecloverHello! In the review of Acer XB323U GP , u mentioned the next – “fine interlaced vertical lines during movement or when scanning our eyes across the screen in a certain way.” Do I understand right that these lines can be noticed when scanning eyes across the screen even if there is static image on the screen? And if so , then these lines on static image have dynamic nature or static? I mean , if you watch on static image, could u notice that these lines have some movement/walk ? I worry that if there is some dynamic artifacts on static image(for example when you read a text), it could cause eye strain.
PCM2Hi Verneclover,
You understand correctly. But as noted, most people don’t notice these or at least don’t find them bothersome – especially at higher refresh rates. So it’s unlikely to cause issues with eyestrain. If you’ve seen this effect on other monitors and find it bothersome then it might be something to worry about. But generally it’s not. I am very sensitive to these patterns and will notice them even on models where they’re faint. But I’ve never experienced any viewing comfort related issues as a result. It isn’t an issue that causes your eyes to constantly adjust focus as you scan text or anything like that, it’s just something that may occasionally catch your attention.
VernecloverThank you for your answer. So it seems that this is not a big problem in case with Acer. Can I ask you one more question about MPG321QRF-QD . It seems that the same panel as Acer has is used here, right?
PCM2Yes, it most likely uses the same panel (AUO M320DAN02.2).
VernecloverThank you for the answer and for the great reviews, I will also support you via PayPal
PCM2I appreciate the kind words and support. 🙂
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