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filo97sHi everyone!
I need help in choosing a new monitor for applications like Photoshop, Lightroom, Luminar and photoediting in general, plus general usage.
The things I look for in a monitor are the following27″ – 4K – preferably wide color gamut (adobeRGB, but not essential) – 500/600 eur.
I’ve done some research, and I’ve found the Asus PA279CRV, is it any good? Alternatives? Does it exist something OLED in this price range or in the neighborhood of that price range? I’d rather like having better blacks than adobeRGB coverage, if I need to sacrifice something.
Thanks a lot!
PCM2Hi filo97s,
The ASUS PA279CRV is likely a good option overall if you’re happy with its refresh rate, I actually recently received some positive feedback from a designer who was upgrading from the old QHD variant (which I’ve used and recommend in the segment). He did enjoy it after full calibration with his colorimeter and found it worked well for his work within the DCI-P3 colour space. He noted the build quality and OSD options available exceeded his expectations for the price. I haven’t used the PA279CRV myself as ASUS weren’t able to provide a review sample.
If you don’t mind dropping the Adobe RGB coverage just a bit you could also consider the MSI MPG 274URF QD which I also recommend. Some people really enjoy the extra refresh rate a model like that provides even just on the desktop, but if you’re very used to 60Hz and perfectly happy with that then you should be fine either way. There are no 27″ ‘4K’ UHD options in the price range. The cheapest option in the segment was the Philips 27E1N8900, but that appears to have been largely discontinued. The current gaming QD-OLED options that could also fill this sort of role start at the ~32″ screen size.
filo97sHi PCM2,
Thanks a lot for the help and suggestions, yea I think that 60Hz should be fine. Obviously if there’s something with higher refresh rate at the same price range it would be well welcomed, but not if it’s at expense of color accuracy / blacks / minimum backlight bleeding which are my main goal since it would be used for photo editing and reviewing photos before print. Also for some films/TV series and general office use between breaks maybe, or at the evening. What about the Dell U2723QE? It’s the other one I’ve found to be a good option maybe.
And just for evaluating all possible options, what if I drop also 4K in favour of a QHD display, there would be some OLEDs available and will those OLEDs be better in colour rendition than a 4K IPS at the same price? Or better stick with an IPS and, in that case, with a 4K panel like the Asus or (possibly) the Dell mentioned before?
PCM2The Dell U2723QE is certainly one to consider due to its enhanced contrast ‘IPS Black’ panel. And by all accounts it should work well for some forms of colour-sensitive work. But it targets, as many wide gamut models do, strong DCI-P3 coverage at the expense of Adobe RGB (which sits ~89%). So you’d be making a sacrifice in that respect.
QHD QD-OLEDs (such as the AOC AGON AG276QZD2 we’ll shortly be reviewing or Samsung Odyssey OLED G60SD if you prefer matte) are certainly options. Offering near-complete Adobe RGB coverage, exceptional colour consistency, exceptional contrast and generally very strong uniformity. So in theory they could be superior to IPS. In practice though, you have to be aware of the things we point out in our reviews such as screen surface quirks, burn-in risk (especially for extended productivity hours without a break) and fringing issues. And more often than not gamma needs straightening out, which a colorimeter (or alternative calibration device) would help with. I’d advise the same with any model you’re looking at if strong colour accuracy is particularly important, though.
filo97sGreat, thanks! Now I have clearer ideas on what to do. Being a monitor used also for office work, seems that OLED may not be the best idea for fringing effects (and also for prices + resolution…)
The choice remain between Dell or Asus, 499€ vs 399€. I’d probably go with Asus, lesser price and wider AdobeRGB coverage.
Thanks again for all the help!PCM2You’re welcome – and yes, that makes sense. Feel free to share your thoughts on the monitor you end up going for when you’ve had a chance to use it a bit. 🙂
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