[gunner7]

I recently got the Dell S2721DGF and even though it’s expensive, it’s got great compatibility with the XSX..both 1440p and 1080p at 120hz and VRR enabled. My monitor also doesn’t have any noticeable IPS bleed. I did have a question regarding the color space – I changed it from standard to PC RGB in the console setting and the picture is good overall. Does this make some games have crushed blacks? And does the dark stabilizer help to counteract this? There is no OSD black level setting; I noticed setting it to just “1”made some improvements for FPS games.

[PCM2]

Glad you’re enjoying the Dell, gunner7. Just for reference to others reading this there’s a dedicated thread for that model but it’s nice to see some positive feedback in the context of Xbox Series X gaming. So a good addition to this thread. It uses the Nano IPS panel discussed earlier. It’s unfortunate Dell only sell that directly in key regions like the US rather than the usual retail channels, otherwise I might be interested in taking a look at it. It most certainly has ‘IPS glow’, by the way – backlight bleed is a separate issue (‘IPS bleed’ is a conflation of the two). The fact you’re not finding that aspect bothersome is great, though.

[Bonvaz]

Thank you very much.
The two Philips have very bad review on the the internet due to backlight problem and other defects, I just don’t want to take the risk, it’s very high the number of people that return them.
I was looking to the Dell S3221QS. It’s a good choice for ps5? Seems similar to EW3270U, the less response time can be a problem playing some online games (also if not competitively)?

[PCM2]

The Philips 326M6VJRMB has a complex backlighting solution and under HDR in particular the very high luminance levels often expose uniformity weaknesses and suchlike. The modern monitor market is full of people expecting perfection and not understanding that all monitors have their flaws. I’ve received plenty of feedback from users who are delighted with the performance on that model, but most of them have read and understood our review which tells them exactly what to expect from it. If they’re expecting a good atmospheric dark scene experience under HDR or indeed perfect uniformity under SDR they’re setup for disappointment. Equally, if you’ve seen the bright scene HDR performance on the 326M6VJRMB then switch to something like the BenQ EW3270U or Dell S3221QS you’d be sorely disappointed by how undynamic and unimpressive the HDR performance is. It’s all about what you want from the experience and what your expectations are.

As for the Philips 328E1CA, I’ve received a huge amount of positive feedback on that model and there is absolutely nothing to suggest it’s below average in any way when it comes to quality control. And nothing that would stop me recommending it – people are more likely to post negative vs. positive things on the internet and that model has sold many units due to pricing and featureset. The two things go hand in hand, there’s a broader lesson worth learning there. 🙂 I do accept curving a monitor makes it more prone to uniformity issues (as can implementing a complex backlighting solution like the 326M6VJRMB has), but there are never any guarantees either way. There are plenty of complaints related to the flat Innolux models with respect to dark and indeed light uniformity performance as well. And they have an array of other issues to consider as covered in countless other threads on the forum including earlier on in this one.

The Dell S3221QS is covered and compared with the flat Innolux panel alternatives (BenQ EW3270 being just one example) in a few posts. A good example of such coverage is this post, which I linked to in my first post on this thread. Again, this is not a monitor you buy for HDR. And I have no specific reason to recommend it over the Philips 328E1CA except for its inclusion of some degree of HDR support or if you prefer the design and stand. Or prefer the somewhat shallower curve. I do think it’s a good monitor due to similarities with the Philips, however. But there’s absolutely nothing HDR-like about a 300 cd/m² peak luminance and no local dimming. That’s not even enough to get the monitor the most basic VESA DisplayHDR 400 level of certification. Which some will tell you is, in itself, a joke of a certification. You can still leverage 10-bit colour reproduction and you’ve got a 90% DCI-P3 colour gamut put to decent use under HDR on the Dell, so I’m not saying it’s completely pointless. But be under no illusion, it’s not ‘proper’ HDR at all.

[PCM2]

Some potential good news to share on this thread. It appears LG are working on firmware which will allow >100Hz (i.e. 120Hz for the Xbox Series X) to be used via HDMI at the same as FreeSync on the 27GL850. This is just something an LG rep has said passed on to a user by email, but at least there is some hope for owners of the 27GL850 or those considering it for gaming on the Xbox Series X.

[alfiemoni]

Hi guys,

Read through this whole post and really can’t make a decision. I don’t have a budget restriction on this purchase and even after reading a lot of the reviews there’s no clear winner because I don’t have the previous experience with gaming screens to know what I want from it so I guess looking for what would have the most boxes ticked spec wise?

It’s going to be for strictly ps5 or xbx (haven’t decided which ones going to be on the monitor and which one I’ll connect to the tv (QE5595T) and will probably just use it as a second screen on the very rare occasion I need a bigger one to work on the MacBook. No pc gaming.

I was just going to buy the Samsung g9 49inch assuming it would just work! Glad I didn’t make an impulse purchase.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

[PCM2]

Monitors are very subjective and everybody has their own personal preferences. It isn’t one size fits all. There are some clear recommendations given in this thread and also the dedicated section of the website. It’s up to you to decide what sort of experience you’re after. There are distinct paths that you can go down, but it’s up to you to decide which one is right for you. We’ve reviewed plenty of monitors that we recommend or similar models and give an extremely clear and thorough analysis of what to expect from the experience. So it doesn’t matter whether you’ve used a similar before or not, you can still make use of this information and see what kind of experience you want.

[taj]

Hey! So I have found out that my monitor is not running at 120hz. I tested this on Call of Duty Cold War (PS5), and did all the necessary steps to get 120hz, but nothing worked. The monitor I have is a Acer ED273. I am interested in upgrading and I would like to know what you think would be the best. I know you have mentioned some monitors above, but I was hoping for a 27inch monitor that for sure can produce the 120hz on the Ps5. The one I have is curved, but if any of the ones you suggest are not curved that is fine. I appreciate all your help, Thanks.

[PCM2]

Hey taj,

My recommendation would be the BenQ EX2710 – it’s just the 27″ version of the 24.5″ EX2510 with similar performance, 120Hz supported properly etc.

[taj]

Ok, thanks so much, and this is forsure compatible with the 120hz on the ps5. Because on my Acer ED273, it says its a 144hz monitor, however its just not working at all. Im stuck on 60hz on the ps5. I just want to make sure it will forsure work. Thanks so much once again.

[PCM2]

144Hz tells you nothing about whether 120Hz is supported, specifically, and also nothing about how the refresh rate is handled. Refer to the previous pages of this thread with respect to the BenQ EX models.

[taj]

Ok thanks, last question. Do you know any curved monitors that work well and forsure works with the Ps5?

[PCM2]

Not specifically and if I did they would be VA models and therefore an apples to oranges comparison with the EX2510 and EX2710 anyway.

[wayfarersall]

Hi new user here as well. Just discovered your site.

What if I don’t want a curved monitor? Is there anything else you would recommend at this price range? 300-400 £££

I want a 32″ just for ps5 and media playback. I already have a 27″ 1440p 144hz monitor for my pc but I prefer something bigger for console gaming etc.

Would you categorically not recommend the Benq?

Thanks for your help!

[PCM2]

I think too many people actively avoid curved monitors without having experienced them. I always emphasise the fact that the curve is exaggerated in pictures and videos of the monitor and it’s generally something you’d get very used to given a little time using it at the desk. In the review of the Philips 328E1CA, for example. But I appreciate you may prefer a flat monitor regardless – and as you’re considering console gaming here you may not be sitting at a desk anyway or necessarily be sitting centrally relative to the screen.

There’s a wealth of discussion related to that in this post and others on that thread. There are flat models such as the AOC U32E2N which uses a flat Samsung panel rather than the Innolux panel I often criticise. I only have feedback from one user – who was very happy with the AOC – but he was not a gamer. And I don’t have any personal experience with it. I’d also say that from a distance (say >90cm) the imperfections I refer to with the models with flat VA Innolux panels (like the BenQ EW3270U) are much harder to notice. And you will get an engaging experience in terms of contrast and fairly vibrant colour output.

[wayfarersall]

I’m sure you get used to the curve but for me it’s still a gimmick and provides more limitations than benefits. Maybe for specific uses it is nice but for me a flat screen is always going to be more practical. But yes you’re right, this 32″ will be used in a more relaxed setup sat further away and sometimes for multiple viewers if watching a movie. My PC will still be using the 27″ monitor which is the perfect size for me. And yes I will definitely be sat further than 90cm away from the 32″ so inconsistencies will be less noticeable.

I like the look of that AOC. I will do some more research and see if I can find more user reviews. The price is decent as well. The Benq seems a little expensive.

I actually bought a 55″ 4k TV in the Black Friday sales which I was hoping to use for PS5 etc. but when I got it setup I just found it was way too big for what I wanted. Totally takes over the room and I just didn’t get on with it. Sent it back. My original plan was to buy a 4k 32″ TV but they don’t exist so looking at monitors now.

Maybe next year there will be more options in this size range. Trouble is because the consoles can in theory output 4k 120hz that’s what most people are going to want and what manufacturers will flood the market with. In reality 4k 60hz will be a more achievable standard that most developers will aim to hit in performance mode.

I’m hoping to see smaller sizes available in OLED TVs and hopefully see micro LED come into the PC monitor market as well. But prices will be high for a long time which is why I think a budget 4k 60hz 32″ is the way to go for now.

Edit: seems like there are no reviews for aoc yet as it’s so new. Hopefully it will get some coverage soon.

[PCM2]

Trouble is because the consoles can in theory output 4k 120hz that’s what most people are going to want and what manufacturers will flood the market with. In reality 4k 60hz will be a more achievable standard that most developers will aim to hit in performance mode.

Just want to highlight this for others reading the thread and in a similar situation. Because you’re exactly right and that’s an important point. Certain features will be a focus due to the capabilities of HDMI 2.1 and the systems ‘supporting’ them based on hardware capability (i.e. ‘4K’ at 120Hz). But in practice there will be very few situations where that would be useable, it takes an incredible amount of graphical horsepower to drive the frame rates anywhere near that high. So as you say, the developers will generally target a more solid 60Hz experience instead.

[supersood]

Hello,

I’ve just found this forum and I’m pretty excited to post here because I’m hoping to receive some advice for a monitor. I’ll be purchasing a Playstation 5 once they’re readily available and I will be playing games such as the new Call of Duty as well as single player games such as Miles Morales, Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. I’m definitely not a competitive gamer as playing games is just a hobby for me to help me pass some time. I’m looking for a monitor with a 27 inch display that also will have a USB-C port in which I’ll connect my laptop (2019 13 inch MacBook Pro) through to display video as well as charge the battery. I’m conflicted between what I prioritize more between frame rate and resolution. I imagine playing titles such as the new Call of Duty and Destiny 2 on a 120hz capable panel would be a great experience, but I also would enjoy playing single player games at a high resolution which would be a wonderful experience as well.

Ideally, a 4K/144hz panel that has a USB-C port would check off everything on the list, however, they are too expensive for me. So I suppose I should settle for a 1440p/144hz panel with a USB-C port that has power delivery because this will act as a balance between frame rate and high resolution. I understand that the Playstation 5 is currently not capable of outputting native 1440p/120hz, however they did mention that if the demand is there then they will certainly add the capability via firmware update. I don’t mind purchasing a 1440p/144hz panel now in hopes that they will eventually add this feature. I’ve found an option to consider, BenQ EX2780Q, however the USB-C port on the monitor is only capable of 10w of power which is not enough to provide sufficient charge to my laptop while using it. Are there any other options available to be considered? I apologize in advance if they’ve been discussed already and I’ve missed those posts. Thank you for your help!

[PCM2]

Hi supersood and welcome,

I agree with your reasoning that a high refresh rate WQHD option would be a good option. It makes sense if you feel you’ll benefit from running some titles in ‘4K’ at a lower frame rate but will also play some titles at 120Hz in Full HD. And there’s the hope that WQHD would be natively supported by the PS5 further down the line.

Unfortunately there is a gap in the market when it comes to high refresh rate 2560 x 1440 models with USB-C support and good PD (power delivery) specifications. I was going to suggest the Gigabyte M27Q as another model to consider, but it is also limited to 10W PD via USB-C. We’ll be reviewing it shortly and I expect (from experience with other Gigabyte models) that it will list ‘1080P’ @120Hz in a way that is readily accessible to the PS5. Although the manual doesn’t mention a ‘4K’ downsampling mode, users seem to suggest it does have one when using HDMI (as you would for consoles) so it can accept a ‘4K’ signal. The Gigabyte offers improved pixel responsiveness compared to the BenQ EX2780Q, but you may not notice that difference. According to the testing of others static contrast is just slightly lower, but that’s a difference that should be too slight to notice really. It’s likely both models have static contrast around 100:1 of each other on average and exceed the 1000:1 specified. Until I’ve reviewed it I wouldn’t like to try and compare things any more intricately, though.

Interestingly users seem to be saying that they can’t get the Xbox Series X to run at 1440p @120Hz on the M27Q. I have no idea why that would be or whether it would have any impact on any potential future 1440p @120Hz support on the PlayStation 5. But it’s still worth mentioning in this thread due to others reading this with Xbox Series X usage in mind.

Edit: Confirmed in our review of the M27Q that ‘1080p’ @120Hz is listed as a ‘TV’ resolution, so PS5 should see it. ‘4K’ UHD @60Hz downsampling mode also listed there as expected.

[pretoastedwaffle]

Good day. I’m a big fan of the monitor reviews and I am looking for a bit of advice.
I apologise if this question has been asked before as it seems that many people have found themselves choosing the BenQ EX2780Q and the LG nano IPS monitors.

I currently use the Acer nitro vg270up (with an Xbox One S currently) but my experience with it so far hasn’t been great and I’m thinking I might need a monitor that doesn’t hurt my eyes.
I expect that there’ll be a significant improvement when I get the Xbox series X however for the sake of my eyes and for a better gaming experience, getting the BenQ EX2780Q might still be worth it.

Given that I mainly play games such as For Honor, Fortnite, and star wars games, will the BenQ monitor be good enough (pixel response wise)?
Or would it be worth getting one of the 1ms IPS LG monitors?
Again apologies for asking a repeated question.

[Author]

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