[PCM2]

Hi andy87,

I’ve merged your thread with this topic as it includes some relevant discussion. The long and short of it is, though, that the choice between higher refresh rate and superior resolution is a very individual choice. There is certainly a clear difference, which some appreciate more than others, between the ‘4K’ UHD resolution and WQHD on a screen of the same size. But there’s also a significant difference between a ~24″ Full HD monitor and 27″ WQHD monitor, plus it’s very difficult to go back to 60Hz after getting used to 144Hz. I feel that’s probably more of a system shock than getting used to 2560 x 1440 after 3840 x 2160, when gaming.

It’s possible to get a product which ticks both boxes, with a gradually expanding range of high refresh rate 3840 x 2160 models. The Acer XB273K is an excellent example of this, a very accomplished product but also quite a bit more expensive than some of the high refresh rate 2560 x 1440 models. I feel that high refresh rate WQHD would be the way to go, if you don’t have the budget or desire to have a high refresh rate UHD model. Those options are discussed extensively in various threads on the forum, including this one.

As for a ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur) causing eye damage, that’s scaremongering and outright false. Strobe backlight modes induce flickering, by their very nature, and that can cause eye fatigue and discomfort. That’s a short-term issue, there’s no mechanism for them to cause long term visual damage nor any reliable evidence showing this. For the sake of viewing comfort and frame rate flexibility, most users prefer sticking with normal flicker-free operation on monitors. Strobe backlight settings are more for somewhat hardcore users who are very sensitive to perceived blur and wish to reduce it by any means possible. Or those who are used to gaming on CRTs.

And ELMB Sync, at least based on the VG27AQ‘s performance, is no panacea. It provides far more strobe crosstalk and other visual artifacts than good solid strobe backlight modes, so it doesn’t really work all that well at providing a ‘clean’ low perceived blur experience. I see it as an interesting demonstration, but most user will actually just prefer sticking to Adaptive-Sync on that model without using its party trick of ELMB Sync.

[andy87]

Hi PCM2 and thank you for your answer.

The VG27AQ seems to be a very good monitor, and it has a decent price. I will just keep myself clear of ELMB and use Adaptive Sync or run it flat at it’s native refresh rate.
I know that it’ll be a lottery regarding BLB..

I think I’m gonna go with the VG27AQ, or do you recommend otherwise ?

As for the Asus VG248QE, do you have any idea to why I was seeing horizontal lines after using the monitor for a long session ? I tried looking for answers on the internet, but didn’t find anything.

Thank you for your help.

[PCM2]

The VG27AQ seems pretty solid in terms of price and performance (ELMB Sync aside) really, if you want a monitor with ~sRGB colour gamut. That thread I linked to has plenty of alternatives to consider, but if you’re happy with the VG27AQ just stick with that and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The horizontal lines could be due to a sensitivity to flickering (PWM), which the VG248QE uses.

[Wonex]

I am using an 1080p 240hz monitor right now and i want to upgrade to an 1440p 165hz. is it worth losing the hz for higher pixels, or is this actually an downgrade?

[PCM2]

Hi Wonex,

I’ve moved your post over to this thread as it’s a suitable place. My post at the top of this page is what I’d repeat. It’s a very individual choice, it depends on what you do with the monitor and your own preferences and sensitivities. The drop from 240Hz to 165Hz is much easier to deal with than dropping down from something like 120Hz (or 165Hz for that matter) to 60Hz. Outside of competitive gaming you’re more likely to appreciate an increase in resolution from 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) to 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) than you are to notice a drop from 240Hz to 165Hz.

[Author]

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