[Degrader]

Just to let you know: I’ve recieved the ViewSonic XG321UG today.

And to be honest, it is way better than the Acer in every aspect.

The OSD is much more solid and intuitive and don’t loose set configuration. Also there’s a separate local dimming for both SDR and HDR. So no more switching on/of as with the Acer.

The coating looks a bit smoother than the XP32 FP, I find text definitely more clear on the XG321UG.

There’s no red hue in SDR (even not with full color gamut enabled), the X32 FP has a reddish look.

The edges are also not cooler like the Acer, the uniformitiy is great.

PQ curve in HDR is followed correctly, tested the different squares in the VESA DisplayHDR app. Ofcourse peak brightness is way higher (DisplayHDR 1400 vs 1000). While the brightest squares (4000 and 10.000 nits) were on the Acer around the 1000 nits, the XG321UG displayes them at 1600 nits. The Acer had more roll-off, the VIewSonic does not use roll-off. But as the peak brightness is higher the HDR whitepoint sits around the 1600-1700, the Acer 1400.

Almost no strange color temperature shift when local dimming is enabled, I’ve measured against a white background 6800K and against a black background 6600K.

Small highlights stand clearly more out than on the Acer while halo’s are not more visible (this probably also due to having twice the dimminsg zones (1152 vs 576).

Measured contrast in HDR mode in the DisplayHDR app (checkerboard) is 5000:1, for the Acer 2000:1 (also due 1152 vs 576 zones). Therefore for example Forza 4 with a nightly race looks more impressive, as the small highlights are brighter and the dark tones darker.

And there’s no local dimming flickering, not in any of the three modes!

One letdown though, after an half hour of use there was suddenly a defective pixel. While it bothers me not too much I’ve contacted ViewSonic about this.

Edit: Oh yeah, the XG321UG is of course way more expensive than the X32 FP, normally 3200-3600 euro which is extremely expensive. I’ve got mine for ‘only’ 2325,- euro via Amazon (Bureau Office Supplies Dublin). It is a new one, seal was intact.

[PCM2]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the ViewSonic XG321UG and comparing to the Acer X32 FP. This is very useful, so I’ve given this its own thread so it’s easier for people to find. I’d recommend people also look through the X32 FP thread and see the comments from Degrader and others there. What is your preferred local dimming setting on the ViewSonic? If I’m not mistaken it gives you good flexibility, with 4 ‘levels’ that allow you to swing things more towards dark-biasing or light-biasing (as with the XG341C-2K I reviewed recently). This contrasts with the Acer, where there is basically one ‘usable’ setting without the ability to really tune the level of dark vs. bright-biasing.

I certainly view the Acer as a ‘cut down’ version of the ViewSonic (and ASUS PG32UQX, which shares its panel) and as your feedback suggests there’s certainly benefit to be had from doubling the dimming zone density. The Acer has to make some compromises (heavy dark-biasing) to avoid excessive ‘haloing’ or ‘blooming’ or simply lifting up dark shades too much, too often. I still think it’s worth mentioning, for those reading this thread, that the pixel responsiveness is significantly stronger on the Acer – the ViewSonic has similar weaknesses to the PG32UQX we reviewed. As stressed in the review, it’s very subjective and not everyone will find these weaknesses bothersome. As you said in the other thread you didn’t feel you were overly sensitive to this – and because you didn’t comment on it as a negative in this thread with respect to the ViewSonic, that clearly highlights you’re happy with that aspect. 🙂

[Degrader]

That’s correct, I do not really see a difference in OD times compared to the Acer, but that’s just me as measurements speaks for themselves and the Acer is indeed much better in this regard.

There are three local dimming settings for the XG321UG where Mode 1 is the most aggressive, less trailing is seen, but halo’s are little more visible than in Mode 2. Mode 2 makes also dark tones a bit brighter. Mode 3 is useless for gaming/movies as there’s much more blooming due to enabling more dimming zones (I think it’s been quadrupled). I’m still switching between Mode 1 and Mode 2 as it depends on the content what is being displayed, but I’m leaning towards Mode 1.

[PCM2]

Ah right, thanks for clarifying that. That sounds a bit like the PG32UQX with how it changes the recruitment of zones and aggressiveness of the dimming solution, depending on the setting used. This makes sense given that Nvidia will have a large say in tuning the local dimming of both models and the manufacturer can’t completely dictate what the settings will do. Though it seems to be in a different order – ‘Mode 1’ on the ASUS did what I think you’re describing with ‘Mode 3’ on the ViewSonic, whereby it makes gentler adjustments and neighbouring dimming zones will also brighten up which creates larger ‘halos’ around brighter objects.

As an aside, the ASUS had some weird ‘halo’ issues where bright shades moved against medium backgrounds using its most aggressive setting and the medium shade would be brightened up a lot. In similar situations to where you might’ve seen some flickering with the X32 FP – depending on movement and scenario it could also flicker on the ASUS, so probably a similar thing! You might notice it where bright artificial lights were set against a grey sky, for example. This was something I found very noticeable and widespread with the most aggressive setting, much less so with ‘Mode 2’. If you don’t notice this using ‘Mode 1’ on the ViewSonic (suggests better tuning than the ASUS) then I’d probably stick with that one as it will give you an edge in contrast for some scenes. I would’ve stuck with the most aggressive setting on the ASUS if it wasn’t for that weird ‘halo’ issue for medium shades.

[Degrader]

After playing Tomb Raider and Forza 4 and 5 and testing mode 1 and 2, it seems to me that mode 2 is the best.

What you are describing about the Asus where medium shades are brighten up creating obvious halo is also applicable for the ViewSonic in mode 1 (the most aggressive one). So I think the two they are very similar regarding local dimming.

The colors in HDR are more lifelike and vivid (and probably more saturated) on the ViewSonic compared to the Acer. Tomb Raider is much more alive when playing it on the XG321UG with clearly more dynamic images.
I’ve also did a small calibration with the RGB sliders, R to 99 and B to 96 bringing the primaries in balance with a color temperature of 6500K. It is nice that color settings remain the same for both SDR and HDR with same calibration result. So that’s very handy. No more hassles with the OSD.
And OD set to Advanced is giving me good response times where overshoot is within the limits (at least for me 🙂).

[PCM2]

Based on what I saw on the XG341C-2K and what I’m aware of from a few other ViewSonic models, the XG321UG might actually be slightly oversaturating colours under HDR. It will still be toned down compared to SDR, so you don’t get obviously overdone skin tones or neon-looking greens etc. It’s a look some prefer and it does make things look more vivid, whereas on the Acer they may look more accurate and ‘as intended’ with stronger vibrancy used more selectively. Though I have yet to see the Acer so there could be more to it as well.

[Degrader]

Yeah, Tomshardware also mentioned in their review that the colours in HDR are somewhat oversaturated.
When I measure the color gamut in HDR mode with my SpyderX it gives me 98% sRGB coverage, where the Acer has only 91% (Windows ofcourse is mapping the HDR colours down to sRGB for SDR content). Maybe the Acer undersaturates colours?
But I think it is also due to the good tracking of the PQ curve resulting in a more brightly image where the Acer looks a bit dull because of strong dark biasing.

I have to say that you are a very good reviewer, you have a lot of knowledge combined with great insight!

[PCM2]

The gamut measured for SDR applications with an HDR signal is not indicative not always indicative of how the monitor will perform under HDR. Whilst the Acer could be showing some things in an undersaturated way, that wouldn’t necessarily be confirmed from that sort of measurement. Either way, I definitely agree that the dark-biasing will drag down and dull some shades so they appear with less of a ‘pop’ to them.

[Degrader]

Okay, but a few months ago I tested the Philips 27B1U7903 (DisplayHDR 1400) and the gamut was only covering 84% sRGB where the green was the culprit. My Z27xs is covering 98% sRGB. When doing a direct comparing between the two in HDR it is clearly visible that the greens are more saturated on the HP (left):
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DZuTxRTNMhtmczsWA

[PCM2]

I must admit that when I’ve seen extreme sRGB undercoverage (I would count 84% as extreme) it does usually correlate to poorly calibrated HDR and undersaturation when it’s actually displaying HDR. But I’ve also tested monitors with ~90-95% sRGB coverage when measured in that way but clear oversaturation under HDR. And others with complete or near complete sRGB coverage when measured in that way but evident undersaturation. I don’t usually see a strong correlation between the sRGB gamut measured in this way on models where they have clear undersaturation with one display connection (or GPU vendor) but not another. Though there’s usually an extreme difference in the measured gamma, interestingly enough.

So I’d say it can indicate issues, but not always. This is all casual observation from me, though, and whilst I like to observe such gamut measurements when testing from time to time I don’t generally collect (save) such data. But I’ll start collecting that data and see if I do notice a strong correlation between that gamut measurement and HDR output. It’d be interesting to know if there was a strong chance that HDR output would be subdued if the ‘SDR-HDR’ sRGB coverage was poor. And if there’s a specific deficiency in one region of the gamut when measured like this and that extrapolates out to HDR that would be good to know. So you might be onto something useful here, a good indicator and something to look out for. I didn’t mean to sound so dismissive in my initial post (which I’ve edited for clarity).

[Degrader]

Thank you for your clarification and no problem!

[4KGalaxy]

Thanks for your comparison between the Viewsonic and the Acer. I’ve been struggling a bit with the Acer X32FP and leaning to returning it (as you can see in the other thread). Honestly I think my monitor preferences are similar to yours and I’d probably like the Viewsonic. I currently use a very old IPS monitor so the response times probably wouldn’t bother me.

The only issue for me is the cost. If I wanted a one screen setup I’d probably still consider the Viewsonic, but I think I might be better off getting a more basic 4k monitor for productivity and doing a small OLED TV for HDR gaming in my particular space. I was hoping the X32FP would be the one screen to do it all but maybe not quite. So close though!

[Degrader]

I see. I don’t know in which country you’re living, but I was definitely lucky to buy the last one in stock from Bureau Office Supplies Dublin for 2325,- euros. All other sellers who deliver to the Netherlands are asking 1000 euros more or even more. Because of this I was a little bit worried if I would receive it and if it would be the right model (the reseller had not any reviews on Amazon). But fortunately it was brand new. On Amazon US for example the monitor is 2500 dollars, but that is still expensive. And the ViewSonic isn’t perfect either with local dimming, mode 1 is too aggressive but not as aggressive as the Acer. Mode 2 works best for me.

The X32 FP is definitely limited by its firmware settings. While the max peak brightness is 1200 nits things like in-game sun never reached more than 1000 nits, while the XG321UG reaches more than 1600 nits for the same sun. It means that bright things are not just brighter but also showing more details and color shades as there is less clipping. So with the ViewSonic I feel the full potential of the panel is being used. But still it did cost me a lot and my wife went really crazy because of me buying one monitor and returning the other which took me in total 1,5 year to find a HDR monitor which I really like (I’m a bit ashamed of this to be honest). But I learned a lot. And if you are critical like me then it is really hard to find one which you really like.

[4KGalaxy]

I did consider the Viewsonic XG321UG carefully, it sounds like exactly what I’m looking for, but I will likely go with a more basic 4K 144Hz IPS screen (edge-lit) and a small OLED TV. For better or worse, getting those two comes out cheaper than the XG321UG for me. Although I was tempted as there are some benefits to just having one screen that can do it all.

[Degrader]

I’ve made also a video of the local dimming behaviour of the XG321UG in Shadow of the Tomb Raider: video

Note: it can take up to 30 minutes after this post before the video is available in Full HD.

[PCM2]

The bright rain against the darker grey background shades makes for quite an interesting torture test for the local dimming, it seems! That’s very similar to those halos or ‘inverse halos’ I observed on the PG32UQX, particularly with its most aggressive mode. Are you still preferring ‘Mode 2’ overall, or do you find yourself sometimes switching to ‘Mode 1’ for some games?

[Degrader]

Indeed it is, but I have to say that on video it is more pronounced than in reality. I’ve searched at YouTube on halo video’s of the PG32UQX and found some where the local dimming behaviour looks to be very similar as of the XG321UG, but maybe the halo’s on the ViewSonic are a lttle bit less pronounced than on the Asus.

For games like Forza 4 and 5 and Tomb Raider I’m always using Mode 2, but for Battlefield 5 I find Mode 1 can be usefull, although not in all levels. So Mode 2 is for me in all games/situations the best. I have the feeling that the local dimming settings are mainly optimized against black (or very dark) backgrounds as in these conditions halo’s are less visible than against brighter backgrounds.

[Degrader]

I’ve got a question about the real HDR maximum peak brightness of the XG321UG and the HDR white point in games. With all the monitors I’ve tested in HDR I saw that the white point value in the game was the same as the maximum peak brightness (e.g. 1000 nits measured and white point value also 1000) or in case of roll-off the white point was higher (e.g. 1000 nits measured and white point value 1400, this was the case with the X32 FP). But I’m measuring with my ViewSonic a peak brightness of 1700 nits while the white point value is 1600, so the white point is lower than the measured value. I find that strange.
Here’s a picture of it where you can see that the Forza symbol is not visible anymore at white point value of 1600 (at 1500: Measured peak brightness and white point value in Forza 5

As I said I’ve never experienced this before, with not any HDR monitor I’ve tested (and that are more than 20 different models).
@ PCM2 Do you have a clarification for this behaviour?

[PCM2]

I’m not sure exactly, but I don’t think it’s something to worry about. Does it vary much depending on your measurement point? I know you’ve only got so much flexibility given the box size and shape and it would be surprising if the difference was much more than say ~30 nits depending on where you’re measuring there. I’m not sure if this could be based on your particular unit outperforming the expected peak luminance for the XG321UG and they only map things appropriately up to that point. Anything beyond that point will simply cause the dimming zone to max out instead.

It’s unlikely to cause any real loss of detail in ‘real world’ content, you’d have exceptionally bright shades either way and you’re not likely to notice the difference between that vs. extremely accurate mapping of those exceptionally bright shades (if the difference is say 100 nits either way).

[Degrader]

A little bit variance is present indeed, but the peak brightness stays well above the 1600 nits everywhere in the box.
I’m not worried about it, but I just want to understand this.
If you look at the luminance section of this picture of the PG32UQX (it’s from Tweakers), you can see that the measured peak brightness is a little bit higher than the yellow line until 95%, where the grey line goes down to the yellow line. Do you think that this translates to the same behaviour as that of the XG321UG?

[Author]

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