[Teapot]

Thank you Adam, this is really helpful. These really are nuanced choices and what must be so hard for you is how recommendations change based on use case and personal preference!

I’d agree with your summary – if money is no object why not go for the X27 – for the rest the XB27 is a very small compromise, for a significant price reduction (30% or so). With the state of HDR support at the moment and I think for the near future, that’s a decent compromise and the best place to make a sacrifice imo.

Although it’s a shame to lose the flexibility of Freesync, from your insights and reading other posts and user experiences it sounds like nearly all implementations of the tech are not as good/effective or perhaps well tuned as Gsync.

Final question to you and other forum members – does anyone have any experience of the Acer store and refunds/returns? I’m very tempted by the 10% off offer they have at the moment – brings the XB27 down to about £1080. I’ll have to mull on the benefit of a little saving now, or the greater peace of mind of Amazon!

[PCM2]

I don’t have any experience of buying from Acer directly myself, maybe others could chime in.

[Teapot]

Well, I am still prevaricating and haven’t made a choice but have started buying parts for a new PC so decisions will have to be made sooner, rather than later!

I wondered what people thought about the LG-27UK600 monitor – currently on sale over at Amazon for a very reasonable £333. It would be a stop gap of course and I appreciate its a very different product and experience than the XB27 – but I seriously considered the LG 27UL650 around this time last year and this seems to be a newer version. Is that right or am I missing some significant differences I should be wary of?

I’m already getting excited about some of the new products you’ve teased on the home page and I’m thinking a more budget friendly option now would still give the next-gen experience of 4k with freesync but leave the door open for an upgrade as these new monitors come through and (hopefully!) prices on the tech falls…

[PCM2]

The UL (2019) series is newer than the UK (2018) series. However; the 27UK600 is certainly a nice ‘4K’ monitor and not dramatically different than the more expensive ‘UL’ equivalent. The HDR capabilities on the ‘UL’ models are somewhat enhanced compared to the ‘UK’ (slightly higher peak luminance) and the overall calibration is a bit tighter, but the HDR performance is really far from wonderful in both cases and isn’t something I’d base the purchase on. The calibration is also decent enough on the ‘UK’ models to give a nice rich look to the image – good gamma tracking, which is really the most important box to tick.

The ‘600’ also has a fixed (tilt-only) stand vs. the greater ergonomic freedom of the ‘650’ models. But if that were to really bother you, the included stand can be removed and replaced with an alternative 100 x 100mm VESA compatible solution. I feel that’s a very competitive price for the LG and it’s a nice choice if you’re after a FreeSync-capable 60Hz UHD screen. Another model I’d suggest to users who aren’t fussed about FreeSync/Adaptive-Sync support is the Philips 276E8VJSB, which we’re currently reviewing. It’s left me rather impressed, especially for the price. But I do appreciate FreeSync can be a nice addition, and my suggestion there would be go for whichever LG model is on sale. So yes, the 27UL600 in this case.

And I’m sorry to tease with those exciting models in our news pieces. I get rather excited putting those articles together sometimes as well, I definitely think there are some nice models in the pipeline for users with a decent budget.

[Slimboy fat]

I’m buying a large monitor to use for gaming and media, it will be mounted on a wall. I will have a small movable desk with a wireless keyboard and mouse to put in front of it and a couch behind where I can game and watch video, I will also be using it to play music with the speakers. My PC isn’t very powerful atm using a GTX 1060 but I’m ok with gaming at 1080p upscaled until I upgrade in the future. I’m not a connoisseur that expect the absolute best and I accept that buying at a reasonable price of 500-800 euro will require some compromises. Still I think I’ve found a good one here: https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/philips-436m6vbpab/

-Price is important
-Decent upscaling is important
-I don’t expect the best but I want to avoid major flaws
-Freesync is a plus since 4K is hard on the GPU
-Being able to wall mount is a must
-HDR is not really important

What do you guys think, should I get the Philips HDR one or would you recommend something else?

I appreciate anyone who decide to answer, thanks.

[PCM2]

Hi Slimboy fat,

If you like what you see in the review then by all means go for the Philips 436M6VBPAB. Give it a try. If you’re able to buy from Amazon, you can support our work but also have a fallback of an excellent returns policy, should you need it. So if you don’t like it, you’re not stuck with it. It provides vibrant colour output and strong contrast as well as good 60Hz responsiveness for the panel type. If that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for then it might hit the spot. Be aware of the issues raised in the review, including the ‘static dithering’ which some users find bothersome. Others don’t – especially from a reasonable viewing distance.

The only thing I would say, is that HDR was actually one of the key reasons I’d recommend that particular model. It was very enjoyable to use, when setup correctly. You say you’re not bothered by that aspect, perhaps you will want to make use of it later down the line though. It still offers a nice SDR experience as mentioned, however. As for alternatives, the only ones that might be more impressive if you’re looking for a ‘punchy’ and contrast-rich experience but greater responsiveness (higher refresh rate) would be some upcoming models like ASUS XG438Q and Acer CG437K. They will come at a significant price premium, however. Well above the budget you’ve set for yourself. And they would only really make sense with a significantly more powerful GPU than the GTX 1060.

[Slimboy fat]

Thanks I will certainly use your amazon link if the price is competitive with my local options. I’m based in Sweden so buying from Amazon UK is a new experience and I’m uncertain about shipping and the price of currency exchange which can add up to a significant premium in my experience.

[PCM2]

Yes that’s understandable. If you do end up getting it, I’d love to know your thoughts as well. 🙂

[Slimboy fat]

If you took a guess what do you think the new Asus XG438Q will cost roughly, ~1000 euros or so?

[PCM2]

I’d expect it to be closer to €1500 initially.

[docace911]

Has anyone tried to overclock the Philips 436M6VBPAB to say 66hz or something? I have been amazed how far some panels can be pushed (my sony 75″ Z9D goes to 69hz).

Saw this on display in Chicago and very impressed. Seems for the price, might be worth it vs waiting for the 43″ acer for the 120hz support. Not sure how useful that will be.

[PCM2]

As noted in the review:

“Note that we will not be including a section on overclocking, as the monitor skipped frames when set much above 60Hz at its native resolution or indeed lower resolutions such as Full HD.”

So no, you can’t overclock the 436M6VBPAB. The same applies to all native 60Hz ‘4K’ monitors I’ve tested. Without exception, none can be set much beyond 60Hz without frame skipping. For higher refresh rate models there’s the upcoming Acer CG437K I assume you were referring to which supports 144Hz, whilst another 120Hz alternative is the upcoming ASUS XG438Q. They will be significantly more expensive than the Philips, but if increased refresh rate is important to you that’s something you’ll need to weigh up.

[docace911]

Thanks I read your review and looked at the zoomed pics carefully and missed that!

The sony 900F TV and Z9D are very overclockable at 4k. I was amazed how far I could push the 4k.

[PCM2]

Well you mentioned you could push your Z9D to 69Hz. I’d hardly call that “very overclockable” – a mild overclock at most, but still more than you’d typically be able to set a monitor to without frame skipping. I assume you have tested for frame skipping, specifically?

[uncia]

Thanks for mentioning the ASUS XG438Q, PCM. I’d love to have that monitor. It may not be IPS, but it looks to be breathtaking. Well, it’s all hypothetical until it comes to market.

It’s probably going to retail for at least $2K, I think I read? I’d need to swap out my video card again, also. But for 4K, I find that size much more usable on a daily basis. At least I have looked at that size of 4K TV and thought the PPI was nice. Isn’t it similar to a 1440p at 27 inches?

If I end up with this one day, I’m going to look back and shake my head at this journey. Though I’ll need to become suddenly wealthy somehow. It’s also a bit absurd to pair a monitor with a PC that’s worth less than half what it costs. The refresh rate, HDR support, and size make one dream though.

I’m sorry to hijack the thread here. I think a lot of people are probably curious about the comparable 43-inch monitors to the Philips. So far there just aren’t any, are there?

[PCM2]

I imagine that the ASUS may come in a bit under $2000, but I’m not sure. If not initially then shortly after launch. It sounds as if Acer has their variant pegged below that and ASUS will need to remain competitve with that. Especially as the Acer has some advantages on paper (higher refresh rate, superior HDR level). Of course that doesn’t tell the full story, but it does sway customers when coupled with a price difference ASUS may not be able to justify. 🙂

And yes, the Philips 436M6VBPAB is indeed quite unique. There’s no other monitor that’s really quite like it.

[Slimboy fat]

If I were to go down in size to 32 inches is there any budget variant with speakers that you would recommend at that size?

It would also need to be mountable on a wall.

[PCM2]

The ~32″ options are covered in this thread.

[Slimboy fat]

At 32 inches a 1440p resolution should be sufficient, I will look through what’s available. Thanks for engaging in this thread, when I do buy my new monitor I’ll post a mini-review in the forum as thanks for the help.

[docace911]

Secured a open box for $450 USD. Gonna get it and test it

Which are the best patterns to test for uniformity ? For overcloxking the ufoBusters has a good frame skip test right?

You also said the scaler was fantastic so good opportunity for 2560 or 2880 and upscale. I doubt even on a 2080 too much would get past 60-66hz. Hoping the freesync works (using 1080 now)

Btw thank you for the incredible site and reviews.

[Author]

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