Computer Display Reference Guide
(version 1.3 — 15/12/2024)
- Welcome. This is a reference guide for anyone wanting to dive deep (or pick good panels) into display technology.
- After a few reading list recommendations, my personal panel recommendations are listed. They're grouped by their specific resolution & refresh rate.
- Suggestions for improving this guide are welcome.
- Nothing in here is final and everything may be subject to change. The author of this document is not perfect and can be fallible.
Table Of Contents
- Computer Display Reference Guide
- Table Of Contents
- Reading list
- Illustrations
- General
- List of recommended displays
- Display studies / DIY projects / Memos
Reading list
mandatory (teaches you how displays work)
Monitorinsider—“Anatomy of a Monitor” || Techspot—“Anatomy of a monitor"
“A Taxonomy of Displays: Transmissive, Reflective, Emissive & More”—Anne Corning
“The Evolution of LED Backlights”
“Internal structure of a liquid crystal or LCD TV screen” (video)
“OLED Displays, How do they work?” (video)
“Blur Busters Law: The Amazing Journey To Future 1000Hz Displays”
“The Stroboscopic Effect Of Finite Frame Rate Displays
“GtG versus MPRT: Frequently Asked Questions About Pixel Response On Displays”
“Understanding Display Scan-Out Lag With High Speed Video”
“Are There Advantages to Frame Rates Higher Than the Refresh Rate?”
“Factors Affecting Monitor Responsiveness”
“LCD Motion Artifacts 101: Introduction”
“LCD Motion Artifacts: Overdrive”
“HOWTO: Pursuit Camera With Motion Tests”
“How LCD Response Times are Measured, and Why 10% to 90% GtG Measurements are Moderately Deceptive” (@a5hun) (video)
“Response Time vs. Latency / Input Lag (video)”
“What frame rate is needed to simulate reality?” (video)"
“What Is The Resolution Of The Eye?” (video)
“How to properly cap your FPS - FPS/Hz disparity stutter” (@Calypto)(video)
“Frame mistiming, stutter beat frequencies”—Chief Blurbusters
optional (good to know / niche things for enthusiasts)
"Blur Busters Custom Resolution (CRU) Glossary 101 / FAQ"
"G-SYNC 101" (this guide has outdated recommendations. instead, opt for backing off the frame rate cap by 10% from the native refresh rate, use in-game frame rate caps as they're the lowest input latency solution. e.g.: 130fps @ 144hz, 215fps @ 240hz, 325fps @ 360hz,...)
"HOWTO: Low-Lag VSYNC ON"
"HOWTO: Using ULMB Beautifully or Competitively"
"Motion Blur Reduction (ULMB, LightBoost, etc)"
"HOWTO: Pursuit Camera With Motion Tests"
“Making Of: Why Are TestUFO Display Motion Tests 960 Pixels Per Second?”
Pursuit photography slider setup - jusakuhibi
"New Easy Free Pursuit Camera: Smartphone. No rail needed."
"Quick Frame Transport (QFT) - Large Vertical Totals (reduce lag, reduce crosstalk)"
"CRU | How to Make Custom QFT Resolution"
"Blur Busters' Word On The DSC Lag Rabbit Hole" (BE AWARE! the person who started the thread is someone who's unwilling to do any kind of testing with his hardware/software stack. It is possible that the “DSC adds input lag” claim that he mentions is completely invalid. We have no data to work off, only anecdotes. Even Chief worked in anecdotes here)
"Strobed Motion Blur Reduction Is Same As PWM (but good kind of PWM)"
Beautiful Red Phosphor in New 1ms IPS 1440p LCDs Interferes With Blur Reduction Badly
Flicker-based vs Framerate-based Blur Reduction
Frame Generation Essentials: Interpolation, Extrapolation, and Reprojection
"Confused about HiDPI and Retina display? ― Understanding pixel density in the age of 4K"
"The Multiple Human Thresholds Pertaining To Display Motion"
"Is eye tracked motion blur measurable?"
"So what refresh rate do I need?"
Discorz stroboscopic effect infographic
"is blue light filter a gimmick ?"
"Blue Light Filters on Monitors, Do They Work?" RTINGS
"Is it all flicker? (Dragan Sekulovski) - video"
"Flicker explained - Guide to IEC 61547 for the lighting industry"
"The OLED Black Depth Lie – When Panel Type and Coating Matters"
"Can you calibrate a monitor without a colorimeter?" - video
Topic about hand pursuit shots - chief's tips
"Luxmeter App vs. measuring device: Are smartphones suitable for measuring illuminance?"
LCD Repair (will make this into a section later)
techmind.org – LCD technology and Tests
"Is motion blur directly related to strobe visibility or not?"
NVIDIA – How To Optimize Display Latency
Manufacturers: We Need User-Programmable Overdrive Lookup Tables
Why Retina Isn’t Enough
Displays, Diamond PenTile and others
PenTile and Sharp Eyesight
Notes on the Resolution and Other Details of the Human Eye
Experiments with Pixels Per Inch (PPI) on Printed Image Sharpness
Diagnosing and Disabling Dithering in the Graphics Pipeline
"Global BFI or Rolling BFI; Which is better?"
"Applied Sciences Group: High Performance Touch" showcase of 1kHz touch input latency
"Are hardware anti-blue light displays an IQ tax?" (CN article)
PWM flicker - examples of everyday life flicker
Discorz MPRT ruler
"Why Does Higher Resolutions Make Display Motion Blur Easier To See?"
Unsynchronized 240hz vs Synchronized 250hz polling rate screenshot comparison
Input Lag and the Limits of Human Reflex
advanced-level (ties in with GPU rendering + some research/studies, most can skip this)
"Swapchains and frame pacing" - Ralph Levien
"Present Latency, DWM and Waitable Swapchains" - Jack Minnet
"Sample Application for Direct3D 12 Flip Model Swap Chains"
"Improving Player Performance with Low Latency as Evident from FPS Aim Trainer Experiments"
"Latency of 30 ms Benefits First Person Targeting Tasks More Than Refresh Rate Above 60 Hz"
"Introducing NVIDIA Reflex: Optimize and Measure Latency in Competitive Games"
"SwapChain Science, It puts the Pacing in Frame Pacing" - SpecialK Wiki
"Input Latency Detection in Expert-Level Gamers, An experiment in visuomotor perception"
"Delays Have Dangerous Ends: On Monitors in SSBM"
EMI talk - Chief Blurbusters
Pixel inversion artifact showcase & threads
LCD/OLED Manufacturers: Cheap way to add 960Hz
Custom OLED Rolling Scans -- Custom Built OLED Monitor
latency guides to read (presence of topics on display devices & latency)
calypto's guide
bored's guide
vod's guide
timecard's guide
Illustrations
How MPRT values scale with different UFO speeds at simulated 0ms G2G
Simulation of KSF backlight on display performance
Stationary vs fixed gaze motion difference
Source: @Discorz
Desktop-sized displays — how PPD scales with distance
Laptop-sized displays — how PPD scales with distance
'Retina' displays — how PPD scales with distance
Phone displays — how PPD scales with distance
TV displays — how PPD scales with distance
Source: @kyube
30 ppd — 20/40 vision; poor vision
60 ppd — 20/20 vision; below average vision
80 ppd — 20/15 vision; average vision limit [1], [2]
120 ppd — 20/10 vision; practical upper limit of visual acuity
150 ppd — theoretical upper limit of visual acuity [3]
(take a look at Nvidia's calculator for the sources. aim for 80-120ppd ideally, higher is better)
Coating of displays, reference
Source: @prad.de (pic is incl. in all reviews)
General
Symbols
💨 - >90% compliance (reserved for LCDs that are close to OLED in terms response times)
🏎️ - bearable strobing implementation—1–2ms MPRT at max refresh rate only, subpar results on lower refresh rate targets
🛸 - satisfactory strobing implementation—1ms or lower mprt at usable brightness, 1 or more refresh rate target, not usable with bb tool
🐸 - great strobing implementation—adjustable pulse height (brightness), pulse width (duty cycle/clarity), larger and/or adjustable refresh rate range, usable with bb tool
📴 - VRR off (RT) testing methodology
🔛 - VRR on (RT) testing methodology
Red text color - KSF/PFS phosphor WLED backlight (e.g.: Nano IPS)
Green text color- Quantum Dot WLED backlight (or QD-OLED)
No color - YAG phosphor (classic) WLED backlight
🛇 - Scarce / low availability / unobtainable
🧱 - External power supply (power "brick") (if it doesn't have the symbol, it means it has a internal power supply instead)
🛡️ - Metal shielding of internals(Scaler, TCON, internal PSU) Note: ones that aren't marked with the symbol should be treated as unknown or lacking shielding
Tools
TestUFO || Beta for TestUFO
Eizo Monitor Test
Passmark MonitorTest (desktop app)
Monitor Test Utility 2.0.0 (desktop app)
IsMyLcdOk (desktop app)
Lagom.nl — collection of LCD Tests
SmoothFrog — alternative to TestUFO (desktop app)
Rtings pursuit pattern re-made by Discorz
SoftMCCS — Controls DDC/CI commands (desktop app)
ControlMyMonitor — Controls DDC/CI Commands (desktop app)
Custom Resolution Utility (CRU) — Utility for manually setting up monitor timings (forum thread is a great resource for troubleshooting timings) (desktop app)
Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) (desktop app)
TFTCentral's Monitor Panel Database
Sven.de/DPI — Calculate the PPI of your display
NVIDIA Automotive Screen Density Calculator (PPD)
Tom's Video Timings Calculator — Calculate the bandwidth of specific resolution, refresh rate and bit rate combinations
Trychen's Video Bandwidth Calculator
NVIDIA G-SYNC Certificated Display List
Bored's FPS Cap calculator
"Should you be worried about 1, 5, or 10 ms of input lag? Use (ApertureGrille's) Latency Split Test (LST) and find out!"
LCD Explorer by Merck group — 3D interactive map of LCD internals (desktop app)
novideo_sRGB — Color gamut clamping tool for Nvidia cards meant for wide color gamut displays (desktop app)
MotionCam — Android application for motion pursuit shots
DSLRCamera — iOS app for motion pursuit shots
ProCam — alternative iOS app for motion pursuit shots
Lux Light Meter Pro — Andorid app for measuring luminance (techless recommendation)
Photone - Grow Light Meter — Android & iOS app for measuring luminance)
Light Meter LM-3000 — iOS app for measuring luminance
"Lux to PPD calculator"
"Lux to PPD calculator with smartphone"
Cables
DisplayPort VESA Certified Products
Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1b Cable Certification Program
HDMI Adopters & Affiliates
LTT HDMI cable testing video
LTT DisplayPort cable testing video
Mouser - Understanding Shielded Cable
Why a good cable matters (example of audio cable but same principle applies)
AWG - Wiki
There's no official list of HDMI certified cables, you need to follow the guidelines for identifying one.
There are 3 types of display cables on the market (for both DisplayPort & HDMI):
1.) Pure Copper,
2.) Hybrid Optical Fiber & Copper,
3.) Pure Optical Fiber
Pure fiber optic cables should generally be better than their copper & hybrid-copper counterparts due to the galvanic isolation principle, but there aren't many in-depth reviews of them hence it's unknown to the wider audience what their latency penalty is, what their electrical properties are and how they operate long-term with modern displays.
Many HDMI and Coaxial Antenna Cables in the Market Don't Meet EU EMC Regulations
"All EMC tests are made in isolated lab for emissions, not susceptibility to electromagnetic waves travelling into the cable from the environment." @Anonymous
NOTE
Be aware that a longer cable will lead to worse signal integrity.
1.) Pure Copper
All of these are VESA certified, according to VESA's website.
When it comes to this category, I'd opt for Club-3D cables due to larger conductor diameter & seemingly decent reliability.
DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20)
testing of club3d cac-1091 cable
Club 3D CAC-1091, 1,20m, 28 AWG | 0.08 mm²
Club 3D CAC-1092, 1,60m, unknown AWG
Startech, 1m, 30 AWG | 0.051mm²
Cable Matters, 102095-1m, unknown AWG
Cable Matters, 1,5m, unknown AWG
Silkland S1334, 2m, 28 AWG | 0.08 mm²
DisplayPort 1.4
Club 3D CAC-2068, 2m, 28 AWG | 0.08 mm²
Startech DP14MM2M, 2m, 34 AWG | mm²
Cable Matters 102025-6, 1,82m (6ft), unknown AWG
KabelDirekt 1120, 2m, unknown AWG
Accell B088C-007B-23, VESA Certified, 2m, unknown AWG
Lindy 36292, 2m, 24 AWG | 0.25mm² (no VESA Certification, but larger diameter)
Opt for these only if you have a DP1.4 display.
HDMI 2.1
Club 3D CAC-1372, 2m, 28 AWG | 0.08 mm²
Delock 83996, 2m, 29 AWG | 0.065 mm²
Startech HDMM21V2M, 2m, 30-32 AWG | 0.051mm² - 0.0320mm² (power-data)
AudioQuest Pearl 48, 2m, unknown AWG (possibly ~28AWG or thicker)
2.) HYBRID OPTICAL FIBER & COPPER
NOTE
This forum thread is valuable if you wanna dive into hybrid or pure optical fiber cables, consider reading into it.
"Short List of Certified HDMI Cables for HDMI 2.1" — AVSForum
3.) PURE OPTICAL FIBER
INFO
Will not have a continuous (copper) ground and thereby help battle against ground hum issues.
It's a form of galvanic isolation
DANGER
Latency tests, display interplay & long-term reviews of these cables are not available publically, YMMV with them. They could / might cause damage to your device.
SmartAVLink Pure Optic FIber DP 1.4 cable — price unknown
FiberCommand PureFiber® ULTRAVISION®| HDMI 2.1 48Gbps | 4K120Hz — $195 USD
Ruipro 8k Gen 4A Pure Fiber DFO HDMI Cable - non-certified 8k, 3m-100m (includes cable, 2 DFO's (Detachable Fiber Optic connectors)
HeyOptics 8K Fiber HDMI 2.1 48Gbps Pure Fiber MPO OM3 Fiber Optical Cable, 1000ft — $138 USD
ActiveOpticalCable Pure Fiber Ultra High Speed 48Gbps 8K60 HDMI 2.1 Active Optical Cable, 1m — $325.00
KING KABLE Pure Optical Fiber HDMI2.1, 1m — $299.00
I ordered fiber from KING KABLE and it almost broke my monitor. Overheated signal just as I plugged it in. @Anonymous
Hope it's clear that there might be some more unexplored side-effects from using this technology.
FiberCommand seems to have a decent showcase (1st party) video of their internal lab.
Fibercommand Pure Optic Fiber video showcase
Bandwidth of DisplayPort & HDMI standards (without DSC)
Why should one avoid DSC?
- Increased probability of sub-optimal implementation, leading to delayed processing latency (refer to "Blur Busters' Insights on DSC Lag Concerns").
- Delayed Alt+Tab function,
- Malfunctioning of MPO's (Multi-Plane Overlays),
Malfunctioning of DSR & DLDSR (Deep Learning Dynamic Super Resolution)Article against this claim- Utlization of 2 GPU heads out of a total of 4 (Source)
Some articles on this topic may be found here:
How does DSC affect image quality?
How far can DSC be pushed before the claims of visually lossless stop applying?
Do keep in mind these bandwidths apply to Windows, not Linux.
HDMI Forum to AMD: No, you can’t make an open source HDMI 2.1 driver
4k@120hz unavailable via HDMI 2.1 (Linux)
Here's a article mentioning some benefits of using DisplayPort over HDMI (check comments as well):
Displayport - a better video interface
GPU architecture & display output versions
RDNA1 && Turing/Pascal: DP 1.4 & HDMI 2.0
RDNA2: DP 1.4 & HDMI 2.1 (FRL5)
Ampere/Ada: DP 1.4 & HDMI 2.1 (FRL6)
Blackwell DP 2.0 (UHBR20) & HDMI 2.1 (FRL6)
RDNA4: DP2.0 (UHBR13.5) & HDMI 2.1 (FRL6)
Intel ARC: (UHBR10) & HDMI 2.1 (FRL6)
Intel Battlemage: DP2.0 (UHBR13.5) & HDMI 2.1 (FRL6)
Rely on the CVT-RB2 columns in these tables for refresh rate + resolution combinations without DSC:
Table of DisplayPort versions with their respective refresh rate & resolution limits
Table of HDMI versions with their respective refresh rate & resolution limits
Always opt for refresh rate steps of 120hz (120, 240, 360, 480, 600, 720, 840, 960...) This is to have a refresh rate which is divisible by 24, 30, 60 which is necessary to avoid juddering
CVT-RB2 timing cheatsheet of notable refresh rate & resolution combinations without DSC
(desc. bw order)
DP1.4 (HBR3)
1080p @ 360hz @ 8bit (+46hz room)
1080p @ 320hz @ 10b (+17hz room)
1440p @ 240hz @ 8b (+11hz room)
1440p @ 200hz @ 10b (+5hz room)
HDMI 2.1 (FRL6)
1080p @ 540hz @ 8bit (+50hz room, not enough for 600hz unless custom timings)
1080p @ 480hz @ 10bit (+20hz room)
1440p @ 370hz @ 8bit (+9hz room)
1440p @ 300hz @ 10bit (+15hz room)
DP2.1 (UHBR20)
1080p @ 840hz @ 8bit (+44hz room)
1080p @ 720hz @ 10b (+50hz room)
1440p 600hz 8b (+9hz room)
1440p 480hz 10b (+36hz room) [WOLED WITHOUT DSC]
HDMI 2.2
1080p @ 960hz @ 8bit (+? hz room)
1080p @ 840hz @ 10bit (+? hz room)
1440p @ ~690hz @ 8bit (+? hz room, not enough room for 720hz)
1440p @ 600hz @ 10bit (+? hz room)
NOTE
Only HDMI 2.2 (96Gbps) will be able to support 1080p @ 960Hz, 8bit without DSC
Testing Methodologies of (most) reviewers
Response times
NOTE
OSRTT does 10-90% gamma corrected by default, don't use that mode, use rgb 5 tolerance. built the same as a5hun's tool
- a5hun (ApertureGrille) — 0-100% gamma corrected + cad & overshoot numbers
[uses melexis mlx75305 light2voltage probe, connected to the Adafruit Metro M4, analog reads of 50us – 20kHz, in UE4] - RTINGS (Test Bench 2.0) — gamma-corrected w/ raw graph data 🔛
- techless — fixed RGB 5 offset (with OSRTT) 🔛📴
- TechteamGB — fixed RGB 5 offset (with OSRTT)
- KitGuruTech — fixed RGB 5 offset (OSRTT)
- https://tftcentral.co.uk/category/reviews — fixed rgb 10 offset (from 25th february 2021 onwards, earlier reviews are not using this method)
- totallydubbedHD — fixed rgb 10 offset (with OSRTT)
- Techtesters — fixed rgb 10 offset (with OSRTT)
- Hardware Unboxed || Monitors Unboxed — 3-97% gamma corrected + CAD (before febr 2021 reviews use older method)
- stilgar for moreleTV — rigolds1102z-e + thorlabs PDA36A (10-90% g2g, no info on gamma correction)
(used OSRTT with "10% light level tolerance" in new-ish reviews but swapped off due to having issues with OLEDs, older ones are 10-90% - both are the same thing as VESA 10-90% g2g) - ggoki — 2-98% not gamma corrected (not on all reviews, early ones are 10-90%)
- RTINGS (before "Test Bench 2.0") - 0-100% not gamma corrected (listed as "Total Response Times", more like 2-98% due to noise)
- X-KOM (Polish channel) — fixed RGB 5 Offset (with OSRTT)
- Djun (Russian channel) — fixed RGB 5 Offset (with OSRTT)
UFO pursuit photography
INFO
Be aware of the UFO speed, some switched between 960pixels/s to 1440pixels/s, some use pixel/frame
A correct UFO pursuit shot must show the ladder pattern as a validation test.
Reviewers which show UFO tracks:
- A5hun, Techless, Stilgar (moreleTV), Type-C Tech Reviews
- LTT Labs with Brandon (former reviewer at RTINGS) has frog pursuits
- TFTCentral syncs tracks (not visible to readers)
- Bijan Jamshidi — 1920px/s gray UFOs
- PCMonitors — great UFO's & strobed mode comparisons
- cosplay girl (bilibili) — shows shutter speed too
WARNING
TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT, SINCE MOST PEOPLE DO THE TEST WRONG
Calibration
How to set up custom gamma (ish) with Nvidia GPU's
(Credits to @Dogelition - creator of novideo_sRGB)
Tools needed:
- DisplayCal: https://displaycal.net/
- novideo sRGB: https://github.com/ledoge/novideo_srgb
- CalibrationTools: https://bitbucket.org/CalibrationTools/calibration-tools/src/master/
- Argyllcms with iccvcgt.exe: https://www.argyllcms.com/downloadwin.html
(not strictly needed) - Colorimeter (X-rite i1display pro/pro plus, Calibrite Pro/plus, can get OEM ones off ebay too, forgot the names.)
0.) Either make your own icc file with a colorimeter, download one or make on using EDID data
1.) Save the icm file to argyllcms folder with iccvcgt.exe in it
2.) Open "Calibration Tools" and click "New" if needed
3.) Click "Edit Calibration"
4.) Click "Adjust", pick 10-Band
5.) Play around with the curve till you find what you prefer, no way to verify without colorimeter however.
6.) Click on "Save as.."
7.) Save the .cal file to the same folder as the iccvcgt.exe file is in, in argylls folder
8.) Open CMD and cd to the argyll folder
9.) Type the following: iccvcgt.exe -i icm1.icm cal1.cal customgamma.icm
where icm1.icm is the file you made from displaycal in the start, cal1.cal is the file you made from calibrationtools, and customgamma would be the output name if your new icm file
11.) Move the customgamma.icm file wherever you want, i suggest the novideo sRGB folder
12.) Open novideo_sRGB
13.) Tick the "Clamped" checkbox, then click "Advanced"
Load the icm file, enable calibrate gamma to srgb or whatever you prefer. Same for dithering
15.) Click "OK" => Youre done, you can close the program. it'll persist through boot.
Custom gamma for AMD GPU users
You can try AMDColorTweaks , but its abandoned and currently does not persist through boot.
Display defects
INFO:
This section will be expanded greatly later on, leaving this here for now.
WARNING:
MAY TRIGGER SEIZURES, IT'S FOR STUCK PIXELS
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=2083#p15472
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=5379
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4565
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=6421
Light blubs
Equally important
Ultimate LED Bulbs - Ultra High CRI - The Honorable Quest (high CRI light bulbs spreadsheet)
Phillips Ultra Definition LED Light Bulb review by @The Hook Up
Healthy LED Bulbs Tested! Waveform Lighting vs Yuji vs Philips vs Sylvania TruWave vs Cree!
Opinionated monitor brand tier list
INFO
This is based upon firmware, thermals, EMC, longevity of product etc.
WARNING
I dislike tier-lists personally, they're vague and deceptive. They don't reveal the entire picture of each brand and their subbranding. Each specific display model can also have their own specific quirks & cons. This will be re-written in future releases. "S-Tier" brands are not exempt from this.
S-TIER: Custom solution
A-TIER: Dell Alienware, HP (Omen), LG, BenQ (MobiuZ | Zowie), Lenovo, ASUS (ROG | TUF), MSI
B-TIER: Gigabyte, Viewsonic, Cooler Master, Acer, AOC
C-TIER: Philips, iiyama, Sony, Eizo
D-TIER: Titan Army, INNOCN, Koorui / KTC / HKC, Xiaomi / Redmagic, SanQ, Samsung,
- Always opt for buying displays with a external power "brick" (power supply) rather than a internal one, due to the ability to replace it with a custom solution (which is often superior), emitting less interference & heat directly to the IC & crystals inside the display.
- List of displays which have a external power supply, filtered by >=240hz (may not be always accurate): Geizhals filter query (hint: Asus mostly leads in this regard here)
- Dell & HP Omen displays have service manuals (disassembly guides) listed for each model. They seemingly always sport metal shielding of internals.
- All Samsung displays (LCD, OLED, "Mini-LED") seem to be lacking any kind of metal shielding of their internals, hence why they're low on the list. Reason is unknown, assumingly due to corner cutting.
- Out of +55 disassembly guides I've come across, there are a few manifacturers which always shield their displays: Dell, LG, HP Omen, Lenovo, Benq. ASUS & MSI aren't as consistent in this regard, but are generally good. Other brands have a too small sample size, so I cannot say for certain how their internals are. This completely disregards the topic of capacitor choice & other parts which make up PCB design.
- Consider going for external cooling solutions rather than internal ones (same reasoning as above. 140mm fan such as the Phanteks T30, Arctic P14 Max or a proper water-cooled setup will perform better than anything a manifacturer will provide the user with out of the box)
A nice example of a water-cooled monitor - Some brands like to copy-paste their TV UI on some of their products (e.g.: Samsung)
In regards to EMC:
"why does my mousepad turn off my monitor?" (video, comment section)
"Acer/Aopen monitors generally have such issues due to a lack of shielding on their internal components, therefore the static electricity created by moving the pad or electrical noise in general often mess up the monitor's ability to process video signals properly making it briefly turn off and on" @Cancerogeno
IKEA Computer Chair Static Might Be Blanking Your Display (more info in regards to this)
80's video from Apple with Woz talking about ESD
Monitor/screen that blanks due to static electricity in my chair
newsycombinator talk about phenomena
- Comments under boardzy's video have suggested that this occurs on Dell and LG monitors too, hence why I've grouped them as such.
- This is somewhat of an extrapolation, models in higher tier brands may have mishaps too. This subject (especially EMC) isn't very documented, but I thought I'd just group them as a rough guideline. Don't take this as something finite and as the ultimate truth.
"I have access to warranty returns and I cannot say much but AOC is on the top, not the bottom when it comes to numbers" @Stilgar
List of recommended displays
LCD
New monitors in 2025
List of BS capable displays (old)
List of G-Sync capable displays
List of Freesync capable displays
If you go down the backlight strobing path for solving eye-tracked motion blur, always opt for ULMB or DyAc capable displays.
Till +1000Hz displays (<1ms MPRT) arrive and +1000FPS content becomes prevalent, this is the only way forward if you value the best possible eye-tracked clarity.
Never buy a Zowie display if you plan on using VRR with it, it's almost always subpar.
G-Sync module (or Mediatek) + Nvidia GPU or Freesync Premium + AMD GPU is the most optimal experience when wanting to do VRR
FHD
WARNING
Do not buy 27" 1080p under any circumstance, let alone 32" unless you plan on using it as a TV.
TN
INFO
After 360Hz, G2G starts to be slow for the MPRT
- Usually the go-to type of lcd when it comes to motion clarity, at the cost of deteriorated viewing angles and subpar color rendering.
- Not all TN's have great G2G's, such as BenQ/Zowie 240Hz models, which should be avoided due to their lackluster G2G response times, higher processing delay & high price tag.
>600hz
-
"Rapid-TN"
also called “Super-TN”
No info on backlight type used, I'm assuming it's KSF/PFS based. Will update once reviews come out
Panel: M241HTN01.9- Koorui G7
availability: “late” q1 2025
first announced 750hz panel
don't expect good ref. rate compliance - Asus ROG XG248Q5G-P
"New" backlight strobing technique (ELMB 2), seems to have increased the amount of light sources (still edge-lit) for higher brightness.
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 (unknown BW) - MSI MPG 242R X60N
DP 1.4 / HDMI 2.1 (unknown BW)
"MPRT Sync"
999$ price point
Shown at Computex 2025 - Zowie XL2586X+
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 (unknown BW)
Gaijiyanwanshe (bilibili) - AOC AG246FK6
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 (unknown BW)
- Koorui G7
>400Hz
-
“E-TN”
- Zowie XL2586X
DP1.4 / HDMM 2.1 FRL4 (not full bw)
Panel: AUO M241HTN01.2
Burning Screen Network (bilibili) — showcases SPD, RT's, UFO pursuit photograph, input lag
Wild computer house (bilibili)
Techless' review
RTINGS' review
HUB review
jisakuhibi's detailed analysis - ASUS ROG PG248QP
[🧱]
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
unsure whether there's shielding, very likely is due to presence of g-sync module
RTINGS
TFTCentral
MUB
TotallydubbeHD
snowman disassembly - ACER XV242F
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
hoggu's pursuit shots - AOC AG246FK
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
xkom
Gaijiyanwanshe (bilibili)
Prison Reverse (bilibili)
A full stomach (bilibili)
- Zowie XL2586X
- Zowie XL2566X+
[💨]
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
Panel: AUO M241HTN01.6
rice's pursuit shots
TomsHardware review
jisakuhibi's detailed analysis
>300Hz
- Zowie XL2566K
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
[🐸🛡️]
Has higher processing delay, be aware when purchasing. Has 100-240 Hz no crosstalk strobe capability with BlurBusters Utility
Panel: AUO M250HTN01.J
techless review
MUB review
Bijan's review
RTINGS' review
TFTCentral's review
66k 240hz with dyac ufo @ 960px/s 66k 360hz ufo @ 960px/s
Smoothfrog shots
axaro1 review
>200Hz
- Zowie XL2546X+
[🛡️💨]
seemingly uses downclocked e-tn (no info on it as of q4 2024)
it should be a good performer in terms of G2G RT's @ 280hz, as it uses one of the new 24.1" TN panels
be aware it might have the usual zowie processing & scanout delay (akin to xl2566k) - HP OMEN X 25
[🛇🛡️🧱💨]
Techless review
X 25 OSRTT RT heatmap & UFO pursuit shots - Dell Alienware AW2518H [🛇🛡️💨] / ASUS ROG PG258Q [🛇🧱💨] / Acer Predator XB252Q [🛇💨] / AOC AGON AG251FG [🛇🧱💨]
Panel: M250HTN01.0
ULMB @ 144hz makes this a very compelling offer on the used market.
Same panel as Omen X 25, I believe the OMEN
Solid Lad AW2518H testufo
Solid Lad AW2518H vs AW2518HF overview - ASUS TUF VG258QM
[🛇🧱💨]
Mini comparsion between XL2540KE, VG258QM & VG259QM
Collection of UFO's for the VG258QM and other 240Hz TN's
Pursuit shots @ 280Hz
Mini review
RTINGS' review - Zowie XL2540K [🛇🛡️🛸] / Zowie XL2546K [🛇🛡️🛸] / XL2546X [🛇🛡️💨🛸]
only purchase this if it's cheap (<300$) and you want to run 240hz strobing, clarity is =<1ms MPRT
somewhat redundant since 66K & new E-TN's, which are far faster, exist
46X allows 20/100 OD adjustments, 46X is =<1ms MPRT
RTINGS xl2546x
MUB XL2546x
bijan xl2546k
bijan xl2546s
IPS
WARNING
No IPS here can display their respective native refresh rate properly due to slow G2G times
In particular, fall times being 2x slower than MPRT requires. This means your cursor will feel smeary / delayed / have more lag on a dark background (white-dark transitions)
Avoid +360hz IPS (e.g.: AW2524H) due to poor G2G RT performance, which result in subpar motion performance & total system latency. It's also crippled with HDMI 2.0, so you're forced to endure DSC. Source
INFO
In the <400Hz category however, they all perform more or less identical in terms of G2G.
Price, firmware (OSD, input latency, ULMB capabiltiies) and internals (TCON, scaler, PSU placement, G-Sync module) differentiate them
>300Hz:
- ASUS ROG PG259QN [🛇🛡️🧱🛸] / MSI NXG253R [🛇🛡️🧱]/ Dell Alienware AW2521H [🛇🛡️🧱🛸] / Lenovo Y25G-30 [🛇🛡️🧱🛸]
(same panel as above — M250HAN03.0 & M250HAN03.2)
ULMB makes these a compelling offer over other 1080p panels (~1ms MPRT), best-in-class display choice imo
PG259QN RTINGS'
PG259QN Hardware Unboxed(old methodology)
snowman aw2521h, pg259qnr & nxg253r round-up + disassembly
PG259QN TFTCentral
AW2521H rtings
discorz extensive AW2521H review
AW2521H bijan - Dell Alienware AW2523HF
[🛡️]
Panel: AUO M250HAN03.2
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
cheapest 360hz (sub-300eur) as of q4 2024
I personally prefer the g-sync module 360hz IPS models, due to their great strobing behavior choice however
CustomPC - (contains RGB 5 Offset OSRTT heatmap)
RTINGS' review
TotallydubbedHD's review - RGB 10 Offset - ASUS ROG XG259QN
[🧱]
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
UFO - ASUS ROG XG259QNS
[🧱]
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
Light of Time(bilibili) - ASUS ROG XG259CMS
[🧱]
Panel: AUO M250HAN03.5
Mini review @ 03:13
UFOs (pressumably 960px/s) @ 8:08
Super Alloy Rainbow Candy (bilibili) - ACER XV252QF
It's lacks shielding of internals, according to Cancerogeno's (check "why does my mousepad turn off my monitor?" in this guide) comment & other anecdotal findings, a skip since aw2523hf exists
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
RTINGS
techless
totallydubbedHD
>200hz:
WARNING
Don't get the Dell S2522HG, ASUS XG259CM or Dell G2524H
Both the S2522HG & XG259CM are employing the same panel - LG Display LM245WF9-SSA3, which has green static dithering / low bit depth | Source: GGoki S2522HG Review) | Source: XG259CM review | GGoki S2522HG vs AW2521HF comparison
Avoid the Dell G2524H due to it's abnormally slow G2G's | Source: PCGamesN - OSRTT | Not sure how correct his info is, as RTINGS seems to suggest otherwise. Disassembly is available here
INFO
The 23.8" IPS models have slightly faster G2G than the 24.5" IPS ones
- ASUS ROG XG249CM [🧱] / TUF VG249QM1A / Viewsonic XG2431 [🐸🛡️] / AOC 24G2Z(E/U)
Panel: BOE MV238FHM-NG2
This panel seems to have numerious mentions online of early failure (within 1–2 years of use), be aware on their longevity. Could be due to internal PSU design / cheap capacitors
VG249QM1A indonesian review
VG249QM1A bilibili review
XG249CM UFO - good
XG249CM UFO 2
XG249CM ufos - lazy
XG249CM ufos - lazy / deceptive
Stilgar XG2431
RTINGS XG2431 review
TFTcentral XG2431 review
XG2431 pursuit camera shots
discorz xg2431 g2g talk
Bijan Jamshidi XG2431 review
totallydubbedHD XG2431 review
techless 24G2ZU review
totallydubbeHD 24g2zu review - ASUS TUF VG259QM [🛇🧱] | MSI MAG251RX [🛇 🧱🛸]
The MSI has =<1ms MPRT backlight strobing @ 240hz @ 169cd/m2. Crosstalk is noticable, somewhat severe
VG259QM's implementation is subpar (unusable imo) in comparison.
Panel: AUO M250HAN01.3
RTINGS review — VG259QM
Super Cyber Hamster — VG259QM review (bilibili)
axaro's VG259QM review
bijan's mag251rx review
MAG251Rx review with ok UFO
MAG251RX ufo pursuit photograph
HUB/MUB mag251rx review - iiyama GB2590HSU
[🛇]
Panel: same as above very likely
OSD showcase
totallydubbedHD's UFO's (no tracks, but this will do)
techsetter pl review - Dell Alienware AW2521HF
[🛇🛡️]
RTINGS
PCMonitors
totallydubbedHD - MSI 255(P)XF
P model is with speakers
cheapest 300hz display on the market as of q2 2025
rando review, has ufo - Lenovo Y25-30
[🛡️]
use 240hz mode (not 280hz), cheap
Panel: LF245WF9-SSA1
snowman, diassembly
totallydubbedHD - Samsung Odyssey G4
[🧱]
lacks internal shielding, avoid
somewhat redundant as of Q2 2025 since above models exist
included here to bring awareness to Samsung's practices
poorplayers (bilibili), disassembly
VA
>200Hz:
- AOC 25G3ZM
Honorable mention, as this one might be good/better than IPS once applying custom gamma (& severely lowering contrast to speed up the darker G2G transitions)
cosplay girl (bilibili), ufo present
totallydubbedHD's review
techteamGB's review
QHD
WARNING:
Avoid most TN panels in this category, such as the OMEN X 27 [🛇🧱] due to PWM backlight 1, 2, 3 and it's derivatives (e.g.: Lenovo Y27-GQ25 [🛇🧱🛡️] 1 or the AOC AG273QZ [🛇] 1) & lackluster G2G times
- Dell S2417DG [🛇🛡️🛸] / AOC AGON AG241QG [🛇🧱🛡️🛸] / Acer Predator XB241YU [🛇🛡️🛸]
notable exceptions due to it's low MPRT backlight strobing, ppi & form factor
ULMB makes this the best 24" 1440p experience, can be a great 2nd hand find
PCmonitors
RTINGS
IPS
>=300Hz:
- ASUS ROG PG27AQNR
[🧱🛡️🛸]
AQN (non-R) is Panel: M270DAN10.0
if it's predecessor is to go by, "fastest" G2G RT's a IPS exhibits @ 240hz up to date.
360Hz does not have the same compliance, but it is great tuning as well.
ULMB2 does not seem to suffer from red fringing that much compared to others
The R variant will be DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 (unknown BW) with the new Mediatek chipset, coming out Q3-Q4 2025
predecessor reviews:
Collection of reviews
PG27AQN MUB ULMB2 test
jisakuhibi ulmb2 test
jisakuhibi pg27aqn test
Alternatives (very likely) using the same panel: AG276QZGD, XB273U F - AOC Q25G4S
Panel: HKC SN245ES01-1
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 (unknown BW)
rumored for June 2025 @ $ 300 price tag (£230)
different panel from the Titan Army P2510S
bilbili review 1, has ufo
bilibili review 2, meh ufo
bilibili review 3, no ufo
bilibili review 4, no ufo
>200Hz:
WARNING
► Avoid KSF/PFS phosphor WLED backlight if good strobing is your priority or you've troubleshooted your eyestrain concerns to be caused by something related to the KSF backlight (they're used abundantly in a majority of the 1440p >144Hz LCD panels)
► QDEF or WLED are substantially better than KSF, if good strobing is your primary goal (eyestrain complaints have occured on QDEF LCD panels as well, however)
NOTE
► Rest of 27" 1440p 240Hz IPS displays perform similar (such as the older ones - m27q x/aw2723df/vg27aqml1a)
► If you're adamant on 27" 1440P 240Hz IPS, opt for HDMI 2.1 models to avoid DSC issues on Nvidia GPUs - listed below
- LG 27GR83Q-B
added here cause of HDMI 2.1 (full bw), performs as any other IPS in it's category
techless
monitors unboxed
rtings - ASUS ROG XG27ACMG
[🧱]
added here cause of HDMI 2.1, performs as any other IPS in it's category
no reviews as of q2 2025 - BenQ MobiuZ EX270QM
[🧱🛡️🛸]
added here cause of HDMI 2.1, performs as any other IPS in it's category
red fringing of ksf ruins the strobing, but it's MPRT target is great at 240hz, judging by bijan's review
144hz & 120hz isn't the same clarity
totallydubbed
bijan
japanese reviewer
typec tech rev - Titan ARMY P2510S
[🧱]
Panel: BOE DV245QHB-N30
24" qhd 240hz, decent panel (same as any other IPS at 240hz)
potentially shoddy qc / long-term use is unknown, be aware when purchasing
upgraded ppi + smaller form factor are it's appeal (hopefully some bigger brand picks up this form factor)
Collection of reviews
institute of engineers (bilibili)
"Zhao Dezhu" (bilibili megareview)
monitors unboxed - Acer XV272U X,
[🧱🛇]
will add reviews later - Acer XB323U GP/GX
[🛇]
GP is 170hz, GX is 270hz, they're one of thew few rare QD backlight panels on the market
Panel: M320DAN02.2
PCmonitors XB323U GP review
reddit XB323U GX review - Gigabyte FI32Q X
[🛇🏎️]
hdmi 2.1 (unknown bw)
decent strobing (called "aim stabilizer") behavior, but sadly only tested at 1080px/s so we cannot evaluate the MPRT
one of the few rare 1440p displays which don't have red fringing due to backlight type chosen
discorz's find of good UFO's
Kitguru's review - old methodology
TFTCentral's review - old methodology - Acer XB273U GX
[🛇🧱]
HDMI 2.0, so you're forced to use DP1.4 at 240hz if you want to avoid DSC
Only OD=Normal & BS=Extreme @ 270Hz reaches =<1ms MPRT, doesn't scale to lower refresh rates.
~133cd/m^2 when in this mode.
Bijan
Monitors Unboxed
RTINGS
100Hz – 200Hz:
INFO
These are mostly listed due to their somewhat uncommon backlight (QD, YAG) employed, I don't particularly care for this category as I find <200Hz MPRT to be insufficient for good motion clarity. You can skip it
- MSI MAG274QRF-QD
[🧱🛡️🏎️]
~129cd/m2 when backlight strobing @ 165hz. MPRT is somewhere around 2ms
bijan jamshidi
HUB/MUB
RTINGS
poorplayers(bilibili) disassembly/teardown of E2, i assume the previous model is the same - Gigabyte GS27Q
stilgar - Viewsonic VX2728J-2K
[🛇🧱]
PCMonitors - HP X27q (2 panels)
[🛇]
techless
HUB/MUB - LG 27GS75Q
[🧱]
bilibili - AOC Q24G2A
[🏎️🛡️]
The same panel as the Koorui GP01 [🧱]
standard IPS smear G2G RT performance
the form factor / ppd & around 1,6ms MPRT strobing @ 165hz without red artifacts is the appeal of it
The "low blue light filter" mode implementation is garbage, you can't make the display 2000K (red) through OSD. Setting the Green & Blue gain results in a purple look instead of fully red / amber.
pcmonitors
techteamGB
kitgurutech
techless
snowman review, disassembly
poorplayers review, disassembly
cosplay girl review, good ufo - Cooler Master Tempest GP27Q
[🏎️]
mini-led display
unsure of MPRT since UFOs weren't done fast enough to evaluate, placed here due to it's unique backlight choice & seemingly decent backlight strobing
one of the few rare manifacturers to allow adjustment of all OD levels (0-100) (e.g: benq allows 20/100, rest offer 3-5 specific values)
MUB
TFTCentral
TPU
VA
INFO
This category is special. Models not listed here can be decent performers (KTC/Koorui/HKC has a couple of fast G2G ones. e.g.: H27E22 is fast, akin to 27G1S) as well. I'll list ones which have reviews.
>200Hz:
- INNOCN 27G1S
[🧱💨]
Panel: CSOT SG2701G02-7
great contrast ratio due to VA's properties
great G2G performance, easily surpassing IPS panels in it's category (even rivaling TN's)
techless
Discorz mini review
Mr. Mo Feng (bilibili)
power brick confirmation / unboxing (TvChef) - somewhat redundant review otherwise
japanese reviewer
UHD
IPS
NOTE
4K is difficult to run without using DLSS, FSR, NIS, XeSS and/or NV Reflex / AMD Anti-Lag 2 to lower keep to GPU uncongested.
It is, disregarding the downsides, the only objectively objective way forward when it comes to display ergonomics (refresh rate + resolution increases), hovering ~163PPI. The next step-up are the new 32" 5K panels.
- LG 27G850A
[🧱🛡️]
Panel: LG LM270WRD-SSA1
dual mode ips black panels are slower than usual (fast/rapid)ips displays
great choice if looking for high ppi & low persistence at desktop-sized display market
DP2.1 dp54, still bound by DSC
will be replaced in the list as soon as dp80 non-ips black panel comes to the market
snowman (bilibili), disassembly
cosplay girl (bilibili)
xkom's review
MUB - Benq EX3210U
[🧱🛡️🏎️]
Panel: AUO M320QAN02.3
between 1-2ms MPRT when strobing, respectable results & BiS in 4K displays thus far
only decent backlight strobing experience on a 4K screen
pcmonitors review
totallydubbedHD's
bijan jamshidi
techtesters
snowman (bilbili) diassembly - ASUS PG32UQ / XG32UQ
[🧱🛡️🏎️]
I don't know the speed of the UFO, cannot evaluate MPRT. My assumption is that it performs more or less similar to others in this list
PRAD.de
MUB PG32UQ
techtesters pg32uq
totallydubbed
kitgurutech
techteamGB xg32uq
snowman xg32uq - MSI MPG321UR-QD
[🛡️🛸]
=<1ms MPRT but terrible crosstalk, put it here for the lulz
Bijan jamshidi - KTC M27P20 Pro
[🧱]
decent strobing, but still not fast enough to evaluate MPRT
lacks shielding of internals
placed here due to rare backlight + mbr offering
techless
snowman
TFTcentral
OLED
- OLEDs are only limited by persistence (MPRT / refresh rate itself), not by G2G response times, making them ideal for sample & hold motion clarity.
Comprehensive OLED monitor list
W-OLED monitor list
QD-OLED monitor list
(AM/J)OLED
- Be aware that there are trade-offs to this technology (some reasons aren't OLED specific) and they are as follows:
WARNING
Current list of issues with OLEDs include:
1.) Subpixel layout causing text rendering issues, leading to a softer image (this is a Windows issue, see here for how it performs in Linux),
Example of bad text rendering
However, there does seem to be a bit of a discussion going on in regards to this, take a look at this:
"Generic Subpixel Algorithm for Triangular-Structure QD-OLEDs / Pentile / WOLED / Others" - Chief Blurbusters
2.) Slight flicker / brightness drop related to display scan-out (seems to be fixed ~12% brightness drop, related to the internal capacitance of the voltage driver inside OLEDs, perhaps capacitor thermal constraint too)
3.) Potential for burn-in higher than LCD (somewhat exaggerated online however),
4.) DSC (slower alt tab behavior with Nvidia GPUs due to old display engine, but this is a LCD issue as well. Blackwell solved this),
4.5) All OLEDs are forced 10bit+FRC, meaning you cannot use 8bit to save bandwidth for to use QHD360Hz without DSC
5.) Unusable VRR / Adaptive-Sync (the gamma changes on abrupt frametime transitions, which cause the light flicker),
6.) Black crush (prevalent on W-OLED in SDR, QD-OLED is much better in this regard)
7.) Forced pixel refresh once every 16 hours, Source
Another thing to be aware of is that Desktop / TV OLED displays perform different compared to smartphone displays (AMOLED), as can be seen here:
"Artificial reason of ghosting in <1ms OLED. Why it was done like that?"
Sharpness on AMOLED is also diminished when compared to LCD
FHD VS QHD Pentile displays
True resolution of AMOLED vs LCD
PWM and "DC Dimming" 960fps demonstration on the OnePlus 7 Pro showcase of different brightness dimming methods on the OnePlus 7 Pro (PWM vs PAM)
"Display Secrets: OLED 0.1ms response time" examples of AMOLED G2G transition behavior. Lacks showcase of transitions in form of heatmaps or oscilloscope graphs.
Magnified macro photos of text on two different 27″ WOLED panels. IPS LCD for reference
Source: @TFTCentral
1440px/s comparison of LG WOLED & Alienware QD-OLED, theoretical "<1ms G2G" / pure MPRT limit showcase
Source: @techless
1440px/s pursuit shot comparison, QD-OLED at different refresh rates, theoretical "<1ms G2G" / pure MPRT limit showcase
Source: @techless
960px/s comparison of TN, OLED, IPS
OLED purple line phenomena
It is related to the display scanout brightness dip, they're tied together
The underlying cause seems to be related to the internal capacitance of the voltage driver inside OLED's.
"Frame transition slow-motion OLED vs. LCD"
"Slow motion OLED 4K 60Hz & LCD 1080P 60 Hz | ASUS UX371 & ASUS UX363"
Brightness drop, related to display scan-out (at 0% brightness setting on 271QRX)
Source of image: @Muren
Behind the scenes of testing flicker by the reviewer. using a Admesy Prometheus LF
Source: @野生的装机宅
360hz (QD-)OLED tested at ?% brightness
Note: This is the usual flicker behavior of both QD-OLED & W-OLED, which is a ~35nits (~12%) drop
Source: @野生的装机宅
Link to video
Sony Inzone M10s, which employs the 480 Hz (W)OLED panel, tested at max brightness
Note: This display's implementation of the WOLED panel seems to be an exception compared to the rest. It's brightness drop is ~80nits (~25%), as opposed to ~35nits (~12%) of other OLED reviews I've seen
Source: @野生的装机宅
Link to video
INFO
Messing with "Black Equalizer"-equivalent settings (it affects the gamma curve in darker shades of grey) may help with black crush.
Here's how each brand names the setting:
MSI - "Night Vision"
ASUS ROG - "Shadow Boost"
Gigabyte, BenQ/Zowie, Samsung - "Black Equalizer"
LG - "Black Stabilizer"
Viewsonic - "Black Stabilization"
Dell Alienware - "Dark Stabilizer"
Dual Mode (4K 240Hz & 1080p 480Hz)
- Viewsonic XG323-4K-OLED2
dp2.1, woled
Unreleased yet in the west, no info on china release.
4K 240Hz
WARNING
QD-OLED (Triangular RGB)
Be aware of blurrier image due to subpixel layout, 4K PPD/PPI might mask it to some extent
INFO
I don't deem panels which are DP1.4 worthy of mentioning, hence why the list here is scarce. I've listed all displays which are listed as DP80 capable.
- Viewsonic XG273-4K-OLED
[🧱]
IC: RTD2739
Panel: QMC265AA01-D01
uhbr20
Reverse prison (bilibili)
Krypton Machine Zoo (bilibili) - comparison of viewsonic & aoc
idk original author but ok - AOC AG276UZD
[🧱]
uhbr20
cosplay girl (bilibili)
wild mounted geeks(bilibili) - Philips EVNIA 27M2N8800
cosplaygirl (bilibili)
reverseprison (bilibili) - Gigabyte AORUS FO32U2P
[🧱]
LACKS INTERNAL METAL SHIELDING OF COMPONENTS
Rtings review
MUB
jisakuhibi's detailed analysis
snowman's, diassembly - ASUS ROG PG27UCDM
LACKS INTERNAL METAL SHIELDING OF COMPONENTS
tftcentral
monitor unboxed
snowman, disassembly
rtings - MSI MPG 272URX
Very likely lacks internal metal shielding, can't find exact info on this
cosplay girl (bilibili)
Wild computer house (bilibili)
monitors unboxed review - MSI MPG 322URX
Very likely lacks internal metal shielding, can't find exact info on this
"supernumerary network" (bilibili)
poorplayers (bilibili)
rtings
1440P >=500Hz
INFO
I don't deem displays which are DP1.4 worthy of mentioning here, hence why the list here is scarce. I've listed all displays which are listed as DP80 capable.
960px/s (?) testufo pursuit photograph example, MSI model
- MSI MPG 272QR X50
semi-glossy
will release in june-july 2025 (July 17) at a price point of ~899$, MPG version (QP, without UHBR20) will come out later
cosplay girl (bilibili) review of the QP X50 - Gigabyte FO27Q5P
availability TBC
dp2.1 uhbr20, semi-glossy
1440p 480Hz
WARNING
WOLED (RGWB Stripe)
Better than previous generation in terms of text clarity, but worse than standard RGB Stripe LCD or RGB stripe OLED such as the LG 27EP950 (J-OLED 60Hz), be aware
INFO
This section will get re-written once new DP2.1 UHBR20 displays arrive (all of these will become irrelevant then)
No DP2.1 UHBR20 capable W-OLED has hit the market as of May 2025
- LG 27GX790A-B
[🧱🛡️]
DP2.1 UHBR13.5 (54Gbps), still uses DSC
cosplaygirl (bilibili)
snowman 480hz round-up, has subs
RTINGS
Stilgar
repair manual, confirming shielding - Sony Inzone M10S (DP 2.0 UHBR10, still has DSC)
[🧱🛡️]
DP 2.0 UHBR10, means that it still has DSC
beware of larger than usual flicker, idk if this is exclusive to it or some FW issue
PCMag review
cosplaygirl (bilibili)
Bilibili review - 04:32 input lag tests
rtings
disassembly manual - confirming shielding - ASUS ROG PG27AQDP
[🧱]
DP1.4 / HDMI2.1
has dsc toggle
it might lack shielding. cannot claim for certain from snowman's review, it's a bit unclear
MUB
TFTCentral
rtings
snowman 480hz round-up, has subs
1440P 360Hz
WARNING
3rd gen QD-OLED (Triangular RGB)
Be aware of blurrier image
- GIGABYTE AORUS FO27Q3
[🧱]
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 FRL6 (full bw)
"forced" (auto-negotiated) DSC
no dsc toggle
price & ext. power brick made me put it here (GB fw is ok)
RTINGS
jisakuhibi's detailed analysis
MUB
KitGuruTech
iMartz - MSI 271QRX
Panel: SDC QMB265FF01_C01
IC: Novatek NT 68551 UPG
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 FRL6 (full bw)
supposedly can do ~350hz without DSC over HDMI 2.1 (be aware that most don't know how to "overclock" with CRU properly)
seemingly a 1340MHz pixel clock or 500kHz horizontal freq limit? no confirmations yet.
no diff between 8-bit & 10-bit. on the stock cable tho, theoretically it should do 360hz on HDMI 2.1
271QPX is the same panel, some versions of it shipped with inability to upgrade firmware (old stock, new stock shouldn't have this issue)
kitgurutech
MUB
RTINGS
Stilgar UFO of 271QPX
bilibili - service menu showcase
snowman dell vs msi comparison
osd menu (bilibili) - ASUS XG27ACDNG
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 FRL6 (full bw)
has a DSC toggle
can only do QHD120Hz (DP) or QHD180Hz (HDMI) without DSC (should be able to do 300Hz at minimum as per HDMI 2.1 FRL6 spec)
RTINGS
Gaijiyanwanshe (bilibili) - Dell Alienware AW2725DF
[🛡️]
IC: RTD2738
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.0
doesn't have a DSC toggle, "forced" DSC as per spec
RTINGS
TFTcentral
MUB - Samsung Odyssey G6 G60SD
[🧱]
DP1.4 / HDMI 2.1 FRL5 (not full bw)
lacks shielding
"forced" (auto-negotiated) DSC, no toggle to disable
has "weird" response time behavior (fw bug)
price, no TV OS & ext. power brick made me put it here + bring the awareness of Samsung's corner cutting.
RTINGS
Djun review
1440P 240Hz
WARNING
2nd gen WOLED (RWBG Stripe), be aware of blurrier image
This section is redundant but will be kept for the time being, as one can find displays such as the G60SD (360hz panel) for the same price.
- PG27AQDM
[🧱🛡️]
Panel: LG LW270AHQ-ERG2
overpriced as of q1 2025, look into 360hz qd-oled or 480hz woled
RTINGS
MUB
jisakuhibi's detailed analysis
snowman diassembly - XG27AQDMG
[glossy | 🧱]
redundant as of q1 2025, look into 360hz / 500hz qd-oled or 480hz woled
MUB
Rtings
bilibili 1
cosplay girl (bilibili)
CRT
DANGER
CRT's are a health hazard for long-term use due to their high EMI (especially the magnetic field it generates)
There's also the radioactive radiation aspect to consider
Examples:
link1,
link2,
link3,
link4
Be aware, some of these links are made by layman which don't know the proper terminology of what they're measuring (and devices have questionable accuracy)
NOTE
You need a 980Ti (last NVIDIA GPU with a RAMDAC) to be able to run CRT's natively
Source: forgot lol
Hardforum - DisplayPort to VGA adapters thread; Most active forum in regards to CRT's
ApertureGrille's P1130 review
GPU passthrough for CRT's
To calculate max refresh rate at a given resolution, the formula is:
(horizontal scan rate ÷ vertical pixel count) • 0,95
NOTE
There are a few monitors that are able to go above their spec'd vertical refresh limit, which are italicized
I do not know the implications of going above this limit for long periods of time, so if you do get your hands on these, be very careful about running them at refresh rates outside of the spec'd vertical refresh limit.
Vertical Scan Rate — this is the max refresh rate
Here we have a backup of the old CNET articles
The following tables are grouped by their respective HSR
>130 kHz
Brand & Model | Horizontal Scan Rate | Vertical Refresh | Dot pitch | Other information |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eizo F980 | 137khz | 160hz | .20mm | |
Eizo F930 | 130khz | 160hz | .21mm [F931 is flat variant] | |
Eizo T965/T966 | 130khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
Sony CPD-G520 | 132khz | 170hz | .24mm | |
Sony GDM-F520 | 137khz | 170hz | .20mm | |
Sony GDM-C520K | 130khz | 170hz | .24mm | |
Mitsubishi 2070SB | 140khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
Mitsubishi RDF225WG | 140khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
NEC FP2141SB-BK | 140khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
Hitachi CM815(uplus-531) | 130kHz | 160hz | ? | |
Iiyama Vision Master Pro 514 | 142khz | 200hz (420hz?) | .24mm | Capable of going above the spec'd 200hz vertical refresh limit. |
Iiyama Vision Master Pro 454 | 132khz | 200hz (420hz) | .24mm | 19 inch |
Lacie Electron 22 Blue IV | 140khz | 160hz | ||
Dell/HP P1130 | 132khz | 170hz | .24mm | |
IBM P275 | 130khz | 170hz | .24mm | |
IBM ThinkVision C220p | 130khz | 160hz | ? probably .24mm | |
ViewSonic G225f | 130khz | 160hz | .216mm | |
ViewSonic P227fb | 130khz | 160hz | .25mm | |
Sun Microsystems X7149A | 140khz | 160hz | .24mm | 2070SB Rebrand |
HP P1130 | 130khz | 170hz | .24mm | Sony CPD-G520 Rebrand |
HP P1230 | 140khz | 160hz | .24mm | 2070SB Rebrand |
Samsung 1100MB | 130khz | 160hz | .20mm | |
Philips 202p40 | 130khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
NEC Multisync FP1370 | 130khz | 160hz | .24mm |
~12x kHz
Brand & Model | Horizontal Scan Rate | Vertical Refresh | Dot pitch | Other information |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sony GDM-FW900 | 121khz | 160hz | .23mm-.27mm | 16:10 |
Sony GDM-F500R | 121khz | 160hz | .22mm | |
Sony CPD-G500 | 121khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
Nokia 445PRO | 125khz | 180hz (340hz) | .25mm | Capable of going above the spec'd 180hz vertical refresh limit |
Nokia 445XPRO | 121khz | 150hz | .21mm | needs verification source: |
Hitachi SuperScan 814 (CM814U+CM814U-521) | 125khz | 160hz | ? | |
Sun/Sony GDM-5410 | 121khz | 160hz | .24mm | ? |
Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2060u | 121khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
Viewsonic P225f | 127khz | 160hz | ? | ? |
IBM P260 | 121khz | ?? probably 160hz | .24mm | ? |
Samsung Syncmaster 1100DF | 121khz | 160hz | ? | |
Dell P1110 | 121khz | 160hz | .24mm | ? |
IBM P260 | 121khz | 160hz | .24mm | ? |
100–11x kHz
Brand & Model | Horizontal Scan Rate | Vertical Refresh | Dot pitch | Other information |
---|---|---|---|---|
ViewSonic P220f | 110khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
ViewSonic G220fb | 110khz | 180hz | .25mm | |
Sony CPD-E540 | 110khz | 170hz | .24mm? | |
Sony CPD-G420 | 110khz | 170hz | .24mm | 19 inch |
Sony CPD-G400 | 107khz | 120hz | .24mm | 19 inch |
LG Flatron F920P | 111khz | 200hz | .24mm | |
LG Flatron F900P | 107khz | 200hz | .24mm | |
Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 230 SB | 115khz | 160hz | .24mm | |
Philips 201B45 | 115khz | 160hz | .25mm | |
Dell P991 | 107khz | 120hz | .24mm | 19 inch |
NEC MultiSync FE2111SB | 115khz | 160hz | .24mm |
CRT input lag measurements
tldr: as low as 670 nanoseconds (as per prad.de ) or 400 microseconds (as per qsxcv's ghetto setup )
Display studies / DIY projects / Memos
A Pixel Is Not A Little Square (And A Voxel Is Not A Cube) - Technical Memo 6 - Alvy Ray Smith
Flickersense - Testing LEDs and Screens
Assessment of the effect on the human body of the flicker of OLED displays of smartphones - Minhyuk Kim
Perceiving polarization with naked eye
50.4: Method to Measure Perceptual Resolution of Moving Picture Display, DOI:10.1889/1.3500581, Jong‐Ho Chong
Organic light emitting display device and driving method thereof
"Motion portrayal, eye tracking, and emerging display technology"
Visibility of temporal light artefact from flicker at 11 kHz
Flicker Parameters for Reducing Stroboscopic Effects from Solid-state Lighting Systems
8bit vs 10bit
IEEE 1789: A new standard for evaluating flickering LEDs?
LED : les recommandations de l’Anses pour limiter l’exposition à la lumière bleue - LED: ANSES recommendations to limit exposure to blue light
Effects of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on human health and the environment (flora and fauna)
DIY CD Spectrometer
A $500 DIY near-IR spectrometer that would sell for $10,000 - Yuan Cao, Ph.D.
color blindness test
Helmholtz–Kohlrausch effect
Evaluating the blue-light hazard from solid state lighting, John D. Bullough, Andrew Bierman & Mark S. Rea
Blue Light Exposure: Ocular Hazards and Prevention—A Narrative Review
DIY microscope camera setup - for photographing displays (BLANK LINK FOR NOW)
Tandem Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, Man-Keung Fung, Yan-Qing Li, and Liang-Sheng Liao*
EMC countermeasures for High-Speed Differential Interfaces, How Do Common Mode Filters Suppress EMI in Differential Transmission Circuits? Masao Umemura
Analytical equation for the motion picture response time of display devices - Fenglin Peng; Haiwei Chen; Fangwang Gou; Yun-Han Lee; Michael Wand;...
The Effect of Extended Visual Angle on Flicker Perception using OLED Display: Comparison with Flicker Indices DOI:10.36463/idw.2022.0698
Effects on the Ocular Surface from Reading on Different Smartphone Screens: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study
Kelan Yuan 1, Haiping Zhu 1, Yujie Mou 1 PMCID: PMC8212737 PMID: 33202098
The effect of image resolution of display types on accommodative microfluctuations Niall J Hynes 1 , Matthew P Cufflin 2 , Karen M Hampson 3 , Edward Ah Mallen 2
Effects of high pixel density on reading comprehension, proofreading performance, mood state, and physical discomfort - lSusanne Mayra, Maja Köpper b, Axel Buchner b
51.1: Effect of PWM Dimming Frequency of OLED Smartphones on Visual Fatigue - Zexuan Wu, Lili Wang, Yan Tu, Yexi Sun, Chunsheng Jiang, Daniel Wang
50.4: Method to Measure Perceptual Resolution of Moving Picture Display - Jong-Ho Chong, Sang-Ho Kim, Dong-Wook Choi, Jae-Woo Bae, Seung-Bae Lee, Sang-Soo Kim
Advanced Display Technology: Next Generation Self-Emitting Displays (Series in Display Science and Technology) (talks about Mura effect & purple line)
A New Type of Furniture ESD and Its Implications - Douglas C. Smith
The Raster Tragedy at Low-Resolution Revisited: Opportunities and Challenges beyond “Delta-Hinting” — Beat Stamm, PhD
“Designing a Dark Theme for OLED iPhones”—Vidit Bhargava on 2019-05-08
“Fighting black smear” (@okreylos) and an addendum A Clarification About “Black Smear” (@okreylos)
Drivers for OLED, Joep Jacobs; Dirk Hente; Eberhard Waffenschmidt;
NOTE
A few additions I plan to do later down the line:
- Classification of different LCD's light transmission modes (transmissive, transflective, reflective),
- Classification of LCD driving methods (Static Drive LCD, Passive matrix LCD, active matrix LCD also called 'AMLCD' )
- Classification of LCD backlight position/placement (direct-lit, edge-lit, full array)
- LCD backlight dimming designs (global & local dimming)
- More display technologies (E Ink / E Paper), subcategories (AMOLED, P-OLED, miniLED, microLED),
- Color calibration (color gamut, gamma calibration, HDR, dithering techniques),
- Panel defects (causes, solutions & methods to approach)
- Expanded studies section
- Font rendering in Windows & (most common) application software
- Classification of LCD backlight
- General display care (storage, cleaning, carry)
- TFT structure (amorphous silicon, LTPS, LTPO or IGZO transistors)
- Different display mounts (arm, wall, stand) — pros & cons. Button ergonomics
- Service / Factory menu codes
- Capacitors & internal PSU design
- Extensive "overclocking" guide using CRU
Version History
Ver. 1.0 (12/10/2024): main composition written
Ver. 1.1: slight ux improvements (links appear w/ dotted lines now, easy to deduce it's nature)
Ver. 1.2.: added studies section & new infographics in regards to ppd (+ added a few reviews)
Ver. 1.3: added custom gamma section, few studies & inversion artifact article