¿FS IPS/VA QHD monitor recommendations? and rant

[L'Eliminateur]

Hello,
this is part a question and part a rant, i want to upgrade my existing monitor (Dell ultrasharp 2708WFP that is a wide gamut 1920x1200 16:10, IPS, fixed 60Hz and absolutely gorgeous, extremely bright (450cd/m2) you can watch it sideways and has no distortion, plus it has a ton of inputs, dvi, vga, hdmi, DP, composite, PIP, USB hub, card reader) with something new and bigger, but the bar i measure it with is my existing monitor.

I want to find something in 32/34" FLAT with Freesync(gsync compatible) (i'm going to be using it with a GF1070 so in reality it needs to be gsync compatible, i guess that freesync 2 would have better chance than FS1) and 120/144Hz, other specs i need:

• QHD, none of that 4K Rubbish
  would be glorious if it's 16:10 but AFAIK there are no "gaming" monitors with 2560x1600 res, even in non-gaming i think there might be one or two at the most on the pro scene.
• It can be ultrawide, but has to maintain the same height as my current monitor (36.1cm), that means that for UW(21:9) i'd need a 37" monitor which is weeeeell outside my price range
• TRUE 8bit planel at least, none of that FRC rubbish or gimmicks.
• WIDE vieweing angles, IPS ideally as it has 178° and i can attest with my current monitor you can view it practically flat-on.
• Extended gamut or at least full sRGB would be a plus, 95% DCI-P3 better/rec.2020, standard gamut(72% NTSC) is trash
• Bright: at least 400cd and at least 1000:1 contrast i need to be able to see it clearly in a sunlit room, i want skull-searing silhouette-burnt-on-wall-like-a-nuke brightness.
  I could settle for a little less like 350cd
• Not cost an arm a leg, my target is around 500USD
• Bonus stuff that don't weight my decision: HDR, 10bit panel, usb hub

I've been scouring newegg, amazon, BH photo, manufacturer websites and so far the ONLY monitors i've found that *somewhat* fits is the LG 32GK850F-B it's VA :/, but has 144Hz, 95% DCI-P3, freesync 2, HDR400, looks to have 400cd/m2 but it's on the expensive side (it's a full 100USD more than the 32GK65B, for same res and size and panel type) and seems the HDR is... shitty as it doesn't has FALD and contrast ratio sucks in HDR mode

Other one is LG 32GK65B (in newegg) / 32GK650F (in LG site the newegg model does not exist) BUT from reviews i've seen the viewing angles are not that good, it shows a lot of banding AND it's only 72% NTSC, it's also rated at 350/280cd.

Other ultrawide from LG are all either TN trash, or 6 bit IPS (TN-trash level), or curved.

I've seen Asus VP348QGL similar price to the GK850 and it offers only 48/75Hz refresh (the rest of the specs are impressive-ish but it's 4K, no low framerate comp, it's VA and has speakers i don't care about).

LG 34UC79G-B looks interesting, but it's more than i want to spend and only 72% NTSC

¿any ideas i might have missed?, or i'm better off waiting 5 more years

Now the rant:
I've been looking for a couple days for this and it's chock full of of curved monitors, they're a useless gimmick just like the RGB-everywhere crap!, or extremely overpriced (like upwards of 1K)

 

[TheLostSwede]

FALD = super expensive screen and not that common.

16:19 is more or less dead, except for a few office/niche models. Sadly technology moves on at times and what we're used to, is no longer available. NEC stil does a couple of 2560x1600 models though, but they cost $2k+.

Why is 4K rubbish? I can't be happier, I have so much space available when working and it's still good for gaming, although I can admittedly not play all games with all bells and whistles turned on.

Most panels are FRC, even a lot of 10-bit panels are 8+FRC. Want anything better and it's $$$$$$.

400cd/HDR is more money again.

You're not going to get what you want for $500, it'll be double that, at least. Your list is unreasonable for that price. Maybe in five years time, but not today.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

FALD = super expensive screen and not that common.

16:19 is more or less dead, except for a few office/niche models. Sadly technology moves on at times and what we're used to, is no longer available. NEC stil does a couple of 2560x1600 models though, but they cost $2k+.

Why is 4K rubbish? I can't be happier, I have so much space available when working and it's still good for gaming, although I can admittedly not play all games with all bells and whistles turned on.

Most panels are FRC, even a lot of 10-bit panels are 8+FRC. Want anything better and it's $$$$$$.

400cd/HDR is more money again.

You're not going to get what you want for $500, it'll be double that, at least. Your list is unreasonable for that price. Maybe in five years time, but not today.

Honestly anything over 30 inches really needs to be 4k or else it looks pretty grainy at normal computer sitting distances.

 

[spectatorx]

Honestly anything over 30 inches really needs to be 4k or else it looks pretty grainy at normal computer sitting distances.

Well, he praises 27" 1920x1200 so...

 

[L'Eliminateur]

i know 16:10 is dead, that's why i listed it as a "would be nice".
i don't want 4K, i'm not going to lower details in any game and not using native resolution is visually terrible. You need pretty much top of the range GPU to use 4K at the same FPS as full HD, i don't/won't thus no 4K needed or wanted.
from what i've seen 8bit panels are not FRC, the ones that "emulate" 10 bit color maybe have 8b+FRC, but i'm not looking for those, what i don't want is 6bit panel, if it's 8bit FRC at least it's 8bit so if i don't enable 10bit colour it would disable the FRC.

400cd/m2 is about the minimum for an acceptable monitor, could be less, but 200cd~ is not acceptable.

i'm not really asking for much, i mean, not curved, no 4K, no hdr, every oen of those expensive gimmicks i don't want. Also, tell me which monitor at ~1000 has the specs i need?, i can't find any either
the usual TN gaming monitor of this size are around the 300ish USD mark, i'm going to 500 which is a pretty steep extra and you say i can't find something as basic?

Even leaving cost aside, ¿tell me what model -apart from the one i've mentioned- fits the bill?.

so far it looks like the only thing closest to what i need is the LG 32GK850F-B and it even has it's limitations

FALD = super expensive screen and not that common.

16:19 is more or less dead, except for a few office/niche models. Sadly technology moves on at times and what we're used to, is no longer available. NEC stil does a couple of 2560x1600 models though, but they cost $2k+.

Why is 4K rubbish? I can't be happier, I have so much space available when working and it's still good for gaming, although I can admittedly not play all games with all bells and whistles turned on.

Most panels are FRC, even a lot of 10-bit panels are 8+FRC. Want anything better and it's $$$$$$.

400cd/HDR is more money again.

You're not going to get what you want for $500, it'll be double that, at least. Your list is unreasonable for that price. Maybe in five years time, but not today.

my current monitor has huge pixels(.303mm), i don't have a problem with it, a QHD 32/34" has smaller pixels (~.278) so it would look better, as to why i don't want 4K, read above, also 4K with the specs i need would be imposible at the price range

Honestly anything over 30 inches really needs to be 4k or else it looks pretty grainy at normal computer sitting distances.

 

[londiste]

AMD has page for Freesync monitors:

https://www.amd.com/en/products/freesync-monitors

Wanting Freesync2 limits the choice considerably. These are the monitors that have specs to match what you asked:

3440x1440 34":
- LG 34GK950F

2560x1440 32":
- Agon AG322QC4
- Asus XG32VQR
- BenQ EX3203R
- Dell S3220DGF
- LG 32GK850F
- Philips 328M6FJRMB
- PRINCETON PTFGHB-32C
- Samsung C32HG70

Edit:
Oh, you don't want a curved monitor? Everything except LG 32GK850F is curved.

 

[TheLostSwede]

i know 16:10 is dead, that's why i listed it as a "would be nice".
i don't want 4K, i'm not going to lower details in any game and not using native resolution is visually terrible. You need pretty much top of the range GPU to use 4K at the same FPS as full HD, i don't/won't thus no 4K needed or wanted.
from what i've seen 8bit panels are not FRC, the ones that "emulate" 10 bit color maybe have 8b+FRC, but i'm not looking for those, what i don't want is 6bit panel, if it's 8bit FRC at least it's 8bit so if i don't enable 10bit colour it would disable the FRC.

400cd/m2 is about the minimum for an acceptable monitor, could be less, but 200cd~ is not acceptable.

i'm not really asking for much, i mean, not curved, no 4K, no hdr, every oen of those expensive gimmicks i don't want. Also, tell me which monitor at ~1000 has the specs i need?, i can't find any either
the usual TN gaming monitor of this size are around the 300ish USD mark, i'm going to 500 which is a pretty steep extra and you say i can't find something as basic?

Even leaving cost aside, ¿tell me what model -apart from the one i've mentioned- fits the bill?.

so far it looks like the only thing closest to what i need is the LG 32GK850F-B and it even has it's limitations

my current monitor has huge pixels(.303mm), i don't have a problem with it, a QHD 32/34" has smaller pixels (~.278) so it would look better, as to why i don't want 4K, read above, also 4K with the specs i need would be imposible at the price range

I don't think you really know much about monitors or the technology used.

You can't disable FRC, my screen is 8-bit+FRC and it is what it is. I have no 10-bit mode to enable, but it's sold as a 10-bit screen.

400cd/m2 and higher is still rare, at least on consumer monitors. 300-350 is the norm, I doubt anything decent goes below that. Anything higher is priced accordingly. Then again, this is manufacturer rating and might not be what you actually get. You say you don't want HDR, but that's really the only way to get 400cd/m2 or more.

And yes, you're asking for a ton of stuff that so far, no panel maker has combined into one panel that would go into the kind screen that would meet your price point.
VA and IPS panels are a lot more costly than TN, add in everything else you're asking for and $500 isn't going to cut it.

I can't suggest a monitor that fits your requirements, as there isn't one. You have too many limitations and are looking for a large size, but relatively low resolution screen.
The closest I can get is this, but it's only 60Hz:

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America

www.necdisplay.com

 

[L'Eliminateur]

AMD has page for Freesync monitors:

https://www.amd.com/en/products/freesync-monitors

Wanting Freesync2 limits the choice considerably. These are the monitors that have specs to match what you asked:

3440x1440 34":
- LG 34GK950F

2560x1440 32":
- Agon AG322QC4
- Asus XG32VQR
- BenQ EX3203R
- Dell S3220DGF
- LG 32GK850F
- Philips 328M6FJRMB
- PRINCETON PTFGHB-32C
- Samsung C32HG70

Edit:
Oh, you don't want a curved monitor? Everything except LG 32GK850F is curved.

it could be freesync 1, but seeing as FS2 is already out i wanted to take advantage of that, what i'm not sure is if "gsync compatible" maps to freesync 2 better or if it's amd only(i should mention i'm going to use it with a 1070 so it needs to be gsync compatible)
i'm checking that website but sadly it lacks a curved/noncurved filter.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Nvidia has a G-Sync monitor list here:

NVIDIA GeForce G-SYNC Gaming Monitors

Search for GeForce G-SYNC gaming monitors.

www.nvidia.com

 

[silkstone]

Just the combination of high refresh rate, IPS and 2K is going to be costly.

My small Dell screens cost over $300 each and they are not high refresh.

I feel that you're going to have to make some comprimises somewhere to get something that fits your budget.

 

[londiste]

it could be freesync 1, but seeing as FS2 is already out i wanted to take advantage of that, what i'm not sure is if "gsync compatible" maps to freesync 2 better or if it's amd only(i should mention i'm going to use it with a 1070 so it needs to be gsync compatible)

Freesync2 is Freesync + LFC + HDR. DisplayHDR 400 is of course universal but important bits about that HDR processing in Freesync2 are AMD-specific.
Gsync Compatible is effectively Freesync + LFC.

Gsync Compatible means monitor is tested and certified by Nvidia. Basically that it should work well enough and Gsync should get enabled automatically.
Any monitor with DP Adaptive-sync (read: Freesync) can have VRR ("Gsync" in Nvidia settings) enabled manually but results may vary. Freesync + LFC is a good baseline for that if you want to take your chances.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Just the combination of high refresh rate, IPS and 2K is going to be costly.

My small Dell screens cost over $300 each and they are not high refresh.

I feel that you're going to have to make some comprimises somewhere to get something that fits your budget.

Let me put it differently then, given no budget constraint, ¿which model would fit?.
I know that there are some 32" IPS QHD that have 75Hz vsync, but honestly i wouldn't even bother to change from 60 to 75Hz

The thing is that, it should be an upgrade in every sense from the 2708, no compromises allowed(by allowing other types apart from IPS i'm already compromising) or it wouldn't be much of an upgrade (i'm already seeing that no monitor will reach the same brightness, so much for LED tech :/, the 2708 has 8xCCFL).

Before the 2708 i had a 2408WFP which got stolen, sadly there's no ultrasharp with QHD and that size or VRR, that upgrade path should be the U3219Q but it's 4K, no VRR and 800USD

 

[silkstone]

Let me put it differently then, given no budget constraint, ¿which model would fit?.
I know that there are some 32" IPS QHD that have 75Hz vsync, but honestly i wouldn't even bother to change from 60 to 75Hz

The thing is that, it should be an upgrade in every sense from the 2708, no compromises allowed(by allowing other types apart from IPS i'm already compromising) or it wouldn't be much of an upgrade (i'm already seeing that no monitor will reach the same brightness, so much for LED tech :/, the 2708 has 8xCCFL).

Before the 2708 i had a 2408WFP which got stolen, sadly there's no ultrasharp with QHD and that size or VRR, that upgrade path should be the U3219Q but it's 4K, no VRR and 800USD

I was looking for something similar when purchasing my screens. This is the closest thing I found: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/del...6dg/apd/210-agjr/monitors-monitor-accessories

Though it's only 27". It's a TN panel, but they say it has good viewing angles. There are a few more options at 27" for around that price, but as soon as you shoot up to 32" the price goes up considerably.

Here's another from the Acer Predator lineup (That is IPS) https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560x1440-Display/dp/B0173PEX20?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_6

I think IPS technology is only just getting good enough to give high 120/144 hz so everything out there is really expensive. You might be better just waiting a few years.

You might be able to find some of the Korean Monitors at your price point, but it'll mean going with a brand you aren't familiar with and using ebay, if you're in the states.

Edit - This is the closest I found, but again too small. https://www.amazon.com/FreeSync-Monitor-Exclusive-2560x1440-Display/dp/B07MVX3PKS
I'm not sure whether they have a 32" version.

 

[potato580+]

i think 120 is good, unless you can rly see the difference on higher rate

 

[silkstone]

This list might help: https://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/s-ips-lcd-list.php

Here's something close: https://www.amazon.com/PG348Q-Curve...he-20&linkId=df7335c6d5e3d6327aeb3850e158c166

It's curved, which you said you don't like, but worth considering as the curve isn't too pronounced at 21:9

This is better: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/ali...8dw/apd/210-amsv/monitors-monitor-accessories, but around $750 on amazon, though 'only' 300 cd/m2

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

You have many choice in 27 inch 1440p range which arguably is industry standard.

The 3 Best 1440p 144Hz Monitors - Spring 2024: Reviews

The best 1440p 144Hz monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF, an ultrawide monitor with a 3440x1440 resolution. As a QD-OLED it has a near-infinite contrast ratio, so perfect, deep blacks are displayed next to bright highlights, and it gets bright enough for small highlights to pop.

www.rtings.com

 

[L'Eliminateur]

I was looking for something similar when purchasing my screens. This is the closest thing I found: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/del...6dg/apd/210-agjr/monitors-monitor-accessories

Though it's only 27". It's a TN panel, but they say it has good viewing angles. There are a few more options at 27" for around that price, but as soon as you shoot up to 32" the price goes up considerably.

Here's another from the Acer Predator lineup (That is IPS) https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560x1440-Display/dp/B0173PEX20?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_6

I think IPS technology is only just getting good enough to give high 120/144 hz so everything out there is really expensive. You might be better just waiting a few years.

You might be able to find some of the Korean Monitors at your price point, but it'll mean going with a brand you aren't familiar with and using ebay, if you're in the states.

Edit - This is the closest I found, but again too small. https://www.amazon.com/FreeSync-Monitor-Exclusive-2560x1440-Display/dp/B07MVX3PKS
I'm not sure whether they have a 32" version.

yeah so far from what i see, i'll have to wait 5 more years for a IPS monitor with these specs.
¿Isn't Aorus Gigabyte's gaming brand?, that's hardly an unknown brand, a quick check shows 27" is the biggest

This list might help: https://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/s-ips-lcd-list.php

Here's something close: https://www.amazon.com/PG348Q-Curve...he-20&linkId=df7335c6d5e3d6327aeb3850e158c166

It's curved, which you said you don't like, but worth considering as the curve isn't too pronounced at 21:9

This is better: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/ali...8dw/apd/210-amsv/monitors-monitor-accessories, but around $750 on amazon, though 'only' 300 cd/m2

i'm going to check the PH listing, thanks!, edit: checked it, there's absolutely nothing in 32" IPS with the specs i need -regardless of price-
curved is a a strict no-go, it's useless for design work/precision work which i do from time to time.

You have many choice in 27 inch 1440p range which arguably is industry standard.

The 3 Best 1440p 144Hz Monitors - Spring 2024: Reviews

The best 1440p 144Hz monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF, an ultrawide monitor with a 3440x1440 resolution. As a QD-OLED it has a near-infinite contrast ratio, so perfect, deep blacks are displayed next to bright highlights, and it gets bright enough for small highlights to pop.

www.rtings.com

My current monitor is 27", so i need something bigger for the upgrade, i don't consder upgrading to the same size, at best it would be a sideways move. Thus i don't consider anything below 30"

 

[silkstone]

yeah so far from what i see, i'll have to wait 5 more years for a IPS monitor with these specs.
¿Isn't Aorus Gigabyte's gaming brand?, that's hardly an unknown brand, a quick check shows 27" is the biggest


i'm going to check the PH listing, thanks!, edit: checked it, there's absolutely nothing in 32" IPS with the specs i need -regardless of price-
curved is a a strict no-go, it's useless for design work/precision work which i do from time to time.


My current monitor is 27", so i need something bigger for the upgrade, i don't consder upgrading to the same size, at best it would be a sideways move. Thus i don't consider anything below 30"

You might consider going to 4K then. I know you don't like it for gaming, but in theory scaling to 1080p should be perfect as it is 4x the resolution. You should find a lor more options at that size, but they do cost.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

You might consider going to 4K then. I know you don't like it for gaming, but in theory scaling to 1080p should be perfect as it is 4x the resolution. You should find a lor more options at that size, but they do cost.

but if i'm not finding a QHD monitor of 32" at a reasonable price, it would be nearly impossible to find a 4K 32" IPS 144Hz freesync 2 monitor at less than a small fortune(if one even exists), from that pchardware site, there's none

 

[silkstone]

but if i'm not finding a QHD monitor of 32" at a reasonable price, it would be nearly impossible to find a 4K 32" IPS 144Hz freesync 2 monitor at less than a small fortune(if one even exists), from that pchardware site, there's none

I'm sure I've seen them, but yes, they do cost a small fortune. On the plus side, you'd be future proofed, but your current screen is good enough.
IPS and gaming don't really mix that well, especially on Dell screens where you might be lucky to get an overclock up to 70 Hz,

You may be able to find some 60 Hz screens that will clock up to 80-100 Hz, but it means doing a bit of research. That's likely the only way to get something for $500.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

All the best monitors for gaming are 27 inches 30/32 isn't a very popular size the majority of large screen gamers use an ultrawide or TV instead. Even the best 4k gaming monitors are 27 inches.

The $499 LG in your first post is probably your best bet but even LG has a superior nano ips 27 inch version for the same price.

 

[silkstone]

All the best monitors for gaming are 27 inches 30/32 isn't a very popular size the majority of large screen gamers use an ultrawide or TV instead. Even the best 4k gaming monitors are 27 inches.



The $499 LG in your first post is probably your best bet but even LG had a superior nano ips 27 inch version for the same price.

Yeah. I spent a long time looking for a 144 hz 27" IPS for around $500, but I couldn't find anything a little over a year ago.

I 'settled' with my 2x Dell 1440p screens. I really wanted G-Sync, but picture quality was more important. Even then, I could only go to 25" as the 27" ones were almost double the price!
The closest I could find was a 32" 60Hz viewsonic that could be overclocked, but it would have meant compromising on a few things.

 

[potato580+]

Yeah. I spent a long time looking for a 144 hz 27" IPS for around $500, but I couldn't find anything a little over a year ago.

I 'settled' with my 2x Dell 1440p screens. I really wanted G-Sync, but picture quality was more important. Even then, I could only go to 25" as the 27" ones were almost double the price!
The closest I could find was a 32" 60Hz viewsonic that could be overclocked, but it would have meant compromising on a few things.

this one might suit your expectation
acer
cheaper

 

[silkstone]

this one might suit your expectation
acer
cheaper

Yeah I came across that earlier. It seems like a nice screen, but I'm not looking at upgrading for a good while yet.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

this one might suit your expectation
acer
cheaper

those acer predators are really nice.
The 27" checks almost everything,IPS, gsync, 144Hz, QHD, sadly it IS 27" after all, AND it doesn't specify the colourspace (a review indicates 100% SRGB), but it is 500 USD~
Another option is the Aorus AD27QD which is much better (HDR10 amongst other things) but it's also more expensive at 550ish

For 32" there's the Acer Predator XB321HK bmiphz which is 4K as you say but it's eye-watering 900USD expensive.

plus i got wind that the LG 32GK850F-B is going to be HALF price at costco on cyber monday, at USD 250 i could buy 2 and still have cash to spare compared to the XB321