High End 120hz+

Fruitbooter · 6 Feb 2013 at 14:31

Hi Guys

I want a 120hz capable monitor so I can enjoy fast fluid game play but I also want accurate colors and a monitor that I wont hate when browsing the internet and photo editing.

Photography and gaming are both hobbies of mine and I cant afford 2 monitors so I'm trying to find one that will do both.

I have been tempted by the BenQ XL series 2420T and 2411T but the less than accurate colors and reviews saying its bad for extended non gaming use put me off.

I was also considering the Dell Ultrasharps for their high color accuracy and general good reviews but they obviously lack the 120hz.

Is there anything out there atm that will suffice? or is there anything in the pipeline for 2013 that is worth the wait? Or is it a case of choosing between gaming and color accuracy?

Yaayuh! · 6 Feb 2013 at 14:35

Unless you go and take a risk with a cheapo overclocked monitor (Yamakasi Catleap), nope there's nothing yet that has the best of both worlds.
Soon hopefully.

blackoctagon · 6 Feb 2013 at 15:15

In the 24-inch range, the BenQ you refer to is already basically the cream of the group.

Alternative 120Hz monitors include the ASUS VG278H (and VG278HE) and the Samsung S27A950D. The ASUS screens are better in the responsiveness department however the Samsung has about as good colour reproduction as is currently available on TN displays.

There is also the Samsung S23A950D if you can still find it. The smaller screen size may be better since you mention internet browsing (desktop work on a 27-incher that's only 1080p can be a bit pixelated for some due to the PPI and dot pitch).

Overall, you're asking for the best of both worlds. Image editing is never ideal on TN panels, and the only IPS panels capable of 120Hz are the overclockable ones (Overlord Tempest X270OC and Catleap Extreme 2B).

Rroff · 6 Feb 2013 at 16:23

I'd definitely be looking at Samsung 120Hz panels if I was sticking with TN but they seem to be dissapearing fast.

Personally I went with 2 monitors to solve this issue but if you can't afford to do that and if you do a fair bit of photography I'd probably hazard on the side of an IPS panel and try to find one with as low input latency as possible. I certainly wouldn't want to be doing anything color critical on my Benq XL2420T.

Suarez7 · 6 Feb 2013 at 16:51

You don't buy a 120hz gaming monitor for colour accuracy. I don't know why reviews even bother comparing TN panels to IPS. You buy these monitors for non-existent input lag and superior refresh rates.

If you're colour critical and play games then you're gonna need 2 different monitors to experience the best of both. Or you can buy those dodgy catleap/overlord things that have little to no warranty and no guarentees of them working properly above 60hz. Youtube videos show some of them artifacting at 120hz.

Yaayuh! · 6 Feb 2013 at 16:56

Rroff said:
Personally I went with 2 monitors to solve this issue

Tbh, that would be my advice. One for gaming one for everything else.

The time will come someday where you can have the perfect monitor for both worlds. Just not yet.

Rroff · 6 Feb 2013 at 17:32

As I posted in another thread - samsung on the left, benq on the right:

http://aten-hosted.com/images/screens.jpg

I've boosted the color saturation a little to illustrate the difference but the slight bias is still there just less noticeable in their original state. You can tweak the BenQ a bit to make the whites more pure but you end up making a compromise somewhere else instead. (Thats with the best possible compromse). End of the day I can't fault it as a gaming monitor but I wouldn't do anything color critical on it and personally I don't find the slight icey blue bias natural on the eyes but thats something that will be very subjective person to person.

(I've played with more than one of these panels so its definitely not an issue with my panel).

EDIT: From people comments/reviews/settings reccomendations over time I get the impression theres probably more than 1 revision of the panel in XL2420T with some slight differences in characteristics so this might not be the same for every single one.

Fruitbooter · 6 Feb 2013 at 18:14

Do you think the Asus VG248QE is worth looking at when it gets released?

PCM2 · 6 Feb 2013 at 18:47

If you're after beautiful colours then no. It seems quite similar in that regard to the BenQ monitors - it does use the same panel as the XL2411T and has the same screen surface, after all. I will be reviewing this very shortly and drawing the comparison between the two monitors. And of course seeing just how good I can get the colours with endless fiddling on the OSD.