Iiyama XB2779QS or Dell U2713HM for gaming?
- Thread starter wapcatlet
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I am driving over to the OcUK store tomorrow (Christmas Eve) to swap the monitor. The RMA has been authorised.
If they were willing to unbox a new Iiyama and let me check it before I make a decision then that would be ideal. I doubt that they will do that so I think I might have to play safe and go for the Samsung S27B970D instead.
It's a shame because looking at the contrast/brightness tests in the reviews, the contrast levels are better on the Iiyama than the Samsung.
Thanks for the advice Lakai
Keep us posted on how you get on and if you decide to settle for the Samsung S27B970D
No dead pixels that I can see, had a good check on many different coloured backgrounds. Perfecto!
Colour is so amazing its just <3
Well I swapped my Iiyama XB2779QS for..... another XB2779QS.
I spent a long time time staring at the images on the Samsung S27B970D in the OcUK shop. It looked good but it wasn't convincing enough to stop me giving the Iiyama another chance.
I've just switched it on. I've set my brightness to 18 and my contrast to 55 and the backlight bleed is not as bad as the one I took back. I think I can live with it.
As MooMoo444 said, the colours are amazing. It looks fantastic until I watch a film with black bars top and bottom but then again, I'm not too bothered about films.
I will give it another go with Skyrim and see just how bad it is in the night time scenes.
I spent a long time time staring at the images on the Samsung S27B970D in the OcUK shop. It looked good but it wasn't convincing enough to stop me giving the Iiyama another chance.
I've just switched it on. I've set my brightness to 18 and my contrast to 55 and the backlight bleed is not as bad as the one I took back. I think I can live with it.
As MooMoo444 said, the colours are amazing. It looks fantastic until I watch a film with black bars top and bottom but then again, I'm not too bothered about films.
I will give it another go with Skyrim and see just how bad it is in the night time scenes.
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Iiyama 2779QS dead on arrival
I just opened my Christmas present - Iiyama XB2779QS from o/c and tried to fire it up. Certainly no backlight bleed. In fact, no backlight at all! Blue LED comes on and PC detects the monitor over DVI, but I can't even get the on-screen menu to display. Great picture of black cat in a coal mine at midnight. Have I missed something fundamental here, or is their quality control so poor that they ship a completely dead unit?
UPDATE: Popped into o/c shop and swapped the unit without any problem. New one looking very good so far - excellent for photo editing, which was my primary aim.
I just opened my Christmas present - Iiyama XB2779QS from o/c and tried to fire it up. Certainly no backlight bleed. In fact, no backlight at all! Blue LED comes on and PC detects the monitor over DVI, but I can't even get the on-screen menu to display. Great picture of black cat in a coal mine at midnight. Have I missed something fundamental here, or is their quality control so poor that they ship a completely dead unit?
UPDATE: Popped into o/c shop and swapped the unit without any problem. New one looking very good so far - excellent for photo editing, which was my primary aim.
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Do you see the Iiyama logo a few seconds after you turn the screen on? I'm guessing not.
It sounds as if you have a faulty panel. That's annoying at any time of the year but it's even more infuriating when it's a Christmas present
It sounds as if you have a faulty panel. That's annoying at any time of the year but it's even more infuriating when it's a Christmas present
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Backlight bleed too irritating.
Well I've tried to convince myself that I can live with the backlight bleed on this Iiyama XB2779QS but every time I run anything with a black background it's RIGHT THERE!
I love the colours and the contrast ratio but it's doing my head in so I am going to concede defeat and swap it for the Samsung S27B970D.
Well I've tried to convince myself that I can live with the backlight bleed on this Iiyama XB2779QS but every time I run anything with a black background it's RIGHT THERE!
I love the colours and the contrast ratio but it's doing my head in so I am going to concede defeat and swap it for the Samsung S27B970D.
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It looked pretty good to me. However the contrast ratio is no where near as good as the Iiyama. All of the reviews I have read put it around the 740:1 mark. Having said that, all of the reviews (apart from TechRadar) were very good.
I have just been told that I can take my Iiyama back for a refund. I told them that I wanted to exchange it for the S27B970D but I've since heard of some being returned with dead pixels and backlight bleed.
I guess it's just pot luck. I got 2 bad ones in one week. Hopefully it will be third time lucky but I won't be taking a chance on another Iiyama tomorrow. It will have to be Dell, Samsung or possibly even Asus although I don't know how I will get on with the PWM lighting on the Asus. Decisions, decisions...
I love my new asus pb278 screen. I had the 2779 preordered but changed it due to impatience. Not sure if I'm being affected by the PWM lighting as I haven't used it that much due to the festive period.
Thankfully there's minimal backlight bleed.
Thankfully there's minimal backlight bleed.
I drove over to the OcUK store, got a refund on my Iiyama and then had a long conversation with Niall on the support desk about my Iiyama and which monitor to try next.
After much discussion we narrowed it down to the Samsung S27B970D and the Asus PB278Q. The PWM dimming on the Asus could be a problem for me because I suffer with migraines. So that left the Samsung.
Just before I ordered it I took a quick look at this thread (using one of the laptops on display in OcUK) and saw your comment which made me think again. I then read some other reviews on the Asus PB278Q. All of them good.
Obviously the PWM thing is not ideal but I decided that I could always override the brightness levels on the monitor by setting it via the Catalyst Control Center which should (hopefully) stop the PWM kicking in.
Anyway I've bought the Asus and I have been using it for 20 minutes.
First impressions....
Superb!
No dead pixels.
A tiny bit of backlight bleed against the top bezel to the left of centre but hardly noticeable.
I've still got to play with it for a bit but so far so good.
So thanks Robert
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wapcatlet how are you getting on with the Asus PB278Q?
My Hasro has somehow attracted some dust in one corner between the back-light and the front screen layer which I can't remove. I'm very tempted but coming for a glossy screen which I do like I want to make sure the Asus finish is not too matt for my tastes.
My Hasro has somehow attracted some dust in one corner between the back-light and the front screen layer which I can't remove. I'm very tempted but coming for a glossy screen which I do like I want to make sure the Asus finish is not too matt for my tastes.
I had been using glossy for almost 2 years (Hazro followed by DGM followed by a few days of the Iiyama) so I was a bit dubious about moving to a screen with an AG coating.
I guess it's all down to personal taste but I really haven't noticed the AG coating having a negative affect on the screen image.
I haven't seen any of that cross-hatching that some of the Dell owners complain about. The image does not look grainy at all.
The contrast ratio is a lot better than my old DGM, and I base that on my personal (subjective) perception and test results in the online reviews, not the specification on the box.
I don't think the AG coating is particularly aggressive.
I did have some concerns about the PWM backlighting because I do suffer from migraines but it has had no effect on me at all.
Like I said, it's all down to personal taste but I have to say that I love this monitor!
You won't see any cross-hatching because the ASUS uses a completely different panel (and AG surface) to the U2713HM. Like the U2713HM the screen surface is 'semi-glossy' and that gives a much clearer and more vibrant appearance to the image than the sorts of matte surfaces people sometimes complain about. If you want to get technical the strength of diffusion of light varies depending on the 'haze value' of a matte screen surface. The PB278Q's haze value is around 18% whereas some of these older IPS models (like the U2711) had a haze value of around 30%. It gave a grainy, smeary appearance to the image which had a much greater affect than on the new semi-glossy surfaces.
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Thanks PCM2. I was struggling to describe the level of AG coating without resorting to a photo but I think your description of the 'haze value' helps to put it in perspective.
EasterEEL - Here is a photo anyway, just in case it helps you to get an idea of what the AG coating looks like. There is a window to the left of the monitor. That's the reflection you can see.
EasterEEL - Here is a photo anyway, just in case it helps you to get an idea of what the AG coating looks like. There is a window to the left of the monitor. That's the reflection you can see.
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Many thanks I am going to press on and get the Asus PB278Q which is getting many good comments from users. Complaints seem to be mostly lit pixel related and that is luck of the draw. As far as I can understand this monitor is covered by the Asus Zero Bright Defect policy in the first 12 months which helps.
I'm irritated by the Hazro problem as the monitor is pretty good with no dead pixels but the shoddy bezel has allowed dust specks to get within the screen layers somehow and I doubt there is anyway I can get ride of them. The dust specks manifest like a group of dead pixels spread over a one inch square area bottom right. It is still just under RTB warranty but I don't know if I can face Hazro returns.
I'm irritated by the Hazro problem as the monitor is pretty good with no dead pixels but the shoddy bezel has allowed dust specks to get within the screen layers somehow and I doubt there is anyway I can get ride of them. The dust specks manifest like a group of dead pixels spread over a one inch square area bottom right. It is still just under RTB warranty but I don't know if I can face Hazro returns.
I'm sorry about your Hazro. I can understand why you don't want the pain of dealing with their warranty-RTB process.
Having owned a Hazro and a DGM I would say that the Asus is much better quality. Hopefully you won't get one with dead pixels. Mine was perfect.
I would really like to know what you think of the Asus so can you please post your thoughts here if/when you get it.
Received my Asus PB278Q yesterday and my usual quick scan confirmed no lit pixels and I have not noticed any dead pixels either and back-light bleeding is minimal so very pleased.
The semi-gloss screen is not bad at all and I can live with the slightly defused image. TBH honest I do prefer the vibrant colours a full gloss screen gives but not seeing reflections on dark backgrounds helps.
My old NEC 20WGX2Pro with glossy screen had brilliant vibrant colours which made photos look fantastic but the 1680x1050 resolution was not great for text. The Hazro glossy screen deliverers slightly less vibrant colours and text is spot on, but back-light bleeding was evident especially in the lower left area and build quality left a bit to be desired.
I would describe the Asus as a bit of a jack of all trades it does everything well (build quality, non dead pixels , minimal back-light bleeding, great screen uniformity, great viewing angles) but the semi-gloss screen delivers a defused image which stops it being outstanding for colour vibrancy or text sharpness. I would love to see a version of the PB278Q with a full gloss screen but suspect a by-product might be to back-light bleeding.
These are the setting I am using under User Mode:
64 - Brightness
77 - Contrast
6500k - Colour Temp
2.2 - Gamma
50 - Sharpness
40 - Trace Free
Default - Everything else
It is a keeper but I would like to get colours a little more vibrant and would be interested to know what settings others are using. The Scenery and Theater Modes certainly liven up colour but unfortunately introduce too many other issues to be of any use.
The semi-gloss screen is not bad at all and I can live with the slightly defused image. TBH honest I do prefer the vibrant colours a full gloss screen gives but not seeing reflections on dark backgrounds helps.
My old NEC 20WGX2Pro with glossy screen had brilliant vibrant colours which made photos look fantastic but the 1680x1050 resolution was not great for text. The Hazro glossy screen deliverers slightly less vibrant colours and text is spot on, but back-light bleeding was evident especially in the lower left area and build quality left a bit to be desired.
I would describe the Asus as a bit of a jack of all trades it does everything well (build quality, non dead pixels , minimal back-light bleeding, great screen uniformity, great viewing angles) but the semi-gloss screen delivers a defused image which stops it being outstanding for colour vibrancy or text sharpness. I would love to see a version of the PB278Q with a full gloss screen but suspect a by-product might be to back-light bleeding.
These are the setting I am using under User Mode:
64 - Brightness
77 - Contrast
6500k - Colour Temp
2.2 - Gamma
50 - Sharpness
40 - Trace Free
Default - Everything else
It is a keeper but I would like to get colours a little more vibrant and would be interested to know what settings others are using. The Scenery and Theater Modes certainly liven up colour but unfortunately introduce too many other issues to be of any use.
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