This whole "downclocked", "overclocked", "underclocked" debacle is confusing indeed. That's partly because the terminology is itself nonsensical. The idea of a CPU being overclocked makes a lot of sense. It literally has a clock signal. For monitor panels, which don't have a clock signal, I'd say it's a BS marketing term that we've become so accustomed to, that we've stopped questioning it. As far as I can tell there is no formal definition of what a monitor "overclock" actually is, and whether or not it specifically applies to the panel.
I think most people understand it to mean this:
Panel manufacturers (Samsung, LG, AU Optronics) rate a given panel for a certain refresh rate. We've come to call this the "native" refresh rate. If the monitor OEM incorporates electronics that drive the panel at a higher refresh rate (with all the disadvantages that entails), then that's what we sloppily call an "overclock".
Note that there is NO SUCH THING as a panel "underclock" (and "downclocked" isn't a thing either). That makes as much sense as saying a car you're driving at 80 km/h is "underclocked" (because it could potentially achieve 220 km/h). If you send a 60Hz video signal to a 100Hz monitor, you're not underclocking it. You're just not driving/refreshing it at its highest refresh rate.
As Daniel - LG mentioned, it looks like the 34GK950G will use the UW5 panel. That LG lists this monitor as being 100 Hz native and 120Hz overclocked is what's confusing. However, since an "overclock" , as far as monitors go, is a technically meaningless marketing term, LG can use the term however they want. If the DP1.2 G-SYNC module is designed to achieve 100Hz at 3440x1440, and LG had to overclock it to achieve 120Hz, then that too can just as legitimately (arguably more so because that does use a clock signal) be called an "overclocked" monitor. I've read two (admittedly non-trustworthy) accounts saying this is what LG is doing.
I have no idea if that is true. However, if the term "overclocked" applies to the controller rather than the panel, that would at least make some sense of the mess we currently have.
The 34GK950G would then amount to:
A UW5 panel with a native 144Hz refresh rate (because that is what the manufacturer rates the panel for) which is neither over- nor underclocked. The panel's refresh rate would however be limited to 120Hz by the overclocked (but still underpowered) DP1.2 G-SYNC module.
I think most people understand it to mean this:
Panel manufacturers (Samsung, LG, AU Optronics) rate a given panel for a certain refresh rate. We've come to call this the "native" refresh rate. If the monitor OEM incorporates electronics that drive the panel at a higher refresh rate (with all the disadvantages that entails), then that's what we sloppily call an "overclock".
Note that there is NO SUCH THING as a panel "underclock" (and "downclocked" isn't a thing either). That makes as much sense as saying a car you're driving at 80 km/h is "underclocked" (because it could potentially achieve 220 km/h). If you send a 60Hz video signal to a 100Hz monitor, you're not underclocking it. You're just not driving/refreshing it at its highest refresh rate.
As Daniel - LG mentioned, it looks like the 34GK950G will use the UW5 panel. That LG lists this monitor as being 100 Hz native and 120Hz overclocked is what's confusing. However, since an "overclock" , as far as monitors go, is a technically meaningless marketing term, LG can use the term however they want. If the DP1.2 G-SYNC module is designed to achieve 100Hz at 3440x1440, and LG had to overclock it to achieve 120Hz, then that too can just as legitimately (arguably more so because that does use a clock signal) be called an "overclocked" monitor. I've read two (admittedly non-trustworthy) accounts saying this is what LG is doing.
I have no idea if that is true. However, if the term "overclocked" applies to the controller rather than the panel, that would at least make some sense of the mess we currently have.
The 34GK950G would then amount to:
A UW5 panel with a native 144Hz refresh rate (because that is what the manufacturer rates the panel for) which is neither over- nor underclocked. The panel's refresh rate would however be limited to 120Hz by the overclocked (but still underpowered) DP1.2 G-SYNC module.
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