BenQ XL2720T: 144hz 1920x1080 Matte Nvidia 3D Vision 2 Gaming Monitor

I have been just looking around as I wait for more XL2720T info.


Just found out the Asus VG278H has been replaced by the Asus VG278HR----did they improve the monitor?

Founds my own answer---they have it at 144hz now......hmmm
 
If anyone out there doubts the difference that lightboost makes, in less than an hour I can tell you flat out that you are wrong.
 
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Xr7 said:
If anyone out there doubts the difference that lightboost makes, in less than an hour I can tell you flat out that you are wrong.
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Ok, I'll just wait right here...no problem.................you back yet........
 
BigBrutal64 said:
Just found out the Asus VG278H has been replaced by the Asus VG278HR----did they improve the monitor?
Founds my own answer---they have it at 144hz now......hmmm
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We'll have to wait for some actual tests; to make sure they added 144Hz without adding addional artifacts like they did for the HE. The VG278HE 144Hz monitor came with fairly strong LCD inversion artifacts (checkerboard pixel patterns) that the VG278H did not. hazmatm compared the H and HE, and found the H better image quality despite only supporting 120Hz. Several other reports have confirmed the improved image quality of the H over HE. For some it was subtle, while for others, the checkerboard artifacts was obnoxious.
 
Mark Rejhon said:
We'll have to wait for some actual tests; to make sure they added 144Hz without adding addional artifacts like they did for the HE. The VG278HE 144Hz monitor came with fairly strong LCD inversion artifacts (checkerboard pixel patterns) that the VG278H did not. hazmatm compared the H and HE, and found the H better image quality despite only supporting 120Hz. Several other reports have confirmed the improved image quality of the H over HE. For some it was subtle, while for others, the checkerboard artifacts was obnoxious.
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Ok, thanks. Just what I needed to know. I got some extra money coming in so I get either the Asus or Benq 27 inch monitors. Just have to make a chose.

The only info on the Vg278HR is on Asus's web site. There is no pricing that I can find anywhere.
 
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I've decided to sell mine or send it back, I've used a 32" tv for the last few years and I prefer it.
 
I wouldn't sweat why. He is going back to a 60hz input display so imo is not exactly a discerning gamer. Many people are happy with consoles and tvs too. To each his own, but I have fast eyesight and find lcd blur , especially of the entire viewport during FoV movement, aesthetically ugly. 60hz monitors blur very badly. I would also never go back to 60hz of motion tracking. A few specific tv models reportedly have pretty low input lag now but typically input lag and ghosting is bad on tv's (tv's tend to be VA for the black levels). Maybe a plasma would be a little better but would still be 60hz input. Size is also a factor at desk distances. Anything much over 27" - 30" at desk distances is eye bending (and even micro-neck bending) to the periphery since they are not adding any FoV or real-estate, only jumbo sizing the same scenes so that the extents are outside of your focal scope/range. 32" would definitely be pushing it, I'd have to set it back a bit.
 
To a point you are correct, I am very happy with the monitor while gaming however not so much in just general desktop use. If i mainly used my pc to game I would keep this monitor. Unfortunately at this point the technology is such that you have to make concessions in what you can get from a display. Personally I'd rather have an IPS or VA display for my desktop use and the colors that come with it, even though that means I have to sacrifice by giving up lightboost. I do hope someday both are an option.

elvn said:
I wouldn't sweat why. He is going back to a 60hz input display so imo is not exactly a discerning gamer. Many people are happy with consoles and tvs too. To each his own, but I have fast eyesight and find lcd blur , especially of the entire viewport during FoV movement, aesthetically ugly. 60hz monitors blur very badly. I would also never go back to 60hz of motion tracking. A few specific tv models reportedly have pretty low input lag now but typically input lag and ghosting is bad on tv's (tv's tend to be VA for the black levels). Maybe a plasma would be a little better but would still be 60hz input. Size is also a factor at desk distances. Anything much over 27" - 30" at desk distances is eye bending (and even micro-neck bending) to the periphery since they are not adding any FoV or real-estate, only jumbo sizing the same scenes so that the extents are outside of your focal scope/range. 32" would definitely be pushing it, I'd have to set it back a bit.
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After a lot of messing around with colors and contrast it's a lot better for desktop use now. I'll give it the weekend and make a decision on Monday.
 
Xr7 said:
After a lot of messing around with colors and contrast it's a lot better for desktop use now. I'll give it the weekend and make a decision on Monday.
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Ok...good.... Keep us posted on this....Thanks.
 
Just a heads up on somethings that are not up to opinion. There is no back-light bleed or uniformity issues, no dead pixels, and the quick settings controller that the monitor comes with makes working with the osd a breeze.
 
My monitors arrived today and I've been playing with one of them for the last 45 minutes or so. (I brought my htpc to work with me so I could mess around here) :p

I don't think I've figured out LightBoost, yet. I went through the ToastyX instructions. I see that my monitor options have changed and the LightBoost scale is there but as reducing motion blur...there's no extreme effect.

The pc has a 3570k @ 4.6GHz and a GTX670.

Am I doing something wrong?
 
Tol said:
My monitors arrived today and I've been playing with one of them for the last 45 minutes or so. (I brought my htpc to work with me so I could mess around here) :p

I don't think I've figured out LightBoost, yet. I went through the ToastyX instructions. I see that my monitor options have changed and the LightBoost scale is there but as reducing motion blur...there's no extreme effect.

The pc has a 3570k @ 4.6GHz and a GTX670.

Am I doing something wrong?
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Green light on at the bottom right of the screen?
 
Green light is lit. Might Windows 8 make a difference?

Running PixPerAn appears very similar to my eyes between the new monitor and my old work monitors. I can definitely tell that there's a difference when moving windows around but it looks like a 120Hz improvement versus something new that I've never seen before.
 
Tol said:
I don't think I've figured out LightBoost, yet. I went through the ToastyX instructions. I see that my monitor options have changed and the LightBoost scale is there but as reducing motion blur...there's no extreme effect.

The pc has a 3570k @ 4.6GHz and a GTX670.

Am I doing something wrong?
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-- Try a motion test such as PixPerAn so it becomes easier to recognize the motion blur elimination. prad.de's PixPerAn page.
-- Test specific video games that enable 120fps@120Hz -- you really need to get fps=Hz, to get the full CRT clear-motion effect. LightBoost does also work at refresh rates as low as 100 Hz, but is disabled at lower refresh rates.
-- Did you also test older games such as source-engine games? The motion blur elimination effect is the most intense on these, unlike in newer games. Also make sure you disable the game's GPU-based motion blur.

Also, sensitivity to motion blur seems to vary between people, related to how fast they are able to track moving objects on a monitor.
I'm quoting a useful post I've made in the past:

Rattle said:
thanks guys, I don't notice much difference between 120hz with LB Vs 144hz No LB TBH, both feel great though.
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Vega said:
The difference is huge! I can instantly tell when LB is not on.
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It's quite normal to have these conflicting reviews of LightBoost.
Common causes are the following:

Human Factors
-- Your ability to track fast-moving objects; and your sensitivity to motion blur.
-- Whether or not you are used to CRT gaming. (LightBoost brings the CRT effect to LCD)
-- Some people growing up today, has never played on a CRT before. Such individuals may be less likely to notice quickly.
-- Some people only have a habit of eye-tracking only slower-moving objects.
-- Specific play styles. Strafing sideways & turning motions benefits more than walking forward.
-- Your sensitivity to input lag, flicker, etc. (You benefit more if you don't feel any effects from input lag or flicker)

Computer Factors
-- Ability to run fps=Hz. You really need 120fps@120Hz to get maximum LightBoost benefit.
-- Judder/stutter control. Some games/configurations judder so much, that it negetates LightBoost.
-- Framerate limits. Some games cap to 60fps, this needs to be uncapped (e.g. fps_max)
-- Faster motion benefits more. Not as noticeable during slow motion.
-- Specific games. e.g. Team Fortress 2 benefits far more than World of Warcraft.
-- Some games judder more with VSYNC ON, while others judder more with VSYNC OFF. Test opposite setting.
-- High quality mouse (preferably 1000 Hz gaming mouse). Ordinary mice adds too much judder.

Example of areas that benefit from eliminating motion blur:
-- Fast 180-degree flick turns in FPS shooting.
-- Shooting while turning, without stopping turning (easier on CRT or LightBoost)
-- Close-up strafing, especially circle strafing
-- Running while looking at the ground (e.g. hunting for tiny objects quickly).
-- Identifying multiple far-away enemies or small targets, while turning fast
-- Playing fast characters such as "Scout" in Team Fortress 2
-- High-speed low passes, such as low helicoptor flybys in Battlefield 3, you aim better.

For people who have gameplay styles in fast-action video games, such people can gain a massive competitive advantage during fast-motion activities, because you react faster. Without motion blur, enemies are easier to identify while you're still in fast motion. Even out of the corner of your eyes, even before you stop moving. Without motion blur, fast panning motion look as perfectly sharp as being stationary -- LightBoost measured 92% sharper motion than a 60 Hz LCD -- which yields a high-definition-in-motion experience when you play with an impulse driven display like CRT or LightBoost. As a result, there are several gamers (with certain game play styles) who gain a lot more frags when gaming with LightBoost.

Human reaction times are measured in hundreds of milliseconds; reducing human lag is useful. Even if you react a scant 20 milliseconds faster, that can still actually out-compensate an enemy that has less input lag than you. While it is noteworthy to mention some people say input lag is too high for them, for other people the input lag is not even felt or noticeable (It's important to note that there are many factors of input lag other than the display, too). For some people, the lack of motion blur (reduced human brain lag) far outweighs the minor (unnoticeable) input lag disadvantage of LightBoost; and have game scores that go up dramatically with LightBoost.
However, it is understandable, not everyone benefits, for various factors -- listed above.
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Thanks guys. I'm going to take the monitors home and connect to my regular PC. It's got 3 GTX680s so I should be able to get 120fps running there and hopefully experience what everyone is so excited about. :)

As an aside, after a little calibration these monitors look pretty decent. (as in damn good)
 
elvn said:
I thought pixelperan didn't work in win8.
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You are correct. Pixelperan does not work on windows 8 as the framerates gets stuck at 33fps and it needs to run at 120fps for it to work correctly.
 
I'm sure now that everything was working fine while I was at work...The Win8/Pixelperan thing confused me and I really didn't have the hardware to see a great benefit.

I just threw this one monitor up in front of my old ones and it looks great. I'm downloading a bunch of "tests" (games that I haven't had installed in a while) right now. I spend the most time playing Rift which is what I just tried. I set my refresh rate to 100Hz and was averaging about 80fps and with LightBoost at 10% was still seeing some nice results. I did turn off LB for a bit just to verify that it wasn't all the higher refresh rate that was making everything so clear. It reminded me of that old BluBlocker commercial where the people put on polarized sunglasses for the first time. haha

As per this thread and this specific monitor, after a couple hours behind it now using Zero-7's configuration from earlier in the thread I'm pretty impressed. Out of the box, it looked pretty horrible. I'm going to take my Dell 3011's and put them on the floor for a little while to make sure I can handle the lower resolution(I've been running 7680x1600 for a long time now). If I get rid of those suckers and my 3 680 Classifieds I might even have enough to build something as fancy as Vega. haha
 
This great stuff guys. Learning as you post. The XL2720T is looking good so far. Keep up the good work.
 
Xr7 said:
Just a heads up on somethings that are not up to opinion. There is no back-light bleed or uniformity issues, no dead pixels, and the quick settings controller that the monitor comes with makes working with the osd a breeze.
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Did you order this from Benq directly?
 
You were only hitting 80fps in rift with three 3x 680 sli? I know it has some demanding (and unoptimized) graphics including very high detail textures, but maybe its not supporting multiple gpus very well. I guess it's not that hard to believe based on the framerates linked below though.

Here are some single card results at ultra, and "ultra+" (custom maxxed) with single cards. It only shows up to a 570 though unfortunately.

Rift at ultra settings single cards

Rift at "Ultra+" (custom settings, maxed sliders)

I'm curious what a 680 x 2 sli setup would get, and a single titan since I plan on getting a lightboost monitor and one of those two gpu setups.

The game has a free to play deal up to level 20, with no time limit , in case anyone is interested
Rift Lite - free to level 20 (no time limit)

One person reported higher fps with a single 7970 though , around a year ago...
I can tell you this (I picked up Rift about 3 weeks ago) - with a single 7970 at 1125/1525 and 1080p, I can run at much higher than ultra settings averaging between 70 and 80fps in most non-city areas, and maybe 40-50 in Meridian (I'm defiant). Those settings are ultra plus SSAA, 16xAF, ground clutter maxed, horizon maxed, and a couple other things. It's very playable even at 3800x1600 eyefinity (though not in Meridian) with the single 7970.
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I hardly see any difference in framerates between low quality and every slider maxxed out. My 3570k @ 4.7 seems to be the issue. That said, even when running at 8050x1600 I get anywhere between 40-60fps depending on the area and things always felt very smooth.

elvn said:
You were only hitting 80fps in rift with three 3x 680 sli? I know it has some demanding (and unoptimized) graphics including very high detail textures, but maybe its not supporting multiple gpus very well. I guess it's not that hard to believe based on the framerates linked below though.

Here are some single card results at ultra, and "ultra+" (custom maxxed) with single cards. It only shows up to a 570 though unfortunately.

Rift at ultra settings single cards

Rift at "Ultra+" (custom settings, maxed sliders)
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Tol said:
I hardly see any difference in framerates between low quality and every slider maxxed out. My 3570k @ 4.7 seems to be the issue. That said, even when running at 8050x1600 I get anywhere between 40-60fps depending on the area and things always felt very smooth.
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Thanks for the info. Yes I just want to shoot for 100hz & 100+fps or 120hz & 120+ fps for lightboost "zero blur", so 60 - 70 fps wouldn't cut it for me. I guess I'll find out in the long run but I am still deciding between dual 680's or a single titan for now.
 
There was a test on GTX 670 in x 3 sli.....This was a test against a single GTX 690.


They were very similar in FPS in games tested...the GTX 670s were a hair faster.
 
I just went back in and played around a bit. At the "Ultra" setting I was getting close to 80fps a good bit of the time in Stonefield and then I jumped over to one of the new zones from the expansion and still had a difficult time holding 60fps. I also set everything to the actual "Min" setting and it was running fine at 130-140fps. I started turning things on and held fine above 100fps until I max'd the Object Distance slider. That dropped me down to 70fps instantly.
 
I think its just a very unoptimized game and it might not use multiple gpus much if at all.

Here are some rift tweaks I found but idk how much mileage they would give. Ground clutter and shadows have a huge impact on fps apparently too. A guy with a 3770k dual 670's said
quick update, just tweaked a few things. turned off shadows n messed with ground clutter and I'm not running around at 110-120 fps will test more tho when I get in CQ or another big world event
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so it could be possible to hit the 100 - 120+ fps required to get the most out of lightboost. I'll leave it at that for now. Sorry for the derail but I was very curious about that game's performance since I have gpu upgrade to decide on vs lightboost function.
 
I decided to retire my 3 U2311H and keep this monitor. Now I need to work on upgrading my PC to keep me at 120 fps.
 
Hey all, I got the XL2720T a little over a week ago: http://imgur.com/a/IQpxP

Ordered from the benQ store. My impressions:

• I only use it for games (and pretty much only play BF3 - I average close to 120fps)
• I love it for BF3. 120Hz and the response time is amazingly fluid - I would choose this over any 60Hz monitor for gaming
• I love the included controller and ability to save profiles
• After messing with it a while, colors are decent (the matte finish really doesn't help here)
• No dead pixels that I've noticed
• No input lag
• Don't notice screen tearing, even though I'm exceeding 120fps much of the time
• 27" 1080p is perfect for gaming (awful for work). In BF3 I can set my field of view to 90 and still have enemies appear large enough to see easily
• I haven't tried the LB hack, and probably won't until Nvidia makes it a standard driver option (which I'm betting they will soon)

Cons:
• There is backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges. It is there regardless of your brightness setting.
• Viewing angles - you have to be dead center or it's pretty bad
• Matte finish - I'm used to glass/glossy and really don't like the matte

All in all, I love it for gaming. I have a 27" iMac, glass IPS screen for work, which is perfect for work. If I had to use the benQ for anything other than gaming, I would not like it. But if you can get one dedicated to gaming, then I would say go for it.

My settings for BF3 (I'm at work and am doing this from memory, so it might be a little off):
Brightness: 65
Contrast: 50
R: 95 G 98 B 96
Black EQ: 12 (once you go to 13 it's a huge difference that lightens everything)
Sharpness: 10 (7 for web browsing/text)
AMA: High
Instant Mode: On

I also usually up the digital vibrance in the Nvidia panel to 53%-56% and have the brightness setting within BF3 pretty high.

If anyone has specific questions, let me know.
 
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The XL2720T does support 120hz and 144hz using Displayport I assume?
 
bmg said:
The XL2720T does support 120hz and 144hz using Displayport I assume?
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There is no 144Hz support on any connection as far as I can tell. I have not used Displayport, but I assume 120Hz would work fine on it.
 
ethan7000 said:
Hey all, I got the XL2720T a little over a week ago: http://imgur.com/a/IQpxP

Ordered from the benQ store. My impressions:

• I only use it for games (and pretty much only play BF3 - I average close to 120fps)
• I love it for BF3. 120Hz and the response time is amazingly fluid - I would choose this over any 60Hz monitor for gaming
• I love the included controller and ability to save profiles
• After messing with it a while, colors are decent (the matte finish really doesn't help here)
• No dead pixels that I've noticed
• No input lag
• Don't notice screen tearing, even though I'm exceeding 120fps much of the time
• 27" 1080p is perfect for gaming (awful for work). In BF3 I can set my field of view to 90 and still have enemies appear large enough to see easily
• I haven't tried the LB hack, and probably won't until Nvidia makes it a standard driver option (which I'm betting they will soon)

Cons:
• There is backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges. It is there regardless of your brightness setting.
• Viewing angles - you have to be dead center or it's pretty bad
• Matte finish - I'm used to glass/glossy and really don't like the matte

All in all, I love it for gaming. I have a 27" iMac, glass IPS screen for work, which is perfect for work. If I had to use the benQ for anything other than gaming, I would not like it. But if you can get one dedicated to gaming, then I would say go for it.

My settings for BF3 (I'm at work and am doing this from memory, so it might be a little off):
Brightness: 65
Contrast: 50
R: 95 G 98 B 96
Black EQ: 12 (once you go to 13 it's a huge difference that lightens everything)
Sharpness: 10 (7 for web browsing/text)
AMA: High
Instant Mode: On

I also usually up the digital vibrance in the Nvidia panel to 53%-56% and have the brightness setting within BF3 pretty high.

If anyone has specific questions, let me know.
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A question;
If you did not have the IPS panel could the XL2720T be used as a "work" monitor?

How do the color and brightness compare to other TN panels....like the Asus, Samsung, Acer etc.?


Thank you.
 
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BigBrutal64 said:
A question;
If you did not have the IPS panel could the XL2720T be used as a "work" monitor?

How do the color and brightness compare to other TN panels....like the Asus or Samsung?


Thank you.
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I think the colors and brightness are similar to other TN panels with matte screens. TN panels with glossy screens usually have better colors though.

I would not use the XL2720T as a work monitor because of the colors, viewing angles, and resolution. If you need one monitor for both work and gaming, maybe consider these: http://www.120hz.biz/monitors/

A bunch of video reviews and guides on these here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Theologist/videos?query=yamasaki

Response time and input lag would be worse than with the XL2720T, but colors and angles would be much better, plus higher resolution with 120Hz.
 
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ethan7000 said:
I think the colors and brightness are similar to other TN panels with matte screens. TN panels with glossy screens usually have better colors though.

I would not use the XL2720T as a work monitor because of the colors, viewing angles, and resolution. If you need one monitor for both work and gaming, maybe consider these: http://www.120hz.biz/monitors/

A bunch of video reviews and guides on these here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Theologist/videos?query=yamasaki

Response time and input lag would be worse than with the XL2720T, but colors and angles would be much better, plus higher resolution with 120Hz.
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Overlord Tempest has 1440p 120hz monitor-IPS panel. Ever seen one.
"This gave the lucky owner a screen with a unique combination of features not available out of the box from any other monitor. In standard monitors, one either has to choose between 120Hz and IPS, or between 120Hz 1920x1080 and 60Hz 2560x1440. Never before has it been possible to have 120Hz 2560x1440 IPS. The combination of high refresh rate, high resolution and an IPS panel (which has superior colour reproduction and viewing angles to TN panels) is really quite unique, and very very impressive".

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2036981
 
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BigBrutal64 said:
Overlord Tempest has 1440p 120hz monitor-IPS panel. Ever seen one.
"This gave the lucky owner a screen with a unique combination of features not available out of the box from any other monitor. In standard monitors, one either has to choose between 120Hz and IPS, or between 120Hz 1920x1080 and 60Hz 2560x1440. Never before has it been possible to have 120Hz 2560x1440 IPS. The combination of high refresh rate, high resolution and an IPS panel (which has superior colour reproduction and viewing angles to TN panels) is really quite unique, and very very impressive".

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2036981
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I have been doing a lot of research on the Overlord Tempest...can not really find anything bad yet. It has a less than 6ms refresh rate.......so I've been trying to find a game review of it that is indepth. Will let you know if I find any.

http://overlordcomputer.com/products/overlord-pcb-set check this out.
 
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