Question about 144Hz monitors. Are they worth an upgrade?

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PatchRowcester

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
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Hello all,

I have a question regarding 144Hz monitors.

I currently use this monitor:

Hannspree HZ281HPB 27.5" 1920x1200 Monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254052

Now, I am told that a 144Hz monitor is plainly superior to a 60Hz monitor. I play a lot of shooters, BF4 primarily. Would the performance gain be justifiable to make a purchase of a 144Hz monitor? Is it really that good for gaming?

I am condering these two models:

ASUS VG278HE - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236293

ASUS VG248QE - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313

Assuming that the performance gains are worthy of making the switch, which one would you recommend? If neither of these are good, is there one would you would recommend?

Thanks.

I am posting this on PC Gamer and on Hard Forum.
 
I believe one of the ASUS models can be modded to use the G-Sync developers kit. Once they hit the market they will be exclusively ASUS.

What are your specs?
 
Is G Sync really that good? I mean I understand what it does, but if I set my refresh rate to 144Hz all the time, wouldn't it be better?

Here are my specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7-2700K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780

So are those monitors any good? Should I upgrade? Or wait?
 
I haven't personally seen G-sync yet, but the technology makes sense to me from a theoretical standpoint and the Anandtech (p)review was very positive.

However you are correct that a 144Hz monitor will make this less important, but it definitely doesn't "solve" the problem to buy a 144Hz monitor. It can still be a significant problem. But at the same time, upping your refresh rate also means you NEED a GPU that can keep up. Higher refresh rates with sufficiently fast GPUs means less "stutter" with V-sync on. But it still won't fix the tearing with V-sync off. G-sync is still of benefit.

I would hold off for it, personally. Especially considering most people don't upgrade monitors often at all.
 
yeah Hannspree is so 2009 =)

G sync will cost more from what i'm reading so just buy the 144 Hz asus you can upgrade it later not sure how hard it will be but whatever.
 
I am not in a position to spend more than $400. So is the improvement in gaming significant enough when paired with a GTX780?
 
another cool thing about g-sync is that not only will they have nvidias own lightboost/strobing for 2D feature, it will function with lower refreshrates. Good old 85hz with strobing will be a great middle-of-the-road for smoothness vs. graphical power needed
 
I purchased this: Asus VG248QE
I installed Toastys strobe app and a different color config file.
It looks amazing on 144mhz
 
Is it really necessary to install that app?

Could someone explain to me what lightboost is in layman's terms?
 
Only the 24 inch is upgradeable, not the 27 inch.
Lightboost reduces motion blur by 80% and is a huge improvement over normal 120 and 144hz.

You can get a good description here www.blurbusters.com/

I would just wait a couple months for the version with gsync built in, it will probably be cheaper than upgrading.
 
So what is the general opinion? Should I wait for the Gsync products to show up or should I make the purchase now?

thanks for the help so far.
 
Get a monitor now.

Anything with 120hz+ and vsync becomes less relevant unless your super fussy.

Only thing I'd like to see G Sync used on is 60hz high quality IPS displays.

The BenQ XL2420T Rev2 supposedly has better colours than the ASUS.
 
I am more interested in a 27 or a 28" display. Would you recommend something else over the ASUS model?

Thanks.
 
The Benq has a 27" version but no idea what the image quality is like compared to the Asus.
 
I recently "upgraded" a 6yr 1900x1200 LG PLS 60 hz monitor to the VG248QE. My observations are that while you will have significant gains in some areas (refresh rate, input lag, etc) you will take a hit in color, clarity, brightness, viewing angle etc over any decent non-TN panel out there. If you turn on Lightboost then the picture degrades even more. If you're an FPS player like I am then the tradeoffs are worth it.

Also, as mentioned above there are color profiles you can install, or like I do use nVidia's control panel, but a 6bit panel can only do so much. The best advice I can give is to try it out and decide for yourself what matters to you most. I bought mine at a local Microcenter. Keep in mind that they price match Newegg so that helps.

Regarding G_Sync, the Asus VG248QE was designed with this upgrade in mind so you will soon be able to buy the upgrade kit and install the card yourself. Unfortunately doing so will lose you the dvi port so you're stuck having to purchase a display port cable as well. Whether G-Sync matters on a 144mhz display in real life gaming is tbd. Like you I have a 780 and at 144hz, playing bf4, I never see tearing of any kind and that's with VSync off. You can use Adaptive but that'll add to input lag every time you go beyond 144fps. If you wait a few months then G_Sync monitors will start to show up.

As an FYI, I play with Lightboost off and all color profiles deleted in color management. My nVidia settings are 20/20/17 for brightness, 20 for contrast, .91 for gamma, and 55 for digital vibrancy. I can live with that but realistically, it's still no match for my LG. But once I'm in bf4 I soon forget all this because you have to experience 144hz with 1ms input lag to understand the difference it makes.
 
I went VG278HE after seeing several reviews that stated the color on the Benq 27" 2720T was noticeably inferior. I have not seen the Benq in person but I disliked the stand layout enough from photos to give the ASUS a try. I had to have the first panel replaced due to a faulty menu button but the second one I received had much less backlight bleed as well and I now feel as though I have the perfect monitor for my rig.

I'm not even an FPS gamer per se but the motion clarity from 120Hz Lightboost destroys any other gaming invention since the Joystick. The phrase "huge improvement over 60fps" is a considerable understatement. It's like the difference between an IDE HDD and a SATAIII SSD.
 
this german review doesn't show real benefit from strobing (CRT/LightBoost/Turbo240) which is elimination of blur that is created by eye tracking moving objects, so called sample&hold blur. With strobed displays moving objects are almost as sharp as static.

apart from motion blur what 120Hz+LB and 144Hz monitors improve is input lag and with v-sync off great reduction in tearing (almost invisible).

Friend of mine have LightBoost monitor and difference in BF4 gameplay on 60Hz vs 120Hz+LB is enormous. And he is not even hitting 120fps :)
 
I have an 1440p korean monitor.. I wanted 120hz so I ordered the benq 27'' I looked at it for about 3 mins then it went back to amazon. Worst color I've EVER seen. Maybe I should have fooled with it some more..but...Id like a 120hz monitor...thinking about Asus vg278he but not sure about its color.
 
Pick one: Color/Clarity or Speed

Not going to get both out of an IPS panel or a TN panel.

I game only on my home rig, so I really don't care about accurate color reproduction as much as I do speed for FPS's.
 
Are the colors really junk? I mean what do you mean by that? I wouldn't imagine the display to have the same vibrant colors as my IPS panel, but it can't be that bad, can it?
 
Love mine. But they obviously aren't all equal or set up equal. The color is better without lightboost but pretty good either way in my humble opinion.
 
Well apparently it does not work with NV Surround so I can skip the upgrade and wait for the technology to mature a bit more.
 
Almost no one has actually seen gsync so if it is worth it or not will take time to feel out. But I can say that 120hz light boost is VERY WORTH IT. 144hz is better than 60 but light boost is where it all comes together.

Color and viewing angles is trash but really the hanspree probably is no looker.
 
rudy said:
Almost no one has actually seen gsync so if it is worth it or not will take time to feel out. But I can say that 120hz light boost is VERY WORTH IT. 144hz is better than 60 but light boost is where it all comes together.

Color and viewing angles is trash but really the hanspree probably is no looker.
Click to expand...

I usually go back and forth between 120hz LB and 144hz. Overall I like the smoothness of 144hz over the clarity of 120hz LB.

But it's definitely a per user thing.
 
Druneau said:
I usually go back and forth between 120hz LB and 144hz. Overall I like the smoothness of 144hz over the clarity of 120hz LB.

But it's definitely a per user thing.
Click to expand...
so you are probably just love G-Sync :rolleyes:
 
Dcode said:
The Benq has a 27" version but no idea what the image quality is like compared to the Asus.
Click to expand...

BenQ XL2720T is the best monitor I have owned. I run 2 ASUS 22 inch 120hz on the sides. There is no comparison.

The image quality on the BenQ XL2720T is sweet. Very sharp. Images look great. I have read don't use it for Photoshop. I do without issue.

It is all how you set it up and calibrate it.

I am actually going to dump the ASUS and get another BenQ XL2720T.

I love ASUS monitors, but they lose this battle.
 
As far as Benq is concerned I'd wait for 2720Z which has strobing mode built in without using hacks working from 75 to 144Hz
 
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that one of the units is sold via buy.com, and one from bestbuy directly. This would account for the different SKUs. Head over to Newegg or Tigerdirect and you'll see their have their own different numbers attached to the same model monitor.
 
kru said:
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that one of the units is sold via buy.com, and one from bestbuy directly. This would account for the different SKUs. Head over to Newegg or Tigerdirect and you'll see their have their own different numbers attached to the same model monitor.
Click to expand...

That's probably a pretty good guess, thank you sir.
 
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