Should I switch? ROG Swift 2k 144Hz TN to Alienware UW 120Hz IPS

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nintari

[H]ard|Gawd
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So I have been considering getting a different monitor for a while now, sadly the 4k 120Hz g-sync displays are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced IMHO and too young yet (new tech i have found isn't always reliable and can mature better in the next revisions).

While the ROG swift (PG278q, and sorry it is a TN panel not a VA) has served me well I have found it annoying to have two monitors for productivity as the second monitor I have is a 27" 2k Dell G-sync 144hz... so I hve to turn my head waaaaaaay over to see things on the other screen.

So I started considering an UW.... but something that perhaps would have more "pop" to the colors, so i figured an IPS may be a better option. Then the Alienware went on sale... all reviews seem to be positive on it so far.

As for the gaming aspect when I sit at my PC I mainly play battlefield, PUBG, fortnite and the like. For more story driven or console-ish type games I'll typically move over to my projector setup (or TV) and play through the nvidia shield.

I already have some people lined up to buy the other two monitors if I sell them cheap lol....but, would it really be worth it in the way of an upgrade in Picture quality?

just seeing if anyone else went down this route and what was your experience.
 
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ASUS doesn't make displays with VA panels in their ROG lineup, as far as I'm aware.

Do you mean AHVA? Because that is an IPS-type panel technology.

It would also help to know what models we're talking about, here.
 
Yeah, I would definitely go for it.

I was using that same Asus for about 4 years. It was nice (I actually had 3 in Surround) but one died and I decided to try ultrawide. It was a good choice for me.

Ended up with the 34" LG 2560x1080 because I personally wanted the higher refresh (166Hz), but the Alienware looks great as well.

I find IPS to look better than TN (no surprise there) and gaming is more immersive than one 16:9 screen. Surprisingly, I prefer it over 3 monitor Surround, as you don't have to deal with the bezels ruining the experience.

Though I probably should have went with the 3440x1440 AW (and I still might upgrade at some point), I do enjoy hitting 166Hz and there is a slight but noticeable improvement over 144Hz (but I know this can be heavily subjective and debatable).

Even so, I'm happy with the LG. I wouldn't recommend it for work, and Windows is a bit cramped up, but in gaming I find 1080p ultrawide still looks HD. Everything is somewhat of a compromise, so I chose high refresh.

I think the Alienware would do you good, though, and it'll be an overall improvement.
 
meh I gunned it and ordered it to try out, worst case I return it lol.

I think mainly for me right now it is trying to consolidate down and get more done with less..... (I have a game room with tons of systems, thousands of games, home theater etc etc... it's starting to be crowded lmao)
 
Funny though that most people that got this came from a 60Hz panel lol.


So I got it in and got it setup.... My initial thoughts:

Coming from the PG278Q I can definitely tell a difference in either the response time or loss of those 24Hz (144Hz compared to 120Hz) or the combination of both. I did have the PG278Q since it's release so I have grown well accustom to it. The Alienware isn't as "silky" as many would put it.

However..... the colors do "pop" a whole lot more on the alien ware and there is noticeably less color shifting. I say less as for some reason with the curve the lower left and right corners seem to be a bit washed out.... but that could be the height / distance / angle I have it at, I'm trying to get it in to a comfortable viewing angle.

This is not to say the Alienware isnt smooth, it's just not as smooth as what I had been on for years lol

I do think the better colors add to a more realistic experience though, so it is a` worthwhile trade off for me!
 
Interesting. That is helpful info.

I ended up with the 2560x1080 LG, mostly because it could do 166Hz. I am really loving 166Hz (when I can reach it) but the resolution was a noticeable downgrade from 1440p. But I'm making it work, and I'll probably keep it until the 200Hz HDR panels appear. For older games, I'm using DSR at 5K2K res, and it can mitigate the pixelation of 1080p. I can also definitely see the difference from 144Hz to 166Hz (only 22Hz), and I did notice a difference on my old 120Hz to 144Hz, but I think even 120Hz should be smooth. I ran on a 1080p 120Hz screen for a while, and it was great at the time. Definitely not choppy, but maybe you need to get used to it.

One thing about the response time, it might be similar to what I've seen. Because they use IPS (rather than TN) there is more motion blur I guess due to the much slower response time. So for dragging windows around on the desktop, it's not the same motion clarity as 144Hz TN. With the Asus, I was able to even read text while moving windows and it was mostly fine. With the 166Hz LG, the movement seems slightly faster or more responsive, but with a slight blur. However, this is only really a problem in Windows. In games usually they add in fake motion blur when moving the camera, so this masks the issue and it still looks great. So it is a trade-off, I think the colors look better and the overall image is nicer, so it depends what you want. I can live with it, though, it's not too bad.
 
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