The perfect 4K 43” monitor! Soon! Asus XG438Q ROG


To the detriment of no one but yourself.

Seriously. VA panels fucking BLOW. The smearing is noticeable. NONE of them are good.

That's simply not true. But hey, we all perceive things differently.

Not the best video, but should still be clear enough. There is a bit of dimming in extreme cases (stars vs black space), but I see 0 smearing. I've had that issue in older VA panels, not at all with this one.
 
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That's simply not true. But hey, we all perceive things differently.

It's why it's exhausting sometimes trying to contribute to meaningful discussion in display threads. Everyone has their personal preferences (which is totally fine and natural) and tries to pass them off as fact.

"Anyone using a display larger than 32" is crazy!"
"Any DPI larger than <value> is terrible!"
"OLEDs are nice but unfeasible for PC use!"
"All VAs are trash!"
"Ultrawides > 16:9!"

Different sizes and technologies work for different people, different preferences, and different workloads.

I know what I like and what looks good to me, and what makes me enjoy my games the most, so I will be content to enjoy what I have and understand that other opinions are just that. :) I do enjoy keeping up with the advancements and what's coming up in the market so I'm interested to see what happens in this 43" space (as well as the LG 38" IPS G-Sync) but the pinnacle for me (likely until MicroLED is viable and available) is high-Hz OLED, even if they only come in sizes that won't work for some.
 
32gk850g has the best overdrive+response times I've seen on a VA. It's still not perfect but most other VA's cut a lot less % of black trailing transitions out.

Sample and hold smearing blur from lower range fps+hz overshadows VA black trailing until you get closer to 100fps solid (40% sample and hold smear reduction) to 120fps solid (50% sample and hold smearing reduction) ranges. Until your frame rate averages are well into those ranges at 100fps average or better your motion clarity isn't clear enough to make black trailing an issue really. A little black edging trailing outside of the lines is washed out by the whole thing smearing outside of the lines with sub 100fps sample and hold blur. Once you do get into higher fps ranges though, the gk850g has the highest % of VA black trailing transitions removed including more middle transitions thanks to it's good response time for a VA but especially due it's excellent overdrive. Unfortunately from all reports and reviews, the xg438q did not match the bar the gk850g set in this regard.

Just out of curiosity I set up Shadow of the Tomb Raider so that it runs at almost solid 120 fps, 120 Hz on my Samsung CRG9. Could not notice any black smearing issues like I can with my KS8000 TV even at 60 Hz. If Samsung ever bothers to do a desktop 4K display that is not a budget option TV they could have something nice with their VA tech.
 
It's why it's exhausting sometimes trying to contribute to meaningful discussion in display threads. Everyone has their personal preferences (which is totally fine and natural) and tries to pass them off as fact.

"Anyone using a display larger than 32" is crazy!"
"Any DPI larger than <value> is terrible!"
"OLEDs are nice but unfeasible for PC use!"
"All VAs are trash!"
"Ultrawides > 16:9!"

Different sizes and technologies work for different people, different preferences, and different workloads.

I know what I like and what looks good to me, and what makes me enjoy my games the most, so I will be content to enjoy what I have and understand that other opinions are just that. :) I do enjoy keeping up with the advancements and what's coming up in the market so I'm interested to see what happens in this 43" space (as well as the LG 38" IPS G-Sync) but the pinnacle for me (likely until MicroLED is viable and available) is high-Hz OLED, even if they only come in sizes that won't work for some.

Couldn’t agree more. People deal in absolutes when it’s more about choosing trade offs (all display types right now are flawed in one way or the other). They cast aspersions on other people’s choices when different from their own.
There’s no harm in explaining why you prefer one display or display type without claiming everyone else is insane.

Still waiting for Acer reviews to see if any of the tuning on overdrive etc. is different from the Asus 43” .
 
It's why it's exhausting sometimes trying to contribute to meaningful discussion in display threads. Everyone has their personal preferences (which is totally fine and natural) and tries to pass them off as fact.

"Anyone using a display larger than 32" is crazy!"
"Any DPI larger than <value> is terrible!"
"OLEDs are nice but unfeasible for PC use!"
"All VAs are trash!"
"Ultrawides > 16:9!"

Different sizes and technologies work for different people, different preferences, and different workloads.

I know what I like and what looks good to me, and what makes me enjoy my games the most, so I will be content to enjoy what I have and understand that other opinions are just that. :) I do enjoy keeping up with the advancements and what's coming up in the market so I'm interested to see what happens in this 43" space (as well as the LG 38" IPS G-Sync) but the pinnacle for me (likely until MicroLED is viable and available) is high-Hz OLED, even if they only come in sizes that won't work for some.

Everyone just wants to justify the money they spent on whatever it is they have. And then they get super butt-hurt when people trash talk whatever it was they spent said money on. It's kind of funny.

I actually don't like IPS for the most part. It's because IPS glow affects me more than it does some others, in which case I would prefer a VA panel. Does that mean IPS sucks? No. A lot of people swear by it. I just wouldn't personally go for another IPS display in the future.
 
So after I ditched the 43” I decided to clean up the cables around my x34p which I love. Then I grabbed some Christmas money and bought three more monitors and some arms. The laptops host the 24” TN’s on the side. It is extreme but so far I’m liking it.

I may give other VA panels a try in the future. Most likely I’ll take my Area 51m to Microcenter and try some games out to see if I get that black smear.

on Desk:
X34p / 32” 4K / Two xb271hu 1440p in portrait / Razer Blade 15” Pro OLED / Alienware Area 51m / both laptops with an Asus 24” 144hz 1080p
9646A0E5-58A7-4EB9-9379-84D943709944.jpeg
A060718B-07ED-4994-91CD-3AF65964AE97.jpeg
 
It is extreme but so far I’m liking it.

As 'extreme' as it looks, honestly it's not beyond something I might do myself... already run four monitors on the desktop and have others around, and love using external monitors with laptops when possible. I've set up my wife for school and mother for her business that way.
 
So after I ditched the 43” I decided to clean up the cables around my x34p which I love. Then I grabbed some Christmas money and bought three more monitors and some arms. The laptops host the 24” TN’s on the side. It is extreme but so far I’m liking it.

I may give other VA panels a try in the future. Most likely I’ll take my Area 51m to Microcenter and try some games out to see if I get that black smear.

on Desk:
X34p / 32” 4K / Two xb271hu 1440p in portrait / Razer Blade 15” Pro OLED / Alienware Area 51m / both laptops with an Asus 24” 144hz 1080p
View attachment 200208
View attachment 200210

HOLY DISPLAYS BATMAN!! Kinda cool in a way though
 
Alright.

I got my XG438Q the other day. I was down due to upgrading to the Threadripper, but I am finally back online.

A few things worth noting.

At default settings the screen is:

a.) Very very bright. I had to turn that shit down, and set gamma to 2.5 to give me a normal screen experience.

b.) Text quality, especially when there are colors involved is awful. The Hardforums color scheme (particularly the white text on the red background in the headers) seems to be an extremely bad worst case. Not quite sure what is going on. Enabling "shadow boost" seems to improve it a little bit, but with my 15 year old 1600x1200 Dell IPS panels next to this thing, the difference is shocking. I'm not sure I like the shadow boost workaround, as it kills the dynamic range of the display... Are there any other workarounds? Do monitors ever get firmware updates?

c.) I was very comfortable sitting right in front of my 48" Samsung. In retrospect I think that was because it was curved. This 43" screen is not curved, and the sensation to me, sitting within arms length is that it almost feels like it has a convex curve! Its quite the optical illusion. I actually had to go get my long metal ruler just to confirm the screen was indeed flat. Hopefully this is just a side effect of using a curved screen for so long, and something my eyes will get used to over time.

So, right now I am very torn. No doubt the FreeSync will be great in games (I havent tried it yet), but for general desktop and productivity use, right now I am very disappointed due to the text quality.

Appreciate any thoughts or config suggestions from those of you who have been using it for a while.
 
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Have you run clear text tuner on the monitor yet? I think the text issues are down to the sub pixel structure and it being GBR . Windows defaults to RGB for clear type AA so the tuner should help.
 
Have you run clear text tuner on the monitor yet? I think the text issues are down to the sub pixel structure and it being GBR . Windows defaults to RGB for clear type AA so the tuner should help.

Well, I'm in Linux most of the time (I use Windows just for games).

I did find that Mint (Cinnamon Edition) does have a setting for BGR though.

upload_2019-12-23_14-31-20.png


Not sure if I can tell a difference, but maybe it requires a reboot?

Setting seems global too, not on a per monitor basis, so I'll have to choose if I want it optimized for my side screen or my center screen...
 
Well, I'm in Linux most of the time (I use Windows just for games).

I did find that Mint (Cinnamon Edition) does have a setting for BGR though.

View attachment 210480

Not sure if I can tell a difference, but maybe it requires a reboot?

Setting seems global too, not on a per monitor basis, so I'll have to choose if I want it optimized for my side screen or my center screen...

This actually helped quite a bit.

I still wouldn't call text quality great, or even good, but it is a lot better, and may be good enough to where I am not annoyed by it.

The worst case [H] white text on burgundy background still looks pretty bad, but that's the exception rather than the norm now.
 
This actually helped quite a bit.

I still wouldn't call text quality great, or even good, but it is a lot better, and may be good enough to where I am not annoyed by it.

The worst case [H] white text on burgundy background still looks pretty bad, but that's the exception rather than the norm now.

Try different types of font smoothing. Monochrome might work better if that setting exists.
 
Doesn’t DP 1.4 still compress colour data to reach 120hz+ at 3840x2160? I’m pretty sure we need DP 2.0 to get around this limitation. This would possibly explain the bad looking text (other than the BGR pixel structure). Check to make sure there’s no compression going on.
 
Doesn’t DP 1.4 still compress colour data to reach 120hz+ at 3840x2160? I’m pretty sure we need DP 2.0 to get around this limitation. This would possibly explain the bad looking text (other than the BGR pixel structure). Check to make sure there’s no compression going on.
The XG43UQ supports DSC (if it ever comes out).
 
Well ASUS announced it recently at some tech event (can't remember the name of it) and talked alot about its technology, especially the DSC part. So it should be coming soon yeah?

They did say Q4 2019, but still waiting here!
 
Well ASUS announced it recently at some tech event (can't remember the name of it) and talked alot about its technology, especially the DSC part. So it should be coming soon yeah?

They did say Q4 2019, but still waiting here!

I would guess Q2 or Q3 knowing how these get delayed. Ideally they would just scrap that model until they get a better panel from AUO that is not BGR but most likely they are showing it off at CES.
 
I would guess Q2 or Q3 knowing how these get delayed. Ideally they would just scrap that model until they get a better panel from AUO that is not BGR but most likely they are showing it off at CES.
By then it will be irrelevant since HDMI 2.1 equipped displays are about to flood the market.
 
By then it will be irrelevant since HDMI 2.1 equipped displays are about to flood the market.

Not at this size. So far we have no indication that anyone is going to release a 43" TV with low input lag, HDMI 2.1 and above all 120 Hz panel/input. All the ones before have been 60 Hz crap. Granted, 48" is not that much larger...
 
Not at this size. So far we have no indication that anyone is going to release a 43" TV with low input lag, HDMI 2.1 and above all 120 Hz panel/input. All the ones before have been 60 Hz crap. Granted, 48" is not that much larger...
It’s only a matter of time. I don’t expect the UQ to be any better than the Q, probably just with DSC and brighter.
 
I am considering just waiting for the 2020 LG OLED 48" Gsync TVs to hit the market. But i think they are only still 4K 120Hz and HDMI 2.0 but with HDMI override.

Sounds like they are really catering for PC gamers with this model.
 

Spec list from the preorder page:

Code:
Panel Size: Wide Screen 43"(109.22cm) 16:9
Color Saturation : 90% DCI-P3
Panel Type : VA
True Resolution : 3840x2160
Display Viewing Area(HxV) : 941.184 x 529.416 mm
Display Surface : Non-glare
Pixel Pitch : 0.2451 mm
Brightness : 1000 cd/? (Peak)
Contrast Ratio : 4000 :1 (Typical)
Viewing Angle (CR?10) : 178°(H)/178°(V)
Response Time : 1ms MPRT*
Display Colors : 1.07 Billion
Flicker free : Yes
HDR (High Dynamic Range) Support : Yes (HDR-10 )
Refresh Rate(max) : 144Hz

Video Features

Trace Free Technology : Yes
GamePlus(modes) : Yes (Crosshair/Timer/FPS Counter/Display Alignment)
Picture-by-Picture : Yes
Low Blue Light : Yes
HDCP support : Yes
GameVisual :8 Modes(Scenery/Racing/Cinema/RTS/RPG/FPS/sRGB Modes/MOBA Mode/User Mode)
Adaptive-Sync supported :Yes
Display Widget
GameFast Input technology
Multiple HDR Mode : Yes
Shadow Boost

Audio Features

Stereo Speakers : 10W x 2 Stereo RMS
I/O Ports
Signal Input : HDMI(v2.0) x2, DisplayPort 1.4x2
PC Audio Input : 3.5mm Mini-Jack
Earphone jack : 3.5mm Mini-Jack
USB Port(s) : 3.0x2
Signal Frequency
Digital Signal Frequency : DisplayPort:30 ~330 KHz (H) /30 ~144 Hz(V)
HDMI : 30 ~135 KHz (H) /48 ~120 Hz(V)
Power Consumption
Power Consumption: <48 W**
Power Saving Mode: <0.5W
Power Off Mode: <0.5W
Voltage : 100-240V, 50 / 60Hz

Mechanical Design

Chassis Colors : Black
Tilt : +10°~-5°
VESA Wall Mounting : 100x100mm
Aura Sync lighting effect
Security
Kensington lock

Dimensions

Phys. Dimension with Stand (WxHxD) : 974.58 x 631.31 x 242.19 mm
Phys. Dimension without Stand (WxHxD): 974.58 x 570.62 x 74.6 mm
Box Dimension (WxHxD) : 1069 x 722 x 295 mm

Weight

Net Weight (Esti.) : 15.3 kg
Gross Weight (Esti.) : 22.8kg

Accessories

Audio cable
Power cord
Power adapter
DisplayPort cable
USB 3.0 cable
HDMI cable
Warranty Card
ROG pouch
ROG welcome card
Remote Controller
Aura Sync ROG Logo projector
Compliance and Standards
TUV Flicker-free , TUV Low Blue Light, VESA DisplayHDR 1000

Note
*1ms MPRT spec is based on internal tests. Response time may vary depending on test conditions
**measuring a screen brightness of 200 nits without audio/ USB/ Card reader connection

1810 euros is a hefty price for this but I still want to see how it stacks up in reviews. I think the addition of ELMB is pretty nice and being G-Sync compatible certified is also a good indicator that its VRR works well.
 
Spec list from the preorder page:

Code:
Panel Size: Wide Screen 43"(109.22cm) 16:9
Color Saturation : 90% DCI-P3
Panel Type : VA
True Resolution : 3840x2160
Display Viewing Area(HxV) : 941.184 x 529.416 mm
Display Surface : Non-glare
Pixel Pitch : 0.2451 mm
Brightness : 1000 cd/? (Peak)
Contrast Ratio : 4000 :1 (Typical)
Viewing Angle (CR?10) : 178°(H)/178°(V)
Response Time : 1ms MPRT*
Display Colors : 1.07 Billion
Flicker free : Yes
HDR (High Dynamic Range) Support : Yes (HDR-10 )
Refresh Rate(max) : 144Hz

Video Features

Trace Free Technology : Yes
GamePlus(modes) : Yes (Crosshair/Timer/FPS Counter/Display Alignment)
Picture-by-Picture : Yes
Low Blue Light : Yes
HDCP support : Yes
GameVisual :8 Modes(Scenery/Racing/Cinema/RTS/RPG/FPS/sRGB Modes/MOBA Mode/User Mode)
Adaptive-Sync supported :Yes
Display Widget
GameFast Input technology
Multiple HDR Mode : Yes
Shadow Boost

Audio Features

Stereo Speakers : 10W x 2 Stereo RMS
I/O Ports
Signal Input : HDMI(v2.0) x2, DisplayPort 1.4x2
PC Audio Input : 3.5mm Mini-Jack
Earphone jack : 3.5mm Mini-Jack
USB Port(s) : 3.0x2
Signal Frequency
Digital Signal Frequency : DisplayPort:30 ~330 KHz (H) /30 ~144 Hz(V)
HDMI : 30 ~135 KHz (H) /48 ~120 Hz(V)
Power Consumption
Power Consumption: <48 W**
Power Saving Mode: <0.5W
Power Off Mode: <0.5W
Voltage : 100-240V, 50 / 60Hz

Mechanical Design

Chassis Colors : Black
Tilt : +10°~-5°
VESA Wall Mounting : 100x100mm
Aura Sync lighting effect
Security
Kensington lock

Dimensions

Phys. Dimension with Stand (WxHxD) : 974.58 x 631.31 x 242.19 mm
Phys. Dimension without Stand (WxHxD): 974.58 x 570.62 x 74.6 mm
Box Dimension (WxHxD) : 1069 x 722 x 295 mm

Weight

Net Weight (Esti.) : 15.3 kg
Gross Weight (Esti.) : 22.8kg

Accessories

Audio cable
Power cord
Power adapter
DisplayPort cable
USB 3.0 cable
HDMI cable
Warranty Card
ROG pouch
ROG welcome card
Remote Controller
Aura Sync ROG Logo projector
Compliance and Standards
TUV Flicker-free , TUV Low Blue Light, VESA DisplayHDR 1000

Note
*1ms MPRT spec is based on internal tests. Response time may vary depending on test conditions
**measuring a screen brightness of 200 nits without audio/ USB/ Card reader connection

1810 euros is a hefty price for this but I still want to see how it stacks up in reviews. I think the addition of ELMB is pretty nice and being G-Sync compatible certified is also a good indicator that its VRR works well.

I don't really care about the 144hz, but if the text quality is better, I'd sell the xg438q and trade up.
 
I don't really care about the 144hz, but if the text quality is better, I'd sell the xg438q and trade up.

Should be a variant of the same panel, so most likely still BGR... The Samsung CRG9 has really good text quality, by the way, so worth considering if you're looking for a large gaming monitor with excellent text quality.
 
Should be a variant of the same panel, so most likely still BGR... The Samsung CRG9 has really good text quality, by the way, so worth considering if you're looking for a large gaming monitor with excellent text quality.

If that came in 16:9 or 16:10, 4k, and 41-44", I'd consider it, but ultrawide is a deal breaker for me.
 
Should be a variant of the same panel, so most likely still BGR... The Samsung CRG9 has really good text quality, by the way, so worth considering if you're looking for a large gaming monitor with excellent text quality.

The Acer CG7 aka CG437KP was confirmed to be BGR so I expect this uses the same panel. So apart from mounting on an arm/wall mount upside down and dealing with upside down BIOS, awkward cable management and possibly other drawbacks there isn't much you can do.

Personally I haven't seen any real difference in text quality between panel types. Resolution, subpixel structure and OS/app font smoothing handling matter far more. MacOS loves higher resolution because it doesn't use pixel grid based text like Windows.
 
The Acer CG7 aka CG437KP was confirmed to be BGR so I expect this uses the same panel. So apart from mounting on an arm/wall mount upside down and dealing with upside down BIOS, awkward cable management and possibly other drawbacks there isn't much you can do.

Personally I haven't seen any real difference in text quality between panel types. Resolution, subpixel structure and OS/app font smoothing handling matter far more. MacOS loves higher resolution because it doesn't use pixel grid based text like Windows.

Here's the thing I don't get.

The panel is just a panel.

What's stopping these monitor manufacturers from rotating it 180 degrees in the chassis and providing an RGB layout?


Also, IMHO, there is more going on with the xg438q than just BGR. My Linux install supports a BGR clartype-like implementation. Sure it looks better than it does without it, but certain colors of text combinations still look like ass, as if it were running at lower than full 4:4:4 Chroma.

An example is the white on burgundy text of the [H].
 
Here's the thing I don't get.

The panel is just a panel.

What's stopping these monitor manufacturers from rotating it 180 degrees in the chassis and providing an RGB layout?


Also, IMHO, there is more going on with the xg438q than just BGR. My Linux install supports a BGR clartype-like implementation. Sure it looks better than it does without it, but certain colors of text combinations still look like ass, as if it were running at lower than full 4:4:4 Chroma.

An example is the white on burgundy text of the [H].

I imagine if they just flipped the panel when rendering the screen it might render it to screen from bottom up. Correct me if I am wrong but my understanding is that basically pixels on a LCD are rendered from top left down column by column, row by row, of course way faster than we can perceive it. So when flipped top left becomes bottom right. Might not matter since the display doesn't care that the input it receives is flipped in the OS.

I still haven't found a good explanation why manufacturers would do BGR subpixels in the first place. There seem to be some historical reasons for it but with most devices having been RGB for years why go back?
 
Just got an email of stock for the XG43UQ from CCL (UK).

Went to check and out of stock again.
 
I'm startiing to get more torn about this screen with time.

It is nice to have a large 120hz screen with FreeSync.

I had hoped the text quality would be something I would get used to, but I'm really not.

That and it does indeed have some smudging with certain types of motion. (This is most noticeable on the desktop, not in game)

Maybe I'll just replace it with a PG43UQ when they become available, which I hope is soon, but you never know with monitors.
 
So I bought this monitor.
20191208_202403.jpg


And it was amazing until my main rig decided to shit the bed and stop powering on. New mainboard is ready to go in but I am taking the opportunity to rebuild the entire loop (new case, add a rad, different card, etc.) so no real concrete evaluation.
 
I went from this to a LG C9 (both the same price) and the difference in motion clarity is so massive that I deem this Asus unusable. Until you compare it side by side with something better you won't realize that panning/turning the camera in a game results in the blurriest mess I have ever witnessed on a PC display.

If you bring up the map in Borderlands 3, it's completely illegible (boundaries and all) when panning across it because the black smear changes the map.

Interesting. I also have this monitor but have been thinking of getting another Oled like waiting for the CX.

But I do alot of competative gaming, like PUBG. The inlut delay of this Asus is very good for that, extremly low, will I feel the longer input delay of an Oled TV like the C9 or CX which I assume will be either as good as or better than the C9 in that regard?
 
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