These new models are labeled as XB3, XN3, and CG7 through official marketing, however they have specific model numbers if you want to find out how to purchase them:

• XB3 = XB273K: 3840 x 2160 (4K) resolution + 120hz refresh rate (144hz OC)
• XN3 = XN253QX: 1920 x 1080 resolution + 240hz refresh rate
• CG7 = CG437K: 3840 x 2160 (4K) resolution + 120hz refresh rate (144hz OC)

Visit our G-SYNC / FreeSync Gaming Monitor Database to compare these monitors!

Acer Predator XB273K: 4K Resolution at 144hz

Acer has produced a few 4K monitors, however this is their first model that supports a higher refresh rate than 60hz. This monitor supports a native 120hz refresh rate, that can be overclocked to 144hz. Acer lists its response time as 1ms VRB, which stands for Visual Response Boost.

It’s Acer’s marketing term for 1ms MPRT, which many other manufacturers are adopting for their monitors under their own marketing terms as well. In this case, it allows the IPS display of this monitor to reach 1ms response time using a strobing backlight, as its native GTG response time is 4ms without it.

The panel does support HDR content, however its peak brightness is its core limiting factor: the native brightness is 350 nits, with the peak brightness hovering around 400 nits of max brightness. For HDR content, you typically want a display that can achieve around 800-1000 nits of peak brightness, to really make those highlights pop when they count. With that said, the main selling point of this monitor is the 144hz during 4K content.

Most graphics cards, including NVIDIA’s top of the line 2080 Ti, will be unable to reach this high refresh rate with maxed out settings, so this is something you want to pursue if you’re willing to dial down settings, or possibly SLI the card. This limitation should deteriorate over time as newer GPUs hit the market that are capable of reaching 144hz at 4K.

In terms of variable refresh rate, there are two versions of this model that serve different purposes:

• XB273KP – G-SYNC module + VRR range 1~144hz – Check Price on Amazon
• XB273KGP – G-SYNC compatible + VRR range 48~120hz – Check Price on Amazon

If you’re a NVIDIA user, you want to stick to the XB273KP as it will give you the best VRR performance when compared to the XB273K GP. However, if you’re someone that switches between AMD and NVIDIA GPUs based on raw performance per dollar, then the GP model will be better suited for your needs.

Acer Predator XN253QX: 1080p at 240hz

A lot of 240hz monitors have launched over the last couple of years, and they are the current favorite for esports competitors, for good reason: they offer the lowest input lag and clearest motion resolution when compared to 144hz monitors. Timing is everything when it comes to competing for big money.

If you already own a 240hz monitor, then there isn’t a real need to upgrade to Acer’s version, unless you’re chasing the small differences between panels. It still sports a 1080p resolution, which is the norm at 240hz, along with a TN panel that isn’t focused towards color accuracy. However, users of 144hz monitors will appreciate the reduced motion blur and lower input lag; it’s certainly noticeable if you’re conditioned to having instant response.

Being an esports focused monitor, the XN253QX sports a 1ms GTG response time, which is common for TN panels aimed towards serious gaming. Many 240hz monitors are 1ms GTG, however there are big differences in how its implemented among manufacturers. This monitor is also capable of reaching 0.4ms GTG response time when overdrive is fully engaged.

Before you consider purchasing this monitor, there is another monitor that shares a very similar model number to this one, and it has drastically different specs:

• XN253QP – 1080p @ 144hz – Check Price on Amazon
• XN253QX – 1080p @ 240hz – Check Price on Amazon

Both of these monitors include a G-SYNC module with a VRR range of 1~144hz and 1~240hz respectively. The X model is the newer version that supports 240hz refresh rate, so keep that in mind before you place the order!

Visit our G-SYNC / FreeSync Gaming Monitor Database to compare these monitors!

Acer Predator CG437K: Big Screen 43″ at 4K 120hz (or 144hz)

So here is Acer’s grand-daddy display that’s sure to put a dent on your wallet. The CG7 is Acer’s newest 4K monitor that supports 120hz refresh rate. This behemoth is carries a DisplayHDR certification with 1000 nits of peak brightness, three HDMI 2.0 ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, and 1ms VRB response time.

The 120hz refresh rate is actually overclockable to 144hz, though you will need to utilize two DisplayPort 1.4 connections to achieve it. It boasts a VA panel, which tends to reproduce deeper blacks than IPS and TN panels, though it may not be as accurate as IPS when it comes to color reproduction. Still, it’s a big improvement over TN across the board in terms of image quality.

The CG7 is a G-SYNC compatible display, meaning it doesn’t have a dedicated G-SYNC module. It does support adaptive-sync/FreeSync through it’s HDMI 2.0 ports as well, making it an ideal pairing for Xbox One consoles as well. Its VRR range is 48~120hz, so you’ll want to avoid dipping below 48 FPS in order to maintain its VRR benefits.

Its listed MSRP is around $1,499, though you might be able to find it cheaper on Amazon.

The post Acer’s 2019 Predator Gaming Monitors: XB273K, XN253QX, CG437K appeared first on DisplayLag.

Many gaming monitors over the last several years have implemented strobing-backlight tech to combat LCD motion blur, as its quite noticeable when compared to old-fashioned CRT displays. We listed several of these newer monitors within our new G-SYNC/FreeSync gaming monitor database, a tool to help you compare different gaming monitors.

Manufacturers have different names for their proprietary motion blur reduction tech, with ASUS labeling theirs under the ELMB acronym. The downside with most motion blur reduction tech is that it disables the use of VRR (such as G-SYNC or FreeSync). This would force the end-user to choose between lower motion blur, or having lower input lag + a stutter-free image.

ASUS changes that with ELMB Sync, a new implementation of motion blur reduction that allows you to enable VRR at the same time! Gamers can now have the best of both worlds within a single gaming monitor.

Keep in mind that they don’t all support ELMB Sync, with some of them only supporting vanilla ELMB. ELMB Sync is required to enable reduced motion blur along with variable refresh rates on these monitors.

You can use the table below to compare some of these monitors, though detailed specifications can be compared in our gaming monitor database. Be sure to check it out!

Visit our G-SYNC / FreeSync Gaming Monitor Database to compare these monitors!

The post ASUS TUF Gaming Monitors bring ELMB Sync: VRR with Reduced Blur appeared first on DisplayLag.

First up, we have LG’s excellent OLED TVs that earned our top spot for the best gaming TVs of 2019. These TVs provide the best image quality and extremely low input lag performance around 14ms. Definitely jump on these deals if you can.

LG TV Deals:

If LG’s offerings are out of the budget, then Samsung has many excellent gaming TVs that also ranked among the best TVs as well. The Q70R in particular was our runner-up for the best gaming TV, second only to LG’s OLED TVs listed above.

The Q60R has similar input lag to the Q70R without full-array local dimming, however it offers better pricing. By stepping up to the Q80R, you gain higher peak brightness and better overall image quality, while retaining excellent input lag performance.

Additionally, for those looking to go big, Samsung’s 8K 75″ Q900R behemoth has a hefty discount as well, with 43% off retail. If you’re on a tight budget and only care about SDR gaming performance, the 55″ RU7100 is on sale too. It’s quite a steal with 12ms of input lag!

Samsung TV Deals:

Our final recommendation for TVs is TCL’s 6 Series R625, which is also on sale for Cyber Monday. This TV provides an excellent low 11ms input lag, while also offering decent HDR performance for its price tag. It also made our list of best gaming TVs in 2019:

TCL TV Deals:

Aside from TV deals, you can also find many Cyber Monday deals on monitors as well. Some of these may be listed in our gaming monitor database. They should provide low input lag for serious gaming needs:

Monitor Deals:

We will update this post throughout the day as we find more deals on good stuff, so be sure to check back!

The post Cyber Monday 2019: TV & Monitor Deals appeared first on DisplayLag.

In 2019, it’s more difficult than ever to find a TV that actually has a lot of input lag. This is a remarkable achievement by TV manufacturers, and great for gamers too: you can finally start to focus on getting the best picture for your buck, without worrying too much about input lag ruining your purchase. This is where this guide comes in handy: we’ve checked out tons of TVs this year and will give you our top picks for 2019, within most budgets.

For those that don’t know, input lag is the amount of time it takes for a display to process a button input while gaming. If you value your gaming experience, you want to avoid displays that exhibit high input lag, as it makes your gameplay feel sluggish and unresponsive. Every display has input lag to some degree, however you want to stick to the displays we label as Excellent, as these displays provide the quickest response for serious gaming.

Best Overall Gaming TV:

LG C9 4K HDR OLED TV

Input Lag: 14ms – Excellent

Not surprised? Neither am I. For the third year in a row, LG takes our top spot again as the best gaming TV for most people. This category would normally be a shootout between a bunch of LED TVs, mainly because they were the only affordable ones within most budgets, back when OLED TVs were in their infancy. A lot has changed over the years, even within the last 3 years!

For starters, I bought my own 65″ LG B7 OLED in the fall of 2017. It had 21ms of input lag, and I had to jump through hoops to get a good deal on it. Matter of fact, I tracked it down for around $2000 after tax. Keep in mind that this wasn’t even the C7 model, it was their cheapest B7. In just two years, you can get the 65″ B9 for even less, with the 65″ C9 being a comparable price to what I paid a couple of years ago. Talk about bringing value to customers! Aside from price, LG have made tons of improvements to their 2019 OLED lineup across all areas that matter for gamers.

While the C8 was mostly considered an incremental upgrade last year, as it still sported 21ms of input lag, the B9 and C9 shatter this record convincingly, with both the OLED55B9 and OLED55C9 measuring at an extremely low 14ms of input lag. This is just 4ms shy of the very best 60hz gaming monitors you can find today, and it will provide an excellent high-level gaming experience for most users. It’s not just input lag that has improved this year, though.

New to 2019, LG’s entire OLED lineup features HDMI 2.1, an important spec that’s vital to gamers. While some TVs were able to add a few HDMI 2.1 features in HDMI 2.0, the core of HDMI 2.1 involves support for variable refresh rates, as well as more bandwidth to support 8K at 60hz, and 4K at 120hz. PC users have enjoyed VRR for many years now, as it eliminates stuttering caused by V-SYNC, while lowering input lag.

It’s a huge deal for serious gaming, and I highly recommend experiencing it if you haven’t already. The good news is that both the LG B9 and C9 are also certified by NVIDIA for G-SYNC compatibility, meaning you can enjoy these benefits as a NVIDIA user too! Even though NVIDIA officially supports LG’s 2019 OLED’s, the TV doesn’t have native FreeSync capabilities, so VRR support is limited to the Xbox One and NVIDIA GPUs. AMD FreeSync is not supported on LG’s 2019 OLEDs. While there aren’t any mainstream HDMI 2.1 sources yet, LG have confirmed that the C9 does support 4K 120hz from external sources. There isn’t official confirmation of the B9 supporting this, even though it is HDMI 2.1 compliant, so it’s a waiting game at this point.

In terms of image quality, OLED is a vast improvement over conventional LED TVs, and the difference can be seen side-by-side quite easily. OLED TVs are able to produce perfect black levels during dark scenes, deep contrast ratios as it can control the backlight of individual pixels, and also have the smoothest motion response for fast-paced gaming. If you already own a LG OLED from the last couple of years, you won’t see a huge improvement in image quality, however the abundance of new gaming features make the upgrade worth it, in my opinion.

So, why did I recommend the C9 over the cheaper B9, even though they’re largely the same TV? It’s mainly due to quality of life issues. The C9 comes with a sturdier casing, has better speakers, better processor, and may also have improved quality control when compared to the B9.

There are reports online of some B9 units suffering from color banding and other imperfections, which leads me to believe that LG sources their highest-quality OLED panels to the C9 and above. It should hopefully result in less panel lottery for you guys. The biggest difference however, is that the C9 comes with their latest Alpha 9 Gen 2 processor, which isn’t available on the B9. This doesn’t provide any real benefits as of this writing, but it may in the future.

If you don’t care about these differences, then feel free to spring to the B9 and save some cash. Assuming you got a good panel, there aren’t any noticeable differences between the two in terms of image quality. Both TVs provide an amazing gaming experience, and you’ll wonder where these TVs have been hiding your whole gaming life!

Best for Most Gamers:

Samsung Q70R QLED TV

Input Lag: 14ms – Excellent

Samsung has once again graced our recommended list for 2019. Their Q6FN TV was an excellent choice for 2018, mainly due to being the only major brand to support low input lag, as well as FreeSync capability. LG didn’t support any sort of VRR last year, and also had higher input lag, making Samsung an attractive option for the most serious gamers.

While Samsung doesn’t enjoy VRR exclusivity along with sub-20ms input lag anymore, they still provide excellent price-to-performance ratio, as their QLED lineup can be significantly cheaper than LG’s OLED offerings. It really boils down to what your price budget is, and whether or not you want to pay for the extra benefits that OLED provides.

Samsung has several QLED models this year, which include the Q50R, Q60R, Q70R, Q80R, and Q90R. That’s a lot of models, and it can be quite confusing to know what the differences are. Heck, it even confused me when I covered them back at CES 2019. However, these differences are the reason I think the Q70R is the best option for most people.

The first thing you need to know, is that their entire QLED lineup supports low input lag. We tested the Q60R all the way up to the Q90R, and they all sported approximately 14ms of input lag. This is very consistent with their TVs over the last couple of years, so rest assured that input lag is not a problem with any of them.

With that said, the Q60R has noticeable downsides. It has edge-lit backlighting instead of the full-array backlight offered by the Q70R and up. The Q60R also has no local dimming, which is vital to hide black bars during movies, and to boost contrast ratios. The Q60R also has a peak brightness during HDR content around 450 nits, which falls short of HDR’s recommended peak brightness levels.

The Q70R has a much higher HDR peak brightness around 800 nits, making it very comparable to LG’s OLED offerings in terms of peak brightness. While nowhere near as high as the top LED TVs, it becomes hard to justify spending more for higher peak brightness in LEDs, when you can use the same cash to buy an OLED TV instead.

Samsung continues to support FreeSync this year for the Xbox One and PCs equipped with AMD Radeon GPUs. However, do keep in mind that the Q70R does not feature HDMI 2.1, and is not officially certified by NVIDIA to be compatible with NVIDIA GPUs for VRR. You will have to stick to LG’s 2019 OLEDs to receive full HDMI 2.1 support.

There is a big reason to go with Samsung over LG’s OLED though. While the pricing is comparable between 55″ and 65″ Samsung QLEDs and LG OLEDs, Samsung wins hands-down when it comes to the larger-sized TV market.

If you’re a gamer that’s looking to get a 75-82″ TV, Samsung provides the most affordable option for serious gaming. Simply jumping from a 65″ LG C9 to a 77″ LG C9 dramatically raises the price to around $5,000. Samsung, by comparison, offers the 82″ Q70R for around $2,500. That’s huge savings if you’re looking for a larger screen size, while wanting to retain excellent low input lag.

If these downsides don’t apply to you, then the Q70R is a very balanced TV. The extremely low input lag and FreeSync support will satisfy most gamers. With the PlayStation 5 and next Xbox console sporting AMD chipsets, it’s very likely that FreeSync will be supported in both consoles once they release.

Lowest Input Lag for Gamers:

TCL 6 Series R625

Input Lag: 11ms – Excellent

TCL made great strides last year with their R617, as it provided excellent HDR performance and low input lag at a very affordable price. It set a new bar for what affordable gaming TVs should strive towards, and TCL largely continues that tradition with the R625.

The main difference with TCL’s 2019 R625 is the vastly improved full-array local dimming. Black uniformity and overall contrast ratio is much improved when compared to last year’s model, which will make dark scenes in both movies and gaming more pleasant to look at.

TCL has also made signifcant improvements to input lag. While last year’s model clocked in at approximately 19ms of input lag, TCL’s R625 features an astonishingly-low 11ms of input lag under game mode, making it our fastest TV tested this year! If raw input lag performance is what you’re after, then TCL’s R625 should be on your radar.

The main downside with the TCL R625 stems with lower motion performance when compared to last year’s R617. You may notice a bit more blur if you’re coming from last year’s model.

Best for Budget SDR Gamers:

Samsung RU7100 LED TV

Input Lag: 12ms – Excellent

I’m going to get straight to the point here. If you don’t care about HDMI 2.1, 4K 120hz, variable refresh rates, but want low input lag with 60hz sources, then the RU7100 is a strong challenger for your money. It’s a very affordable option when compared to the TVs listed above, selling for well under $550 at most retailers.

Like all of Samsung’s other offerings, the input lag is remarkable on the RU7100, tested at approximately 12ms of input lag. This low input lag number is just 2ms lower than the best 60hz gaming monitors, making it very difficult to feel the difference in technical gaming comparisons.

The main downside of this TV is the poor HDR performance, as it only tops out at around 300 nits in real-world usage. I do not recommend this TV for HDR content, as it won’t display the full benefits of HDR. Rather, you should get this TV if price is your biggest factor, and if you’re planning to use it mainly for SDR sources. Do keep in mind that unlike Samsung’s QLED series, this TV does not support FreeSync/VRR either.

This concludes our top picks for gaming TVs in 2019! Feel free to leave a comment below if you own any of these sets and share your experience with them. If these TVs don’t cut it for you, you can also visit our input lag database, with over 600 displays tested for input lag!

The post The Best Low Input Lag TVs for Gaming in 2019 appeared first on DisplayLag.

LG struck gold with their OLED TVs for gaming back in 2017, when they released their LG B7 with 21ms of input lag. Combined with OLED’s perfect black levels, high contrast ratio and deep color reproduction, it resulted in a package that became very difficult to beat.

Fast forward to 2019, and LG continues to improve on their OLED line. Input lag numbers on the OLED lineup are extremely low at just 14ms, a substantial decrease from 2017. The OLED lineup fully supports HDMI 2.1 variable refresh rates (VRR), and have also been recently certified to be G-SYNC compatible with newer NVIDIA graphics cards. Keep in mind though that FreeSync is not supported on these TVs. You will have to go to Samsung if you’re looking for FreeSync compatibility.

Next to the OLED lineup, we also managed to test a few LED models: SM8600, SM9000, and SM9500. These models also feature similar input lag to their bigger OLED brothers, and some of them are also future-proofed with VRR support and HDMI 2.1 as well. Though if you can spring the cash for LG’s OLED line, you certainly won’t regret doing so!

The following models were added to our input lag database:

The post Input Lag Tests for LG 2019 OLED & LED TVs (B9, C9, SM) appeared first on DisplayLag.

Samsung has produced quality low input lag TVs for several years now, and were the first manufacturer to really push FreeSync adoption into large screen TVs last year. They continue this trend with 2019 QLED models, allowing Xbox One and AMD PC users to experience stutter-free gaming with lower input lag than traditional V-SYNC. It’s very likely that both the PlayStation 5 and next Xbox console will support FreeSync as well, so this is a good feature to prepare for now.

The majority of displays tested were Samsung’s QLED models, ranging from several sizes from the Q60R, Q70R, Q80R, and Q90R series. We also managed to test a lone RU7100 unit, which happens to have the lowest input lag of the bunch! However, the difference is quite small, so the added features of the QLED series is highly advised if its within the budget.

All of the models below achieve input lag numbers that fall under our excellent rating, making them very comparable to the best 60hz gaming monitors. Most 60hz gaming monitors hover around 10ms input lag, so the slight input lag increase on these TVs will be imperceptible at 60hz for most users.

Samsung’s 2019 models can be quite confusing this year. After all, if they all have low input lag, why pay extra? There’s good reason to skip the RU7100 and Q60R if you’re going for HDR performance, as those models will not provide sufficient peak brightness for HDR content. The Q70R, Q80R, and Q90R all feature full-array local dimming, whereas the RU7100 and Q60R are edge-lit displays and feature no local dimming at all.

The key difference between the Q70R, Q80R, and Q90R lie in the peak brightness during HDR content. The Q70R goes up to around 800 nits of peak brightness, the Q80R goes up to 900 nits, and the Q90R tops out at around 1300 nits of peak brightness. There are also variances in viewing angles among the three models. The RU7100 by comparison features a paltry 300 nits of peak brightness, whereas the Q60R goes up to around 450 nits.

The following models were added to our input lag database:

The post Hey Gamers: Input Lag Tests for Samsung 2019 TVs (Q60R, Q70R, Q80R, Q90R, RU7100) appeared first on DisplayLag.

Similar to other BenQ ZOWIE monitors, the XL2546 borrows design elements from previous monitors. The display itself rests on a metal stand that’s connected to sturdy plastic base, which includes a groove to place ZOWIE’s proprietary S-Switch dongle. For tenured viewers reading this review, you may recognize this puck from older BenQ monitors. It’s designed for quick access to a variety of monitor settings.

The XL2546 fitted with a TN panel, which is traditionally known for poor viewing angles and color accuracy. In exchange, TN panels typically receive the fastest response times, lowest input lag, and highest refresh rates available. To combat poor viewing angles, the XL2546 is equipped with full height, swivel, and tilt functionality to give an optimal viewing angle. I had no issues calibrating its placement to provide a centered viewing angle, however this stand does tilt upwards more than it does downwards. I don’t recommend placing this monitor too high above your head.

The XL2546 is outfitted with thick matte plastic bezels to eliminate/reduce glare and reflections, which is quite important to maintain focus for professional gaming applications. The overall build of the monitor feels hefty and gives me confidence in its overall longevity.

In terms of connectivity, the XL2546 includes DVI-DL, 2x HDMI, DP 1.2, a headphone jack and a microphone jack. The HDMI inputs do include a HDMI 2.0 port, as its necessary to achieve full 240hz if you cannot use DisplayPort for some reason. I’d advise sticking to DisplayPort for computer use, as it tends to have less issues in my experience. The HDMI inputs are useful for console users in particular.

Along with the above inputs, the XL2546 does include a USB 3.0 passthrough to power its dual USB 3.0 ports on the side of the monitor. Next to these USB ports, a pop-out headphone stand is built into the side as well, allowing you to store your headphones when not in use. I personally find this very useful, to avoid cluttering my desk with an additional headphone stand.

In terms of audio, there are no speakers present on the XL2546, though the aforementioned headphone jack will allow you to use your 3.5mm devices. Even with the headphone jack, you will still need some kind of amp, as the headphone output is far too weak to support even low impedance headphones. I connected my Fidelio X2HR full size headphones (35 Ohm, pictured above) to the headphone output with no luck. By comparison, even my Galaxy Note 9 can power the X2HR’s to adequate volume. The sides of the monitor include grooves to install shields that aim to reduce distracting elements from your peripheral vision.

Moving onto the monitor itself, BenQ/ZOWIE have traditionally offered clean menu systems that are easy to navigate in dark environments, thanks to indicators appearing directly above the physical buttons. The buttons are made of plastic and have good tactile feel to them, and the monitor itself emits a small beep when they’re pressed. This is good for confirmation of your button presses, though if you find it annoying, it can be disabled within the OSD.

BenQ ZOWIE takes it one step further and includes a proprietary S-Swtich dongle that connects via mini-USB directly to the monitor. I’ve used the S-Switch several years ago on one of their older monitors, and it’s still a joy to use on the XL2546. While there is a bit of lag present when scrolling through menus with it (the same amount as the physical buttons), it’s infinitely more comfortable to use the puck over the buttons on the monitor. Pressing the scroll wheel or the back button brings up the menu, and there are 3 separate buttons to quickly swap between display profiles that you may have set up. It also takes up no desk space, as there is a groove indented onto the base for it to rest.

The preset icons present shortcuts for picture mode, DyAc, and black eQualizer settings, however all 3 of these custom keys can be changed within the OSD configuration menu. If you’re seasoned with BenQ/ZOWIE monitors, the XL2546’s OSD implementation won’t surprise you at all; it should feel right at home. The screenshots below show every configurable option on the XL2546:

DyAc – Dynamic Accuracy:

The key feature of the XL2546 is the inclusion of DyAc, which is BenQ ZOWIE’s proprietary implementation of Motion Blur Reduction technology. Last fall, we launched a special gaming monitor database, that allows you to sort monitors based on high refresh rates, G-SYNC/FreeSync, among other criteria. The “Anti-Motion Blur” filter in this database allows you to sort monitors by motion blur tech from different manufacturers. They go under various names, with BenQ ZOWIE’s implementation referred to as DyAc — short for Dynamic Accuracy.

Engaging DyAc enables a strobing backlight that’s designed to drastically reduce motion blur during fast-paced action. Its benefits are appreciated at higher framerates, typically north of 100hz. While strobing backlights have been implemented in various gaming monitors over the years, there are some important distinctions to make in terms of their effectiveness.

<strong>Check BenQ ZOWIE XL2546 Price on Amazon</strong>

One drawback with strobing backlight/motion blur reduction tech is the amount of headroom present with refresh rates. For example, running 144hz refresh rate on a 144hz monitor will result in strobe crosstalk artifacts — duplication of images due to limitations in GTG pixel transitions. This phenomenon occurs due to lack of headroom, as you’re maxing out the monitor’s refresh rate. It is highly advised to use refresh rates lower than the maximum refresh rate of your monitor when engaging DyAc or other MBR tech.

With that said, there are huge benefits in regards to lower input lag and smooth frame rates when engaging 240hz on this monitor. So the key here is to find a trade-off that provides a high-enough refresh rate that allows minimal input lag and maximum motion clarity. While running at the maximum 240hz refresh rate may sound optimal, there are huge benefits when utilizing DyAc to reduce motion blur significantly. The immense clarity boost provided by engaging DyAc is totally worth giving up some extra frames, as it allows sensitive gamers to process and react to intense gaming scenarios more efficiently.

Our colleagues over at BlurBusters have written an extremely useful guide to help calibrate strobe crosstalk artifacts, while achieving the best balance between refresh rate and minimal crosstalk artifacts. Per their recommendation on the XL2540, we created a custom 182hz resolution within the NVIDIA control panel to achieve this balance. The settings can be found below. My impressions regarding DyAc and the overall performance of the monitor can be found later in the review.

Picture Quality & Calibration:

While TN panels aren’t typically pursued for their image quality, the XL2546 surprised me in a pleasant way. There’s no getting around the limited viewing angles and gamma shifts that plague TN panels, however the XL2546 achieved excellent color accuracy after just a few calibration tweaks within the OSD. These are the results:

• Calibration Target: D65 / 2.4 gamma / 120 nits
• Black Level: 0.10
• Average Gamma: 2.33
• Average dE: 1.08
• Contrast Ratio: 1162:1

I was able to achieve an average dE much lower than 3, and an impressive contrast ratio of 1162:1, which shoots above BenQ ZOWIE’s 1000:1 specification. Though, I wasn’t so lucky in regards to gamma. Gamma 5 resulted in an average gamma of 2.5, whereas Gamma 4 ended up at 2.33. It’s a bit shy of our intended 2.4 target. In practice, colors looked very accurate once you achieve optimal viewing angles using the adjustable stand. These are the settings used:

• Game Settings:
  • DyAc: OFF
  • Black eQualizer: 0
  • Color Vibrance: 10
  • Low Blue Light: 0
  • Instant Mode: On

• Picture:
  • Picture Mode: Standard
  • Brightness: 18
  • Contrast: 50
  • Sharpness: 5
  • Gamma: 4
  • Color Temperature: User Define (R:94, G:100, B:95)
  • AMA: High
  • Dynamic Contrast: 0

How does the XL2546 fare in general viewing? Color accuracy is good for a TN panel, which allows the overall sRGB gamut to look quite good. I didn’t notice many irregularities with skin tones and other color sensitive data. With that said, it’s still a TN panel, so don’t expect it to trade blows with IPS and VA panels in this regard. The black level was measured at 0.10 cd/m², which is typical for a TN panel, but is much higher than VA panels. You may find letterboxes a bit distracting if you’re used to low black levels from other panel types.

Measured Input Lag:

When it comes to input lag, there are a few important caveats that should be taken into consideration. All of the measurements listed in our input lag database are taken at 60hz refresh rate, due to the limitations of our input lag testing device. Refresh rate has a huge impact on input lag, so the measurement numbers below only apply to 60hz users on this monitor (typically console gamers):

• 1080p/60hz Input Lag (Instant Mode On):
  • Top Screen: 8.9ms
  • Middle Screen: 12.8ms
  • Bottom Screen: 16.5ms
  • Average Input Lag: (Rounded): 13ms

DyAc was disabled with these measurements. These numbers may seem alarming at first, however they are normal due to the 240hz panel’s higher scanout period with 60hz refresh rate. While it’s a few milliseconds short of the fastest 60hz gaming monitors, it still falls under our Excellent rating for serious gaming.

Of course, this apparent disadvantage is immediately removed from the equation while running high FPS content above 60hz. Even on the fastest 60hz monitor, there is going to be a limitation with how fast your display can respond to a button press. The fastest console games tend to hover around 60ms of input lag, with many modern engines taking over 100ms before the button is displayed on screen!

To showcase the significance of 240hz in relation to input lag, I booted up Overwatch on our test PC. I measured Overwatch’s input lag using a 1000 FPS camera at both 60hz and 240hz refresh rate on the XL2546. In-game V-Sync was enabled as well for this test, though DyAc was disabled. Using a LED button mapped to strafe, the time between LED flash and on-screen action was measured 10 times, with the average of 10 results being used as our final number. At 1000FPS, 1 frame equals 1 millisecond:

• Overwatch 60hz Average Input Lag: 76ms
• Overwatch 240hz Average Input Lag: 24ms

Holy cow, what a difference! Running the game at 240hz results in 52ms of input lag being shaved off when compared to 60hz, which is extremely significant in my opinion. Most serious gamers would be able to feel the difference between these two refresh rates. On top of that, camera pans and overall visual clarity is far more pleasant. Different game engines provide different levels of input lag, however, any game with an unlocked frame rate will provide similar input lag shavings when running at 240hz.

<strong>Check</strong> <strong>BenQ ZOWIE XL2546 Price on Amazon</strong>

Liked:

DyAc was primarily designed to reduce the effects of gun recoil in games like CS:GO. As motion clarity is significantly reduced during this action, engaging the right balance of refresh rate and DyAc results in much better motion clarity, allowing your eyes to keep track of the action while under intense movement.

I’ve noticed significant benefits while using DyAc under heavy movement, especially during camera pans where you have to eye track. A known weakness of LCD panels when compared to older CRT displays is the lack of motion clarity during fast action. There have been many gaming monitors over the years that push 1ms GTG, but this still doesn’t rectify the issue, as some nasty overdrive artifacts tend to surface. Once NVIDIA introduced Lightboost that eventually morphed into ULMB, this opened the floodgates towards getting that CRT motion response back into LCD panels.

There’s always been one major issue with early strobe backlighting implementations: a large decrease in peak brightness. Many older monitors would cut the maximum nits in order to achieve strobing backlight, which made them a bit unsuitable for bright environments. That’s the really cool thing about DyAc in the X2546: there’s no brightness drop. In fact, my peak brightness measured at 343 nits without DyAc engaged, and 346 nits while it was turned on. This makes the monitor suitable for any indoor environment.

Visual clarity is excellent while tracking fast actions such as strafing while aiming, quick mouse swings, and anything that essentially involves fast camera panning. The increase in motion resolution really boosts your ability to aim and track your enemies without turning your screen into a blurry mess, which in theory should really benefit active players that want to maintain control. Especially in games like Gears of War 4, where advanced CQC gameplay revolves around fast camera control to aim your gun, while tracking enemies all around you. Engaging DyAc gives you that extra boost in clarity that can ease your itchy iron-sight trigger, resulting in less confirmations overall.

Color accuracy is good once calibrated with a colorimeter, and I had no issues with the overall image quality, provided you keep a level view that doesn’t shift. The build construction is very solid, giving me no worries about the monitor’s physical longevity. The monitor is lenient with custom refresh rates, and can be further tweaked from the service menu to calibrate DyAc even further.

Disliked:

The biggest issue I have with the XL2546 is a large green color shift that occurs when scrolling web pages. I thought this might have been a side effect of enabling DyAc, however even with DyAc disabled, I couldn’t remove this green flicker when scrolling vertically. It’s most apparent in heavy white content with blue/black text, typically Google searches. While it takes a trained eye to notice, it prevents me from recommending this monitor for general use. I can only recommend the XL2546 as a strict gaming monitor.

No official FreeSync support is a huge bummer. Especially since the predecessor XL2540 is listed officially by AMD as FreeSync capable. It would have been great to see this monitor offer FreeSync for those that have trouble maintaining consistent FPS during gaming. VRR makes a lot of sense in a 240hz monitor.

I’d like to see less input lag in the OSD overall. It’s fine when using the buttons, however it feels quite disconnected when using the included S-Switch control. It’s not a huge deal, as you’ll rarely fiddle with menus once everything is calibrated, though still a nitpick that bothered me.

<strong>Check BenQ ZOWIE XL2546 Price on Amazon</strong>

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Disclaimer: this unit was provided by BenQ ZOWIE for review purposes, with no other compensation involved.

The post BenQ ZOWIE XL2546 Review: 240hz DyAc Gaming Monitor appeared first on DisplayLag.

Recently, we tested the input lag on the Dead or Alive 6 demo that came out a week ago on PS4 and Xbox One. While it was an excellent demo overall in terms of content, the game unfortunately exhibited high amounts of input lag when compared to DOA5 Last Round. All of our DOA6 input lag tests are performed under the following conditions:

• Console resolution set to 1080p
• Graphics set to prioritize action
• BenQ RL2460 monitor input lag is included (about 1 frame)
• Average of 20 button presses is calculated

For those that missed the previous article, here were the results from the demo version:

Dead or Alive 6 Deluxe DEMO (BUILD 1.01 #21):

• PS4 Slim: 8.0 frames
• PS4 Pro: 7.8 frames
• Xbox One S: 7.3 frames
• Xbox One X: 6.5 frames

These numbers are quite high when it comes to 60 FPS fighting games, and can affect player reactions and overall game quality. Courtesy of Team Ninja, I received a PS4 code for the game to test the input lag on the final version. Here are the retail build results:

Dead or Alive 6 Retail Version (BUILD 1.01 #84)

• PS4 Slim: 7.4 frames
• PS4 Pro: 7.8 frames

As you can see, there isn’t much difference from the demo version of the game. Even though the PS4 Slim reported a lower average input lag than the demo build, the input lag in DOA6 can be unstable, with button inputs registering at different frames.

This article will be updated with the Xbox One results once we have the code to test it. Please do note that Team Ninja are aware of the input lag issues. Community support for lower input lag is important to make this a high priority issue, especially for competitive players.

If you’re looking to upgrade your TV or monitor to something with low input lag, be sure to check out our input lag database as well.

The post Input Lag Tests for Dead or Alive 6 appeared first on DisplayLag.

I managed to test the input lag of the DOA6 demo on the PlayStation 4 Slim console, and unfortunately, it’s quite a regression from DOA5: Last Round. We previously tested the PS4 version of DOA5: Last Round to feature approximately 5.4 frames of input lag. While the fastest fighting games tend to hover around 4 frames of input lag, DOA5 isn’t far off from them. The game also has many more animation frames for its attacks compared to most 2D fighting games

For those unaware with our input lag testing process, here’s a summary:

• Brook UFB PCB with latest firmware update used.
• Frames are calculated after the first visible green light.
• All input lag tests were recorded at 120 frames per second.
• Input lag is calculated as an average of 20 button presses.
• Average input lag is rounded up to the nearest 0.1 frame.
• Monitor input lag is included in this calculation, which adds approximately 1 frame of input lag on its own.

Dead or Alive 6’s Deluxe Demo features approximately 8 frames of input lag, which is a significant jump from DOA5 Last Round. For comparison’s sake, I retested DOA5 Last Round today and ended up with an average input lag of 5.2 frames, which is still within margin of error of our previous DOA5 Last Round input lag test. All equipment was identical across both games when tested. Please keep in mind that monitor latency was not removed from these numbers, which amounts to roughly 1 frame of input lag on its own. We used the BenQ RL2460, which is the tournament standard monitor used across most fighting game major events.

That’s almost 3 frames of additional input lag over DOA5 Last Round. With that said, this is still a demo distributed mainly for online testing, so there’s a chance that the final release will have lower input lag. It’s hard to say how far along this version of the game is. Hopefully Team Ninja can reduce input lag further to improve the overall gaming experience.

Additionally, input lag was measured across other consoles as well, including the PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X consoles. All consoles were set to 1080p output resolution. To see how the PS4 Slim console compares to them, check out the numbers below:

Dead or Alive 6 Deluxe Demo Input Lag:

• PS4 Slim: 8.0 frames
• PS4 Pro: 7.8 frames
• Xbox One S: 7.3 frames
• Xbox One X: 6.5 frames

These numbers were calculated as an average of 20 button presses. While the Xbox One consoles edged out the PS4 systems in this test, it’s very important to note that DOA6 has unstable input lag regardless of console. This means that your button input can take anywhere from 6 to 8 frames before it registers on the screen. If tested over a much larger sample size, it’s very possible that both systems would perform similarly. The Xbox One consoles had inputs that registered on the 6th frame, 7th frame, and 8th frame, for example.

It’s also important to note that there is noticeable slowdown in some stages on the PS4 Slim and Xbox One S console, particularly on the “Forbidden Fortune” stage. Frame drops and slowdown were extremely visible on the weaker consoles, and had a noticeable impact during gameplay. This also affects input lag, with buttons registering even slower than the results above during these slowdown periods.

You can compare the DOA6 demo to several other fighting games in our video game input lag database.

Also, be sure to check out our display input lag database if you’re interested in upgrading your TV or monitor!

The post Dead or Alive 6 Deluxe Demo: Input Lag Tested appeared first on DisplayLag.

I’m surprised it actually took them this long to get into the monitor space. I’ve visited their booth at CES for a few years now, mainly to rack up some win streaks in the fighting games they always have there. So it was exciting to take a closer look at their first gaming monitor.

The Raptor is a gorgeous monitor at first glance. Razer focuses on RGB synergy across their entire product line, and their monitor doesn’t skimp on this trait. As you can see in the picture above, the RGB lighting is fully customizable and emanates from the base.

In terms of raw specs, its competitive with most gaming monitors. Its fitted with a 27-inch WQHD IPS HDR Non-Glare display, with a peak brightness of 400 nits, as well as a 10-bit dimming processor. The Raptor reproduces 95% of the DCI-P3 color space, and also features a 1ms MBR response time. Its native contrast ratio is listed at 1000:1

The refresh rate tops out at 144hz, and supports FreeSync VRR (variable refresh rate). Now that NVIDIA has launched a driver to support FreeSync with NVIDIA graphics cards, I’m assuming it will play nice with the Raptor once it releases.

There was no word on how much input lag it will have, though I’m certain it will be extremely low, as I’ve yet to come across a 1440p VRR gaming monitor that had noticeable input lag.

Aesthetically speaking, there’s a lot to write about. Razer took a lot of pride in the design of the Raptor, and its quite different from other monitors in this regard. The back of the monitor has this felt fabric-type material instead of basic plastic, and the base is a sturdy piece of aluminum with a large footprint.

I joked to Razer about including a wireless Qi charging station on the base, as it would make a lot of sense. They mentioned that many other journalists raised the same question, however a Qi-charging pad will not be present on the base of this monitor. Full height and tilt functionality is present on the base, so it shouldn’t be difficult to obtain an optimal viewing angle.

The other significant feature of the Raptor is the CNC cable management system. Razer will include flat USB cables that route efficiently through the base of the monitor, and will include USB-C connectivity as well as 2x USB 3.0 Type A passthroughs. The USB-C connection supports power delivery, so you will be able to charge your USB-C devices through the Raptor.

In terms of video connectivity, the Raptor features DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0a, which should be enough for most users. There isn’t a need for a HDMI 2.1 port as the Raptor is limited to 2560 x 1440 resolution. The edge-to-edge display minimizes border distractions, allowing you to focus on the content.

At first glance, it seems as if Razer made no immediate compromises with the Raptor, though there’s no information on whether or not it can be overclocked as of right now. It will retail for $699.99 and go on sale later this year.

The post Razer’s Raptor Gaming Monitor: 144hz WQHD HDR FreeSync with Razer Chroma RGB appeared first on DisplayLag.