Gamers can finally get to grips with the first monitors featuring Samsung Display’s latest QD-OLED panel, thanks to the launch of new models from Samsung Electronics, AOC, Asus, Dell Alienware and MSI.
The new 27-inch monitors use Samsung Display’s much-vaunted fourth-generation QD-OLED panel, which is said to offer incredible 4K visuals, with unprecedented brightness and clarity. Simply put, they’re expected to be among the best gaming monitors that money can buy.
They build upon last year’s launch of 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitors, and will be joined by 27-inch 5K resolution monitors next year, FlatpanelsHD reported.
In total, there are six new 27-inch 4K QD-OLED monitors to choose from, with one from Samsung, AOC, Dell Alienware and two from Asus. Because they use the same panel, they share many specifications, such as measuring exactly 26.5-inches diagonally and their 16:9 aspect ratio format. The QD-OLED panel offers resolution of 3,840x2,160 pixels and covers 99% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut.
Other specifications include HDR support and a blazing-fast 240HZ refresh rate. This, combined with the super-slick 0.03 milliseconds response time means the monitors are just about the most reactive ever seen, outperforming even the fastest 360Hz to 400Hz LCD monitors in terms of their motion clarity.
As for the differences between the models, this mainly comes down to the aesthetic design, the software that they run, the connectivity options and a few other things. For instance, Samsung’s 27-inch Odyssey OLED G81SF monitor features the company’s special anti-glare coating that first appeared on the company’s QD-OLED TVs, ensuring no distracting reflections caused by ambient light in the room.
Elsewhere, Asus’s ROG Strix OLED XG27UCDMG and ROG Swift PG27UCDM (pictured above), AOC’s AGON Pro AG276UZD and MSI’s MPG 272URX all feature a DisplayPort 2.1 connection, a novelty for monitors that’s likely to be useful for anyone with one of Nvidia’s or AMD’s newest-generation graphics cards.
Perhaps the biggest concern though, will be the price of the new monitors, for there are some significant differences between the various models. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UCDM comes with the biggest premium, priced at £1,214.99, according to Pricerunner. That makes it substantially more expensive than the cheapest of the models, the AOC AGON Pro AG276UZD, which can be snapped up for just £599 at Currys.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G81SF (above) is a bit steeper at £1,099, which is no real surprise, given the weight of its brand. The rest are all in the sub-£1,000 price range though, with the MSI MPG 272URX currently priced at £999, the Dell Alienware AW2725Q retailing at £799 and the Asus ROG Strix OLED XG27UCDMG set to cost £839, according to the official Asus website.
Be mindful that these prices are likely to be in flex, with different retailers offering their own discounts at different times, so if you have a particular preference you might want to shop around.
