Cheap Korean Monitors And You

Vaoh · May 1, 2013

This thread is meant to be informative about Korean panels, to teach about the pros and cons about buying such a monitor. Taking up on Goodbyte's point that the user should be educated on what they are buying. What you might face while buying one of these monitors, resources to help you and other information to help you along. These monitors have gained massive popularity due to their low pricing, offering 2560x1440 resolutions for around $350 (Give or take the model), half of what you'd pay for many name brand models. However there are many risks involved with buying these monitors, this will be split up into multiple parts and I hope that anyone recommending such monitors will point the user here.

1. Potential Risks

First and foremost, what should be noted is that these panels did not met an A+ certification. What does this mean? During quality control some of the sample units had defects, ranging anywhere from minor back light bleeding to screen uniformity issues. So that batch of panels gets rejected, based on their rating (A or A-) these Korean companies come in to buy these panels from either Samsung or LG (The two major manufactures of the panels) for use in their monitors. So there's a chance your monitor will have a defect. The odds of it having a defect? No real numbers have been taken but I've read it can range anywhere from 20-35% based on the company. However this also does not mean the monitor you get will have some sort of defect, as perfect A+ panels also get rejected, so buying one of these monitors can be a gamble. And if you happen to buy from a eBay seller this can mean you may have to directly deal with the Korean based company for a replacement, meaning international shipping on a pretty heavy item. There are ways around this, by buying from North American based companies that re-brand these monitors. Which we'll get into later.

These monitors also come in both Glossy and Matte, and for 27" models this tends to be Glossy. So that's another thing you must be fully aware of. Best way to sum up the difference is Glossy is like a mirror, it is very easy for light to reflect off of it. While Matte eliminates most of that glare but can make images grainy. This is all down to user preference, if you have experience with both types then you should know what you prefer, if not I'm pretty sure you've seen both types in Linus' videos.

2. Models and Companies

There are many different companies that produce these monitors, the major companies you will see referenced are Yamasaki, Crossover, Shimian and Qnix. All producing a range of models including multiple inputs, aspect ratios, panel types, etc Yamakasi, Crossover, and Shimian tend to us LG's IPS panel, while Qnix and X-Star use Samsung's PLS panel. So that is something to factor into the monitor you want. There are also a range of North American companies all offering warranties (Though if some of these are good or not is up in the air), these companies are Monoprice, Auria, Nixeus, and Overlord. These monitors will be a bit more pricy, but will still be around the $400 mark (Where as the Nixeus is typically in the $500 range.) However they have the added advantage of dealing with a company within North America meaning less hassles based on who you buy from.

3. Further Reading and Resources

If you've decided on if you want to drop the dosh on one of these monitors then further reading into the model you want is advised. Below I'll list a couple links for information on the monitors themselves, unique quirks, and other things users have found with their monitors.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1384767/the-korean-pls-monitor-club-qnix-x-star

http://www.overclock.net/t/1225919/yamakasi-catleap-monitor-club

http://www.overclock.net/t/1232496/crossover-27q-led-led-p-27m-led-2720mdp-gold-led-monitor-club#

http://120hz.net/forumdisplay.php?65-1440p-120hz-Monitor-Guides-amp-Stickies

Videos below from Tek Syndicate

These should provide answers to the questions you may have. I'd love to give more first hand accounts with different makes and models, but that's just not possible.

4.Ending Thoughts and Opinions

Personally I think these monitors offer amazing value, however everyone's use case is different and thus the monitor they buy needs to met those demands. If you're looking for a work based monitor, then you're best off else where unless you're willing to gamble. But for most other use scenarios these monitors offer something no other monitors do, that great resolution and picture without the hefty price tag. Everyone's standards for a monitor are also different, someone may be fine with a little back light bleeding or a dead pixel in the corner, while others may be annoyed by them. There are many things to consider before buying on of these monitors. Be aware of the risk and buy with caution. What you buy may not be perfect, but you might get is perfect monitor for the perfect price.

I do know this is guide/overview short, but most of the in-depth reading is recorded on other forums, typically in a convenient fashion. I merely want to give some information for those looking into buying one of these monitors. Also not 100% sure if this would belong in the guides section or the display section. But my gut is telling me display.