Refresh rate differences and the current state of HDR

Kikstyo · March 21, 2017

I've had my eye on the Asus PG348Q, since its announcement in the summer of 2015(?) and I just have some questions before I pull the trigger. I have been using my 24" 60hz 1080p LG monitor for at least 6 years now and I am content with playing games at this refresh rate and resolution but I am looking to upgrade. I do plan to keep the Asus monitor for the same if not a longer period of time if I do make the purchase so i'm trying to future-proof as much as possible. a TL:DR summary is at the end of the post.

So my questions are:

1. Refresh Rate

I know there are new posts about monitor refresh rates every other day. However after reading testimonies on countless articles, there are numerous comparisons between 60hz vs 120/144hz (two extremes). I already understand that the difference between 60 and 100hz is night and day. What i'm curious about is if 120hz or 144hz is a lot better than 100hz or do diminishing returns hit hard after 100hz? Would feel shitty to buy a $1500+ monitor only to find out there is a 120hz or 144hz variant the next year but if it doesn't make that much of a difference then I won't feel as shitty.

2. HDR

Many of the articles that i've read use a lot of jargon and talk more about TVs than gaming monitors. After seeing Linus' video on this new Asus HDR monitor I want to know if HDR really makes that big of a difference and if I need it. A friend told me that IPS panels are already quite colour accurate and HDR would not be that beneficial, but he's probably talking out of his ass. The reason I am asking this is the same as the previous question. Would feel shitty as I plan to keep the monitor that I end up with at least 5+ years and I can wait another year for a better monitor.

Lastly i'd like to mention I only play Overwatch regularly, and i'll dabble into games like Witcher (currently playing Horizon: Zero Dawn, its dope.) I am also open to other solutions or suggestions (other than the Acer x34).

TL:DR - Is 120/144hz a lot better than 100hz?

- HDR important? Worth waiting for?

Thank you for your time.

zMeul · March 21, 2017

HDR only works for about 5 games, on PC right now

BrinkGG · March 21, 2017

8 minutes ago, Kikstyo said:

I've had my eye on the Asus PG348Q, since its announcement in the summer of 2015(?) and I just have some questions before I pull the trigger. I have been using my 24" 60hz 1080p LG monitor for at least 6 years now and I am content with playing games at this refresh rate and resolution but I am looking to upgrade. I do plan to keep the Asus monitor for the same if not a longer period of time if I do make the purchase so i'm trying to future-proof as much as possible. a TL:DR summary is at the end of the post.

So my questions are:

1. Refresh Rate

I know there are new posts about monitor refresh rates every other day. However after reading testimonies on countless articles, there are numerous comparisons between 60hz vs 120/144hz (two extremes). I already understand that the difference between 60 and 100hz is night and day. What i'm curious about is if 120hz or 144hz is a lot better than 100hz or do diminishing returns hit hard after 100hz? Would feel shitty to buy a $1500+ monitor only to find out there is a 120hz or 144hz variant the next year but if it doesn't make that much of a difference then I won't feel as shitty.

2. HDR

Many of the articles that i've read use a lot of jargon and talk more about TVs than gaming monitors. After seeing Linus' video on this new Asus HDR monitor I want to know if HDR really makes that big of a difference and if I need it. A friend told me that IPS panels are already quite colour accurate and HDR would not be that beneficial, but he's probably talking out of his ass. The reason I am asking this is the same as the previous question. Would feel shitty as I plan to keep the monitor that I end up with at least 5+ years and I can wait another year for a better monitor.

Lastly i'd like to mention I only play Overwatch regularly, and i'll dabble into games like Witcher (currently playing Horizon: Zero Dawn, its dope.) I am also open to other solutions or suggestions (other than the Acer x34).

TL:DR - Is 120/144hz a lot better than 100hz?

- HDR important?

Thank you for your time.

I have tried 120hz vs 144hz vs 60hz, and the difference is rather small between the two 100+ rates, but in comparison, 60hz vs 100hz is about the same as 100hz vs 144hz.

And about HDR... I WISH more monitors and movies/games supported it... You don't know the difference until you see it, but it's crazy...

ItsTheDuckAgain · March 21, 2017

6 minutes ago, Kikstyo said:

TL:DR - Is 120/144hz a lot better than 100hz?

- HDR important? Worth waiting for?

I don't think you will notice the difference between 100 and 120/140+. That beeing said, some say they do notice it... Lets just say I wouldn't pay that much extra for the increase. 60 to 100 is another league though.

Concerning HDR: I recently bought 2 new TVs, both with HDR, and provided a HDR capable media stream the black levels and color depth is just astonishingly good. Seriously. It's that good. With that said: that's talking about TVs and rather new Netflix/Amazon/BluRay content. For Monitors with not many games supporting HDR in the first place I wouldn't opt for it if it costs much. If it's just a few bucks (maybe 5 or 10% price difference) I would go for it. I guess there will be more game content in the future, but I also think that it will stay a niche gimmick in games. If you also watch a lot of movies with it, then by all means, go for an HDR capable monitor.

Techicolors · March 21, 2017

34 minutes ago, Kikstyo said:

2. HDR

Many of the articles that i've read use a lot of jargon and talk more about TVs than gaming monitors. After seeing Linus' video on this new Asus HDR monitor I want to know if HDR really makes that big of a difference and if I need it. A friend told me that IPS panels are already quite colour accurate and HDR would not be that beneficial, but he's probably talking out of his ass. The reason I am asking this is the same as the previous question. Would feel shitty as I plan to keep the monitor that I end up with at least 5+ years and I can wait another year for a better monitor.

Lastly i'd like to mention I only play Overwatch regularly, and i'll dabble into games like Witcher (currently playing Horizon: Zero Dawn, its dope.) I am also open to other solutions or suggestions (other than the Acer x34).

well we don't know if the Asus PG27UQ will be any good for HDR. plus no video will truly demonstrate how excellent HDR is. so you can't watch a youtube video demonstrating an HDR monitor while it's displaying HDR content. you have to see it in-person. in addition, there's a slow rise of HDR monitors cropping up. I believe samsung and LG announced a few HDR monitors recently

but if you could afford the PG27UQ or similar, then it'll probably last you a long time. if the panel doesn't fail on you long-term

as for HDR itself. it's a new and quite niche aspect of video imaging. it'll take a while until it matures, as HDR requires harmony between the TV and a correctly mastered HDR content. this is very important, and so far there's no actual standard on how HDR should be mastered. its competition, Dolby Vision, for instance is rarer than HDR but it's arguably better than HDR because of stricter standards.

here's a link to read more.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/hdr.htm