GIGABYTE at CES 2019 took the lid of its ultra-secret AORUS monitor, which we covered earlier in January. It's now confirmed to be built around a 27-inch 1440p IPS panel with the flaunted 10-bit color and 144 Hz refresh rate with FreeSync support (here's hoping NVIDIA's G-Sync will support it as well). It is certified with VESA's DisplayHDR 400 (peak brightness of 400 nits). There's RGB lighting throughout the carcass of the monitor, a 90º swivel, gaming features such as Aim Stabilizer, Black Equalizer and Super Resolution, and the AORUS monitor is expected to roll out around $599.

Lenovo also showed off their Legion Y44w 3840x1200 ultra-wide monitor at CES and quite honestly it is vast measuring in at the 43.4 inches. The display makes use of a WVA borderless 1800R curved panel which offers a crisp image as it covers 99% of the sRGB, BT.709 and DCI-P3 color gamuts. Max brightness was listed as 450 cd/m2 with support for the HDR 400 (Vesa) standard. Naturally, in today's market, no gaming monitor would be caught dead at 60 Hz as such the Legion Y44w supports a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz with a gray to gray response time of 4 ms with Overdrive enabled. Oh, and it supports AMD FreeSync 2 technology just for good measure.

Creature comforts include a stand that offers lift, tilt and swivel functionality alongside detachable Harmon Kardon powered speakers. There is no shortage of input options either which consist of 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen2), 1x USB 3.1 Type-C(Gen1), Audio out, 4x USB 3.0 port Hub (1 with BC1.2). General availability is expected in April 2019. No information on pricing was available during our visit.

ASUS at CES showcased their upcoming lineup of ROG Strix gaming monitors specifically crafted for usage with AMD's FreeSync 2. The new monitors look to cater to most of the market with their diagonals and resolutions. These are premium solutions, with the smallest, the XG32VQR, sporting a 32" 1440p panel, 144 Hz native refresh rate, and VESA's HDR400 certification. The XG438Q ups the ante to a 43" panel and 4K resolution screen, with a 120 Hz base refresh rate (overclockable up to 144 Hz) and HDR 600, while the XG49VQ is of the ultra wide variety, featuring a DFHD (3840 x 1080) resolution, 144 Hz base refresh rate, and HDR 400.

All monitors feature a FreeSync 2 range of 48-120/144Hz, all employ a VA panel and a 4 ms response rating. The 43-inch sports 10-watt speakers, the 49-inch model has a pair of 5-watt speakers and the 32-inch XG32VQR lacks the completely. No pricing was available at time of writing, but these are ASUS' premium offering s for the FreeSync ecosystem, and with those specs, they likely won't come cheap.

Product context: HP showcased their new and upcoming Omen X Emperium 65 at CES, an NVIDIA BFGD (Big Format Gaming Display) with all the features the company deems premium and attractive to gamers: 4K resolution, a huge, 65" diagonal AMVA panel, HDR (1,000 nits of peak luminance and 95 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut) , G-Sync, and 120 - 144Hz refresh rate (144 Hz is overclocked) with a gray-to-gray response time is rated for 4ms. It features an incorporated sound bar with 120 W of power and three amps. An integrated NVIDIA Shield makes an appearance as well as a multimedia juggernaut solution. All of this in a $4,999 body, launching in February 2019.

Thoughts: Rollback. A $4,999 price-tag. Maybe this is just me, but NVIDIA seems to be finally introducing their BFGDs at the worst possible time, considering the company has just formally announced that their GeForce graphics cards would be finally supporting VESA's VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) standard. This brings with it FreeSync support - for monitors and, we'd expect, TV's as well, considering that the driver solution will be toggable by users even in a non-NVIDIA certified display.

Razer, the leading lifestyle brand for gamers, announced today its all-new 27-inch gaming monitor concept, the Razer Raptor. The desktop screen will be unveiled at CES 2019 as an early-design-phase model, with production units slated for release later this year. Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan says, "Razer has worked alongside partners in the past to bring the Razer experience to monitors, but the full potential was never fully realized. We have decided to tackle this space on our own and are very excited to expand our presence to include desktop displays."

In yet another entry to LG's (still upcoming) UltraGear lineup of gaming monitors, the curtains have been shoved aside for the 27GL850G to make its first appearance. While49" and 38" monitors are all well and good, and LG does have the specs on them to make them attractive buying options, some users don't really like to have that big a black mirror in front of them. And that's where the 27" diagonal of the LG 27GL850G comes in handy.

The panel is of the Nano IPS type, with a 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution and support for a 160 Hz refresh rate (after overclocking, via the embedded OSD, from the native 144 Hz ). NVIDIA G-SYNC is present, supporting a variable refresh rate range of 30 - 160Hz. A 1000:1 static contrast ratio, 178° horizontal and vertical viewing angles, and a flicker-free enhanced phosphor backlight round out the specs.It's expected that the 27GL850G, via its Nano IPS tech, covers ~98% DCI-P3 (~135%) color space. Red LED lighting is present on the back of the monitor. A VESA mount is present, and tilt, height and pivot adjustments are possible. 1x DP, 1x HDMI, 2x USB 3.0 ports (with fast-charging - plus 1x USB 3.0 upstream port), a 3.5mm headphone jack and DC power input (external power brick) are present as well.

GIGABYTE's gaming brand AORUS has been expanding its product portfolio to just about any piece of kit a PC gamer can and will buy. From graphics cards to motherboards, RAM, and all manner of peripherals, there's little pieces of hardware that were missing - and AORUS is apparently preparing the last piece of the puzzle in the form of a FreeSync compatible monitor.

Japanese company IO Data has announced a pair of monitors with a blazing fast 240 Hz refresh rate and a sub-1 ms response time. Part of the reason the response time is so low is the usage of TN (Twisted Nematic) panels on the design, which have historically presented faster response times than other mainstream panel technologies. These are available in a 24" size with varying specs according to the refresh rate: there are 60 Hz, 144 Hz, and 240 Hz panels, each with a maximum brightness of 250, 350, and 400 cd/m². Response times vary in 0.8, 0.7, and 0.6 ms, respectively. It's unclear which technology was used to achieve these response times - either some sort of strobe-based lighting, or an impressive overdrive function.

IO Data only makes its monitors available to their domestic market of Japan, so it's likely these won't be available for the global market. However, since these panels aren't manufactured in-house, but are purchased from a supplier (the amount of companies that have the capability to produce their own LCD panels is thin, to say the least), other companies are bound to introduce products based on these panels. IO Data's GigaCrysta-series displays with a sub-1 ms response time are currently available for $142 (60Hz), $265 (144 Hz) and $380 (240 Hz) on Amazon japan.

LG at CES 2019 is set to announce two new monitors on its "Ultra" lineup, which includes the UltraWide and UltraGear product lines. The UltraWide is pretty self-explanatory, and will be populated by the 49WL95 monitor, a 49" IPS, dual QHD (5120 x 1440) resolution panel with a 32:9 aspect ratio (there's support for up to three PbP modes simultaneously, thus making this a triple monitor setup, should you so choose). 99% coverage of the sRGB color space ensures faithful color reproduction. There's also support for HDR10 content, though the typical brightness of the monitor stands at 350 nits (peak brightness not disclosed). Connectors stand at 1x USB-C, 2x HDMI 1x DP, and 4x USB 3.0.

The second monitor is on LGs UltraGear lineup. The 38GL950G features LG's Nano IPS technology and support for NVIDIA G-Sync and 144 Hz refresh rate. It has a 38" diagonal across a curved panel, a WQHD+ (3840 x 1600) resolution, and a more standard (or is that less wide?) 21:9 aspect ratio. A typical 450 nits brightness means this monitor also supports HDR content, and connectors include 1x HDMI, 1x DP, and 3x USB 3.0 (1 up / 2 down). If any of these monitor ticks your "I want it now" boxes, you might want to wait until CES for the actual announcement and availability info.

You know RGB LED lighting as a"feature" has hit critical mass when it starts getting integrated into monitors. Enter ViewSonics XG240R with it's ELITE RGB accent lighting, which is part of the ELITE RGB Alliance that includes; Thermaltake, Razer, and Cooler Master. Supposedly the accent lighting on this monitor can be synced with other peripherals. However, no details have been given on how that will work just yet. Still, love it or hate it RGB LED illumination is helping sell products, and now ViewSonic is ready to join the party, as for the panel itself it is the same 144 Hz, 1080p, WLED backlight, TN offering used in the XG2402 monitor released previously. No high refresh rate monitor is complete without some form of adaptive sync, with this model, in particular, using FreeSync with a range of 48 Hz to 144 Hz and has a 1 ms response time with Overdrive enabled and a 5 ms response time without.

Viewing comfort with the XG240R and the XG2402 was a priority for ViewSonic with both monitors having height, tilt, pivot, and swivel adjustment options. Connectivity is also quite robust featuring 2x USB Type A 3.0 ports, 1x USB Type B 3.0 port, 2x HDMI 1.4 ports, 1x DisplayPort, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Overall the XG240R has a good set of features, excellent connectivity and a high refresh rate all at a suggested MSRP of $272.99. Meaning the inclusion of the RGB accent lighting will only cost you $10 more over the XG2402.The full specification list follows.

NVIDIA today released the latest version of GeForce software suite. Version 417.22 refines optimization for "Battlefield V," with specific game-ready tuning for Battlefield V Tides of War Chapter 1: Overture Update. The drivers also introduce fixes to a number of bugs, including display corruption noticed on some high refresh-rate monitors connected via DisplayPort, and a blank screen noticed on BenQ ZOWIE XL2730 monitors when the refresh-rate is set to 144 Hz. A game crash noticed on "Hellblade" with RTX 2080 Ti is also addressed. Also fixed are incorrect memory clock speed reporting, and incorrect application of RGB color formats in NVIDIA Control Panel.DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 417.22 WHQL

The change-log follows.

ASUS has a new premium display about to be released: the 32-inch ASUS ROG Strix XG32VQR is already listed on its website, and it is an evolution of its existing ROG Strix XG32VQ. Both share 1440p resolution, VA panel, 4ms grey-to-grey response time and 1800mm curvature. The difference between both is the HDR support: the new XG32VQR has both DisplayHDR 400 and FreeSync 2 HDR certifications. The latter offers improvements in usability but also in gaming scenarios that are not covered in the VESA DisplayHDR specifications.

The peak brightness of the new monitor also goes further than its predecessor and goes from 300 to 450 nits. The display has support for a range of FreeSync refresh rates ranging from 48 to 144 Hz, which allow it to work seamlessly with Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) technology from AMD. Company spokepersons clarified a few weeks ago the confusion with the FreeSync 2 certification, and explained that "it is possible for a display to meet the FreeSync 2 HDR requirements but fail the DisplayHDR 600 minimums. Such a display may have the DisplayHDR 400 logo and the FreeSync 2 HDR logo, but it would be exceeding the minimum requirements of DisplayHDR 400".

Introducing the brand-new AOC G2590PX G2 Esports Signature Edition gaming monitor. Created in partnership with G2's sponsor and favorite display provider AOC, this special edition monitor combines performance, style and affordability into one package ensuring a smooth, tear and stutter-free gameplay experience. AOC designed this specialized G90 monitor specifically for the G2 Esports professional teams and all gamers who want to upgrade the look of their battle station.

ASUS showcased their XG49VQ, a behemoth of a monitor with a 49" diagonal across a 32:9 aspect ratio panel. This aspect ratio and the panels' size are married to a 3840 x 1080 resolution (2x 1080p) with a 144 Hz refresh rate. There's a 1800R curvature (which is likely essential in such wide panels), support for Freesync 2, 125% RGB coverage, and ASUS' Shadow Boost feature which makes it easier to spot anything in darker corners of any given game. There's HDR support via VESA's HDR400 certification.

With those features, ASUS is catering to two markets at once: professional and gamer. The added resolution and screen real-estate will feel right at home with users that do much horizontal work (my 2560 x 1080 panel is already plenty enough for two pages to sit comfortably side to side). The increased frequency response won't do much for professional work, but does tick one of those gaming checklists of late. With the specs and exotic streak on this monitor, though, don't expect pricing to come cheap.

Acer has announced two incoming budget-yet-premium gaming monitors to power AMD's FreeSync-supporting graphics cards. The new XZ1 series will come in 27" (XZ271U) and 31.5" (XZ321QU), thus appealing to two different market segments. The new monitors both sport a 144 Hz, 1 ms, 16:9 VA panel with WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution. Both are curved affairs; contrast stands at 3000:1; color coverage is at 85% of the NTSC color-space; and we're saying they are HDR10 ready because with their maximum brightness of 250 and 300 cd/m², respectively, they'll never be able to showcase the tiniest amount of HDR10 detail. Like the initial HD ready TVs which only supported 720p resolution but could process higher-density images, so does this HDR10 badge not mean there's an actual ability to properly display HDR10 content as it was meant to be.

Connectivity stands at 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x mini DisplayPort 1.2, and 2x HDMI 2.0 headers. There are two 7 W stereo speakers and a headphone jack in each monitor, as well as a quad-port USB 3.0 Type-A hub. The stands can tilt between -5 to 25 degrees, swivel +/- 25 degrees, and provide height adjustments of up to 120 mm. Both panels can now be purchased at Amazon.com, with pricing set at $527 and $550 respectively (not final retail pricing for the Americas).

LG unveiled their new UltraGear lineup of desktop, gaming-oriented monitors, which bring top of the line features for gamers. The monitors both feature a 34" diagonal and a 3440x1440 resolution. They both feature a 21:9 aspect ratio; brightness is left at a relatively sparse 400 nits (with VESA's DisplayHDR standard compliance) and static contrast only reaches 1000:1. The G-Sync panel (UltraGear 34GK950G-B) offers up to 120 Hz refresh rates with 4 ms GtG response times (via overclocking, only 100 Hz out-of-the-box), while the FreeSync 2 monitor (34GK950F-B) brings that up a notch to 144 Hz with 5 ms GtG response times.

The usage of nanoparticles applied to the screen's LED backlighting serves to absorb excess light wavelengths and improve intensity, purity, and accuracy of the on-screen colors - LG claims that both LCDs can display 1.07 billion colors while covering 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. There's ULMB support for the NVIDIA monitor and a similar technology for the FreeSync 2 display; LG's proprietary DAS (Dynamic Action Sync) which follows TV's Game Mode to cut post-processing of images to reduce lag; and there are brightness presets according to game types (FPS, RTS) for the G-Sync panel, while the FreeSync 2 features a black stabilizer tech.

Lenovo is mincing no words to talk about NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce 11-series graphics processors being part of its future GPU options for desktops and notebooks. LaptopMedia reports that the company is planning to make the mid-range GeForce GTX 1160 an option for its Legion Y530 15-inch gaming notebook. It features a 15.6-inch IPS display with Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution, and a 144 Hz option for this display. Back to the GTX 1160, and LaptopMedia seems to confirm that the GPU will feature 6 GB of dedicated memory. If NVIDIA is doubling memory with this generation, this could indicate 6 GB to be a successor to the GTX 1060 3 GB; and the likelihood of a better endowed 12 GB GTX 1160 to succeed the GTX 1060 6 GB. It could be an action-packed 2H-2018 for PC graphics.

Remember that awe-inspiring 4K monitor from Philips - the one with Ambiglow and that earned the world's first HDR 1000 monitor certification? It's up for grabs as we speak in multiple markets, and pricing is somewhat lower than predicted - a rare, momentous occasion (see that?). The Momentum 436M6VBPAB monitor packs an 8 bit + FRC 43" MVA panel affair that supports 4K resolution, features true Display HDR with 1000 maximum nits brightness, and also features AMD's FreeSync specification up to 80 Hz (overclocked) from its 60 Hz base frequency (minimum refresh rate is unknown, as is unclear whether it supports LFC). Additionally, the monitor features Quantum Dot technology to increase its color range (97.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamut as well as 100% of the sRGB color range)

What's more impressive though, is that Philips' Momentum monitor doesn't seem to be using local dimming to achieve its 1000 nits flash maximum brightness (required for HDR 1000 certification, with a baseline full-screen 600 nits for continuous content). Instead, Philips is apparently employing a 32-zone edge-lit solution. This is without a doubt one of the reasons this panel manages to undercut NVIDIA's 144 Hz, 4K panels, which use a 384-zone local dimming panel (besides the added G-Sync module royalties, of course). The Philips Momentum is available mostly through Amazon, and carries a €799 MSRP, which translates to around $1000 in the US.

PCPer had the opportunity to disassemble the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ 27", a 4K 144 Hz G-Sync HDR Monitor and found that the G-Sync module is a newer version than the one used on 1st generation G-Sync monitors (which of course do not support 4K / 144 Hz / HDR). The module is powered by an FPGA made by Altera (Intel-owned since 2015). The exact model number is Arria 10 GX 480, which is a high-performance 20 nanometer SoC that provides enough bandwidth and LVDS pins to process the data stream.

The FPGA is sold in low quantities for $2000 at Digikey and Mouser. Assuming that NVIDIA buys thousands, PCPer suggests that the price of this chip alone will add $500 to monitor cost. The BOM cost is further increased by 3 GB of DDR4 memory on the module. With added licensing fees for G-SYNC, this explains why these monitors are so expensive.

ASUS's upcoming ROG GL504 Scar II, Hero II, and Zephyrus GM501 gaming laptops have one thing in common - 144 Hz/3 ms narrow-bezel panels. A source within the company confirmed that ASUS had partnered with AU Optronics to produce the new panel exclusively for its gaming laptops. The Taiwanese manufacturer even funded a portion of the panel's research and development. As a result, ASUS has exclusive rights to the 144 Hz/ 3 ms panel for at least a year. Gaming laptop competitors such as Gigabyte and MSI will have to wait it out or look elsewhere.

Certainly there are many display panel manufacturers in the likes of BOE Display, LG Philips, Samsung, and Sharp. Unfortunately, they don't offer a panel that is able to rival the 144 Hz/ 3 ms panel from AU Optronics, which is already in mass production. Consumers who aren't after a gaming laptop with a 144 Hz/ 3 ms panel have other viable options. The current offering on the market includes the MSI GS65 and Gigabyte Aero 15X that feature a 144 Hz panel with a slightly higher response time of 7 ms. And there's also the MSI GS63VR that comes with a 120 Hz/ 3 ms panel.

Just a while ago the first 4K 144 Hz monitors became available with the ASUS PG27UQ and Acer X27. These $2,000 monitors no longer force gamers to pick between high-refresh rate or high resolution, since they support 3840x2160 and refresh rates up to 144 Hz. However, reviews of early-adopters report a noticeable degradation in image quality when these monitors are running at 144 Hz. Surprisingly refresh rates of 120 Hz and below look perfectly sharp.The underlying reason for that is the DisplayPort 1.4 interface, which provides 26 Gbits/s of bandwidth, just enough for full 4K at 120 Hz. So monitor vendors had to get creative to achieve the magic 144 Hz that they were shooting for. The solution comes from old television technology in form of chroma subsampling (YCbCr), which, in the case of these monitors, transmits the grayscale portion of the image at full resolution (3840x2160) and the color information at half the horizontal resolution (1920x2160).

Display specialist AOC announces the G1 Series, with three new curved models C24G1, C27G1 and C32G1 ranging from 23.6" to 27" and 31.5" screen sizes. The red-accented design and aggressive curvatures (1500R to 1800R) assure an excellent, immersive gaming experience. The new series is equipped with VA panels and supports Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution. Aimed at competitive gamers, these monitors deliver high contrast images with deep blacks and vivid colors with 144 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time) response time, and wide viewing angles of 178°/178°.

For the smoothest gaming experience, these monitors boast AMD FreeSync support for stutter and tear-free gaming, Low Input Lag for the fastest visual feedback, AOC Game Color for on-the-fly adjustment of saturation and picture detail as well as the brand new "Dial Point" for a crosshair overlay, helping gamers to aim accurately in FPS games. Gamers no longer need to choose between elegant designs, fast panels, accurate colors and curvature for better immersion. With the new AOC G1 Series, all these features and design come together.

AOC today announced availability of their budget-conscious G2590FX, their latest addition to the G90 series of monitors (and an improvement to their 6-month old G2590VXQ). The G2590FX has been developed with the budget-conscious gamer in mind. The usage of a TN panel keeps costs lower than other panel options would allow. At the same time, AOC looked towards offering high-quality gaming specs - such as the 1 ms response time, and the 144 Hz panel refresh rate with AMD Freesync support - to allow twitch-players to stay competitive. The 1080p resolution can almost be seen as a bonus, as it ensures the likelihood of users' graphics processing hardware to deliver those 144 Hz.

AOC is touting this monitor as having a 3-side-frameless structure, which does look that way in the media photos - though those usually have to be taken with a grain of salt. Display output connectors include 1x VGA, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, and 2x HDMI 1.4. The AOC G2590FX monitor is now available worldwide at an MSRP of £219.99 (direct conversion puts it at some €252 or $290, but US pricing will likely be lower.

ASUS today introduced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Swift PG27UQ, a 27-inch monitor with 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), a staggering 144 Hz refresh-rate, and support for NVIDIA G-Sync HDR. Under the hood is an IPS Quantum-Dot panel with DCI-P3 Color Gamut support, 4 ms response time, 178°/178° viewing angles, and 10-bpc (1.07 billion colors) support. 300-1000 cd/m² maximum brightness, and 20,000:1 static contrast ratio, make for the rest of the panel specifications.

The monitor features (and requires) DisplayPort 1.4 to sustain 4K @ 144 Hz with 10-bpc color. It also features HDMI 2.0. Also featured are GamePlus (OSD goodies), GameVisual (genre-specific display presets), a and 2-port USB 3.0 hub. The stand and the back-side of the display features RGB LED elements that can be controlled by Aura Sync RGB. The company didn't reveal pricing.

The new MSI Optix AG32CQ probably sparks déjà vu because a monitor with a near-identical name and design was launched last October. That is, until you pay close attention to the "Q" in its name. The new Optix AG32CQ has a similar feature-set to the AG32C, but with increased resolution to 2560 x 1440 pixels, hence the "Q," denoting quad-HD. The 32-inch monitor with 1800R curvature still offers the goodness of a VA panel with 178°/178° viewing angles, 144 Hz refresh-rate (slightly lower than the 165 Hz of its Full HD predecessor), 1 ms (GTG) response-time, 3000:1 static contrast ratio, and support for AMD FreeSync technology. The company didn't reveal pricing.