ASUS today unveiled the obscenely wide ROG Strix XG49VQ 49-inch curved gaming monitor, with an aspect ratio of 32:9, or what you'd get if you put two 16:9 monitors side-by-side. With a resolution of 3840 x 1080, or half the pixels of 4K UHD, the monitor features an 1800R curvature. There are two notable branded features associated with this display: VESA DisplayHDR 400, and AMD FreeSync HDR. There are some impressive display specifications on tap, too, such as 144 Hz maximum refresh-rate, 178°/178° viewing-angles thanks to its VA panel, 4 ms (GTG) response time, and 450 cd/m² maximum brightness. Display inputs include DisplayPort 1.2a, and two HDMI 2.0 ports. The monitor features the full suite of ASUS GameFirst OSD utilities. You also get 5 W stereo speakers a 2-port USB 2.0 hub. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual display products, announces a new sub-brand of professional gaming monitors. ViewSonic Elite gaming products are specifically engineered with a sleek and minimalist aesthetic, while boasting practical gamer-centric designs. With decades of display technology experience and heritage, ViewSonic Elite will deliver next-level gaming products that fit the needs of today's multifaceted gaming community.

"Gamers are defined by many factors, one being their gaming setup. With ViewSonic Elite, we want to represent maturity in style and high-performance gaming, as the industry continues to evolve," said Kevin Chu, Global Gaming Marketing Manager. "The ViewSonic Elite line of gaming monitors provides users with the latest spec requirements, and are designed to fulfill the diverse needs of gamers."The XGR240 is on the left, XG350R-C on the right.

In case anyone's been living under a rock (and in these times, if you can do that, I probably envy you), NVIDIA at CES 2019 announced it was opening up G-Sync support to non-G-Sync totting monitors. Via adoption of VESA's open VRR standard (Adaptive Sync, on which FreeSync is based), the company will now add support for monitors that usually only support FreeSync. The company also vowed to test all configurations and monitors, with a whitelist of automatically-enabled panels and manual override for those that don't pass the certification process or still haven't been subjected to it.

Now, via a post on NVIDIA's GeForce forums, ManuelGuzmanNV, with a Customer Care badge, has said, in answer to a users' question on Variable Refresh-Rate support for NVIDIA's 9000 series, that "Sorry but we do not have plans to add support for Maxwell and below". So this means that only NVIDIA's 1000 and 2000-series of GPUs will be getting said support, thus reducing the number of users for which VRR support on NVIDIA graphics cards is relevant. At the same time, this might serve as a reason for those customers to finally make the jump to one of NVIDIA's more recent graphics card generations, in case they don't already own a VRR-capable monitor and want to have some of that smoothness.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has launched the world's first tactical gaming monitor, AORUS AD27QD, today. Heading into a new market, AORUS is well prepared and confident that the exclusive features on the monitor can give gamers a tactical advantage over their enemies while gaming. AORUS AD27QD is a 27inch flat screen frameless monitor.

It uses an IPS panel with QHD (2560x1440, 2K) resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate in 1ms (MPRT) response time. Not only is the view angle up to 178 degrees, it also meets 95% DCI-P3 standards along with 10bits color, so the monitor can provide users astonishingly beautiful pictures. On top of that, the monitor has passed VESA certified DisplayHDR 400 standards which gives users spectacular display quality; With AMD Radeon FreeSync​ technology, the monitor can provide the most fluent gaming experience to let you enjoy your gaming without picture stripping.

Razer a dominant player in the PC peripherals market is looking to make their mark when it comes to monitors with their all-new Razer Raptor gaming monitor. Its a 27-inch display featuring an IPS panel with a resolution of 2560x1440. It comes with support for FreeSync and has a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Response times are listed as 7 ms typical and 4 ms with Overdrive. The contrast ratio is 1000:1 and the screen has a max brightness of 420 nits. It also offers 95% of the P3-D65 color gamut, and yes it has support for HDR. Connectivity consists of 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB Type-C with power delivery and 2x USB 3.0.

The design features a wide stand that offers excellent stability while also providing channels for cable routing giving the system a clean and unique appearance especially with those bright green cables. As expected of Razer the Raptor monitor also supports Chrome-powered lights in the base which will sync with the rest of Razer's Chrome gear including, mice, keyboards and even laptops and speakers. In regards to availability, no date has been set just yet; however, Razer said it would be made available later this year with an MSRP of $699.99.

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.

So, that news title may be slightly too flashy for the actual product, but bear with me here: OLED is such an improvement over current mainstream display technologies that its transition to the PC monitor space is one of the most sought-after unicorns in this market. Alienware, via a partnership with LG (that's almost obvious), will be making this particular unicorn come to reality. The Alienware 55 OLED gaming monitor will feature 4K resolution @ 120 Hz, Variable Refresh Rate support via HDMI 2.1 (FreeSync? G-Sync? - all's still up in the air), DisplayPort 1.4, and 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 RGB spectrum with a candy of HDR support thrown in the mix.

PC World managed to get a hold of NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, picking his thoughts on AMD's recently announced Radeon VII. Skirting through the usual amicable, politically correct answers, Jensen made his thoughts clear on what the competition is offering to compete with NVIDIA's RTX 2000 series. The answer? Vega VII is an "underwhelming product", because "The performance is lousy and there's nothing new. [There's] no ray tracing, no AI. It's 7nm with HBM memory that barely keeps up with a 2080. And if we turn on DLSS we'll crush it. And if we turn on ray tracing we'll crush it." Not content on dissing the competition's product, Jensen Huang also quipped regarding AMD's presentation and product strategy, saying that "It's a weird launch, maybe they thought of it this morning."

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.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of display solutions, unveils the launch of a new sub-brand of professional gaming monitors. ViewSonic ELITE gaming products are specifically designed with a sleek and minimalistic aesthetic, while boasting practical gamer-centric designs. With decades of display technology experience and heritage, ViewSonic ELITE will deliver next-level gaming products that fit the needs of today's multifaceted gaming community.

ViewSonic ELITE launches with a pair of new gaming monitors: XG240R and XG350R-C. The XG240R and XG350R-C are the first monitors aligned with partnered software programs that enable customizable RGB lighting capabilities. Through partnerships with the industry's top PC peripheral manufacturers, ViewSonic ELITE products allow gamers to take full control over their RGB ecosystems when using these partners' software. When running the software, the RGB lighting harmoniously syncs with other RGB-equipped gaming peripherals and hardware.

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."

ASUS today announced TUF Gaming FX505DY and TUF Gaming FX705DY, a pair of gaming laptops powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 5 3550H processor, with up to 32GB of RAM, and a range of storage options. This new platform is paired with discrete Radeon graphics tightly coupled to vivid FreeSync displays. Slim bezels frame the NanoEdge displays to further enhance immersion and shrink the overall footprint, while the reinforced chassis help the machines survive everyday life. Intelligently designed and carefully built, FX505DY and FX705DY balance performance, battery life, and affordability to provide a better gaming experience.

AMD's Ryzen processors have taken desktops by storm, and TUF Gaming laptops lead the deployment of the newest version. Otherwise known as Picasso, this 2nd Gen Ryzen Mobile APU is built with industry-leading 12 nm technology. The Ryzen 5 3550H chip powering FX505DY and FX705DY boasts four cores and eight threads that deliver capable performance for popular games and everyday work. Multithreaded performance is particularly strong, yet the processor fits into a 35W power envelope that doesn't compromise battery life.

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.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced three new monitors: the modern and minimalist Samsung Space Monitor, the CRG9 designed for an unparalleled gaming experience and the UR59C, a stunning 4K UHD curved monitor ideal for content creators. Each monitor offers the best in technology ranging from ultra-wide screens and lifelike colors for immersive gaming to space-saving designs that increase productivity.

"Samsung's latest monitor lineup is incredibly versatile, and demonstrates our commitment to continued innovation and leadership in the category," said Seog-gi Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "All of these monitors are part of our larger strategy this year, to keep giving you choices so you can get what you want- beautiful, hardworking devices that inspire you to do more."

Acer announced the release of another FreeSync monitor to their lineup. The Predator XR343CKP offers a 34", ultrawide, curved IPS panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution. Being an IPS panel, the 1 ms response time (with MPRT, so, an added blur reduction mode is taken into account for this response time) is a premium specification. It features an up to 100 Hz refresh rate with FreeSync technology enabling variable refreshes without screen tearing.

The panel offers a typical 1,000:1 contrast ratio with a relatively low 350 cd/m² typical brightness, 172/178 viewing angles, 1.07 billion color depth and standard sRGB color gamut. Display Inputs include HDMI, DisplayPort, and 5x USB ports. All of this can be available for the modest amount of $1799... Which isn't at all the number I expected to be quitting based on the specs alone, and looking at other market offerings. But that's what's being shown on Acer's page - though some retailers, such as Amazon Germany, are offering this for some €893 (~$1000), which is much more realistic.

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.

LG has announced another bang-for-buck entry in their monitor line-up, which is usually one of the best in the specs-pricing department. For the modest amount of $349, the 32QK500-W is a 31,5" affair with a QHD (2560*1440) resolution, which supports AMD's FreeSync technology for synchronized refresh rates and greater fluidity in gaming. There's an 8-bit + FRC IPS panel, with a minimum 250 cd/m² brightness (300 typical), which isn't much, but should be enough to be used in a not-too-bright room.

Of course, some of the panel's specifications do point towards the cost-cutting that needed to be done in order to get it to this price-point; the brightness isn't anything to go by (not even close), the FreeSync support tops out at a maximum of 75 Hz, and the 8 ms response time is enough for casual gaming, but not for cutthroat competitive gaming. Some LG technologies such as Black Stabilizer, Crosshairs, and Reading Mode are available. Output connectors stand at 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x MiniDP, with an additional headphone jack. The monitor is VESA wall-mountable.

AMD today released their yearly driver update called Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition v18.2.2. For the past three years, the company has been releasing year-end feature-packed updates to Radeon Software. The 2017 version saw the introduction of Radeon Software "Adrenalin", before which we had Crimson/ReLive and Omega. The company also sped up its driver release cycle to match AAA game releases, and over the years, increased its reliability score and customer satisfaction. With Radeon Software Adrenalin, AMD is targeting three key consumer segments: Gamers, Enthusiasts, and Creators.

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.

You can find our launch-day reviews of the Radeon RX 590 here: Sapphire RX 590 Nitro+, XFX RX 590 Fatboy

AMD today unveiled the Radeon RX 590 graphics card, an advanced 12 nm GPU designed to deliver amazing gaming experiences and outstanding performance for the latest AAA, eSports and Virtual Reality (VR) titles.

Powered by AMD "Polaris" architecture, the AMD Radeon RX 590 graphics card provides faster clock speeds for higher gaming performance than the AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card2, and delivers up to 20 percent or higher performance-per-dollar than the competition. Paired with the advanced AMD Radeon FreeSync gaming display technology and loaded with the latest AMD Radeon Software features, the AMD Radeon RX 590 graphics card delivers an exceptional gaming experience.

AMD is very close to launching its new Radeon RX 590 graphics card, targeting a middle-of-market segment that sells in high volumes, particularly with Holiday around the corner. The card is based on the new 12 nm "Polaris 30" silicon, which has the same exact specifications as the "Polaris 20" silicon, and the original "Polaris 10," but comes with significantly higher clock-speed headroom thanks to the new silicon fabrication process, which AMD and its partners will use to dial up engine clock speed by 10-15% over those of the RX 580. While the memory is still 8 Gbps 256-bit GDDR5, some partners will ship overclocked memory.

According to a slide deck seen by VideoCardz, AMD is setting the baseline price of the Radeon RX 590 at USD $279.99, which is about $50 higher than RX 580 8 GB, and $40 higher than the price the RX 480 launched at. AMD will add value to that price by bundling three AAA games, including "Tom Clancy's The Division 2," "Devil May Cry 5," and "Resident Evil 2." The latter two titles are unreleased, and the three games together pose a $120-150 value. AMD will also work with monitor manufacturers to come up with graphics card + AMD FreeSync monitor bundles.

AOC, a worldwide leader in monitor display technology, today announces the V2 Series of frameless monitors with a gorgeous slim design and advanced IPS panel. The V2 Series includes three monitors: a 22-inch (22V2H), 24-inch (24V2H) and 27-inch (27V2H) model. The entire line sports a Full HD IPS panel with frameless design and AMD FreeSync technology. The true zero-edge design makes them perfect for multi-monitor setups in the home office. The V2 Series is available at Amazon and Newegg starting at $99.99.

The V2 Series offers great image quality at its full HD resolution; the monitor itself also features a gorgeous ultra slim design. The line uses an advanced IPS panel which produces brilliant colors and offers wide viewing angles. The monitor is perfect for home entertainment or professional tasks such as watching videos, editing photos or gaming.

AOC, a worldwide leader in monitor display technology, today announces the first member of the premium AGON monitor line with HDR support, the AG322QC4 gaming monitor. The AG322QC4 is a curved 32-inch, QHD HDR gaming monitor with a refresh rate of 144Hz, 4ms response time and AMD's FreeSync2 technology. FreeSync2 is AMD's HDR-compatible technology. This monitor is made for enthusiast gamers, who want both high-performance visuals without stutter, screen tearing or motion blur, and a gorgeous visual experience with HDR. This is AOC's first monitor with Display HDR400 certification.

The 32-inch monitor features a 2560 x 1440 QHD screen with a 1800R curve. The curved VA panel offers vibrant colors with high dynamic range for a more exciting and immersive visual experience to be enjoyed while gaming. The display also covers 85 percent of the NTSC. The AG322QC4's curve conforms to the way the eye sees and helps reduce eye fatigue.

Being able to play at 4K resolutions is a palpable reality that has been consolidated with the launch of the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2000 Series. To do so, however, it is necessary to have a monitor with 4K support, and that is where LG Electronics has put its new bet in this area on the table. The new LG 32UK5500-B is a monitor with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), HDR10 support, and covers 95% of the DCI-P3 color space (100% sRGB color gamut). Also important, it integrates AMD FreeSync technology to offer a dynamic refresh rate that in this case can hit between 40 and 60 Hz.

This new monitor is based on a 31.5-inch VA panel (178°/178° viewing angles) that is factory-calibrated. The display offers its users a native brightness of 300 nits, a contrast ratio of 3000:1, a response time of 4 ms GtG and a refresh rate of 60 Hz, but there are other features clearly oriented to gamers.