# The benefits of a 144Hz refresh rate even in 2D mode



## qubit (Aug 30, 2012)

This is an interview between Newegg and NVIDIA's 3D Vision team rep, Andrew Fear.



> If you're a PC gamer, you may or may not be into 3D gaming. You probably are interested in smooth gameplay, fast response times and minimal input lag, however -- in which case, a 3D gaming monitor in non-3D mode might be right up your alley.
> 
> Why? The high refresh rate necessary for a 3D monitor (usually 120Hz or more) is incredibly conducive to high-framerate gameplay, and introduces a fluidity and seamlessness that must be seen in person to be appreciated. That's why we've made a video demonstration, featuring the ASUS VG278HE monitor (with a 144Hz refresh rate!) and Andrew Fear from NVIDIA's 3D Vision team.



This is totally true. My 120Hz LCD monitor's animation is superfluid. I managed to get 144Hz at low resolution out of my old CRT monitor a while back and it did indeed look even better than at 120Hz on that same monitor and far better than 60Hz - and CRT's are inherently better at this than LCD too, making the improvement even more noticeable.

Even on the crappy YouTube Flash video below, it's possible to see a slight improvement on the new Asus 144Hz monitor. It's far more obvious in real life, of course.

[yt]u2-7jvRJe9Y[/yt]​


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## Jstn7477 (Aug 30, 2012)

I love my ASUS VG236H, as it's just so smooth and responsive. Now, I dislike using regular 60Hz monitors and watching the mouse cursor painfully stutter across the screen on them.


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## qubit (Aug 30, 2012)

Jstn7477 said:


> I love my ASUS VG236H, as it's just so smooth and responsive. Now, I dislike using regular 60Hz monitors and watching the mouse cursor painfully stutter across the screen on them.



Yeah, +1. I'm interested in it, but it costs over £400 right now. Also, it's only 1920x1080 and I'm waiting for the first professional review to see what it's really like.


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## Jstn7477 (Aug 30, 2012)

I'm pleased with my VG236H's vibrant colors and I don't expect anything less from this monitor. People can complain about TN panels all they want, but the color on my panel is extremely good compared to any other TN panel I've used, and it has up to 400 cd/m2 brightness. It is glossy coated as well but that makes the picture extremely clear instead of the foggy AG coating everything else gets.

Only problem I have with mine is that a stuck purple pixel appeared on the right side of the screen after a few months of use (from what I see, the panel model could be plagued with stuck pixel issues) but I barely ever notice it and every other aspect of my monitor is excellent in my opinion.


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## qubit (Aug 30, 2012)

Yup, TN's are not as bad in terms of colour as some people make out. My Iiyama has a TN panel and looks great, despite being 6-bit+high FRC. I think the coating is somewhere between matt and shiny on this model. There's no graininess however, which would bug me so much that I wouldn't buy it in the first place.


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## Phusius (Aug 30, 2012)

I still prefer the beauty of 1440p over 120hz.  Even older games like Torchlight or Divinity 2 look like new games when you put them in 1440p.


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## Jstn7477 (Aug 30, 2012)

Oh yeah, that's another thing. A lot of cheap TN panels these days seem to have physically "dirty" AG polarizers which are annoying. Didn't start noticing that issue until I got some cheap 1080p 22" ones around 2009-2010, when my older pair Samsung 940BW monitors and even a 2005 Dell screen I found at the side of the road had no such issue.


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## qubit (Aug 30, 2012)

Tell me more about those "dirty" AG polarizers, I'm not sure what you mean. Does it make the picture look smudged in some way?


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## erocker (Aug 30, 2012)

Phusius said:


> 1440p.



That + IPS + 120hz = perfect. Make this monitor at a somewhat reasonable price and you will have my money.


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## qubit (Aug 30, 2012)

erocker said:


> That + IPS + 120hz = perfect. Make this monitor at a somewhat reasonable price and you will have my money.



Indeed, that would be awesome and is what I'd be after too. I don't know if the current HDMI/DVI standard will do that res at 120Hz though?


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## Jstn7477 (Aug 30, 2012)

qubit said:


> Tell me more about those "dirty" AG polarizers, I'm not sure what you mean. Does it make the picture look smudged in some way?



Basically the screen has rather light gray uneven "blotches" on it, most noticeable on white backgrounds. It looks like the screen is dirty IMO, and my cheap 22" 1080p TV and another 1080p monitor appeared to have the same issue.



erocker said:


> That + IPS + 120hz = perfect. Make this monitor at a somewhat reasonable price and you will have my money.



I'd definitely take one as well. Refresh rate is why I haven't adopted an IPS panel yet, as I feel the refresh rate (at least from 60 to 120Hz) was a better choice than "subjectively better colors." I'd assume display makers would have to adopt DisplayPort as Dual Link DVI is running out of bandwidth, is it not?


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## Phusius (Aug 30, 2012)

Jstn7477 said:


> Basically the screen has rather light gray uneven "blotches" on it, most noticeable on white backgrounds. It looks like the screen is dirty IMO, and my cheap 22" 1080p TV and another 1080p monitor appeared to have the same issue.
> 
> 
> 
> I'd definitely take one as well. Refresh rate is why I haven't adopted an IPS panel yet, as I feel the refresh rate (at least from 60 to 120Hz) was a better choice than "subjectively better colors." I'd assume display makers would have to adopt DisplayPort as Dual Link DVI is running out of bandwidth, is it not?



1440p isn't about better colors... it's about pure prettiness.  Also, most of the games I play like online twitch FPS, are capped at 90-100 FPS anyway even without Vsync on.  Other games I play like Shogun 2, can barely manage 50 fps steady at 1440p with my 1200 core 7970... so yeah...


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## newconroer (Aug 31, 2012)

Phusius said:


> I still prefer the beauty of 1440p over 120hz.  Even older games like Torchlight or Divinity 2 look like new games when you put them in 1440p.



Massively good point here.
Due to the way the eyes adjust(especially if you have memory of the visuals from the past), a higher resolution can give the impression of a change in fluidity.

Take old school EverQuest for example. On the same system, 800 x 600 would be noticeably different than 2560 x 1600.


High rate monitors can be gimmicky, and for those who want to lock refresh rates, how many modern games can you run 120hz at 1080p or higher?

Ideally, if you're a buff, you have a set of monitors for high refresh/3d and a set for higher resolution.


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## qubit (Aug 31, 2012)

newconroer said:


> Massively good point here.
> Due to the way the eyes adjust(especially if you have memory of the visuals from the past), a higher resolution can give the impression of a change in fluidity.
> 
> Take old school EverQuest for example. On the same system, 800 x 600 would be noticeably different than 2560 x 1600.
> ...



It depends which type of higher resolution is more important to you: spatial or temporal.

And yes, it's a deliciously grey area with no single answer.


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## D007 (Aug 31, 2012)

I need a 50" TV with that kind of refresh rate...lol


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## qubit (Oct 19, 2012)

I've just bought it! 

£383.94 at Amazon UK and I just had to have it. I'll let you know what it's like once I get it.


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## Binge (Oct 19, 2012)

Would love to know if plasma TV + PC = good refresh rates in games...


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## qubit (Oct 19, 2012)

Binge said:


> Would love to know if plasma TV + PC = good refresh rates in games...



Well, they don't make plasmas with greater than 60Hz native (not interpolated) refresh rates to my knowledge, so this monitor would be superior in this respect. However, plasmas are as good as CRT's as far as motion blur is concerned ie perfect. No LCD monitor is good in this respect even at 120Hz or more and it will be interesting to see how much this Asus improves on this weakness.

Note that 120Hz LCD monitor + 3D Vision glasses = perfect non-blurred motion!


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## Velvet Wafer (Oct 19, 2012)

i have my older LG screen hacked to 76hz via CRU, that does the trick for me for free, maybe not 100hz, but definetly a LOT faster than 60, for the eye


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## Muhad (Oct 21, 2012)

I purchased the VG278HE from NewEgg for $500.
Was a little bright, so had to turn it down a bit.
This monitor and an Evga 680 FTW 4GB makes for great gaming.

  It's awesome!


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## qubit (Oct 21, 2012)

Muhad said:


> This monitor and an Evga 680 FTW 4GB makes for great gaming.
> 
> It's awesome!



I'll bet motion is nerdgasmically smooth on it?  

I can't wait.


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