Display specialist AOC announces the launch of five new Full HD monitors: three curved (C27G2ZU, C27G2ZE and C32G2ZE) and two flat models (24G2ZU, 24G2ZE) that competitive gamers have been longing for.

The new monitors range from 23.8" (60.4 cm) and 27" (68.6 cm) up to 31.5" (80 cm) and offer breathtaking specifications: a 240 Hz refresh rate and just 0.5 ms (1 ms for the 31.5" version) MPRT create an incredibly "connected" feel to the game world. All models additionally come equipped with FreeSync Premium with LFC (Low Framerate Compensation) support, providing smooth game visuals without tearing or stuttering.

LG today introduced their UltraGear 27GN750 monitor, which aims to bring high-speed, fluid gaming to a relatively low price-point. The 27GN750 is a flat monitor with a 27" diagonal, featuring an IPS panel and 1080p resolution. The gaming chops on this monitor are very much increased by the fact that it features a 240 Hz refresh rate with 1 ms response time. LG also touts VRR support in the form of G-SYNC Compatible certification (which means it employs VRR much like AMD first did through VRR instead of having to employ a dedicated module).

LG says this display is HDR compatible, but make no mistake, it's the lowest form supported (400 nits typical brightness with 320 nits as minimum according to LG), so that compatibility is... Arguable, to say the least. There's no VESA HDR 400 badge for a reason. Color reproduction is rated at 99% sRGB coverage (typical for an IPS panel). Connectivity-wise, we're looking at 1x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI, 1x USB 3.0 (upstream), 2x USB 3.0 (downstream) and 1x Headphone. LG quotes a Tilt / Height / Pivot Adjustable Stand. The LG UltraGear 27GN750 monitor is available for $399.

MSI today launched three new monitors on their Optix lineup, catering to budget-conscious gamers that want fast, responsive gameplay. MSI's new Optix G241 and Optix G271 differ solely in diagonal (one is 24", the other 27"), and both offer a 1080p, IPS panel with support for refresh rates up to 144 Hz and up to 1 ms response times. Both these monitors feature support for AMD FreeSync, max 250 nits brightness, and connectivity is taken care of by 1x DisplayPort 1.2a and 2x HDMI 1.4b. The MSI Optix G241 will be available for $189.99, whilst the 27" MSI Optix G271 will go for $239.99.

More interesting for gamers that want crazy refresh rates, however, is the MSI Optix MAG251RX. This monitor keeps the 1080p resolution and IPS panel, but brings refresh rates up to a crazy 240 Hz with up to 1 ms response time. MSI has also "upgraded" the Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology up to NVIDIA's G-Sync. There's HDR 400 support (don't read that much into that though; it's the bare minimum for entry and far from a quality HDR experience). It also sports USB-C connectivity and RGB customization on the back of the monitor via MSI's Mystic Light software. The MSI Optix MAG251RX will be available for a still conscious $359.99, provided you didn't stop reading at the mention of a 1080p panel.

Acer Japan has today launched two predator monitors based on IPS technology. The two monitors in question are 24.5-inch and 27-inch IPS panels based on 1080p resolution named XB253QGXbmiiprzx (the 24.5-inch model) and XB273GXbmiiprzx (27-inch model), which is not a typo and are the actual name of the models. Both of them feature Display HDR400 certifications, meaning that their maximum brightness is 400 nits. Other specifications include a maximum supported refresh rate of 240 Hz with 1 ms GtG response time that can be reduced to 0.5 ms response time with override mode. There are two options of frame syncing, where one is NVIDIA's G-SYNC, and the other is VESA's Adaptive-Sync. Both of them support up to 240 Hz refresh rate, meaning that you can use any card to get syncing at a high refresh rate. The IPS screen covers 99% of the sRGB color gamut.

For connectivity, Acer has equipped these monitors with one DisplayPort 1.2a, and two HDMI 2.0b ports used for input. There is a USB hub with four USB 3.0 ports and one 3.5 mm headphone jack output. The monitor is rocking two 2 W integrated stereo speakers. When it comes to the pricing, the smaller 24.5-inch model is priced at around ¥46,000 ($430 in the United States) and ¥55,000 (around $500 in the US).

If you overlook the fact that it uses a TN-film panel, the new AGON AG273QZ has some otherwise impressive specs relevant to gamers. This 27-inch monitor offers WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, with staggering 0.5 ms response time, 240 Hz refresh-rate, support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and DispplayHDR 400 certification. The panel is mounted onto a stylish tripod stand, and comes with RGB LED embellishments behind. Other key panel specs include 170°/160° viewing-angles (H/V), 1000:1 static contrast ratio with dynamic mega-contrast, and a WLED backlight that uses a non-PWM method of dimming (flicker-free). Inputs include HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4, from which you need at least DP1.2 HBR2 to support 1440p @ 240 Hz. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Today, ASUS launched another additional product in its lineup of portable monitors, called the ROG STRIX XG17AHPE. This portable gaming monitor features a 17.3-inch display with an astonishing 240 Hz refresh rate. Being targeted at "gamers on the go" this monitor is equipped with features to make the user experience as good as possible. Featuring a 17.3-inch IPS panel with a 1080p resolution, the display of this monitor is very decent. Maximum brightness goes up to 300 nits, the contrast ratio is 1000:1, and the panel has 3 ms GtG response time. The Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology used is VESA's Adaptive-Sync.

When it comes to the I/O options, the display is capable of taking a USB-C (that is capable of DisplayPort alternative mode) or Micro HDMI 2.0 as its inputs. There is a built-in ESS Sabre 9118 DAC to transfer digital audio signals to an analog signal for speaker and headphones output. There are also two 1 W stereo speakers integrated into the monitor body. To power the monitor there is a 7800 mAh battery capable of providing 3.5 hours of usage.

It's finally here: a high-end PCI-Express gen 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD by Samsung, made end-to-end by homebrew components. When it releases sometime later this year with a possible technical reveal in Q2, the SSD 980 will be possibly the only client-segment M.2 NVMe PCIe gen 4 SSD to feature MLC (2 bits per cell) NAND flash memory. This also means that the highest capacity on offer is just 1 TB. The company also put out sequential transfer rates: up to 6,500 MB/s reads, with up to 5,000 MB/s writes. The biggest payoffs of MLC would be sustained write performance and endurance (in its capacity class, compared to TLC and QLC).

Next up, is the Portable SSD T7 Touch, a successor to the T5 from 2017. This drive comes in an in-built fingerprint reader, letting you secure its data with your fingerprints. The drive is also a much needed update to the T5, which still uses 64-layer TLC NAND; and possibly uses the latest generation 96-layer V-NAND. The drive is built with an aluminium case that's drop-resistant up to 2 m. A single USB 3.2 connection handles power and data. The drive includes type-C to type-C and type-C to type-A cables, and will be compatible not just with PCs, but also Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

At this year's CES, the ASUS Republic of Gamers announced the latest additions to the Zephyrus family of ultra-portable gaming laptops. Designed with portability in mind, these laptops are packing a lot of hardware in a body that is less than 20 mm thick. The G14 model is a 17.9 mm thin power-house capable of a lot more than its size would suggest. Packing AMD's latest Ryzen 7 4800HS processor, built on 7 nm "Zen 2" architecture with 8 cores and 16 threads, the G14 laptop is paired with NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 2060 GPU with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory.

The Ryzen processors used in Zephyrus laptops are special edition models, which are configured to run at lower 35 W TDP, instead of 45 W like the regular Ryzen 7 4800HS, with the same performance. This is due to the 6 months exclusive ASUS had on these processors, so they now able to use them in their designs to lower power consumption and improve battery life. This Zephyrus G14 laptop features two 14-inch display options to choose from - one 1080p IPS panel with 120 Hz refresh rate, Pantone validated FreeSync display and one 1440p IPS display that is capable of 60 Hz refreshing and also features Pantone validation with FreeSync technology.

Acer unveiled a new series of Nitro gaming monitors, designed to bring games to life. The new Acer Nitro XV3 series features four new monitors for gamers that deliver extremely high refresh rates and high resolution, providing outstanding casual gameplay at affordable prices.

NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible, the new Nitro monitors enable Variable Refresh Rates (VRR) by default when connected to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series and GeForce RTX 20-Series graphics cards to support dynamic refresh rates, eliminating screen tearing and minimizing lag. These new IPS[1] monitors also feature Adaptive-Sync technology to satisfy gamers' need for high resolution gaming through a blisteringly fast response time of up to 1 ms and Visual Response Boost (VRB) for smooth, tear-free gameplay.

HP announces their newest addition to their Omen lineup of specialized gaming monitors. The Omen X 27 (you have to love the simplicity) is a 27" monitor featuring a TN panel - the compromise needed for achieving the ultra-fast 240 Hz refresh rates on offer. The 1 ms response time ensures fast, responsive pixels, while FreeSync 2 is a must for refresh rates such as these - either your graphics card or CPU will introduce some framerate dips, you can almost be sure of that. There's HDR support at the lowest FreeSync 2-supported level - 400 nits. HP say this TN panel can render 90% of the DCI-P3 color space - which sets it apart from most other TN panels and even some IPS solutions.

The Omen X 27 joins HP's growing cadre of Omen monitors this September, joining the Omen X 25 - which has already made its debut for 630€ or $550. Connectivity includes 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, and 2x USB 3.0 slots. Pricing is set at $649.99.

Two of the often overlooked components of a new graphics architecture are the I/O and multimedia capabilities. With its Radeon RX 5700-series "Navi 10" graphics processor, AMD gave the two their first major update in over two years, with the new Radeon Display Engine, and Radeon Multimedia Engine. The Display Engine is a hardware component that handles the graphics card's physical display I/O. The Radeon Multimedia Engine is a set of fixed-function hardware that provides CODEC-specific acceleration to offload your CPU.

The Navi Radeon Display Engine features an updated DisplayPort 1.4 HDR implementation that's capable of handling 8K displays at 60 Hz with a single cable. It can also handle 4K UHD at 240 Hz with a single cable. These also include HDR and 10-bit color. It achieves this by implementing DSC 1.2a (Display Stream Compression). The display controller also supports 30 bpp internal color-depth. The HDMI implementation remains HDMI 2.0. The multi-plane overlay protocol (MPO) implementation now supports a low-power mode. This should, in theory, reduce the GPU's power draw when idling or playing back video.

Samsung at E3 2019 announced their latest high-refresh ration monitor, the CRG5. Based on a 27" VA panel, the display supports only up to 1080p resolution - a limitation that helps it become the fastest refresh-rate monitor in Samsung's lineup with its 240 Hz frequency. These 240 Hz come with the help of support for NVIDIA's G-Sync adaptive sync technology (there's no G-Sync ultimate chip inside, though).

The monitor also offers a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 178º viewing angles, and a peak brightness set at 300 nits - nothing to write home about. It also includes software modes specific for FPS, RTS, and RPG content, and keeps connectivity at a relative minimum with 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, and 1x headphone jack. The Samsung CRG5 will be available starting this July for $399.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, launched a tactical monitor made for FPS gamers, the AORUS KD25F Tactical Monitor. AORUS KD25F is a 24.5 inch Full HD (1920x1080 resolution, 16:9 ratio) monitor using a TN panel with ultra-fast liquid crystal technology which increases the panel response rate up to 70% giving the panel have an incredible response time of 0.5ms (MPRT). Along with a 240 Hz refresh rate, this monitor is the perfect monitor for FPS gaming as gamers will love the smoothness and responsiveness of the monitor. Also, this TN panel is an 8-bit panel with 100% sRGB which is really rare for an TN panel since TN panels are known for their bad color. Want to have the perfect FPS experience with excellent color? KD25F is your answer.

AORUS KD25F shares the same design as the World's First Tactical Monitor AD27QD. Digital LED lighting, the full function stand, frameless design, and a built-in power board are the same as the first monitor. PiP/PbP can put 2 pictures in one screen and you can switch the audio channel to the source you want, making this monitor extra flexible for different needs. The hardware itself is amazing enough but the addition of its software features makes it incredible. Aim Stabilizer, customized crosshair, the exclusive ANC function, having all of these features in a monitor like this makes you the king of the battlefield.

While its honestly staggering see how many products ASUS had on display at Computex this year, I think the number of laptops might take the cake. They had just about everyone imaginable on hand except a kitchen sink. The ROG lineup was represented by the Zephyrus M GU502, Zephyrus S GX502, Zephyrus G GA502, Strix Hero III, Strix SCAR III, and last but not least the Mothership. Meanwhile, the TUF Gaming brand demoed the FX705DU and FX505DU. More surprising is the fact AMD's Ryzen 3750H makes an appearance not only in the TUF Gaming laptops but in the Zephyrus series as well bringing a bit more selection to the once Intel dominated mobile market.

Taking a closer look at the Republic of Gamers lineup and our attention is immediately drawn to the ROG Mothership which due to its design is the most unique laptop on display here. Featuring a detachable keyboard with RGB lighting, eight heat pipes, liquid metal cooling, 4K G-SYNC display, Intel i9-8950H CPU overclocked, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, and NVMe SSDs, it stands out from the crowd. Gone is the traditional clamshell if you so choose without sacrificing performance. It definitely proves to be an eye-catching product.

With an increasing number of "gamers on the go" today, we are getting more gaming products tailored specifically to them. Laptops, portable keyboards, and even portable monitors. Often those monitors aren't very good. They either lack quality or are too small to do anything serious with them. However, ASUS wanted to change that with their launch of a new ROG portable monitor.

At Computex, ASUS has announced a new addition to its portable monitor family, this time under their famous ROG branding. The new ROG Strix XG17, as it is called, appears to be a dream come true for every gamer on the go. It features a 1080p 240 Hz display packed in a 17-inch body made to fit in any bag that is able to carry a 17-inch laptop. It incorporates adaptive sync technology so you will not have to worry about torn frames. The response time is pretty low as well at only 3 ms. You can drive it from any micro HDMI or USB-C DisplayPort cable. It can be powered from the same USB-C DisplayPort cable you use for video, or from the internal battery which is able to handle up to three hours of usage on its own. No information yet on retain availability or pricing, but we look forward to checking it out more sooner than later.

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.

MSI today introduced the Oculux NXG251R, an ultra-fast 24.5-inch gaming-grade monitor. If you can live with its Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution and TN-film type panel, on offer is 240 Hz maximum refresh-rate, response times as low as 1 ms (GTG), and support for NVIDIA G-Sync technology. There are also RGB LED ornaments behind the monitor, which can be controlled via MSI Mystic Light software, which can work as an ambient light, or however you want them to. The monitor features thin top and side bezels, with a faux brushed-metal bottom bezel. Other vital display specs include 170°/160° H/V viewing angles, and 1000:1 static contrast ratio with DCR. Inputs include DisplayPort 1.2 (needed for G-Sync), and HDMI 1.4. A 3-port USB 3.1 hub makes for the rest of it. The company didn't reveal pricing.

It's true, it seems: as time passes, technology becomes cheaper, the entry point becomes lower, more people can acquire more products, demand balloons, and supply tries to keep up. The fundamentals sine right through AU Optronics' choice to increase output on panels that are apparently flying from their inventory: high-end LTPS notebook panels, for one, are selling like hot cakes. The reason is simple: LTPS (low-temperature polycrystalline silicon) can better sustain higher resolution panels with higher vibrancy and accurate color reproduction, but deteriorates faster than IPS LCD panels. So, it serves two purposes (though they'll never tell you about the second): better specs and increased, built-in obsolescence: a traditional feature in the world of capitalism.

Besides LTPS, 4K panels have increased their momentum (planned adoption rates for 2018 are being set at 40%, 10% over 2017's 30% attachment rate), 75-85" panel sales have more than tripled since the beginning of 2018, and 8K panels will start being shipped (in relatively small volumes) in the first quarter of this year. AU Optronics has also increased fabrication of 240 Hz screens for manufacturers that then use their panels on premium products, such as Acer, Asustek Computer, BenQ, ViewSonic, AOC and Philips.

BenQ announces the ZOWIE XL2740 monitor. The XL2740 is a 27 inch PC e-Sports monitor with native 240hz refresh rate providing gamers with another option to suit their personal preference. It has the same features as the smaller 24.5 inch XL2540 and in order to experience the benefits in-game, people who are interested should make sure their computer is able to generate over 240 frames per second (fps) consistently. Please stay tuned to our social media for information regarding availability in your region.

ASUS has added yet another monitor to its already long list of display solutions for customers. The ROG STRIX XG258Q monitor, as the "Strix" name implies, has been designed with gamers in mind, and is one of ASUS' eSports-designed offerings, promising unmatched fluidity in fast frame-rate titles with its 240 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time. To add even more smoothness to the picture, ASUS has also fitted this Strix monitor with FreeSync support (in the 48 Hz to 240 Hz range), which means there is now another high refresh-rate solution for AMD users.

To achieve this kind of refresh rate speeds, ASUS has made use of a 1080p, TN-based panel, which will deliver better gaming performance at the cost of viewing angles and (usually) color accuracy and contrast when compared to other technologies (contrast is set at 1000:1 and the panel is a 6-bit type with FRC). Added technologies include ASUS' ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur), as well as ASUS' Aura RGB lighting effects on the back of the monitor, with an added red ROG logo being projected on to the users' desk from the base of the display. Brightness is being touted at a higher than average 400 nits, but there's no mention of HDR support. Connectivity includes 1x HDMI 1.4 (refresh rates up to 140 Hz), 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q is available for $449, which is slightly more than $50 cheaper than the current market price of the ROG Swift PG258Q, which substitutes FreeSync for NVIDIA's G-Sync.

ASUS is looking to have two distinct monitor product lines catering to either AMD or NVIDIA enthusiasts. Adding to their Swift line-up of NVIDIA G-Sync monitors, ASUS seems to be building up a Strix line as well, which features AMD's FreeSync technology to deliver the same fundamental variable refresh rate technology at a lower price-point (or so we hope.)

Starting with the flagship Strix monitor, the ASUS Strix XG32V has a 31.5" IPS panel with a WQHD resolution of 2560 x 1440. It's curved, so it envelops your FOV better, with the usual 1800R curve. This model can handle refresh rates of up to 144Hz, though readers looking to jump at this panel as we speak should wait for both Freesync range and pricing announcements. Connectivity-wise, we're looking at 2x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0, and an os yet unknown amount of USB 3.0 ports. ASUS has also added the inevitable Aura Sync lighting to the XG32V, materialized on both a ROG logo that shines down onto the desk, as well as an RGB LED suite on the back of the unit that can be synchronized with other Aura Sync-enabled PC components and peripherals.

Update: It would seem reservations regarding the monitor's conservative resolution were right in the money. New details have come to light in that this monitor from AOC apparently supports two display modes: a 1440p, 144 Hz presentation, favoring resolution and graphics quality, or the aforementioned 1080p 240 Hz. This is interesting, offering a solution for gamers who play both competitive shooters and eye-candy-filled games, opting for blazing fast refresh rates or a higher resolution. It remains to be seen whether graphics quality takes a bigger hit than is solely limited to the decreased resolution: using a monitor ona non-native resolution decreases graphical quality, sometimes noticeably so. Still, this is a flexible solution, and I wouldn't be surprised to see users choosing this solution exactly because of the two different modes of operation.

AOC has added a new monitor to its line-up, which seems to be especially geared towards competitive gamers in twitch-shooters. Its astonishing 240 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time, and G-SYNC support are its greatest selling points, I would wager, though I bid you good luck in running most modern games at such frame-rates. To achieve this kind of screen refresh rates, AOC had to compromise in other areas, though: the AG251FG's 1080p resolution seems somewhat limited, as does the usage of a TN panel.