Test Methodology
A monitor review based on descriptive visual analysis will always have the underlying problem of subjectivity; assessments of panel quality will vary from user to user depending on their normative expectations. To get around this we’re deploying Datacolor’s Spyder 4 Elite professional monitor analyser to return a quantitative assessment of display quality.
These numerical results, we feel, add extra utility to our reviews allowing us to more accurately benchmark the following display characteristics:
- Colour gamut relative to sRGB and AdobeRGB industry standards
- Brightness levels and contrast ratios
- Colour uniformity
- Luminance uniformity
- Colour accuracy (Delta-E)
Comparison Monitors |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Panel Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Refresh Rate |
Adaptive Sync |
Reviewed Price |
HEXUS Review |
| Philips Brilliance BDM4037UW | 40.0 | VA | 3,840x2,160 | 60Hz | - | £585 | Jun 2017 |
| Asus RoG Swift PG348Q | 34.0 | AH-IPS | 3,440x1,440 | 100Hz | G-Sync | £1,000 | Mar 2016 |
| iiyama ProLite XUB3490WQSU | 34.0 | AH-IPS | 3,440x1,440 | 75Hz | - | £500 | Jul 2016 |
| Philips Brilliance 349X7FJEW | 34.0 | VA | 3,440x1,440 | 100Hz | FreeSync | £760 | Apr 2017 |
| BenQ EX3200R | 31.5 | VA | 1,920x1,080 | 144Hz | FreeSync | £460 | Jan 2017 |
| Philips Brilliance 275P4VYKEB | 27.0 | PLS | 5,120x2,880 | 60Hz | - | £1,200 | Jun 2017 |
| Dell UltraSharp U2718Q | 27.0 | IPS | 3,840x2,160 | 60Hz | - | £725 | Sep 2017 |
| AOC AGON AG271QX | 27.0 | TN | 2,560x1,440 | 144Hz | FreeSync | £400 | Nov 2016 |
| AOC Q2790PQU | 27.0 | IPS | 2,560x1,440 | 60Hz | - | £340 | Oct 2017 |
| iiyama ProLite GE2788HS-B2 | 27.0 | TN | 1,920x1,080 | 75Hz | FreeSync | £170 | Sep 2016 |
| AOC Agon AG251FZ | 24.5 | TN | 1,920x1,080 | 240Hz | FreeSync | £400 | Jul 2017 |
| Asus MG248Q | 24.0 | TN | 1,920x1,080 | 144Hz | FreeSync | £270 | Apr 2016 |
HEXUS PC Monitor Test Client |
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|---|---|---|
| Hardware Components | Product Page | |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-6700K | intel.com |
| Motherboard | Asus Z170 Pro | asus.com |
| Graphics Card | Palit GeForce GTX 980 Ti Super JetStream | palit.com |
| Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-2400 | crucial.com |
| Power Supply | be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W | bequiet.com |
| Primary Storage | 256GB Samsung 950 Pro | samsung.com |
| Secondary Storage | 512GB SK hynix Canvas SC300 | skhynix.com |
| Chassis | Fractal Design Define R5 Windowed | fractal-design.com |
| Operating system | Windows 10 (64-bit) | microsoft.com |
Benchmark Suite |
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|---|---|---|
| Gamut | Percentage of sRGB and AdobeRGB | |
| Colour Accuracy | Average colour accuracy recorded as Delta-E | |
| Brightness | Maximum brightness recorded as candela per square metre (cd/m2) | |
| Black Level | Black level at 100 per cent screen brightness, recorded as candela per square metre (cd/m2) | |
| Contrast Ratio | Measured at 100 per cent screen brightness | |
| Colour Uniformity | Measured at 100 per cent screen brightness | |
| Luminance Uniformity | Measured at 100 per cent screen brightness | |
| Power Consumption | Measured at the mains with 50 per cent screen brightness when displaying a white screen and 0 per cent brightness when displaying black | |