Upgrading from Planar SA2311W to ASUS VG248QE? (re: G-SYNC?)

[sofakng]

I'm currently using a Planar SA2311W monitor that doesn't support Lightboost and can't be upgraded to G-SYNC.

I'm also running a GTX 690 video card.

My current monitor is "decent" but I'm very sensitive to motion sickness and I think that variable framerates are making me feel a bit queezy so I'm thinking about "upgrading" (???) to an ASUS VG248QE monitor with G-SYNC.

I'm typically running my games at "high" settings so I'm usually getting around 60 - 100 FPS in most games at 1080p...

There are a lot of great articles (especially on this site!) about Lightboost and G-SYNC but I'm still not sure how much (if any) of an improvement there would be for me.

Is it worth upgrading from my Planar SA2311W to an ASUS VG248QE with G-SYNC? Will my GTX 690 (single card with two GPUs) have more/less micro-stutters?

[Chief Blur Buster]

Is it worth upgrading from my Planar SA2311W to an ASUS VG248QE with G-SYNC?

Yes.

You will get two upgrades: (1) A strobe backlight option, and (2) G-SYNC for smoothing out stutters/eliminating tearing.

Don't forget LightBoost too, which Planar doesn't have. (See 60Hz vs 120Hz vs LightBoost). LightBoost has sometimes solved motion sickness for some people (See LightBoost testimonials) but it is person-dependant, and depends on whether you got motion sickness from motion blur, like some people do.

Almost any of the newer monitors in the List of 120Hz Monitors is currently an upgrade relative to Planar SA2311W. The only exception is if your Planar had better-than-average colors, and the monitor you upgrade to, has poorer colors. Planar does a very good job of quality control, so bear this in mind. However, for motion clarity aspects, newer 120Hz monitors are now doing a better job.

[sofakng]

Thanks for the fast reply and fantastic website!

I've recently purchased a colorimeter (i1 Display Pro) for calibrating my PC monitors and HDTVs.

Would this help compensate for the poorer colors on the ASUS monitor? (i.e. is the ASUS poorly calibrated, or incapable of producing as accurate of colors?)

[Karnaj]

Once you understand the differences between LightBoost and G-Sync, I think it comes down to your budget. The VG248QE is currently $266.99 on Newegg and the DIY G-Sync Upgrade Kit for this monitor will be sold soon for $199 (to US and Canadian residents). New G-Sync-included monitors have been announced for sale within two months or so, but there are no prices yet.

The DIY kit might become cheaper later on if you wanted to get the VG248QE right away simply for LightBoost, which is recommended only if your FPS meets or exceeds LightBoost's refresh rates of 100 or 120 Hz.

[Chief Blur Buster]

Once you understand the differences between LightBoost and G-Sync, I think it comes down to your budget. The VG248QE is currently $266.99 on Newegg and the DIY G-Sync Upgrade Kit for this monitor will be sold soon for $199 (to US and Canadian residents). New G-Sync-included monitors have been announced for sale within two months or so, but there are no prices yet.

You're welcome to buy from elsewhere, but just to point out, to support Blur Busters, we prefer our readers to buy via Blur Busters Amazon links, such as the links in List of 120Hz Monitors. That way, you're supporting the funding/operation of Blur Busters. So that you now know you support the operation of Blur Busters that way -- at least you're aware now!

The DIY kit might become cheaper later on if you wanted to get the VG248QE right away simply for LightBoost, which is recommended only if your FPS meets or exceeds LightBoost's refresh rates of 100 or 120 Hz.

That is very true. With a surplus of new GSYNC monitors by 2015, the old kits will probably be cheap in 12 months. It's the good old falling-electronics-prices conundrum: Buy now or later?

But, $200 does buy you something that visually looks like a bigger upgrade (e.g. BF4 and Crysis3) than buying a second $500 GPU going SLI. Game dependant, of course. It isn't visually as big an upgrade in certain other games, so it depends on the games you play. Typically slow-running games at Ultra detail gets the biggest benefit from GSYNC. And maybe waiting a bit, you might see prices of $175. Or even $150. I don't know. But they're using an expensive FPGA chip in that (the chip used in the GSYNC upgrade kit retails between $300-$1000).

[sofakng]

Thanks for all of the information. I've just placed an order but it was from Newegg because Amazon was only offering the monitor through it's third party resellers.

However, I did just donate a couple of dollars (not much, but at least it's something) using your PayPal donation link.

Thanks again! Hopefully the G-SYNC DIY Kit doesn't sell-out too quickly!

[nimbulan]

Thanks for the fast reply and fantastic website!

I've recently purchased a colorimeter (i1 Display Pro) for calibrating my PC monitors and HDTVs.

Would this help compensate for the poorer colors on the ASUS monitor? (i.e. is the ASUS poorly calibrated, or incapable of producing as accurate of colors?)

It seems to produce reasonably accurate colors after calibration (color balance and contrast are pretty good, and it can be ridiculously bright if you want that.) The color gamut will never be as good as an IPS panel and the one thing you will never be able to get around is color banding due to the 6 bit color processing like all TN panels. I'm satisfied with mine though the color banding can be annoying at times, especially if you plan on watching any animated videos on it.

The other issue I should mention is that the gamma is very poor on the VG248QE and it has no adjustment in the OSD, resulting in washed-out colors. I installed a color profile on my computer to correct it on the desktop but games all need to be adjusted manually since they override the Windows color profiles.

Since you have a calibrator, I would very much like you see your calibration results for the VG248QE. Perhaps they can give a better picture than what I've found in reviews.

[sofakng]

According to Blur Busters, the monitor with G-SYNC (and probably even without G-SYNC) supports MCCS/DDC color management, so with a calibration system you can actually adjust the monitor settings without installing a profile. After correcting the color it should work with everything including games, etc.

I'd be more than happy to share my results after I calibrate it, but each monitor is different from the factory so you can't directly compare calibration settings...

[Chief Blur Buster]

According to Blur Busters, the monitor with G-SYNC (and probably even without G-SYNC) supports MCCS/DDC color management, so with a calibration system you can actually adjust the monitor settings without installing a profile. After correcting the color it should work with everything including games, etc.

Yes, it works on my GSYNC monitor:

How to Calibrate Colors on a GSYNC Monitor