Z Series Monitors for Surround?

[johnny26]

Hi All,

I currently have XL2420TEs in surround. I am considering the Z series but am not sure it would be any benefit running in surround. My understanding is that I would need to maintain at least 100fps/100hz to run Blur Reduction. Can someone confirm? If I am running surround and my fps dips at times and I have Blur Reduction turned on, will it cause images to look "off"(ghosting, stutter, etc..). For the most part I can hit 100plus but it can dip at times depending upon the game. If I happen to dip below 100 fps will Blur Reduction come back on if I jump back up to 100fps matching my refresh rate? Should I just stick with the TEs? I read the forums but I am a bit of a noob so any information is appreciated.

Also, I am considering a move from 24 inch monitors to 27. Everything I read says stick with 24 inch at 1080p due to pixel becoming more apparent at the larger screen size. Anyone with experience in this area?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

[Chief Blur Buster]

Short answer: Yes, it is worth it, if you use "LightBoost" and want it to work easily in surround more.
The Z-Series makes surround mode strobing (CRT clarity motion) very easy on all GPUs without hassle, as the LightBoost-style strobing (BENQ Blur Reduction) is easily enabled via the monitor menus. If you do not use LightBoost, there's really little difference between XL2420TE and XL2420Z.

Long answer: See below.

I currently have XL2420TEs in surround. I am considering the Z series but am not sure it would be any benefit running in surround. My understanding is that I would need to maintain at least 100fps/100hz to run Blur Reduction. Can someone confirm? If I am running surround and my fps dips at times and I have Blur Reduction turned on, will it cause images to look "off"(ghosting, stutter, etc..).

Just simply stutter. Or the double-image effect, much like the CRT 30fps@60Hz effect. Stutter is amplified on CRTs compared to LCDs due to motion blur, so that's why it's more important to maintain a high frame rate.

There is no difference in stutter visibility caused by LightBoost versus BENQ Blur Reduction at same refresh rates -- they are the same kind of strobe technology, except BENQ has better colors and is far more flexible. Stutter become much more visible from the frame drops below refresh rate, on strobe technologies, so you need to do more to control the stutters on all impulse-driven type displays (CRT, plasma, LightBoost, BENQ Blur Reduction) -- the advice is the same; try to maintain high framerates on these types of displays to reduce the amplified visibility of stutter (compared to LCD). Historically, LCD motion blur hides stutter, so the lack of motion blur makes stutter more visible.

Another source of good news with the Z-Series is you can use a lower refresh rate with BENQ Z-Series, such as 75Hz or 85Hz. So you can run 75fps@75Hz or 85fps@85Hz to get blur-free motion that's also relatively stutter-free (especially helped when doing frame rate capping, either during fps_max, or during VSYNC ON)

The question about whether to upgrade from XL2420TE to XL2420Z really depends on your use of LightBoost.
Do you currently use LightBoost on your XL2420TE, and how do you like it?
Or are you loving LightBoost on a single monitor, but having difficulty running it in surround mode?
Are you desiring the LightBoost effect, but with better colors or more refresh rate flexibility?
If high quality strobing that's easy in surround mode (with better color, more refresh rates, adjustments), is what you want, then the Z-Series will be a great surround upgrade. But if you don't use LightBoost, there's really no difference between XL2420T and XL2420Z.

Also, I am considering a move from 24 inch monitors to 27. Everything I read says stick with 24 inch at 1080p due to pixel becoming more apparent at the larger screen size. Anyone with experience in this area?

This is correct about the 24" monitors. During FPS competition you don't want to spend too much time moving your eyes around the screen, since that slows down your scores. So 24" has long been a sweet spot. However, this is fixable if you have a larger desk and can push the monitors further back a bit. And it also really depends on the games that you play. Sim racing versus FPS, etc. If you're already aiming for surround use, then the size of the monitors may be less of a big deal than it is for a competition FPS player. All in all, it's a personal preference.