Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

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Binder87
Posts: 13
Joined: 07 Aug 2020, 10:09

Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by Binder87 » 07 Aug 2020, 10:17

So, im about to purchase one of them next week. They both cost the same where i live. Basically, to make a long story short, i play competitive csgo 85% of the time im on my pc and its my main hobby. The rest 15% goes to reading articles (work related), or YouTube. Obviously i would like the one that is better for hardcore competitive fps, which i know is the zowie, however, based on reviews that i saw for the MSI, its baisically as fast, and i wonder if the benefits an ips panel would provide me (moreso Colors than viewing angles) are a good enough reason to buy the msi. Im really in a dilemma and i figures you guys could help me solve it.

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DukeDice929
Posts: 81
Joined: 02 Nov 2019, 08:33

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by DukeDice929 » 08 Aug 2020, 13:30

If you're all competitive, I'd recommend to wait for new Zowie model since XL2546S discontinued.
My bad English :0

Binder87
Posts: 13
Joined: 07 Aug 2020, 10:09

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by Binder87 » 13 Aug 2020, 12:16

I went with the msi eventually....got another discount on it. I have to say im quiet satisfied, its an awesome monitor, and most def answers all the needs for competitive fps gaming. Its nice to see how far ips panels have come.

purplew
Posts: 82
Joined: 04 Aug 2020, 00:24

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by purplew » 14 Aug 2020, 08:36

I received my mag251rx yesterday too, but on fast motion (e.g. cod:mw) in gaming there is a noticeable amount of motion blur, which I think you may not have on TN. it is manageable to a degree with MBR.

Binder87
Posts: 13
Joined: 07 Aug 2020, 10:09

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by Binder87 » 02 Sep 2020, 03:34

I tried to activate amb but the monitor gets too dimm for my taste....i play comp csgo, and fine attention to details (in terms of noticing enemies) is more important than anything else (picture quality wise). That's why i use brightness and contrast at really high level, way above whats usable for anything else on that monitor like web browsing etc, so unfortunately i cant really use abm. I don't find the motion blur a limiting factor while playing , so im ok with it.

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speancer
Posts: 241
Joined: 03 May 2020, 04:26
Location: EU

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by speancer » 02 Sep 2020, 08:29

Binder87 wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 03:34
I tried to activate amb but the monitor gets too dimm for my taste....i play comp csgo, and fine attention to details (in terms of noticing enemies) is more important than anything else (picture quality wise). That's why i use brightness and contrast at really high level, way above whats usable for anything else on that monitor like web browsing etc, so unfortunately i cant really use abm. I don't find the motion blur a limiting factor while playing , so im ok with it.
You might find it limiting once you've used a monitor that does a better job in motion handling. I recently tested MAG251RX and Zowie XL2546, and from my latest testing the Zowie one is noticeably better in terms of motion handling. After I played a few days on XL2546 and then switched back to MAG251RX, it looked significantly less clear and more blurry to the level I just returned it and, for now, kept the XL2546. Also, Zowie monitors have very good motion blur reduction technology called DyAc, with manageable crosstalk and no brightness impact. I personally don't use it, because it doesn't help if you use fixed-gaze (stare-at-crosshair-only) aiming technique, but in eye tracking situations (out-of-crosshair) it's helpful. XL2546 is also a lot better in terms of ergonomics.

Also, BenQ Zowie is about to announce their new flagship e-sports monitor this month apparently, so I'm also curious about their new offering.
Main display (TV/PC monitor): LG 42C21LA (4K 120 Hz OLED / WBE panel)
Tested displays: ASUS VG259QM/VG279QM [favourite LCD FPS display] (280 Hz IPS) • Zowie XL2546K/XL2540K/XL2546 (240 Hz TN DyAc) • Dell S3222DGM [favourite LCD display for the best blacks, contrast and panel uniformity] (165 Hz VA) • Dell Alienware AW2521HFLA (240 Hz IPS) • HP Omen X 25f (240 Hz TN) • MSI MAG251RX (240 Hz IPS) • Gigabyte M27Q (170 Hz IPS) • Acer Predator XB273X (240 Hz IPS G-SYNC) • Acer Predator XB271HU (165 Hz IPS G-SYNC) • Acer Nitro XV272UKV (170 Hz IPS) • Acer Nitro XV252QF (390 Hz IPS) • LG 27GN800 (144 Hz IPS) • LG 27GL850 (144 Hz nanoIPS) • LG 27GP850 (180 Hz nanoIPS) • Samsung Odyssey G7 (240 Hz VA)

OS: Windows 11 Pro GPU: Palit GeForce RTX 4090 GameRock OC CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 + Arctic MX-6 RAM: 32GB (2x16GB dual channel) DDR5 Kingston Fury Beast Black 6000 MHz CL30 (fully optimized primary and secondary timings by Buildzoid for SK Hynix die on AM5 platform) PSU: Corsair RM1200x SHIFT 1200W (ATX 3.0, PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR 600W) SSD1: Kingston KC3000 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD2: Corsair Force MP510 960GB PCIe 3.0 x4 MB: ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (GPU PCIe 5.0 x16, NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4) CASE: be quiet! Silent Base 802 Window White CASE FANS: be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM (3x front, 1x rear, 1x top rear, positive pressure) MOUSE: Logitech G PRO X Superlight (white) Lightspeed wireless MOUSEPAD: ARTISAN FX HIEN (wine red, soft, XL) KEYBOARD: Logitech G915 TKL (white, GL Tactile) Lightspeed wireless HEADPHONES: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (white) 24-bit 96 KHz + Sennheiser BTD600 Bluetooth 5.2 aptX Adaptive CHAIR: Herman Miller Aeron (graphite, fully loaded, size C)

purplew
Posts: 82
Joined: 04 Aug 2020, 00:24

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by purplew » 02 Sep 2020, 09:21

speancer wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 08:29
Binder87 wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 03:34
I tried to activate amb but the monitor gets too dimm for my taste....i play comp csgo, and fine attention to details (in terms of noticing enemies) is more important than anything else (picture quality wise). That's why i use brightness and contrast at really high level, way above whats usable for anything else on that monitor like web browsing etc, so unfortunately i cant really use abm. I don't find the motion blur a limiting factor while playing , so im ok with it.
You might find it limiting once you've used a monitor that does a better job in motion handling. I recently tested MAG251RX and Zowie XL2546, and from my latest testing the Zowie one is noticeably better in terms of motion handling. After I played a few days on XL2546 and then switched back to MAG251RX, it looked significantly less clear and more blurry to the level I just returned it and, for now, kept the XL2546. Also, Zowie monitors have very good motion blur reduction technology called DyAc, with manageable crosstalk and no brightness impact. I personally don't use it, because it doesn't help if you use fixed-gaze (stare-at-crosshair-only) aiming technique, but in eye tracking situations (out-of-crosshair) it's helpful. XL2546 is also a lot better in terms of ergonomics.

Also, BenQ Zowie is about to announce their new flagship e-sports monitor this month apparently, so I'm also curious about their new offering.
Hah, it's funny how you once criticized my opinions on saying the MAG251RX wasn't competitive enough, and now you're backtracking and saying TN is better.

anyways, MBR isn't too dim for me and it makes the motion handling so much better. If it wasn't for MBR i wouldn't keep this monitor.

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speancer
Posts: 241
Joined: 03 May 2020, 04:26
Location: EU

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by speancer » 02 Sep 2020, 09:30

purplew wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 09:21
Hah, it's funny how you once criticized my opinions on saying the MAG251RX wasn't competitive enough, and now you're backtracking and saying TN is better.

anyways, MBR isn't too dim for me and it makes the motion handling so much better. If it wasn't for MBR i wouldn't keep this monitor.
Haha, I quite expected you'd notice that :) Well, it's just human to change your mind! I was in the middle of my testing, I attune my opinion accordingly to results I get :P Also, it only comes down to this particular MSI monitor, as for now, not to all high-refresh rate IPS in general.
Main display (TV/PC monitor): LG 42C21LA (4K 120 Hz OLED / WBE panel)
Tested displays: ASUS VG259QM/VG279QM [favourite LCD FPS display] (280 Hz IPS) • Zowie XL2546K/XL2540K/XL2546 (240 Hz TN DyAc) • Dell S3222DGM [favourite LCD display for the best blacks, contrast and panel uniformity] (165 Hz VA) • Dell Alienware AW2521HFLA (240 Hz IPS) • HP Omen X 25f (240 Hz TN) • MSI MAG251RX (240 Hz IPS) • Gigabyte M27Q (170 Hz IPS) • Acer Predator XB273X (240 Hz IPS G-SYNC) • Acer Predator XB271HU (165 Hz IPS G-SYNC) • Acer Nitro XV272UKV (170 Hz IPS) • Acer Nitro XV252QF (390 Hz IPS) • LG 27GN800 (144 Hz IPS) • LG 27GL850 (144 Hz nanoIPS) • LG 27GP850 (180 Hz nanoIPS) • Samsung Odyssey G7 (240 Hz VA)

OS: Windows 11 Pro GPU: Palit GeForce RTX 4090 GameRock OC CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 + Arctic MX-6 RAM: 32GB (2x16GB dual channel) DDR5 Kingston Fury Beast Black 6000 MHz CL30 (fully optimized primary and secondary timings by Buildzoid for SK Hynix die on AM5 platform) PSU: Corsair RM1200x SHIFT 1200W (ATX 3.0, PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR 600W) SSD1: Kingston KC3000 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD2: Corsair Force MP510 960GB PCIe 3.0 x4 MB: ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (GPU PCIe 5.0 x16, NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4) CASE: be quiet! Silent Base 802 Window White CASE FANS: be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM (3x front, 1x rear, 1x top rear, positive pressure) MOUSE: Logitech G PRO X Superlight (white) Lightspeed wireless MOUSEPAD: ARTISAN FX HIEN (wine red, soft, XL) KEYBOARD: Logitech G915 TKL (white, GL Tactile) Lightspeed wireless HEADPHONES: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (white) 24-bit 96 KHz + Sennheiser BTD600 Bluetooth 5.2 aptX Adaptive CHAIR: Herman Miller Aeron (graphite, fully loaded, size C)

Binder87
Posts: 13
Joined: 07 Aug 2020, 10:09

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by Binder87 » 02 Sep 2020, 10:55

purplew wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 09:21
speancer wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 08:29
Binder87 wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 03:34
I tried to activate amb but the monitor gets too dimm for my taste....i play comp csgo, and fine attention to details (in terms of noticing enemies) is more important than anything else (picture quality wise). That's why i use brightness and contrast at really high level, way above whats usable for anything else on that monitor like web browsing etc, so unfortunately i cant really use abm. I don't find the motion blur a limiting factor while playing , so im ok with it.
You might find it limiting once you've used a monitor that does a better job in motion handling. I recently tested MAG251RX and Zowie XL2546, and from my latest testing the Zowie one is noticeably better in terms of motion handling. After I played a few days on XL2546 and then switched back to MAG251RX, it looked significantly less clear and more blurry to the level I just returned it and, for now, kept the XL2546. Also, Zowie monitors have very good motion blur reduction technology called DyAc, with manageable crosstalk and no brightness impact. I personally don't use it, because it doesn't help if you use fixed-gaze (stare-at-crosshair-only) aiming technique, but in eye tracking situations (out-of-crosshair) it's helpful. XL2546 is also a lot better in terms of ergonomics.

Also, BenQ Zowie is about to announce their new flagship e-sports monitor this month apparently, so I'm also curious about their new offering.
Hah, it's funny how you once criticized my opinions on saying the MAG251RX wasn't competitive enough, and now you're backtracking and saying TN is better.

anyways, MBR isn't too dim for me and it makes the motion handling so much better. If it wasn't for MBR i wouldn't keep this monitor.
Well, csgo is kinda unplayable at the brightness you get while enabling mbr, so its a no go :). This game when played competitively demands that things will get quiet bright. I rather have this and let go of mbr...i wish it could do both, but oh well, it is what it im generally quiet satisfied from this monitor.

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speancer
Posts: 241
Joined: 03 May 2020, 04:26
Location: EU

Re: Zowie xl2546 vs msi optix mag251rx

Post by speancer » 02 Sep 2020, 13:29

Binder87 wrote:
02 Sep 2020, 10:55
Well, csgo is kinda unplayable at the brightness you get while enabling mbr, so its a no go :). This game when played competitively demands that things will get quiet bright. I rather have this and let go of mbr...i wish it could do both, but oh well, it is what it im generally quiet satisfied from this monitor.
You can do both. Just buy a different monitor. There are return policies, you know ;) If the majority of your play is competitive CSGO, then XL2546 is better. You could just buy XL2546 and compare it to MAG251RX and make a choice, return the one you like less. I don't understand people who are not willing to check other options out, when everything is widely available, and these other options could be better for your needs. I just buy all monitors I'm interested in and compare them personally. There is no better way to make a good choice, if you ask me.
Main display (TV/PC monitor): LG 42C21LA (4K 120 Hz OLED / WBE panel)
Tested displays: ASUS VG259QM/VG279QM [favourite LCD FPS display] (280 Hz IPS) • Zowie XL2546K/XL2540K/XL2546 (240 Hz TN DyAc) • Dell S3222DGM [favourite LCD display for the best blacks, contrast and panel uniformity] (165 Hz VA) • Dell Alienware AW2521HFLA (240 Hz IPS) • HP Omen X 25f (240 Hz TN) • MSI MAG251RX (240 Hz IPS) • Gigabyte M27Q (170 Hz IPS) • Acer Predator XB273X (240 Hz IPS G-SYNC) • Acer Predator XB271HU (165 Hz IPS G-SYNC) • Acer Nitro XV272UKV (170 Hz IPS) • Acer Nitro XV252QF (390 Hz IPS) • LG 27GN800 (144 Hz IPS) • LG 27GL850 (144 Hz nanoIPS) • LG 27GP850 (180 Hz nanoIPS) • Samsung Odyssey G7 (240 Hz VA)

OS: Windows 11 Pro GPU: Palit GeForce RTX 4090 GameRock OC CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 + Arctic MX-6 RAM: 32GB (2x16GB dual channel) DDR5 Kingston Fury Beast Black 6000 MHz CL30 (fully optimized primary and secondary timings by Buildzoid for SK Hynix die on AM5 platform) PSU: Corsair RM1200x SHIFT 1200W (ATX 3.0, PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR 600W) SSD1: Kingston KC3000 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD2: Corsair Force MP510 960GB PCIe 3.0 x4 MB: ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (GPU PCIe 5.0 x16, NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4) CASE: be quiet! Silent Base 802 Window White CASE FANS: be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM (3x front, 1x rear, 1x top rear, positive pressure) MOUSE: Logitech G PRO X Superlight (white) Lightspeed wireless MOUSEPAD: ARTISAN FX HIEN (wine red, soft, XL) KEYBOARD: Logitech G915 TKL (white, GL Tactile) Lightspeed wireless HEADPHONES: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (white) 24-bit 96 KHz + Sennheiser BTD600 Bluetooth 5.2 aptX Adaptive CHAIR: Herman Miller Aeron (graphite, fully loaded, size C)

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