ViewSonic XG2431 Discussion Thread [Blur Busters Approved XG2431 - 24" 240Hz IPS with Best Strobing]

[Zace]

Yes - however, there are multiple worthwhile strobe upgrades:

…Much better 240Hz strobing (ballpark of TN strobe quality for 240Hz strobe)

The xl2546k even though very clear with dyac, still has few ufos trailing behind it. If xg2431 is close to it, does it mean it has these trails too?

[Chief Blur Buster]

The xl2546k even though very clear with dyac, still has few ufos trailing behind it. If xg2431 is close to it, does it mean it has these trails too?

Give or take. Screen center is however, much clearer than XG270 at 240Hz, as max-Hz strobing has been specifically improved as much as possible, too. This is normal at max Hz for all LCD desktop monitor strobing.

With the Utility, you may be able to tune to better than an average TN via additional tuning, though!

They mostly disappear at about 120Hz-144Hz + Large Vertical Totals
(refresh rate headroom is necessary on all panels if you are crosstalk-priority over latency-priority).

At current finite LCD GtG, laws of physics on all brands and panels cause this at max Hz, for top/bottom edges. Fortunately, there is a complete continuum of progressively better strobing for every 1Hz you get below max Hz (when using Strobe Utility + Large VTs to tune to the least possible strobe crosstalk you can get for your panel specimen)

This is exactly why NVIDIA won't allow ULMB at max Hz, even though it is technically possible -- they think the strobe crosstalk is too bad. But we prefer to give users complete strobe choice, with a continuum of any-Hz strobing that is also retro-friendly (60Hz), rather than presets (85Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz).

The factory strobe tuning is done as best as the firmware allows me. But users can still get better than factory because room temperatures are different (LCD GtG is slower in cold rooms, faster in hot rooms) and panel vary ever so slightly (the panel lottery effect). This can do things like worsen strobe crosstalk from 1% visibility to 10% visibility, which can then be compensated via Strobe Utility (e.g. via a stronger or weaker Overdrive Gain).



The screen center of a strobed LCD may be 1% at factory, but panel variance (lottery) may turn that to 3%. Then you have a cold bedroom in the middle of winter. The 3% turns to 10%. Now you're stuck (regardless of vendor).... unless you download Blur Busters Strobe Utility an fix your unique panel specimen and temperature!

Custom strobe tuning optional is for advanced strobe users, much like custom color tuning (via colorimeter) is optional for advanced color users. So if you are super crosstalk sensitive, you may be able to out-tune almost any strobe mode on the same panel (unless that panel is using something exotic such as Y-axis variable OD Gain). With a colorimeter, color tuning can become better than factory sometimes. The same is true for DIY strobe tuning by advanced end users.

In other words. It is very good strobing - among the best an IPS can currently get at less than four figure pricing at the moment, with current technological limitation.

[toni2068]

new tech always has this sense of melancholy for me, because the first thing i do is find out what the maximum limitations are. Here's to a higher framerste future

[Zace]

360hz are good, but if xg2431 can deliver xl2546s clarity + lower response time(new panel) then I think I can still esport with it. The only thing holding this monitor is being in store. Its been long.

[Chief Blur Buster]

new tech always has this sense of melancholy for me, because the first thing i do is find out what the maximum limitations are. Here's to a higher framerste future

I try my best to be honest about tech limitations. LCD motion blur reduction have come a really long way in the last 10 years and still have much to go!

360hz are good, but if xg2431 can deliver xl2546s clarity + lower response time(new panel) then I think I can still esport with it. The only thing holding this monitor is being in store.

My personal opionion is that it is a very esports-friendly IPS LCD, in both strobed and non-strobed modes. And can even esports on both consoles and PC -- since it's one of the rare 240Hz LCDs that also does 60Hz low-lag and 120Hz low-lag too.

The addition of Overdrive Gain tuning capability, improves further control over crosstalk reductions, over XG270. The other chief difference of XG270 is that XG270 is a fixed-scanrate panel (like nearly all 240Hz panels on market) and XG2431 is a variable-scanrate panel -- which produces some rather interesting behavior differences such as XG2431 having superior low latency for PlayStation and XBox gaming at 60 Hz and 120 Hz.

However, I will let the reviewers and end users be the judge of that, obviously.

Its been long.

Chip shortages is delaying a lot of monitors and panels. Many custom high Hz panel require powerful chips custom made by fabbers such as TSMC or GlobalFoundries, etc.

Most users don't realize this because manufacturers try not to announce until they know when they're able to release, but they're imperfect. I have >1 year old prototypes, as well as one 2 year old unannounced prototype monitor. Models under NDA by multiple manufacturers.

First it was COVID delays, then chip manufacturing capacity shortages (gaming panels panels require custom chips), then easier-to-manufacture models jumped the queue ahead, delaying certain prototypes by a year or two. You've heard chip factory manufacturing capacity shortages delay car manufacturers and other mudane products...

Personally, I am VERY glad XG2431 was delayed only a few months, given a couple of very old prototype monitors (of undisclosed manufacturers) sitting behind me on the laboratory bench...

This will be a sustained problem for upcoming future models for the forseeable future, probably. TSMC is building new chip factories but that will be years. The GPU crypto craze gobbled up a lot of chip fab capacity and even as the GPU shortages abate, there's a long lineup of many months of waiting manufacturers waiting for their chip orders from the chip fabbers (TSMC, GlobalFoundries).

(In a gallows humor way, crudely simplified: Take a number, have a seat for many months, to wait in line to pick up your freshly manufactured chips. If only silicon was as easy to make as pototo chips...)

It's hurry-up-and-wait, even for myself at Blur Busters. So much yummy stuff for y'all in my laboratory that may still be months or years from release.

[disq]

Will we be able to use display scaling with this monitor for resolutions < than 1080p at max refresh rate? Either via HDMI or DisplayPort

[Falkentyne]

new tech always has this sense of melancholy for me, because the first thing i do is find out what the maximum limitations are. Here's to a higher framerste future

I try my best to be honest about tech limitations. LCD motion blur reduction have come a really long way in the last 10 years and still have much to go!

360hz are good, but if xg2431 can deliver xl2546s clarity + lower response time(new panel) then I think I can still esport with it. The only thing holding this monitor is being in store.

My personal opionion is that it is a very esports-friendly IPS LCD, in both strobed and non-strobed modes. And can even esports on both consoles and PC -- since it's one of the rare 240Hz LCDs that also does 60Hz low-lag and 120Hz low-lag too.

The addition of Overdrive Gain tuning capability, improves further control over crosstalk reductions, over XG270. The other chief difference of XG270 is that XG270 is a fixed-scanrate panel (like nearly all 240Hz panels on market) and XG2431 is a variable-scanrate panel -- which produces some rather interesting behavior differences such as XG2431 having superior low latency for PlayStation and XBox gaming at 60 Hz and 120 Hz.

However, I will let the reviewers and end users be the judge of that, obviously.

Its been long.

Chip shortages is delaying a lot of monitors and panels. Many custom high Hz panel require powerful chips custom made by fabbers such as TSMC or GlobalFoundries, etc.

Most users don't realize this because manufacturers try not to announce until they know when they're able to release, but they're imperfect. I have >1 year old prototypes, as well as one 2 year old unannounced prototype monitor. Models under NDA by multiple manufacturers.

First it was COVID delays, then chip manufacturing capacity shortages (gaming panels panels require custom chips), then easier-to-manufacture models jumped the queue ahead, delaying certain prototypes by a year or two. You've heard chip factory manufacturing capacity shortages delay car manufacturers and other mudane products...

Personally, I am VERY glad XG2431 was delayed only a few months, given a couple of very old prototype monitors (of undisclosed manufacturers) sitting behind me on the laboratory bench...

This will be a sustained problem for upcoming future models for the forseeable future, probably. TSMC is building new chip factories but that will be years. The GPU crypto craze gobbled up a lot of chip fab capacity and even as the GPU shortages abate, there's a long lineup of many months of waiting manufacturers waiting for their chip orders from the chip fabbers (TSMC, GlobalFoundries).

(In a gallows humor way, crudely simplified: Take a number, have a seat for many months, to wait in line to pick up your freshly manufactured chips. If only silicon was as easy to make as pototo chips...)

It's hurry-up-and-wait, even for myself at Blur Busters. So much yummy stuff for y'all in my laboratory that may still be months or years from release.

I trust you, Chief. I always have. Please let this monitor be everything you're claiming it to be. It seems like its only drawback is it can't do VRR strobed (Unless there's an undocumented way to enable it), and that it's not OLED.

[Chief Blur Buster]

Will we be able to use display scaling with this monitor for resolutions < than 1080p at max refresh rate? Either via HDMI or DisplayPort

I have only tested 4K 60 Hz -- and yes, XG2431 supports 4K 60Hz input. Obviously, it scales it down to 1080p 60Hz but it works.

For max-Hz, I doubt it. I have not tested 1440p or 4K at higher Hz, the cable bandwidth is the huge limiting factor. I suspect you will be able to get a little higher, but not all the way to 240 Hz. It is not a feature most gaming monitors is able to do.

[disq]

Will we be able to use display scaling with this monitor for resolutions < than 1080p at max refresh rate? Either via HDMI or DisplayPort

I have only tested and XG2431 supports 4K 60Hz input. Obviously, it scales it down to 1080p 60.

I have not tested 1440p or 4K at higher Hz, the cable bandwidth is the huge limiting factor. I suspect you will be able to get a little higher, but not all the way to 240 Hz. It is not a feature most gaming monitors is able to do.

I meant resolutions lower than 1080p. Will it do, say, 1728x1080 or 1680x1050 at 240Hz?

On the manual posted few posts back, i can only see this:

Untitled.png (81.27 KiB) Viewed 5063 times

I'm talking about "true" scaling, where for example, you use CRU to create a custom resolution and not nvidia with the "Automatic" standard where it keeps native resolution values

[Chief Blur Buster's Note: These are just the modes ViewSonic officially tested and validated. The monitor is able to sync to thousands of different custom Hz and custom resolutions that are not listed.]

[Chief Blur Buster]

I meant resolutions lower than 1080p. Will it do, say, 1728x1080 or 1680x1050 at 240Hz? On the manual posted few posts back, i can only see this:

It should. I tested various odd resolutions such as 1440x1080 and 3840x2160 and 1920x1078 -- the monitor will accept these signals.

For 1920x1080, it can do any fixed-Hz refresh rate in literally 0.001Hz increments from ~48Hz through ~240Hz -- with strobing supported from ~59Hz to 240Hz. I tested numerous sample oddball Hz's and they all worked as long as I correctly derived from an existing mode via ToastyX CRU (for monitor scaled) and NVIDIA CRU (for GPU scaled). And Large Vertical Totals are supported on this panel, too.

These are just the modes that ViewSonic "officially" tested, but I personally tested custom resolutions and custom Hz.

As a general rule of thumb, FreeSync support on any panel usually means custom fixed-Hz support (in the FreeSync range) and custom large VT support / Quick Frame Transport for fixed-Hz (with VTs similar to what FreeSync uses for a specific Hz).

The panel scaler/TCON needed to be flexible to support FreeSync / G-SYNC Compatible, which incidentally means vastly better flexibility in untested custom-fixed-Hz support on modern panels.