NVIDIA G-Sync Pulsar monitor - Asus ROG Strix XG27AQNGV

[kyube]

Those heatmaps you've presented cannot used as a comparison, because they're using a different testing standard (RGB 10 offset, as opposed to RGB 5 offset)
The former hides bad transitions, which the latter shows clearly.
Here's a few RGB 5 offset examples
DISCLAIMER: Don't rely on the color of the individual G2G RT transitions.
It's a misleading UI practice that OSRTT does, where the colors green, yellow, orange & red are applied to transitions based on fixed time-domain values (e.g.: <3ms is green, ~10ms is red etc.) instead of being based on the refresh rate target (e.g.: above refresh rate being red; orange when 90% away, green when <50% away etc.)
Rely on raw numbers & how they relate to the time-domain equivalent of the refresh rate (e.g.: 540Hz = ~1,85 ms; 360Hz = ~2.778 ms)
OSRTT also isn't precise enough & uses 5 steps on the X-axis & Y-axis instead of higher precision steps (15, 17, 51,...); which also means that some transitions are hidden.

AW2523HF (360Hz FHD IPS LCD; likely VRR on):


AG246FK (540Hz FHD Rapid-TN LCD; VRR on; 360Hz cap; NOTE: i don't know how they've set a lower Hz cap, can be misleading)


XL2566K (360Hz FHD TN LCD)

[MPRT|GTFO]

Only thing we got was an exorbitant price point for a QHD 360Hz LCD (2022 pricepoint) in the 2026 market (where equivalent panels cost 200–400€)

It looks as if the models got delayed for years and they didn't update any aspect of them (price or specs), other than what the delay was for (I guess they changed the LED/phosphor type and other aspects of the backlight and strobing). So I'm hoping for a future model with more 2026-like specs (e.g. 1440p@600Hz or 2160p@360Hz) and allowing for MPRT <0.3ms at over 100 nits brightness and then the launch price can be whatever it needs to be. Maybe display makers can find a new type of demand that they haven't sold to for decades, if only they stopped targeting exclusively buyers who they surely view as some combination of poor and foolish, and if they made a more serious attempt at making a high specifications display.

The biggest thing people forget is that VSYNC ON is also a viable path to tackle 'tearing'...

Yes, that is fine at high FPS and refresh rate.

I do understand the desire to make the most out of each frame when the frame rate is below the maximum refresh rate and varies, though. So I guess monitors like these have a niche, but like most others, they aren't trying to make them strong in a wide array of applications.

too high of a refresh rate to avoid PWM desync (XL2586X)

I don't mind the high refresh rate, as there is great gaming content with varied gameplay that can challenge monitor capabilities for resolution and MPRT at the same time, while also going over 1000fps easily. Such as old games with current-day mods and content. It seems frame generation is also making progress. And it seems high refresh rates are still important for getting to lower MPRT while maintaining sufficient brightness (unless it's a CRT). And it looks like they avoid pulsing LEDs brighter when they can, for reasons I don't fully understand.

[kyube]

too high of a refresh rate to avoid PWM desync (XL2586X)

I don't mind the high refresh rate, as there is great gaming content with varied gameplay that can challenge monitor capabilities for resolution and MPRT at the same time, while also going over 1000fps easily. Such as old games with current-day mods and content. It seems frame generation is also making progress. And it seems high refresh rates are still important for getting to lower MPRT while maintaining sufficient brightness (unless it's a CRT). And it looks like they avoid pulsing LEDs brighter when they can, for reasons I don't fully understand.

I was more referring to the fact that the XL2586X is only <1ms MPRT at particular refresh rate targets (>360Hz) due to the fixed pulse width of DyAc2.
The higher the refresh rate when strobing, the smaller the subset of games able to sustain such frame rate.
If FPS<Hz, PWM desync / artifacts will occur.. which negatively affects the experience.
CRTs were exempt from this, due to their general 60–200Hz refresh rate range and <1ms MPRT at all times.
I much prefer being FPS>Hz at all times than experiencing the PWM desync-like effect...

But yes, I agree with your write-up. Especially the 0,3ms MPRT @ 100cd/m² part.
I am waiting for a +480Hz OLED with proper <1ms MPRT HW BFI across the 85–300Hz refresh rate range (without resorting to SW BFI).
Having the ability to use a display in the sample & hold mode or BFI mode, both being amazing, would be the dream.

Right now, in the FHD space, this is somewhat satisfied by the Zowie XL2566K (Dyac1/Dyac+ models have the ability to use the Blurbusters utility; adjustable refresh rate targets) or the 360Hz IPS LCD G-SYNC module panels (fixed 144 & 240Hz targets only)

The QHD/4K market is dire, however.
Other than the old G-SYNC module 24/27 QHD 120–165Hz TN/IPS LCD panels (e.g.: Dell S2417DG) & the BenQ XL2735 (DyAc1), nothing else comes close to tackling the (relatively) high(er) PPI & <1ms MPRT target segment.
The prevalent use of KSF/PFS backlight made this more difficult...

I was expecting the new Pulsar models to finally tackle this segment properly, since we've got the confirmation of them using a QD WLED backlight slightly before their release.
The panel's G2G RT's being TN-like are icing on the cake.
Having a adjustable PW in ULMB2 mode, allowing to choose custom refresh rate targets & having full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth would make these panels far more appealing...

I'm hoping that the second generation Pulsar panels will be far more appealing.
Perhaps the rumored 32" 5K 165Hz Pulsar models might come with adjustable PW in the fixed refresh rate mode (ULMB2)

[MSIfanboy]

I KNOW ITS unrelated, but imagine this pulsar tech on a 750hz tn
this is the new ant gaming 750hz tn, a new TN not made by auo, its insanely fast

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1zHk6B ... 21a216589e

use ai subtitles, can now watch these videos

[Depo]

Hi All,

I've been waiting for this monitors release like the rest of us for some time now but I seem to be hearing mixed reviews which have left me unsure on the purchase.

Can anyone please give me some advice on who may have tried the monitor and a high refresh OLED. Im currently torn between this and the 480hz OLED from ASUS. Is there a big difference in motion clarity between either monitor?

My other concern as I play FPS titles, is there a perceivable latency difference between either. I was always under the impression that gsyn adds a small amount of delay.

Thanks.

[eriksrevenger]

480fps on a 480hz OLED has slightly better motion clarity than 360fps on the 360hz Pulsar. However, if you're not getting 480fps consistently, and you're ok capping your refresh rate at 360fps, then the Pulsar is better between 90-360fps. I have both a 540hz OLED and the new Asus w/pulsar tech. The OLED shines in games like Valorant and CSGO where I can get 540fps consistently @1440p (with the right settings in CS). In every other game I play where I can stay between 90-360fps (Pulsar min is 75 but you need to stay 15+ above to avoid double strobe), the Pulsar wins. I also have a 27" 4k 240hz OLED, and I'd rather play single player games on the 1400p Pulsar IPS as it's that good.

[g1nk0123]

My subjective first impressions of Pulsar after 3 days (Acer variant)

1. Image quality

Image quality is significantly better than Zowie’s TN panels (as expected).
But: Viewing angles and color reproduction - especially black levels- are on an entirely different level with an OLED. No contest here.

2. Motion clarity / visual coherence

Motion clarity is excellent and broadly on par with my 500 Hz OLED.

However:
In real in-game scenarios, I honestly can’t perceive a meaningful difference between

• 500 Hz OLED (ASUS)

• 480 Hz OLED (ASUS dual mode)

• 540 Hz TN (Zowie)

• 360 Hz Pulsar (Acer)

So far, the only scenario where I can clearly see a difference is in the UFO tests on Blur Busters, where Pulsar performs noticeably the best.
I haven’t yet tested lower-FPS scenarios, where Pulsar is also supposed to shine, so that part is still pending.

General thoughts on refresh rates:

What I find interesting on a more fundamental level: the current OLED trend of simply pushing for ever higher refresh rates feels like a bit of a dead end to me.

Even in competitive FPS games which are my primary use case for this display, I can realistically sustain maybe ~600 FPS, even on my fairly beastly systems.
I seriously doubt that a hypothetical 1000 Hz OLED would provide any tangible benefit.

That’s why the core idea behind this Pulsar display of achieving excellent motion clarity at “only” 360 Hz is very appealing to me.

In short:
In actual gameplay, I do not notice a practical difference between the various high-refresh-rate options.

[RealNC]

What I find interesting on a more fundamental level: the current OLED trend of simply pushing for ever higher refresh rates feels like a bit of a dead end to me.

It's really not. In theory, once you reach 1000Hz, VRR is not needed anymore since the average judder of FPS/Hz mismatch drops to 0.5ms, with worst-case being 1ms, which should be virtually unnoticeable. Probably...

VRR on OLED sucks due to flicker, and this would solve it.

For LCD's though, I agree. It's nonsensical to me to see LCD displays pushing towards 1000Hz. I don't see the point.

[g1nk0123]

It's really not. In theory, once you reach 1000Hz, VRR is not needed anymore since the average judder of FPS/Hz mismatch drops to 0.5ms, with worst-case being 1ms, which should be virtually unnoticeable. Probably...

VRR on OLED sucks due to flicker, and this would solve it.

For LCD's though, I agree. It's nonsensical to me to see LCD displays pushing towards 1000Hz. I don't see the point.

Interesing point. So, a 1000+hz OLED should be ideal for competitive gaming even though the game itself cannot reach those fps? I'll be looking forward to this some day.

[bobbie424242]

One could say that if a monitor technology requires 1000 fps / 1000 Hz for proper motion clarity, it has failed as monitor technology for the purpose of motion clarity. The race to insane refresh rates is neither sustainable nor efficient.