whitestar wrote: ↑06 Jan 2026, 10:52
I currently have a ViewSonic XG2431. I'm wondering exactly how clear (as in motion clarity) the image of these new Pulsar monitors are at a low fps (for example 75 Hz) compared to the XG2431. I know the strength of Pulsar is the almost negligable crosstalk, but in terms of just clarity is it just as clear as the XG2431 at such a low framerate? Maybe the Chief knows.
EDIT: Upon inspecting manual, it seems that the 272QRF X36 (MSI's G-SYNC PULSAR model) doesn't support adjusting the pulse width during the use of the standard fixed refresh rate (ULMB2) backlight strobing mode.
My assumption is that it's limited to a PW of 25% in it's ULMB2 setting.
There's no necessity to upgrade to any Pulsar display if you already own the XG2431, as the Viewsonic's fixed refresh rate BL strobing is far better in customizability & therefore benefits to the end-user.
Though, there's an arguement to be had for G-SYNC Pulsar displays. Namely...
Positives:
+ Wide color gamut QD WLED backlight (QD vs YAG phosphor of the Viewsonic)
+ Rolling scan (anecdotally milder than XG2431's global scan in terms eye comfort) multi-strobe PWM (see edit above for single-strobe)
+ Increased pixel density over 24" FHD
Negatives:
- Increase GPUTime due to higher image resolution (1440p)
- VRR+Strobing (multi-strobe PWM) will lead to higher eye-strain potential compared to standard rolling scan backlight strobing (single-strobe PWM)
• Locked down to a Nvidia GPU. AMD GPUs don't work with Pulsar, as per MSI's manual.
• Locked down to the DP1.4 port, rendering it useless for console use.
• Permanent use of DSC due to forced DP1.4 requirement, which can break MPOs & thus affect performance in games negatively. Especially D3D12 games.
• No adjustable pulse width in it's fixed refresh rate (ULMB 2) mode & instead using fixed 25% pulse width.
• “HDMI 2.1” is not running at FRL6, but at TMDS (HDMI 2.0 BW), rendering the port completely useless. Confirmed by reading ASUS & MSI's manual.
Neutral (subjective)
- Personally, <240Hz is a 'unusable' MPRT target from a fast-paced gameplay perspective. It's not worth exposing your nervous system to flicker when the MPRT value is at such a high target.
In terms of achievable MPRT (PULSAR is using a fixed Pulse Width of 25%) when using G-SYNC PULSAR (VRR+BLStrobing), we're looking at:
48 Hz — 5,2083ms (“Effective ~192Hz”) [lowest with Pulsar after the announced firmware update]
60 Hz — 4,1667ms (“Effective 240Hz”)
90 Hz — 2,7778ms (“Effective ~360 Hz”) [old low with Pulsar]
120 Hz — 2,0833ms (“Effective ~480 Hz”)
240 Hz — 1,04167ms (“Effective ~960 Hz”)
324 Hz — 0,771605ms (“Effective ~1296 Hz”) [(highest with Reflex cap, since VRR is enabled]
360 Hz — 0,6945ms (“Effective ~1440 Hz”) [if fixed refresh rate backlight strobing at 25% pulse width]
Considering that the maximum achievable brightness of most edge-lit LCD IPS displays fall within 300-400cd/m², we're talking about a brightness range of 75–100 cd/m² when using G-SYNC Pulsar (which uses a fixed 25% pulse width across it's 90–324 Hz range)
To me, ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶x̶e̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶f̶r̶e̶s̶h̶ ̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶ (see edit above) & higher pixel density is the most appealing aspect of the new G-SYNC Pulsar displays, as 24" FHD is a terrible pixel density target for the vast majority of desk depths.
The new G-SYNC PULSAR displays are the first QHD panels (since the 27" QHD 144–165 Hz G-SYNC Module models) which isn't nerfed with red fringing, due to the use of a QD WLED backlight.
I'm glad that they aren't using the KSF WLED like the PG27AQN had.
I'm hoping that the 32" 5K 165Hz panels will incorporate the aforementioned settings & a fixed refresh rate setting with adjustable pulse width.
