Just wondering, are you guys planning to review the Korean IPS monitors that have been quite popular in the market lately? I'm referring to the Achieva and Yakamasi monitors. I've seen these and think they might be a good higher-end entry to the enthusiast level.
They are definitely the real deal. Just be aware that 2560x1440 (and the 30" 2560x1600 versions) is quite a jump in pixel count over the more standard 1920x1080/1200 screen and graphics architecture/frame buffer - vRAM and memory bus width- become more of a consideration in gaming.
As for the quality of the screens...in general the build quality is acceptable -on par with the cheaper offerings from ViewSonic, Benq, Samsung, AOC etc. Definitely not up to the standard of the comparable Dell, HP, NEC offerings at this resolution- but then the price is considerably less.
Pricing starts (at the time of this writing) at ~$US280 inc worldwide shipping. This is usually for a "tested" panel, although under the S.Korean consumer law from what I understand, up to 5 dead/bright pixels are considered acceptable in this class. Expending another $50 can get you a "perfect pixel" panel - a zero defect screen. These are the ones I buy, and of the eight purchased, all have been defect free. Many of the cheaper "tested" panels are also often defect free...but that depends on luck of the draw.
Moving up through the pricing adds to the feature set. The standard/entry level panel is gloss/reflective- although unless you are really bothered by gloss screens, it isn't that bad (the piano finish gloss bezel is more reflective). Matte screens are available at an extra cost and usually accompany a higher level of input features (see below). Some screens also feature a tempered glass cover -non removeable- over the actual screen (a la Apple iCinema which use the same LG panel) which is highly reflective. Note that the cheaper "tested" panels may also have a certain amount of dust trapped between the glass and the screen.
Input connectivity starts with a sole dual link DVI (and a 3.5mm jack if the panel has integrated speakers) for the base model with one or two HDMI, component, Display Port and composite connectivity options offered on the more feature-laden models -this connectivity, along with a more complex stand to allow increased tilt (usually 5-10[FONT=Times New Roman]
° [/FONT]on base models), rotation, height adjustment and swivel (both absent on the base models as is a fully functional OSD). Expect to pay ~$US440 and up for these extra's at the present time. All the panels I've had ( Yamakasi, Achieva Shimian, Potalion, First) feature a standard VESA mount, so an aftermarket stand is an option if the limitations of basic limited-adjustment are an issue
The other specification metric that is associated with these panels is the ability to overdrive the panel to 120Hz. This is limited to a select number of panels -noteably the Yamakasi Catleap. Now that the feature has become more widely known, the pricing of these models (typified by having a 2B revision mainboard) has skyrocketed. Anyone with an interested in a 3-D capable 2560x1440 screen should head over to
120Hz.net for more info.
Subjectively, I couldn't find any major differences between these screens and a compareable Dell U2711 I had here side-by-side for a while. Backlight bleed on these panels ranges from "better than virtually any TN panel I've used" to " pretty outstanding with maybe a little bleed in one corner- but certainly no worse than any non-pro IPS" - sorry about the lack of numbers.
Colour is very close to the more expensive Dell, HP and Apple screens- the white does tend to have a faint blue hue at the factory default setting. This can be alleviated through your video card's control panel calibration.
Brightness is as good if not slightly better (depending on vendor) than the branded IPS panels, and for gamers, the input lag seems lower than the more complex Dell and HP's I used, to the point of not being noticeable in twitch shooters.
Not much to add, except that they weigh in at a little under 5kg, are very easy to assemble, and have a relatively small footprint (
here's my Achieva Shimian QH270SMS next to a standard 24" 1920x1080).
Be aware that some of these vendors automatically undervalue goods so as not to incur customs taxation/import duties for the buyer. If you're unsure about the courier/delivery service in your area to the extent that you might want to claim the full value for insurance then you might need to attach a note to that effect when payment goes through
Please see the guide for links to OCN forum and Tech Report's review of these monitors that Matthew has added.
Anandtech also recently added a review.