ASUS VG236H 23-inch 3D Display Review: 120Hz is the Future
by Brian Klug on August 7, 2010 2:48 AM ESTConclusions
This was the first 120Hz desktop LCD I’ve gotten time with, and even before I opened the box I had heard from all around that it’s held in very high regard. Regardless of how you feel about 3D, the VG236H is an awesome choice even from the perspective of its 120Hz refresh rate. Side by side with a traditional 60Hz LCD, the difference is striking. Further, instead of getting tearing above 60 FPS like you would with vsync off on a traditional 60Hz LCD, you get smoother gameplay that just looks more fluid. I definitely can tell the difference, and now I don’t want to go back.
With the 120Hz display, you’re really getting every frame at or below 120 FPS drawn to the screen. At that high of a response time, you definitively can’t see flicker. The result is a similar kind of ‘once you’ve experienced it, you can’t go back’ to a solid state drive.
But if you’re going to get the VG236, it’s worth it to go for the H model which bundles the 3D vision kit over the HE which excludes it, if nothing else so you can see 3D for yourself and decide if it’s worth it. It’s a shame that NVIDIA doesn’t bundle or subsidize copies of Metro 2033 or other 3D Vision Ready titles that really offer a level of gameplay and 3D polish that even ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ titles clearly lack.
Right now, the VG236H’s primary competition is the Acer GD235Hz, which, bundled with the 3D Vision kit, runs $545 on newegg. At $499 with the bundled 3D Vision kit, the VG236H looks like an undeniably better deal with the same specs on paper. The other primary contender is the Alienware OptX. Hopefully we’ll get our hands on these and compare.
As for the future, the real draw will be to larger screens and higher resolutions. In the immediate future, we’ll see a move to LED backlighting on these 120Hz panels. Once you try a 120Hz display, it’s hard to go back.
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user72 - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
I have some molecular modeling programs that use OpenGL QuadBuffer for 3D rendering. Do you know if this monitor is compatible with QuadBuffer? Thanks!Sp12 - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
Until I can get 120hz IPS technology I'm unimpressed. 120hz is in no way worth it for the dithering and inconsistent colors TN brings. Especially if it comes at a premium like that.I may be waiting forever until blue phase or autostereoscopic displays come around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Phase_Mode_LCD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostereoscopy
Soldier1969 - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
1080 monitors suck after having 1920 x 1200 since Jan of 2007 I will never go backwards in resolution. When they make a 2560 x 1600 LED backlit 120hz panel I'll get one but these 1080 ones cater to the poor folk.Daeros - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
This review just highlights why I still use a pair of HP 1230 21" crt monitors. Sure, they weigh about 70lbs each, but they are like 6 years old and have no problem running at 2048x1536 @ 110Hz . Show me any lcd that can do that. And don't even get me started on gamut or black levels.Zok - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
Well, without getting into the old CRT-LCD argument too heavily, my desk can't handle a 30" CRT - size or weight.DarkUltra - Sunday, August 8, 2010 - link
1536x110hz = 169Khz horizontal frequency. That is amazing.. I thoght my lacie electronblue22 III was good at 1440x85hz :)Luke212 - Sunday, August 22, 2010 - link
yeah its a nice story but his crt can only do 91hz at that rez.(140k/1536)
adonn78 - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
I think its over priced for a 23 inch monitor. I'd rather get a larger screen than one with features I'll never use such as 3D.DarkUltra - Sunday, August 8, 2010 - link
It's not just the 3D. 120hz give you a much smoother Windows experience, and the lack of RTC artifacts is also good.SunLord - Monday, August 9, 2010 - link
Any monitor over $300 isn't worth buying even fi its 120hz and the newest gimmick to get stupid people to pay more