Samsung S23A750D Lag and Power Usage

Measuring lag on the Samsung was much easier than most panels. Typically when taking shots of an LCD next to a CRT monitor, the FPS numbers on the LCD will be blurry in a shot at least half the time. This is since we’re running at 60Hz and only shooting at 3-4 times that rate, so often we are between frames. With the 120Hz rate of the Samsung, almost all of my images were sharp and clear, which made this bench test much easier than usual.

Processing Lag Comparison (By FPS)

Our overall lag would typically be less than 1 frame, since we usually deal with a 60Hz LCD, but in this case it was just over 1 frame since it is a 120Hz display. This is still a little better than most displays, and the faster refresh means that even if you have a frame of lag, that next frame is coming twice as fast as it would with a typical 60Hz display, so the effect should feel like less. I also tried to increase the response time of the display through the menu but had no change in the lag results.

The power use of the Samsung was a bit higher than a normal LCD, though this could easily be due to the 120Hz refresh rate that uses more power. Samsung doesn’t make a 60Hz version so there’s no way to check for certain that it’s the cause of the use. The power use was still very reasonable for the display size.

LCD Power Draw (Kill-A-Watt)

3D and 120Hz Testing Conclusion
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  • AnnihilatorX - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    Agreed too.

    I suppose it's some form of advertising contract with AMD and OCZ acting kind of a sponsor to the site.
  • Anand Lal Shimpi - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    We weren't asked to do that by anyone (nor do we allow "advertorial" content on the site - I'll be posting some updated AT guidelines in the not too distant future). From time to time we get updated hardware for our testbeds and we typically call it out in our reviews, the intent here was no different although I do understand that it was interpreted quite differently.

    Take care,
    Anand
  • Sabresiberian - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    If you were thrown off by seeing pictures of the PSU, then you weren't reading the article very well. It was obvious to me why Chris might put pictures of the PSU he put in the computer he used to run the video card to run the monitor he was testing. :)

    I haven't read the whole article, but I suspect some of what is going on here is inflexibility and an inability to read properly. In this day and age, people commonly don't read anything longer than a sentence or two without zoning out.

    It's in large part due to a culture in which we have so many distractions (at least in the "western civilized world") that we feel pressed for time, all the time. It's hard to take the time to read an article properly. However, if you are going to read an artivle, I suggest doing it right, and doing it thoroughly, if you really are wasting your time.

    ;)
  • Finraziel - Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - link

    Agreed, I wasn't bothered by this at all either. The bit about upgrading the GPU and PSU was useful and Chris even specifically states why he included it. It is to stress the fact that if you want to use this monitor for 3D gaming, you are going to need a high power system.
    About the product, I agree 120hz is very interesting, even more than 3D I think, but it's a shame you have to sacrifice in other areas to get it for now. Hope we soon get 120Hz non-TN panels and some standardisation in 3D gaming.
  • robinthakur - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    I found it a tad odd that the person reviewing the display wasn't initially using it with a system which would show it at its best and needed to upgrade their pc on the fly, which could introduce additional bugs.

    I also take issue with the following bit:

    "Since LCD phosphors don’t turn on and off instantly but have a bit of decay time"

    This is not a correct explanation of why motion can blur and 3d images can ghost on an LCD screen, more likely a plasma display if we're talking about phosphors and decay-time!

    Thanks for the review though, and I'm sure everybody takes time to settle into a role.
  • Sabresiberian - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    I think it is informative enough to the people who haven't gone through the procedure, who don't understand what running at 120Hz requires, that the information be included. It's not like he did an in-depth review of the PSU, he just devoted a couple of brief paragraphs with pictures in between.

    As far as quality - Anandtech has added more editors, and they don't all have the same style as Anand. They shouldn't; they should write in their own style. I suggest you develop a broader mind. I'm not saying there aren't mistakes in grammar and sloppiness, but I do think this "going down hill" business is stating the situation too strongly.

    ;)
  • Anand Lal Shimpi - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    Thanks for your feedback (as well as everyone else in the thread). AMD and OCZ provided the hardware to augment Chris' testbed for the review and I asked him to include his thoughts on the upgrade experience here to hopefully provide more of the end-user side of things. It was a one-time thing that won't be repeated in future reviews, just sort of a stake in the ground indicating a change to the standard display reviews testbed.

    I do hear you loud and clear though and it's not hard for us to change the way we report changes like that in the future. I've added a section header to the GPU + PSU changes to hopefully explain the intention of that section a bit better.

    Take care,
    Anand
  • PubFiction - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    I agree,

    My interpretation was that this was a shameless way to slip in a plug for OCZ and AMD. And while that may not be the case it is important to think about how different people will interpret an action.

    "Since LCD phosphors don’t turn on and off instantly but have a bit of decay time"

    Also this one quote jumped out at me. This is an LCD with LED backligting. It does not have any phosphors because it does not have a fluorescent backlight and on top of that even if it did there would be no fade away. Typically LCD backlights are just ON and the pixels just hold until they switch to a new orientation.

    Also I do not get the point in sending a light to non gamer to review a monitor with 120hz gaming and 3D gaming as it's major function.
  • crimson117 - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    And then he only tests half life 2 and wow...
  • Sabresiberian - Monday, December 19, 2011 - link

    Actually, I thought that Chris presented himself early on as someone who wasn't an "authority", but was putting himself in the role of an average Joe User adopting his setup to a 120Hz monitor for the first time, and describing what the experience was like from that viewpoint. Not everything has to be written like a technical brief presentation or be a class on the electronics of how TN panels work.

    ;)

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