sRGB Test Bench

All calibration measurements are done using SpectraCal’s CalMAN 5.3 software with a custom workflow. Measurements are done using a C6 colorimeter that is first profiled against an i1Pro spectrometer to ensure accurate results. There are two sets of targets we use. Pre-Calibration and our first calibration aim for 200 cd/m^2 with an sRGB gamut and a gamma of 2.2. This is a common real-world setting for a display. The final target changes the white level to 80 cd/m^2 and the gamma curve to the tougher AdobeRGB standard.

 

Pre-Calibration

Post-Calibration,
200 cd/m^2
Post-Calibration,
80 cd/m^2
White Level (cd/m^2) 204.1 201.0 84.3
Black Level (cd/m^2) 0.275 0.281 0.131
Contrast Ratio 742:1 716:1 644:1
Gamma (Average) 1.90 2.17 2.45
Color Temperature 6702K 6629K 6506K
Grayscale dE2000 2.74 0.44 0.81
Color Checker dE2000 3.37 1.53 1.65
Saturations dE2000 2.41 1.42 1.50

For this review I’ve switched from taking 21 measurement points to taking 256 levels for grayscale. It provides a much better level of detail than before. Color measurements can’t be measured at the same level of detail, but I do measure them as much as possible.

Using the "Warmish" color temperature setting, we see a good RGB balance before calibration. What isn’t as good is the gamma point, which starts out at 1.6, rises up to 2.0 and then falls down quickly at the top end. This causes crushing of highlights, where values from 90%-100% will look almost identical, and causes shadows to be washed out as well. Colors also have errors with colors on the Green-Yellow-Red side of the CIEuv chart being over-saturated. This also causes the skin tones to be exaggerated.

Post-calibration at 200 cd/m2 the RGB balance is improved but more importantly the gamma is far improved. The gamma is so far off the 2.2 target above 90% that we can’t fully correct it here, but calibration does a good job of fixing it overall. The dE2000 errors fall and are all below 2.0 now with an average of 0.44 that is very good. Color errors improve but there is still a lot of over-saturation in oranges, yellows, greens, and reds that cause visible issues. The lower half of the color gamut is much more accurate.

When we target 80 cd/m2 we see more issues with the gamma, as the lower light output provides us less range to fix the gamma through the hardware LUTs. The grayscale dE2000 is higher as a result but still below 2.0 everywhere. Colors have the same issues, as the green line is hidden behind the yellow line on the saturations chart, but it is otherwise almost the same as it is with 200 cd/m2.

The pre-calibration numbers are okay for the QNIX, but the main thing that holds it back is the gamma preset it utilizes. It makes it hard to hit the gamma target of 2.2 that we look for and means you can see some highlight clipping, even after calibration.

Brightness and Contrast Display Uniformity
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  • Communism - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    The X-Star DP2710 is a Samsung PLS display.
    The one reviewed is an AUOptronics AHVA display.

    Therein lies the difference.
  • tbonanno - Monday, April 14, 2014 - link

    Where did you hear that? Every site I see the display port version for sale it says Samsung PLS as well.
  • okashira - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    Your DP2710LED is superior to the reviewed monitor:
    -better contrast
    -better uniformity
    -better colors
    -overclockable
    -no input lag
  • Folterknecht - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    Please use metric system for measurements or at least also list them. After all anandtech deals with technical gadgets and not with flour, sugar and wood.
  • Ubercake - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    It's funny... Let's use the metric system to talk about a 27" (or should we say 68.58cm?) panel.
  • mr_tawan - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    In my case, which I live in Thailand where the standard measurements are in metric system, the screen size in general terms are in imperial. However when reporting the exact dimension of the display, the measurements are in metric. (for example Sony KDL-70W850B is 70" LCD TV, the dimension is 1,586x970x370mm).

    I guess this is the case in many countries as well.

    There are brochures that even has the diagonal screen size in metric system written in parenthesis after the imperial one, but no one pays attention to it.
  • QuantumPion - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    Also note according to the overclock.net forums, only the DVI-only panels can truly overclock refresh rate. The multi-input panels can force higher refresh rate, but they just simply drop the extra frames.
  • cheinonen - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    Thanks for pointing this out. I tested this today and it is the case, so I updated the review. Screenshots are included as well. I'll make sure to run that test in the future to avoid this mistake.
  • blackoctagon - Thursday, May 1, 2014 - link

    Sounds like you may want to review another (genuinely overclockable) screen, like the Overlord Tempest X270OC
  • coachingjoy - Friday, April 11, 2014 - link

    Bought a Yamakasi 27" WQHD for ~310 USD. It's great .. except it has a dark speck just to the left of center between the panel and glass. If one concentrates on this imperfection it would drive anyone nuts. I just focus on the 310 USD and everything is fine, every once and awhile though......

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