When 120Hz Is Not Fast Enough: ASUS 144Hz VG278HE Gaming 3D LCD

Does anyone else remember owning a CRT? And then those first few hours of change after you bought an LCD? I did that back in 2002. Despite the huge cost (at the time) the space and power saving was worth it, for me, as a student in a small, single room apartment. Not to forget that using DVI for the first time gave a pin-sharp image that made reading text on a screen bearable! It was just in gaming with its subtle blur took a little getting used to. True, LCD monitors have come a long way in pixel speed - 20ms; 10ms, 5ms, now 2ms response, but these are sometimes at the behest of other factors like color or brightness. But if your graphics card is outputting 100 FPS, it's 40FPS 'wasted' as the display can only display a maximum of 60 a second. The better answer is just to make the panel faster. Along came 120Hz LCD panels - doubling the speed of the typical 60Hz versions - which were aimed at Stereoscopic 3D use, but were also adopted by gamers who want faster gaming. For those unfamiliar with LCD frequency (rated in Hz), a typical notebook or desktop LCD display runs at 60Hz (60 refreshes every second). This is then doubled to 120Hz for 3D displays, as they need to generate twice as many frames for each eye separately. But these displays can also be used for normal gaming, where the extra frequency can make the whole 2D experience feel a lot smoother. In taking a leaf out of ROG's book, ASUS LCD department has overclocked the 120Hz display in the VG278HE to 144Hz, giving a 20% increase in frame smoothness and an equal reduction in ghosting. So while you still can enjoy Nvidia 3D Vision 2 (with Lightboost) on the VG278HE, even if you're not 3D-ing, gamers looking for the visual edge and minimal frame lag can get it at 144Hz. This means you've got plenty of overhead for that serious GPU setup to pump out FPS into without them being wasted. If you're a 'twitch' gamer or into competitive gaming - a fast panel is certainly worth trying. All the CRT speed benefits, with typical LCD size, heat, weight and crisp digital image benefits. The 27 inch VG278HE comes with VGA, DVI-D and HDMI 1.4 connectivity and a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Availability is due Q4. Here are some online commentries about the speed breakthrough: The Gadget Show (UK): "It’s not everyday that a monitor is worth getting excited about, but in the VG278HE, Asus has cooked up something special. The Asus VG278HE is the first monitor to break through the 120Hz barrier to offer the smoothest ever motion in pictures. Those looking for the ultimate gaming monitor may have just found it." Engadget: "...the VG278HE has knocked through the 120Hz barrier that most monitors come up against. The 27-incher can be configured to a buttery smooth 144Hz for 2D and 3D gaming, while inputs include HDMI, dual-link DVI and VGA." LegitReviews: "It looks like ASUS wasn't content to be one with the pack when it comes to 120Hz monitors. Instead they have pushed past 120Hz all the way up to 144Hz with the VG278HE, which has been designed to make gaming performance in 2D and 3D even smoother. The monitor from ASUS is a 27-inch and is the successor to the VG278H, it is the first monitor to make use of a 144Hz-enabled panel." PC Perspective: "For 3D, the 144 Hz refresh rate means that you can get 72 Hz per eye, which should make it a much smoother experience that cuts down on flicker. It also suggests benefits for 2D gamers as well, because you can enable V-Sync to reducing tearing and still get respectable frame rates."