New wave of QD OLED monitors: 4K and 240 hertz on 26.5 inches

Two new QD OLED panels from Samsung Display bring a new wave of gaming monitors. The first panel brings 3840 × 2160 pixels (Ultra HD, 4K) to under 30 inches in the OLED world for the first time. At 26.5 inches, the pixel density increases to 166 pixels per inch (ppi) – 19 percent more than previous 31.5-inch displays.

The higher pixel density should also help with the color fringing due to the triangular sub-pixel arrangement: The smaller the pixels, the finer the color fringes – until they may no longer be visible, depending on subjective perception.

The second panel is also 26.5 inches in size and is still content with 2560 × 1440 pixels (WQHD, 111 ppi), but displays 500 instead of 240 frames per second. As is typical for OLEDs, the response time should be a low 0.03 milliseconds. These monitors are therefore best suited to gamers who play fast-paced shooters.

Monitors from Asus, MSI and Samsung

So far, Samsung itself as well as Asus and MSI have announced monitors with both panel types. So far, only the latter two companies have given more precise specifications, with similar details. At least the 4K models ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and MPG 272URX finally have Displayport 2.1 connections, which transmit 80 Gbit/s and therefore the video signal without loss.

The 500 Hz models ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDPG and MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50 have to make do with Displayport 1.4 and Display Stream Compression (DSC) along with HDMI 2.1. Samsung calls its models Odyssey OLED G8 (G81SF, 4K) and Odyssey OLED G6 (G60SF, 1440p).

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Neue QD-OLED-Monitore zur CES 2025 (7 Bilder)

Meanwhile, there is no significant improvement in brightness. The 4K models remain at 250 candela per square meter (cd/m²) across the entire panel. In HDR mode True Black 400, the maximum rises to 450 cd/m² when a maximum of 10 percent of the screen is lit – in the brightest HDR mode, 1000 cd/m² is also possible in small areas. It depends on how well this works and whether the picture doesn't appear unbalanced.

Apparently, none of the announced models have fans for panel cooling. Asus and MSI advertise AMD Freesync Premium Pro and a G-Sync compatible certification from Nvidia. Graphics cards can therefore set the refresh rates dynamically.

Smart monitor with Tizen

Meanwhile, Samsung is launching its first smart monitor with QD OLED technology: the M9 (M90SF) uses the previous 31.5-inch panel with 4K resolution and integrates an ARM processor. Samsung's Tizen operating system runs on the display without a connected computer, including streaming apps such as Netflix.

The manufacturers have not yet announced any prices or availability dates. Further details could follow at the CES 2025 electronics trade fair, which takes place next week.

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(mma)