Earlier than we get to the evaluate, a quick historical past of recent OLED displays might be useful for context:
Two years in the past, Samsung launched their first era QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED) know-how in a extremely sought-after 3440×1440 Ultrawide able to as much as 175hz refresh fee. Avid gamers snatched these displays up, hungry for a real desktop OLED expertise. Sadly, each first gen QD-OLED and the competing W-OLED panels from LG Show utilized a Pink-Blue-Inexperienced subpixel orientation. This didn’t mesh properly with Home windows which was designed to work with a Pink-Inexperienced-Blue format. Whereas this didn’t have a noticeable impact on gaming and video content material, textual content and excessive distinction areas might exhibit a inexperienced/blue coloration fringing that many discovered to be distracting. The identical functions during which the textual content readability points had been most obvious, additionally tended to work in interfaces which offered extra danger to burn in and picture retention. My very own PC is used not just for gaming and video consumption, but in addition for a considerable amount of productiveness with functions like Phrase and Excel. Due to this, I made a decision to carry off on an OLED panel till the know-how improved.
At CES in January of 2024, each LG Show and Samsung Show launched the world to a plethora of recent panels. LG confirmed a number of shows that might be arriving through the first quarter, which might characteristic their second era W-OLED. Sadly, LG didn’t change the subpixel format within the second era panels. LG additionally introduced Third Technology panels which might characteristic a smaller pixel construction (permitting for increased pixel density), in addition to a corrected r-g-b subpixel format. These third gen panels is not going to be accessible till later within the 12 months.
Samsung Show jumped forward of the sport with their announcement that their Third Gen QD-OLED desktop panels can be transport some fashions instantly. Samsung had already made some modifications to their subpixel format in 2023 on their 49 inch, ultrawide QD-OLED panels (which my cohort Josh Walrath ought to have the ability to give some suggestions on shortly). This design change helped with the textual content readability points skilled by the primary gen panel customers.
These new Third Gen QD-OLEDs characteristic a brand new course of for creating the subpixels which allowed for an enormous enchancment in pixel density (as much as 140 pixels per inch), and a most refresh fee of a staggering 240hz at 4k decision.
Whereas the earlier intro was a bit lengthy, I felt it is perhaps helpful to provide an explanation for among the causes that OLED displays haven’t taken over the market, regardless of the know-how being accessible for a number of years. What this intro has led us to, is my choice to maneuver away from my lengthy used 34 inch ultrawide IPS LG panel, and improve to Alienware’s model of the brand new third gen QD-OLED in a 31.5 inch, 4K, HDR panel, and to share my expertise with this monitor over the past month.
And now, the evaluate…
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