Test Methodology
A monitor review based on descriptive visual analysis will always have the underlying problem of subjectivity; assessments of panel quality will vary from user to user depending on their normative expectations. To get around this we’re deploying Datacolor’s Spyder 4 Elite professional monitor analyser to return a quantitative assessment of display quality.
These numerical results, we feel, add extra utility to our reviews allowing us to more accurately benchmark the following display characteristics:
- Colour gamut relative to sRGB and AdobeRGB industry standards
- Brightness levels and contrast ratios
- Colour uniformity
- Luminance uniformity
- Colour accuracy (Delta-E)
Comparison Monitors |
| Model |
Panel Size |
Panel Type |
Resolution |
Refresh Rate |
Adaptive Sync |
Reviewed Price |
| Philips Brilliance BDM4037UW |
40.0in |
VA |
3,840x2,160 |
60Hz |
- |
£585 |
| Asus RoG Swift PG348Q |
34.0in |
AH-IPS |
3,440x1,440 |
100Hz |
G-Sync |
£1,000 |
| iiyama ProLite XUB3490WQSU |
34.0in |
AH-IPS |
3,440x1,440 |
75Hz |
- |
£500 |
| Philips Brilliance 349X7FJEW |
34.0in |
VA |
3,440x1,440 |
100Hz |
FreeSync |
£760 |
| BenQ EX3200R |
31.5in |
VA |
1,920x1,080 |
144Hz |
FreeSync |
£460 |
| AOC AGON AG271QX |
27.0in |
TN |
2,560x1,440 |
144Hz |
FreeSync |
£400 |
| iiyama ProLite B2783QSU |
27.0in |
TN |
2,560x1,440 |
75Hz |
FreeSync |
£250 |
| iiyama ProLite GE2788HS-B2 |
27.0in |
TN |
1,920x1,080 |
75Hz |
FreeSync |
£170 |
| Asus MG248Q |
24.0in |
TN |
1,920x1,080 |
144Hz |
FreeSync |
£270 |
HEXUS PC Monitor Test Client |
| Hardware Components |
Product Page |
| Processor |
Intel Core i7-6700K |
intel.com |
| Motherboard |
Asus Z170 Pro |
asus.com |
| Graphics Card |
Palit GeForce GTX 980 Ti Super JetStream |
palit.com |
| Memory |
Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-2400 |
crucial.com |
| Power Supply |
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W |
bequiet.com |
| Primary Storage |
256GB Samsung 950 Pro |
samsung.com |
| Secondary Storage |
512GB SK hynix Canvas SC300 |
skhynix.com |
| Chassis |
Fractal Design Define R5 Windowed |
fractal-design.com |
| Operating system |
Windows 10 (64-bit) |
microsoft.com |
Benchmark Suite |
| Gamut |
Percentage of sRGB and AdobeRGB |
| Colour Accuracy |
Average colour accuracy recorded as Delta-E |
| Brightness |
Maximum brightness recorded as candela per square metre (cd/m2) |
| Black Level |
Black level at 100 per cent screen brightness, recorded as candela per square metre (cd/m2) |
| Contrast Ratio |
Measured at 100 per cent screen brightness |
| Colour Uniformity |
Measured at 100 per cent screen brightness |
| Luminance Uniformity |
Measured at 100 per cent screen brightness |
| Power Consumption |
Measured at the mains with 50 per cent screen brightness when displaying a white screen and 0 per cent brightness when displaying black |
