You need a colossal amount of rendering power to hit decent frame rates at such a high resolution. Read our full Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 review (opens in new tab).ĤK gaming is a premium endeavor. Instead, this is the virtually no-compromise OLED experience we've been waiting for. Likewise, the full-screen brightness is far better than LG-based OLED monitors. There's no backlighting weirdness you must put up with on mini-LED monitors. It matches the Alienware OLED at every significant turn and then adds a glossy coating that really lets that Samsung QD-OLED panel sing. Yup, the Philips Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 is our new favorite gaming monitor. It's fairly apparent in some of the punchier HDR modes, but in our preferred HDR True Black mode it's barely visible, especially compared to the huge shifts in brightness we've seen with monitors running LG panels.Īll of which means that you may have guessed what's coming. So, you can see the whole panel adjusting its brightness as you do things like open and close browser tabs or adjust application window sizes. The slight catch is that there is a visible brightness limiter operating in HDR mode. Because it means you can run this monitor in HDR True Black mode all the time. If that sounds like an esoteric concern, it actually matters. Specifically, the SDR color balance is bang on in that mode. So much depends on exactly how the dimming algorithm has been coded with mini-LED monitors.Įven better, the new Philips is really nicely calibrated in HDR True Black mode. ![]() But with that comes all the downsides of LCD, like mediocre pixel response, plus the numerous new issues that come with local dimming, including blooming and crushing of shadow detail. Yes, mini-LED monitors do basic brightness better. That's not because it immediately does something stunning. ![]() The Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 impresses as soon as you turn it on. Philips has gone for a glossy coating, and it makes all the difference. LG-based OLED monitors come in under 200 nits for full-screen brightness, which means they look plain dingy, and dull on the Windows desktop. Moreover, it's reasonably punchy at 250 nits for full-screen brightness. Like its Alienware cousin, it doesn't run a problematic ABL or automatic brightness limiter in SDR mode. Likewise, both monitors promise 0.1ms response times and are capable of 175Hz refresh. Philips claims the same 250-nit full-screen SDR brightness and 1000-nit peak HDR brightness, the latter in a small 3% window. So, it's a 3440 by 1440 pixel item with that immersive 21:9 aspect ratio and a gentle 1800R curve. You know, the one that previously went straight to the top of our favorite gaming monitor list. It's based on the same Samsung-sourced QD-OLED panel we first saw in Alienware's 34-inch OLED model. By most measures, this new OLED monitor isn't especially novel. This list is updated frequently as newer models pass the rigorous PC Gamer testing ringer. It's extensive, but there are a whole lotta gaming monitors out there, and plenty deserves your attention. ![]() I've constantly been testing gaming monitors throughout my career and have ensured that only the best for each budget has crept into this guide. Even high-end PC owners might consider skipping 4K, though: 1440p is the sweet spot right now.įor the competitive gamer who values speed above all else, check out our list of high refresh rate monitors (opens in new tab) running at 165Hz, 240Hz, and even 360Hz. ![]() Those sitting somewhere in the mid-range of things-with an old RTX 2070 Super maybe-are better off looking at 1440p displays. But if you've had the cash to drop on an RTX 40-series or a high-end AMD RX 7900 (opens in new tab) series GPU then you can take your pick of 4K panels. You want to match your monitor choice with your PC specs to get the most for your money. A 4K monitor with a high refresh rate would be overkill if your rig only packs a GTX 1060. Right now, the best gaming monitor is the Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 (opens in new tab), a glorious high-refresh QD-OLED ultrawide that delivers the ultimate gaming experience available at the moment.
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