If you are wondering what OLED technology is and how it is helpful in professional gaming, this blog is just for you. By the end of this article, you will properly understand what OLED gaming monitors are and what are the potential best options available in the market.
The primary focus of OLEDs is to build panels that are thinner, brighter, and more energy-efficient than their conventional LCD counterparts. For this purpose, the manufacturers use carbon structures instead of backlight units for generating light. This helps in producing brighter images with vivid color ranges offering superior contrast ratios, unlike the traditional LCD screens that experience some challenges when it comes to darker areas of an image.
Now let's come to professional gaming monitors using OLED technology. Like most other technologies in the present digital era, these monitors also played a vital part in improving game-play by minimizing response time delays and visual lag issues that cause blurs or ghosting effects when artificial intelligence (AI) enemies attack a player character within a computer game environment.
On the other hand, OLED's ability to produce extra-ordinary contrast ratios is also beneficial while watching movie clips or playing games. The only drawback of using OLED technology for video display is that it can't produce an all-white screen where there are very little to no shadows present in the picture.
Although, manufacturers are trying their best to solve this problem by implementing extra layers of red, green, and blue filters which will not only increase the white pixel count but will also help in viewing different colors more accurately. This will result in producing super accurate images having life-like shades thus enhancing your overall computer game experience.
As far as developing technology itself is considered, we can say that they have still got some challenges to face until they completely overcome ghosting and motion blur issues.
What is OLED technology?
In the gaming world, the backlight of the monitor plays an essential role in producing a sharp and vivid image. However, OLED technology does not require any backlight specifically for that purpose. Therefore, it provides enhanced pixel response time along with little or no blur which is important in fast games.
No wonder that OLED TVs are becoming very famous, and nearly every monitor manufacturing company is producing them.
While if we talk about the OLED monitors, you will still find multiple options, but it would be hard for you to find which one exactly suits your needs.
The most important question that arises is why are they so expensive? They are certainly worth it, but there are a few reasons that put them on the higher side.
Although OLED monitors have a lot of potentials to offer in the future, their current market status isn't at all promising. The following list is composed of some companies which currently produce them along with their prices and respective models details: LG Display Philips LG Electronics AUO Panasonic EDN Epson Samsung UDC Hitachi Displays
As you can see the competition is quite tough for now because not every company has produced at least one product with OLED technology yet. However, this industry still needs more time to come up with better technologies that will help in producing affordable OLED monitors. I believe in the future there will be much more options available to choose from.
What are the best OLED monitors available in the market?
There are always some pros and cons when it comes to different brands' products, so it depends on your specific needs. Now let's talk about a few of this manufacturer's models which can help you decide according to your preferences.
Our top OLED monitor pick
GIGABYTE AORUS
Our top pick Gigabyte Aorus is the best OLED monitor for all the right reasons. It works great as a TV, but you would be able to use even more of its smart features as a gaming monitor.
One of the most attractive things about Gigabyte Aorus, performance aside, is that it is available in a very budget-friendly range, so if you are looking for exceptional features in the middle range, this monitor is simply a godsend for you.
Let’s not forget the size of the monitor is 48 inches. Therefore, if you are even at a distance of 4 feet or more, your eyes would not be affected either the quality of the image. What’s more, it comes in with very good brightness for HDR images (800 nits)
Now, if we talk about the monitor's features, we would never stop but let’s just highlight the few major ones. The monitor performance is exceptionally good; it runs faster compared to the other LED models. If you are buying this OLED gaming monitor, don’t worry about the gaming experience. It will be guaranteed good.
Now let's talk about the refresh rate, which is also very good, and it is officially certified by the G-sync.
The monitor's design is also very attractive and fresh since the manufacturer used premium materials to build its frame.
As far as the connectivity is concerned, this OLED gaming monitor comes in with a display port and 2 HDMI ports, and a dual USB hub.
Advantages:
The monitor is great for HTPC or TV. As a gaming monitor, it works perfectly. The refresh rate is considered to be among the best in the OLED monitors. It has a very high contrast ratio and low motion blur which makes gameplay clearer and more precise
Disadvantages:
No major disadvantages, but there are a few things you should note about this monitor before buying it. This model offers a wonderful display quality, however, its colors might not be so vibrant when you compare them with other LED models. It doesn't have HDR support LG
In the OLED market, LG is undoubtedly big-name producing some of the finest devices so far. The company enters this market with their new offering - 32 inches 4k OLED television priced at around $1,000.
LG Electronics is known worldwide for their top-of-the-line LED models, but ever since they introduced OLED technology in their products, this brand has continued to stay on top - pun intended.
Alternatives for OLED monitors
The alternates are not too many, but OLED panel and LG 48 Cx are a few options that can be considered if you want a similar experience.
42 OLED display monitors
Our next pick has not yet been launched in the market, but it is planned to hit the markets in 2022.
This 48-inch monitor by the LG is bigger than the standard 32-inch monitors, and it is considered something that will shock the gaming community with its launch.
The monitor's image quality is very good, and the monitor's PPI is ideal compared to its screen size.
As far as the refresh rate is concerned, it is 60Hz, which is not ideal for gamers, and it comes in the range of $3,000 - $4,000, which is quite expensive. Still, the image quality and brightness of the screen justifies its price.
Alternative options to OLED monitors
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LG 27BP95E 27-inch monitor
This is one of the best LED model by LG, and it supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. So if you are looking for some OLED quality but without spending too much money on it, then this is the monitor you should consider. The bo dy of the monitor itself comes in with full metal chassis which makes its build strong and durable. You must note that this is not a gaming monitor; therefore, if you are looking to buy an OLED panel for playing games on PC or console, then do not consider this option. However, if you want a perfect second screen display device at home or office, then we recommend giving it a thought because performance-wise (contrast ratio and color accuracy) it matches all other OLED panels.
Advantages:
The monitor has enough screen space which is ideal for doing multitasking. It also comes with the HDR10 technology that makes its color palette brighter and more accurate
Disadvantages:
The main drawback of this monitor is that it does not have G-Sync, therefore, if you are a gamer you should refrain from buying this model
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ASUS ProArt PA32DC monitor
This is a professional monitor by ASUS. It has a huge display screen of 32 inches, and you can buy it at around $4,000 - $5,000. The monitor is best for graphic designers, video editors, and photographers because this monitor offers 100% sRGB color gamut. The display on the screen is also very good due to HDR10 support which makes it a worthy choice.
The monitor features some of the best technologies like DCI-P3 wide color gamut, HDR10 standard supported for visuals, and 4K HDR.
This is one of the first monitors that offer a full 4k 60Hz refresh rate on its monitor which makes it quite special. However, if you compare it with other OLED displays then you will find the picture quality slightly inferior because this monitor's white distortion may cause slight shadings on a grayscale gradient.
Advantages:
The monitor has a sleek design built with premium materials to give it an attractive look
Disadvantages:
While talking about the disadvantages of this model, we should say that 32 inches are not a common size for monitors however, since more people are looking forward to 34-inch monitors, this may not be a big problem. Every display size has some pros and cons, but if you are looking for a 32-inch monitor by ASUS ProArt PA32DC that offers the best picture quality then we quite recommend it
Conclusion
These were some best OLED models and their alternatives. However, between these options, you have to decide by looking at the monitor's specifications. You can also check out OLED models which are coming up in the market and how much they will cost so that you may upgrade your monitor.
If you are a gamer, then we recommend staying away from OLED monitors as they lag behind when it comes to screen refresh rate. However, if you want an OLED monitor for professional use like photo editing or video editing, then the best option is the ASUS ProArt PA32DC monitor which gives you 100% sRGB color gamut and HDR10 support. On the other hand, if you are looking for something cheaper but with better refresh rates (although not much) then LG 32UD99-W model will prove to be perfect in that case.
We are sure you will be able to find your ideal monitor after reading this blog.