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Those who went from LCD/LED monitors to OLED monitors, was the change worth it?

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
I currently own an Acer Predator x34p. Solid 34", ultrawide 3440x1440 and 120Hz monitor. It has served me well for the past several years but every time I look at OLED and HDR monitors, I can't help but get a little bit envious.

However, it doesn't seem like I would gain much besides those two features and justifying this is hard at $1100-1500 USD. I'd also get a slight bump in refresh rate but going from 120Hz to 165/175Hz is hardly a game changer.

At the moment, I'm eyeing the Alienware AW3423DW, the Samung NEO G8, or the MSI MEG 342 QD. All use the same Samsung panel so the different in quality is minimal. It all comes down to price and availability. Still, I can't help but wonder if any of those is really worth it over my current monitor which still works perfectly fine and looks good enough. Is the move to OLED and HDR this dramatic or am I just looking at a slight upgrade?

Thanks for the advice bros.
 
I have an LG CX OLED TV connected to my main PC, and an Odyssey G7 connected to the same computer. While the advantages of an OLED are obvious, I don't think the LG CX is really better overall... I don't know what the goin gprice is for a G7 in USD but I'd recommend it over spending huge sums of money.
 
I think if you're looking at a display that is 100% strictly for gaming and movies then yeah OLED is the way to go. But for mixed usage with Windows I would stick with an IPS LED for now, at least until OLED burn gets better. I use an LG CX OLED with my gaming PC as well as LED monitors, the OLED is miles better in picture quality
 

StereoVsn

Member
I have an UW 34" LG IPS 34GP83A-B monitor and it's been excellent.

However, I got LG 42" C2 TV to utilize as a monitor and it's been amazing for gaming/entertainment (not as good for productivity due to subpixel layout, but more then manageable).

So yeah, it's definitely worth it but I would keep 34" for work/school type activities.

Oh and HDR in Win11 is not bad , but depends on the game.
 
I think if you're looking at a display that is 100% strictly for gaming and movies then yeah OLED is the way to go. But for mixed usage with Windows I would stick with an IPS LED for now, at least until OLED burn gets better. I use an LG CX OLED with my gaming PC as well as LED monitors, the OLED is miles better in picture quality
The problem is that IPS has shit contrast. It's entirely subjective, but I think any IPS screen looks bad. I can't speak for the OP but, if they want some of the contrast benefits with good motion clarity, then Samsung's better VA panels are the best choice
 
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HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
I currently own an Acer Predator x34p. Solid 34", ultrawide 3440x1440 and 120Hz monitor. It has served me well for the past several years but every time I look at OLED and HDR monitors, I can't help but get a little bit envious.

However, it doesn't seem like I would gain much besides those two features and justifying this is hard at $1100-1500 USD. I'd also get a slight bump in refresh rate but going from 120Hz to 165/175Hz is hardly a game changer.

At the moment, I'm eyeing the Alienware AW3423DW, the Samung NEO G8, or the MSI MEG 342 QD. All use the same Samsung panel so the different in quality is minimal. It all comes down to price and availability. Still, I can't help but wonder if any of those is really worth it over my current monitor which still works perfectly fine and looks good enough. Is the move to OLED and HDR this dramatic or am I just looking at a slight upgrade?

Thanks for the advice bros.
I was a long time naysayer to avoid using OLED as a monitor but a few months ago picked up the LG 45” 240 hz ultra wide OLED as an open box buy for $1200 and could not be happier.

HDR is very hit or miss on PC gaming but the motion on the OLED is unreal

For me it was well worth it going OLED
 
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Quasicat

Member
I went from an LED to an Oled because of the Switch Oled I bought last year. I picked up a 65 inch LG and had to return it. I have a lot of natural lighting in my home and it just overpowered the screen. I went to Best Buy and they recommended an LG Qned. It has the full array backlighting and is super bright and still has the color gamut I was looking for.
 

I_D

Member
From an LCD to an OLED is about as big of an upgrade as HDD to SDD; or even bigger. It's a complete game-changer.
From LED to OLED is still huge, but obviously not as big (though still huge).


If you're on the fence due to price, I would still strongly recommend a VA panel.
They have size, refresh rate, HDR, low latency, Gsync/Freesync, and so forth.
They're excellent choices for those who want great results without giant prices (though, admittedly, a bit of a step down from the top-notch stuff).
 

kittoo

Cretinously credulous
Would a screensaver actually help the burn in problem? Just wondering. Love those pipes.
I've been using OLEDs as monitors for 4 years now (C9 for 3 years then G2 for a year) and have had no burn-in problems. Initially I had kept some screensavers but later got rid of them too. All I've done is auto-hide my windows start bar. Nothing else. I got so comfortable with it that many times I leave it on static at some webpage or window and forget about it. Maybe thats too comfortable. But the point I am making is that at least LG's OLEDs are really good at handling burn-in these days.

The other thing I do is to keep brightness lower during regular use (energy-saving to medium) cause I dont want my retinas searing during regular use. When I play games or watch movies I increase the brightness to max. That also helps in reducing burn-in I guess.
 
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Shtef

Member
Reading all this replies makes you think that oled is second coming of Jesus. It is good but its not game changer.
I have full aray lcd tv and i wanted to get oled (lg c2) so i went to store and I couldn't tell difference between oled and full array led tv out side by side. Good Hdr image is far more noticeable than lcd vs oled screen. Anyway I will probably get one in future but if i were you i would save my money and use your already good monitor, you are not missing out.
 

ChiefDada

Gold Member
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone or one of the newer IPhone models with an oled screen I'd recommend looking up hdr videos on YouTube and compare with your desktop monitor playback to analyze how much of a difference it is for you personally.
 

nightmare-slain

Gold Member
Reading all this replies makes you think that oled is second coming of Jesus. It is good but its not game changer.
I have full aray lcd tv and i wanted to get oled (lg c2) so i went to store and I couldn't tell difference between oled and full array led tv out side by side. Good Hdr image is far more noticeable than lcd vs oled screen. Anyway I will probably get one in future but if i were you i would save my money and use your already good monitor, you are not missing out.
Full array has shittier HDR than OLED. It's not even close to being as accurate as OLED. Maybe at first glance in a store you can't tell but there is a difference. Displays that use LED backlights cause blooming and until MicroLED comes out it'll not be as good as OLED.

TVs have millions of pixels and backlit tvs have thousands of LEDS so that means each LED is controlling the lighting for multiple pixels. Some pixels will be at accurate but pixels around it will get lit up when really shouldn't be. That's blooming.

OLED has control over each individual pixel so you could have 1 pixel at 100% brightness, the pixel right next to it at 0%, the next pixel at 75%, and the next pixel at 25%. That produces much better contrast so a better HDR image.

MicroLED will, like OLED, have individual pixel control because each pixel will have its own LED. And because it's not Organic (that's what O in OLED means) then it won't risk burn in.

If you want the best HDR then OLED is the way to go for now. I don't know when MicroLED is coming out. With OLED there is the risk of burn in but it has improved so much over the years that you basically have to go out of your way to try make it happen. In all the years I've used OLED screens I have yet to have any burn in. That said, I wouldn't feel comfortable using an OLED as my PC monitor.
 

Shtef

Member
I have no doubt that oled is better, the point is how much does it matter to you and if its worth it.
Personally, like i said, i dont see any difference between oled or full array lcd, ok the blooming part is visible, but that alone would not be a reason to get an oled. I will probably get one in the future just for vrr and hdmi 2.1 because from what i have read online vrr is not so good on lcd screens.
 
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Yes, it was totally worth it. Had a Samsung LCD, 75“, pricepoint about 2000€ für the TV (back in 2017) . Sold it for 600, the „black“ was grey and once I had a phone with OLED screen I knew that‘s the only way to go. I went with a 77“ CX instead and since then I‘ve never felt the feeling of I need to upgrade again. Once you are in the OLED league, there‘s not really much of an improvement you can buy with money, I also own the 42“ C2 but I can‘t really see any difference to the CX. So I‘ll just keep the CX until it dies and I doubt in the near future there will be anything worth changing my current setup to a new 3 to 4000€ investment.
 

Ironbunny

Member
I currently own an Acer Predator x34p. Solid 34", ultrawide 3440x1440 and 120Hz monitor. It has served me well for the past several years but every time I look at OLED and HDR monitors, I can't help but get a little bit envious.

However, it doesn't seem like I would gain much besides those two features and justifying this is hard at $1100-1500 USD. I'd also get a slight bump in refresh rate but going from 120Hz to 165/175Hz is hardly a game changer.

At the moment, I'm eyeing the Alienware AW3423DW, the Samung NEO G8, or the MSI MEG 342 QD. All use the same Samsung panel so the different in quality is minimal. It all comes down to price and availability. Still, I can't help but wonder if any of those is really worth it over my current monitor which still works perfectly fine and looks good enough. Is the move to OLED and HDR this dramatic or am I just looking at a slight upgrade?

Thanks for the advice bros.

There is rarely upgrades that force me to make an actual grin on my face. Moving from LCD to Oled G8 did that. The leap for me was bigger then yours will be as I went from normal 27" inch gsync to 34" oled HDR gsync. But I'm still grinning for joy as I play games on it. The difference was monumental. And I am used to OLED tv's from 2016.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Jeebus!!!! It was so worth it, I would be taking a load each year to get new lg tv if it was breaking. Thankfully 3rd year and 6k hours going on my lg c1 48” and its still as brand new.
Its the best thing you Can buy
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone or one of the newer IPhone models with an oled screen I'd recommend looking up hdr videos on YouTube and compare with your desktop monitor playback to analyze how much of a difference it is for you personally.
I just did that and was expecting a major difference with the black levels compared to my iPhone 13 but it isn't that dramatic. What is dramatic though is the blooming of bright objects on a darkened background. On my monitor, there is very obvious blooming/haloing whereas on my iPhone, the lights only shine where they are supposed to and it results in a significantly better image that has much more contrast compared to the more uniform and sometimes greyer areas on the monitor. Still, I'd say the monitor holds up very well.

And it seems everywhere I got the majority of people tell me the leap is absolutely worth it. I think I'll take the plunge. Worst case, I got two weeks to return it if I don't like it.
 

mcmanic

Member
i have recently got the new
LG 27" UltraGear 27GR95QE-B 2560x1440 OLED 240Hz 0.03ms FreeSync/G-Sync HDMI 2.1 Widescreen Gaming Monitor
and for me it's perfect. The black levels are what shine and being 240Hz suits my RTX4090 perfectly
 

Macaron

Banned
All depends on size and where you're situating your monitor.

I have an OLED laptop and 77 inch LG C2. The laptop, meh. The C2 was one of the best purchases of my life. OLED being a giant upgrade is real
 

GreatnessRD

Member
You would. 4k essential if youre going OLED
Jurassic Park Ian Malcom GIF


Thank you. You're a scholar and a saint. I'll keep my spartan reserve and wait, lol.
 
I have LG C1.
Can't say that I'm happy with it.
The TV isn't bright enough, I need to turn off all the light and cover the windows each time I want to play games : /
 
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I recognize that that every a phone I own (oled screen) has a very bad black to grey response time.
Scrolling a dark gray object over a black background is very poor.
Every phone I know has that effect. Pixel 7 pixel 4 Samsung Galaxy S8 to s20 and even IPhones.

Is this a general oled thing or just a phone-oled specific thing?
 

Macaron

Banned
Eh


I bought the LG and the Corsair and would recommend the Corsair as long as you turn off brightness uniformity. It's sharper than LCD 2K but definitely not as sharp as 4K.
Depends what youre using it for. But anyone interested in the full OLED experience, there is no "eh". 4k is essential.
 

Puscifer

Member
Depends what youre using it for. But anyone interested in the full OLED experience, there is no "eh". 4k is essential.

I can tell you from experience that the 2K OLEDs are great for gaming, but not all of us want 42 televisions on our desk.
 

Macaron

Banned
I can tell you from experience that the 2K OLEDs are great for gaming, but not all of us want 42 televisions on our desk.
Again, if you want the full OLED experience, 4k is essential. There is difference between "great" and getting the FULL power and experience of owning an OLED.
 

Puscifer

Member
Again, if you want the full OLED experience, 4k is essential. There is difference between "great" and getting the FULL power and experience of owning an OLED.
That's the silliest thing I've ever read because you're literally trying to prove a point lol.

I have a dough spectrum 4K glossy (regulated to work) and the 1440P Corsair, I can tell you during gaming because of the black depth from the contrast ratio that it truly sucks you into the game and the 240hz refresh rate aids in that. As a monitor I'd recommend it because I tried using a C2 and it's just too big.
 

Macaron

Banned
That's the silliest thing I've ever read because you're literally trying to prove a point lol.

I have a dough spectrum 4K glossy (regulated to work) and the 1440P Corsair, I can tell you during gaming because of the black depth from the contrast ratio that it truly sucks you into the game and the 240hz refresh rate aids in that. As a monitor I'd recommend it because I tried using a C2 and it's just too big.
Na man. Youre the one trying to prove a point and feel better about what you have. Its weird. You're arguing something technically weaker is just as good as something factually better. Its really, really weird.

Be happy with what you have, but don't pretend there isn't a difference when there is. Like, there literally is. You literally have the weaker resolution monitor. This isn't arguable.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Again, if you want the full OLED experience, 4k is essential. There is difference between "great" and getting the FULL power and experience of owning an OLED.
I would play on oled if it was 1080p sdr even coming from 4k ips "hdr" monitor
 

Puscifer

Member
Na man. Youre the one trying to prove a point and feel better about what you have. Its weird. You're arguing something technically weaker is just as good as something factually better. Its really, really weird.

Be happy with what you have, but don't pretend there isn't a difference when there is. Like, there literally is. You literally have the weaker resolution monitor. This isn't arguable.
Ok

I would play on oled if it was 1080p sdr even coming from 4k ips "hdr" monitor
Facts. Playing Returnal with frame generation on my Corsair OLED is beyond clean when it's running at 200+ FPS
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Awesome you like OLED that much. But it doesn't change the fact without a 4k OLED you'll never be experiencing the full power of it......
I don't understand this statement.
Resolution got nothing to do with it.

I have 48" lg c1 on my desk, so obviously i like 4k. I had 4k monitor since 2018 before that... not sure what you re saying
 

Puscifer

Member
Awesome you like OLED that much. But it doesn't change the fact without a 4k OLED you'll never be experiencing the full power of it......
Alright so every 1080p OLED that was manufactured and sold before manufacturers didn't know how to sell televisions anymore wasn't at "full power"

Do you realize how ridiculous you sound lmfao
 

Macaron

Banned
I don't understand this statement.
Resolution got nothing to do with it.

I have 48" lg c1 on my desk, so obviously i like 4k. I had 4k monitor since 2018 before that... not sure what you re saying
Yes it does. The amount of 4k UHD content out there will look INFINITELY better on my OLED than a 2k one. This is inarguable facts. The cope in here is strong.
 
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Macaron

Banned
Alright so every 1080p OLED that was manufactured and sold before manufacturers didn't know how to sell televisions anymore wasn't at "full power"

Do you realize how ridiculous you sound lmfao
Idk why you're coping sooooo hard. Imagine arguing "my lower resolution OLED that can't play any of the 4k UHD is just as good"? Thats what youre doing. Just enjoy what you have and stop making up this fantasy land where its just as good as 4k OLEDs.
 

Puscifer

Member
Idk why you're coping sooooo hard. Imagine arguing "my lower resolution OLED that can't play any of the 4k UHD is just as good"? Thats what youre doing. Just enjoy what you have and stop making up this fantasy land where its just as good as 4k OLEDs.

If I wanted to play on my 4K OLED Bravia I could and would, but I don't for obvious reasons. One of them being that I don't want a television on my desk, you're really trying to prove I'm "coping" by enjoying a monitor I'd recommend? There's no 4K OLED monitors right now and I don't want to use a TV like other people, it's that's simple.
 

Macaron

Banned
If I wanted to play on my 4K OLED Bravia I could and would, but I don't for obvious reasons. One of them being that I don't want a television on my desk, you're really trying to prove I'm "coping" by enjoying a monitor I'd recommend? There's no 4K OLED monitors right now and I don't want to use a TV like other people, it's that's simple.
You are coping. I said a 4k OLED is essential for the full power and experience, and you're pretending its not. Its extremely weird. We aren't discussing whats best for your desk and whats in stock for you.
 
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