First 120 Hz LCD review
The launch of nVidia’s 3D glasses came and went and while the technology itself caused a slight ripple, I consider something else to be far more important in that launch: true 120 Hz LCDs.
Other “120 Hz” devices already exist, but these devices are nothing more than 60 Hz that insert black or interpolated frames to create a pseudo 120 Hz, but are still essentially 60 Hz devices.
In order for nVidia’s 3D vision to function it needs a real 120 Hz device, one that is capable of receiving and displaying 120 discrete images per second. The Samsung 2233RZ is one such device, and Viewsonic’s VX2265wm is another such device.
I’ve been saying for years that 60 Hz is one of the handicaps of LCDs but in the absence of apples vs apples comparisons (i.e. other LCDs that could actually go higher), it was often brushed away because comparisons could only be made to CRTs. Well not anymore.
XBitlabs have done the first proper review of the Samsung 2233RZ and focused exclusively on its ability to do 120 Hz.
The benefits were readily apparent: RTC errors were effectively reduced four-fold, and even dragging the mouse pointer and windows around the desktop was much smoother. Also in 3D gaming, such a device can display a full 120 frames per second, unlike 60 Hz devices that are limited to 60 full frames per second. This will benefit whether or not you use vsync (up to 120 FPS instead of 60 FPS) or not (less tearing on the 120 Hz device).
To quote the reviewer:
Frankly speaking, I had not expected the difference between the refresh rate of 60Hz and 120Hz to be so conspicuous. It is indeed clear to a naked eye and is always in favor of the higher value. Smoother motion and the lack of RTC artifacts leave a highly positive impression, making you unwilling to return to 60Hz.
Remember, this is a real 120 Hz device like a CRT running at 120 Hz, so it does not require 3D glasses (or even an nVidia video card) to enjoy the benefits over 60 Hz LCDs. Just set the refresh rate to 120 Hz in your operating system/graphics driver, and you’re good to go.
Finally, a wake up call to the LCD crowd. Unfortunately the tech is currently limited to TN panels topping out at a low resolution of 1680×1050, but hopefully production will ramp up to better panels with higher resolutions, and I’ll finally have a good reason to upgrade my Sony 19” CRT.
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