ViewSonic's New 27-Inch 4K IPS Monitor Can Boost The Refresh Rate At 1080p
I'm old enough to remember to when PC monitors weren't exactly known for innovating. These days, however, it's a challenge keeping up with all of the fancy new display technologies and their various tricks. One of the latest innovations gaining traction is the advent of dual-mode displays, and ViewSonic has officially entered the conversation with tis new XG275D-4K.
ViewSonic's marketing the XG275D-4K has boasting switchable frame rates rather than using the more popular dual-mode moniker, but they refer to the same thing. And yes, being able to change a refresh rate is not a new concept. What makes a dual-mode display unique, however, is the ability to crank up the refresh rate when dialing down the resolution from the native specs.
In this case, the XG275D-4K is, as the model name implies, a 4K resolution (3840x2160) gaming monitor. At its native resolution, it features a 160Hz refresh rate. However, if you drop down to 1080p (1920x1080), you can boost the refresh rate all the way to 320Hz.
What's the point? It's sort of like getting two monitors in a single package, effectively negating the need to decide between a high resolution display for crispy visuals, or a lower resolution display with a blazing-fast refresh rate for competitive gaming (such as esports).
"With the press of a button, users of the ViewSonic XG275D-4K can select an ultra-fast 320Hz refresh rate at Full HD 1080p resolution or have a super-fast 160Hz refresh rate at 4K Ultra HD resolution. The XG275D-4K provides super smooth performance that can be customized to just about any gaming need, whether it's first-person shooter or single player games on a PC or console. The monitor can also switch to a 24.5-inch view for competitive gaming," ViewSonic says.
On the product page, ViewSonic also talks about being able to "tailor your gaming experience" with different aspect ratios, including 4:3, 5:4, and 16:9, along with the aforementioned 24.5-inch esports mode (which is also 16:9, but in 1080p). While we haven't confirmed this, the wording suggests that the aspect ratios can be switched on-the-fly via on-screen display (OSD) controls, which would basically be a convenience versus navigating the settings in Windows.
All that side, the XG257D-4K is a built around a 27-inch Fast IPS screen with a 0.5ms response time (MPRT) 1,000:1 contrast ratio (80,000,000:1 dynamic), 300 nits brightness, HDR10 support, and 94% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. It's also a FreeSync Premium display with G-SYNC compatibility.
The I/O arrangement consists of dual HDMI 2.1 inputs, a DisplayPort .14 input, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
ViewSonic's XG275D-4K is available now for $599 direct from the company's webstore, backed by a 3-year warranty. We also found a product listing on Amazon, though it doesn't show as in-stock yet.
