Monoprice at CES: 30-inch IPS with "Guaranteed" 120Hz and a Mechanical RGB Keyboard
by Jarred Walton on January 14, 2015 7:52 PM EST_678x452.jpg)
Over the past year or two one of the hot subjects with displays among enthusiasts has been overclocking them to drive the panel at higher refresh rates. We've seen this mostly from the Korean 27" QHD imports, and the amount you could overclock the panel was often quite variable. Monoprice has begun offering displays as well, which gives you better support options than importing something from overseas, and now they're taking it a step further with a 30" IPS display that they're saying they'll guarantee will run at 120Hz 2560x1600.
Now, just refreshing at 120Hz doesn't solve all the issues you might encounter – e.g. image persistence between frames – but given these IPS panels are supposed to have a 6ms response time (which is more marketing than fact) driving them at up to 167Hz is possible. Even if there's a bit of smearing between frames, I still think having a 120Hz display is a much better experience than the 60Hz we've had to accept for years now. It will also be interesting to see how well the display actually works with a variety of GPUs – I suspect some GPUs might struggle to send a clear signal but we'll see. There's no specific release date yet, but Monoprice says the display should be out in the next couple of months.
Monoprice had plenty of other items on display, but most of those (speakers, power banks, cables, etc.) aren't something we cover much at AnandTech. However, they did have a mechanical keyboard with the new Kailh RGB switches, with programmable per-key backlighting. Or at least, that's the end goal – I'm not sure the software support for programming the backlighting is there yet. Anyway, the effects that you can make with these per-key RGB LED keyboards are really cool initially, but I don't know how practical they'll be for everyday use. I suspect most users will just settle for a uniform color, but enthusiasts will enjoy the customization options. I saw several other keyboards with Kailh RGB LED switches at CES, most with software that's nearly ready for release, so it will be interesting to see how pricing and features pan out.
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Source: Monoprice
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bigboxes - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
I've seen people talk about IPS monitors from Monoprice in the past. Any opinion on their quality? Do we have a link to a review (not from Monoprice)? I see the OSD saying 16:10. Is this correct? 30" 16:10 widescreen IPS @ 120Hz sounds like a good starting point. I'd like to hear about the quality and accuracy of their monitors.bigboxes - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
I did find AT's review on a 27" version http://www.anandtech.com/show/7240/monoprice-zerog...hbsource - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
I use a Dell 3008 (2560 x 1600) at work and bought a Monoprice IPS 27" (2560 x 1440) monitor to use at home. I use it for CAD work but nothing that needs any sort of colour calibration. I can't give you any sort of technical feedback other than my personal experience.I'm really happy with the Monoprice monitor. The colours seem uniform and not washed out at all. The whites are white, the blacks are black. The stand is a bit flimsy in comparison to the Dell. The Monoprice does have a hard glossy finish to the screen which shows smudges whereas the Dell has a matte finish.
The Monoprice was about 30% of the cost of the Dell. If money were no object, I would have bought a 30" Dell but for a seldom used screen for a seldom used PC, the Monoprice is perfect. Recommend.
SloppyG - Sunday, January 18, 2015 - link
Monoprice's strategy to get good quality panels is actually really interesting. Check out planet money's interview with them last month.http://www.npr.org/2014/12/04/368408186/at-monopri...
I may consider one of these in the next year or so, would be great for work but want to see if there are GPUs that can deliver acceptable framerates within a reasonable power envelope.
baii9 - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
one of their model have trouble archiving low brightness without killing off the contrast ratio.DiHydro - Friday, January 16, 2015 - link
I have this problem too. They are extraordinarily bright from the factory, and the "brightness" control doesn't actually change the back light. Granted this is the Zero-G model, the cheapest one.milkod2001 - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
I presume these $575 30' 1600p IPS monitors are A- , B grade screens put together in Korea with Monoprice sticker on it. What about connectors? Is is just one dual dvi connector?It might not be best option for color critical work but being half price what you pay for Dell 30' 1600p, coming with guaranty and being tested before sold, it might be less hassle to get this over doing ebay-korean monitors lottery.
Essence_of_War - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
They currently have two tiers of 30'' 2560x1600 monitors, there is a CCFL backlit for ~$575 w/ only dual-link DVI, and an IPS w/ DP, HDMI, DVI-D and VGA for ~$680.Sergio526 - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
Can't be, dual link DVI maxes out at 2560x1600 60Hz.JarredWalton - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
I'm not sure if you can overclock DVI, but I'd assume not. I believe this one is using a DisplayPort 1.3 connection.