Review Asus ROG Strix XG27ACDNG 360 Hz OLED gaming monitor review: Lighting-fast with pro-level color accuracy

[Admin]

Asus brings maximum performance and color accuracy to its ROG Strix XG27ACDNG. Sporting a 27-inch QHD 2560x1440 Quantum Dot OLED panel, it delivers quick response and smooth motion for gaming with an extremely large and accurate color gamut.

Asus ROG Strix XG27ACDNG 360 Hz OLED gaming monitor review: Lighting-fast with pro-level color accuracy : Read more

 

[Mr Majestyk]

So who cares about colour accuracy for a gaming monitor? No way in hell I'd buy OLED for productivity.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

So who cares about colour accuracy for a gaming monitor? No way in hell I'd buy OLED for productivity.

Color accuracy is arguably one of the most important parts of a monitor, regardless of intended use.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

So who cares about colour accuracy for a gaming monitor? No way in hell I'd buy OLED for productivity.

Exactly. The dinky little screen is a major drawback for gaming or productivity for me. After using an ultra wide curved screen this little thing is unusable regardless of it's claimed features. Instead of the old OLED screens the better looking and newer tech is using individually lighted LEDs which eliminated the overnighting in darker areas but still allows for a much brighter picture that is the Hallmark of traditional LED screens. I'm more interested in the area of the screen that are showing an image than the areas that are turned off anyways to be honest, but for the folks that like the non image darkness the new systems offer that too.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

Exactly. The dinky little screen is a major drawback for gaming or productivity for me. After using an ultra wide curved screen this little thing is unusable regardless of it's claimed features. Instead of the old OLED screens the better looking and newer tech is using individually lighted LEDs which eliminated the overnighting in darker areas but still allows for a much brighter picture that is the Hallmark of traditional LED screens. I'm more interested in the area of the screen that are showing an image than the areas that are turned off anyways to be honest, but for the folks that like the non image darkness the new systems offer that too.

MicroLED and QDEL are unlikely to be on the market anytime soon. Also, ultrawides and this monitor serve entirely different gaming demographics. One is for immersion across most games and the other is primarily aimed at FPS. But ultimately caring about color accuracy isn't just a productivity thing, it makes anything you interact with look better.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

MicroLED and QDEL are unlikely to be on the market anytime soon. Also, ultrawides and this monitor serve entirely different gaming demographics. One is for immersion across most games and the other is primarily aimed at FPS. But ultimately caring about color accuracy isn't just a productivity thing, it makes anything you interact with look better.

More accurate color representation doesn't necessarily look better It just looks more accurate It might look better to a person if they switch to hue slightly to lower or to the redder. What looks better is subjective what looks more accurate is objective.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

More accurate color representation doesn't necessarily look better It just looks more accurate It might look better to a person if they switch to hue slightly to lower or to the redder. What looks better is subjective what looks more accurate is objective.

Yes, but what you're failing to understand is that if you start with accurate, and you don't like it, it's easier to adjust to your preferences. When something is wildly out of spec it's not only harder to correct, it may be impossible depending on the error variance. You always want to start with the best possible outcome, not the worst.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

Yes, but what you're failing to understand is that if you start with accurate, and you don't like it, it's easier to adjust to your preferences. When something is wildly out of spec it's not only harder to correct, it may be impossible depending on the error variance. You always want to start with the best possible outcome, not the worst.

The starting point has nothing to do with the ease of changing the settings.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

The starting point has nothing to do with the ease of changing the settings.

Doesn't it? Does inaccuracy make changing them easier? What exactly is your point supposed to be? If you don't have to adjust for accuracy out of the box is that not easier at a base level than if you want that performance and it can't achieve it? Even if you prefer it inaccurate, that initial built-in inaccuracy may not be to your liking, which makes the situation even more convoluted.

There's no logic to the point you're making.

EDIT: Also who was even talking about ease of changing settings? I'm talking strictly about color accuracy, not functionality. Sorry, I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just find it to be non-correlative to the discussion.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

Doesn't it? Does inaccuracy make changing them easier? What exactly is your point supposed to be? If you don't have to adjust for accuracy out of the box is that not easier at a base level than if you want that performance and it can't achieve it? Even if you prefer it inaccurate, that initial built-in inaccuracy may not be to your liking, which makes the situation even more convoluted.

There's no logic to the point you're making.

EDIT: Also who was even talking about ease of changing settings? I'm talking strictly about color accuracy, not functionality. Sorry, I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just find it to be non-correlative to the discussion.

The point I'm making is if I want my screen to be purple I still have to make the same adjustments whether it's slightly green slightly blue slightly orange or dead on perfect to start with. There's also a huge difference between transmitted light and color and reflected light and color which you would understand if you've ever done any printing. What you see on the screen does not really look like what it is when it's printed out. A Pantone color on the screen looks far different than a Pantone color in the book.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

The point I'm making is if I want my screen to be purple I still have to make the same adjustments whether it's slightly green slightly blue slightly orange or dead on perfect to start with. There's also a huge difference between transmitted light and color and reflected light and color which you would understand if you've ever done any printing. What you see on the screen does not really look like what it is when it's printed out. A Pantone color on the screen looks far different than a Pantone color in the book.

But your point makes no sense: what if the color cannot be calibrated to your preference because the errors are too present to properly correct? This can be a problem to some degree, depending on the quality of display. Again, starting from perfect and adjusting to preference will always be better than starting in error and adjusting to preference. Obviously you can use calibration tools to get closer to a preferred spec, but not everyone has access to those (and, again, it may not be able to fully correct for errors depending on severity).

Also, you don't have to lecture me on the difference between print and screen. I'm a professional designer as well as a trained lithographer and fine artist. There is very little I don't know about color theory. Trust me, I'm keenly aware that you want a Pantone book to properly match colors if you're not working in CMYK (and if you're in CMYK between printers you should press-check). All that said, color accuracy extends into film media, it's not just about professional use.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

But your point makes no sense: what if the color cannot be calibrated to your preference because the errors are too present to properly correct? This can be a problem to some degree, depending on the quality of display. Again, starting from perfect and adjusting to preference will always be better than starting in error and adjusting to preference. Obviously you can use calibration tools to get closer to a preferred spec, but not everyone has access to those (and, again, it may not be able to fully correct for errors depending on severity).

Also, you don't have to lecture me on the difference between print and screen. I'm a professional designer as well as a trained lithographer and fine artist. There is very little I don't know about color theory. Trust me, I'm keenly aware that you want a Pantone book to properly match colors if you're not working in CMYK (and if you're in CMYK between printers you should press-check). All that said, color accuracy extends into film media, it's not just about professional use.

Any display can be calibrated.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

Any display can be calibrated.

Yes, but not all displays can entirely eliminate errors. Modern displays are obviously way better about this, but depending on the severity it's not going to be perfect. And, again, not everyone can just afford a colorimeter.

EDIT: Also, if you're going to nitpick, the thing about Pantone you mentioned is irrelevant. Pantone swatches on screen aren't color accurate because they're an approximation of the color, and some of them are extremely different than the color itself. There isn't a properly calibrated monitor on the planet that can fix that issue (though you can use things like a CMYK to Pantone approximation tool to help, it's always better to have a book to reference so you know exactly what you're getting).

 

[HardwiredWireless]

Yes, but not all displays can entirely eliminate errors. Modern displays are obviously way better about this, but depending on the severity it's not going to be perfect. And, again, not everyone can just afford a colorimeter.

EDIT: Also, if you're going to nitpick, the thing about Pantone you mentioned is irrelevant. Pantone swatches on screen aren't color accurate because they're an approximation of the color, and some of them are extremely different than the color itself. There isn't a properly calibrated monitor on the planet that can fix that issue (though you can use things like a CMYK to Pantone approximation tool to help, it's always better to have a book to reference so you know exactly what you're getting).

Of course you have to use a Pantone color book anytime you are using spot color that's what they're made for. Generally a customer will tell you which Pantone colors they want If not it's up to you to suggest them and you always have to use a new color book not one that's been sitting around for a year. You also have to use an accurately calibrated scale for weighing your inks for mixing.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

Of course you have to use a Pantone color book anytime you are using spot color that's what they're made for. Generally a customer will tell you which Pantone colors they want If not it's up to you to suggest them and you always have to use a new color book not one that's been sitting around for a year. You also have to use an accurately calibrated scale for weighing your inks for mixing.

My point was that bringing up Pantone accuracy on a monitor was a non-factor since you aren't color calibrating for that in the first place.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

My point was that bringing up Pantone accuracy on a monitor was a non-factor since you aren't color calibrating for that in the first place.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

So what is the point of color calibration if it's not for accuracy?

 

[UnforcedERROR]

So what is the point of color calibration if it's not for accuracy?

This will be my last response.

You can't have a monitor accurate for Pantone because the colors on screen aren't representative of the actual colors. In some cases they aren't even close, hence Pantone books.

If you are working in RGB and CMYK it's a different story entirely. CMYK when printed is usually within a close proximity to what's on screen, and you can work to color match with a vendor as needed. RGB is self-explanatory.

It's also important for video or photography editing. It's also important for TV and movies if you care about creator intent.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

This will be my last response.

You can't have a monitor accurate for Pantone because the colors on screen aren't representative of the actual colors. In some cases they aren't even close, hence Pantone books.

If you are working in RGB and CMYK it's a different story entirely. CMYK when printed is usually within a close proximity to what's on screen, and you can work to color match with a vendor as needed. RGB is self-explanatory.

It's also important for video or photography editing. It's also important for TV and movies if you care about creator intent.

Do you even understand the difference between subtractive and additive colors? And are you aware that presses that run CMYK can take jobs in their native RGB color spaces and do the conversions on the press? And did you know that the CMYK approximation for a pantone color is not the same as a mixed Pantone color run on an offset press? And are you aware that some monitors are in fact validated for Pantone color display?

 

[UnforcedERROR]

EDIT: this thread is a waste of time. We're going in circles.

As I said, I'm a professionally trained designer, lithographer and fine artist. I understand everything you've said, even when you've said it twice or more.

For anyone wondering about Pantone: Pantone and Adobe used to work together. Adobe's swatches were outdated, and they were not accurate on screen. This is why you purchased Pantone books. As of 2022 Pantone and Adobe no longer work together, and Pantone maintains app-based solutions for this process now. While I said earlier they weren't "accurate" on-screen, this is somewhat untrue given the dissolution of Pantone's relationship with Adobe. I actually haven't used the Pantone system because my job maintains up-to-date swatches for this very purpose. Pantone itself was set up as a way to get 100% accurate color in print jobs. That said, CMYK printing has gotten considerably better over time, which has cut down on the need for Pantone color printing (which can be expensive). Pantone is still preferred in specific applications (screenprinting as an example).

For anyone wondering about RGB vs CMYK, Transmissive vs Reflective, or Additive vs Subtractive: RGB (red green blue) is transmitted light. All colors combined create white. Transmitted light is, by nature, brighter than reflected or absorbed light because, as the name implies, it's a direct source of the color. CMYK (cyan magenta yellow black) is reflective light, so by nature it's less vibrant because it's bouncing the color from its surface. All colors combined together create black. Black is the absorption or omission of light. Additive and Subtractive are basically just similar terms. If you've ever taken an intro to design course you'll have learned all of this. I'm going over the basics here, you may have even learned about this at the K-12 level depending on the quality of your art classes.

For anyone wondering about Digital vs Print: RGB is digital. CMYK is print. You can convert both colors as needed, but there are reasons you may not want to. As an example: if you have colors that have accessibility concerns. When you run CMYK images on-screen they will appear dull, because your display is attempting to simulate printing. Obviously this isn't 100% accurate, but it can be really close with proper calibration (and with a printer who knows what they're doing). You never want to use an image with a CMYK profile in an RGB space (ie: web), because it will display in the same dull manner as mentioned above. There are also file types that are specific to whichever color space you're in. For instance: if you want a transparent background in print you can use a PSD, and in digital a PNG. SVG and EPS are both vector files (ie: mathematically perfect images that can be sized up or down without losing clarity), but SVG is typically found in web applications and EPS in print.

About lithography and printing in general: I would think I wouldn't have to explain this, but lithography is one of the oldest printing techniques around and it's the basis for modern offset printing (and printers sometimes refer to offset as litho, even now). There are multiple ways to do it, some of which are much more labroious than others (looking at you, limestone). A fine art lithographer typically mixes their own ink colors (which are CMYK). Depending on complexity you may mix upwards of 10 or more colors, and you treat this in much the same way as mixing oil paints. You typically treat the surface you're working on to accept the color so that it can be transferred to paper (though sometimes you do intentionally force the surface to not hold color). This intersects with design, as it's one of the fundamental ways you produce printed work. There are other types of printing, such as screenprint, intaligo (ie: engraving), etching (soft ground, hard ground, aquatint, etc.), wood cut, and linoleum cut. All of them function in different ways to produce an image, some using grooves to hold the ink, others acting like a sieve, and still others by retaining the color on the surface of the medium.

All of this to say: Color accuracy matters, even when you're not doing something professionally. I'm personally sensitive to reds when they're not accurate, as an example.

If you have any other questions about if I know what I'm talking about, you can DM me.

 

[HardwiredWireless]

EDIT: this thread is a waste of time. We're going in circles.

As I said, I'm a professionally trained designer, lithographer and fine artist. I understand everything you've said, even when you've said it twice or more.

For anyone wondering about Pantone: Pantone and Adobe used to work together. Adobe's swatches were outdated, and they were not accurate on screen. This is why you purchased Pantone books. As of 2022 Pantone and Adobe no longer work together, and Pantone maintains app-based solutions for this process now. While I said earlier they weren't "accurate" on-screen, this is somewhat untrue given the dissolution of Pantone's relationship with Adobe. I actually haven't used the Pantone system because my job maintains up-to-date swatches for this very purpose. Pantone itself was set up as a way to get 100% accurate color in print jobs. That said, CMYK printing has gotten considerably better over time, which has cut down on the need for Pantone color printing (which can be expensive). Pantone is still preferred in specific applications (screenprinting as an example).

For anyone wondering about RGB vs CMYK, Transmissive vs Reflective, or Additive vs Subtractive: RGB (red green blue) is transmitted light. All colors combined create white. Transmitted light is, by nature, brighter than reflected or absorbed light because, as the name implies, it's a direct source of the color. CMYK (cyan magenta yellow black) is reflective light, so by nature it's less vibrant because it's bouncing the color from its surface. All colors combined together create black. Black is the absorption or omission of light. Additive and Subtractive are basically just similar terms. If you've ever taken an intro to design course you'll have learned all of this. I'm going over the basics here, you may have even learned about this at the K-12 level depending on the quality of your art classes.

For anyone wondering about Digital vs Print: RGB is digital. CMYK is print. You can convert both colors as needed, but there are reasons you may not want to. As an example: if you have colors that have accessibility concerns. When you run CMYK images on-screen they will appear dull, because your display is attempting to simulate printing. Obviously this isn't 100% accurate, but it can be really close with proper calibration (and with a printer who knows what they're doing). You never want to use an image with a CMYK profile in an RGB space (ie: web), because it will display in the same dull manner as mentioned above. There are also file types that are specific to whichever color space you're in. For instance: if you want a transparent background in print you can use a PSD, and in digital a PNG. SVG and EPS are both vector files (ie: mathematically perfect images that can be sized up or down without losing clarity), but SVG is typically found in web applications and EPS in print.

About lithography and printing in general: I would think I wouldn't have to explain this, but lithography is one of the oldest printing techniques around and it's the basis for modern offset printing (and printers sometimes refer to offset as litho, even now). There are multiple ways to do it, some of which are much more labroious than others (looking at you, limestone). A fine art lithographer typically mixes their own ink colors (which are CMYK). Depending on complexity you may mix upwards of 10 or more colors, and you treat this in much the same way as mixing oil paints. You typically treat the surface you're working on to accept the color so that it can be transferred to paper (though sometimes you do intentionally force the surface to not hold color). This intersects with design, as it's one of the fundamental ways you produce printed work. There are other types of printing, such as screenprint, intaligo (ie: engraving), etching (soft ground, hard ground, aquatint, etc.), wood cut, and linoleum cut. All of them function in different ways to produce an image, some using grooves to hold the ink, others acting like a sieve, and still others by retaining the color on the surface of the medium.

All of this to say: Color accuracy matters, even when you're not doing something professionally. I'm personally sensitive to reds when they're not accurate, as an example.

If you have any other questions about if I know what I'm talking about, you can DM me.

Nice copy and paste. It's too bad you don't understand the material you copied and pasted. Lol
I'm the guy who calibrates the presses, the monitors and checks them to make sure they're within a delta 3 error reading on the printing end. Accuracy does matter and anything can be made accurate through proper adjustments. However simply buying a monitor that was accurately set up at one point does not make sure that it is still accurate when you're using it after the purchase 6 months later or a year later, calibrations need to be continually redone if you want to maintain accuracy. Buying a monitor that is labeled as color accurate means nothing.
While CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black, Yes K is used for black because blue was already using b, however on a Xerox iGen digital press the application order is MYCK) color printing can approximate pantone colors, they cannot reproduce them accurately, for this you need spot color and a mixed ink printed with offset intaglio or flexo presses.
By the way the basis of lithography is that water and oil don't mix. Certain areas of the plate are water receptive and other areas are oil receptive. The oil receptive areas will accept ink while the water receptive areas will not so the printing plate is first wet and then ink is applied and then it is offset onto rubber blanket which then presses it onto a paper hence the 'offset press' name. The HP indigo is a digital offset press meaning that the images are produced with a laser on a roller which then puts it onto the plate and onto the blanket and each rotation a new image is placed so you can have variable data offset printing meaning each image can be unique. Xerox iGen press uses a belt and a powder dry ink which is electrostatically pulled onto the belt as the belt passes through a cloud of toner It is then pulled onto the sheet through another electrostatic plate underneath the paper has a travels through the press after that the powder image on the paper is run through an area of the press known as the fuser where 300° oil and high pressure press and melt the plastic toner into the paper.
Interestingly The oil that is used as a transfer medium on the HP indigo press contains rust particles (iron oxide) which make it and the inks created by mixing with it magnetic and that is how it is attracted to the laser etched magnetic roller to create the image in the first place and also how it is moved on to the plate.
So yeah, don't fall for the " this monitor is color accurate " marketing BS. Even if it was once there's no guarantee it is now after being shipped and there's definitely no guarantee it will be weeks or months from now.