Samsung has unveiled a pair of new monitors – a 31.5-inch model and a 27-inch, both OLED panels – that sound quite useful indeed, and we can expect to hear more about them at CES 2024.
Specifically, they are QD-OLED (quantum dot OLED) monitors, and the 27-inch version has a 1440p resolution with a 360 Hz refresh rate. The larger 31.5-inch panel has a 4K resolution and a pixel density of 140 PPI (thanks to an 'ultra-precise inject print' technology, Tom's hardware reports).
The 27-inch QD-OLED monitor has a 0.03ms response time coupled with a 360Hz refresh rate, and apparently the latter was achieved using a proprietary AI algorithm (known as 'Quantum Enhancer'). Samsung certainly sees this screen as a challenger to make it onto our list of the best gaming monitors.
Details are pretty scarce at the moment, but as mentioned we should hear more at CES next month. In fact, we'd be baffled if we didn't, as Samsung is already preparing these monitors for release.
Samsung says it has begun mass production of the 31.5-inch monitor and we can only assume the smaller 1440p model will soon follow suit (fingers crossed).
Analysis: Taking on TN
That 27-inch gaming monitor in particular has caused quite a stir, as a standard 16:9 OLED panel (not ultrawide, nor a curved screen, but flat) was long expected to come in this size (and previously rumored ). . What's really creating excitement is the reveal of the 360Hz refresh rate here.
Keep in mind that currently the fastest OLED panels top out at 240Hz, so this is a big jump in terms of the frame rate you can experience with an OLED monitor (a screen can only display high fps if it has a refresh rate that matches that of your PC). There's a lot of buzz about how smooth the gaming experience will be with this screen, and how it could compare favorably against TN (LCD) monitors with an even faster refresh rate.
We have up to 500 Hz (yes, you read that right) with TN panels from Asus these days, so a comparison with a 360 Hz QD-OLED is something that many gamers looking for a high-end panel will be happy to see .
Concerns remain about burn-in with OLED monitors (and TVs), mind you, and how Samsung handles that issue will also be a point of focus. We would like to discover whether AI will also play a role there (since Gigabyte has already gone that route with new Aorus monitors).