Summary
One of the components I upgrade with the least frequency is my computer monitor. Which means that I often let several generations of improvement pass me by before spending money on a new screen.
QD-OLEDs certainly feel like the gold-standard for computer monitors right now, but their high introductory price has definitely given me pause. Recently, however, window-shopping online, the prices on these monitors are making me think I should smash the old piggy bank.
I’m Still Happy With My LED Ultrawide
QD-OLED tech offers so many advantages, and based on torture tests I’ve seen online, it seems that QD-OLED in particular is much more resistant to burn-in compared to WOLEDs. This is a major concern when using an OLED as a monitor, with so many static elements on screen.
That said, I currently use a 34-inch Dell ultrawide monitor as my daily-driver screen. I got it for a steal on sale a few years ago. It’s a 144Hz VA panel with FreeSync Premium. At the time it was new, this was a mid- to high-end screen. By the time I bought it as an outgoing model, it was solidly mid-range in terms of picture quality.
The truth is that I don’t do much gaming or media consumption on this screen. My main reason for buying a screen like this is purely for work. It lets me effectively have a dual-monitor setup in one screen, and it’s the most comfortable way for me to get my work done.
So it doesn’t really bother me that it doesn’t have the best colors or black levels, because it’s an office workhorse.
But, My MiniLED Mac Is Changing My Mind
The thing is, after getting an OLED TV, and most importantly, getting an iPad and MacBook with miniLED displays, the transitions to and from my LCD ultrawide are becoming somewhat jarring. Perhaps worst of all, I’ve been using my M4 MacBook Pro docked at my desk with its internal display as a second screen, and looking between one and the other makes it clear how far screens have come.
MacBook Pro with M4 Pro 12-core 14-inch
This “binned” M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 14-inch screen is one of the best deals ever to come from Apple’s factories. It’s not the cheapest laptop in the M4 MacBook Pro family, but it’s by far the best value for money. This is the last laptop most people will have to buy for many years.
They say that comparison is the thief of joy, and I still don’t think my old ultrawide is bad at all in isolation, but recently I’ve even been impressed by entry-level miniLED TVs, which bridge the majority of the gulf between LCDs and OLEDs, at a fraction of the price.
There Don’t Seem to Be Many MiniLED Monitor Options
This got me thinking that I should look into miniLED monitors. They’ve been such a success in the TV and laptop industry, surely we must be spoiled for choice at this point. Well, Display Ninja maintains thisupdated list of miniLED monitors, and to my surprise there are currently only 11 1440p 34-inch ultrawide monitors in existence.
Few of them are from brands I know, and even worse, none of them are currently sold where I live. Also, they aren’t particularly cheap either. So it’s not at all like the situation in the TV industry where there are miniLED options at really competitive prices and great picture quality.
But Wait, QD-OLED Screens Aren’t Crazy Expensive?
The miniLED monitors I looked at that matched the size and resolution of my current screen were all hovering near the $1000 mark, so I expected that a QD-OLED would be much more expensive than that. They definitely were when last I dared to look. However, to my surprise, this wasn’t the case.
Take the 34-inch Alienware QD-OLED, which can often be had for around $900 these days. True, this is the “sale” price, but I don’t actually think I saw anyone trying to sell them for MRSP as of this writing.
Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Monitor
Similarly, the Samsung 34-inch Odyssey OLED G8 retails for about $1200. That’s a lot of money, true, but it’s not far off what similar miniLEDs are going for. So it’s genuinely a situation where there are overlapping budgets here.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 Gaming Monitor
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 gaming monitor offers a 34-inch QD-OLED panel with a QHD resolution, 175Hz refresh rate, and .03ms response time. It also features a rear bias light that matches onscreen content.
If you are interested in something smaller than a 34-inch ultrawide, the 27-inch MSI MAG could be yours for less than $700!
MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2
We are very much still in the premium monitor pricing range here, but the VA LCD screen I’m currently using wasn’t much cheaper when I bought it and the step-up in image quality is substantial.
I Think This Is the Year It Happens
Like most people, I have lots of financial priorities that rank higher than getting a new monitor when the one I have works perfectly fine. However, Idospend at least eight hours a day looking at my desktop screen as I grind for my daily bread, so there is an argument that making my screen more pleasant to look at will make work more enjoyable. Considering that I can probably get a decent amount for my current monitor, the cost of upgrading may not be so out of reach.
Yes, you can hear me rationalizing yet another technology purchase I don’t strictly need, but maybe this is the year I complete the transition from obsolete LCD backlighting systems to something with more contrast.
