Auria 27" WQHD 2560x1440 LCD Monitor $399.99 B&M @ Micro Center
 

In case you were hesitant to buy the 27" Catleaps on eBay from Korea Micro Center has come to the rescue and now offers a similar IPS display.

LINK:
http://www.microcenter.com/single...id=0384780
$399.99 + tax, which isn't too much more than the prices on eBay, and you can easily return it if there's anything wrong with it. If it has the same panel as the Korean displays (which is appears to be, but won't know until there's a tear down of it), then it uses the same display as the 27" iMac and Dell U2711 (for half the price).

Pictures of it in this thread at Rage 3D:
http://www.rage3d.com/board/showt...572&page=2

Specs:
DVI-D
DisplayPort
HDMI
VGA

178° horizontal / 178° vertical viewing angles (IPS)
Resolution 2560 x 1440 (77% more pixels than 1080p)
Color Support 1.07 billion (10-bit, or 8-bit with FRC)
Warranty 1 year limited warranty
VESA mount

This post can and should be edited by users like you :)
 

2/5 UPDATE
Monitors are no longer glossy. New batches of Auria monitors are being shipped with matte, anti-glare coatings. They are also much thicker than the previous glossy displays.

Anadtech Review on it.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/588...ps-display

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this is roughly equivalent to the Dell E2711 or whatever, their 27" 2560x1440 which is around ~$800. Isn't this a good deal then?

All the catleap, achieva, crossover talks shall commence...

Nice. I was looking at the catleaps but i have a Radeon 5870 Eyefinity 6 with only DP adapters. The catleaps have to have dvi-d and an active dvi-d to dp connector.


I'm going to try this out and hope for the best!

edit: clarifications

The viewing angles make me think that this sucker has a IPS panel. The resolution is also really high, and you're paying $100 more compared to the eBay brands but you're getting a B&M to return it to, and you're getting the option of buying insurance on it. It also has DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort, while the Internet version has only dual-link DVI. And it has speakers.

This is a great deal, but people will QQ because it's Microcenter and not everyone has a B&M near them. Shipping is also $38. Thanks OP

Unfreakin real. been waiting for a great monitor deal and gave up and just bought, literally 10mins ago, a used u3011 on ebay for $699 free s/h.

I woulda drove 10mins to microcenter and tried this out in a heartbeat.

Good find and yea probably a really good deal depending on the quality of the unit. If these are able to be overclocked, even to 97 or 100hz I will go get it.

QQ more n00b!

THIS DEAL IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!

MicroCenter actually having a deal that they are willing to ship. It's the sign of the apocalypse.

i have an auria 26" monitor at 1920x1200 build quality isnt like a dell plasticky but its a decent monitor viewing wise.

Gah... I just bought a u3011 too. I could have went 27" Eyefinity at this price.

It'll probably be like most of the other variants and only do 66Hz or so. On the plus side, if this uses the same panel as all the others, you could just buy the 120Hz 2B PCB when/if it becomes available.

I wouldnt call it the exact same (A+ vs A- panels) but yes, same S-IPS panels.

Also, I think most of the eBay panels only have a single input (most without HDMI, only DVI). This having multiples is a +.

A- panels might have dead pixels or other oddities, but having a US seller is a bonus - worth the extra $.

The panels may come from the same factory as the Apple/Dell/HP, but the final product is no where near the same.

These "generic" versions are not at all color calibrated, and most do not even have and OSD to tweak color settings.

SD will probably lock this thread. I don't know why they always lock and delete the Korean IPS monitor threads

To save $400, I can color calibrate using the color tweaks on the desktop just fine.

Good find, OP. I have MC nearby, so I will go and check these out. Definitely a good deal!

An entry level color meter costs $150 with $350 being the sweet spot. Even using an ICC color profile generated by the calibrator in Windows, Windows does not have the ability to load your custom color profile into any full screen DXVA games or video. Hence, you can only color correct native Windows apps at the desktop level.

They only lock it because its from a non-repable dealer. Microcenter is a repable dealer so it shouldn't get deleted.

MPC-HC and madVR. Also, you can find X-Rite 1Display 2s for pretty cheap on eBay if the pre-made ICC profiles aren't good enough for you. Not sure if that's too entry-level enough but at least it's not a Spyder. Got mine for $55 or so.

You would also need the color meter for the Apple and Dell LCDs or do you think they are perfected tuned for your graphics card from the factory? So that's a wash.

As for the rest.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Twea...zard.shtml
http://download.cnet.com/PowerStr...14972.html

driving to SC microcenter in the afternon, will check it out~

what's wrong with sypder?

Are there any other reviews on this? Are the extra outputs enough to justify the extra $100 I'll be spending for the MicroCenter version (as opposed to a CatLeap?)

glossy bezel ruins the beautiful panel

Sold out as of this post.

A little sandpaper will take care of that.

That extra $100 over the ebay catleaps might be justified just with the piece of mind of buying from Microcenter with their generous return policy.

I think so, although I've already got a catleap that I'm very, very happy with.

I need another monitor like this, and since I'll be going to a laptop once ivy bridge gets going (since they've opened up the TDP to allow for laptops to become much more powerful with add'l cooling), I'll need one with a Display Port since those are showing up on laptops these days.

You can always use a DP-->Dual-Link DVI adaptor, but I prefer to not use converters/adaptors if possible. Too much opportunity for problems.

Only thing I don't like is the design... o well

i have a catleap bought from ebay for 350 flat. it works on my mac mini with thunderbolt "i had to buy a dual dvi cable for my mac" also it works on my pc which has a 560 ti card and the graphics on this thing are stunning! Yes its from Korea but the quality is excellent got it in about 5 days as well! THis deal is also good but if u are hard for cash get the catleap i really dont know much about this monitor here.

Man, if I had known about catleap a month ago I would have picked one up for $250 in Korea.

I'm hoping to learn more about this Auria monitor. Might be worth the 2-hour drive to MC this weekend.

take that Retina display! heh jk jk

I'm happy with the TV i've got at home (i know i know, this is a monitor), but i wonder if i can convince my boss to pick up the tab for work...yeah, prolly not

i bet games would be insane on this...i bet games would be hilarious trying to render them from a AMD C-50 APU

This is certainly tempting! I didn't know monitors with this kind of resolution could be had for such a low price..

I'll post some impressions tonight. I'm picking mine up in about 2 hours.

Does anyone happen to know about the response time? MC didn't list it on their site. I am right near a Microcenter, but I don't want to drop $400 on a monitor that isn't good for gaming.

Its right there on the page under specs
6.5ms

yeah it did, 6.2 ms response time

Like Samsung and LG?

Tax and shipping kills this for me

Sales tax in Houston is $33

Newbie questions:

In description it says: "To achieve the maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440, a display port must be used on both ends. "

So an i5 laptop with a 1GB Radeon 525M and HDMI out (and VGA D-Sub) would NOT be able to drive this at highest resolution, correct?

Also, assuming the above is correct, are there any adapters that would allow said laptop to drive this at full resolution (at a usable response time)?

Thanks.

no "knobs" to change color when you'd want to calibrate?

use software for that. I might go to MC on Monday if they are still in stock. I need to pick up a replacement I/o shield for a mobo I bought anyway

Thanks for the response time info, I must have missed it when I was clicking through. I think I am going to grab one of these this weekend, play with it, see if I like it and decide whether or not to replace my Dell SP2309W with it.

Kind of want to wait for a sale, open box, or refurb from MC though.

AFAIK, you can't. You either need DVI-D or DP for 2560x1440.

you should not use this for gaming, because games don't support 1440p resolution. You'll be playing it at 1080p anyway.

What? I haven't run into any problems. Maybe 10+ year old games might not support it, but you could always see if there's an INI fix or run it in a window.

Not sure if troll or just a big wang.

Eh? I was just able to add fine.

And for all the color cali stuff, you dont need a $300 product to calibrate.... and for the highest end designers here, which I am sure comprise of a very small percentage here, they will already have this or can borrow from someone else, or need one for the future anyways.

I assume most here are avid techies, gamers and casual designers who can use monitors like these no problem. There are actually higher class monitors in Korea that are much better build quality than these for a slightly higher price, but they dont sell to the public and are not listed. I have been looking to import them for a year now but we all know its not that easy. But it seems the market is good for people willing to buy so maybe its a good time for them to start showing up here. I played Call of Duty on one there and it was incredible... literally felt like I was playing on a Mac display, sweet, and the build was super cool, and no noticeable lag either. Very soon, no one is gonna buy any 1080p crap. Same goes for their 30" 2560X1600, ooooooooooh, I want that one.

Even selling in the USA $430 shipped is a bit much... looks like I'll get a move on this and see whassup. :woot:

I hope you mean its just far (for shipping) and not about quality...

Korea is a top 7 world economy for people for people who didnt know, and the only bad thing about them is they have a lot of "fakes" but for these kinda monitors, what that means is they take apart Japanese/US brands, study them, and then the replicate them, and they are more than capable of making the same quality. They wont ever get accused of being the Picasso or Michelangelo of the tech world, but Hyundai (cars and ships), Samsung, LG should raise Korea up worldwide even more.... their biggest fault? Pathetic marketing in the USA for Americans (they are awesome in-house though) and arrogance, hence most Americans do not know about Korean details... I would know... but they are improving, slightly. I tell you, if they didnt sell quality products, they wouldnt sell anything.

I notice that the website says that, "To obtain the maximum resolution, a display port must be used on both ends." What I'm wondering is . . . what's a display port? Is it Macintosh related? Is this only for Mac's or can I get the full resolution from my old e-machines PC and from a newer laptop?

Display Port is a new socket, kind of a cross between HDMI and DVI

how does the port fit in to your computer?

Someone told me this monitor is better for IPS. Thoughts?


http://www.amazon.com/Dell-UltraS...B005JN9310

Just picked up mine. Bought a displayport cable at microcenter as well ($30 but I already ordered one from Amazon for 7$ lol.. ill be going back for a return)

- I have no dead pixels.

-There are on screen controls to change brightness, contrast, eco, dcr, aspect h.position, v.position clock, phase, colro temp, rgb, language, osd h. pos, osd v. pos, osd timer, transparency, hotkey type, signal source, audio select, and volume.

-The buttons to control the menu are auto, menu, vol +, vol -, up , down, and power.

-Monitor loaded up on initial boot with no problems and Windows 7 set it to 2560x1400 before I logged in.

-The monitor is coming up as 60Hz and but ATI catalyst is reporting that it can support up to 75Hz. When I try to change it to 75Hz it doesn't let me set the resolution higher than 1280x1024. Is there any way around this?

- It seems like there is a bit of backlight bleeding on the bottom right corner but that could be because I haven't calibrated it at all. Does anyone have a link I can use to calibrate this?

- The viewing angle is as advertised and has very little dropoff

-The base is acceptable and has good swivel action. I do notice a bit of shaking when I type though.

The contents of the box include: DVI-D cable, power brick, power cable, and a vga cable.

Also, Diablo 3 looks amazing at this resolution :omg:

The review is wrong. You can use DVI-D or DP for full res.

I take everything back.. The monitor is DEAD now. It's making slight chirping noises and no power is going to the monitor.

This could be due to the fact that the guy at Microcenter dropped my box in front of me....

lmao oh well

I would have asked for a different one right there and then.

it was the last one

Good deal but due to all the connections the input lag on this thing will likely be atrocious. I would be hesitant to play games on it, but great deal nonetheless.

LULZ, best post I have read tonight :D

I am using the monitor right now at 2560x1440 using DVI cable come with the monitor, at the first I used the DVI cable from the old monitor and it didn't get in windows, but it's show loading screen just black when in Windows.
the monitor look cheap compare to my old HP, but the back housing really good. ??? I dont know why they build good back housing when the base and the front housing cheapo made.
Edit: no dead pixel, but not really sure, because I have not carefully scan every pixel. For $430 is not bad.

Nope, 6-bit vs 8-bit, resolution, etc. I have both.

Dual link?

I guess, Video card is Radeon 6670, have DVI, DP and HDMI, since I don't have DP cable I just use the DVI cable came with the box.
Also notice the brightness control is back light level, and the color temp changing with contrast setting... wierd.

Cool deal. Thanks for the update. If you get a chance to check out any games, would appreciate the feedback. Thank you.

Me too i have a micro center right near me.

The link is dead now and search produces no results.

Played about 2 hours of diablo 3 and it has looked gorgeous. The lower right does look like it has light bleeding but overall a really beautiful panel. I ordered two at MC online but they only had one for me when I showed up (I was okay with that because I didn't want to have to buy the second video card anyway).

So far everything looks great. Hope mine doesn't die like that other guys.

Sitting on my desk it has a slight tilt like / from the side. I'm coming from the Dell 24" 2008fpw which I've had since it came out so I'm used to the positioning. This is definitely a hell of a deal so far. We'll see if I keep it. I may return and go after the dell for positioning and the gushing feeling of comfort.

Oh, and for those that care.... they have a 1080p version at MC for 309.99. I almost walked out with one of those until I looked on the side of the box and saw it was 1080p. Then I went to check my internet order and lo and behold there was a WQHD version in the same box - the difference was those 4 letters and different 12pt font numbers for the resolution so be wary when you buy it.

I think the SD referral is breaking it. Seems to work when you copy and paste it.

RGB levels are adjustable with this monitor. I used an i1display 2 to calibrate mine using the on screen controls for contrast, red, green and blue so the applied profile did not have to do much. I guess what I am trying to say is your comment has nothing to do with this thread.

BTW, I'm the one that submitted that review at Micro Center for that monitor. In addition to the stand being so so I should have mentioned the power brick.

Negatives:
My unit does have some light bleed in the lower right.
The external power brick gets very hot.
On dual link DVI the monitor would only come up at the Windows login screen... so BIOS work be damned. It could have been the Nvidia card I was using.

Positives:
The panel looks very nice

Overall I'm worried about the 24VDC 6A powerbrick and may return it.

you think it'd be worth selling my hp zr24w (i got for $200 after rebate) (i dunno where i'd sell, probably hope the best on craigslist? to avoid shipping? i dunno)

to get this instead?

can anyone post more revealing pictures than the one in that rage3d thread?

I wouldn't since you already own a nice 1920x1200 IPS monitor. To be honest if I take this back I may get a ZR2740W for the 3 year on site warranty(upgradeable to 5 years for about $50) around $670 total.

yeah. it just seems like a gamble for the money. But as stated before, microcenter actually has a return policy unlike ebay resellers.

Granted if you have no issues, you are effectively getting a cheaper looking Cinema Display for 40% of the price.

I guess you're right. And I like the built in USB ports of my zr24w. And the warranty, for 3 years, is fantastic piece of mind.

Thanks for dissuading me (and my wallet is happy too)

I doubt dropping the box caused the failure. Most monitors shipped by UPS, USPS or FedX average at least one drop by the time they reach the user. Packaging is designed to handle short drops.

Your problem is probably related to a bad component that overheated. It could happen with any make... then again, these monitors are cheap for a reason.

I'm waiting for the LG branded IPS4 models due to ship in a month or so. LG has said their new line of IPS will be price competitive with TN monitors and should be much higher quality than this or the Catleap models.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/2...4-monitor/

Backlight bleed isn't something that can be cured with calibration.

I've seen it caused by frame flex in larger TVs and monitors. If frame flex is the cause, it can, sometimes be remedied by pressing on the face of the screen, much like getting rid of air bubbles under a plastic film. I suppose flexing the frame would also work, but that seems a lot riskier.

If I'd just paid $400 for a new monitor and it had significant light bleeding, it would go back. Then again, if I could only notice a slight amount of bleed at a corner when the brightness was turned all the way up and I was looking at a completely black screen, then I wouldn't worry about it. Everything except the very highest end monitors have a little of that sort of bleed.

My power brick is barely warm at all (only been on for 30mins at this point). I have to say the manual to this thing is the best bit of engrish (yes, spelled correctly) I've read in a long time. The more and more I use this the more and more I'm thinking of keeping it.

Yeah you have a point. It's just more entertaining to blame the MC guy lol. Thanks for the tip on the LG panels. I doubt it'll be sub $400 though.

The bleeding wasn't terrible but yeah it could have been from the drop. It's only visible on a black screen.

Not the most beautiful monitor I've ever seen, but certainly not bad. The base is obviously cheap at this price point, but it does swivel and (sort of) tilt. Comes with DVI dual-link and VGA cables, and power brick.

http://www.ionthruster.com/tech/auria07_front.jpg

I'm comparing to an HP zr2740w, both connected to an XFX Radeon 6870 via DisplayPort.

Boot screen, the Auria shows a little more backlight glow, it is more evident with more light in the room, maybe due to reflection from the glossy screen. Pretty even at any rate.

http://www.ionthruster.com/tech/auria01_boot.jpg


The picture overall looks very similar to the HP, maybe a slight bit more saturation out of the box. Although this is listed as a 10-bit monitor in the specs, it does not exhibit the wide-gamut oversaturation you see in the HP zr30w, Dell u3011, and Dell u2711. I noticed a bit of banding in a greyscale gradient image, versus the HP, which showed none. Very minimal though, I didn't try to take a picture of it.

http://www.ionthruster.com/tech/auria02_desktop.jpg

http://www.ionthruster.com/tech/auria03_img1.jpg

http://www.ionthruster.com/tech/auria04_img2.jpg

http://www.ionthruster.com/tech/auria05_img3.jpg

HDMI, DVI, VGA, DisplayPort inputs (DVI and VGA are hidden behind the stand - crappy design but seems common in cheap monitors.)

http://www.ionthruster.com/tech/auria08_back.jpg

Oh and the built in speakers just worked over DisplayPort, no tweaking required. Nice bonus.

Overall I'm blown away with this monitor at this price. The input options, mostly local availability, and warranty make this an awesome alternative to the eBay models. It's actually cheaper then the Korean multi-inputs. I don't necessarily love the glossy screen, but it does make the AG on the HP look a bit dingy in that regard. Would be nice if some manufacturer could figure out a compromise between the two.

Thanks, from the pictures, it looks almost identical to my PCBank PB2700 Super other than the added inputs/controls. Same stand design and everything. Good to know that it should be easy to source 2 more in case I want to do triple monitors with them (currently have two U2412Ms in portrait).

537 Rm = 171 USD

171 for a 23 inch ips is pretty decent, so 400 for a 27 shouldn't be too far from reality. I was thinking about a catleap/auria but I think I'll give it a month. Buying from a U.S. seller and having other inputs to work with my ps3 would be nice.

play nice and stay on topic or ignore.

The Korean monitor will have 60% more pixels, and about 20% more screen area, 33% higher pixel density, and is capable of displaying more colors, glossy screen, external power brick

The Dell is going to have much better build quality, much better stand, much better warranty (replacement if there's even a single bright pixel), on-screen menu for adjustments, USB hub, anti-glare screen, built-in power supply

I tried lug in blu-ray player thru HDMI port and it doesn't work, even I turned off my computer. Someone have this monitor please verify this!

I checked mine after 5 hours of use.

After putting the brick across some wires behind the monitor it seems to be running cooler. It's still pretty warm but not hot.

I also think the light bleed in the lower right is due to the panel being squeezed too hard. If I press on the lower right panel the bleed gets worse. At the angle I sit at the computer I cannot really see the light bleed.

After running the calibration I'm keeping it. For what it's worth my monitor settings are:
Brightness 60
contrast 100
dcr off
red 59
green 52
blue 45

I don't know if there is enough consistency between the panels to make these settings useful. The ICC profile it generated for the monitor wasn't that much of a difference and I don't know how to attach it.

I have a weird problem connecting my Dell E6420 laptop docked in an E-Port replicator to this monitor.

First I went this way:
DisplayPort -> DP to Dual Link DVI active adapter -> Auria Monitor

It worked fine. I get the full 2560x1440 resolution.

Then I found a DisplayPort cable. So I unplugged the DP-to-DVI adapter---monitor went blank (obviously), then plugged in the DP cable---It worked as expected at full 2560x1440 resolution.

Now the weird thing:
If I then reboot the laptop, the screen does not come back any more with the DP cable. The LED indicator on the monitor will turn green for a while as if it detects a signal, but after about 5 seconds the monitor displays "No Signal" and the LED turns red.
With the DP-to-DVI adapter I can bring the screen back.
I then found that if I use the DP-to-DVI adapter first then switch to the DP cable, it also works. But it simply doesn't work with the DP cable alone...

Appreciate any help on this.

This is impressive. After ebay bucks and the 3 year square trade warranty, my catleap cost $380 shipped. It has backlight uniformity problems and a single dead pixel. Then I had to pay $15 for a 10' dvi-d cable. Overall i'm happy with the monitor but I would have returned it if I had purchased it locally, had I had that option. For the extra $50 I would opt for this one, even if you have to ship it back at your cost.

Hopefully at the least, this means 2560x1440 ips panels are coming to the US for $400 or less very soon!

Thank you for Cal Setting, these numbers are help a lot to me.
With your setting, I changed a little with new setting I got a real white color now:
Brightness 62
Contrast 100 (+11 in video card setting)
Red 52
Green 51
Blue 49

I have Radeon 6670 Setting at:
Gamma 0.9
Brightness -14
Contrast 111

I am using Color filter card (RED, GREEN, BLUE) to check the colors. The brightness is hard to get it right with the monitor control because all it does is change back lightning, suck.

I want a monitor that will work with an xbox via hdmi. I might just wait for the new LG's for peace of mind. I'm also not certain if I want three 23" monitors for eyefinity or one 27" high res monitor. Eyefinity is one of those things that I've always wanted to try but I get the feeling it might get old after a week or so.

Any overclocking results from this panel?

is there a notable difference between 60hz and say 100hz? If my card is capable of hitting 100fps am I actually limited with 60hz?

Without getting technical, yes, the difference between 60 and 100hz is night and day. Most people notice a speed change after 15hz.

And yes, your display is bottlenecking your gpu for the lack of a better term, and the benefit of that is that you will likely never drop below 60fps so you'll always get fluid motion, but the down side is that you'll get screen tearing as you're trying to display more frames than what the panel can refresh at.

Given this Auria has a DisplayPort input (unlike the Catleaps), would a measly Asus Zenbook w/o a dedicated graphics card be able to power it through its mini DisplayPort?

No need to have buyer's remorse. I would take a u3011 at $700 over this deal. But I can't stand glossy monitors :p

Got one of these 27" Korean IPS monitors for $330 a few months ago. It's pixel perfect, no tax, and was shipped via Fedex in two days. Loving the monitor so far. To hell with Dell.

did you have to get a power converter?

Grab one of those cords that connects from your wall outlet to your Power supply of your PC. That is all you need. That and a dual DVI cable which they may come with.

So even though it has an HDMI port on the back, you can't get the full resolution with it?

For this specific monitor, it seems you can only get the max resolution with DVI and DisplayPort. Technically, HDMI version 1.3 or higher can support resolution above 1080p, but you have to check three points:

1. The HDMI cable is at least version 1.3
2. The monitor's HDMI port supports it
3. Your video card's HDMI port supports it

I'm delighted there's now US retailers for these 27" IPS monitors. I hope Fry's and Newegg start importing more to increase the competition so everyone can grab one for cheap by Black Friday.

are you sure? i remember reading on ocn that since the catleaps were from korean that they needed a voltage converter. from whatever korea specs are (240?) to our 110v

It comes with a cable from monitor to power brick. Just grab a normal prong that your PSU uses to the wall outlet, that is the same cable that will connect from the outlet to the power brick. I assume you are in the US but I doubt it would be any different for any other country. I have one of the monitors and this was all I needed since it came with a dual DVI cable.

As skydivingcows stated, all you need is a regular power cord for US sockets. Mine came with only a korean cord, I used a spare monitor cord.

The brick is rated between 110~240.

thx guys. now to flip my p2450h first on CL and try to get 150 out of it.

shady...

I purchased 2 on Saturday, got a call for verification on Tuesday (wtf?) and was cancelled Wednesday. They won't do anything.

But now I still want 2 27 inch high res monitors :(

Any thoughts on why I'm able to get native resolution over VGA but not DVI? Have a latitude e6510 if that helps...it has DP, but don't have cable to test right now.

Looks like a number of the non CA stores restocked units after it had been unavailable. Also, seems available to be shipped again now.

Worst luck...
 

I've had the worst luck! I've already gone through 2 of these: the first had a dead pixel close to the middle of the monitor (I tried running those color swapping videos and rubbing it out to no avail) and the 2nd one I picked up yesterday has a speaker problem where the speakers act as if there is some sort of interference... even though nothing is inputted that would use the audio!

All of these are reasons why I didn't buy straight from South Korea... I'd have no recourse in that case. Other than the flaws noted, the monitors looked great. Can't say anything about overclocking as it's a pain to overclock on an ATI 4870. The stand sucks - I will probably eventually replace it. Audio is meh - but that's true about all monitor speaker audio. I'm hoping that the monitor comes back in stock so I can swap yet another one out :vomit:

Maybe go with the Crossover instead, seems to have better results, higher quality, little more expensive.... or the Catleap.

The panels are supposed to effectively be the same - so in the area of bad pixels/bad lighting, I'd have an equal chance regardless of 'manufacturer'. The bad speaker problem would be negated by buying one of the other South Korean manufacturers as many don't have speakers at all. I think I just got some bad luck - I have high hopes on the next panel I pick up.

There are actually a couple of brands in Korea that have better QC and thus better results for us... they dont sell as publicly as the others aforementioned, but I'm looking into to.. slightly more expensive but no shoddy stand, more aluminum framing, and they get all the best leftovers after Apple/Dell etc., so a lot are better than A-.

Since they aren't in stock locally I ordered one online at MC. If it's good I might just get 2 more for eyefinity (had no interest with my current 3 monitors, junky old dells from 2004 mixed with a u2311h)

That's probably because your DVI is single-link and it needs dual-link DVI to achieve the full resolution. The full resolution seen on VGA is probably due to the scaler, in other words it's fake. DP works, and as a plus audio through DP also works :worship:

I want to report back that I finally solved my own problem.
The issue seems to be with the latest nvidia driver that I obtained from nvidia's website some time back. Once I installed the latest but older versioned driver from Dell's website, the Displayport starts working! Now I only need one cable for both video and audio, can't be happier.

Got me an Achieva Shamian last week and god almighty this thing is fantastic! $300 is a deal!

Thank you
 

Thanks so much for the settings. I was nearly ready to return mine. I was getting the feeling that contrast/black levels weren't going to work. I was using it near the default settings and using the windows 7 calibration utility to no avail.

I hate that the screen sort of glows on a flat, black background, but it really is very bright and seems to have good color. The lower right corner of mine does flashlight some, too. I'll calibrate with my brother's x-rite tool soon. I was using the charts at http://www.imaging-resource.com/A...IBRATE.HTM to check black and white levels.

Gowry

It was a dual link DVI (bought one and also tried the cable that came with it). Nonetheless, since then I have purchased a DP cable and it works. Just curious as to why the DVI-D didn't work..

I was also getting a strange white flicker at the top of the monitor when I maximized any window on the screen. I read this could be due to incorrect refresh rate, and sure enough, the rate somehow defaulted to 59 Hz. Changed it to 60 Hz, and has been fine since...hope that helps someone else!

Picked one up last night at microcenter and the kind folks there let me plug it in to check if it was all working and No DEAD PIXELS HOORAY! Got home and stuck it on my old gateway FPD2485W stand. Played a bit of d3 and put it on a white screen. but as soon as I put it on a black background i get one stuck pixel on the upper left side. I'm gonna try getting it unstuck after work today with all those free tools. i'll try to post some pix this weekend as well.

Anyone know of any 27" 2560x1440 monitor with component input besides the $899 Dell? I know 99% wont use the component input or care about it at all, but it matters to me.

You can get a converter box for like $40

I can think of no reason why it should matter when you can get a VGA to component adapter for a couple bucks.

No reason to convert the analog component signal to digital, just need a passive converter cable for like $5

Interesting. I have been waiting for higher rez monitors to trickle down to human prices. I have 2 26" 1920x1200's now, with a rock solid vesa desk mount. I could probably mount these in fairly easily and enjoy the resolution. However I have concerns...

I use one monitor constantly for work (left) and occasionally both for work. In the reverse, I also have my computer using one monitor constantly (right) and occasionally both for after work. It's a tricky balance of inputs to pull this off to have dual capability for both rigs without some kind of crazy expensive KVM. So if what I read is true and it requires dual DVI (or displayport) to get full rez....

A) laptop is VGA and DVI out only. I do not think I will be able to get full rez out of it.
B) I will need a new video card (waiting on the GTX 660 anyway but it's not out yet) as my current card (GTX 460) only has dual dvi and hdmi. I would be able to get full rez on one, but not both. I would need a card that I could split up DP on one and dual dvi on the other. Right?

Then there is always...
C) wife will kill me.

Thank you bsg I didn't know about the VGA to Component adapter. You are awesome! As far as the audio is concerned(red and white cables), what is the adapter called that would let me run that to a 2.1 speak system?

VGA is RGB, Component is Y/Pb/Pr. They generally aren't interchangeable unless the monitor supports it.

Yeah I am noticing the reviews for this type of product stating that

Not to threadcrap, but isn't this more suited to dealtalk than HD? I mean this price isn't exactly new for this monitor.

2560x1440 S-IPS 27" monitor $399 at Microcenter
 

These monitors are manufactured by ECDCorp under the brand name "Auria". Retail for $399 at Microcenter:

http://www.microcenter.com/single...id=0384780

• 8-bit S-IPS
• 100% sRGB
• 2560x1440
• LED backlit
• Identical panel to Apple iMac & Cinema Display (lm270wq1) [this is a high-end photography-class panel]
• DVI, HDMI, VGA, and DisplayPort (not listed in specs but confirmed by overclock.net)
• Built-in 2W speakers
• 1 year limited warranty

I think these are new, and they and are apparently a big deal at overclock.net (http://www.overclock.net/t/125753...s-monitors) and HardForum (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1694047).

The downside is a slightly crappy stand, but since it's VESA mount, you can swap this out with a better one from elsewhere.

repost fyi, and this is a great monitor for the price

Drat. I searched the forum but maybe I was using the wrong terms. Sorry.

I think the consensus is that these are A-/A rebranded lcd's that don't meet the Apple Cinema specs from LG. Literally 99% of the monitor for the fraction of the price.

The difference between these and the Catleaps/Shimian's etc is that you can walk into a Microcenter and return it in person.

The Korean branded ebay monitors, albeit cheaper by about about $80 bucks...well, you're going to have to pony up the $100 bucks or so to ship it back to Korea.

This is what I've learned about these 27" "Apple panel" monitors from a Chinese forum.
Lg made a large batch of these panels for Apple, but some specs did not meet Apple's standards and considered defective by Apple, like the panel temperature was several degrees higher. they were returned to Lg. The quantity is very large and obviously Lg cannot supply them to other high end manufacturers like Dell or Hp, so they decided to sell these panels to some low end manufacturers, and this is why these monitors are so cheap. In China they're selling at about 300 USD.
Not saying this is a bad deal, just want to share some information here.

$437.99 with shipping to me.

Wow. Thanks for the research.

FUGLY cabinet, but good price for the resolution

The picture they have on the site is terrible. I own this monitor and it actually looks pretty decent. The stand is cheap, but everything else is fantastic. You can view this thread (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1694047) for some good pictures of the monitor.

My monitor has zero dead pixels, no backlight bleed, and for the price this thing can't be beat. I play all kinds of games on it and I don't notice any lag. Granted I'm not some super elite FPS gamer, but everything I've played (Crysis, Saints Row 3, Skyrim, Ys Origin, and Diablo III) has looked fantastic.

This monitor also has a few other things the 300 dollar Korean Ebay models don't have. It has a glossy screen (if you like that sort of thing), DVI-D, VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort inputs, and a built in scaler in case you want to hook up a PS3, 360, or laptop.

If you live near a Microcenter this is a great deal. You have 10 days to return or exchange it in case it doesn't meet your expectations. It not only met mine, it totally blew them away.

Actually, this is same price/cheaper (depending on tax) than the Catleap/Shimians as these actually come with inputs like HDMI and DP and an OSD, which are only available on the Korean monitors at $420+.

I completely agreed with you when I saw the picture on MicroCenter, then I looked at the picture on HForum, and it looks complete different (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1694047). Not the greatest stand but better than what's on the official website.

Who takes these pictures? :lmao:

Thanks for the info! Glossy screen kills it for me.

It sucks that its OOS in most Microcenters, and there is no way im paying $38 for shipping.
Hope they come back into stock soon

I picked one of these up over the weekend. Fantastic image quality compared to my previous 24 inch TN panel. No dead pixels, and a small amount of back light bleed in one corner but nothing major. For $400 this is a great monitor.

I was at Microcenter over the weekend. Unfortunately they didn't have any on display but had like 15 of them stacked up. I wasn't going to buy, I just wanted to see how good they were as I already own a U3011.

Maybe the low price is worth the risk, but has anyone else notice how ugly it is....

Would you mind linking me to the source of this information? Thanks.

Thanks OP.. but that shipping... is a beast. TU anyway.

No. I can't see past the IPS screen and resolution. Sorry.

The panel used in the Korean 27" IPS panels have been identified many, many times as the same model as the Apple 27".

From these threads:

http://www.overclock.net/t/125753...t_17249574
http://www.overclock.net/t/122591...nitor-club
http://www.overclock.net/t/122872...iew-pb2700

Attached image is from the PCBank 27", one of several brands using these panels.

thanks OP! tempting but glossy is annoying.

None at my store. :(

So, I can't do •2560x1440 via the HDMI, right? I wanted to use this with my Macmini.

Thanks!

Thanks. That overclock.net link is in my original post though. I was actually referring to this quote by superray:

"Lg made a large batch of these panels for Apple, but some specs did not meet Apple's standards and considered defective by Apple, like the panel temperature was several degrees higher. they were returned to Lg. The quantity is very large and obviously Lg cannot supply them to other high end manufacturers like Dell or Hp, so they decided to sell these panels to some low end manufacturers, and this is why these monitors are so cheap".

Do we have a primary source that these panels did not meet some sort of specification, or is this just a rumor and conjecture?

Hi,

Just a couple of questions, is there a lot of input lag? Also, how do the PS3/Xbox 360 look on them? I wanted to know since the monitor resolution is much higher so the images might looks stretched or blurred if the scaler isn't good. Thanks in advance!

I agree that glossy is terrible for a laptop where you have no control over various lighting conditions, but at home, I've actually grown to love it.

I have a Catleap, the korean version of these. The screen is amazing for working or playing in a dark room, but for times when I'm dealing with paperwork it can and does get a little irritating and noticeable.

I have HP dm4-2070us 14 inch notebook. Can anyone tell me what is the maximum resolution I can have with an external monitor? If I buy this monitor, will I be able to use the maximum display?

According to Apple's site, the current Mac Mini has an "HDMI port with support for up to 1920-by-1200 resolution".

I was looking into these monitors for some time, decided to go another way but this is what I found out:

- There are several options available out there on eBay but this seems to be the first low price (sub $400) offering at a physical store. All the eBay ones are drop shipped from South Korea, which I personally have no inherent problem with but being able to take something back to a physical store is worth something, especially on LCD's.

- All use the same ips LG panel. An excellent panel inherently but these 2nd tier vendors are not getting the top grade of the lot. So dead or stuck pixels or light bleed are possible. Having said that most people would rarely notice a dead pixel at this dpi, though a stuck one dead center would suck. Considering the Dell runs twice as much you have to ask yourself if $400 savings is worth a little light bleed or pixel defects. I suspect many would say yes, and Microcenter will have no problem slinging these, though they may end up with a lot of open box returns from people trying for perfect units.

- HDMI is limited to 1080p resolution. To take full advantage of the native resolution you need DVI-Dual or displayport to DVI-dual. Chances are if you have DVI hardware you are probably all set. But if you have a laptop with displayport you are going to need an adapter. And if you have a laptop with only HDMI or integrated graphics, you will be limited to 1080p resolution so there is really no point. Get a cheaper 1080p 27" if you are stuck with only HDMI. Very few consumer laptops have native DVI-D hardware on board, newer gaming/multimedia models with a minidp or displayport have a fighting chance but it's not a guarantee.

You can get the DVI-D input only models on ebay for ~$310 drop shipped from Korea. Models promised with no stuck pixels are $380.

I generally like the idea of the highest possible DPI on a monitor this high, in fact in the past I've paid quite a high premium for Dell 2405/2408 ips 1920x1200 native LCD's which were easily 2-3x more than 24" TN 1080p models. The color/blacks are so much nicer not to mention the viewing angles. But this time I ultimately decided to go with an inexpensive 27" 1080P model due my hardware being a little limited for gaming at this high of a resolution, and since gaming was my main intent I figured I will hold off until my next PC build ~2 years from now. By then these (hopefully) will be quite a bit more common and affordable.

Having said that the ips panel and native resolution would be amazing for work and some games that give you a true larger world view when ran at the higher resolutions. Well worth it if you fit in those camps. The eBay models are very nice looking and I would not hesitate for a moment with the South Korea manufacturing concerns. They are already making a very large chunk of our (US) displays. You just gotta have hardware/needs suitable to take advantage of the native resolution on these things.

cheaper in ebay with perfect pixels?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/3VIEW-PCB...0773458285

I've always wondered about the input lag on these monitors. Does that make fps gaming or any type of fast movement gaming impossible? Do you just learn to deal with it?

I am in the unique position of having had to return 2 of these monitors. The third monitor was a charm after having dealt with a dead pixel in the middle of the monitor and a defective speaker. The picture on this thing is great - the 50% discount is well worth the shoddy stand, slightly higher than normal light bleed, and less than sexy biezal.

It may be OOS in your area, but if you check every morning and every night, I would bet that a couple will show up in stock. The Tustin store averaged 2 monitors in stock every 2 days. In store pickup was a breeze and the exchange process was easy too. If you have to have the monitor shipped to you, I would by an Achieva straight from eBay as the benefit of returns won't really be available to you.

As far as I can tell, no one has done a good test on these monitors for input lag. One guy did a test, but it turned out the program he was using to test with was getting wonky results (57-70 ms, which isn't correct).

I notice a lot of you are pointing out the thing with A- panels (which may be true for Korean monitors via eBay), but I cannot find a source anywhere for this particular monitor in the US. As far as we know, Auria is using A+ panels.

The input lag will be mediocre but most people can't tell anyways. Unless you are a competitive fps'er, ghosting shouldn't be too much of a problem. You get this monitor for the viewing angles, color reproduction, and size.

The multi input Catleap was tested over on Overlocks.net and only had about 25ms of input lag (hardly a single frame).

is that a good value? i have no idea on input lag stuff.

Also of note is that the single input (Dual-DVI only) had significantly less, only about 8ms if I remember correctly. If you're worried about input lag, single-input would be the way to go with these.

Yes, they are cheaper on ebay.
The non-pixel perfect are about $300.. which is actually something like $230 + shipping.
[Doesn't mean they aren't perfect, just not guaranteed to be]


However, these ebay monitors ship from korea and therefore:
-Are difficult to return.
-Don't have a USA warranty.

So, the extra money you pay for via microcenter gives you:
-Ability to return for any reason you're not satisfied.
-USA warranty that is doublable by AMEX.

Both are good deals.

Post showing comparison with HP IPS monitor [overclock.net]

I have one of the ebay ones (single input, no scaler) I jumped on early on when they first became popular and love it.. no dead pixels. Helluva deal.

Yeah, its good value for input lag on a large IPS panel. It would be hard to tell the difference from any other monitor. Heck, my 40" LCD TV has around 30-45ms and I can't notice it whatsoever.

I read a lot of these 27" panels from Korea from overclock.net and hardforum.com. Probably the most interesting thing about these monitors, besides being S-IPS and 2560x1440, is that some of the monitors supported refresh rates as high as 124hz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feat...6ddlTe8zEU

While the refresh rate on the current models is only around 60hz, its pretty amazing that something as cheap as these 27" IPS panels could also have 120hz refresh rate.

If I were in the market for a monitor, I would pick one of these up in a heartbeat.

Due note, with the high pixel density, the default size of text might strain the eyes if you don't sit close enough or if you don't change the font to a larger size.

Has anyone heard anything about LG's new IPS4 line? They were supposed to be released in Asia in May and everywhere else in the coming weeks. I had read that they were focused on making IPS monitors more affordable and I've been waiting to hear news about their availability.

single input means no hdmi, right? Arent video cards mostly hdmi only now? I guess I'd need an adapter.

you would want to do dvi before hdmi with this to ensure you were getting the full resolution. otherwise you might as well get a 1080p 27" or a 1200p 24".

some video cards will output that high on hdmi, others wont. i would check it out before you buy.

That seems like a pretty good deal. Anyone have one of the PCBANK versions specifically?

Gaming question- how would a GTX 480 handle this resolution for games like Diablo 3, Metro 2033, Crysis 2 etc...

This resolution is serious business. I don't think you will be able to max out settings.

I wish at least it had a thinner bezel for multiple monitor setup.

1 yr warranty only, you probably get what you pay for

1 year is pretty standard.

i run my monitors vertically. does the stand support a vertical orientation?

I'd imagine the later would require a 4GB card (or 2x2GB in SLI) for 2560x1440 at max/ultra settings.

I would get an aftermarket stand regardless.

I noticed a lot of the eBay units state that they use 220V. Did you have any issues with voltages since we are 110V in the US? Thanks.

Says sold out on microcenters site :(

One of the many buyers of this monitor on Hardforum has this to say::

Positives:
- No backlight bleed at all
- Off viewing axis looks pretty good considering the IPS glow (minor compared to my Dell U2711)
- No dead pixels
- Good Blacks
- Natural looking colors - nothing extreme (wide gamut crap) - very smooth
- Best image scaler I've seen on a 27-inch monitor (compared to U2711, Hp 2711X, Samsungs 350/550) PS3 looks fantastic on this display
- Good connections, DVI, HDMI, DP etc.
- Speakers are actually decent - not great, but functional - they are clear
- Beautiful glossy screen - very, very clear - not overly done
- Text is flawless on this screen in standard mode setting (standard is similar to default RGB)
- Recently bought a Sceptre E320BV-FHDD and this monitor DESTROYS it in every facet, obviously it's not 3D, though the image quality of Auria is a astounding compared to the Sceptre (exceptionally poor image quality - returning it)
- Playing some Orochi 3 via PS3 - perfect glass view - beautiful, much better looking than the U2711 for gaming, not even close

Negatives:
- Definitely banding in some images (is this a true IPS?!?)
- The worst input connection locations of all time - no f'ing kidding on this. They are horribly placed given the amount of space available. ESPECIALLY the DVI port - could not get my high quality thick DVI cable plugged in - just would not fit, had to use Display Port. Needs to be re-designed.
- Monitor is very low mounted - should sit higher, no height adjustment. I have a four inch monitor stand underneath it to raise it, probably a little too high now, though better than looking down at it
- Contrast seems to be somewhat low - I'm curious to see when someone calibrates it what it comes out at - appears to be low compared to the U2711
- Brightness is very low compared to most new monitors - definitely not a torch mode type of monitor by any stretch - not necessarily bad though I do wish it was little brighter at the default level
- noticeable input lag compared to my ASUS VE258Q (BEAST, A+ TN), and the pixel response is slower, not a show stopper, though it's definitely noticeable
- input placement, input placement, input placement - http://hardforum.com/images/smilies/mad.gif
- No 1x1 mapping that I could see - gives options of wide/4x3 etc., that said the scaler is amazing on this unit - seriously
- Stand is laughable
- Big One - only one memory per digital connection, this is a huge issue IMO - if you set it on gaming mode or something else for HDMI - you are stuck with the same setting on Display Port - no memory for each input (somewhat of a killer for me)
- No true image manipulation options compared to say a U2711 or HP 2475w, very little in the way of calibrating to changing the image - no option for shading, purity etc.

This is a beautiful monitor for gaming and general purpose use. Colors are very natural - I was taken back how good some of my primary games looked like on this (Skyrim and and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning are mind blowing on this unit)! Does a much better job on consoles (scaling) than I expected, almost didn't buy it for this reason alone - was concerned how the 360 and PS3 would look. Scaler does introduce "some" input lag as noted above.

Yeah I guess I will stick to 1080p til I upgrade. The monitor is so tempting but it wont do me much good if my computer cant run the resolution well.
Thanks :)

Most video cards have HDMI and DVI outputs as a standard with some of the higher end cards doing away with VGA. Because HDMI's resolution only goes so high, DVI is required for those seeking higher resolutions, especially in the case of monitors like this. But yes, in regards to "single input", it would be DVI.

This is a glossy screen so does it have anti glare coatings?

See post above. It's glossy.

::slapshead::

My video card has 2 dvi and one hdmi output. For some reason I thought it had no dvi output.

My mini review (i'll try to post more pics tonight):

http://i.imgur.com/fAsyA.jpg

Had a chance to use this screen over the weekend and i'm pretty satisfied. I did get one stuck white pixel on the top right right but literally had put my nose next to the screen to even notice.

The Bezel is glossy just like the panel and picks up fingerprints like crazy, nothing a bit of endust for electronics and microfiber can't fix. The stand is pretty basic, geos left an right just fine. Tilt down no problem but tilt up.... Not sure why its so hard but to do but i thought i'd snap it off the stand with the force i had to use. Good news though is it is a standard 100x100 VESA mount and the gateway stand went on just fine (does 180 swivel for easier plug in). Thinking about getting two deskmount stands from monoprice to fit both of my monitors on the desk.

Glossy screen takes a bit getting used to coming from an agressive antiglare. Mine sits right beside a window and definitely see some reflections during the day. At night i had to move my lamp to the other corner of the room. Colors are fantastic though.

I have a bit of backlight bleed on the lower right corner but wasn't as bad as some of my previous monitors. Colors seems to be warmer on the top left vs the lower right which i'm guessing from the bleed.

Colors were a bit too cool out of the box and the settings from a few posts back were a little too dark and washed out for me (contrast at 100!!??). But a user from overclock.net recently put out some fabulous settings that really made the colors lively due to being calibrated by a spyder 4 pro. His link and ICC profile is located here:http://bit.ly/JGXjZE .

Playing Dota2 and d3 were pretty smooth so far in terms of gaming and input lag wasn't noticeable from my old Gateway FPD2485w.

Watched some 1080i Top gear (love that show) colors were awesome and the IPS viewing angles made it a bit easier watching from my bed on the other side of the room. I also watched some Game of thrones on 720p and got scared there was some banding but i think its from the file itself bc it won't show up on any other video i play.

I'll try to have something more in-depth during the week with photos but overall my experience has gone pretty well with this steal of a monitor. i paid almost double for the gateway nearly 6 years ago.

If you don't mind cranking some of the settings lower your gtx 480. I upgraded from a 1920x1200 Gateway and d3 ran on max since that game isn't so resource heavy anyway (Adaptive VSYNC FTW). Max Payne 3 on mostly max settings did trickle down to 45fps during some heavy scenes with 4xMSAA but ran smooth on max FSAA. I'll try to see what crysis 2 and bf3 are running at tonight, i'm guessing i'll just have to turn down some AA and MSAA settings. I have an overclocked vanilla gtx 670 and it seems to be running a bit harder that the 1080p monitor.

Can someone explain scaling? I know what it is, but how will not having it affect me if i go with an acheiva from ebay? I am just using this as a everday monitor. No watching movies or playing games, as I have a tv connected also. My main concern is that it will stretch text. Thanks SD, I :heart: you.

please post it when they come out.
Thank you.

scaling is when your input is lower than the displays output. In this case the native res for the the monitor is 2560x1440 so if your device can't match that it will scale it to that resolution. Most videocards should match that but i have a high powered gaming one so it outputs to native. Most people need the scaler to be able to play 1080p stuff from a ps3 or console via hdmi. i haven't even plugged my ps3 in to see how it works. also from a comment from anandtech:

One big deal about not having a monitor with a scalar is some video cards and some bios won't allow you to see the bios prior to windows boot since the bios is broadcast at a lower resolution. This isn't a problem when you are loaded into windows since you can use gpu scaling or use 1:1 scalaing, but it can be a PITA if you don't have a second monitor which has a built in scalar.

That does nothing to answer my question. Monitors with and without antiglare coatings are still referred to as "glossy" screens.

But if you have HDMI 1.3, you can do 2560 with a single link. However, I'm not sure what version if hdmi this monitor supports.

My apologies for trying to help. I'm fairly certain it is a shiny, almost-mirror like glossy screen.

Why isn't this front page? It's less than half the price of Dell's and Apple's...

MSRP for a Brand X isn't really a deal. These could be cheaper

Yeah, but it's an identical panel. I don't get it...

Not exactly, these are A- panels. Also, I hope you're not inferring that this monitor looks as good (bezel etc) as an Apple 27" Cinema display.