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3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
http://www.wsgf.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=31182		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  SoulsCollective [ 16 Jun 2016, 09:48 ]
Post subject:  3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
Hi folks,
Need some assistance choosing between these two screens for a 3x1 surround setup in landscape, or an alternative panel if anyone can suggest a better match.

I'm looking to upgrade from my current setup of 3 old Dell U23H11s - so I'm after an IPS panel, => 120Hz refresh rate, GSync, res >1080 but <4K, physical size not more than 27" diagonal due to pixel pitch preference and monitor stand limitations. Monitors will likely be purchased in a little over a month come tax return time. So far these two candidates seem to be the only ones that fit the bill.

At present I'm leaning towards the Acer, on the strength of reports (eg the giant thread over at OC.net) that the panel retention and QC is slightly better resulting in less BLB and dead/hot/stuck pixels. I'm in Australia, and the local purchase price for the Acer is also right on $1k while the Asus is $1.2k, and if I'm getting three that's a not insubstantial saving.

However, I'm worried by two things - firstly the lower bezel, and second the 'Zero bezel' marketing vs reality.

From this thread - http://community.acer.com/t5/Predator-M ... 94#U407994 - it seems that the lower bezel of the XB271HU extends horizontally beyond the side bezels such that the panels cannot sit flush. I can't find dimensions for this part of the screen. Ideally, I'd like to hear from someone who already has multiple screens as to just how much of a gap there is, or if anyone has had any success non-destructively removing the lower bezel so that panels could sit flush up.

Second, the 'Zero bezel' thin bezels sound fantastic, in theory, and is self-evidently good for a surround setup, but from this thread - http://community.acer.com/t5/Predator-M ... 54#U420554 - it seems that there's a large dead zone between the edge of the display area and the bezel, which would somewhat defeat the purpose of it. However, other pictures I've seen elsewhere of the screens in action don't seem to show this dead zone. Can anyone comment as to whether their screen also features this dead zone, or is this an isolated incident?

TL;DR suitability of XB271HU for triple-screen surround in landscape vs PG279Q, or suggested alternate screen.
Cheers all!
Author:  scavvenjahh [ 16 Jun 2016, 16:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: 3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
I can confirm the design flaws of the XB271HU... Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds.

The display ends 5mm inside the so-called Zero Frame on the sides and top of the screen, so that's a 7mm effective bezel. Still pretty thin but... why lie about it and disappoint the end-user ?
The frame's lower bar protrudes approx. 4.5mm. With all monitors mounted on a WSGF stand the imperfect joining does not bother me, but it's definitely less than ideal for Surround. I don't think paying $600 more to "fix" this and get potentially inferior panels would make sense, though.
Maybe one central Acer + two Asus on the sides then ? :lol:
Author:  SoulsCollective [ 17 Jun 2016, 05:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: 3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
Thanks muchly for the reply - mounting three in a WSGF triple stand is exactly the usage scenario I'm contemplating, so eager to hear more. Could I ask a favour and have you take a photo of the intersection of the panels for me when tilted inwards?

I'm also contemplating de-bezeling the screens and mocking up some sort of housing for them - from the photos here it looks like the VESA mounts are through to the internals of the panels, not just the plastic housing - but if the gap isn't huge I might just kludge it and cover it with black electrical tape.
Author:  scavvenjahh [ 18 Jun 2016, 09:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: 3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
Here's how two monitors connect:
Image

Actual in-game viewpoint:
Image

Up close it sure looks stupid and if you can mod'em, you should. As it is the panels are so close to one another that the resulting picture is satisfactory, if not perfect.
Author:  SoulsCollective [ 19 Jun 2016, 03:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: 3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
scavvenjahh wrote:
Here's how two monitors connect:

*snip*

Up close it sure looks stupid and if you can mod'em, you should. As it is the panels are so close to one another that the resulting picture is satisfactory, if not perfect.

Damn, that's worse than I was fearing. That sure looks dumb.

I notice you've offset the middle panel forwards from the back ones - presumably to reduce the visible gap from a straight-on viewpoint? What does the gap look like if you aligned it so the bezels were touching? Larger at least, I imagine, but I'm wondering how large and if it might be covered by some tape or something so at least you're not looking 'through' the panels. Or does the Ergotech triple stand not give you enough room to angle them like that?
Author:  scavvenjahh [ 21 Jun 2016, 12:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: 3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
There's ample room to do what you suggest, I just like it better my way... Coming from thick-bezeled office monitors, I really appreciate the closeness of all panels.
With the panels aligned you're looking at ~5mm gaps between monitors, so yeah, it's another viable option.
Author:  SoulsCollective [ 23 Jun 2016, 02:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: 3x1 surround - XB271HU vs PG279Q vs ???
Thank you very much indeed, that's extremely helpful. The bezels on my current U23H11s are ~15mm per-screen for a total gap between panels of ~3cm, so either way it'll be an absolute upgrade. And not losing warranty on a $1k piece of kit is a fairly pressing consideration :P
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