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ASUS' 31.5-inch PQ321 4K monitor gets reviewed: pricey, but luscious
Let's be honest: almost no one expected one of the world's first 4K monitors to be ho hum. After all, it has eleventy gazillion pixels. Er, a native 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, but close enough. The gurus over at HotHardware were able to take the 31.5-inch PQ321 for a spin, and predictably, they loved what they saw. Outside of being duly impressed with how the panel handled everything from Photoshop work to gaming, they were also taken aback by the monitor's svelte frame. In fact, they found it a little tough to look back on a 1080p screen after a couple of weeks with this thing -- it's like the SD-to-HD revolution all over again. That said, they did confess that the product feels a bit ahead of its time, and the monstrous $3,500 price tag is certainly indicative of that. Feel free to hit the source link for the full spiel, but the long and short of it is this: if you're in the one percent, buy it.
ASUS' 31.5-inch 4K monitor is up for pre-order for an introductory $3,500
A mere month after ASUS unveiled its 31.5-inch 4K monitor to the world, and the humbly-named PQ321 is already available for pre-order on Amazon, Newegg and TigerDirect. As a reminder, the Ultra HD display boasts a jaw-dropping 3840 x 2160-pixel 10-bit RGB (a billion colors) IGZO panel with LED backlight, 176-degree viewing angles, a maximum of 350 cd/m2 in brightness and 8ms GTG response time. Built-in stereo speakers sweeten the package, as does a 3.5mm audio jack, DisplayPort connectivity and dual HDMI inputs. Oh, and did we mention it's also apparently the thinnest 4K monitor on the market at only 35mm thick? However, you'll have to pay a pretty penny for all that awesomeness: it has an introductory price of $3,499.99. That's about $300 less than what was announced a month ago, but it's still not exactly cheap. The PQ321 is set for a July 16th release date, so you still have a couple weeks to bribe relatives, rob a bank or sell off any unwanted organs.
Asus' 4K monitor is a beast your computer probably can't tame just yet. That's okay.
Asus' new PQ321 4K monitor will be released at the end of June and brings with it some pretty beefy display capabilities. The 31.5-inch monitor can output images and video up to a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160. That's a lot of high-resolution desktop for its US$4,000 asking price. But is it worth it? Our friends over at The Verge were able to get a hands-on test of the monitor and have come to a simple conclusion: this screen is a beast but might be too much monitor for MacBook Pro users. The Verge tested the monitor out on a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and a GeForce GT 650M GPU. They found that even with the GPU capable of handling the 4K's ultra-high output, the best the MacBook could do was upscale content to meet the 4k's resolution. Even then high-performance programs like Adobe Lightroom experienced lag, which is understandable. The Asus monitor provides an object lesson in tech that anyone looking at optimizing their setup needs to remember. Technology is moving fast, and while a high-end MacBook Pro right now might not be able to handle all the pixel real estate provided by the Asus 4K, future models will. We're talking about a brand-new cutting edge monitor that is being tested on year-old hardware. The 4K currently retails for $4,000 and is the sort of hyper-detail monitor that, at that price, will mainly appeal to hardcore graphic design professionals. Someone who is an early adopter of a hyper-resolution monitor is the sort of person who has a desktop computer capable of handling this much power. Multi-monitor work is the future, but for now we need to remember that as powerful as the current generation of MacBooks are, they are essentially already old hardware. That they would struggle with the new Asus 4K monitor shouldn't be a surprise, as most current-day computers would also struggle. It's just a reminder that something more powerful is always around the corner. Head over to The Verge to check out the rest of their mini-review. It's a fascinating look at the strengths and limitations of the monitor.
ASUS' 31.5-inch 4K monitor priced at $3,799, 39-inch version coming in Q3 (eyes-on)
Yeah, we want one too. Here at Computex, ASUS is showing off its new 31.5-inch 4K monitor, which we just learned will cost $3,799. (Oh come now, don't get all sticker-shocked on us.) The photos below speak for themselves, really, but suffice to say, the combination of that 3,840 x 2,160, 140-ppi panel and that matte, anti-glare finish make for some stunning images. And because the bezels are so thin, photos more or less extend from one end of the screen, uninterrupted. Still think you'll have room to spare after taking into account this monitor's big footprint? ASUS is also prepping a 39-inch version with mostly the same specs (except for pixel density, obviously). We've got pictures of that guy too, though we still don't know how much it'll cost. Look for the 31.5-inch model to ship in June, with its big brother following sometime in Q3. And if a $3,800 monitor isn't in the cards, well, that's what hands-on galleries are for.%Gallery-190223% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
ASUS unveils 31.5-inch 4K monitor ahead of Computex
Taiwanese PC maker ASUS dropped this gem yesterday ahead of Computex 2013 -- the PQ321, a professional-grade 31.5-inch 4K monitor. It features a 3840 x 2160-pixel (16:9, 140 ppi) 10-bit RGB (one billion colors) IGZO panel with LED backlight, 176-degree viewing angles, 350 cd/m2 brightness and 8ms GTG response time. Beyond its Ultra HD capability, the monitor comes with built-in stereo speakers (2W) plus height, tilt and swivel adjustments. It's wall-mountable (VESA) and only 35mm thick -- according to ASUS, that makes it the thinnest 4K monitor on the market today. Connectivity includes DisplayPort, 3.5mm audio, RS-232C and, for US models, dual HDMI inputs with picture-in-picture support. There's no word on pricing yet, but the PQ321 will be available in North America at the end of June and ASUS is expected to show the monitor in Taipei next week along with a 39-inch 4K model.
