by Lim, May 21, 2017 12:00 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review - 165Hz gaming monitor with IPS. My next big hope. A very good monitor with some disadvantages within OSD navigation preset arrangement

Introduction

Like already mentioned in the Eizo Foris FS2735 review, I wanted to give the Viewsonic XG2703-GS a chance because Eizos Backlight Strobing feature was not what I had hoped for. NVidias Backlight Strobing (ULMB) otherwise works as fine as expected. It was definitely better and works with fewer problems with (inverse) ghosting and crosstalk (take a look at the Ufo-Test pictures). Compared to the Eizo Foris FS2735, the image becomes darker when you enable ULMB and colors look a bit more washed out. Moreover, ULMB creates gleaming artifacts within the area where ghosting occurs within the Ufo-Test. So, I still prefer ULMB but there is one thing where the Viewsonic disappoints me, the OSD menu. First, navigation is probably the worst I had currently within a gaming monitor. To be fair, you're not the whole day in the OSD menu. Second, you cannot set your own profiles. If you switch between two profiles, you have to set your brightness, contrast, and some other options, again and again. If you calibrate your monitor and set the color temperature you like, this specific color temperature setting is set to all other profiles. So in the end, it's not possible to create an own profile. If you just need one profile or you don't feel disturbed with this "Viewsonic Feature", you definitely should take a closer look into the XG2703-GS.

Updates and new information around the Viewsonic XG2703-GS can be found at the bottom of the article or in the table of contents (if available). Also available within the forum (click here).

Update 1: 26 November 2017
I've purchased a Viewsonic XG2703 for myself at Amazon's Cyber Monday for 599€ (which is a good but in my opinion still not a perfect deal when compared to Full HD 144 Hz 1080p TN models which are excellent for their price tags). Contrast is almost the same - the native color temperature is measured at 6700K which is not bad. In my case, I lose a bit of contrast while I've set the monitor to 5600K. But the most important question, how about the IPS Glow? Well, this unit is also pretty same as my first exemplary but with two backlight bleed spots (visible at 120 cd/m2) because of the panel frame pressures against its panel. Watch the IPS-Glow / Backlight uniformity Video here. On brightness 100% we clearly can see that the panel frame construction on the Viewsonic XG2703-GS really is not well thought out so that I can see more backlight bleed issues than on 120 cd/m2. The Acer XF270HUA, for example, is better in this case (of course it can vary in each individual unit, but the risk should be less on the Acer). Glow in dark games is still present on the Viewsonic - I do not recommend to use this monitor with high brightness settings if you do not find a "golden" sample with less glow and blb issues. This is (again), why a panel frame construction is so important (especially on IPS panels) so that manufacturers should concentrate on this particular "topic".

Update 2: 10 December 2017 (Third unit)

I have now my third unit because I was not satisfied with the blb and glow issues on the second unit. Unfortunately, the third unit at this moment is the worst. Moreover, I found out that color banding is a bigger issue on this unit compared to the Asus, Acer and AOC IPS WQHD models. On gamma 2.2, 120-50 cd/m2 and without using the black equalizer everything seems good (but still a bit more visible than at the competition). If you want a bit more details in blacks while setting gamma to 2.0 or using the black equalizer, color banding is directly clearly more visible. The sad thing is that the spots, where the panel frame pressures against the panel, is to 95% on the same places as my 2nd unit, just with more pressure which occurs in more IPS Glow and blb issues.

Specifications

Panel Type	AHVA IPS
Backlight	EDGE LED / W-LED / Blue-Light Filter
Display size and Aaspect ratio	27 Inch / 16:9
Max. resolution	2560x1440 (WQHD)
Pixel density	108,8 ppi (pixel per inch)
Refresh rate	165 Hz native
Native color depth and color space	true 8-bit, 100% sRGB
Response time (GtG)	4 Ms
Brightness	350cd/m2
Integrated speakers	Yes, 2x 2 Watt
Video inputs	1x HDMI 1.4, 1 DP 1.2
Audio	3.5mm headphone (out)
USB Hub	Yes, 2x USB-A 3.0
Power consumption	48 W
27" Panel dimensions WxHxD with foot stand	624 x 532 x 250 mm
27" Panel dimensions WxHxD without foot stand	624 x 384 x 79 mm
Frame width	XXX mm
Weight	7,0 Kg
Warranty	3 Years
Ergonomics	Tilt, Height, Pivot
Adaptive Sync	G-Sync
Freesync Range	30-165 Hz
Contrast (Native)	1000:1
Vesa	Yes 100mm
Curved	No

Alternatives

Alternative 144 / 165Hz WQHD (2560x1440) IPS monitors to the Viewsonic XG2703-GS:
(All other alternatives are listed in the Gaming-Monitor-List. Future releases can be found here)

Find the Viewsonic XG2703-GS here: Buy on Amazon

With Freesync:

Acer XF270HUA Review / Buy on Amazon
Eizo Foris FS2735 Review / Buy on Amazon
ASUS MG279Q Buy on Amazon

With G-Sync

AOC Agon AG271QG Buy on Amazon
Acer Predator XB271HU Buy on Amazon
Asus PG279Q Review / Buy on Amazon

YouTube Video Review

Measurement data

Contrast, Brightness, and Black Point:

Presets and Measurements:

Measurements with optimal settings (without calibration):

Measurements after calibration:

Backlight Strobing:

Ufo-Test images

Comparison Charts

Maximum brightness in cd/m2 with activated ULMB or strobe backlight

Asus PG258Q

275

Samsung CHG70

237

Samsung CFG70

212

Eizo Foris FS2735

197

Dell S2716DG

153

Acer XB271HUA

148

Asus PG278QR

147

Viewsonic XG2703-GS

140

Asus PG279Q

129

Maximum brightness in cd/m2

Asus PG258Q

488

Samsung CHG70

473

Dell S2716DG

424

Acer XB271HUA

419

Asus PG278QR

399

Asus PG279Q

369

Viewsonic XG2703-GS

367

Samsung CFG70

361

Eizo Foris FS2735

333

Maximum contrast x:1

Samsung CFG70

2654

Samsung CHG70

2102

Asus PG279Q

1181

Viewsonic XG2703-GS

1174

Eizo Foris FS2735

1084

Asus PG258Q

995

Asus PG278QR

964

Acer XB271HUA

784

Dell S2716DG

686

Black point with optimal settings (120 cd/m2 , 6500K)

Samsung CFG70

0,05

Samsung CHG70

0,06

Eizo Foris FS2735

0,1

Viewsonic XG2703-GS

0,1

Asus PG279Q

0,12

Asus PG278QR

0,13

Asus PG258Q

0,13

Acer XB271HUA

0,16

Dell S2716DG

0,17

Review Updates
Currenty no updates.

Pros & Cons

Pro:

- Good Colors
- G-Sync with ULMB
- USB Hub with 4 x USB 3.0 ports
- Very good sharpness - sweet spot between performance and sharpness
- 144 Hz overclock to 165 Hz
- Good working overdrive settings
- Good build quality
- Good viewing angles
- Input Lag
- Good panel frame construction to avoid IPS glow / backlight bleed

Neutral:

- 165 Hz really isn't an "upgrade"
- Good foot stand with aggressive design, no swivel
- Build in speakers (for the absolute compromise solution)
- Very aggressive gaming design on the back + foot stand
- Green accents

Contra:

- Still IPS lottery (My unit was good)
- Price in the EU
- Horrible OSD navigation
- No opportunity to save own profiles
- Some people and tests complain about G-Sync flickering issues when the computer goes to sleep and then wakes up (I don't have had problems here)

Update Contra:
- More color banding issues than at the competition (Acer, Asus, AOC)
- Panel frame construction still better than on the Asus but worse than on the Acer

I bought my 2nd/3rd unit on Black-Friday for 599 Euros. Still, with these existing issues and the black uniformity (as same as on the Asus, Acer and AOC model) I find the price too high when compared with a Full HD 144 Hz monitor with much better black uniformity abilities. 800€ is way too much in my personal opinion.

Support Lim's Cave with a subscription on YouTube. Follow at Twitter and Facebook for news and info about upcoming reviews, monitor releases, and other interesting posts.

Lim's Cave 144HZ VS 240HZ GAMING MONITOR

The last Monitor Reviews

Acer X27
Tuesday, 19 Jun 2018 - 9:00 pm
The Acer X27 - 4k 144Hz HDR G-Sync. Was it worth the wait?

BenQ EW3270U
Tuesday, 15 May 2018 - 9:00 pm
This is the first 60Hz 4K panel review on Lims Cave with HDR and Quantum Dots. A monitor for consoles and movie enjoyment.

Acer Predator X34P
Wednesday, 28 Mar 2018 - 12:00 pm
The Acer X34P is a GREAT ultrawide gaming monitor with a very aggressive gaming design. Learn all Pros & Cons and the comparison to the Alienware AW3418DW here.

Alienware AW3418DW
Sunday, 25 Feb 2018 - 10:30 pm
The fastest high refresh rate ultrawide gaming monitor on the market, yet. Let's dive into the review of the Alienware AW3418DW

21 comments

Create a comment Or register and take advantage of all the benefits

1 Michael December 12, 2017 12:36 am

has returned the monitor or has it left?

Answer from Lim's Cave - December 13, 2017 12:36 am

I have kept my 2nd unit for now - I love IPS and the overall image quality, but I still hate the black uniformity and the panel frame construction ;(

2 Dimitri January 26, 2019 11:15 pm

Hi,
If with the setting of gamma 2.4 you get the optimal 2.2. That's why in the optimal settings you still use 2.2, which gives 2.0? (I have a similar situation now, I can put 1.8, 2.2, 2.4 on my monitor. I have a colorimeter and displaycal tells me that my 2.2 is 2.0 and 2.4 is 2.2. I don’t know what to believe)

Answer from Lim's Cave - January 27, 2019 10:58 am

Believe your displaycal. So Gamma 2.4 in the OSD is Gamma 2.2 but if you prefer Gamma 2.2 in the OSD (Gamma 2.0), then why not? I mean, in the end it is personal preference and there is not really an "optimum" for games.

3 Dimitri January 27, 2019 12:46 pm

But as I understand it, you then calibrate your monitor with diplaycal to gamma 2.2 (from gamma 2.0). Isn't it better to immediately put in monitor 2.2? Native OSD settings no better than calibration from 2.0 to 2.2?

Answer from Lim's Cave - February 2, 2019 2:21 pm

Yes. I do not really know why I have put the Gamma 2.2 except the Gamma 2.4 from the OSD as the optimum setting for gamma. So Setting Gamma 2.4 in the OSD is better if Gamma 2.2 is preferred.

4 jntpkvsser March 14, 2021 12:21 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
jntpkvsser http://www.gee5q09fi07cmj862926om2fbb395kp9s.org/
<a href="http://www.gee5q09fi07cmj862926om2fbb395kp9s.org/">ajntpkvsser</a>
[url=http://www.gee5q09fi07cmj862926om2fbb395kp9s.org/]ujntpkvsser[/url]

5 qxecebvloe March 18, 2021 8:29 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
[url=http://www.g4f3i000s3m8c36k01h8li9x8qdh3d0ls.org/]uqxecebvloe[/url]
qxecebvloe http://www.g4f3i000s3m8c36k01h8li9x8qdh3d0ls.org/
<a href="http://www.g4f3i000s3m8c36k01h8li9x8qdh3d0ls.org/">aqxecebvloe</a>

6 xxlpeozqen July 15, 2021 4:25 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
xxlpeozqen http://www.gn29a7iq37e472p06owgy83692gaj9zes.org/
<a href="http://www.gn29a7iq37e472p06owgy83692gaj9zes.org/">axxlpeozqen</a>
[url=http://www.gn29a7iq37e472p06owgy83692gaj9zes.org/]uxxlpeozqen[/url]

7 kzjowvexbs September 12, 2021 4:14 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
<a href="http://www.gragn8503urwxb027mo662398w59m0wcs.org/">akzjowvexbs</a>
[url=http://www.gragn8503urwxb027mo662398w59m0wcs.org/]ukzjowvexbs[/url]
kzjowvexbs http://www.gragn8503urwxb027mo662398w59m0wcs.org/

8 zfiiemcoxi December 9, 2021 3:03 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
[url=http://www.gnq5gdiq05h6v419yv643168m9c5rgp8s.org/]uzfiiemcoxi[/url]
zfiiemcoxi http://www.gnq5gdiq05h6v419yv643168m9c5rgp8s.org/
<a href="http://www.gnq5gdiq05h6v419yv643168m9c5rgp8s.org/">azfiiemcoxi</a>

9 qtysmqobf January 22, 2022 7:38 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
[url=http://www.g4eie1xru74ni28068me17v40i555lrgs.org/]uqtysmqobf[/url]
qtysmqobf http://www.g4eie1xru74ni28068me17v40i555lrgs.org/
<a href="http://www.g4eie1xru74ni28068me17v40i555lrgs.org/">aqtysmqobf</a>

10 srwhwyyzt May 12, 2022 1:40 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
[url=http://www.g2xaj89941r3z3g4i7s1qs9s3e667vuys.org/]usrwhwyyzt[/url]
<a href="http://www.g2xaj89941r3z3g4i7s1qs9s3e667vuys.org/">asrwhwyyzt</a>
srwhwyyzt http://www.g2xaj89941r3z3g4i7s1qs9s3e667vuys.org/

11 xtbtbrlly August 3, 2022 12:03 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
<a href="http://www.g0v89feu6u9mpq81o47rs31f95mkl351s.org/">axtbtbrlly</a>
xtbtbrlly http://www.g0v89feu6u9mpq81o47rs31f95mkl351s.org/
[url=http://www.g0v89feu6u9mpq81o47rs31f95mkl351s.org/]uxtbtbrlly[/url]

12 wwyjyrwybl September 8, 2022 4:31 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
wwyjyrwybl http://www.gqn5rov23tsyc00605m72r4kd78p02l5s.org/
[url=http://www.gqn5rov23tsyc00605m72r4kd78p02l5s.org/]uwwyjyrwybl[/url]
<a href="http://www.gqn5rov23tsyc00605m72r4kd78p02l5s.org/">awwyjyrwybl</a>

13 popjhhrmxr January 15, 2023 10:23 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
[url=http://www.gpde6890jj7537xipr4r227c7b7b97kis.org/]upopjhhrmxr[/url]
<a href="http://www.gpde6890jj7537xipr4r227c7b7b97kis.org/">apopjhhrmxr</a>
popjhhrmxr http://www.gpde6890jj7537xipr4r227c7b7b97kis.org/

14 fmdbhjrinc February 3, 2023 4:30 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
<a href="http://www.gm57s0f38f42urlu1bwku4b4e32244z3s.org/">afmdbhjrinc</a>
[url=http://www.gm57s0f38f42urlu1bwku4b4e32244z3s.org/]ufmdbhjrinc[/url]
fmdbhjrinc http://www.gm57s0f38f42urlu1bwku4b4e32244z3s.org/

15 wkcqxvhnp February 14, 2023 4:00 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
<a href="http://www.gxt991h4tav62185s3k9fhr4nb75bx47s.org/">awkcqxvhnp</a>
wkcqxvhnp http://www.gxt991h4tav62185s3k9fhr4nb75bx47s.org/
[url=http://www.gxt991h4tav62185s3k9fhr4nb75bx47s.org/]uwkcqxvhnp[/url]

16 dxgqepnzcz April 7, 2023 10:41 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
dxgqepnzcz http://www.getd5s03m09qgwd38v3h958512si16lvs.org/
[url=http://www.getd5s03m09qgwd38v3h958512si16lvs.org/]udxgqepnzcz[/url]
<a href="http://www.getd5s03m09qgwd38v3h958512si16lvs.org/">adxgqepnzcz</a>

17 tpxoevts June 7, 2023 4:43 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
[url=http://www.g082dv98ya9yr7n446871htekhq7z2o1s.org/]utpxoevts[/url]
tpxoevts http://www.g082dv98ya9yr7n446871htekhq7z2o1s.org/
<a href="http://www.g082dv98ya9yr7n446871htekhq7z2o1s.org/">atpxoevts</a>

18 hxjmfyyrgw August 30, 2023 1:31 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
hxjmfyyrgw http://www.g2h29mn85s167xs93otc9ku3f7yv4k69s.org/
[url=http://www.g2h29mn85s167xs93otc9ku3f7yv4k69s.org/]uhxjmfyyrgw[/url]
<a href="http://www.g2h29mn85s167xs93otc9ku3f7yv4k69s.org/">ahxjmfyyrgw</a>

19 yyglnvnzs August 30, 2023 1:31 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
[url=http://www.go66086047fwfftf1g83cb3p809u6khus.org/]uyyglnvnzs[/url]
<a href="http://www.go66086047fwfftf1g83cb3p809u6khus.org/">ayyglnvnzs</a>
yyglnvnzs http://www.go66086047fwfftf1g83cb3p809u6khus.org/

20 excfzyqih August 30, 2023 1:31 pm

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
excfzyqih http://www.g2c0h72sdz5yax5429g84kypr4982v5fs.org/
[url=http://www.g2c0h72sdz5yax5429g84kypr4982v5fs.org/]uexcfzyqih[/url]
<a href="http://www.g2c0h72sdz5yax5429g84kypr4982v5fs.org/">aexcfzyqih</a>

21 qfmvqqfcfq September 11, 2023 3:29 am

Viewsonic XG2703-GS Review: 165Hz Gaming Monitor G-Sync IPS
<a href="http://www.gko723bu35vnb7lpe8a17vs5m6n56366s.org/">aqfmvqqfcfq</a>
qfmvqqfcfq http://www.gko723bu35vnb7lpe8a17vs5m6n56366s.org/
[url=http://www.gko723bu35vnb7lpe8a17vs5m6n56366s.org/]uqfmvqqfcfq[/url]