ASUS VG236H Monitor – Heavy Duty 3D Gaming

Introduction

A Serious Contender

3D content has been in vogue in the past couple of years, with nearly every major cinematic release requiring you to don a pair of awkward, active-shutter 3D glasses. Last year saw the major players in the television industry, such as Sony and Samsung, release their own 3D HDTV sets, bringing 3D cinema to the home. This year, 3D hits the desktop, with a slew of 3D computer monitors coming out of the woodwork. So far, we've taken a look at what LG and Samsung have to offer. Now we take a look at what ASUS, a company famous for its netbooks and unique tablets, has in store for the burgeoning 3D monitor market.

Not Your Average Consumer Monitor

The first impression you get from this monitor is that it is rather hefty. It weighs in at a considerable 7kg (or roughly 15 and a half in pounds), thanks to its very wide circular base and thick hydraulic mount. Adding to the VG326H's bulk is its use of CCFL or cold cathode fluorescent lamps for backlighting, as opposed to the newer and much smaller LEDs. Despite the exhaust vents lining the rear of the display, the CCFLs still give off a bit of heat up front as well, which is noticeable when sitting close to the monitor. We are not exactly sure why ASUS decided to stick with this older backlighting system, but perhaps it was the only way they could squeeze an impressive 400 nits of brightness from the glossy display.

The extra weight is not really that big of an issue as monitors usually stay in one place all the time, but we feel that the large footprint might be, for the more space-conscious consumers. That's not to say it isn't flexible though. The engineers over at ASUS have fitted the VG236H with a clever hydraulic neck, which uses the monitor's own weight to balance it. This makes it very easy to adjust its height. Pushing it all the way up, the monitor stands quite tall, but not as tall as the BenQ XL2410T. We recommend that you have a steady desktop if you decide to use the VG236H at maximum height, as it gets a bit wobbly. Side-to-side movement is made possible by a swiveling circular base - another unique solution. In terms of connectivity its pretty standard, as it comes with ports for dual-link DVI-D, component, and HDMI inputs. Overall though, the VG236H feels exceedingly sturdy and is designed in a way that is easy to set up and adjust.