When comparing iiyama G-Master Gold Phoenix GB2888UHSU-B1 vs Planar Helium PCT2785, the Slant community recommends Planar Helium PCT2785 for most people. In the question“What are the best monitors?” Planar Helium PCT2785 is ranked 30th while iiyama G-Master Gold Phoenix GB2888UHSU-B1 is ranked 74th. The most important reason people chose Planar Helium PCT2785 is:
The black levels are respectively low at 0.16cd/m², which helps the contrast ratio achieve 1100:1 which is much lower than the advertised 5000:1, but still quite good.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Fast response time, great for gaming
With a response time of just 1ms, the iiyama G-Master Gold Phoenix is one of the fastest monitors on the market. Ideal for fast-paced gaming situations such as first person shooters.
Pro Provides excellent viewing angles for a TN panel
Although the Gold Phoenix monitor uses a TN panel, the viewing angles of this monitor are excellent, especially regarding brightness. The brightness under a horizontal viewing angle of 45° is superior compared to other displays with a reading of 56%. For comparison: similar TN-panels such as G-Master Red Eagle only score about 47% in this brightness test.
Pro All cables included
All connection cables are included with the monitor, including HDMI, DisplayPort, mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort, USB and Audio. No need to purchase any other connectors.
Pro Extremely sharp
The G-Master Gold Phoenix GB2888UHSU-B1 uses a 4K-display with a resolution of 2160 x 3840 pixels, which is four times the amount of pixels of a Full HD display. This results in an extremely sharp image and overall great image quality. In terms of pixel density (measured in pixels per inch), the Gold Phoenix has 157 ppi, while a Full HD screen of the same size has a ppi of 78.
Pro Decent black levels, good contrast ratio
The black levels are respectively low at 0.16cd/m², which helps the contrast ratio achieve 1100:1 which is much lower than the advertised 5000:1, but still quite good.
Pro Pretty fast response times make the system feel quick
The response time is 12ms, which isn't lightning fast, but it's still quick enough to make the system feel more responsive than cheaper monitors. While not fast enough for high-level gaming, this monitor won't make your system feel slow or unresponsive.
Pro 'Massive tablet' design is unique, and versitile
It really does look like a massive tablet with a kickstand - but that's not a bad thing. There's no stand visible, leaving the front looking very clean. The stand can angle anywhere from 15-70 degrees which allows for flexible use, or it can be folded in and used flat on the desk or even mounted using the VESA mounting holes.
Pro Built-in speakers, webcam, and mic
This monitor has many peripherals built-in, and unless you use them heavily they will do the job just fine. Unless you feel the need for dedicated hardware, the built-in stereo speakers work well enough, and the webcam and mic are acceptable quality for occasional recreational use (for business calls or other uses where quality is important, you'll want to upgrade to dedicated hardware).
Cons
Con Low maximum refresh rate of 60 Hz, less ideal for fast-paced action
Compared to some other gaming monitors, the iiyama G-Master Gold Phoenix GB2888UHSU-B1 isn't as fast as some of its competitors. The maximum refresh rate is limited at 60 Hz, which is the industry standard for all monitors. Some fast-paced games greatly benefit from a higher refresh rate such as 120 or 144 Hz as it increases fluidity.
Con 4K resolution doesn't scale well with all software
Due to the native 4K resolution and the relatively small 28 inch screen size, text can be hard to read in Windows and other non-gaming environments, such as Adobe's software. Not everything scales well in 4K (yet).
Con Color gamut settings need calibration
Out of the box, color settings aren't optimal. The display has some over-saturated green and under-saturated red, while blue has too much of a purple tint. Calibration is needed to improve color gamut.
Con Mediocre luminosity uniformity
The uniformity of the display in terms of luminosity is measured at 78% which isn't a bad result, but other displays with similar panels can certainly do better with scores over 85%. In short, uniformity is a bit flat and might be noticeable.
Con Disappointing color accuracy
The MVA panel (multi-domain vertical alignment: in-between of TN and IPS technologies) doesn't reproduce colors very accurately. It scores just 82% of the sRGB color gamut, while other panels offer high 80s and even above 90%. This display's weakest points are with the green and cyan shades, while reds and blues appeared just fine.
Con Dim display
The display doesn't get very bright - at just 172cd/m² this panel is very dim. Many monitors can achieve 300cd/m² or higher brightnesses.
Con Takes much more power than similar monitors
Without using the ECO mode, this monitor requires about 50 watts to power it. This is double than other monitors. There are different levels of ECO modes, however these dim the display and barely get down to the power level of other monitors when they are all enabled.