Summary
Dough GmbH announced the new Spectrum Black OLED gaming monitor earlier today as part of its push towards better displays for no-compromise gamers in 2024. This new 32" screen brings support for 240Hz at a native 4K resolution with a 0.03ms response time in tow.
The First To OLED Monitor Offer 4K with 240Hz?
The Spectrum Black isn’t the first gaming display to offer 240Hz at a 4K resolution, withSamsung’s Odyssey G8 Neo being one of the most notable examples, but it does beat others to the punch by being the first OLED monitor that can do 240Hz at native 4K, without cutting corners elsewhere.
However, when it comes to pricing for the Spectrum Black, Dough is pushing into uncharted territory given that the new screen currently has no benchmark alternative to be priced against. Despite this, it already trades at a hefty discount for preorders, making it a much more appealing prospect versus some of its more established competitors.
The Spectrum Black Has Ports For Days
Gamers and power users alike want to be assured about the number of ports in play when buying a new monitor for gaming or productivity use, and the Spectrum Black seems to be packing in that department. It offers dual HDMI 2.1a inputs, as well as a DisplayPort connection, in addition to USB Type-C input for display.
On top of this, there are three other Type-C inputs (with up to 100W on a single upstream connection), dual USB-A ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack with a built-in amplifier. The Spectrum Black also supports a crosshair and frame rate overlay for competitive gamers, plus upgradeable firmware for users looking to get the best out of their monitors over time.
The Spectrum Black 4K 240Hz comes well-endowed in terms of ports available to users compared to some of its competition.
The ability to push 4K 240Hz on competing non-OLED gaming monitors has led to monitors using DSC on HDMI 2.1 to bridge the bandwidth gap. Dough has been tight-lipped about this aspect, but given that it is slated for a 2024 release, it can be expected to feature a minimum of HDMI 2.1 with DSC in play. Displayport 2.0 could potentially be making an appearance on the premium gaming monitor’s arsenal as well.
What Else Does The Dough Spectrum Black Offer?
As an OLED monitor goes, we expect an excellent contrast ratio and the Spectrum Black does not disappoint; it offers a contrast ratio of 1,500,000 to 1, taking advantage of the perfect blacks that are the hallmarks of such displays.
Cover Glass versus Matte and Glossy Screens. Source: Dough
The Dough Spectrum Black offers two different surfaces: a low-haze, anti-glare matte coating (ES07E3F) and a more premium Corning Gorilla Glass 3 offering (ES07E3D), with DXC anti-reflective treatment coating that allows for “best-in-class optical performance and industry-leading abrasion resistance” as per Dough.
Dough claims that these offer better ambient contrast ratios by 40% and lower reflections by 70% compared to their older “glossy” models. It also plans to push ahead with Black Frame Insertion to maximize performance and smooth motion.
The Spectrum Black supports the full set of current VRR tech on offer, compatible with VESA A-Sync, Nvidia’s G-Sync, and AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro, in addition to an auto low latency mode (ALLM).
Supporting 10-bit color, as well as 100% sRGB and 98.5% DCI-P3 compliance in play, the Spectrum Black is also an ideal monitor to pair with intermediate design use cases for users planning to do more than just game on the monitor.
The panels are VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certified and offer 450 nits of peak brightness which veers towards the higher spectrum of performance for OLED displays.
It also supports Split-screen mode for users using multiple active inputs in addition to a built-in picture-in-picture mode and has support for the standard VESA 100 x 100 mounts that most gaming monitors use currently, making it a relatively seamless upgrade for users.
How Much Is The OLED 4K 240Hz Spectrum Black Going For?
As mentioned above, the Dough Spectrum Black comes in 2 SKUs, the cover glass variant (ES07E3D) and the matte finish (ES07E3F). Both are expected to retail at $1299 and $1099, respectively, with discounts available to early adopters who back the project.
Things are going to be heating up in the increasingly competitive gaming display market through the rest of 2023, and Dough’s announcement is one of many to come in the next few days for new monitors slated for release in 2024.
If gamers want to grab a gaming monitor that suits their needs today, the team at Game Rant has a dedicated guide that isregularly updated with the best in the business, handpicked for gamers.
