OLED Monitor Eyestrain?

[CameraCarl]

I just bought a Dell AW2725Q monitor and am primarily using it for photo editing. I know it is designed as a gaming monitor but I want to try HDR image processing and this monitor has gotten good reviews for its HDR output and was a lot cheaper than dedicated 4K HDR (1000 nits) OLED photo editing monitors. I've been using it for a couple of days and I seem to be getting a lot more eyestrain than I got with my 2017 5K Retina 27" iMac. (The old iMac just didn't have the ability to handle intensive photo editing any more.)

Could this eyestrain be due to the HDR? Or to the OLED screen? Or to 1000 nits brightness? I've tried turning the brightness down and changing the resolution for larger print and icon sizes, but these didn't seem to help. I am contemplating returning the monitor but wanted to get some input or suggestions before I do so. It seems like a nice monitor and I would really like to keep it if I can.

 

[Meh007]

I can only think of 2 possible issues:

1. The monitor is running on 30hz

2. It is too bright.

Apart from that, I remember (years ago) reading that some people get headache from oled phones.

Personally, oled is amazing for me.

 

[BobKnDP]

I've been using an OLED monitor (Philips 27E1N8900) for 22+ months.

It's a 27", 60Hz monitor. It supports the Windows 11 HDR mode, but its peak brightness is around 500 nits.

I'd used IPS display before that.

I spend too much time sitting in front of it. No eye issues.

I profiled it at about 110 nits, for photo work.

 

[CAcreeks]

I just bought a Dell AW2725Q monitor and am primarily using it for photo editing. I know it is designed as a gaming monitor but I want to try HDR image processing and this monitor has gotten good reviews for its HDR output and was a lot cheaper than dedicated 4K HDR (1000 nits) OLED photo editing monitors. I've been using it for a couple of days and I seem to be getting a lot more eyestrain than I got with my 2017 5K Retina 27" iMac. (The old iMac just didn't have the ability to handle intensive photo editing any more.)

Could this eyestrain be due to the HDR? Or to the OLED screen? Or to 1000 nits brightness? I've tried turning the brightness down and changing the resolution for larger print and icon sizes, but these didn't seem to help. I am contemplating returning the monitor but wanted to get some input or suggestions before I do so. It seems like a nice monitor and I would really like to keep it if I can.

There's a lot on the web about OLED eyestrain.

Does your eyestrain occur when reading text, or watching motion video, or with bright white screen? All three, in addition to short refresh cycle, are given as reasons on the web.

I doubt HDR is your issue, because it is usually limited to small areas.

Personally speaking, I would not want the Samsung triangle pixel layout (red and blue above green underline) which makes text hard to read IMO. Triangles might work OK on Windows with ClearText, but MacOS doesn't have that. (See rtings of the AW3225QF.)

OLED screens with 4th white pixel are interesting.

 

[arrow501]

You may be sensitive to the Pulse Width Modulation dimming technology used in OLED (and some other types of) screens. I cannot use OLED screens. Here is an article that explains it, https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html

 

[BobKnDP]

You may be sensitive to the Pulse Width Modulation dimming technology used in OLED (and some other types of) screens. I cannot use OLED screens. Here is an article that explains it, https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html

If "CameraCarl" is running it at 240Hz, nope.

 

[Austinian]

I just bought a Dell AW2725Q monitor and am primarily using it for photo editing. I know it is designed as a gaming monitor but I want to try HDR image processing and this monitor has gotten good reviews for its HDR output and was a lot cheaper than dedicated 4K HDR (1000 nits) OLED photo editing monitors. I've been using it for a couple of days and I seem to be getting a lot more eyestrain than I got with my 2017 5K Retina 27" iMac. (The old iMac just didn't have the ability to handle intensive photo editing any more.)

Could this eyestrain be due to the HDR? Or to the OLED screen? Or to 1000 nits brightness? I've tried turning the brightness down and changing the resolution for larger print and icon sizes, but these didn't seem to help. I am contemplating returning the monitor but wanted to get some input or suggestions before I do so. It seems like a nice monitor and I would really like to keep it if I can.

There's a lot on the web about OLED eyestrain.

Does your eyestrain occur when reading text, or watching motion video, or with bright white screen? All three, in addition to short refresh cycle, are given as reasons on the web.

I doubt HDR is your issue, because it is usually limited to small areas.

Personally speaking, I would not want the Samsung triangle pixel layout (red and blue above green underline) which makes text hard to read IMO. Triangles might work OK on Windows with ClearText, but MacOS doesn't have that. (See rtings of the AW3225QF.)

OLED screens with 4th white pixel are interesting.

This. I've found monitorial happiness (so far) with one of the WOLED MLA+ screens.

ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP Review

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP is a 32-inch, 4k gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate. However, it also has a special mode that increases its refresh rate t...

www.rtings.com

It may not be bright enough for high-grade HDR editing, though. For that I'd be inclined to look for a high-brightness mini-LED monitors.

 

[CameraCarl]

You may be sensitive to the Pulse Width Modulation dimming technology used in OLED (and some other types of) screens. I cannot use OLED screens. Here is an article that explains it, https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html

If "CameraCarl" is running it at 240Hz, nope.

The max I can find on my MacBook and monitor is 60Hz. If 240Hz is possible, I haven't found a wya to get there yet.

 

[CAcreeks]

You may be sensitive to the Pulse Width Modulation dimming technology used in OLED (and some other types of) screens. I cannot use OLED screens. Here is an article that explains it, https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html

If "CameraCarl" is running it at 240Hz, nope.

The max I can find on my MacBook and monitor is 60Hz. If 240Hz is possible, I haven't found a way to get there yet.

You probably need a better cable. How do you have it hooked up to your Macbook?

According to specs, the Dell AW2725Q can do 240Hz with its DisplayPort 1.4 connector, or either of its HDMI 2.1 connectors. (What I mostly noticed with 144Hz refresh rate is smoother scrolling when reading text. But perhaps comfort is improved.)

Possibly the low refresh rate is causing your eyestrain.

P.S. So far there is no 27" WOLED monitor with 4K (UHD), only 1440 (QHD). I'm hoping!

 

[CameraCarl]

There was a display port cable included in the Dell box. It is connected to the CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt dock that my MacBook is connected to (via the USB-C/Thunderbolt cable provided by CalDigit).

In the morning, I'll try connecting the monitor directly to the laptop via the Dell HDMI cable and see if that makes a difference. But I'd really prefer to they to have only the one cable connecting the laptop to the dock, so it is easier to dock and undock the computer when I travel with it.

 

[BobKnDP]

There was a display port cable included in the Dell box. It is connected to the CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt dock that my MacBook is connected to (via the USB-C/Thunderbolt cable provided by CalDigit).

In the morning, I'll try connecting the monitor directly to the laptop via the Dell HDMI cable and see if that makes a difference. But I'd really prefer to they to have only the one cable connecting the laptop to the dock, so it is easier to dock and undock the computer when I travel with it.

I'm not familiar with MacBooks.

If you post the model, that would permit a spec check.

 

[CameraCarl]

There was a display port cable included in the Dell box. It is connected to the CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt dock that my MacBook is connected to (via the USB-C/Thunderbolt cable provided by CalDigit).

In the morning, I'll try connecting the monitor directly to the laptop via the Dell HDMI cable and see if that makes a difference. But I'd really prefer to they to have only the one cable connecting the laptop to the dock, so it is easier to dock and undock the computer when I travel with it.

I disconnected the display port cable and connected the HDMI cable. The System Settings > Display panel on the MacBook no longer shows a switch to select HDR mode. So, while the display can now support up to 240 Hz, it no longer allows me to set it to HDR, so the signal is only SDR. I'm no Mac expert so I don't know why the computer can only output HDR on design port but not HDMI. I guess I will need to do more research.

(p.s. Sorry that I failed to mention that I have a 2024 M4 14" MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM and 512GB memory)

 

[CAcreeks]

I disconnected the display port cable and connected the HDMI cable. The System Settings > Display panel on the MacBook no longer shows a switch to select HDR mode. So, while the display can now support up to 240 Hz, it no longer allows me to set it to HDR, so the signal is only SDR. I'm no Mac expert so I don't know why the computer can only output HDR on display port but not HDMI. I guess I will need to do more research.

That doesn't make sense. I'm connecting with HDMI (to a different model) and HDR works (see below). Maybe try lower refresh rates, selectable in the Displays dialog? If it's still not working, I recommend a visit to Apple's genius bar.

Your dock is probably not capable of transmitting higher-spec video signals.

(p.s. Sorry that I failed to mention that I have a 2024 M4 14" MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM and 512GB memory)

That's higher spec than my M2 Macbook 16.

 

[CameraCarl]

I disconnected the display port cable and connected the HDMI cable. The System Settings > Display panel on the MacBook no longer shows a switch to select HDR mode. So, while the display can now support up to 240 Hz, it no longer allows me to set it to HDR, so the signal is only SDR. I'm no Mac expert so I don't know why the computer can only output HDR on display port but not HDMI. I guess I will need to do more research.

That doesn't make sense. I'm connecting with HDMI (to a different model) and HDR works (see below). Maybe try lower refresh rates, selectable in the Displays dialog? If it's still not working, I recommend a visit to Apple's genius bar.

Your dock is probably not capable of transmitting higher-spec video signals.

(p.s. Sorry that I failed to mention that I have a 2024 M4 14" MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM and 512GB memory)

That's higher spec than my M2 Macbook 16.

Thanks for working with me on this. I tried a different HDMI cable and am able to get HDR and up to 240Hz when the monitor is connected directly to the computer. (Yea!)

Now I need to contact the maker of the dock to see if the issue is there. Then I need to work with the computer some more at the higher refresh rate and see if that helps with the eyestrain.

 

[BobKnDP]

I don't know whether 240Hz will prevent eyestrain, but it should preclude it having anything to do with PWM.

Unless you have a superhumanly fast visual system. ;-)

 

[CameraCarl]

I'm trying everything. My iMac had a refresh rate of 60Hz and I never noticed any problem with it, so it may not be the refresh rate, but it is cheap to test it out....

 

[CameraCarl]

Just to follow up: my dock has Display Port 1.2 which apparently will not support more than 60Hz with the 4K monitor. So my options are to connect the computer directly to the monitor via HDMI cable (unfortunately my dock does not have an HDMI port) or live with 60Hz if I don't want to buy a new dock.

I'm going to try to see if I get eyestrain with 240Hz refresh rates to try to eliminate this as a possible cause. I also decided to buy a 4K LED monitor that has only 400 nits of brightness to see if removing OLED and HDR from the equation helps resolve my problem.

 

[CameraCarl]

Personally speaking, I would not want the Samsung triangle pixel layout (red and blue above green underline) which makes text hard to read IMO. Triangles might work OK on Windows with ClearText, but MacOS doesn't have that. (See rtings of the AW3225QF.)

I have been trying all sorts of things to figure out the cause of my eye strain. Refresh rates don't seem to make much difference. I've been using 27" 5K iMacs (which has 60Hz) for ten years and never noticed any problems. I tried resetting my (M4 MacBook Pro + Alienware 4K OLED) set up to 240Hz and 144 Hz, and this doesn't seem to help. When I work in Lightroom or watch videos, the images are super sharp and crisp. But it seems that the problem occurs when I am reading text on websites and documents.

So, I am beginning to think you are right: the pixel layout may very well be the cause of my problems. I just can't seem to find a way to get crisp letters in text. I've tried increasing the sharpness settings on the monitor and changed the resolution. Going to 2560x1440 helps a bit, but for some reason the Mac defaults to 60Hz at 1440. I've got a 4K LED Asus ProArt monitor on order. I shall see if getting away from OLED (and HDR since the monitor I ordered is only 400 nits) helps. Thanks for the suggestion that the pixel layout might be the cause.

 

[CAcreeks]

Personally speaking, I would not want the Samsung triangle pixel layout (red and blue above green underline) which makes text hard to read IMO. Triangles might work OK on Windows with ClearText, but MacOS doesn't have that. (See rtings of the AW3225QF.)

I have been trying all sorts of things to figure out the cause of my eye strain. Refresh rates don't seem to make much difference. I've been using 27" 5K iMacs (which has 60Hz) for ten years and never noticed any problems. I tried resetting my (M4 MacBook Pro + Alienware 4K OLED) set up to 240Hz and 144 Hz, and this doesn't seem to help. When I work in Lightroom or watch videos, the images are super sharp and crisp. But it seems that the problem occurs when I am reading text on websites and documents.

So, I am beginning to think you are right: the pixel layout may very well be the cause of my problems. I just can't seem to find a way to get crisp letters in text...

Yeah, just for anyone who is following along, here are the ClearType off and ClearType on magnifications. But yikes, the AW3423DW is much worse, as the review says.

https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/BK8AgpB6/dell-alienware-aw3225qf/cleartype-off-large.jpg?format=auto

https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/7vHlsg2D/dell-alienware-aw3225qf/cleartype-on-large.jpg?format=auto

CameraCarl, before returning the monitor, you might want to try recommendations in this Reddit thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/mndcby/cleartype_on_big_sur_get_better_visibility_on

 

[CameraCarl]

For anyone who might be following this thread, here is the latest. I have decided to return the Alienware monitor. I ordered an Asus ProArt PA279CRV and have been using it for a couple of days. I think my eyestrain is slightly less with the LCD display than it was with the OLED. I decided to return the AW2725Q because of this and concern about long term OLED burn in. I plan to use the monitor mostly for photo editing and, as I was researching eyestrain, I also found information about OLED burn in. While Dell has what appears to be a generous OLED guarantee and 3-year return/exchange policy, I did not want to take the risk and I plan to keep the monitor for a lot more than three years. I plan to use the ASUS to see how I like it. After a few days I may try calibrating it, but out of the box, the Adobe RBG seems pretty good; however for some reason that I can't figure out, the sRGB setting on the monitor is very dim. This may be something I will explore further if I decide to keep the monitor.