PG27AQDM - Black Levels on Lagom - Can't see 1-4 at all.

[solidOz]

When I do the Black Level test on Lagom.nl I can't see the first 3, and have to reaaaaally try hard to see 4. The only one I can see clearly is 5.

The only way I can fix this is by setting the screen to HDR in Windows11. Somehow the screens is bright in the beginning and then for some reason dimms itself down automatically. If I keep it running normally, there is no way to distinguish these blacks. 

I have the ICC Profile from Asus on, and also tried deleting it, nothing solves the problem. WHQL driver is installed as well. My 2nd screen is showing the blacks as it should. Settings I copied from Tft Central, but even playing around with them myself does not solve the problem. The only way to properly see these blacks is to put in FPS Mode with the highest black equalizer setting on dynamic. I can see all squares doing that, excedpt the first one, that one just remains invisible. The game looks absolutely horrendous doing that. 

What am I missing here, how can I fix this issue? Apparently, I am supposed to see all of the black squares which I do on my other screens. It makes playing things like Dark and Darker very unenjoyable since the game is super dark and makes players completely vanish. You are in a massive disadvantage playing with this screen. 

Does someone know how I can solve this problem?

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @solidOz ,

based on your issue, may I ask whether you done the test in the link below, and the number1 to 4 square is not visible on your PG27AQDM?

Black level - Lagom LCD test

May I ask whether to fix the issue, you need to set the screen to HDR in Windows11 or to put in FPS Mode with the highest black equalizer setting on dynamic?

Could you provide the screenshot of the black level test and the HDR setting?

Thank you.

[solidOz]

HDR Off: 

HDR On: 

The black crushing on this screen is unacceptable for the price. I feel like doing something on the firmware side might solve the problem, but that might just be a false feeling for me.

[solidOz]

Hi Aureliannn

I couldn't edit the post, so I will add this here:

I have copied the settings from Tft Central 1:1, if you need to know what I operate with.

I have 3 screens, and only the OLED is having this issue. Which is sadly also the newest and most expensive one. Nothing I do in the menu allows me to see proper black levels where I can see all squares as intended.

I also enjoy broadcasting, and this issue shows itself there too. All games have something where they are like "Pls adjust until you can barely see the logo". While everyone watching me is capable of seeing the logo in its default settings, which is usually the case, I have to up the settings 2-3 times to even see the logo. This in return makes it way brighter than it should be for the people watching.

I really need a solution for this. Since HDR is such a massive difference, I feel like Asus could pull out a firmware update to fix this? RMA is such a hassle, I'd love to fix this without sending the screen in. FPS Mode is a little better, where it allows a couple squares more to be seen with the shadow boost. The screen has innately settings tied to its several modes a user can't change at all. This gives me hope for Asus to fix this, but a fix really needs to happen. The screen is way too expensive to lose this much detail.

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @solidOz ,

based on your issue, the light will dimms automatucally is due to the OLED screen protection mechanism, if you don't want the screen to dimm, it is suggest that you can disable the screen saver function then confirm whether the issue still occur.

You can refer to the following link.

[LCD Monitor] ASUS OLED Monitor Protection Mechanism | Official Support | ROG Global

Also, it is suggest that you can update the firmware MCM104.

You can refer to the following link.

ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM | Gaming monitors｜ROG - Republic of Gamers｜ROG Global (asus.com)

Thank you.

[solidOz]

I already use MCM104 in all those screenshots.

Turning the Screen Saver off or on does not change anything at all. Nothing happens on the screen. To add to it so we save time: Turning uniform brightness off and on only makes the screen brighter a little, you still can't see any of these black squares you are supposed to see. This is not a brightness issue, the screen is completely crushing these blacks losing tremendous amounts of details in darker scenes. This is horrible for this price tag, we need a solution for this please.

[solidOz]

I bring news. Uninstalling the Nvidia Drivers, makes the squares appear cleanly. 

I did uninstall the drivers with DDU. The screen is flashing after uninstalling, and the blacks are clean, all of them can be distinguished. The moment the Nvidia Drivers get installed, the blacks disappear again. We do have to install these drivers, so there is no way around it atm.

This could help you guys pinpoint the issue with Nvidia. 

Setting the brightness in the Nvidia Panel to 57% makes the black bars on 1-5 appear. In return, nearly everything on the white bars disappear on the white test. The screen gets a grey tint doing this as well. This is not a solution, but it may help. The only way to use this screen atm properly is by turning HDR on, even though that doesn't feel perfect either colorwise, at least you can distinguish the blacks and the whites.

I hope this helps Asus to solve the problem this screen has, again it is way too expensive to have these issues not fixed. As a user this has been very frustrating. I don't even know how the screen is supposed to look anymore. Like what settings give me the intended colors, blacks, whites, etc.

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @solidOz ,

we would like to inquire about a few things:

1. Could you please specify what your monitor is connected to and what type of signal cable you are using for the connection?

2. Have you cross-tested with other monitors, and if so, what are their models? Does the black display issue only occur with the PG27AQDM?

3. Would you be able to provide a video clip demonstrating how your equipment is connected and the black screen issue on the PG27AQDM?

4. Have you tried updating your graphics card drivers?

Your answers to these questions will help us better understand and address the issue you're experiencing. Thank you.

[solidOz]

Hi @Aureliannn_ROG 

1. Nvidia RTX 4080, Display Port

2. I am using 3 monitors: ROG PG279Q, BENQ XL2720Z, The black issue is only on the PG27AQDM. I can grab the window and put it on the other screens, and I see all the squares properly.

3. Not sure what video I would give you here. There are cables going from monitor to gpu. Given the squares somehow appear when the Nvidia drivers are completely uninstalled, and then disappear again when they are installed again tells me the issue shouldn't be here. I already made 2 comparison screenshots with HDR on and off, what else would you need?

4. I did. I uninstalled them beforehand with DDU too. This is where I noticed, I could see the black squares the moment the Nvidia Drivers were uninstalled. After installing the drivers again, the squares disappear again. I feel like Asus may have to have a talk with Nvidia. There is a yellow tint on the screen too, not sure where that is coming from though.

I do not think the screen is broken. I see no reason to replace it. This feels like something the firmware / Nvidia Drivers could solve. I'm not sure if other people have noticed this problem or if they even have it. Can't Asus replicate this issue with a PG27AQDM easily to see if it is a user problem?

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @solidOz ,

thank you for reaching out to us. Based on our backend testing, when using the FPS mode with a Gamma value of 1.8 and setting the display color space to DCI-P3, it allows for the complete visibility of black squares. Since our backend validation indicates that your display is functioning normally, we would like to provide you with some settings to ensure clarity when viewing black screens.

Here are the recommended settings:

1. FPS Mode: Ensure that you have FPS mode selected.

2. Gamma Value: Set the Gamma value to 1.8.

3. Display Color Space: Set the display color space to DCI-P3.

By applying these settings, you should experience improved visibility of black elements on your screen. Thank you.