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entergamingxp · 5 years

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Eve’s crowd-designed display may be the first 1440p 240Hz IPS monitor • Eurogamer.net

A few months ago, we reported on the Eve Spectrum: a crowd-designed display based around the same 1ms IPS LG panel as our current top gaming monitor recommendation. Back then, the Finnish start-up behind the monitor was planning to offer a series of improvements to make its offering more unique, including a higher contrast figure, overclocking from 144 to 165Hz and USB-C connectivity – all solid upgrades that meshed well with the unique, fan-influenced design. Now, as the Spectrum goes on pre-order, the company has unveiled that the monitor will actually be available with three different panel choices – including the very first 1440p 240Hz IPS screen to appear at retail.

That’s big news, because almost all of the high refresh rate 240Hz screens preferred by competitive gamers have only been available at 1920×1080 – a resolution that doesn’t provide much screen real estate and can even look a little grainy at 27 inches. By moving to 2560×1440 while maintaining that extremely high refresh rate, you get a monitor that can perform to a professional standard in easy-to-run esports titles like Counter-Strike, while offering a sharper image and more screen real estate that will be appreciated by anyone that creates or consumes content at their computer.

It’s worth noting that the Spectrum won’t be the first 2560×1440 240Hz monitor outright, as the HP Omen X 27 and Lenovo Legion Legion Y27gq-25 both hit the same spec. However, these two both use TN panels, meaning colour accuracy and viewing angles are disappointing – perhaps why they’ve attracted only middling reviews. By contrast, the 1ms IPS panel used in the Spectrum should be much better for watching videos or doing Photoshop work, while costing about the same amount. It also supports DisplayHDR 600, so HDR games or videos should look quite decent.

Eve’s third panel choice is also a fascinating one – 4K at 144Hz. We’ve seen that same combo used on monitors like the Acer XV273K, and it can be a potent one – although it does require an extremely powerful computer with one of the best graphics cards to run most games at anything near that resolution and frame-rate target, even esports titles. So far, this specification has largely been available from monitor giants Acer and Asus, so it’s a nice pick-up for Eve.

As well as revealing the three panel choices available to buyers, the final design of the Spectrum has also been revealed. It’s clearly inspired by the “Blade” concept that the Eve community picked as their favourite, with elements of the Bloxy concept visible in its I/O offerings.

As this monitor is designed for content creation as well as gaming, it’s nice to see promised features like 135W of pass-through USB-C charging make it into the final version. Another community favourite feature, full rotation to portrait mode, has also been added in the push up to retail. A more controversial decision may be the move to charge for the stand separately, something Apple was recently dinged for with their Pro Display XDR. However, as about half of the Eve community reported that they planned to use a VESA mount anyway, charging for the stand separately makes a lot of sense to me.

Thankfully, pricing for the Spectrum is quite competitive, although the company plans to increase prices after the initial pre-order period. The standard 1440p 144Hz model, the initial monitor Eve proposed, costs €349. Stepping up to a 240Hz refresh rate costs an extra €140, putting that option at €489. The 4K 144Hz panel is unsurprisingly the most expensive at all, at €589. Remember that if you do want the stand, you’ll need to stump up an additional €99 for the privilege.

Unfortunately, you may need to wait a little while to get your hands on the Spectrum. The bog standard 144Hz model is expected to ship in early Q3 this year, while the more exotic varieties are scheduled to arrive in early Q4. That gives Eve’s more mainstream competitors some time to ship 1440p 240Hz IPS monitors of their own – and despite a fairly good track record with the Eve V, their last big project, delays are always possible.

We briefly spoke with Eve CEO Konstantinos Karatsevidis about the Spectrum’s most recent developments, including the new panel options and how the monitor will be shipped to customers.

Why did you opt for three panel choices rather than sticking with one option?

Konstantinos Karatsevidis: We were very lucky actually! Finalising the design took some time and while we were at it we received a call from our panel manufacturer mentioning these two new panels and that we could be the first to market given our Spectrum timing. Even better news was that these panels are having almost exactly the same dimensions allowing to leverage tooling we have developed. Once we’ve seen the spec sheets and realised that it would not impact project timeline while offering more choice to the end users it was a no-brainer. Our community is very happy to see these two options as they let people choose what works best. They are all 144Hz plus refresh rate which we think is a must have feature of 2020 while offering great colours and brightness.

Are you confident you’ll beat other 1440p 240Hz monitors to market?

Konstantinos Karatsevidis: Yes! We picked up these panels at the best possible time and since we don’t have a long retail arm we will be able to get these monitors to end users faster than our competition. Being small and fast does pay off sometimes!

Which design concepts influenced the final design?

Konstantinos Karatsevidis: It’s an interesting question. People loved the Bloxy concept because of its very utilitarian design; on the other hand everyone was obsessed with the Blade concept as it had that iconic look. In the end we ended up creating something entirely different inspired by these two concepts. We took the super thin bezel construction from the Blade, in which a metal frame hugs the panel to minimise thickness, and we took the port box from the Bloxy allowing for good and easy connectivity. We have also added portrait mode to our stand at the last moment since the community became very vocal about it after seeing that the Blade concept was in the lead.

Will the monitors be dispatched from a single location or regional depots? Will customers have to worry about import duty in the UK or US?

Konstantinos Karatsevidis: Monitors will be first shipped out to our regional warehouses in which they would be cleared from customs and later on on shipped to the end users and selected retailers regionally. This would ensure that you don’t have to worry about any extra duties and fees. Currently we are building the fulfilment and after service network but we already have a warehouse in Germany, UK, HK and US. We are looking for good partners in Canada and other regions currently.

Any interesting stories from development?

Konstantinos Karatsevidis: After the Eve V [a project to make a Surface-like 2-in-1 device], this project has been going much smoother. The actual project flow and pace is even “boring” in some ways. I have to say that I really love the fact that there have been no surprises in the project so far, apart from a few pleasant ones. The possibility to upgrade to new panels has been a game changer for the whole project. One short interesting fact I learned is that monitor stands are super expensive to build and really can be 50 per cent of the monitor cost. Another one is that we originally considered milling the whole Spectrum out of aluminium using CNC machines to achieve the same feel as the Eve V for the sake of consistency. We learned that making a full aluminium enclosure that way would cost around 400 USD, with it taking six hours to carve out one monitor on one machine at a time. So, no wonder there are not many displays on the market with aluminium enclosures!

It will be interesting to see whether the Spectrum is able to deliver on its promise of a 1440p 240Hz monitor before the mainstream competition – and indeed, whether it satisfies the fan community that directed its development. If Eve is able to get this right, then it could be one of the stand-out monitors of 2020, but there’s still plenty of room left before the finish line.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/eves-crowd-designed-display-may-be-the-first-1440p-240hz-ips-monitor-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eves-crowd-designed-display-may-be-the-first-1440p-240hz-ips-monitor-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

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ultrasfcb-blog · 6 years

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French GP: Jolyon Palmer column - Unlucky Bottas should have been a title contender

French GP: Jolyon Palmer column – Unlucky Bottas should have been a title contender

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, who left Renault during the 2017 season, has joined the BBC team to offer insight and analysis from the point of view of the competitors.

The Formula 1 title fight is distilling into another showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, but it could have been so different.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas could be right in there with them had it not been for bad luck – Sunday’s French Grand Prix was just the latest example.

The Finn qualified on the front row at Paul Ricard, alongside Hamilton, but was taken out by Vettel at the first corner.

Vettel was on the inside, trying to back out of a move he had realised was not going to work. Bottas was making the most of the clear track around the outside and swept around the Ferrari man but was spun round, picked up some damage and could only recover to seventh place, while Vettel finished fifth.

In my view, Vettel was at fault for the incident, and the stewards agreed, which is why they penalised him. But on the first lap, when things are tight, these things happen.

Either way, it was a costly misjudgement for Vettel and more bad luck for Bottas, as the innocent party.

It’s hard to imagine Bottas would have beaten the imperious Hamilton to the win, especially as the world champion controlled proceedings into the first corner. But a second place was probably lost for Bottas on this occasion, and with it 12 more points.

In many ways, it summed up Bottas’ year so far.

Answering all the doubters

Sebastian Vettel drove into Valtteri Bottas (left) on the opening lap of the French Grand Prix

Pre-season, there were a lot of question marks about Bottas.

The world – and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff – were waiting to see how Bottas would perform in his second season with the world champion team.

Bottas started 2017, his first season with Mercedes, well, but after being given another year’s contract, he had a run of shaky form through the summer and early autumn.

This year, the question was whether Bottas could justify keeping his place at the best team in F1, especially with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo on the market as well.

The questions only deepened after a heavy accident in qualifying for the season-opening race in Australia, and a lacklustre recovery drive.

But since Melbourne, Bottas has been superb, surely one of the most unlucky drivers in the field. If things had gone his way – or even just not against him – then he could be right at the sharp end of this championship alongside his team-mate.

On paper, Bottas’ results don’t look great. No wins and no poles don’t make for great reading, and I can hear the questions being asked about his credentials alongside Hamilton, who after France now has three of each. But Bottas has been a picture of consistency.

Since Melbourne, he has qualified second or third for every race, apart from Monaco where he and Mercedes were missing some pace. And he has out-qualified Hamilton in three out of the seven subsequent races.

There’s no denying Hamilton still has the edge between them. And when the car is capable of taking pole, then it has been Hamilton who has delivered in Barcelona and Paul Ricard, edging his team-mate to second place.

But when the Ferraris have had the edge in other races, it has usually been Bottas who has qualified ahead, even if once again there’s been little to choose between them.

That’s impressive because Hamilton is probably the fastest driver out there. He is unbelievably quick, especially over one lap, which is why he holds the record for most pole positions in F1 history.

But it’s not just in qualifying that Bottas has impressed. His races have been consistent as well, but that’s where his bad luck has held him back.

After his Melbourne mishap, Bottas needed to respond immediately, and he did exactly that. In fact, he could have taken three wins in a row.

The first in Bahrain wasn’t down to bad luck. He just missed out on trying an overtaking move on Vettel’s leading Ferrari on the last lap – and some felt he showed too much caution there. But the next two in Shanghai and Baku certainly were down to misfortune.

In Shanghai, Bottas led the race after the pit-stop phase – a guaranteed win by 2018 F1 standards in a race without drama. But there was drama. A safety car was called, which meant Red Bull pitted, changed strategy and Ricciardo came from nowhere to beat Bottas to the win.

Next time out in Baku, Bottas was even more unlucky. Again leading after a late-race safety car, he had everything under control with three laps to go but then picked up a puncture from debris on the start-finish straight. A victory lost, and 25 points with it.

Decent drives have since followed in Barcelona and Montreal to take his tally of second places up to four for the season.

Bottas now sits fourth in the standings, a full 53 points behind Hamilton, and behind Vettel and Ricciardo as well. However, Bottas’ bad luck could be argued to have cost him 51 points compared to Hamilton.

That’s the seven points difference between first and second in China, the 25 he lost in Baku and the extra seven Hamilton received for being promoted from second to first, and 12 for the difference between second and seventh in France.

OK, you can argue this is perhaps being a little optimistic. And others have dropped points through bad luck as well – Vettel in Shanghai after being hit by Verstappen, and Hamilton in Melbourne, losing the win because of the safety car. But, at the sharp end, Bottas is clearly the driver that has been affected the most by bad luck.

There is a bright side, though. With contract negotiations beginning over the summer months, Bottas has surely done enough to be retained by Mercedes for the future.

Even if his ultimate killer instinct, ability to take poles and wins can still be questioned, Bottas is at the very least the perfect partner to Hamilton. Ahead when Hamilton isn’t at his best, consistent and willing to play the team game.

Raikkonen’s future in doubt

Kimi Raikkonen is fifth in the championship table

At Ferrari, Bottas’ fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen is not making as convincing a case to be given a new contract.

The question marks continue to grow around Raikkonen’s future, with his potential replacement Charles Leclerc doing wonders in the Sauber.

Raikkonen is on a woeful qualifying run since beating Vettel to the front row in Melbourne.

Pretty much every time he’s on track at the end of the top 10 shoot-out, the crunch time when the grid is mostly decided, Raikkonen is making mistakes. He has the pace but is constantly unable to deliver under pressure.

Not only that, but having failed to make up a place on the first lap since 2016, he isn’t recovering effectively in the race either.

His podium in Paul Ricard marked a solid drive, but really it was the least he could do, in a race which saw two of the front six collide and drop to the back and Ricciardo suffer an issue in the closing stages.

When the title fight is as close as it is this year, the second drivers could have a defining role. At the moment, Raikkonen is unable to get near Vettel to help him out, often being stuck behind the Red Bulls, while Bottas is continually qualifying at the front and challenging Hamilton all the way.

It gives Mercedes the upper hand in the fight with Ferrari.

If Bottas hadn’t been on the front row in Sunday’s race, Vettel would have taken the lead into Turn One, as he had a much better start than Hamilton. But because of Bottas’ presence on his outside, Vettel had nowhere to go and ultimately had to lift off on the run to Turn One.

Not only can having a second driver at the front provide a shield for the ‘number one’, but it can also provide strategy options that Ferrari sometimes don’t have as they are often fighting with only one car for wins or podium places.

Melbourne was the perfect example of how having two cars at the front can help the team out. Ferrari snookered Hamilton, by pitting Raikkonen early and Vettel late.

Mercedes responded to Raikkonen, the faster and best-placed Ferrari at the time, but Vettel ended up winning thanks to a miscalculation by Mercedes under the virtual safety car that enabled Vettel to pit and return to the track in the lead.

Mercedes did exactly the same to Ferrari in Baku. Pitting one driver – Hamilton – and sending the other long into the race to take advantage of a safety car or at least have a fresh set of tyres to attack at the end. That’s what gave Bottas the lead, after Ferrari felt they needed to respond with Vettel to Hamilton’s early stop.

Raikkonen wasn’t close enough to help out, and that’s been the case all too often this year.

If he’s not careful, he will find himself swept aside for the new generation in Leclerc. Indeed, the decision may have already been made.

BBC Sport – Formula 1 ultras_FC_Barcelona

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