Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 in the test: Great OLED display for bending from flat to curved

The Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 is a 45-inch OLED monitor with 240 Hz and HDMI 2.1 in 21:9 format. The highlight: the user can bend the display himself so that it can be used flat or curved. The concept works in the test and the image quality and speed of the OLED panel are outstanding.

Table of contents

45-inch OLED can be bent
Burn-in guaranteed< /li>
Bend OLED until it cracks
1. Hands off the display
2. No visible marks
Specifications and experiences
1. 45 inch with UWQHD and 240 Hz
2. Matte OLED panel with 10 bit
3. Black is black
4. Brightness depends on the proportion of white
5. 0.03 ms response time
6. DP 1.4, HDMI 2.1 and USB-C
7. Anti-burn techniques
8. No height adjustment, only tilt
9. No RGB lighting
Good OSD, spongy joystick
Power consumption
Brightness and color fidelity
1. Almost 1,000 cd/m² in HDR with little white
2. Measurement of color fidelity
Display and input lag (beta)
1. Input lag
2. Display lag

< li>Conclusion

45-inch OLED can be bent

The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 OLED is Corsair's fourth monitor that lives up to its name. Because the display is based on a flexible OLED panel from LG Display, so that the screen can be used both flat and curved with a radius of 0.8 m. The model has side handles with which the user can bend the display himself. Depending on the game, you can choose the right mode, because strategy titles are usually played with a flat monitor, but racing games or flight simulators with a curved one. Aside from gaming, many prefer a flat monitor. With the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 you should no longer have to decide for one of the two by simply bending it to fit. The display itself measures an impressive 45 inches in 21:9 format with UWQHD resolution of 3,440 × 1,440 pixels, offers a variable refresh rate of up to 240 Hz and, typical of OLEDs, has perfect contrast and fast response times.

< p class="p text-width">This size and specifications come at a price. Because the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 OLED starts today for 2,399 euros in advance. It should be delivered to early pre-orderers later this year. In addition to the monitor and stand, the manufacturer includes all the necessary video cables, specifically for DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1 and USB-C to USB-C. All cables are 1.5 m long. A USB-C to USB-A cable for data connection to a desktop PC without USB-C and the external 240 watt power supply are also included.

With a guarantee against “burn-in”

Corsair grants a three-year warranty on the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 OLED. In addition, the display comes with a zero-burn-in and zero-dead-pixel guarantee for a period of three years – if it has a bright pixel or more than six dark pixels, the manufacturer will exchange it just like with one Image burn-in off.

With the Xeneon 32QHD165 (test), Corsair already has one of the gaming classics still favored by many, a monitor with a 32-inch IPS panel, up to 165 Hz and the WQHD resolution of 2,560 × 1,440 pixels. The Xeneon 32QHD240 increases the data to 240 Hz. The Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 (test), on the other hand, relies on the UHD resolution of 3,840 × 2,160 pixels at 32 inches as well as a variable refresh rate of up to 144 Hz and HDMI 2.1 for gamers.

OLED bend until it cracks

As a user, you only notice that the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 OLED has a flexible OLED display when you extend the side handles on the screen and pull the display on both sides towards you from the front. Then it curves. If the user wants to achieve the maximum curvature of 800 R, he has to bend the monitor until it cracks. The cracking comes from the mechanism on the back of the screen and signals the endpoints in either direction. The handles can then be retracted again so that they are no longer visible from the front. They snap in both positions and are unlocked with a button on the outside.

However, the monitor not only knows maximum bending and a flat display, but you can also adjust it to a curvature in between. However, it is not always easy to bend both sides exactly the same way. In principle, both sides of the screen can be bent independently of each other. If desired, only one side of the display can be curved, but the other left straight. So if you want to set up a monitor setup consisting of three Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240, you can bend the outer edges of the two outer models, but leave the rest straight.

Bending back to the flat position is exactly the opposite. The monitor tends to tilt backwards over the base, since the screen is relatively light at around 3.5 kg and does not have a heavy base. The basic rule is to bend the display as straight as possible from the front so as not to tilt it.

Hands off the display

It is important to note that when bending the display, you only touch the handles, but do not support yourself with your thumbs or palms on the OLED panel. It's best to press your thumbs against the top of the handle to avoid damaging the monitor by applying excessive pressure to the panel.

No visible tracks

ComputerBase often bent the OLED display back and forth in the test. There were no visible traces left on the screen. Corsair states that the OLED panel has a virtually unlimited flex life. The mechanism is designed to withstand 10,000 to 15,000 flex cycles. If you bend the monitor five times a day and every day throughout the year, the monitor will last at least 5.5 to 8.2 years. However, a test cannot simulate how the mechanism performs over the long term in everyday use.

Technical data and experiences

< h3 class="text-width text-h3" id="section_45_inches_with_uwqhd_and_240_hz">45 inches with UWQHD and 240 Hz

As already mentioned, the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 uses a 45-inch OLED display (RWBG) in 21:9 format with a UWQHD resolution of 3,440 × 1,440 pixels. The visible area is 1,047.5 × 441.3 mm. With a pixel density of 84 ppi, the screen is even below a 24-inch Full HD monitor, which has 92 ppi.

The variable refresh rate reaches up to 240 Hz, which is an enormous improvement in everyday life under Windows, but above all, of course, when playing games. The minimum refresh rate is 40 Hz, below that LFC is used, so a range from 40 to 240 Hz is covered. The monitor not only supports FreeSync Premium, but is also Nvidia G-Sync compatible. It therefore dispenses with a G-Sync module, which fortunately also saves the fan on the module, but with Nvidia graphics cards it can also synchronize the graphics card and display to effectively prevent the image from being torn. Both technologies showed no abnormalities in the test, and tearing and stuttering were successfully eliminated with both AMD and Nvidia.

Resolution Aspect Ratio Number of Pixels Pixel Density 3840 × 2160 (UHD) 16:9 8 .29 million 163 ppi at 27 inches 140 ppi at 31.5 inches 3,440 × 1,440 (UWQHD) 21:9 4.95M 84 ppi at 45″ 110 ppi at 34″ 5120 × 1440 (Dual QHD) 32:9 7.37M 109 ppi at 49″ 3840 × 1080 ( Dual FHD) 4.15M 82ppi @ 49″ 2560 × 1440 (WQHD) 16:9 3.67M 109 ppi @ 27″ 93 ppi @ 31.5″ 2560 × 1080 (UWFHD) 21:9 2, 76M 94ppi @ 29.5″ 1920 × 1080 (FHD) 16:9 2.07M 82ppi @ 27″ 92ppi @ 24″

Matte OLED panel with 10 bit

The OLED panel with an anti-reflective coating offers true 10-bit color depth. The matte coating convinces in the test by not allowing surrounding light sources to become a disruptive factor. Corsair specifies the color space coverage as 100 percent sRGB, 98.5 percent DCI-P3 and 96.3 percent Adobe RGB. The viewing angles of the display are 178 degrees.

Black is black

The high contrast ratio, which Corsair specifies at 1,350,000:1, is typical of OLED technology. Real black is made possible by completely switching off individual pixels, because the black areas of OLED displays no longer shine down to the pixel, while with LCDs the backlight still shines through and black continues to shine slightly.

There are therefore no problems with local dimming with too few zones with OLED displays. As an IPS display, the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144, for example, has local dimming with 16 zones and the AOC Porsche Design Agon Pro PD32M (test) has 1,152 zones. In both cases, switching the backlight on and off in unfavorable situations is clearly visible and annoying. The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 OLED does not have such problems.

Brightness dependent on white part

With the Xeneon Flex, the brightness of the OLED display depends on how much of the screen area is illuminated and how large the proportion of white is. If the entire screen is illuminated in white, Corsair specifies a brightness of 150 cd/m² for the entire display. If 25% of the screen is white, the manufacturer specifies the peak brightness as 450 cd/m². At 10% and using HDR, up to 800 cd/m² should be achieved and at 3 percent (HDR) up to 1,000 cd/m². According to the company, a new HDR classification (HDR rating) to match this is in the works.

The test shows that the change from small, bright areas to large, bright areas then reveals the strong fluctuations in brightness that are typical for this. Going from a small, bright white square to an all-white background, the difference is striking, with the white appearing dark and gray. Depending on the intended use and image content, this circumstance is more or less annoying. In everyday life, it is usually not noticeable, since such extreme changes almost never occur. If you still want to prevent this harsh change, you can activate a “Brightness Stabilizer” in the on-screen display of the monitor. This ensures that the maximum brightness remains low, so that the difference between “completely white” and “small area white” is not that great. So you permanently reduce the maximum brightness.

0.03 ms response time

When it comes to response times, OLEDs again have a clear advantage over the comparatively sluggish liquid crystal displays. At least on paper, the Corsair Xeneon Flex achieves new best values with only 0.03 ms when switching between grayscale (GtG). Even the fastest LCDs don't get below 0.5 ms. The latency when switching a pixel on or off is said to be just 0.01 ms.

DP 1.4, HDMI 2.1 and USB-C< /h3>

For the video connections, Corsair relies on a DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1 and a USB-C port with DP alt mode. Connected devices such as notebooks can also be charged with up to 30 watts via the USB-C interface. This is a sufficient value for many work devices in everyday use if they are not put under too much strain. Several devices, such as a gaming PC and a games console via HDMI 2.1 and a notebook via USB-C, can be connected and switched to the Corsair Xeneon Flex without any problems. The monitor also offers Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture, so that theoretically several signal sources can be shown on the display at the same time. The OSD is used to set which signal is to be displayed where. Anyone who wants to switch between two PCs while working without having to switch the signal every time is also served. The test subject is addressed with 10 bits and pixel format 4:4:4 at full resolution and 240 Hz both via DisplayPort 1.4 and via HDMI 2.1.

Connections of the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240

Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 240 watt external power supply

Connections of the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240

Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 Review

Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 Review

Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 Review

There is also a USB-C upstream port for connecting to the PC and four USB-A downstream ports, two of which are located in the front of the stand and are therefore easily accessible from the front. All four ports offer a maximum of 5 Gbit/s (USB 3.1 Gen 1). A headphone output is also routed to the front. The Xeneon again does not have internal speakers.

Ports and buttons on the front of the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240

Also on the front of the stand, Corsair has the on/off switch, a switch for selecting the video input and the 5- Placed path joystick for OSD.

Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 AOC PD Agon Pro PD32M ViewSonic VP3256-4K ViewSonic VP3268a-4K AOC Agon AG324UX Philips Momentum 329M1RV Panel OLED IPS Backlight – LED Mini-LED LED Diagonal 45 inch 31.5 inch Resolution 3,440 × 240 Hz ) 3840 × 2160 (144 Hz) 3840 × 2160 (60 Hz) 3840 × 2160 (144 Hz) Pixel density 84 ppi 140 ppi HDR Yes DisplayHDR 600 DisplayHDR 1400 HDR10 DisplayHDR 400 FreeSync/G-Sync FreeSync Premium, G-Sync compatible Adaptive Sync – FreeSync Premium, G-Sync Compatible FreeSync Premium Aspect Ratio 21:9 16:9 Contrast (Static) 1,350,000:1 1,000:1 1,300:1 1,000:1 Brightness max 1,000 cd/m² 600 cd/m² 1,600 cd /m² 350 cd/m² 500 cd/m² Color depth 10 bit 10 bit (8 bit + FRC) 10 bit 10 bit (8 bit + FRC) 10 bit Color space 100% sRGB, 98.5% DCI-P3, 96.3% AdobeRGB 98% DCI-P3, 100% AdobeRGB, 100% sRGB 156% sRGB, 97% DCI-P3 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709, 82% Adobe RGB, 90% DCI-P3 100% sRGB, 100% Rec .709 125% sRGB, 107% Adobe RGB, 109% NTS C, 100% DCI-P3 124% sRGB, 111% Adobe RGB, 113% NTSC Viewing Angle (Horizontal/Vertical) 178°/178° Response Time 0.03 ms (Gray to Gray) 1 ms (MPRT), 12 ms (Gray to Gray) 1ms 5ms 7ms 1ms (Gray to Gray) Video inputs 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C (30W PD) 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB -C (15W PD) 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C (90W PD) 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x USB-C (60W PD) 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x USB-C (90W PD) 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C (90W PD) 3x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB -C (65 W PD) Audio Headphone output 2 × 8 watt speakers 2 × 3 watt speakers Headphone output, 2 × 5 watt speakers Headphone output, microphone input, 2 × 8 watt speakers Headphone output, 2 × 5 watt -Speakers USB 4 × USB 3.0 2 × USB 3.0 4 × USB 3.0 2 × USB 3.0 4 × USB 3.0 Ergonomics Display tiltable (-7°/+15°) Display tiltable (-5°/+20°), height adjustable (110 mm), swiveling (-30°/+30°) Di splay tiltable (-5°/+21°), height adjustable (150 mm), swiveling (-30°/+30°), pivot display tiltable (-5°/+21°), height adjustable (130 mm), swiveling ( -60°/+60°), pivot display tiltable (-3°/+21°), height adjustable (130 mm), swiveling (-20°/+20°), pivot display tiltable (-5°/+15° ), height-adjustable (130 mm), swiveling (-20°/+20°) Power consumption operation: k. A; Standby: n/a A. Operation: typ. 43 W; Standby: 0.5 W Operation: typ. 82 W (SDR), 102 W (HDR); Standby: 0.5 W Operation: typ. 46 W; Standby: 0.5 W Operation: typ. 57 W; Standby: 0.5 W Operation: typ. 58.9 W; Standby: 0.5 W Other USB-C Power Delivery (30 W), USB-C upstream USB-C Power Delivery (15 W), USB-C upstream, VESA mount (100 × 100 mm), tripod socket on Stand, integration in Stream Deck and iCUE Nexus USB-C Power Delivery (90 W), USB-C upstream, RGB lighting AOC Light FX, Wireless Quick Switch, blue light filter, VESA mount (100 × 100 mm), headphone holder blue light filter , VESA mount (100 × 100 mm), Delta E < 2 (sRGB), USB-C Power Delivery (60 W), USB-C upstream blue light filter, VESA mount (100 × 100 mm), Delta E < 2 (sRGB), USB-C Power Delivery (90 W), RJ45, USB-C upstream AOC Light FX, OSD quick switch, blue light filter, VESA mount (100 × 100 mm), USB-C Power Delivery ( 90 W), Ambiglow headphone holder, blue light filter, VESA mount (100 × 100 mm), USB-C Power Delivery (65 W), USB-C upstream Price 2,399 euros 1,100 euros 1,991 euros 760 euros 1,090 euros 1,050 euros 1,050 euros < /figure>

Techniques against burn-in

A “burn-in prevention system” is intended to counteract the risk of “burning in” of static image content that is prevalent with OLEDs. This consists of two techniques: the “Image Retention Refresh” and the “Orbit Refresh”. The former is the technology known from OLED televisions, which “refreshes” the pixels when the display is switched off. This process is always performed after eight hours of use when switched off and is also visible by a blinking of the monitor's status LED. The screen itself remains black. As with TVs, don't unplug the monitor immediately when you turn it off to avoid interrupting this process. The process takes almost five minutes. If desired, the process can also be started manually via the OSD. In the OSD it is also possible to switch “Orbit Refresh” on and off. When enabled, the image will be shifted one pixel every minute in a clockwise circular motion. The function is switched on ex works.

No height adjustment, only tilt

Corsair uses a completely different model for the base than for the first two monitors. The wide base is firmly connected to the screen, only the V-shaped base has to be screwed on. The wide Xeneon Flex only supports tilting the display by -7 and 15 degrees, for which a handle is mounted in the middle at the bottom of the screen. The display cannot be swiveled or adjusted in height. The latter in particular is not always optimal – even if the standard height setting of the monitor is well chosen for the tester, this does not necessarily apply to everyone. Pivot is not supported given the size. The Xeneon Flex also lacks the extras familiar from other gaming screens from Corsair, such as a 1/4-inch thread, to which a camera, microphone or lamp can be attached, for example.

Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240

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Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240

No RGB lighting

On a RGB -Lighting or logo projection, as they are used by many current gaming monitors, Corsair also does without their third display.

Good OSD, spongy joystick

The on-screen display (OSD) and its operation are again well implemented in the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240. Corsair once again commendably relies on a 5-way joystick, which, as mentioned, is placed on the front of the stand. However, it is a bit too spongy, so that occasionally a wrong action is triggered. In particular, when you want to press it to get to the OSD, you often call up one of the shortcuts that are on the right or left. In the OSD, the user can primarily choose from different color presets and activate gaming functions such as a crosshair or overlay of the refresh rate. However, OLED displays do not offer options for overdrive.

Another good solution is that switching on and off is not done via the joystick, but via a separate button. This now also applies to the input button, which allows a direct change of the input signal.