Philips 436M6VBPAB 43″ HDR1000 Adaptive Sync Review

Peter Donnell / 6 years ago

Final Thoughts

How Much Does it Cost?

There’s no easy way to put this one if I’m honest, it’s pretty darn expensive. At little under £1000, it’s a real wallet buster, but let’s consider just how much you’re getting for your money. This is equivalent in specifications to a similarly sized TV. Yes, you can get a TV this size for less money. But, not if you want it to feature the HDR 1000 Premium specification or such a great panel. A TV won’t have anywhere near this good a response rate. Also, with a few exceptions, is unlikely to have FreeSync. This is a premium solution to a first world problem. It’s not for everyone, but for those that make the investment, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear every time you use it.

Overview

The Philips monitor range is littered with examples of how great monitors can truly be. Yes, they are priced quite high, but I guess the saying “you get what you pay for” rings true here. Do many people need a monitor that measures 43-inches? Not like, and it’s also likely a lot of people don’t have a desk wide enough for this display and its sizable stand. Furthermore, at 15KG, I wouldn’t feel too confident about putting in some cheaper desks either. Do most gamers need an HDR gaming monitor? Most likely not, there are a good few games that support it, and the technology is properly fantastic, but that’s not to say SDR gaming isn’t just fine for the majority. If it’s a luxury you can afford, then for sure, you’ll be glad you have it.

HDR and 4K

The leap to 4K was a big one, and still remains a pretty demanding resolution for modern games to hit on PC. Even more so on a console. It takes a powerful CPU and GPU to game smoothly at this resolution. However, when you do, the end result is pretty fantastic. Because of the screen size of the Philips 436M6, the pixel density isn’t overbearing. It allows you to see a heck of a lot more detail than you would on more commonplace 27-inch 4K monitors. The HDR tech on this monitor is the best I’ve seen to date. Not counting any that we’ve seen at trade shows that are yet to make it to the retail market. It’s powerful, bright, offers deep blacks, and really helps the image pop from the screen, even at sub 4K resolutions.

Work and Play

A huge 4K panel may be great for gaming, but it also provides a lot of screen real estate in general. For day to day working at your computer, it’s like having your own cinema screen just for your desktop. Sitting a few feet away from the panel really fills your vision, allows you to fit a lot on screen at once, and it certainly makes editing this review a breeze! However, it’s much much bigger than most monitors, so moving a few meters away to a comfortable couch with a controller or to watch a movie is perfectly feasible.

Should I Buy One

If I had my way, I think everyone should have a large format 4K HDR display to work and game on. It’s quite a joyful luxury to have. Of course, for those limited on space and furthermore budget, it’s unlikely to appeal. However, for the enthusiast gamer who wants a large format display it blows most equivalent price and size TVs clean out of the water. There’s nothing on the market right now that I’d rather have. You may be on the fence due to the price, but this is the best gaming monitor I’ve ever used. It’s certainly the most fun monitor I’ve ever used.