Dec 11, 2024 03:57 PM By  James Alex Chérubin

Hi RtingsUser202504, Thank you for your comment! We use a Beagle USB analyzer to capture USB data packets before they are processed by Windows. This allows us to measure the time intervals between actions sent by the trackball, determining the polling rate in hertz. We originally tested the device on an older firmware version. Initially, we measured the polling rate at 500hz when wired (sometimes inconsistently reporting 125 or 250 Hz). Now consistently measure a polling rate of 125Hz across all connections. I also went ahead and measured the polling rate using different polling rate websites as you suggested, and they confirm the new 125 Hz results. Thank you again for the comment and don’t hesitate if you have any other questions 😊

I bought the device and tested it on some polling websites. The polling rate is locked at 125 Hz, regardless of connection type. Firmware version 4.49, released in March, 2023, appears to be installed on all new Slimblade Pro trackballs, and it locks the polling rate to 125 Hz to fix tracking issues caused by flaws in the design. Considering how long it’s been, it’s unlikely Kensington will ever resolve the tracking issues and update the firmware to allow higher polling rates. Kensington, you need to do better.

There has been some confusion online about the polling rate of this device. It’s supposed to be 500 Hz when connected via cable. Could you test that on a mouse polling rate website and tell us the results?

I bought the MSI MPG-321URX, which uses the same Samsung QD-OLED panel as this monitor. There are two things you need to know about these panels. First, any ambient room light is strongly reflected by the panel, destroying the supposedly great contrast of these panels. In a well-lit room, the contrast isn’t much better than an IPS panel. On an all-black screen, you can clearly see the QD layer. You only get the advertised contrast in a pitch dark room.

And secondly, fingerprints and the like are extremely difficult to remove from these panels. If you aren’t careful, you’ll damage the coating. Ask me how I know… A soft, clean microfiber cloth will only spread the finger grease around. And dampening that cloth with distilled water, as is often recommended, just makes it worse!

Samsung recommends a cleaner with ethanol for cleaning similar TV panels. A product designed for cleaning eyeglass lenses works well. Just lightly dampen a clean, soft, microfiber cloth with it. Walmart has an eight ounce bottle for about $3.00 in the Equate store brand that has a version of ethanol in it. It works well. Be careful. These panels are fragile. Don’t use anything with ammonia or alcohol on them. And use only a soft, clean, microfiber cloth on them. They scratch easily.

I wound up with this monitor, and yes, it’s slow. Move the mouse really quickly on a dark background, and the pointer leaves a short trail. However, I’ve played Wonderlands and Far Cry 6 on this monitor, and it’s fine. Sure, it could be better, but if you want a gaming monitor, buy a gaming monitor. I just wish someone made a 32" 3840 X 2160 144 Hz or better monitor with an IPS Black panel. The contrast and IPS glow are both noticeably better on this monitor than on any regular IPS monitor I’ve had.

The GameBall is literally the only trackball available with a polling rate of higher than 125 Hz, and more than three buttons. A 125 Hz polling rate isn’t smooth enough for high refresh rate gaming. I hate mice - always having to pick them up to recenter them - so I own the GameBall. It isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough for all but the fastest paced games. Only elite competitive gamers would ever notice the latency. As a niche item, the GameBall is a bit expensive, but when it’s your only option…

This, or the LG 32GR93U…

I own this monitor. It goes on sale for as low as $200 at Best Buy on a regular basis. More often it’s on sale for $240 to $250. For a home/office monitor for productivity, entertainment, and even casual gaming, it’s impossible to beat. It has better than average contrast/black levels for an IPS monitor, good color accuracy, etc. I’d like to upgrade it, but can’t find anything better for less than $600. Unless you are an FPS snob, this monitor is a no-brainer. I’d LOVE to see a review of this monitor, but RTings will never bother.

Mar 09, 2023 01:12 PM By  Nicholas Di Giovanni

Hello, Thanks for the great question. We suggested the Apple Studio Display as Best For Mac because it’s an Apple monitor and using a Mac computer can take full advantage of it. Of course you can still connect a Windows PC, but you lose out on a lot of features. There are some other 27" 5k monitors, like the LG UltraFine 5k, but unfortunately we haven’t tested it.

I don’t think there are any 5k monitors that connect via DisplayPort, which means one would have to buy a new, expensive, high end video card in order to use any 5k monitor in Windows.

I understand. Thank you…