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PROS:
- Cannot fault the image quality
- IPS panel ensures excellent color reproduction
- Very high refresh rate, as in 165Hz
- It is designed to display every game genre to its full potential
- Super-smooth, fluid gameplay at high resolution with enhanced features
- Beautiful, pin sharp detail with rich, vibrant colours
- Wide viewing angles with consistent, accurate colour reproduction
CONS:
- There’s no getting around it, it’s expensive
- Limited connectivity with awkward positioning
- We experienced a few dead pixels and a noticable pressure spot
In a Nutshell:
If you are anything like us you will have no problem justifying the price. This is an investment and any serious gamer will appreciate the advanced features, tweakability of the monitor and the immersive qualities. If however you are on a budget you might want to look at a similar sized 1440p screen that doesn’t have all the features, but, if money’s not a concern then the PG279Q isn’t a good choice, it’s theonly choice.
We’ve spent a fair amount of time around gaming monitors and we think we’ve gathered enough intel to give your our thoughts on the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q, the monitor we consider to be the very best for gaming.
Let’s start off by saying it’s a top-quality monitor but it doesn’t come cheap. This is a top-of-the-line, king-of-the-hill enthusiast-grade gaming monitor and it comes highly recommended.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Even before you’ve plugged it in the PG279Q is a stunning piece of equipment that catches the eye immediately. The large screen (all 27 inches of it) has a 6mm bezel which means you can focus on what’s happening on the screen rather than the screen itself. We also like that it has the illuminated red ROG logoon the base but are keen to find out what the thinking is behind no color customization; we feel like it’s a bit of a missed opportunity.
FUNCTIONALITY
As far as functionality goes there are the usual features that you’d find on a gaming monitor, like the adjustable stand that you can set to suit your personal needs, from the height to the fact that it tilts, pivots and even rotates from a landscape to portrait screen. Although the resolution of the PG279Q at 2560×1440 isn’t as impressive as 4K we really don’t think it’s a huge problem – for us, it’s perfect for high-resolution gaming because an Ultra HD is too much for most gaming rigs. There is an absurd 165Hz refresh rate and the IPS panel combines the best of all worlds. When we tested it we were happy with the color accuracy and strong contrast along with the low response time and the fact that there is minimal ghosting.
TECHNOLOGY
There isn’t much the guys at Asus haven’t thought of with the ROG Swift PG279Q. It works with G-Sync, NVIDIA’s frame synch technology; it matches the monitors refresh hand in hand with the video card output, which eliminates screen tearing or any jitter. And while there have been a few reports of a slight flicker we noticed it does clear up when loading is complete. No matter how critical we want to be, or try and be, there really is anything we can fault it on, except maybe the price. That is going to break the bank.
CREDENTIALS
Now it’s time to discuss what you’re here to find out; its gaming credentials. To test the monitor we loaded Rise of the Tomb Raider and to say we were impressed would be the understatement of the year. You might have to drop the quality settings to support the extra resolution but paired with a graphics engine like the NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti and optimal settings, the PG279Q doesn’t take any prisoners. It is ridiculous!
The pin sharp detail, the shadows, and textures along with the smooth gameplay averaging around 55 FPS were out of this world; the colors vibrant and some of the background scenes in the game were unbelievable, so much so there were times we forgot to play because we were so busy just basking in its beauty.
Forgetting its looks and its credentials on paper, we need to talk about it in real-world use. There is no denying that the ASUS PG279Q is a brilliant gaming monitor. The viewing angles are excellent with even color rendering across the 178-degree axis. We watched a few videos on YouTube which had us thinking we were at the movies because of the clarity, depth and color spectrum.
OVERVIEW
The Asus ROG PG279Q is packed with features to enhance your entire gaming experience. The 27-inch panel has a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution with the already mentioned top-class, very much unrivaled 165Hz refresh rate, four millisecond response time and 1,000:1 contrast ratio.
And while you would think this gaming monitor would be aimed at the FPS / 3D action type gamer because of the refresh rate and the low response time, the geniuses at Asus have rather gone for a monitor that suits every gamer and their needs.
CONCLUSION
Unfortunately reading a monitor review is difficult, because you don’t get to experience a monitor as it should be. Also if you are considering getting a new screen we suggest you pop into a store so you can compare them side by side.
What we can tell you is the ASUS ROG SWIFT PG279Q is unbelievable. If you do use Windows every now and then you’ll be pleased to know it works really well at the resolution without having to blow up the icons or text and with excellent sRGB and Adobe RGB coverage it also has strong image editing credentials.
Yes, it costs a small fortune and you might have to sell a body organ or two to get it but make no mistake, this top-end gaming monitor is worth every dime. The display is exceptional, the design stunning and it consistently delivers a smooth experience across a range of titles, regardless of the games you prefer. If you are a serious gamer and get annoyed by the slightest tears or ghosting on the screen then this is the monitor you want.