ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q G-SYNC Monitor Review
by Chris Heinonen & Jarred Walton on February 13, 2015 10:00 AM EST
The ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) line includes everything you want for building a high-end gaming PC: GPUs, Motherboards, Keyboards and Mice, Sound Cards, Headsets, and now Monitors. The ROG Swift PG278Q is a 27” WQHD display that has both a 144Hz maximum refresh rate and NVIDIA G-SYNC. Combining both of these technologies provides the potential of a silky-smooth image that doesn’t get choppy if the frame rate happens to drop in demanding sequences.
My prior demonstrations of G-SYNC involved displays that fell below a 60Hz refresh rate. Even when falling down to 40-45fps, the G-SYNC displays manage to remain smooth when compared to a standard 60Hz display. With a 144Hz display, G-SYNC enables you to run at these very fast refresh rates without noticeable stuttering or tearing if your refresh rate falls below that. You might have the GPU power to run at 144Hz most of the time, but if you suffer slowdown during certain sequences the ASUS ROG will still appear as smooth as it did before.
Ergonomically the ASUS ROG offers a very well designed experience. The display has good height adjustment, tilt, swivel, and pivot. Since it is a TN panel and prone to color shifts when you move off-axis, being able to set it up to be perfectly even with your eyesight is a very good thing. There are a pair of USB 3.0 ports on the bottom of the rear panel, good for a keyboard or mouse, but none on the side to provide easy access for flash drives and other accessories.
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The worst ergonomic feature of the ASUS ROG is that it utilizes an external power supply brick. The external brick is compact compared to others that have passed through, but it still means yet another cable and device to have to deal with on a desktop.
The On-Screen Display for the ASUS ROG is good though not excellent. It offers quick access to a few items, like refresh rate, but to do so it uses icons on the screen. Since the keys are on the back of the monitor, unless your face is level with the lower bezel (an unlikely occurrence) it is hard to determine which button is the correct one. If the buttons were on the front this would work well, but I just found myself always hitting the wrong option. Simply going to the main menu and selecting the item there is faster.
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The main menu is controlled with a 4-way joystick on the back of the display. This is nice and easy to use, and lets you move around the menus quickly. The layout is a nice three-column variety that lets you see which submenu you are in without having to navigate all the way back out, which is nice. Menu systems have come a long way since I started reviewing monitors and the ASUS would beat anything I had to look at four years ago.
| ASUS ROG SWIFT PG278Q | |
| Video Inputs | 1x DisplayPort 1.2 |
| Panel Type | TN |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.233mm |
| Colors | 16.7 Million |
| Brightness | 350 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
| Response Time | 1ms GtG |
| Viewable Size | 27" |
| Resolution | 2560x1440 |
| Viewing Angle (H/V) | 170 / 160 |
| Backlight | LED |
| Power Consumption (operation) | <90W |
| Power Consumption (standby) | <0.5W |
| Screen Treatment | Anti-Glare |
| Height-Adjustable | Yes |
| Tilt | Yes, -5 to 20 degrees |
| Pivot | Yes |
| Swivel | Yes |
| VESA Wall Mounting | Yes, 100mm |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 24.4" x 14.3" x 9.4" |
| Weight | 15.4 lbs. |
| Additional Features | 2x USB 3.0, G-SYNC |
| Limited Warranty | 3 Years |
| Accessories | DisplayPort Cable, USB 3.0 Cable |
| Price | $790 |
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Socius - Monday, February 16, 2015 - link
For the overclockable displays, "80-90Hz" isn't often achievable. The models that can be overclocked, are guaranteed to hit at least 105Hz, and 99% will hit 110Hz and above. And it's important to note that monitors like the Qnix that you mentioned, cost just $300 with free shipping, and are PLS (Samsung version of LG's IPS tech).You also made no mention of the fact that this supposed gaming enthusiast monitor has a fairly aggressive anti-glare coating on it which further deteriorates image quality, on top of it being a TN display.
This "article" seems like a last attempt paid sales pitch from ASUS before the new Acer XB270HU comes out and dominates it with superior image quality and a lower price point. This is what I was afraid would happen to AnandTech when they announced being bought out.
3DVagabond - Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - link
Can you please clarify? Are you saying that you notice flickering when below 40fps with this monitor?
cars10 - Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - link
for a long time my trust has dwindled in Anandtech. Now I have finally lost all value in your reviews.Seriously, this review is pathetic!
Did you actually do what this monitor was meant to do, and actually PLAY A GAME? Or did you just measure color values? Else you would surely notice and advise your loyal readers accordingly!
How much money has Asus PAID YOU to cover up the HUGE, gaping FLAW this monitor has?
The pixel inversion that affects the ENTIRE series is very significant and there are hundreds of posts on the Asus forum about it.
Shame on you, Anandtech.
Hxx - Sunday, February 22, 2015 - link
This is at the end of the day someone's opinion. He pointed out what he thought is important. Get over it.Zak - Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - link
I play games and edit photos (not professionally, just a hobby). I have no space for two 27" monitors. So I'm disappointed with this display, hoping the future will bring something better.Zak - Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - link
I pulled the trigger on this monitor after all. For gaming it's absolutely awesome, you've got to see it to believe, not so good for everything else. Although I'm getting another computer for my photo editing so that's why I decided to get this one after all.Sancus - Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - link
I like anandtech but come on.. this is an embarrassingly bad and shallow review. No mention of ULMB AT ALL when it's one of the core features of the monitor? No input lag tests? No image blur tests?Sorry but this type of review may be sufficient for your typical, run of the mill 60hz IPS panel, but it completely misses the point of the entire purpose of this display.
TFTCentral's review is what you should read if you're considering this monitor.
Subyman - Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - link
I've been using this monitor with 2x970's for a few months. I came from high end 27" IPS monitors and have been stunned by the performance. Sure the colors aren't as deep, but the game in motion completely makes up for it. Playing Mordor at 110fps with Gsync and high settings was a treat. I never knew what tearing and hitching did to the experience, but I could never go back to non-gsync monitors (or a similar technology.) Definitely worth it if you can afford it. I lucked out and got a perfect unit from newegg open box for only $599 :)Ubercake - Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - link
I have one purpose in mind with my gaming rig: gaming. I don't need 100% color accuracy to shoot enemies - or die - in BF4.For many years, I've gone with ATX builds in full tower cases and ran with 2 or 3 video cards to keep framerates up to make tearing less noticeable which also eliminates my need for V-sync and the associated input lag.
With this Asus monitor and a single flagship video card (GTX 980), I get a smooth tear-free lag-free video experience at full details and ultra video settings. I've noticed that if the frame rates stay in the high 20s or above (which they do 100% with most titles), the video stays smooth.
Because of the G-sync tech, my next gaming build will be with be a micro ATX or mini ITX scale build with my single 980 and whatever high-end enthusiast or high-end mainstream processor is out at the time. I no longer need a giant case with a ton of fans in it to get a high-end gaming experience. I no longer need more than one video card.
I can't wait until free sync monitors start hitting the market more as this competition should reduce the prices of monitors with dynamic sync technologies.
MyNuts - Sunday, July 19, 2015 - link
I own this monitor. Its perfect for my 980ti sli setup. Again like with my 670 OC GTX setup I will enjoy future like performance before it can be had single card style. My 670 GTX was compairable to a 980 GTX. Sometime you cant thave all the features you want from the product right away and its a trade off to wait and see like everyone says. But if you have the money and are willing to upgrade on a cycle this setup would be perfect for you.