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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OrphanageExplosion - Saturday, February 14, 2015 - link
You know what - I own this monitor and I see where you're coming from. Initially I was quite disappointed. Then I played Battlefield 4 with a decent gaming mouse and you quite literally *feel* the difference then.doggghouse - Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - link
I think if you saw the two side-by-side, you would recognize the difference. But some people really can't tell much of a difference between the two, regardless. One area that really is impacted by higher frame rates is motion blur; if you track the movement of an object on a 60Hz display, it gets blurry due to image persistence (see blurbusters site for more info), but on a 120Hz display the blur is reduced significantly due to the image changing faster to match where it should be relative to your eye movement.nos024 - Saturday, February 14, 2015 - link
Monitor is still on high demand, despite being high priced and QA issues.redmist77 - Sunday, February 15, 2015 - link
I got one of the first ones many months ago. No issues and worth every cent.OrphanageExplosion - Saturday, February 14, 2015 - link
"Even when falling down to 25-30fps, the G-SYNC displays manage to remain smooth when compared to a standard 60Hz display."G-Sync doesn't work under 30fps, or rather it doesn't do anything when frame render time is over 33ms, so not sure where this comment comes from.
I own this monitor and it's stunning for gaming. Sub-60fps though, there's a tight window where the G-Sync illusion (if you can call it that) works. Below 50fps and things start to look a bit wonky. I tried it with 980 SLI where frame-rate zooms up to 90-140fps, and it does a great job there.
Aikouka - Saturday, February 14, 2015 - link
I have a ROG Swift, and I must have been quite lucky to not have any issues... I think. The only weird thing that I ever see with the monitor is that there are times when I'll touch something on my desk or just my desk itself, and the monitor's picture goes black for a second. I've never really figured out exactly what's going on, but it seems like a harmless issue so far.The only complaint that I really have about the monitor is probably the lack of inputs, but I knew that going into it. I had been using my desktop setup with my work laptop where I'd just switch inputs on demand. Well, unless I feel like swapping cables, that's not an option anymore. Although, I did swap from 2x 1080p to 2x 2560x1440, so using a single monitor isn't too bad.
bebimbap - Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - link
I used to have that issue, it was from the DP plug not being in all the way on my vid card.sometimes the case where the vid card sits gets in the way of the DP plug because the housing for the DP cable is thick and needs to be plugged in all the way.
the plug on the monitor side or power plug might have fallen out since most people would plug up their monitor first, then move it back, which might cause unexpected tension on the cables.
yeah, i must have been lucky too, i can't find any dead, stuck pixels and it's been working great. same with my vg248qe, but i did "pray" that my monitor comes without issues for the pg278q
redmist77 - Sunday, February 15, 2015 - link
This is the best monitor I've ever used but only after color calibration. If you can borrow an I1 Display Pro, you'll be in heaven. If you're a full-time desktop publisher you'll probably still want an IPS until OLED monitors become a reality but for anyone else, this is the monitor to own....especially if you appreciate smooth motion, no blur and virtually zero input lag.Hlafordlaes - Sunday, February 15, 2015 - link
I have no issue with mine, except I also had wonderful EU VAT taxes to pay. Well, the USB ports on the back do seem buggy, so I've stopped using them, but otherwise, so glad I chose this monitor for gaming. Unless you really nitpick, movies look fine, too.entrecote - Sunday, February 15, 2015 - link
I am mainly gaming.Before reading further than the headline I scroll down to the stat table and read it is a TN panel. I read no more.
Unless it is a pure LAN machine on a budget I rather look elsewhere than TN.