Recent gaming hardware is fun just by looking at reviews. You can feel the momentum of the industry as a whole. So, although it's a little old terminal, I'm spending a lot of time at home, so I'd like to recommend one that you can buy now. This is a US Gizmodo review of Asus' gaming monitor "ROG Swift PG27UQ".
If you're going to invest in gaming hardware, why don't you put the monitor on your list! I mean, think about it. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were invested in cutting-edge graphics cards, the CPU was sped up, and the storage and memory were plentiful. I won't. I'm sure there are a lot of people who use mid-range monitors, but after using the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ for a two-week review, I'm no longer satisfied with a regular monitor. It's so beautiful that you'll fall in love with it every time you turn it on.
Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ
What is this? : Asus gaming high-end monitor, 27-inch 4K UHD, quantum dot IPS
Price: From $ 1,200 (domestic reference price 203,800 yen)
Pros: Beautiful HDR display, great color and contrast, stable and bionic stand
Cons: Expensive, needs to be paired with a powerful PC (which makes the whole system more expensive), no HDMI 2.1
ROG Swift PG27UQ is a monitor that costs over $1,000 (often sold for $1,200 to $1,500 on shopping sites), so of course it's in the higher price range. It may even be more expensive than your personal computer. But there is beauty for that price.
It's $1,200! I don't think it's easy to convince you, but please listen first. The sturdy yet glossy 27-inch display is a 4K UHD quantum dot IPS. Supports Nvidia's G-Sync HDR technology. Asus's Aura Sync support lets you sync your monitor's lighting to other compatible hardware.
In the first place, if you think this is a monitor from a few years ago, please wait a moment. Release date was June 2018. It's certainly a monitor that's been around for over two years. But what matters is not when it came out, but how it is now. It has been competing with its rivals for two years, and it is also compatible with the current standards, so I think it can be said that it is fully active. However, it is an honest opinion that although it is active, the shadow has come into view. The reason for this is last year's next-generation game console release.
PG27UQ has two main ports, DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0. (Additionally, there are two USB 3.0 for downstream, one USB 3.0 for upstream, and a 3.5mm earphone jack. All ports are behind a removable plastic plate behind). The problem is that the next-generation game consoles Xbox X and PlayStation 5 are both HFMI 2.1 ports.
Recently, for digital input/output, DisplayPort or HDMI. Now DisplayPort 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 are the new standards. If you want to enjoy the full 4K UHD image quality of PG27UQ (with overclocking at a refresh rate of 144Hz), you want a bandwidth of HDMI 2.0 or higher. HDMI 2.0 has a maximum of 14.4 Gbps, but HDMI 2.1 gives 42.6 Gbps. This difference is large. By the way, DisplayPort 1.4 is 25.92 Gbps.
If you only use it for PC games, I think it's okay. Even if you push the refresh rate to 144Hz, DisplayPort 1.4 won't be a big problem. On the other hand, the console group, especially the next-generation console group, is a big problem. You can play both Xbox and PS5, but if you can't enjoy full image quality with a high refresh rate, it's a waste to buy this monitor at this price now. In other words, it was definitely the best monitor to buy for the past few years, and although it's still active, it's hard to say that it's the best one to buy now, depending on the user situation.
Once you forget about the digital output issues, it's definitely a gorgeous monitor. 16:9 aspect ratio, 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, 27 inches. The word "just right" is the perfect monitor. The Win 10 interface scales up by 125%, so it's great not only for games, but also for work.
Because of the full array backlight, the screen is already very bright (1,000nits). The maximum brightness of the iPhone 12 Pro is 800nits, so you can imagine its brightness. Moreover, smartphones can be used outside in the sunlight, but since the monitor is inside the house, 1,000 nits is more than enough. Full-array backlighting also affects the contrast of HDR screens. PG27UQ has 384 LED zones, each independently adjustable. In other words, deep contrast can be achieved from dark to bright areas of the image without compromising image quality. This comes into play when playing HDR-capable games with dark graphics (like Shadow of the Tomb Raider) and games with bright graphics (No Man's Sky). Of course, even games that do not support HDR will still have a beautiful screen.
The defaults are fine, but you can easily calibrate them. There are four buttons and a mini joystick on the bottom right of the back. With this, you can operate menus such as blue light filter, calibration, overclocking, etc. Monitor lighting (including Aura Sync) is here. In addition, presets include multiple modes such as landscape, cinema, RPG, and FPS, making it easy to set up.
The exterior design is sturdy yet sophisticated. I was a little surprised when it arrived in a box larger than my TV (32 inches, so it's small). Inside is a monitor and stand, cables, a logo light lens, and a manual. Personally, I like tripod style stands. The legs have a blade-like design with wide hem, and the ROG logo is projected from the bottom onto the desk and from behind onto the wall. Even though the logo is illuminated, it doesn't feel overdone. It has a sense of stability, is well made, and has a bioengineering impression. In addition, it is easy to adjust height, rotation, and tilt, and vertical placement is also possible.
I like the stand design, but it takes up a little more space than the normal one. With a thicker monitor and a fan/cooling system, it makes sense that the stand is stiff. The monitor and stand weigh just over 20 pounds, which is about twice as much as my other 27-inch monitor, so it's still heavy.
The design of the monitor itself is both classic clean and aggressive like a gaming device. Looking from the front, it looks like a standard 27-inch screen with an anti-glare coating on a matte black bezel. In hindsight, it has a glowing ROG logo that gives it a gaming feel, but it's not as strong as other ROG products. Well, it's a gaming monitor, so why not use a glowing logo?
PG27UQ requires at least an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti graphics card. The monitor is compatible with Nvidia's G-Sync HDR, but AMD users should be aware that FreeSync is not supported. Also, don't forget that you should use DisplayPort as the refresh rate only goes up to 60Hz with HDMI.
The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ is undeniably a beautiful and wonderful monitor even after several years of its release. But when asked if it's worth $1,200, I have to say it depends. If you're an Nvidia-loving PC gamer, yes. NO if you're a next-generation console gamer. It was the best so far, but it's clear that the standard will fall from now on.
