Top 10 Pros and Cons of the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q

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Any gamer knows that skill isn’t enough to have a great game; you also need the right equipment. Whatever console you use, having the right monitor is essential for good graphics and image processing. You don’t want screen lag in the middle of your match. There are a ton of monitors out there. For instance, BenQ offers some great choices. You can also get a monitor that avid players of specific games would recommend.

One really great option for many games is the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q. Like any monitor, the PG279Q has its faults. But it has fantastic graphics and a fast processing speed, making it reliable for any game you play. Features like G-Sync, a great screen resolution, high refresh rate, and more make this monitor stand out from the rest.

10. Pro: G-Sync

The PG279Q employs G-Sync, a new technology from the NVIDIA company that seriously helps enhance the gaming experience. G-Sync works by synchronizing the graphics processing unit (GPU) with the display’s refresh rates. This gives it aesthetic appeal and makes it much more reliable than lower quality monitors. With G-Sync, you are going to experience less lag and higher picture quality than you would without it.

G-Sync ensures that you see the best of the colors and that the image appears sharp and clean. This also ensures instantaneous image display and smooth transitions between frames. These features protect you from dealing with lag and screen tearing in the game display. Screen tearing is when your screen displays multiple frames at the same time. So, your picture may appear to be cut and shifted in areas. As you can imagine, having a feature to protect against this is incredibly useful.

9. Con: Price

In general, you can get a great gaming monitor at a decent price. Though many higher end monitors will cost you more, you can usually find great options for under $500. The PG279Q is going to run you at nearly $1,000 if you want one of the larger screen models. That said, you can get one of the 24-inch models for a much lower price.

8. Pro: Great Colors

For starters, this monitor has an IPS (in-plane switching) panel display. This type of display is well-known for its fantastic display of colors and contrasts in comparison to other types of panel displays. The LED screen is very bright, ensuring that you will see all of the colors in the game. You can adjust the color temperature as well. Put simply, this is a measurement of how warm or cool the colors look but it can make them seem brighter and more vibrant as well.

One important thing to note about this monitor is the blue light filter. This isn’t directly related to the visible color spectrum but it is worth mentioning. Blue light emitted from the screen tends to cause eye strain and headaches. This monitor has four different blue light filters to help protect you from these negative effects. Blue light filters also don’t affect the color display; you can still see all of the colors. So, there’s no harm in using this feature.

7. Con: Built-in Speakers

This monitor has built-in speakers, which can be a great feature if you don’t want to deal with a headset, but they sound pretty rough. In general, most gamers choose to use a headset or higher quality external speakers. The stereo speakers in this monitor are enough to hear the game audio but don’t expect it to be as crisp as it could be with other audio channels. You also have to keep in mind that sound waves from built-in speakers are going to have to travel to your ears. These can get muffled in the air and lower the sound quality. With headsets, the sound waves travel directly into your ears, giving no chance for muffling.

6. Pro: Build Quality

The PG279Q is certainly built for marathon gaming. It has a plastic frame and bezels but these are extremely durable and sturdy. You won’t experience any wobbling and the stand adjustments are very smooth. Beyond the material used, this monitor has a well-designed stand. It is small enough that it doesn’t get in the way or make the monitor look clunky. But it is also large enough to fully support the monitor with ease.

This monitor is built for comfort as well. It has a wide angle display to give you a great view at any angle. It has a swivel adjustment between -60 and 60 degrees and a 90 degree pivot. You can also easily adjust the tilt (-5 to 20 degrees) and height (0 to 120 mm) without worrying that parts will break. This monitor is built to be VESA wall mount compatible as well.

5. Con: Cannot Create On-Screen Display Profiles

This gaming monitor has easy to use on-screen display options to help you easily calibrate colors, blue light filter, etc. However, it does not have on-screen display profiles. This can cause issues if you have many different uses for the monitor or if there is more than one person using the monitor, since we all have our visual needs and preferences.

On-screen display profiles allow you to save multiple different calibrations of the features mentioned above. Though the monitor will save calibrations between turning it on and off, you will not be able to save profiles specific to what you’re currently using it for. For example, people like having these profiles to save for gaming versus watching movies.

4. Pro: 1440p and 165 Hz

The PG279Q has more than the minimum recommends specs for great visuals and fast processing. Starting with the screen resolution, this monitor has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 p (1440p). Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels (colored squares) on the screen, with more pixels meaning a sharper image. At minimum, gaming requires 1920 x 1080 p (1080p).

Monitors also have specific refresh rates which are important to know. The refresh rate indicates the number of times the screen refreshes, or shows a different image, each second. The is a frequency that is measured in hertz (Hz). For gaming, you want a minimum of 60 Hz. This monitor has a refresh rate of 165 Hz but also supports a 144 Hz refresh rate if you would need this for whatever reason. The higher a refresh rate, the less likely you are to experience screen lag.

3. Con: Backlight Bleed

This monitor has an LED screen which is prone to backlight bleed. This occurs when the light from the screen “escapes” around the edges, giving you an unevenly lit display. This makes the edges appear brighter and can cause quite a distraction for gamers. Blacklight bleed can occur for a few different reasons, such as the screen not being totally flat or sealed around the edges. It cannot be fixed.

2. Pro: Great Picture Quality

This monitor gives you an all around fantastic visual experience. To start, it has a high screen resolution which makes the image appear much sharper than it would with a lower resolution. This is really helpful for gamers because it lets you see more of the smaller details, such as an enemy off in the distance. High screen resolution gives you a huge edge over your opponents. In addition, the screen is very bright and, again, has an excellent color display. It also has an ideal aspect ratio at 16:9.

This monitor has flicker-free technology and an anti-glare finish. This isn’t a huge issue if you play mostly at night. But, when playing during the day or in a well lit room, screen glare can cause serious issues for gaming. It affects the quality of the image and blocks your view of the finer details.

1. Con: No Black Equalizer

Black equalizer features are very helpful in gaming where you need to see enemies or smaller details hidden in the dark. What this technology does is brighten these dark areas without making the lighter areas too bright. It only affects the shadows and can make gameplay much easier. It also makes it more immersive because you’ll be able to see more and really get into it.

Unfortunately, the PG279Q does not have a black equalizer. It is possible to adjust the brightness and color temperature to help you see certain areas better. But be aware that this adjusts the entire display, not just the shadowy areas. So, although you can adjust the overall brightness, this may turn out to be more of a distraction and visual strain than if you just played with the dark areas.

Conclusion

Overall, the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q is a good choice. Because of its higher price, it is probably a better choice for more serious gamers but anyone would be able to appreciate the picture quality. This monitor is well designed, has excellent graphics and refresh rates, and is overall very comfortable to use. It is compatible with multiple consoles, such as Xbox and PlayStation, so many different types of gamers could find use out of this monitor.

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Erika Lentz