There isn’t much to say about the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQWMG other than that it looks incredible and plays even better. All OLEDs have excellent picture quality, but this one is just a little better.
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If you’re trying to decide between OLED and LCD technology for your next monitor buy, here is some help. LCD has but two advantages: it’s less expensive, and it’s brighter, if you choose Mini LED. Some may argue that the best OLED gaming monitors are prone to burn-in, but this hasn’t been my experience. I’ve reviewed more than 50 of them, leaving static test patterns on the screen for hours at a time without burn-in. I’ve spent hours gaming with static information in the screen’s borders with similar results. I use an OLED as my primary display, which sees almost nothing but Word, Excel, Photoshop, Chrome, and email – no burn-in. That’s what I’ve witnessed, but your mileage may vary.
LCD’s price advantage is still a thing, but Asus aims to shrink the gap with the new ROG Strix XG27AQWMG. It’s a 27-inch QHD 2560x1440 OLED display with Quantum Dots, 280 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, DisplayHDR 500 True Black, and wide gamut color. Let’s take a look.
Asus ROG Strix XG27AQWMG Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally Panel Type / Backlight Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (QD-OLED) Screen Size / Aspect Ratio 27 inches / 16:9 Max Resolution and Refresh Rate 2560x1440 @ 280 Hz Row 3 - Cell 0 FreeSync and G-Sync Compatible Native Color Depth and Gamut 10-bit / DCI-P3+ Row 5 - Cell 0 HDR10 Row 6 - Cell 0 DisplayHDR 500 True Black Response Time (GTG) 0.03ms Brightness 557 nits SDR (measured, 25% window) 653 nits HDR Contrast Unmeasurable Speakers None Video Inputs 1x DisplayPort 1.4 w/DSC Row 13 - Cell 0 2x HDMI 2.1 Audio 3.5mm headphone output USB 3.2 1x up, 2x down Power Consumption 26w, brightness @ 200 nits Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base 23.8 x 15.4-19.7 x 7.4 inches (605 x 391-500 x 188mm) Panel Thickness 2.5 inches (63mm) Bezel Width Top: 0.31 inch (8mm) Row 20 - Cell 0 Sides: 0.35 inch (9mm) Row 21 - Cell 0 Bottom: 0.51 inch (13mm) Weight 14.77 pounds (6.7kg) Warranty 3 years
About the only thing sacrificed on the altar of value is the XG27AQWMG’s refresh rate. It’s a mere 280 Hz, which sounds less impressive than 360, 480, or 500 Hz. But remember that OLEDs are far smoother at a given frame rate than LCDs. A 280 Hz LCD has some motion blur. A 280 Hz OLED has none. And there’s no overdrive required. If you can run 280fps at QHD resolution, you won’t even need Adaptive-Sync. The XG27AQWMG has it, of course, with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync certifications. And if you’re forced to run a lower frame rate, Asus provided ELMB, which in OLED’s case amounts to black frame insertion. And it works perfectly with no phasing artifacts at all.
There are no corners cut in the image department. The XG27AQWMG is one of the brightest OLEDs you can buy at any price, size, or speed. I measured 25% windows at 557 nits for SDR and 653 nits in HDR mode. It uses what Asus calls Tandem OLED Technology, which is billed to increase brightness and panel lifespan. Like all Asus OLEDs, you can choose between uniform and variable brightness. And you get luminance adjustments for HDR, which is something very few monitors offer.
Styling and build quality are first-rate and in no way reflect the XG27AQWMG’s lower price point. You don’t get internal speakers, but there is LED lighting, USB ports, and a fully adjustable stand. Accessories come in a nice, zippered pouch, and there is a selection of ROG decals to help decorate your gear.
At this writing, I couldn’t find the XG27AQWMG at the usual online stores, but press information puts the opening price at $599. That’s a pretty sweet deal considering the incredible performance and image quality you’re going to read about.
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