GoKawiilThe Asus ProArt PA27UCGE is a 27-inch 4K display with a few tricks up its sleeve that set it apart from a crowded monitor market. It begins with its high frame rate support, up to 160Hz, which is great for fluid web browsing, gaming, and video editing. It also features an optional monitor hood to help mitigate ambient light, and a built-in motorized colorimeter for scheduled calibration.
We previously reviewed Asus’ 5K ProArt (review) and 6K ProArt Displays (review) and found both to be excellent options for Mac users looking for an affordable third-party option. Can we say the same about the ProArt Display, with lots of bells and whistles but lower resolution? Watch our hands-on video review for the details.
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The Asus ProArt monitor lineup is traditionally geared toward photo editing and video work, and the 27-inch 4K PA27UCGE is no exception. While it won’t yield the rich, deep blacks associated with OLED technology, I found this 600-nit IPS panel provided respectable high contrast levels and sustained brightness for working in environments that can’t always be perfectly controlled.
Video: Asus 4K 160Hz Display – Is it worth it?
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The PA27UCGE supports a variable refresh rate up to 160Hz at 4K. Not only does this make scrolling text smoother, but it’s also ideal for high-frame-rate video work and gaming. I tested it alongside my 16-inch MacBook Pro with 120Hz ProMotion, and it was nice to have the same refresh rate on both displays. And even with just a single display connected to an M4 Mac mini, I liked having 120Hz support, or 144Hz, or even 160Hz, if desired.
While I’ll always prefer a glossy display over a matte coating, the anti-glare, low-reflection “LuxPixel” coating on this display does a good job of maintaining sharp text while rejecting reflections. It does so without the blurry text side effect you normally associate with matte displays. To be clear, the text is still affected to a degree, but it’s the best I’ve seen in a matte display that isn’t nano-etched like Apple’s matte option.
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The PA27UCGE also comes with an optional monitor hood to help block ambient light reflections. I found the monitor hood installation a little finicky, and the design and build clunky, but once installed, it did a good job of blocking ambient light from hitting the display surface.
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