Bottom Line
The ASUS PG279QZ and its predecessors with G-SYNC modules were considered as the ultimate gaming monitors back in the day. Nowadays, you can use FreeSync with NVIDIA cards, and there are much better and cheaper alternatives available.
If you’re looking for a 27″ 1440p 144Hz IPS gaming monitor, the ASUS PG279QZ offers the best value for the money in case you want a G-SYNC display.
It is a newer version of the popular ASUS PG279Q, and it provides identical specifications and features for a more reasonable price.
Image Quality
Based on an AHVA (IPS) panel by AU Optronics, the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ offers true 8-bit color depth with 100% sRGB color gamut, wide 178-degree viewing angles, a decent 350-nit peak brightness, and a standard 1,000:1 static contrast ratio.
1440p results in an ideal pixel-per-inch ratio of 108 PPI on a 27″ screen. This means that there’s plenty of screen space available while the details are clear and sharp without any scaling necessary.
All in all, you get a vibrant picture quality with accurate and consistent colors.
While VA panels offer a higher contrast ratio and, therefore deeper and more vivid black shades than that of IPS displays, they also suffer from prominent trailing and smearing in fast-paced games, at least at this price range.
The IPS panel of the ASUS PG279QZ monitor, on the other hand, has a response time speed of 4ms (GtG) and an excellent pixel transition performance with no bothersome ghosting and motion blur.
Now, the main thing users complain about this display is IPS glow, which is actually an expected downside of this panel technology.
Naturally, excessive IPS glow, and backlight bleeding is considered as a monitor defect in which case you should return the display for a refund.
Keep in mind that the amount of IPS glow and backlight bleeding is different on each individual unit of the monitor; it was reasonable and manageable on the ASUS PG279QZ we tested.
If you are sensitive to IPS glow, you should stick with a different panel technology. Learn more about IPS glow.
Performance
Moving on, the performance of the ASUS PG279QZ display is top-notch with only ~4ms of input lag, which makes for imperceptible delay between your actions and the result on the screen.
The response time speed is impeccable as well. It keeps up with the refresh rate, meaning that the pixels manage to change from one color to another in time, even at 144Hz. The result is a responsive gaming experience without trailing of fast-moving objects.
Additionally, you can overclock the monitor up to 165Hz for extra motion clarity by simply enabling the ‘Over Clocking’ option in the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu. You can overclock the monitor to 150Hz, 155Hz, 160Hz, and 165Hz.
Note that the ASUS PG279QZ IPS gaming monitor has a flicker-free backlight and an integrated low-blue light filter. These two features prevent eye fatigue and headaches caused by looking at the screen for prolonged periods.
Features
At the back of the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ is a joystick for OSD navigation as well as four additional buttons. Two of these buttons can be used as shortcuts for the GameVisual and GamePlus features.
GamePlus consists of customizable crosshairs, timers, and an FPS counter while GameVisual includes pre-calibrated picture presets such as FPS, RTS/RPG, Racing, Cinema, Scenery, and sRGB.
The monitor is also equipped with NVIDIA’s ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur), which via backlight strobing provides a CRT-like motion-clarity for better aiming/tracking in first-person shooters.
Once you enable ULMB (only works with NVIDIA cards), the screen is no longer flicker-free, and the maximum brightness is decreased. You can use it at 85Hz, 100Hz, and 120Hz depending on your FPS (Frames Per Second) rate.
There’s also the ULMB Pulse Width option, which allows you to change the frequency of backlight strobing from 10 to 100. Lowering the setting decreases the brightness and increases the motion clarity and vice versa.
Last but not least, the ASUS PG279QZ features NVIDIA G-SYNC, which eliminates screen tearing and stuttering with virtually no input lag penalty by synchronizing monitor’s refresh rates with GPU’s frame rates up to 165Hz/FPS.
Design & Connectivity
As it’s the case with all G-SYNC monitors, connectivity options aren’t generous.
There’s a single DisplayPort 1.2 input for G-SYNC + 1440p/165Hz and one HDMI 1.4 port, which maxes out at 2560×1440/60Hz.
In addition, there’s a headphones jack, dual 2W built-in speakers, and a dual-USB 3.0 hub (one upstream and two downstream ports).
The design of the ASUS PG279QZ 27″ monitor is robust and versatile with up to 120mm of height adjustment, +/- 60° swivel, -5°/20° tilt, 90° clockwise pivot, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
You will also find a cable management system and air vents which prevent the display from heating up.
Price & Similar Monitors
The ASUS PG279QZ price ranges from $550 to $600, which is quite steep.
For ~$200 less, you can get the LG 27GL83A. It doesn’t have a G-SYNC module, but it’s G-SYNC compatible, and it even has a faster 1ms GtG response time speed.
Visit our best gaming monitor buyer’s guide for more options and information.
Conclusion
All in all, the PG279QZ is an excellent gaming monitor, but there are equally good (or even better) displays available for much less.
| Screen Size | 27-inch |
| Resolution | 2560×1440 (WQHD) |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
| Refresh Rate | 144Hz (165Hz OC) |
| Response Time | 4ms (GtG) |
| Motion Blur Reduction | NVIDIA ULMB |
| Adaptive Sync | G-SYNC |
| Speakers | 2x2W |
| Ports | DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4 |
| Other Ports | 2x USB 3.0, Headphone Jack |
| Brightness | 350 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 (static) |
| Colors | 16.7 million (true 8-bit) |
| VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- G-SYNC & ULMB
- Fully ergonomic design
- Vibrant colors and clear details
- Low input lag and quick response time
The Cons:
- Calibration is necessary for the optimal picture quality
- Expensive
