Bottom Line
The ASUS PG27UCDM is an excellent 27″ 4K 240Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor. However, there are more models based on the same panel coming soon, so we recommend waiting for them to be released and then deciding which one to get.
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is one of the first 27″ 4K OLED gaming monitors with a high refresh rate.
It features Samsung’s QD-OLED panel and a high 240Hz refresh rate, as well as plenty of additional features, including ELMB up to 120Hz, USB-C with 90W PD, built-in KVM, DisplayPort 2.1 with full 80 Gbps bandwidth and more!
Image Quality
The 4K UHD resolution on the 26.5″ viewable screen of the ASUS PG27UCDM provides you with a high pixel density of 166 PPI (pixels per inch), which is a big upgrade from the 27″ 1440p models with 110 PPI.
While this QD-OLED panel is marketed as ‘fourth generation’, it actually has the same characteristics as the previous-gen panels, including peak brightness, color gamut, screen coating, subpixel layout, etc. – the only difference is in the screen resolution (and pixel density).
Thanks to the higher pixel density, there’s no noticeable fringing on small text and fine details! Additionally, you get significantly sharper details overall.
When it comes to the other aspects of image quality, the viewing experience is the same as that of typical QD-OLED panels.
You get per-pixel dimming for infinite contrast ratio with true blacks, an exceptional 99.3% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for vibrant colors, wide 178° viewing angles, true 10-bit color depth and a peak brightness of 250-nits for 100% APL (Average Picture Level, white window test size), 450-nits for 10% APL and 1000-nits for < 3% APL.
The monitor is factory-calibrated at Delta E < 2 and there are two sRGB modes: the sRGB color space option with fully adjustable settings and the sRGB Cal preset, which has locked settings except brightness.
There’s also a Uniform Brightness mode, which allows you to choose if you want a consistent brightness capped at around 250-nits – or uncapped with ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiter) behavior, which can reach up to 450-nis for smaller APLs and 250-nits for 100% APL, but the brightness levels will dynamically change depending on how many bright elements are on the screen, which can be annoying.
Further. there are a few different HDR modes: TB400, Gaming, Cinema and Console.
The TB400 mode is the most accurate, but it’s limited to around 450-nits. For the best results, we recommend using the Console mode with Dynamic Brightness Boost enabled. It allows you to reach 1000-nits for small APLs, but it’s not as accurate as the TB400 mode since it’s a bit too bright in darker scenes.
The ASUS PG27UCDM also supports Dolby Vision.
Performance
Thanks to its OLED panel, the ASUS PG27UCDM has instantaneous pixel response time speed for zero ghosting behind fast-moving objects. Additionally, it has low ~2ms input lag and a high 240Hz refresh rate, which ensures buttery-smooth gameplay.
Variable refresh rate is supported as well via NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible, AMD FreeSync Premium and HDMI 2.1 VRR.
Some VRR brightness flickering in dark scenes is expected on OLED displays in certain games (usually with fluctuating frame rates and in in-game menus or loading screens).
It doesn’t affect all games, so we recommend disabling VRR in affected titles.
ASUS offers the OLED Anti Flicker setting that caps the lower end of the VRR range, which can reduce the amount of flickering in certain situations. This can also be done manually via CRU on all monitors.
There are three options: Off (48-240Hz with LFC), Middle (80-240Hz with LFC) and High (140-240Hz without LFC).
Alternatively, you can use ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur), which uses BFI (Black Frame Insertion) to improve motion clarity. It can only be activated at 120Hz, the brightness is reduced to around 130-nits and you cannot use HDR or VRR.
120Hz BFI provides you with the same level of motion clarity as native 240Hz, which is especially useful if you can only maintain 120FPS at 4K UHD and for console gaming (which are limited to 120Hz/FPS anyway).
The ASUS PG27UCDM is flicker-free and there’s a low-blue light filter mode available.
Features
There’s a directional joystick behind the chin on the bottom bezel for quick and easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.
Alternatively, you can use ASUS’ DisplayWidget desktop application to make your adjustments using your keyboard and mouse.
Useful features include AI Crosshair (crosshair overlay that dynamically changes color for better visibility), AI Shadow Boost (improves visibility in dark scenes without over-brightening the bright areas), Sniper (zooms-in the area around your crosshair), on-screen timers, a refresh rate tracker, aspect ratio control (4:3, and 24.5″ screen size emulation) and Picture in Picture/Picture by Picture.
The main disadvantage of OLED displays is the risk of permanent image burn-in. If you leave a static image on the screen often and for too long, there’s a chance that it will burn-in over time and become permanently visible as an afterimage.
However, if you take precautions and use the monitor sensibly, it shouldn’t be an issue. ASUS even offers a 3-year warranty that covers burn-in, as well as plenty of burn-in prevention features, such as Pixel Cleaning, Screen Move, Boundary and Logo Brightness Adjustment, Screen Saver, Taskbar Detection, etc.
The latest addition to the OLED Care feature set is ASUS’ Neo Proximity Sensor, which detects when no one is in front of the screen and shuts off the monitor. You can disable and adjust this feature as well.
If you’re too worried about burn-in and want a brighter display, consider a mini LED HDR display instead, such as the Innocn 27M2V. However, since it has to use full-array local dimming, blacks aren’t as deep and there are blooming artifacts.
Design & Connectivity
The ASUS PG27UCDM monitor has a fully ergonomic stand with up to 110mm height adjustment, +/- 30° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, -5°/20° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
There’s a passive heatsink for cooling, AuraSync RGB lighting on the rear, the ROG logo LED projector beneath the stand and a tripod socket on the top of the stand riser.
The screen has a semi-glossy finish, which makes the image more vivid as there’s no graininess associated with matte anti-glare coatings.
However, the screen is also more reflective and since there’s no polarizer, blacks are raised when hit by direct lighting. As long as there’s no light directly pointed at the screen though, this won’t be an issue.
Connectivity options are abundant and include DisplayPort 2.1 with full 80 Gbps bandwidth for uncompressed 4K 240Hz support, two HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gbps, USB-C with DP 2.1 Alt Mode and 90W Power Delivery, three downstream USB 3.0 ports, one upstream type B, a headphone jack and built-in KVM.
Price & Similar Monitors
The ASUS PG27UCDM will be available for pre-order starting January 21. There’s no official word on pricing yet, but we estimate that it will be around $1,000.
Dell’s Alienware AW2725Q model is announced for March 2025 at $900, but it doesn’t have USB-C, KVM or ELMB, and its DisplayPort version is 1.4.
There are more models announced by other manufacturers as well, all of which you can check out in our dedicated new OLED monitors article, along with the new 27″ 1440p 500Hz QD-OLED monitors and LG’s 45″ 5120×2160 165Hz ultrawide displays announced at CES 2025.
Conclusion
The ASUS PG27UCDM is an excellent gaming monitor that many have been waiting for. However, we recommend being patient a bit longer to see what the other models offer in terms of features and pricing.
Specifications
Screen Size | 26.5-inch |
Resolution | 3840×2160 (Ultra HD) |
Panel Type | QD-OLED |
Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
Refresh Rate | 240Hz |
Response Time | 0.03ms (GtG) |
Motion Blur Reduction | ELMB |
Adaptive-Sync | FreeSync Premium, G-SYNC Compatible, HDMI 2.1 VRR (48-240Hz) |
Ports | DisplayPort 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.1, USB-C (DP Alt Mode, 90W PD) |
Other Ports | Headphone Jack, 3x USB 3.0 |
Brightness (1 – 3% White Window) | 1000 cd/m² |
Brightness (10% White Window) | 450 cd/m² |
Brightness (100% White Window) | 250 cd/m² |
Contrast Ratio | Infinite |
Colors | 1.07 billion (10-bit) 99.3% DCI-P3 |
HDR | VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black |
VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- Infinite contrast ratio, decent peak brightness, wide color gamut
- Instant response time
- Plenty of features, including VRR up to 240Hz, BFI up to 120Hz
- Fully ergonomic design and rich connectivity options, including DP 2.1, KVM and USB-C 90W PD
The Cons:
- Risk of burn-in (though covered by 3-year warranty)