Asus Rog Swift PG278Q

[BrightCandle]

We have never seen a 8 bit TN panel, we have never seen a 1440p TN panel and we certainly have not seen one with ULMB and gsync. Its a lot of special items in one monitor, its the absolute ideal gaming monitor, higher resolution, higher density and high refresh rate with low motion blur and to top it all off its got gsync and lightboost. Its a full SRGB gamut screen, its going to look just like the decent IPS screens gamers use but without the blur and at more than twice the refresh. There is no doubt this is an impressive monitor.

The only downside to this monitor is its price and its a big price for what it is. But no one else has anything like this out there.

 

[Black Octagon]

ASUS has now posted an FAQ about this screen: http://rog.asus.com/339252014/gaming-monitors/faq-rog-swift-pg278q-27-inch-g-sync-gaming-monitor/

 

[Mand]

ASUS has now posted an FAQ about this screen: http://rog.asus.com/339252014/gaming-monitors/faq-rog-swift-pg278q-27-inch-g-sync-gaming-monitor/

Big highlight worth noting there: confirmation that you can do G-Sync Surround. The last prior word was that it was unsupported, but that Nvidia was working on it. Guess they figured it out! Requires tri-SLI to do it, but it's at least possible. Good luck getting to 144 Hz even with 780Tis, but I suppose that's what Maxwell is for, eh?

 

[bunnyfubbles]

We have never seen a 8 bit TN panel, we have never seen a 1440p TN panel and we certainly have not seen one with ULMB and gsync. Its a lot of special items in one monitor, its the absolute ideal gaming monitor, higher resolution, higher density and high refresh rate with low motion blur and to top it all off its got gsync and lightboost. Its a full SRGB gamut screen, its going to look just like the decent IPS screens gamers use but without the blur and at more than twice the refresh. There is no doubt this is an impressive monitor.

The only downside to this monitor is its price and its a big price for what it is. But no one else has anything like this out there.

you're even selling short the ergonomics and build quality. The $300-400 1440p monitors we can buy today are built on some of the cheapest and featureless stands with some of the worst looking bezels imaginable

I also think you're off base when you make the statement that its a big price "for what it is"; what it is is one of a kind. The only monitors that are as fast are 1080p, and almost all of those are lesser quality TN and are still without G-Sync.

the best litmus so far is the EIZO FG2421, which is a 24" 1080p120 monitor for ~$600, using a VA panel and its own strobing method, no G-Sync.

For $200 more we get 1440p, G-Sync, and superior ergonomics. These are upper echelon products that will remain priced as such until we see more competition, but they're not really frivolous either, they are undoubtedly unmatched. Paying $250 for a 24" 1080p144 ASUS would be a lot more practical, but that leaves us at 1080p on an average (in terms of static IQ) TN panel without G-Sync. It wasn't that long ago when such monitors were $400-500

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Big highlight worth noting there: confirmation that you can do G-Sync Surround. The last prior word was that it was unsupported, but that Nvidia was working on it. Guess they figured it out! Requires tri-SLI to do it, but it's at least possible. Good luck getting to 144 Hz even with 780Tis, but I suppose that's what Maxwell is for, eh?

the point of G-Sync is that you dont need to get all the way to 144Hz, as long as you're around 100fps you're golden (or at least well above 60fps, as there's not much point in a fast monitor like this if you're just going to be hovering around 60 or less).

wanting to push frames as close to 144Hz (or rather 120Hz) is for ULMB.

 

[Grooveriding]

If you have done a lot of photo editing, viewing angle is very important. TNs just don't allow the same flexibility to work from, as you have to maintain the perfectly-direct working location. This gets really bad if you want multiple monitors....TNs just don't give you that flexibility to add more and still have good viewing angles without a washed-out view.

The evidence you link is absolutely important, but sometimes non-empirical details are just as critical.

Yes, I agree. If your plan is to sit in your chair like a statue without shifting then you will mostly avoid the inherent flaw of a TN, even still I think you're bound to see shifting and washing out at the edges because of the size of the screen.

In reality it will be there all the time because of your movement. TN just does not look right compared to IPS, VA and IGZO. It does not have the crisp and uniform image production you get in front of one of those screens because of the inconsistent image due to the shifting nature of the image relative to the viewer.

Most gamers just don't care though and for them this is a great screen because where it isn't bad is in the response time and refresh rate department. Although if you can get a 120hz OC IPS model from Overlord that is going to be the superior choice if you're not interested in gsync. I won't personally bother with TN ever, I am spoiled as far as displays go. At work we have some of the highest quality displays you can buy, most are grayscale, and I can't tolerate the low quality of a TN at home in part due to that. The response time trade off is just not worth it to me.

This is the first shipping monitor with gsync though, until now the only option has been to mod the one monitor that supported the kit. And it actually makes some sense because as reviews pointed out gsync made the most impact at lower framerates which you'll see more often at a higher resolution. In that respect along with the ROG branding I can see why it is priced so high. If you're someone dying to have gsync this is really the only option out there right now, so if you can afford it you have no choice but to pay for it if you must have it.

 

[Mand]

Even playing FPS, I don't move my head much at all. Are you trying to dodge the rocket physically? I saw people do that a lot back in the day playing Marathon multiplayer in my school's computer lab, and it was funny, but is it really worth complaining about color shifts when you're doing it?

 

[ComputerGuy2006]

Although if you can get a 120hz OC IPS model from Overlord that is going to be the superior choice if you're not interested in gsync.

That monitor does not support ULMB.

I do not care about gsync all that much, for me the prize is ULMB. If ULMB works as expected then I will be happy, if I cannot use it for whatever reason I got gsync to fall back on.

 

[toyota]

Even playing FPS, I don't move my head much at all. Are you trying to dodge the rocket physically? I saw people do that a lot back in the day playing Marathon multiplayer in my school's computer lab, and it was funny, but is it really worth complaining about color shifts when you're doing it?

even if you sit right in front of TN, especially at 27 inches, it will look different from top to bottom. in dark games there will literally be parts of either the top or the bottom of the screen that you can barely see if at all. I have an IPS now and I will personally take its cons over using a TN panel again. it really sucks that in 2014 we have no better panel technology to choose from.

 

[3DVagabond]

We have never seen a 8 bit TN panel, we have never seen a 1440p TN panel and we certainly have not seen one with ULMB and gsync. Its a lot of special items in one monitor, its the absolute ideal gaming monitor, higher resolution, higher density and high refresh rate with low motion blur and to top it all off its got gsync and lightboost. Its a full SRGB gamut screen, its going to look just like the decent IPS screens gamers use but without the blur and at more than twice the refresh. There is no doubt this is an impressive monitor.

The only downside to this monitor is its price and its a big price for what it is. But no one else has anything like this out there.

The Asus ASUS PB287Q Is 10bit 4K and is $589.99 Shipped. It's not 144Hz, but that's not making a 1440 monitor cost more than a 4K monitor. The only reason we are paying $800 for this monitor is the nVidia features. It's an nVidia tax. We've seen this enough to know this.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

I'm definitely getting this monitor. I really enjoy low input log and LB on my 144Hz 1080P BenQ monitor. It's one of those things were you have to see it to believe and once you do it blows you away. And 120-144Hz at 1440p will be as demanding at 60Hz at 4K resolution. In fact, for the games I cannot run at 100Hz+, that's where G-Sync will come in. It's pricey but this monitor will offer everything I want. I just hope the color shift isn't too bad on this one. I don't mind it on my 24'' BenQ TN, but I do have to admit the colors kind of suck on it next to my U2713HM. There are so many colors that show up on the Dell that are just impossible to have display on the BenQ. And 1080P sucks as well.

I'll have my 27'' IPS and my 27'' TN side by side to take care of everything.

 

[Mand]

The Asus ASUS PB287Q Is 10bit 4K and is $589.99 Shipped. It's not 144Hz, but that's not making a 1440 monitor cost more than a 4K monitor. The only reason we are paying $800 for this monitor is the nVidia features. It's an nVidia tax. We've seen this enough to know this.

144Hz is not exactly trivial, especially at 1440p. Why are you so quick to dismiss its cost? No other monitor on the planet does 1440p 144Hz.

 

[Madpacket]

Hmm, review of this monitor looks good. It's still a bit too expensive IMO, should have launched at $599.

 

[3DVagabond]

144Hz is not exactly trivial, especially at 1440p. Why are you so quick to dismiss its cost? No other monitor on the planet does 1440p 144Hz.

It's not exactly earth shattering either. Besides what I was posting is that 8bit TN is not a big premium and it's not the first monitor to have it. 4K is not trivial either, but look at the price discrepancy. The Swift is 33% more expensive than the 4K screen. It's the nVidia features you are paying the huge premium for.

 

[hans030390]

Yes, I agree. If your plan is to sit in your chair like a statue without shifting then you will mostly avoid the inherent flaw of a TN...

Wait, do you not sit mostly still in front of your monitor? I am very interested in how you utilize your monitors and computers. I was going to ask a similar question about if you physically try to dodge rockets while gaming, but someone beat me to it.

Source: Have been to many LAN wars (150+ people). It's pretty much a statue fest.

even if you sit right in front of TN, especially at 27 inches, it will look different from top to bottom. in dark games there will literally be parts of either the top or the bottom of the screen that you can barely see if at all. I have an IPS now and I will personally take its cons over using a TN panel again. it really sucks that in 2014 we have no better panel technology to choose from.

I am not doubting this would happen on some monitors, but I'm skeptical the issue is as bad as you're making it sound unless dealing with an inherently crappy monitor. I can't say I've experienced anything quite similar to that, but I could be wrong.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Yes, I agree. If your plan is to sit in your chair like a statue without shifting then you will mostly avoid the inherent flaw of a TN, even still I think you're bound to see shifting and washing out at the edges because of the size of the screen.

In reality it will be there all the time because of your movement. TN just does not look right compared to IPS, VA and IGZO. It does not have the crisp and uniform image production you get in front of one of those screens because of the inconsistent image due to the shifting nature of the image relative to the viewer.

Most gamers just don't care though and for them this is a great screen because where it isn't bad is in the response time and refresh rate department. Although if you can get a 120hz OC IPS model from Overlord that is going to be the superior choice if you're not interested in gsync. I won't personally bother with TN ever, I am spoiled as far as displays go. At work we have some of the highest quality displays you can buy, most are grayscale, and I can't tolerate the low quality of a TN at home in part due to that. The response time trade off is just not worth it to me.

This is the first shipping monitor with gsync though, until now the only option has been to mod the one monitor that supported the kit. And it actually makes some sense because as reviews pointed out gsync made the most impact at lower framerates which you'll see more often at a higher resolution. In that respect along with the ROG branding I can see why it is priced so high. If you're someone dying to have gsync this is really the only option out there right now, so if you can afford it you have no choice but to pay for it if you must have it.

the overclocked IPS monitors don't come close to matching the motion clarity of strobing monitors, almost all of which are TN, and one VA that I know of (the EIZO FG2421 which runs $600). http://www.blurbusters.com/faq/60vs120vslb/

if you care about motion clarity at all, IPS really isn't an option, you pretty much have no choice other than strobed TN outside of going back to CRT, which really isn't an option anymore.

You can claim to be spoiled, but I can't help but believe you really aren't that spoiled as it seems obvious to me that you haven't seen the best that these motion clarity kings have to offer. That or you're just mercifully too slow to notice and care.

This monitor is clearly meant to be the least compromised option regardless of how it is used, apparently IPS is still too slow.

 

[Madpacket]

even if you sit right in front of TN, especially at 27 inches, it will look different from top to bottom. in dark games there will literally be parts of either the top or the bottom of the screen that you can barely see if at all. I have an IPS now and I will personally take its cons over using a TN panel again. it really sucks that in 2014 we have no better panel technology to choose from.

This is ultimately what kills this monitor for me. I really wanted to like this monitor but I know this would drive me nuts. I have 3X27" TN panels in an eyefinity surround setup and I barely touch them because the upper portion of the screens are a washed out mess. It's not an issue of sitting still while gaming, no amount of seat height adjustment fixes the colour shifting issue at 27 inches.

You also have to keep in mind with the increased screen resolution you *will* be sitting closer to the screen than a traditional 1080P resolution which will exacerbate the problem.

Sorry Asus, this is a valiant effort but you're not getting my money this time. What Asus should really do is introduce a 23/24" screen the improved 8 bit / Gsych, strobe light features. At 24" the vertical screen shifting isn't as much of a problem provided they leave the resolution at 1080P so you can sit far enough away. Price it well under the Eizo Foris and it would probably sell well.

So essentially this is a flawed monitor due to the combination of 27", TN and 1440P. Due the screen resolution you will be forced to sit fairly close to the monitor (3 feet or less) which won't let you escape the vertical viewing angle issue that all TN panels suffer from. Therefore if you don't mind the top or bottom 5th of the screen looking like an ugly colour inverted mess then go ahead and spend $800 dollars.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

if you care about motion clarity at all, IPS really isn't an option, you pretty much have no choice other than strobed TN outside of going back to CRT, which really isn't an option anymore.

I remember asking on [H] what the "perceived" refresh rate of a monitor running 120 Hz LB was (what the comparable non-LB refresh rate would be), and the answer I got was 700 Hz. If true, than an overclocked IPS isn't even close.

 

[Mand]

I remember asking on [H] what the "perceived" refresh rate of a monitor running 120 Hz LB was (what the comparable non-LB refresh rate would be), and the answer I got was 700 Hz. If true, than an overclocked IPS isn't even close.

That's...not an accurate way of describing it. You could say that the persistence for 120 Hz Lightboost is the same as what the persistence would be for 700 Hz, based on the pulse width. That's a far cry from calling it a "perceived" 700 Hz refresh rate.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I remember asking on [H] what the "perceived" refresh rate of a monitor running 120 Hz LB was (what the comparable non-LB refresh rate would be), and the answer I got was 700 Hz. If true, than an overclocked IPS isn't even close.

while its true that 120Hz strobed has ~6x less motion blur than 120Hz without, and saying its ~700Hz might be a good way to describe it to someone ignorant to convey just how much better it is, its not the honest way to do it. Simply saying the motion clarity is ~6x better should suffice

700Hz would have the added benefit of being 6x faster as it would mean a new frame every 1.42ms instead of every 8.33ms (assuming you could push the frame rate that high)

 

[Grooveriding]

the overclocked IPS monitors don't come close to matching the motion clarity of strobing monitors, almost all of which are TN, and one VA that I know of (the EIZO FG2421 which runs $600). http://www.blurbusters.com/faq/60vs120vslb/

if you care about motion clarity at all, IPS really isn't an option, you pretty much have no choice other than strobed TN outside of going back to CRT, which really isn't an option anymore.

You can claim to be spoiled, but I can't help but believe you really aren't that spoiled as it seems obvious to me that you haven't seen the best that these motion clarity kings have to offer. That or you're just mercifully too slow to notice and care.

This monitor is clearly meant to be the least compromised option regardless of how it is used, apparently IPS is still too slow.

I've used a 120hz before, the difference between that and 60hz is huge. I said earlier in this thread thread this monitor is tailored for smooth motion. That's what it's for. It's not everything in one package like a non-TN panel is for different reasons.

I feel 120hz in an IPS is more than enough. I notice no lag or delay using an IPS but I do notice a remarkable difference between the lower refresh rate and a monitor capable of a higher one. Put the two together and you have a perfect monitor in my opinion. The bigger a TN screen gets the worse the shifting will become as well, so 27" is really going to exhibit this more than a smaller screen.

 

[tolis626]

For those of you with enough money, I don't get why the Swift wouldn't be good. If I could spare the money, I would buy a Swift for gaming, and then your preferable 1440p/1600p/4K IPS calibrated screen for productivity and general use. Boom, problem solved.

Before my previous monitor just commited suicide one day, I was using dual screens (Granted, the second one was my HDTV, but it's a good one) and I intend to go back to using two screens as soon as possible. No matter how good a gaming monitor is, it's not a productivity-focused montior. No matter how good a professional IPS monitor is, it's not a gaming-focused monitor. And this can go on. The two things I do most are playing games and watching movies, other than surfing the web. For the time being, I don't need accurate color reproduction, so the gaming monitor+HDTV combo is perfect. That is, when I find somewhere to hide that thick HDMI cable...

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I've used a 120hz before, the difference between that and 60hz is huge. I said earlier in this thread thread this monitor is tailored for smooth motion. That's what it's for. It's not everything in one package like a non-TN panel is for different reasons.

I feel 120hz in an IPS is more than enough. I notice no lag or delay using an IPS but I do notice a remarkable difference between the lower refresh rate and a monitor capable of a higher one. Put the two together and you have a perfect monitor in my opinion. The bigger a TN screen gets the worse the shifting will become as well, so 27" is really going to exhibit this more than a smaller screen.

Having used a 120Hz monitor before doesn't exactly give you any more weight in this discussion unless you've also had experience with LMB monitors. Going from 60Hz to 120Hz is certainly huge, its 2x less motion blur. But with LMB monitors, the difference from 60Hz to 120Hz+LMB is ~12x less motion blur (and its only getting better with newer monitors).

120Hz on LCD was cutting edge back in ~2009, we've moved well beyond that now even though IPS is just now catching up, albeit only unofficially (perhaps because IPS has diminishing returns once you get into the upper 90Hz range due to sluggish pixel transition relative to TN).

Sure, I get a bit depressed whenever I go from my U2711 to my XL2420T just noting to differences in static IQ, but then I start dragging a window around on the desktop or smooth scrolling in a web browser and it just gets me pissed off that LCD tech is so compromised, because the difference is night and day. There's just no way I give up 120Hz LMB for anything less if I can help it. G-Sync certainly has me interested for the games that are just too hard to keep close to 120Hz, or even 100Hz, as 100Hz + LMB is still superior to even 144Hz for motion clarity. The only thing keeping me from being a day 1 buyer of this monitor is the fact that nVidia does not (yet? I hope...) have an option for some sort of combination of both G-Sync + ULMB, although I still very much want the monitor even with having to choose between the two as its still the only 1440p LMB monitor available, the ability of G-Sync 144Hz is just a bonus for me.

 

[bystander36]

Lightboost is not entirely a motion blur reduction. It does reduce motion blur, as it gives the pixel more time to change before it is bright, but it also reduces persistence a ton, which is the real magic.

Persistence is caused by the light shining bright into our eyes which lingers in our eyes a little bit. Sort of like looking into the sun, and you see a bright spot in your eyes for a while after. The same thing happens with images on the monitor. Having the light bright only for short bursts, lets the images fad away before we see a new image.

I'm not certain what is more realistic, but it certainly makes it so each image is extremely distinct on top of reducing motion blur on the monitor.

 

[Grooveriding]

Having used a 120Hz monitor before doesn't exactly give you any more weight in this discussion unless you've also had experience with LMB monitors. Going from 60Hz to 120Hz is certainly huge, its 2x less motion blur. But with LMB monitors, the difference from 60Hz to 120Hz+LMB is ~12x less motion blur (and its only getting better with newer monitors).

120Hz on LCD was cutting edge back in ~2009, we've moved well beyond that now even though IPS is just now catching up, albeit only unofficially (perhaps because IPS has diminishing returns once you get into the upper 90Hz range due to sluggish pixel transition relative to TN).

Sure, I get a bit depressed whenever I go from my U2711 to my XL2420T just noting to differences in static IQ, but then I start dragging a window around on the desktop or smooth scrolling in a web browser and it just gets me pissed off that LCD tech is so compromised, because the difference is night and day. There's just no way I give up 120Hz LMB for anything less if I can help it. G-Sync certainly has me interested for the games that are just too hard to keep close to 120Hz, or even 100Hz, as 100Hz + LMB is still superior to even 144Hz for motion clarity. The only thing keeping me from being a day 1 buyer of this monitor is the fact that nVidia does not (yet? I hope...) have an option for some sort of combination of both G-Sync + ULMB, although I still very much want the monitor even with having to choose between the two as its still the only 1440p LMB monitor available, the ability of G-Sync 144Hz is just a bonus for me.

Well the summation of this is basically; 'I prefer faster response times and higher refresh rates with less perceived blur over the quality of IPS'
I don't even notice blur in FPS games on my current monitor, so that is really moot to me.

I feel the opposite and would take better quality screens before any of those with the addition of those missing qualities as they become available on quality screens. Such as we see with the 120hz IPS from Overlord.