Asus ROG Swift PG278Q + GTX 970 SLI: worth it?

If you want 144hz@1440p than ROG SWIFT is the only option right now. You can wait but nothing is certain when others will start making these or if they're better than the SWIFT.
970 SLI + SWIFT is a great combination if you the buck for it.
You can also look into the Korean 1440p overclockable monitors. Those are cheaper and can reach crazy refresh rates on 1440p.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rQtubyNCQA

If you get a 1440p 144Hz monitor you'll get to see a huge diff. Definitely worth it.You can also wait for them to become cheap but nobody knows how long that wait would be Or you can also get three 1080p 144Hz monitor. They would cost around from 600-750$.

I'll elaborate my experiences with the SLI'ed 970 later on (i only put it together a few days ago), but I have had the Swift for a little bit longer, and after doing calibrations (not accurate by ANY means, I am just using my eyes) and settings, I found that, compared to the IPS (27" 1080p ViewSonic) monitor i was using before this, whatever color difference there is, I found it a non-issue compared to what rest of the monitor offered (1440p, 144hz, g-sync/ULMB, height/angle adjustments, or even the power button).

My opinion on Swift is summed up as: Will buy again.

YMMV, I am not a very heavy colorphile (as long as it doesn't have a very strong white filter, I am fine with it), so it was very easy for me to overlook any color difference between Swift and my previous IPS (to be totally honest, I don't think I notice it at all except for few games like D3, but I don't mind them).

I'm sure there will be better and cheaper options in a year or two but that's inevitable; monitors are seeing a lot of technological innovation at the moment. If you need it now, buy it now, is my general approach. Otherwise you never buy anything.

I'm getting GTX 900 series cards and the Swift, for more or less the same reasons as you. I too am coming from working with IPS for many years. What I have read says the Swift is more or less as good as TN panels get these days. Also, being a non-professional, I find I usually quickly get used to whatever is in front of me. And as you say, g-sync and 144Hz is a "fair trade" for poorer colors and more limited viewing angles, in my book. (My only qualification on this would be if you plan to use the Swift in portrait orientation - limited angles are more restricted vertically and that could be an issue.)

There do seem to be some tech hiccups with the Swift (although these are at least partly driver-related and not hardware issues per se). But again, if you need it now buy it now. I did toy with the idea of buying a "stop gap" monitor and thinking about it again in a years time - but really, I figure, why waste a whole year (with killer cards in my box doing nothing very much) on a so-so monitor?

Good luck with your decision!

I have the ROG Swift and a GTX 980 strix and I'm very happy with the combination...

I don't think a better monitor will come out anytime soon & it's hard enough to get one these days because it's sold out almost everywhere...

I suggest you stick with one 970 for now and get another one if you're not satisfied or return your 970 and get a 980.

What games will you be playing?

As an ROG Swift owner since September, I highly recommend the monitor and its price is justified. Compared to other TN panels, the ROG Swift is noticeably better in terms of color. However, it still doesn't compare to an IPS panel. I have an Asus IPS display right next to my Swift (same size, same resolution) and I notice the difference, but it isn't massive like with most TN displays.

On the plus side, it's 2560x1440 @ 144Hz. That's a dream come true for anyone who has been gaming on 2560x1440 for the past few years (as I have), considering now you won't have to downgrade to your 1920x1080 144Hz monitor for shooters. Also, thanks to G-sync, the whole "screen tearing vs. v-sync, but stuttering" debate is over. You don't have to settle for one or the other. Also, the monitor features ULMB, which I sometimes substitute for G-sync in some games. The monitor also looks as high-end as it gets, with the gorgeous LED and aesthetic design.

However, there are some drawbacks with G-sync which I would like to point out. G-sync will NOT eliminate stuttering completely. It cannot save you from stuttering as a result of a game's engine (Far Cry 4 for example, not sure if it's patched). Also, there are all sorts of issues with G-sync out there that varies from person to person. For me, I take a 10-15% performance hit from just having my ROG Swift plugged into my PC. Yes, that's right, even if it's not an active monitor. This only occurs for me when SLI is turned on. I've tested this extensively by changing all sorts of settings and the results are robust. With SLI turned off, this is not an issue. I'll note that I have 2 GTX Titans, so perhaps it's a problem specific to my setup. Most people probably won't notice, but I certainly did, considering I ran benchmarks immediately after purchasing my ROG Swift, noticing 3D Mark Fire Strike scores over 1000 points lower than usual.

The bottom line is, if you want the best possible experience gaming, the ROG Swift has to be part of the equation. It's the only monitor on the market that has all of these elite features (no other G-sync display comes close). However, G-sync and 2560x1440 @ 144Hz is a completely new specification, so there is a risk in your purchase.

Most of the problems associated with Swift isn't really Swift itself, but because of TN limitations. TN is inherently less color accurate and smaller viewing angle compared to a comparable quality IPS.

That being said, this isn't always true, a good TN panel might still able to beat a lower quality IPS for example.

My personal experience with Swift is:

1. Color is good 'enough' for me for all intents and purposes (I don't think I am a big colorphile), and from reviews and feedback, the color on Swift is pretty good on TN, as it is a true 8-bit panel.

2. The viewing angle does limit its use in horizontal surround setups, it should be ok for vertical surrouds. For single monitor, I found the viewing angle to be of little issue (it's not as if I game looking at the monitor sideways...)

3. I think the previous poster mentioning the limitations of G-sync is that it won't save stuttering in badly coded games (it's unfortunate, but I don't think G-Sync is entirely to blame). When it works, it works as advertised.

Edit: an update on my experience with my new setup.

I have so far only tried a few games, namely D3, CS:GO, FF13 (with GeDoSaTo), Skyrim with mods and few other games.

D3, CS:GO and FF13 all run silky smooth, I did not notice any of the SLI's trademark Microstutter.

Skyrim is somewhat SLI unfriendly, water does flicker, but I still noticed an improved framerate compared to a single 970, so it's a tradeoff. I will probably play around with mods when I get to it.

GTA 4, Saints row 3 and Company of heroes 2, however, simply refuses to run, but currently I am treating this as a windows 8.1 related issue, not a SLI issue. GTA 4 simply wouldn't run without GFWL and the installer hard freezes my comp upon launch. SR3 runs in windowed DX11 (at least i got to the title screen), but full screen hard freezes. CoH2 also hard freezes. I will report back on this.

Based on 3D Guru the Gtx 970 sli gives a 34% increase in bf4 and crysis 3 @ 1440p.

If you get a decent overclock you can probably reduce the gap to 24% - the challenges with SLI.
To push this monitor to its full potential you would need more than 2x 980's in sli...


http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/geforce-gtx-970-sli-review,1.html

Update:

I managed to get SR3 running in compatibility mode, but Company of Heroes 2 is still dead in the water. Going to install a win 7 on a different SSD. If win 7 makes everything run like it used to, I am switching back to win 7.

Did a FRAPS measurement on FF13, even with GeDoSaTo, FF13 is capped at 60 fps, but with 970 in SLI, I was able to downsample the game at 4k with more or less contant at 60fps. Most likely because the game has less actual objects (it's not open world type). No microstutters felt.

PS. it feels like I am starting to play with the computer more than games recently...

I haven't experienced it yet, but I only have owned the monitor for several weeks, so not sure how accurate that is...

I haven't experienced any problems & hopefully I never will.

My monitor was made in October and it seems like it came from a good batch...

Asked on another forum, and no issues with theirs either. Chances are those are the ones with defective panels and were a bit more vocal about it.

(And that official forums tend to attract a bit more attention).

Good luck! I hope whatever you go with, you are happy with it ^^

gtx 980 sli is it worth it on asus rog swift?