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Asus ProArt PQ279Q Monitor Review: 27-Inch, Wide-Gamut, QHD
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1. Asus PA279Q, The Cadillac Of Monitors?

Today we're taking a look at the 27-inch member of Asus’ ProArt family, the PA279Q. This is a flagship piece of hardware, and it has a feature set and price tag to match. You'll find this monitor in the company's Visual Professional line-up, topped by the Ultra HD PQ321Q, which we're in the process of reviewing.

Looking at the logos on the outside of the box, it’s obvious that Asus tried to cram every possible feature and enhancement into this display. QHD resolution from an AH-IPS panel is where our journey begins. At 2560x1440, the PA279Q has the dot size to pretty much eliminate any visible pixelation, even if you sit very close to it. With more screens hitting the market at this resolution, we’re starting to get spoiled. QHD displays are claiming permanent spots on our desks.

This is also a wide-gamut panel. Asus claims 99 percent of Adobe RGB 1998. It’s also pre-calibrated and includes a data sheet, individual to each monitor, showing the results of grayscale, color, gamma, and screen uniformity tests. All errors are below two Delta E, and the gamma is a perfect 2.2 as-shipped. And here’s the best part: the PA279Q includes an sRGB mode so you can have accurate color for your game and movie content. This is the first wide-gamut display we’ve seen that can correctly render both Adobe RGB 1998 and sRGB.

There is more here than just high performance. Six USB 3.0 ports are included, plus an appropriate cable for the single upstream connection. And you get a nine-in-one memory card reader too. Of course, there is audio support courtesy of three-watt stereo speakers, as well as a headphone jack.

All of this luxury doesn’t come cheap. But it’s not the most expensive flagship monitor we’ve seen either. That honor still belongs to Samsung's S27B970D, which sells for nearly $1200. At $850, Asus undercuts that screen by quite a bit, offers more features and, in our testing, equal or better image quality.

Brand
Asus
Model
PA279Q
Street Price
$850
Panel Type
AH-IPS
Backlight
GB-r-LED
Screen Size
27"
Max Resolution
2560x1440
Max Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Response Time (GTG)
6 ms
Brightness (cd/m2)
350
Speakers
2 x 3 W
VGA
-
DVI
1
DisplayPort
1 in, 1 out (v1.2 w/MST)
HDMI
1
Headphone
1
USB
v3.0, 1 up, 6 down
Dimensions w/base
WxHxD
25.2 x 22 x 9.5 in
641 x 560 x 240 mm
Panel Thickness
2.75 in, 70 mm
Warranty
Three years

You may notice in the specs a type of backlight we haven’t covered here before: GB-r-LED. The vast majority of LED screens use white LEDs (W-LED) on the top and bottom edges of the panel. A white LED emits blue light through a yellow phosphor, which neutralizes its color temp to around 6500 Kelvin. This is very easy and cheap to implement, and that's why it’s so common. At the other end of the spectrum, we have RGB-LED which is literally red, green, and blue LEDs arrayed directly behind the LCD panel. This is very expensive and difficult to manufacture, and therefore quite rare.

The compromise is found in GB-r-LED technology. Here, the backlight consists of green and blue diodes coated with a red phosphor. The net effect is that the spectral peaks of the three primary colors are pretty much even. With W-LED, the spectral peak is much higher for blue. So, software (and the panel's color filters) must intervene to achieve the correct color balance. A GB-r-LED panel is more accurate natively, making software and the color filter layer less critical. And you get the added benefit of the wider Adobe RGB gamut. It is a bit more expensive to manufacture than W-LED, but less so than RGB-LED.

Before we get to the benchmarks, there is a lot to look at, both in the box and on the panel itself. Asus' asking price is above other QHD screens, but we quickly discovered the value factor is high as well.

2. Packaging, Physical Layout, And Accessories

Like other Asus monitors, this one's carton opens with the panel in a horizontal position, rather than the more common suitcase-style box. This means there’s a lot more foam around the contents. The panel is practically impervious to shipping damage. Upon opening the box, the first thing you find is a two-page calibration report. It shows a very detailed set of graphs for grayscale error, gamma, and color for both sRGB and Adobe RGB 1998 gamuts, along with a screen uniformity test. Also in the box are cables for DisplayPort, mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, dual-link DVI, and a 3.5 mm audio cable. The power supply is internal, so there’s an IEC power cord too. Cementing the PA279Q’s status as a professional product is a light hood that installs on the monitor’s bezel. Finally, there's a bundled CD-ROM containing the user’s manual in 10 languages and ICC profiles for Windows 7 and 8.

Product 360

The PA279Q exudes quality from every angle. The hood shown in the photo comes in the box and must be attached via double-stick tape to the bezel. On the right side is a little door that allows access to the front-panel controls. The bezel measures 20 mm all around and is made from a heavy textured plastic that absorbs light fairly well. Adding the hood improves perceived contrast and cuts reflections when you’re working in a room with some ambient light. The anti-glare coating on the screen is aggressive, but stops short of causing visible image artifacts.

The base and upright allow for full ergonomic adjustments that include five inches of height, 25 degrees of tilt, and 120 degrees of swivel. All of the movements are solid and quiet, and the panel stays right where you put it.

There is also a portrait mode. With the PA279Q's high pixel density, this is just the thing for editing documents like webpages or music scores.

The buttons are arranged vertically on the lower-right side of the panel.

Starting at the top, there is a little joystick that makes menu navigation super-easy. This is so cool that, once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you operated a monitor any other way! The next key is Menu, then a pair of hotkeys you can set to one of 10 different functions. Next is the Splendid button, which toggles the seven picture modes, followed by an input selector and the power button. The power LED is refreshingly not a searing bright blue like many screens. And you can defeat it if you wish.

Around the right side are three USB 3.0 inputs and the nine-in-one card reader. We wish the headphone jack were there as well. The card reader is a unique feature, though. To make it work, you need to connect the provided USB-B cable between the PA279Q and your computer.

Inputs are digital-only. and include HDMI, DisplayPort in and out, and DVD-D. There are also three more USB 3.0 jacks, plus the upstream port. Rounding out the panel are 3.5 mm audio in and a headphone jack.

Around back is a 100 mm VESA mount, in case you want to remove the included upright and use your own bracket. The three-watt speakers are back there too. They output bigger sound than most monitor speakers, but are still limited by size and placement. You're going to get better audio from the headphone jack, quite frankly.

One feature that will be of particular interest to graphics pros is QuickFit. Activated by pressing the joystick button, QuickFit is a series of alignment grids that overlay the screen image.

These are just two examples of the grids available. You can also display a centimeter grid, plus frames for 2x2 through 8x10 photos and letter or A4 paper sizes. The grids can be moved around the screen using the joystick. And they are accurately-sized; we checked. The gridlines will change color depending on the brightness of the image so that you can always see them. Very cool!

Artists and photographers will also appreciate the extensive OSD. Next up is our tour of one of the best examples we’ve seen to date.

3. OSD Setup And Calibration Of The PA279Q

You’ll find tremendous depth in the PA279Q’s menu system. Not only are there two fully configurable User modes, but you also get high and low RGB controls and a color management system. For enthusiasts who like to tweak, this display was made for you. The OSD looks like what we've come to expect from Asus' other monitors, except with many more options.

The picture modes are called Splendid, and there are seven choices.

Standard is the default mode. But your best bet is to use sRGB or Adobe RGB if you want the wider gamut. In our testing, they were extremely accurate and only required adjustment of the Brightness control to dial in the light output. The User modes are the only ones that unlock all of the available calibration controls. As we’ll explain later, you’re not likely to need those modes unless you want to use an unusual color or grayscale standard.

Selecting a mode requires only that you highlight the appropriate one. Pressing the select button lets you reset all the options in that mode to factory defaults.

The Color menu is the gateway to all of the calibration adjustments of the User modes. In sRGB and Adobe RGB, everything is grayed out except Brightness. Advanced Setting is where you’ll find the color management system, along with high and low RGB sliders.

Six-axis Hue and Saturation represents the CMS. Selecting one of these brings up sliders for all six colors. The only thing missing is a luminance control. A full CMS requires one for complete adjustability.

We like that the sliders start at their center positions. This makes adjustment much easier. The same is true of the RGB controls.

These controls are very precise and allow fine adjustments to the PA279Q’s grayscale and color. You’ll need instruments to take advantage of them, but as we learned in testing, the sRGB and Adobe RGB presets are practically dead-on and measure better than what we could do ourselves.

Here are the Image settings.

There seems to be a Sharpness control on all of the Asus screens we’ve reviewed lately. This control defaults at 50 and can be left alone. Moving it below 40 causes visible image softness. Above 50, there is edge enhancement that manifests as white lines around dark objects against light backgrounds.

Aspect Control toggles between Full (all resolutions are scaled to 2560x1440), 1:1 (images are displayed at the incoming resolution), and Overscan (two percent of the image is not displayed).

Uniformity Compensation activates an internal look-up table to compensate for screen uniformity issues. In the sRGB and Adobe RGB modes, where we did our testing, this option is grayed out.

ASCR is the dynamic contrast setting and should be left off.

With the extra pixel density of a QHD screen, PIP and PBP become much more useful. On the PA279Q, you can display two sources either side by side or in a window. That window comes in small, medium, and large, and can be positioned in any corner of the screen. You can swap the two sources too.

There are only three input types on the PA279Q. If you’re using a single source, the monitor senses it automatically.

Splendid Demo Mode compares the Scenery and Theater picture modes side by side. Volume adjusts both the speakers and headphone output. OSD Setup moves the menu around the screen, sets the timeout, and configures transparency. We moved it to the lower-right corner to get it out of the way of our test patterns.

DisplayPort Stream should be left on SST unless you use the daisy-chain feature with two monitors. Then, it should be set to MST.

Key Lock disables the front-panel controls to prevent tampering. Information shows the incoming signal info. Language gives you 21 choices for the OSD. Finally, Power Indicator toggles the front-panel LED.

The last menu controls the two front-panel shortcut keys. You can see there are quite a few options. We think leaving them at their defaults of Brightness and Contrast makes the most sense.

The PA279Q has a huge number of calibration option. We literally spent an entire afternoon exploring the different settings in an attempt to create custom modes for sRGB and Adobe RGB. After all of that effort, though, the preset modes were more accurate than anything we could come up with due to Asus' dysfunctional color management system. We could achieve perfect grayscale numbers in the User modes, but the CMS didn’t allow us to dial in the gamuts correctly. For further explanation, see the grayscale results on page six, and the color results on page seven.

In the sRGB and Adobe RBG modes, the only control available is Brightness. So, we set it to 41 for sRGB and 43 for Adobe RGB to get 200 cd/m2. Since our calibration didn’t improve upon those presets, we aren't publishing our settings for the User modes.

4. Measurement And Calibration Methodology: How We Test

To measure and calibrate monitors, we use an i1Pro spectrophotometer and version 5.1.2 of SpectraCal’s CalMAN software.

For patterns, we employ an AccuPel DVG-5000 video signal generator. This approach removes video cards and drivers from the signal chain, allowing the display to receive true reference patterns. Connections are made via HDMI.

The AccuPel DVG-5000 is capable of generating all types of video signals at any resolution and refresh rate up to 1920x1080 at 60 Hz. It can also display motion patterns to evaluate a monitor's video processing capabilities, with 3D patterns available in every format. This allows us to measure color and grayscale performance, crosstalk, and ghosting in 3D content via the 3D glasses.

The i1Pro is placed at the center of the screen (unless we’re measuring uniformity) and sealed against it to block out any ambient light. The Accupel pattern generator (bottom left) is controlled via USB by CalMAN, which is running on the Dell XPS laptop on the right.

Our version of CalMAN Ultimate allows me to design all of the screens and workflows to best suit the purpose at hand. To that end, we’ve created a display review workflow from scratch. This way, we can be sure and collect all the necessary data with a concise and efficient set of measurements.

The charts show us the RGB levels, gamma response, and Delta E error for every brightness point from zero to 100 percent. The table shows us the raw data for each measurement. And the area in the upper-left tells us luminance, average gamma, Delta E, and contrast ratio. The individual charts can be copied to the Windows clipboard to easily create graphics for our reviews.

Every primary and secondary color is measured at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 percent saturation. The color saturation level is simply the distance from the white point on the CIE chart. You can see the targets moving out from white in a straight line. The further a point is from center, the greater the saturation until you hit 100 percent at the edge of the gamut triangle. This shows us the display’s response at a cross-section of color points. Many monitors score well when only the 100 percent saturations are measured. Hitting the targets at the lower saturations is more difficult, and factors into our average Delta E value (which explains why our Delta E values are sometimes higher than those reported by other publications).

5. Results: Brightness And Contrast

Uncalibrated

Before calibrating any panel, we measure zero and 100 percent signals at both ends of the brightness control range. This shows us how contrast is affected at the extremes of a monitor's luminance capability. We do not increase the contrast control past the clipping point. While doing this would increase a monitor’s light output, the brightest signal levels would not be visible. This would result in crushed highlight detail. Our numbers show the maximum light level possible with no clipping of the signal.

Our comparison group for this review is the last five displays reviewed at Tom’s Hardware, plus the Samsung S27B970D. Since it’s the only other factory-calibrated monitor we’ve tested, it makes sense to include it.

All of the luminance measurements are taken in the PA279Q’s sRGB mode.

At over 306 cd/m2, this is a fairly bright panel. It’s hard to imagine one needing greater light output than this.

The maximum black level is not quite as solid.

This a below-average number compared to the monitors we’ve tested this year, placing 10th out of 15 screens. If you use the PA279Q at its maximum brightness setting, blacks show up a little gray. The Samsung unit displays visibly better blacks than the rest of the field.

Fortunately, the max contrast number is respectable thanks to its high light output.

Asus comes up just under 1000 to 1, which is a decent performance. We would have no problem using the monitor this way. As you’ll see later, its nearly perfect gamma makes the image pop nicely, regardless of brightness setting.

For the next group of measurements, we turn down the brightness control to its minimum setting, and leave the contrast unchanged. The PA279Q measures 84.7725 cd/m2, which is well above our minimum standard of 50 cd/m2. We recommend staying above that level to avoid eyestrain. We’d like to see a lower number to help improve contrast at this level.

The Asus’ high output at minimum brightness hurts its minimum black level number a bit. Still, .0861 cd/m2 is decent. The monitor looks pretty good this way, retaining the image depth of higher brightness settings.

We’ll wrap up this section with the minimum contrast comparison.

The PA279Q’s minimum contrast is within a hair of its maximum contrast, which shows consistent performance. While it doesn’t have the lowest black level in our test group, it retains a reasonably high contrast ratio through the entire brightness range.

After Calibration

Since we consider 200 cd/m2 to be an ideal average for peak output, we calibrate all of our test monitors to that value. In a room with some ambient light (like an office), this brightness level provides a sharp, punchy image with maximum detail and minimum eye fatigue. It's also the sweet spot for gamma and grayscale tracking, which we'll look at on the next page.

We start with the calibrated black level. This can sometimes rise a bit from the monitor’s default state. We consider the tradeoff in contrast well worth the gain in color accuracy.

Although you can calibrate a slightly better black level in the PA279Q’s User modes, we opted for sRGB due to its more accurate color gamut. A tested .2007 cd/m2 is still excellent. You’ll get the same numbers in the Adobe RGB mode. By comparison, the S27B970D’s black level suffers a bit after calibration.

Here are the final calibrated contrast numbers.

There is a slight contrast improvement in the sRGB mode when you set brightness to 200 cd/m2. This is definitely the PA279Q's sweet spot. Since the only control available in this mode is brightness, you can achieve our same result without an instrumented calibration. Samsung's offering finishes last in this group due to its higher black level.

ANSI Contrast Ratio

Another important measure of contrast is ANSI. To perform this test, a checkerboard pattern of sixteen zero- and 100-percent squares is measured. This is somewhat more real-world than on/off measurements because it tests a display’s ability to simultaneously maintain both low black and full white levels, and factors in screen uniformity. The average of the eight full-white measurements is divided by the average of the eight full-black measurements to arrive at the ANSI result.

Only two other displays best the PA279Q in ANSI contrast, and they just so happen to be in this comparison group. Thanks to minimal light leakage pixel-to-pixel, Asus' PA279Q is one of the best monitors we’ve tested. The real-world result is more depth, more dimension, and more punch in the image.

6. Results: Grayscale Tracking And Gamma Response

The majority of monitors, especially newer models, display excellent grayscale tracking (even at stock settings). It’s important that the color of white be consistently neutral at all light levels from darkest to brightest. Grayscale performance impacts color accuracy with regard to the secondary colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow. Since computer monitors typically have no color or tint adjustment, accurate grayscale is key.

We approached the PA279Q a little differently than other screens we’ve reviewed due to its greater number of calibration options. Here is our baseline measurement of the Standard mode at default settings.

In Standard mode, you can adjust the color temperature preset, but not the RGB sliders. The default option is 6500 K. But as you can see, it runs a little too red. The error becomes visible at 40 percent brightness and above. Setting the PA279Q to the 9300 K option causes a slight blue tint to the white parts of the image.

There are two ways to improve the grayscale. One is to configure the User modes, which allow custom tailoring of both grayscale and color (though not without penalties, as you’ll see in the color section of the review). If you do that, you’ll be rewarded with excellent results.

It doesn’t really get better than this. Check out the 60-percent brightness level, which has a Delta E error of only .14! If you choose to use the like that, be sure to check out our color results on page seven first.

The compromise is to be found in the sRGB and Adobe RGB modes.

This is a pretty good chart, calibrated or not. Asus advertises a high degree of accuracy for the PA279Q and it certainly delivers on that promise. Visible errors don’t occur until 90 percent brightness, and then only barely. You get the exact same results in the Adobe RGB mode.

Let’s bring our comparison group back into the mix. Since we chose sRGB as the best all-around picture mode, the numbers below represent that mode.

The stock number is quite good, bested only by HP's E271i. Even the factory-calibrated Samsung S27B970D isn’t quite as good, yielding a stock error of 2.56 Delta E. We’re picking nits, but the PA279Q does undercut that screen’s price by almost $300.

Since we couldn’t adjust grayscale in sRGB mode, the final number doesn’t change much.

The other displays rank higher by virtue of their available RGB adjustments. But the PA279Q still comes in well under the visible error level of three. If you employ User mode, you can get the average Delta E down to .71 which ties the Samsung for lowest grayscale error we’ve measured. It’s unfortunate that the color gamut is not as accurate in the User modes.

Gamma Response

Gamma is the measurement of luminance levels at every step in the brightness range from 0 to 100 percent. This is important because poor gamma can either crush detail at various points or wash it out, making the entire picture appear flat and dull. Correct gamma produces a more three-dimensional image, with a greater sense of depth and realism. Meanwhile, incorrect gamma can negatively affect image quality, even in monitors with high contrast ratios.

In the gamma charts below, the yellow line represents 2.2, which is the most widely accepted standard for television, film, and computer graphics production. The closer the white measurement trace comes to 2.2, the better.

Again, this is the sRGB mode. However, this gamma result is nearly identical to the Standard, User, and Adobe RGB modes. The tracking is fairly flat and rides just below 2.2. The maximum error here is less than 4 cd/m2.

Here’s our test group again for the gamma comparisons.

Asus' PA279Q is among the very best for gamma tracking. This level of consistency is only present in three other monitors we’ve tested this year. The S27B970D is exceptional, and Asus trails it by only a tiny bit.

We calculate gamma deviation by simply expressing the difference from 2.2 as a percentage.

The five-percent deviation from 2.2 is fairly small, representing no more than 4 cd/m2. Again, the PA279Q is among the best screens we’ve measured for gamma performance.

7. Results: Color Gamut And Performance

Color gamut is measured using a saturation sweep that samples the six main colors (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) at five saturation levels (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%). This provides a more realistic view of color accuracy. All measurements are taken at 200 cd/m2 of light output.

We have extra charts to show you here as well. Since the PA279Q has selectable color gamuts, plus a color management system, we want to show you the results of all those options. We’ll start with the sRGB mode.

The PA279Q delivers superb color accuracy in this mode. All the points at every saturation level are nearly spot-on. And color luminance is excellent as well. This is the reason we prefer to use the monitor in sRGB mode and sacrifice a little grayscale performance. Having the color balanced this well makes a bigger impact on picture quality than a slight grayscale error.

Here’s the chart for Adobe RGB mode.

You can see the much larger gamut available in the Adobe RGB 1998 color space. Asus' PA279Q matches the standard almost perfectly. Aside from slight peaks at 80- and 100-percent blue, the luminance chart is equally tight. For those users who require the expanded gamut, just set it and forget it. This kind of out-of-box accuracy is well worth the price.

The last CIE chart is from one of the User modes, which we set up in an attempt to match the sRGB gamut.

Unfortunately, the CMS will only affect the 100-percent saturation level. The lower levels are unchanged. You can also see that the yellow and cyan secondaries are clocked well away from their targets. We didn’t publish the luminance chart, but it has significant errors as well that cannot be fixed due to the CMS’ lack of a luminance control. Only saturation and hue adjustments are available. We measured similar results when we tried to create an Adobe RGB 1998 gamut. Our recommendation to Asus is to eliminate the CMS and add grayscale adjustments to the sRGB and Adobe RGB picture modes.

The lowest color error is found in the sRGB mode.

A Delta E of 1.75 is really low. And the Adobe RGB mode measures 1.63, which is even lower. Remember that these are preset modes; all we did was set the brightness to 200 cd/m2. This is excellent performance. The best we could do in the User modes was 4.1 for sRGB and 3.12 for Adobe RGB.

Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998

There are basically two categories of displays in use today: those that conform to the sRGB/Rec 709 standard like HDTVs, and wide-gamut panels that show as much as 100 percent of the Adobe RGB 1998 spec. We use Gamutvision to calculate the gamut volume, based on an ICC profile created from actual measurements. We’ve expanded the chart from previous reviews, to also include the sRGB gamut volume.

Unlike the other wide-gamut monitors we’ve tested, the PA279Q has a selectable color gamut, which we love. That means both the sRGB and Adobe RGB 1998 gamuts are accurate and near 100 percent in volume. For graphic artists and photographers, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better monitor at this price point, especially given its size and resolution.

8. Results: Viewing Angle And Uniformity

Since this is an IPS-based panel, we expect to see excellent off-axis viewing performance. Unfortunately, the GB-r-LED backlight seems to have a slightly negative effect on this.

The result we observe is a little unexpected. There is a slight red shift from side to side, and a slight blue shift from top to bottom. It’s subtle to be sure, but it is there. We can only theorize that this is a product of the PA279Q’s unusual two-color LED backlight. Since all of the light coming from an LCD panel is polarized, it follows that two different wavelengths emanating from the screen will shift differently as the viewing angle increases. There is no LCD panel that looks perfect in this test, which is part of why Asus bundles a hood with the PA279Q. To properly judge color on this or any panel, you need to be sitting front-and-center.

To measure screen uniformity, zero-percent and 100-percent full-field patterns are used, and nine points are sampled. In a change from previous reviews, we compare the results to other monitors we’ve measured. First, we establish a baseline measurement at the center of each screen. Then the surrounding eight points are measured and their values expressed as a percentage of the baseline, either above or below. This number gets averaged. It is important to remember that we only test the review sample each vendor submits. Other examples of the same monitor can measure differently in this metric.

Since the PA279Q has a uniformity compensation option, we measured the monitor both ways. This option is not available in the sRGB or Adobe RGB modes, only in Standard or User.

First up is black field uniformity.

This number represents the sRGB mode, so compensation is not active. When we switch to a calibrated User mode and turn that feature on, the black field uniformity improves to 8.39 percent. However, black level increases as well. We feel the gain in uniformity isn’t worth a visible rise in black level.

Here’s the white field measurement, again in the sRGB mode.

This is another excellent result. When you switch to User mode and turn compensation on, the percentage drops to 3.40. But the white level increases too, necessitating a brightness control adjustment. After experimenting with all of the available options, we still feel the fixed sRGB and Adobe RGB modes are the way to go.

Screen Uniformity: Color

Starting with our review of AOC's Q2963PM, we added a new uniformity test to our benchmark suite: color. The above measurements only address luminance. Now we’re measuring the white balance variation in an 80-percent white field pattern. The results are expressed as a variation in Delta E (in other words, the difference between the highest and lowest values). We didn’t perform this test on the Samsung S27B970D, so we can’t include it here.

With a variance of only .40 Delta E, the color variation across the screen is essentially nil. This is another important metric for any pro-level monitor and the PA279Q certainly qualifies. If you’re curious about the effect of the uniformity compensation feature, our result was an incredible .08 Delta E variation! It’s too bad this option isn’t available in sRGB or Adobe RGB mode.

9. Results: Pixel Response And Input Lag

To perform these tests, we use a high-speed camera that shoots at 1000 frames per second. Analyzing the video frame-by-frame allows us to observe the exact time it takes to go from a zero-percent signal to a 100% white field.

The pattern generator is placed at the base of the monitor so our camera can capture the precise moment its front-panel LED lights up, indicating that a video signal is being received by the monitor. With this camera placement, we can easily see how long it takes to fully display a pattern after pressing the button on the generator’s remote. This testing methodology allows for accurate and repeatable results when comparing panels.

Here’s a shot of our test setup. Click on the photo to enlarge.

The brighter section of the camera’s screen is what will actually appear in the video. You can see the lights of the pattern generator in the bottom of the viewfinder. We flash the pattern on and off five times and average the results.

Here’s the screen draw result.

Twenty-three milliseconds is an average figure for an IPS screen in our experience. The PA279Q isn’t intended for hardcore gaming, but could serve well enough in a power user's multi-purpose (including gaming) setup if it needed to.

Here are the lag results.

Eighty-three milliseconds is a little slower than average in our round-up. For gamers desiring higher speeds, you really want to consider a screen capable of higher refresh rates, such as the unit we tested in Asus VG248QE: A 24-Inch, 144 Hz Gaming Monitor Under $300. That display imposes just under five frames of input lag.

10. Asus' PA279Q May Very Well Have It All

Our overall experience with Asus' PA279Q was very positive. While its price is at the high-end of 27-inch QHD screens, great performance and copious features more than justify its status in the $800 bracket.

Just look at everything you get. A native 2560x1440 resolution, sRGB and Adobe RGB gamuts, six USB 3.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.2 with MST, on-screen grids, two fully tweakable user modes, a complete set of cables, a light hood...the list stretches long indeed. And don’t forget the factory calibration. The numbers we generated from the two fixed modes are impressive enough, even without all the extras.

We've been asking for a wide-gamut monitor that has an sRGB/Rec. 709 option. The PA279Q delivers on that request. Even though Asus includes a color management system, it really isn’t necessary given the superb accuracy of the fixed sRGB and Adobe RGB picture modes.

Comparisons to the excellent Samsung S27B970D are inevitable. For $300 less, Asus gives you greater brightness, better contrast, and equivalent color, grayscale, and gamma accuracy. The big feature missing from Samsung's offering is the wider color gamut. That factor alone is enough to recommend the PA279Q ahead of it. We also prefer Asus’ anti-glare screen to Samsung’s reflective one.

We’re impressed with Asus’ build quality, too. While all the company's display products we've reviewed are well-made, this monitor is a cut above the norm. The full-range ergonomic adjustments have a very high-quality feel, and the vast OSD has a very intuitive design that is easy to navigate. We especially enjoyed using the navigational joystick. Once you get the hang of it, you’re spoiled for life.

Things we didn’t like were minor. The aforementioned CMS just doesn’t work properly. Not only is luminance control missing, but the saturation and hue sliders only change values for colors at 100 percent saturation. The rest of the gamut goes untouched. Fortunately, the sRGB and Adobe RGB modes offer near-perfect color, so you don’t have to use them. The only caveat is that you give up the grayscale controls. Again, though, this isn't a great loss. Perhaps in the next model update Asus will expand upon its otherwise fixed modes.

Of course, we’re thoroughly spoiled by QHD screens now that there's a constant stream of them coming through our labs. Once you adjust to the smaller text and icon sizes, you’ll wonder how you managed with just FHD. Native 2560x1440 monitors still command a price premium in the super-popular 27-inch size, but the benefits are great. It’s hard to imagine an image looking sharper and more detailed. Then again, we've seen Ultra HD, and we're in the process of reviewing our first 3840x2160 display, incidentally also from Asus.

For now, QHD is the standard, and Asus' PA279Q is one of the best screens we’ve tested. Its feature set puts it above the competition and its price really isn’t all that out of line. For its excellent out-of-box performance, top-notch color accuracy, selectable color gamuts, and huge feature set, we’re giving it the Tom’s Smart Buy Award.