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Brightness and Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

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Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The XG27AQDPG is rated for DisplayHDR 500, but it can also achieve this value in SDR mode if you turn Uniform Brightness off and measure a 25% window pattern. Smaller windows would be brighter yet. A full field hits around 320 nits with UB off or on. UB is great for workday tasks, while turning it off makes video and gaming more impactful. I’m glad to see the option because it isn’t there on every OLED. As always, black levels and contrast are immeasurable regardless of the luminance settings.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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Calibration makes no difference other than to change the peak brightness value. I set it to 200 nits in both UB on and UB off modes. The XG27AQDPG stores independent settings for both, which is a nice touch. The ANSI test yields the same results as the static with unmeasurable black levels and contrast. This is OLED’s typically excellent contrast performance.

Test Takeaway: The XG27AQDPG is 25% brighter than its competitors, which equates to around 100 nits if Uniform Brightness is turned off. When it’s on, you get 320 nits, which is also about 100 nits more than most OLEDs I’ve reviewed. This gives it an advantage in bright rooms. In fact, it’s bright enough for outdoor environments such as location production tents, AKA video villages. Otherwise, it delivers the same amazing contrast and black levels as other OLEDs.

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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.