Asus ROG Swift PG27UCDM 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor review: High-end in every way

27-inch 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor with 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and wide gamut color.

Reviews
By published
Asus ROG Swift PG27UCDM
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The PG27UCDM is primed for HDR content with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. There are multiple picture modes and many possible adjustments that few HDR monitors offer. The switch is automatic when HDR content is present.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

Image 1 of 3
Asus ROG Swift PG27UCDM
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Asus claims 1,000 nits peak for a 3% window, and I have no reason to doubt this given the 465-nit measurement I got from a 25% window. This is with variable brightness engaged and brightness maxed. If you find this too harsh, you can switch on the brightness slider and dial things down to your preference. I measured Gaming HDR and True Black and saw no difference between them. The Spectrum Black 32 and PG32UCDP push their panels a bit harder, but peak brightness is still around 1,000 nits for a 3% window, so they aren’t brighter than the PG27UCDM in practice. All the panels here will look about the same when showing HDR10 content. Of course, if it's Dolby Vision you’re after, only the PG27UCDM will show that.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

Image 1 of 3
Asus ROG Swift PG27UCDM
(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

Though you can calibrate the PG27UCDM in HDR mode, there’s no need. My test shows visually perfect grayscale and EOTF tracking. I measured both Gaming and True Black modes and got the same results. In the gamut tests, hue points are perfectly in line with a general and slight oversaturation in all colors. This is about as close to perfect as I’ve seen from any HDR display. The BT.2020 test shows similar behavior until the PG27UCDM runs out of color at 90% red, 75% green, and 90% blue. This is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: The PG27UCDM is a reference-level HDR display with high brightness and superlative accuracy. It’s on par with competitors in performance but stands above with its extra adjustability. The HDR image, like any OLED, is stunning.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

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.