Asus ROG Swift PG49WCD 49-inch gaming monitor review: The most colorful OLED yet

49-inch 32:9 OLED with DQHD resolution, 144 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR and wide gamut color.

Asus ROG Swift PG49WCD
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Tom's Hardware Verdict

Despite a slower refresh rate than other 21:9 and 32:9 OLEDs, the Asus ROG Swift PG49WCD has everything one could ask for in a gaming and productivity monitor. It delivers a stunning image and replaces two 27-inch 16:9 screens.

Pros

  • +

    Stunning picture with tremendous contrast and vivid color

  • +

    Accurate with no need for calibration

  • +

    Superb HDR quality

  • +

    Smooth gameplay

  • +

    Premium build quality

Cons

  • -

    Only 144 Hz

  • -

    No internal speakers

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What better way to solve this problem than with an OLED panel? This technology brings back the off-axis quality of CRT and the infinite contrast. Asus’ ROG Swift PG49WCD raises the bar for this genre with all that plus 144 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR, and the widest color gamut I’ve yet measured for any OLED monitor. Let’s take a look.

When 49-inch 32:9 monitors first appeared about six years ago, I was not impressed. The earliest examples had low resolution, just 88ppi density, and VA panels, which made the sides of the screen look quite different from the center.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Panel Type / BacklightOrganic Light-Emitting Diode
Row 1 - Cell 0 Quantum Dot Film
Row 2 - Cell 0 (QD-OLED)
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio49 inches / 32:9
Row 4 - Cell 0 Curve radius: 1800mm
Max Resolution and Refresh Rate5120x1440 @ 144 Hz
Row 6 - Cell 0 FreeSync: 48-144 Hz
Row 7 - Cell 0 G-Sync Compatible
Native Color Depth and Gamut10-bit / DCI-P3+
Row 9 - Cell 0 HDR10, DisplayHDR 400
Response Time (GTG)0.03ms
Brightness (mfr)250 nits SDR
Row 12 - Cell 0 400 nits HDR
ContrastContrast
SpeakersNone
Video Inputs1x DisplayPort 1.4 w/DSC
Row 16 - Cell 0 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB-C
Audio3.5mm headphone output
Row 18 - Cell 0 Optical S/PDIF output
USB 3.21x up, 2x down
Power Consumption65w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base47.1 x 16.5-20.5 x 11.1 inches (1196 x 419-521 x 282mm)
Panel Thickness6.1 inches (155mm)
Bezel WidthTop: 0.4 inch (11mm)
Row 24 - Cell 0 Sides: 0.6 inch (14mm)
Row 25 - Cell 0 Bottom: 0.9 inch (23mm)
Weight25.8 pounds (11.7kg)
Warranty2 years
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Picture ModeRacing
Brightness 200 nits77
Brightness 120 nits44
Brightness 100 nits36
Brightness 80 nits28
Brightness 50 nits16 (min. 13 nits)
Contrast80
Gamma2.2
Color Temp UserRed 97, Green 98, Blue 100
TOPICS
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.

  • edzieba
    For OLED panels (or LCD panels with backlight modulation) it'd probably be better to chart grey contrast rather than black contrast - the ratio between the maximum and minimum possible nonzero illumination level. Black contrast with a panel that can turn off a pixel/zone for 0-level will always end up with a divide-by-zero issue and a completely worthless chart. Grey contract (full brightness over minimum displayable brightness) actually gives you a useful measure of real world contrast.
    e.g. a screen that can produce 0 nits at 0 input level, 1 nit at an input level of 1, and 1000 nits at an input level of 255, will have much higher perceptual contrast than a screen that will also produce 0 nits at 0 input level, but produces 50 nits at an input level of 1 and 1500 nits at an input level of 255.

    The naïve max-brightness-over-zero-level charts are about as helpful as the old 'dynamic contrast' measures manufacturers liked to slap on monitors with backlight modulation (where a TN panel could magically produce a 80,000:1 contrast ratio).
    Reply
  • brandonjclark
    How would you compare this monitor on "versus" comparison, buy this or that, to the Dell Alienware AW3225QF, readers?
    Reply
  • oofdragon
    Why these companies keep wasting time and resource launching these huge things not up to date with tech? 144hz is like 10 years ago literally, the minimum now is 240hz or gtfo
    Reply
  • subspruce
    oofdragon said:
    Why these companies keep wasting time and resource launching these huge things not up to date with tech? 144hz is like 10 years ago literally, the minimum now is 240hz or gtfo
    also this monitor needs 2 people for transport, getting a friend (if you haven't already) or a partner will be a great move if you ever want to move house.
    Reply