Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 27-inch 165Hz Gaming Monitor Review

Packaging, Physical Layout And Accessories

The ROG Swift PG279Q arrives in a black box emblazoned with graphics and logos announcing the monitor's many gaming features. The box lays down so it's very easy to unpack. The panel is fully assembled so all you have to do is unwrap, connect, and you're ready to frag.

HDMI and DisplayPort cables are included along with a sleek external power brick that looks a little like an AppleTV. You also get a printed quick start guide, warranty card and a user's manual on CD.

Product 360

The panel has one of the slimmest bezels we've ever seen at .3 inches around the sides and top and .5 inches at the bottom. Well-heeled gamers will enjoy placing three of them side-by-side with only the thinnest of vertical lines to break up the wrap-around image. The anti-glare layer is light and crystal clear with no signs of grain or anything else to reduce clarity. Reflections are well-controlled but harsh lighting can reduce contrast if you're not careful. It's set very close to the LC layer, which enhances sharpness but causes a bit of visible light bleed. Our sample wasn't too bad but as you'll see in the uniformity tests on page seven, there are a few flaws visible in dark content.

The stand is one of Asus' best with firm movements for tilt, swivel and height. Portrait mode is supported as well. There is no hint of slop or wobble and the entire package is extremely well put together. Styling is distinctive to the Republic of Gamers line with plenty of sharp angles and cutouts, like the one for cable management in the upright.

Most monitor bases are pretty ordinary but Asus has turned this one into a neat feature. When you turn on the Light In Motion option in the OSD, the ring around the upright and the ROG logo glows red. In standby, the light pulses softly.

The panel is a bit thicker than most with a taper from sides to center that features Asus' characteristic angles. You can see in this shot how beefy the stand is. The only thing missing are side USB ports. To access the two downstream connections you'll have to go to the main input panel.

Your opponents will have no doubt you've brought a premium display to the party. The ROG logo is displayed prominently on the upright. There is a 100mm VESA mount available but you'll have to remove four rubber plugs to access the bolts. You can also see the OSD joystick controller in red along with four keys at the lower left.

Many G-Sync monitors have only a single DisplayPort input but Asus has included an HDMI 1.4 jack as well. Here also are the USB up and downstream ports. Just out of the picture is a headphone output. There are built-in speakers serviced by digital audio only, there is no analog input. They sound small and lack bass and mid-range but they'll do in a pinch.