Conclusion
We told you up front that the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ is worth every bit of its $2,000 asking price. And it clearly isn’t just a gaming monitor. While that is its primary purpose, it can serve equally well as a color-critical display, a Windows machine and a great way to watch Ultra HD video.
When testing Ultra HD monitors with HDR, we’ve been comparing them to the Dell UP2718Q because of its full-array zone-dimming backlight (Yes, we know about the Acer Predator X27. It’s sitting in our lab right now awaiting testing.) It has been obvious that the only way any LCD technology could properly display HDR was with a full-array backlight. Our test results and experience prove this beyond any shadow of a doubt.
The PG27UQ now stands as the very best monitor we have reviewed yet. It pumps out a true 1,000 nits in HDR mode and delivers contrast over 61,000:1. Even SDR content is greatly enhanced with a contrast ratio over 17,000:1. Extended color is properly implemented as well with over 90 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut covered. And if you want some extra saturation in SDR mode, that wide gamut option is available in the OSD.
The PG27UQ can truly do it all. Load up the latest version of Windows 10, and you can have HDR in all your applications. Plug in an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and it will make your discs sing. Even premium YouTube videos look better. And games? Once you’ve experienced an HDR title, you won’t be able to go back. The realism is so good, it’s scary.
The only downside to the PG27UQ is its cost. We think it’s worth it, but we know $2,000 is outside many users’ budgets. And don’t forget to include another $800 for a GTX 1080 Ti. For now, this monitor is likely to grace only a select few high-end systems. But that price will come down eventually. The future is now, and it’s only going to get better from here.
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