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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 TUF Gaming VG28U — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The VG28U is midpack for SDR output, being one of those monitors that isn’t super bright but more than bright enough. I used it in a sunlit room with no trouble. Its black level is also decent, which sends the contrast ratio over 1,100:1, good enough for the top spot. I wish VA would take a greater foothold in this category, but it seems IPS technology has upped the contrast game a little.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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Calibration robs a bit of contrast from the VG28U thanks to a slightly elevated black level. 961.9:1 is typical performance. The good part is that gamma is nearly perfect, making the image very satisfying with saturated color and clear detail.

ANSI contrast holds steady with the static value, which indicates good quality control and component selection on Asus’ part. It’s rare that any IPS monitor can top 1,000:1 in this test. The VG28U delivers slightly better than average performance here.

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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.

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