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With most gaming monitors, you get what you pay for. There are many value choices that deliver great performance, and if you spend more on a premium screen, you generally get a premium experience. But every once in a while, a monitor comes along that offers something unique and wonderful at a reasonable price. The Asus TUF Gaming VG259QM is that monitor.
At first glance, it may not impress with its sRGB color gamut and HDR that neither adds to nor takes away from image quality; but the VG259QM’s ability to run Adaptive-Sync and ELMB at the same time is, dare we say, a game changer. The 280 Hz refresh rate is certainly impressive, but on its own, it won’t deliver the same experience. ELMB bests any overdrive we’ve seen at maintaining motion resolution at high frame rates. There is literally no difference in appearance between moving objects and stationary ones. Background textures stay sharp no matter what. And control response is as fast as it gets. The experience is addictive and once you see a VG259QM in action, you’ll have a hard time going back to another monitor.
There is certainly a lot to be said for high pixel density, ultra-wide curved screens and extended color. But even without those things, the VG259QM is one of the best gaming monitors we’ve ever reviewed. Its only flaw is a slightly light gamma curve. The addition of presets would fix that issue neatly.
In terms of pure gaming performance, this monitor is currently without equal. Now that Asus has cracked the low motion blur versus Adaptive-Sync code, we suspect the VG259QM is a harbinger of things to come. For now, though, we know of no other monitor that can do what this one does. If ultimate gaming performance is your goal, the VG259QM should be too.
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