Review | ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ 144Hz Curved Gaming Monitor

On this review, we are taking the ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ for a spin. It is the baby brother to the XG32VQ we reviewed; with the same curved gaming display, but with a 27″ screen space and the ASUS ELMB. That’s Extreme Low Motion Blur from the guys at ASUS. This is also a 144Hz gaming monitor with a response time of 4ms. Other notable features includes AMD FreeSync support, an RGB capable lighting, a holographic base and game centric features built within. Learn more from the official product page and get it at Amazon.

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ is one of the first ASUS ELMB enabled panel from the company. It is their answer to Nvidia’s ULMB and BenQ’s DyAc strobing technologies. That said, I am extremely excited to check out if the feature works as intended.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Display‎

Connectivity

Special Features‎

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ is a Full HD display based on a VA panel. It has a curvature of 1800R, with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The contrast ratio is rated at 3000:1, with a typical brightness rated at 300 cd/㎡. Response time is rated at 4ms GtG and refresh rate is at 144Hz. This gaming monitor support AMD FreeSync with a range of 48-144Hz. The ASUS ELMB works at 85, 100 and 120Hz.

DESIGN, LAYOUT AND CONNECTIVITY:

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ is a 27″ gaming monitor with a curvature of 1800R. It is technically the 27 incher XG32VQ. Still a huge display with serious gaming aura emanating from the hood.

Aesthetic wise, the XG27VQ is impressive. It had the ASUS Aura Sync making sure that everywhere you look, it wont be a bland potato on the table. The signature base also adds up to the flare but it does extend the foot print but not so much compared to its bigger brother. In true ROG fashion, the power and OSD buttons are located at the back.

Screen coating used is a blend between gloss and a matte finish. This is to accentuate the color reproduction of the panel while maintaining the functionality which is to diffuse ambient light. Bezel on the other hand is around 9.3mm thick (20mm at the base) which is good for multi-monitor setups.

ASUS made sure that the ROG Strix XG27VQ is made with ergonomics in mind. It tilts from -5° to 20° and swivels at a maximum of 50°‎. Height is also adjustable at a maximum of 100mm. It doesn’t rotate though.

As for display options, ASUS went extra careful with the choices. We got one DVI, DisplayPort and a single HDMI 2.0 connector. There are no USB inputs this time but the headset jack the cover are retained.

Power is unfortunately still external. A total bummer considering the size of the monitor and that stand.

ON-SCREEN DISPLAY MENU:

The ASUS XG27VQ features a similar OSD and navigation option compared to other ASUS gaming monitors we’ve tested. That said, it is easy enough to use especially with a joystick at bay. We have 7 main menus here with GameVisual acting up as the presets menu.

The Image menu is where you’ll find the Adaptive-Sync and FreeSync options together with the ASUS ELMB. Color is where you of course setup the brightness, contrast, saturation and the gamma presets.

Compared to the AOC AG271QG, the OSD of the XG27VQ is a lot more easier to use. I have yet to found a match when it comes to navigation.

TEST SETUP, CALIBRATION AND METHODOLOGY:

Our test setup relies on the Blur Busters TestUFO Motion Tests and Data Color’s Spyder5ELITE Display Calibration System. Target for calibration is a 2.2 Gamma value, with a White Point at 6500K and a Brightness value set at 120 cd/㎡. Calibrated values are then analyzed with the Spyder5ELITE Display Analysis tool. Do note that Dynamic Contrast Ratio and other extra features built within the OSD are disabled during the tests.

GAMUT:

The Gamut test evaluates the color spaces the display exactly covers. That includes industry standard spaces such as sRGB and AdobeRGB. Higher percentage values are better.

Color space coverage is good. We got a 97% sRGB coverage while AdobeRGB results are at 75%.

TONE RESPONSE:

Tone response is where we check the display’s Gamma values and or presets if there are any. We then compare the results with industry standards of 1.8, 2.2 and 2.4. Closer to these values are better.

We have 1.7, 2.1, and 2.4 on the scale. Good results we got here from the XG27VQ.

BRIGHTNESS AND CONTRAST:

The result of the tests shows us an overview on how the display actually performs in terms of Brightness and Contrast ratio on varying brightness levels. Higher is better.

Brightness at 100% using our calibrated profile is rated at 196.7 cd/㎡. Contrast ratio on the other hand is at 940:1. The brightness value from our calibrated result is certainly not the best with the exception of the contrast ratio. Note that 300 cd/㎡ is achievable not just on our settings.

SCREEN UNIFORMITY:

This test shows us an overview of the screen’s uniformity at the calibrated brightness level. The closer this value to 0, the better the performance of the panel.

Color uniformity is generally good with decent DeltaE differences. The panel area with the highest difference is at the top featuring a 2.0 recorded deviation.

COLOR ACCURACY:

This test shows how well different basic color hues are being reproduced by the display. These color tones correspond with the Datacolor SpyderCheckr. Lower Delta-E values are better.

Most color IDs tested hovers around 2 to 3 Delta-E mark which is not really the best. Darker colors represents the least accurate of all IDs at more than 3 Delta-E values.

POWER CONSUMPTION:

The power consumption is checked with a power meter. Measurements are taken at maximum brightness level.

Power consumption is pretty good for the 27 inch display. That’s a full 33.4W load at 100% brightness level on our calibrated setting.

BACKLIGHT BLEED AND VIEWING ANGLES:

Backlight Bleed is the phenomenon where backlighting from a display leaks. This is prevalent with LED backlight enabled displays where the LEDs used to light the panel are situated at the edges of the display. Testing the Backlight of the display is conducted on a dim room, simulating the recognizable amount of bleed for such scenario.

Viewing angles are also tested to check out how the display panel performs on various positions. This should be helpful if you are looking for a panel that could be used on multi-monitor setups.

Backlight bleed at 120 cd/㎡ is slightly noticeable. You’ll only see it when you look for it so it is not a major concern. Viewing angles on the other hand is excellent.

BUTTON TO PIXEL INPUT LAG:

The Button to Pixel Input Lag is a combination of system latency from the point of input, processing and display output. That is the basic of it and to quantify the approximate Button to Pixel Input Lag, we utilized Quake 3 Arena as our main shooter. The game is set at the native resolution of the panel with the FPS locked at 250. We check how much delay in milliseconds it took the display to actually output the signal via a 1200 FPS high-speed camera with ~0.83ms of accuracy.

Button to pixel lag results shows that the test system has a minimum of 5.92ms and a maximum of 10.80ms latency. Average through our tests with the high speed camera is at around 8.1ms.

FRAME SKIPPING:

Frame Skipping is the phenomenon where dropped frames and missing refreshes occur due to ineffective refresh rate overclocking. If your display exhibits such issues, it should be perceptually similar to in-game frame skipping. We are are utilizing the Blur Busters Frame Skipping Checker to test if there is any.

There is nothing to worry about the ASUS XG27VQ when it comes to frame skipping.

MOTION CLARITY – DISPLAY PERSISTENCE:

Motion Picture Response Time (MPRT) is the numbered approach to demonstrate the level of perceived motion blur on a display. Basically, a lower persistence value indicates less motion blur. Refresh rate and the sampling method plays a major part here whereas a higher refresh rate nominally features better display persistence values.

Assessing the typical display persistence is easy enough with sample and hold displays, while CRT and Strobe Lighting enabled displays are quite difficult to test with the current tools available. That said, these are still good references to check out. Especially true if we’re looking for differences based on refresh rates alone.

MOTION CLARITY – PURSUIT CAMERA:

Setting up a pursuit camera courtesy of Blur Busters allows us to a great extent, perceive the actual motion blur of the display. Using such method also allows us to check out for other motion artifacts including ghosting, inverse ghosting and other artifacts. This pursuit camera test is a peer-reviewed invention.

At is native 144Hz refresh rate, the ASUS XG27VQ hinted a motion persistence below 8ms. The motion clarity results we got is actually slightly better than the XG32VQ. Strobing on the other hand is good. I can’t say it is the best but at 120Hz with ASUS ELMB enabled, the technology is just effective at mitigating motion blur. There are still artifacts though but I can totally live with them.

GAMING EXPERIENCE:

The ASUS XG27VQ supports a maximum of 144Hz so it’s pretty smooth and responsive. Plus, it features a 1800R curved panel. In practice, curved displays should alleviate eye strain over flat panel displays with an enhanced FOV. This makes more sense with monitors over televisions due to the proximity of the user to feel any difference. Normally, I’d vouch for a curved display but 1080P at 27″ is still pushing it. If you have a roomy desk then I see no reason not to push it to the wall just to alleviate the pixel density of such setup.

Curved vs CRT and conventional flat screen display

If you’re the kind of gamer who’d trade your soul just to eliminate tearing, then AMD FreeSync is for you. Setting it up is breeze and it’s an excellent way to eliminate tearing. Dipping to lower frame rates and shooting up again also feels smoother with the feature turned on. The ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ supports FreeSync with a range of 48-144Hz.

FreeSync display vs normal display with Vsync off

Of course, the ASUS ELMB is also one of the stars of the show. We’ve seen how it works on our pursuit camera test and frankly speaking it works. The ASUS ELMB on this display only supports a maximum of 120Hz but that is better than nothing. Providing a smooth yet clear output of what’s happening when everything’s under motion.

Strobe lighting display vs normal display

THE VERDICT:

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ is anything better than the XG32VQ minus the color space, screen space, resolution and the connectivity options. The contrast ratio on the XG27VQ is better, there is a blur reduction technology via the ASUS ELMB and tone response is almost spot on.

Gaming oriented features are excellent too which is technically similar to the XG32VQ – with less and then some more. Then again, I’d like to point out the Aura Sync lighting at the back. If it’s just brighter, the Aura Sync could be used as a proper ambient lighting if the display is pushed to the wall. Lighting is still a plus though no matter what we say about it.

In closing, the ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ is a well priced gaming monitor at 27380 PHP. That’s about 7260 PHP less than the larger 32″ model or about $140 for the international market. Not bad, not really bad considering what it brought to the table.

ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ 144Hz Curved Gaming Monitor

• 8/10 PERFORMANCE – 8/10
• 9/10 BUILD QUALITY – 9/10
• 9/10 FEATURES – 9/10
• 8/10 AESTHETICS – 8/10
• 8/10 VALUE – 8/10

8.4/10

Summary

In closing, the ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ is a well priced gaming monitor at 27380 PHP. That’s about 7260 PHP less than the larger 32″ model or about $140 for the international market. Not bad, not really bad considering what it brought to the table.

Keyword: Review | ASUS ROG Strix XG27VQ 144Hz Curved Gaming Monitor