ASUS’ RoG SWIFT PG278Q 27-inch Monitor Brings G-Sync to 1440p Gamers

When I first got a glimpse of NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology at a press event last fall, I was impressed from the get-go. So impressed, in fact, that it felt like it’d take no time at all to see the market become littered with displays equipped with the technology. As I look back at that thought, I realize just how naive I was, since up to this point, only a single model has shipped: ASUS’ VG248QE.

At June’s Computex event in Taipei, we learned that the G-Sync dearth would soon be ending, with a number of models slated for release during Q3. Well, it’s ASUS once again first out the door with a new model, this time a 27-inch one. It’s called SWIFT PG278Q, and as it falls under ASUS’ Republic of Gamers line, you’d be right to assume that this is a high-grade display.

On account of the simple fact that this display’s model number differs by a single character to the one I use every single day (PB278Q), I had figured the specs would be similar. Not so – this RoG SWIFT has gamer written all over it (not literally – that’d be stupid).

The PG278Q is a 27-inch display using a TN panel that sports a resolution of 2560×1440. At that native res, it uses a refresh rate of 144Hz while in 2D mode, and 100 or 120Hz in 3D mode. If you have deep pockets and would like to go the Surround route, a 7680×1440 resolution awaits. So too should a high-end GPU assortment, because 11 megapixels is no joke.

Other specs include a 350cd/m2 brightness, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, a 1ms gray-to-rate response time, a 170° viewing angle, a pixel width of 0.233mm (109ppi), and gamer-specific features like GamePlus and Ultra Low Motion Blur. It also happens to be quite light, coming in at 7KG; the aforementioned PB278Q is 8.8KG, despite having the same display size.

Something that will jump out a lot of people pursuing a monitor like this will be the fact that it has only a single video port (DisplayPort). I have no idea why it has only one, but it’s unfortunate. My PB278Q daily driver has not only a DisplayPort, but HDMI and DVI as well. I can understand that G-Sync might not work with other connectors, but I do feel more ports should be implemented here. On this monitor, I sometimes hook up my SHIELD via HDMI to play some games. That’s simply impossible on the PG278Q. Nonetheless, 2x USB 3.0 ports can also be found at the back.

Of course, the biggest thing to set this monitor apart from most is NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology, which can greatly smooth out desynced frames in full-screen gaming. Because this feature ties in straight to the GPU, a G-Sync option must be chosen under the Vertical Sync drop-down inside of the NVIDIA driver – something that will happen by default after installing a GeForce driver. Naturally, for this to be possible, an NVIDIA graphics card must be installed.

I’ve been testing out the PG278Q for the past couple of days, but still need to get some more testing in before I can publish a full review. So far, I am greatly impressed with the display from many different regards. G-Sync behaves just as I expected it to, although that’s what most of my further testing will be dedicated towards. The aesthetics are great as well, with its thin bezels making it an ideal display for multi-monitor, and its red glow at the base simply looking cool. Mechanically, it’s also impressive – it can go into portrait mode in a couple of seconds, and moves up and down its mount with very little effort required.

ASUS’ RoG SWIFT PG278Q is set to hit etail soon, and when it does, it’ll sell for about $799. If there’s anything you’d like to know about the display, feel free to post below, and I’ll tackle it in time for the full review.