Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG review: This unique OLED monitor wows in HDR

Cost When Reviewed

$749

Finest Prices Today: Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG

Those trying to find an OLED display have a great deal of options in 2024, however if you desire a 27-inch 1440p display screen, those options have actually mainly utilized Samsung’s QD-OLED panel. Now, nevertheless, Asus is altering that with the ROG Strix XG27AQDMG. This brand-new 27-inch 1440p 240Hz video gaming display has an OLED screen from LG. It resembles QD-OLED in numerous aspects however takes the lead in HDR efficiency.

Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG specifications and functions

You would not understand the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG from other OLED screens by glancing at the spec sheet. It is a 27-inch screen with a 2560 × 1440 resolution and an optimum revitalize rate of 240Hz. Like comparable screens, it sticks to HDMI and DisplayPort for video input and keeps USB connection very little with simply 2 USB-A ports.

• Show size: 27-inch widescreen
• Native resolution: 2560 × 1440
• Panel type: Glossy WOLED
• Revitalize rate: Up to 240Hz
• Adaptive sync: Adaptive Sync 240, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-Sync
• HDR: Yes, HDR10
• Ports: 1x DisplayPort 1.4 DSC, 2x HDMI (v2.0), 1x earphone jack, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB Type-B (upstream)
• VESA install: 100x100mm
• Speakers: None
• Rate: $749 MSRP

The essential distinction, obviously, is the kind of display screen panel utilized. WOLED mean “white OLED,” and it’s a kind of panel made by LG that has a subpixel design with an extra white OLED pixel that signs up with the red, blue, and green OLED pixels.

This is rather distinct, as almost all LCD and OLED screens throughout history adhere to a red, blue, and green sub-pixel design, and accomplish white by lighting all 3 all at once. LG states the special white sub-pixel can increase the display screen’s optimum brightness.

The is a follower to the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDMwhich likewise had a WOLED panel. That screen aged inadequately as QD-OLED rivals rapidly jumped ahead of it. The XG27AQDMG fairs much better.

Additional reading: See our roundup of the best video gaming keeps track of to learn more about completing items.

The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG’s style, just like its spec sheet, is challenging to differentiate from other OLED screens at a glimpse. It strikes a modern-day appearance from the front, with slim bezels along all sides and a shiny display screen panel. Unlike some rivals, nevertheless, Asus branding stays popular thanks to a radiant red ROG logo design.

From the back, the screen’s thin profile stands apart, and some subtle etching makes the screen’s video gaming intent clear. The screen consists of an RGB-LED accent in the shape of the Asus ROG logo design. It can be tailored utilizing the on-screen menu or collaborate with other RGB-LED gadgets through Asus’ Aura Sync.

Asus carefully picks to utilize a compact, flat mean the ROG Strix XG27AQDMG. This decreases the quantity of area the display takes up on your desk and keeps the area it does take in functional, as you can still put products on the stand. The stand changes for height, tilt, swivel, and rotates 90 degrees for usage in picture orientation. A 100x100mm VESA display screen install is readily available, which indicates that third-party screen stands and arms are an alternative.

The screen stand consists of a threaded install on the top of the stand. It can be utilized to connect a peripheral like a cam, microphone, or LED light, and it’s a beneficial function for banners and other video material developers. You’ll likely require a spacer or adjustable install to utilize it, nevertheless, due to the fact that the top of the display screen will obstruct a peripheral installed here unless the stand is gotten used to its least expensive height.

Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG connection and menus

Asus stays with the essentials with connection. The ROG Strix XG27AQDMG has one DisplayPort 1.4 port and 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, both of which assistance VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) for compatibility with contemporary video game consoles.

The screen’s on-screen menu system is accessed through a joystick fixated the bottom bezel. It is responsive and simple to utilize. Asus on-screen menus are realistically set up and well-labeled, so browsing them to discover functions is easy.

Image quality change is substantial. It consists of a variety of pre-programmed modes along with color range modes that target sRGB and DCI-P3. Color temperature level and gamma are adjustable also, and both target particular mathematical worths rather of unclear labels like “cool” or “warm.” Six-axis color personalization is consisted of for more fine-tuning if it’s needed.

Players can raise the brightness of dark locations of the screen to make opponents concealed in shadowy locations much easier to see. The display screen likewise consists of a number of element ratio modes, which can alter the size of the viewable location on the display screen. That may be beneficial if you wish to limit the viewable location to a 24-inch 1080p equivalent for esports titles. There’s likewise a 4:3 mode, which comes in handy if you wish to play an older PC video game that does not have correct widescreen assistance.

The display’s functions can be changed in Windows with Asus’ DisplayWidget software application. It’s quicker and simpler to utilize than the on-screen menu. The majority of screen makers provide comparable software application, however DisplayWidget is more appealing and much easier to utilize than comparable software application from rivals like Gigabyte and MSI.

Speakers are not consisted of, so you will require to utilize external speakers or a headset. I constantly choose to see bundled speakers, however competitive video gaming screens likewise omit them.

Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG SDR image quality

The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG, like every other 27-inch OLED video gaming screen on the marketplace, provides 2560 × 1440 resolution. While rivals utilize Samsung’s QD-OLED panel innovation, the XG27QDMG rather relies on LG’s third-generation WOLED. How does it stack up?

The ROG Strix XG27AQDMG reached an optimum full-screen SDR brightness of 260 nits. That’s competitive with peers like the Alienware AW2725DFhowever it’s still not remarkable.

Brightness is stated to be a perk of WOLED panels, yet in SDR the XG27AQDMG is hardly brighter than options with a Samsung QD-OLED panel. The screen’s full-screen brightness is great for a space with excellent light control, however brilliant overhead lighting or a bright window can produce a great deal of glare and make the display uneasy to see.

WOLED does have a benefit in HDR brightness, however, as I’ll describe in more information in the next area of this evaluation.

Contrast is a strength of the ROG Strix XG27AQDMG. The display accomplished a minimum brightness of absolutely no nits at every screen brightness setting, which is successfully a best outcome and enhances the contrast ratio into the millions.

The display’s outstanding contrast is obvious throughout whatever seen on the screen, however it’s specifically helpful in darker video games and films like Diablo IV or Blade RunnerOLED prevents the grayish, foggy appearance typical to cheaper displays with an IPS panel.

All contemporary OLED keeps track of take advantage of OLED’s contrast ratio, so contrast is not a factor to purchase one OLED screen over another. Still, it’s excellent to see the WOLED carries out in addition to anticipated.

The ROG Strix XG27AQDMG’s color range outcomes are fascinating. It attains 100 percent of the sRGB color range, 96 percent of DCI-P3, and 89 percent of Adobe RGB. These are exceptional outcomes, however they’re a bit behind current QD-OLED displays. Many QD-OLED displays launched in 2024 can reach 98 percent of DCI-P3 and 94 percent of Adobe RGB.

Players should not worry over this, as the distinction will be challenging to observe while playing video games. Even content developers most likely will not discover the XG27AQDMG’s somewhat minimized color range an issue.

Still, if optimum color range is a top priority for you, a QD-OLED screen is the much better option. It’s likewise smart to think about a Mini-LED display with quantum dots, such as the RedMagic 4K Gaming Monitor. They attain exceptional color range outcomes.

The XG27AQDMG’s large color range and excellent contrast make it exceptional for video games and motion pictures.

WOLED’s color efficiency continues to drag QD-OLED in color precision, as the XG27AQDMG published outcomes that lag the QD-OLED keeps track of that PCWorld has actually evaluated this year. The XG27AQDMG’s color looks practical and stays terrific for video gaming, however content developers might wish to adjust the screen.

The XG27AQDMG likewise had small problems with color temperature level and gamma efficiency. I determined a gamma curve of 2.3 when the setting was at 2.2, suggesting material looked a little darker than it should. Color temperature level was likewise a bit off, with a determined color temperature level of 6600K when the display was set to 6500K. That suggests the display looked somewhat cooler and more sterilized than perfect. Both of these differences are relatively small, however, and not most likely to be a barrier for players.

Sharpness is a more visible issue. The WOLED panel’s distinct subpixel design can trigger color fringing concerns around information like little text and fine, high-contrast edges. Little typefaces were pixelated and sometimes revealed off-colors along their edges. Asus consists of a ClearEdge function, which is expected to reduce the issue, however it wasn’t reliable in my screening. At times the display looked even worse with ClearEdge on than with it off.

This problem is likewise present on contemporary QD-OLED screens, particularly 27-inch displays 1440p resolution, however I do feel it’s a bit more visible on the WOLED panel.

The XG27AQDMG’s total SDR image quality is at as soon as outstanding and frustrating. Its broad color range and outstanding contrast make it outstanding for video games and films. The WOLED panel somewhat underperforms QD-OLED in some aspects, and its dull sharpness stands out. I can suggest the XG27AQDMG if you simply wish to video game, however consumers trying to find a video game that’s similarly fantastic for video gaming, workplace performance, and material production ought to beware.

Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG HDR image quality

The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG’s SDR efficiency a little drags its OLED peers, however it strikes back in HDR

I determined an optimal continual full-screen HDR brightness of 269 nits, which essentially connects the screen’s SDR brightness. The screen struck an optimal continual brightness of 724 nits in a 10 percent window, indicating 10 percent of the display screen was lit. QD-OLED display screens, like the Alienware AW2725DF and Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDM, accomplished about 400 nits in this situation.

The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG likewise struck an optimal continual brightness of 608 nits in a 50 percent window, suggesting half the screen was lit. That, too, is much better than QD-OLED options, which are fortunate to sustain 300 nits.

To put it just, the XG27AQDMG’s WOLED panel provides much better HDR brightness than QD-OLED. Greater brightness is very important since it supplies more information in luminescent locations of a scene. The accretion disc around the great void in Interstellar’s Gargantua scene is an excellent example. The disk appears like a uniform, radiant consistent mass in SDR, however HDR exposes subtle colors and included information that was undetectable in SDR.

The XG27AQDMG is likewise terrific for HDR video gaming. Games that have HDR assistance often have appealing particle impacts and other little, fancy aspects that appear just quickly on the screen. The XG27AQDMG looks extremely brilliant and comprehensive when showing these results. QD-OLED displays likewise look great in HDR video games, however the XG27AQDMG transcends.

If HDR is at the top of your list of concerns, then the XG27AQDMG is an exceptional option. Its brightness is beat just by Mini-LED displays like the AOC Q27G3XMN. Mini-LED displays have their own downsides, however, like halos around little brilliant things and, in many cases, less movement clearness. The XG27AQDMG’s mix of brightness, contrast, and movement clearness makes it perfect for HDR. video gaming.

Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG movement efficiency

Movement efficiency is a strength of OLED displays, and the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG is no exception. Scrolling test images from video games like League of Legends and Dota 2 exposed great information around character shapes. The names and hitpoint bars showed above characters were usually clear in movement, though not constantly simple to check out. Little, quick moving things stay recognizable and considerable information shows up in good vistas when panning the cam in a 3D video game.

While the XG27AQDMG’s movement clearness is excellent, it’s beat by QD-OLED options that strike 360Hz, such as Alienware’s AW2725DF. These rivals are more costly, however their enhanced refresh rate can offer a minor movement clearness increase. Bear in mind, nevertheless, that a video game needs to accomplish a frame rate of approximately 360 frames per second for the 360Hz revitalize rate to show beneficial. That’s hard, or difficult, with lots of contemporary PC video games.

Asus provides a backlight strobing mode called ELMB, which quickly flickers the image to minimize viewed movement blur. It’s efficient, however it likewise reduces the brightness of the display screen. That can be an issue in SDR material, as there’s not a great deal of brightness to spare. The ELMB mode likewise supports an optimum revitalize rate of 120Hz, and it does not deal with HDR. These constraints eliminate the majority of its appeal.

The XG27AQDMG’s main adaptive sync assistance is substantial. It consists of accreditations for VESA Adaptive Sync 240, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. The screen likewise deals with the variable refresh mode on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

All OLED rivals provide adaptive sync assistance, however lots of business pick not to pursue main accreditation with both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. Technically, keeps track of without the accreditation will generally deal with both, however I like the assurance Asus uses by consisting of main assistance for both requirements.

Should you purchase the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG?

The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG is a practical option to QD-OLED screens that carries out somewhat even worse in some scenarios and much better in others. The screen’s HDR efficiency is its biggest strength, as it accomplishes a level of HDR brightness that’s substantially greater than QD-OLED displays. In SDR, nevertheless, the XG27AQDMG a little drags QD-OLED rivals in color efficiency and sharpness.

Rates operates in Asus’ favor. The XG27AQDMG brings a retail MSRP of simply $749.99. A couple of QD-OLED screens, like the MSI MAG 271QPXare readily available for $750, however many are $50 to $100 more pricey. That makes the XG27AQDMG an excellent option for players who desire OLED however still require to be conscious of their spending plan.

Finest Prices Today: Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG

Author: Matthew S. Smith