Middle of 2014 Asus brought out the first gaming WQHD monitor, the Republic of Gamers “Swift” PG278Q. And for quite some time it was all alone on the market because Asus exclusively had the panel technology. Since then the technology and the competition have caught up. This does not seem to bother Asus as they have been popping out WQHD screens one after the other lately. In this article we will check out the MG278Q, the MG279Q and the PG279Q.
We can imagine that you are asking yourself what the difference between the three Asus screens is because at first sight they all seem to be WQHD (2560x1440) 144Hz monitors. Below is a small table for the clarification.
Model | Resolution | Maximum refresh rate | Sync-technology | Sync-range | Panel type | Avg. price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PG278Q | 2560x1440 | 144Hz | G-Sync | 30-144Hz | TN | € 730 |
MG278Q | 2560x1440 | 144Hz | FreeSync | 35-144Hz | TN | € 550 |
MG279Q | 2560x1440 | 144Hz | FreeSync | 30-90Hz | IPS | € 650 |
PG279Q | 2560x1440 | 165Hz | G-Sync | 30-165Hz | IPS (AHVA) | € 900 |
However, there are more differences: the MG278Q and the PG278Q both have TN panels as a base, with the accompanying limitations of the viewing angle and the potential of a good reaction time. The MG279Q and the PG279Q are built on an IPS panel which means slower response times, but often a (much) better colour display. On the other hand we do see really good TN panels and not every IPS panel gives good results, testing is required. And this is exactly what we did.
Before we go into any more detail, let’s talk about the price. A “regular” 60Hz WQHD monitor with a 27” TN panel can be purchased for some 270 pounds / 350 euros, an IPS panel of the same size will cost you around 386 pounds / 500 euros. The screens in this review all have a minimum refresh rate of 144Hz and are noticeably pricier, also higher demands are put on the scaler as we see a price difference of some 77 pounds / 100 euros-150 pounds / 200 euros. If you would like G-Sync which is a premium feature then you are looking at another 60 pounds / 80 euros-77 pounds / 100 euroson top of that. If you want to have the state of art performance of the refresh rate higher than 144Hz then you will have to consider an even higher budget.
On the other hand, you could in July 2014 for 150 pounds / 200 eurosless get a 144Hz WQHD screen without the G-sync. It has been mentioned often enough that the value of G-sync in a high frequency screen much less than on a screen with a 60Hz refresh rate. On top of that at the end of 2015 the choices have only grown and that needs to be considered too.
Enough with the introduction, want to read more about the screens?
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