Asus PG27UQ: What the first 4K monitor with 144 Hz can do
8.6.2018
Translation: machine translated
The PG27UQ from Asus is the first 4K monitor with 144 Hz. However, the Taiwanese company didn't stop there and added HDR and G-Sync on top. It's not surprising that you have to fork out almost 3000 francs for this - but is it really worth the money?
"One million views in one day. That's the benchmark". With this impressive result for the hands-on video by Youtuber Linus Sebastian, my colleague Sebastian Karlen hands me the Asus PG27UQ. "It's THE peripheral product of the year." Yes, well, what does this Valaisan know. Just because he has the same first name or surname as Linus, does he think he can lecture me? In the mountains, a 15-inch tube monitor is probably still the measure of all things. But he's probably not entirely wrong. After all, the PG27UQ is the first 4K monitor to achieve 144 Hz and that's not all. HDR and G-Sync are also available. However, at just under 3000 francs, you'll have to take out a small loan for it - with the emphasis on YOU. Asus kindly provided us with a device, which I immediately put into operation.
Everything your heart desires
The PG27UQ offers pretty much everything that makes gamers' hearts blossom. The 27-inch IPS display utilises Quantum Dot technology, which most people will be familiar with from Samsung televisions. The display doesn't quite reach OLED level, but the picture quality is definitely impressive. The DCI-P3 colour space, which is said to be 25 per cent larger than that of sRGB monitors, probably also helps with the rich colours.
The following four features are more exciting for gamers: 3840 x 2160 pixels, 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR and G-Sync. The combination of the last two technologies in particular was and is a challenge for hardware manufacturers. Asus delivers a maximum brightness of 1000 cd/m2 thanks to 384 zones with direct LED lighting. This allows the extreme contrasts that characterise HDR to be achieved.
The LED backlight also dynamically ensures high contrast between bright and dark scenes. However, if you are in a dark room and the monitor darkens again after a very bright picture, the uneven backlighting is sometimes noticeable. Certain areas then shine brighter than others. In everyday use, however, I have not noticed this as a problem.
You can operate the OSD menu very easily using the small joystick and four buttons on the back. The menus are also organised in a relatively clear way so that you can find what you are looking for. Two buttons also take you directly to various quick settings such as picture presets or FPS display. The joystick is a little too sensitive. If you are supposed to press it to confirm an input, you will quickly slip once.
The monitor is extremely manoeuvrable. It can be adjusted vertically, rotated 90° clockwise and anti-clockwise, turned left and right and swivelled forwards and backwards. Every movement is very smooth thanks to the solid base. The connections (1x Displayport 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 1x headphone connection) are located at the rear and can be discreetly concealed with a removable plastic cover. There is absolutely nothing to criticise about the workmanship. Nothing wobbles or rattles anywhere.
The thick equipment package is then also on the ribs. The PG27UQ weighs almost 10 kg.
That lights up several lights for me
Asus doesn't just show off its inner values. As befits a proper gamer monitor, it offers a colourful light show. It has a ROG logo on the top of the stand and a huge RGB logo on the back, which can of course be controlled via Asus' Aura software. To do this, the monitor must be connected to the PC via a USB cable, otherwise the light can only be changed directly on the monitor. There is another light source on the underside of the stand. Any logo or lettering can be projected onto the table using the four transparent plastic covers supplied. The disco is rounded off by an ROG bat signal that ignites on the ceiling. Overkill? Sure, but also pretty fun and everything can be switched off if required.
Performance and the long road to HDR
I don't really need to describe 4K resolution in games anymore. The enormous pixel density ensures that you can save on edge smoothing and the like and still get a razor-sharp image with maximum detail. If your graphics card can cope, you can enjoy the monster resolution in combination with 144 Hz. You must first activate 144 Hz via the monitor menu. This will overclock the device from 120 Hz to 144 Hz. "CS: GO" and "Metro Last Light" were my test candidates and the results are impressive. Buttery-smooth 3840 x 2160 pixels are really something special. However, this magical combination of pixels and frames is not possible for most modern or demanding games - not even with a 1080 Ti. SLI is required and experience has shown that this does not always work as desired.
Q-Sync, which ensures that the image is not distorted if the graphics card and monitor are not at the same level, makes things easier. A feature you don't want to do without.
The real highlight, however, is HDR. To activate the function, you first have to overcome a few hurdles. You need a high-quality display port cable 1.4 (included). You can only get 4k at 60 Hz via the HDMI connection. Plus a compatible graphics card - anything less than 1080 Ti makes little sense. Then you need to install the very latest Windows update and, depending on the graphics card, also upgrade the firmware to Displayport 1.4 with this tool. You should then be able to activate HDR in Windows.
After that, you just need to find a suitable game, of which there aren't very many. "Star Wars Battlefront 2", "Destiny 2" and "Assassin's Creed Origins" are some of the better-known examples. I primarily tried it out on the former and the difference is striking. HDR provides significantly more gradations in dark areas. The contrasts, especially in the space battles, are so much more pronounced. If you deactivate the option in the game again, you will be quite disillusioned. The image looks downright faded. Fortunately, you only notice this in direct comparison, otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to play many games.
HDR doesn't bring the same benefits in every game. You also sometimes have to adjust the brightness or colours on the monitor yourself until you find the right value for you. And then it may well be that the settings for another game are no longer correct. I noticed a strange phenomenon with "Battlefront 2" when I deactivated HDR in the game. After that, there was quite a lot of colour banding. It was only really noticeable in the menu when the game is displayed slightly blurred in the background. Then it looked as if the monitor had suddenly switched to 8-bit colour depth. I didn't notice anything in other games. So it could also be due to "Battlefront 2". And finally, there's no reason not to leave HDR switched on anyway.
If you want to watch Netflix on your PC, you need to install the app from the Microsoft Store. The web version does not offer HDR. However, this also allows you to compare window by window how "Stranger Things" looks with and without HDR. There's no going back from there. Especially films and series that often take place at night or have many dark scenes benefit enormously from HDR.
Conclusion: If only it were a little bigger
4K at 144 Hz is an absolute niche requirement. This is reflected both in the price of the monitor and the requirements for the graphics card. A GTX 1080 Ti is the absolute minimum. As expected, if you find a game that you can max out, the result is an absolute feast for the eyes. The not-so-secret star, however, is HDR, which takes many games to the next level visually. However, as the selection of supported titles is still very limited, this alone is not a reason to buy. The appeal of the PG27UQ is the combination of the best that monitors currently have to offer. The only drawback apart from the price, which makes your eyes water, is the size. For almost 3000 francs, 27 inches is definitely not enough for me. Anyone who doesn't mind this and has enough money for such fun is guaranteed to be happy with this monitor.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
