Asus is kicking off its new XG series of gaming monitors with a curved 27-inch FreeSync display from its Republic of Gamers division, the ROG Strix XG27VQ.
The new monitor uses a VA panel with an 1800R curvature. It is a Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) display with a fast 144Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time (gray to gray). It also boasts a max typical contrast ratio of 3,000:1 (100,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio) and 300 nits brightness.
Monitors are one of few areas remaining that have yet to be emblazoned with RGB lighting on a wide scale. That could change if others monitor makers follow suit here—the ROG Strix XG27VQ features RGB lighting on the back that users can customize through the company's Aura RGB utility.
The new monitor also supports some ergonomic adjusts, including tilt (20 to -5 degrees), swivel (50 to -50 degrees), and height (0 to 100 mm). As for connectivity options, an HDMI 1.4 port, a DisplayPort 1.2 connector, a dual-link DVI-D port, and a 3.5mm mini-jack for audio chores.
Asus has set the MSRP at $349, which is precisely what it goes for on Amazon. Relatively affordable pricing is one advantage of going with a FreeSync monitor rather than a G-Sync model, though the choice is obviously dictated by what kind of graphics card you have, and whether you care about having a variable refresh rate.
If you want to save a few bucks, the Asus VG278Q is also a flat 27-inch 1080p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support, but it goes for $299 (and lacks RGB lighting). And of course there is the VG248QE, currently our budget pick among our list of the best monitors for gaming. It sells for $259.
