ASUS has announced that the ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q we saw during CES is officially shipping at the end of August. It's a fair bit later than the Q2 target they were shooting for, but if all goes to plan, it will be here shortly. This is the first WQHD screen to use NVIDIA's G-Sync. The 27" monitor will feature a 144Hz refresh rate at 2560x1440 for normal 2D viewing; the Swift PG278Q drops to 120Hz in 3D mode. It also has a response time of 1ms (GTG) and 2xUSB 3.0 ports in addition to the DisplayPort 1.2 input.
ASUS Swift PG278Q 144Hz Display Specs
ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q | |
| Display | 27-inch (68.5cm) widescreen with 16:9 aspect ratio |
| Resolution | 2D mode: 2560 x 1440 (up to 144 Hz) 3D mode: 2560 x 1440 (up to 120 Hz) 2D/3D surround: 7680 x 1440 (2D up to 144 Hz / 3D up to 120 Hz) |
| Pixel pitch | 0.233mm / 109 PPI |
| Colors (max) | 16.7M |
| Viewing angles | 170-degree (H) / 160-degree (V) |
| Contrast Ratio | 100,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio |
| Brightness (max) | 350cd/m² |
| Response time | 1ms (GTG) |
| ASUS-exclusive technologies | ASUS GamePlus Technology (Crosshair / Timer) ASUS Refresh Rate Turbo Key (60 Hz /120 Hz/ 144Hz Overclocking) ASUS 5-way OSD Navigation Joystick |
| NVIDIA®technologies | NVIDIA® G-SYNC™ Technology NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ Ready NVIDIA® Ultra Low Motion Blur Technology |
| Input/output | 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 2 x USB 3.0 (Upstream x 1, Downstream x 2) |
| Stand | Tilt: +20°~-5°, Swivel: ±60°, Pivot: 90° clockwise Height adjustment: 0~120mm VESA wall mount: 100 x 100mm |
| Size | 619.7 x 362.96 x 65.98mm |
| Weight (est.) | 7.0g |
We first explained G-Sync after its CES '14 showing. G-Sync causes the monitor to slave to the GPU's output instead of having a fixed refresh rate. By no longer being bound to a strict monitor timing, screen tearing and stuttering (depending on V-Sync settings) should be completely eliminated. Obviously, this won't impact server lag or other choke/load points due to bottlenecks within the game; though it should make the gaming experience noticeably smoother.
$800 for a monitor is a big investment. That's the cost of a fairly high-end system on its own. Having said that, if it performs like it should, this would be a great addition to a high-end system. The display will work with cards as low as the 750 Ti; realistically, if you have enough in your budget to get the Swift PG278Q and are only going to be using a 750 Ti, I would recommend getting a less expensive monitor and putting the money towards a more powerful GPU. Especially considering the power required to drive a 1440p resolution while gaming.
I like it. I want it. But it may be worth waiting until next year to see if the price fluctuates as more of these hit the market.
- Scott "Abibiliboop" Griffin.