- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is a very good budget-friendly monitor that's intended for creative professionals. Its superb ergonomics, high peak brightness, and wide viewing angles make it a good fit for nearly any type of workspace. It comes with good color accuracy out-of-the-box and it has an excellent SDR color gamut; however, it can't display a wide color gamut and doesn't support HDR. It has impressive gaming performance despite its professional-looking design, as it has a fast response time, Adaptive Sync support, and a 75Hz refresh rate that makes fast motion look just a bit more fluid. Unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio and mediocre black uniformity, which is expected of most IPS panels. On the bright side, it provides a generous number of USB ports and even has a pair of built-in speakers.
Update 09/24/2020: We mistakenly indicated that this monitor has native FreeSync support. It supports Adaptive Sync, and is FreeSync compatible.
Our Verdict
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is a great monitor for most uses. It has a large screen with a high resolution that's well-suited for work, gaming, or media consumption. It has a fast response time, low input lag, and a 75Hz refresh rate that makes fast motion look smoother than a typical 60Hz panel. It has superb ergonomics, wide viewing angles, and it overcomes glare easily in bright lighting conditions. Unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio that makes it less ideal for dark room viewing and it doesn't support HDR.
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Superb ergonomics.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Flicker-free backlight.
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No HDR support.
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Low contrast ratio.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is a great office monitor. Its large screen and high resolution allow you to work comfortably, with plenty of screen space to have multiple windows opened at the same time. It has wide viewing angles, it overcomes glare easily, and it has superb ergonomics, so you can adjust the monitor however you like. Input lag is low and the monitor's 75Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through documents feel just a tad smoother.
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Superb ergonomics.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Flicker-free backlight.
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Low contrast ratio.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is a great monitor for gaming. It has a fast response time, low input lag, and its 75Hz refresh rate makes motion look just a bit smoother than your typical 60Hz panel. It supports Adaptive Sync to reduce screen tearing and it's compatible with FreeSync and G-SYNC sources. It isn't well-suited for gaming in the dark, as it has a low contrast ratio and mediocre black uniformity. On the upside, it has a large screen and high resolution that makes gaming feel incredibly immersive.
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Superb ergonomics.
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Variable refresh rate (VRR) support.
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Great response time.
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Flicker-free backlight.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Mediocre black uniformity.
The ASUS PA278QV is a good monitor for media consumption. It delivers good picture quality thanks to its high resolution and its large screen feels immersive. It has superb ergonomics and wide viewing angles, making it easy to share content with others. It's well-suited for bright rooms, as it handles reflection well and it gets bright enough to overcome glare. However, it doesn't perform all that well in dark rooms due to its low contrast ratio and mediocre black uniformity.
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Superb ergonomics.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Flicker-free backlight.
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No HDR support.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Mediocre black uniformity.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is a very good monitor for content creators. Its high pixel density results in sharp images and text, and there's plenty of screen space to have multiple windows opened at the same time. It has superb ergonomics, wide viewing angles, and it gets bright enough for use in any lighting conditions. Unfortunately, its contrast ratio and black uniformity are both mediocre, so blacks look more grayish. It has near full coverage of the sRGB color space; however, its Adobe RGB coverage is only decent.
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Superb ergonomics.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Flicker-free backlight.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Mediocre black uniformity.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV doesn't support HDR.
- 8.0 Mixed Usage
- 8.4 Office
- 8.3 Gaming
- 7.7 Multimedia
- 7.8 Media Creation
- 5.8 HDR Gaming
- Updated Mar 18, 2021: Changed FreeSync to indicate 'Compatible (Tested)', as it was mistakenly set to 'Yes'.
- Updated Sep 24, 2020: We've updated the variable refresh rate support to indicate Adaptive Sync instead of FreeSync.
- Updated Aug 13, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Aug 07, 2020: Early access published.
Test Results
The ASUS ProArt PA278QV's design is simple and a bit boxy, very similar to Dell's UltraSharp monitors, such as the Dell UltraSharp U2720Q. It has thin bezels on three sides but the bottom bezel is thicker, as it houses the monitor's controls and also has a built-in ruler. The stand has a square base that doesn't take up too much space and it has a brushed metallic finish.
Even though the stand is plastic, it supports the monitor well and there's very little wobble.
The ASUS PA278QV has superb ergonomics. It allows for all manner of adjustments, but it's the incredibly wide swivel range that really stands out.
The back of the monitor has a clean and professional look. The stand has a quick release feature if you want to wall-mount it, and there's a small cutout in the stand that serves as cable management.
The bezels are thin on three sides except for the bottom bezel, which houses the monitor's controls.
The screen itself is fairly thin, which is great if you want to VESA-mount it.
The ASUS PA278QV's build quality is good. The plastic construction feels fairly solid and there are no obvious issues. The stand supports the monitor well and it doesn't wobble much. However, the stand's finish scratches rather easily.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV has a mediocre contrast ratio, typical of most IPS panel monitors. This results in blacks that look grayish, especially when viewed in a dark room.
This monitor doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video above is for reference only.
The ASUS ProArt PA278QV's SDR peak brightness is great. It's bright enough to overcome glare in any lighting conditions and is extremely consistent across different content.
The ASUS PA278QV doesn't support HDR.
Great horizontal viewing angles. Images should remain accurate when viewed from the side, making it easier to share your work with others.
Excellent vertical viewing angles. This is good if you tend to sit extremely close to the screen or have the monitor mounted above eye level.
Excellent gray uniformity. The edges of the screen appear darker, but thankfully, there's very little dirty screen effect and uniformity is even better in dark scenes.
Mediocre black uniformity. There's visible backlight bleed at the top and bottom of the screen. It shouldn't be noticeable in normal content except for very dark scenes, or in movies where there are black bars.
Out-of-the-box, the ASUS ProArt PA278QV has good color accuracy. The monitor has an sRGB mode that's factory-calibrated and comes with a calibration report in the box. It's advertised to have an accuracy that's below 2dE; however, some of our measurements exceed that. This is likely due to different methods of measuring color accuracy.
Most of the color inaccuracies are difficult to spot, but white balance is off due to the warm color temperature giving the image a reddish tint. Gamma follows the target curve reasonably well except for bright scenes, which are over-brightened.
After calibration, the color accuracy is superb. The remaining inaccuracies shouldn't be noticeable without the aid of a colorimeter. White balance is nearly perfect and the color temperature is much closer to our 6500K target. Gamma is better, but dark scenes are still brighter than they should be.
You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and should not be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit even for the same model due to manufacturing tolerances.
The ASUS PA278QV has an excellent SDR color gamut. It has near full coverage of the widely-used sRGB color space, but its coverage of the Adobe RGB is more limited and may not be good enough for professional photo editing. If you need a monitor with wider Adobe RGB coverage, check out the Gigabyte M27Q.
Excellent color volume. It doesn't display dark colors well due to its low contrast ratio and has trouble with bright blues, which is normal for LCD screens.
The ASUS PA278QV doesn't support HDR.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
There are no signs of temporary image retention.
Excellent gradient handling. There's a bit of banding in all colors, but it's most noticeable in greens and grays.
There are no signs of color bleed on this monitor.
The ASUS PA278QV has good reflection handling. The matte anti-reflective coating does a good job of diffusing reflected light. Direct reflections can be a bit distracting, but the monitor can get bright enough to compensate.
Text clarity is decent. It looks much sharper with ClearType enabled (top photo), especially with diagonal lines. The pixels are blurry in the photo due to the monitor's matte anti-reflective coating.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| 0 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 20 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 40 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 60 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 80 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 100 | Chart | Table | Photo |
The ASUS PA278QV has great response time when running at its max refresh rate. This results in only a small blur trail behind fast-moving objects and makes this monitor a good option for gaming. The best overdive setting is '60', as it provides the best performance with minimal overshoot.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| 0 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 20 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 40 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 60 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 80 | Chart | Table | Photo |
| 100 | Chart | Table | Photo |
The response time at 60Hz is nearly identical to the response time at max refresh rate, but with even less overshoot. The best overdrive setting at 60Hz is '40', as the higher settings have significantly more overshoot, causing visible artifacts.
The backlight is flicker-free when the brightness is at maximum. Below maximum, the backlight's flicker frequency is so high that it shouldn't be noticeable to most people.
There's an optional Black Frame Insertion feature to help improve motion clarity. It only works at 75Hz and can't be used at the same time as variable refresh rate. Unfortunately, the strobe crosstalk is quite bad, as it causes visible image duplication. To enable the Black Frame Insertion feature, you have to be in the 'Rapid Rendering' mode.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV supports Adaptive Sync to reduce screen tearing when gaming. It's also compatible with FreeSync and NVIDIA's G-SYNC; however, the latter only works over a DisplayPort connection.
The ASUS PA278QV has exceptionally low input lag. It's a little higher if you run at 60Hz or with the Black Frame Insertion feature enabled, but it shouldn't be noticeable to most people.
The ASUS PA278QV's 27 inch screen is great for multitasking and its high resolution results in sharp images and text.
In addition to the 3.5mm analog audio out port, there's also a 3.5mm analog audio in, which allows you to play audio from an external device using the monitor's integrated speakers. If you want a monitor with a USB-C port, check out the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV, which is the 2021 model of this monitor.
The ASUS PA278QV comes with the ASUS QuickFit Virtual Scale, which is a feature that displays an overlay on screen, allowing you to align and preview documents in their actual sizes before printing. There's a Screen Ruler, a Grid Alignment, an A5 Letter Size, and a B5 Letter Size overlay.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV and it's also available in a 24 inch size with a 1080p resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It's one of many monitors in ASUS' ProArt lineup, some of which you can see in the table below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Display Type | Refresh Rate | Adaptive Sync |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA278QV | 27" | 2560 x 1440 | IPS | 75Hz | Yes |
| PA248QV | 24" | 1920 x 1200 | IPS | 75Hz | Yes |
| PA329C | 27" | 3840 x 2160 | IPS | 60Hz | No |
| PA27UCX-PK | 27" | 3840 x 2160 | Mini LED / IPS | 60Hz | Yes |
| PA32UCX-PK | 32" | 3840 x 2160 | Mini LED / IPS | 60Hz | Yes |
| PA34VC | 34" | 3440 x 1440 | IPS | 100Hz | Yes |
| PQ22UC | 22" | 3840 x 2160 | OLED | 60Hz | No |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their ASUS PA278QV doesn't correspond to our review, please let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests such as gray uniformity may vary between units.
Our unit of the ASUS PA278QV was manufactured in April 2020, you can see the label here.
Compared To Other Monitors
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is an overall great monitor that's suitable for a wide variety of uses. Compared to other monitors in its price range, it stands out for its superb ergonomics, high SDR peak brightness, and great viewing angles. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best office monitors, the best monitors, and the best monitors for photo and video editing.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV is the successor to the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV. They look and perform very similarly overall. The PA278CV has a smaller swivel range but still has superb ergonomics. It also has an added USB-C port that's compatible with its USB hub feature, allowing you to connect a device over USB-C and gain access to additional USB 3.0 ports, have a second display, and charge your device. It also has a DisplayPort 'out' port on top of a DisplayPort 'in' port for daisy-chaining, but we weren't able to get ours to work. Otherwise, the two monitors are extremely similar, although the PA278CV has a slightly wider color gamut if that's important to you.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV and the Dell S2721QS are both great productivity monitors. The main difference is that the ASUS has a 1440p resolution, while the Dell is 4k. The ASUS has USB ports, and its faster 75Hz refresh rate provides a slightly more responsive desktop experience. On the other hand, the Dell has a Picture-in-Picture mode and supports HDR.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV and the Gigabyte M27Q are very different monitors. The ASUS is designed for productivity and offers significantly better ergonomics. The Gigabyte is primarily a gaming monitor with a much higher refresh rate and faster response time to deliver a better gaming experience. The Gigabyte also has more features, like HDR support, a Picture-in-Picture mode, and a built-in KVM switch so that you can control two devices with one set of peripherals. If you plan on only using it for work, it might be better to go with the ASUS because the Gigabyte has a BGR subpixel layout that might cause blurry text in some applications.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the Dell S2721D. The ASUS has significantly better ergonomics, it gets brighter, and has wider viewing angles. It also has better color accuracy out-of-the-box, faster response time, and a Black Frame Insertion feature. The Dell has better reflection handling and a slightly better SDR color gamut.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is better than the ASUS VG279Q for most uses; however, they aren't designed for the same purpose. The PA278QV is an office monitor that performs well enough for gaming, while the VG279Q is a gaming monitor first, but can be used in an office setting. The PA278QV has better ergonomics, a higher resolution, and it has a USB hub with four USB 3.0 ports. On the other hand, the VG279Q has better pre-calibration color accuracy, a wider SDR color gamut, and a 144Hz refresh rate that makes fast motion look a lot smoother.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the BenQ EL2870U. The ASUS has an IPS panel with much wider viewing angles, its ergonomics are significantly better, it gets a lot brighter. Also, the ASUS' response time is faster, it has a slightly higher refresh rate and lower input lag. However, the BenQ has a higher resolution, which results in sharper text and images.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM and the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV are very different monitors. The VG259QM has a 1080p monitor, a 280Hz refresh rate, and is primarily designed for gaming, while the PA278QV has a 1440p resolution, a 75Hz refresh rate, and is meant for creative professionals. The PA278QV has wider viewing angles, better color accuracy, and it gets brighter. The VG259QM has a much faster response time, and it supports HDR.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5; however, they aren't intended for the same use. The ASUS is a budget monitor for content creators with superb ergonomics and wide viewing angles. It also has a faster response time, but gaming feels smoother and more responsive on the Samsung due to its higher refresh rate.
The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV and the ASUS ProArt PA148CTV are very different monitors, with different intended uses, so they're not really comparable. The PA278QV is a desktop office monitor designed for media creation. The PA148CTV is a portable monitor designed for productivity on the go.
Overall, the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the Gigabyte G27QC. However, they're designed for very different uses. The ASUS is meant for content creators and has wider viewing angles, significantly better ergonomics, and gets a lot brighter. The Gigabyte is a gaming monitor with a much higher 165Hz refresh rate, faster response time, and lower input lag.
For most uses, the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is significantly better than the Lenovo Q27q-10. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, it gets a lot brighter, and its out-of-the-box color accuracy is much better. The ASUS also has a wider SDR color gamut, faster response time, and an optional Black Frame Insertion feature to improve motion clarity.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A and the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV are very different monitors. The VG249Q1A is a gaming monitor with a 24" screen, a 1080p resolution, and a 165Hz refresh rate, while the ProArt Display PA278QV is a 27" productivity monitor with a 1440p resolution and a 75Hz refresh rate. The VG249Q1A provides a much better gaming experience due to its significantly faster response times, but the ProArt Display PA278QV has much better ergonomics, a brighter screen, and wider viewing angles. It also has four USB 3.0 ports, which the VG249Q1A lacks.
For most uses, the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the Gigabyte G32QC. The ASUS is an IPS monitor with much wider viewing angles, it gets brighter, and it has much better reflection handling. It also has significantly better ergonomics and faster response time. That said, the Gigabyte has a much higher refresh rate, lower input lag, better dark room performance, and supports HDR.
Overall, the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is much better than the Samsung T55. The ASUS has a higher resolution, its IPS panel has much wider viewing angles, and it has significantly better color accuracy out-of-the-box. The ASUS' ergonomics are much better, it has faster response time, and it supports VRR to reduce screen tearing when gaming. However, the Samsung has a higher contrast ratio and wider coverage of the sRGB and Adobe RGB color space.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC and the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV are very different monitors. The ZenScreen is a 14" portable monitor with a 1080p resolution, while the ProArt Display is a 27" desktop monitor with a 1440p resolution. Unless you need portability, the ProArt Display is a better choice for most uses. The ZenScreen is only recommended for displaying text documents or spreadsheets because it has a very narrow color gamut that makes it unsuitable for content creation, and its slow response times aren't ideal for gaming.
