The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is an excellent gaming monitor packed with extra features. It has Adaptive Sync variable refresh rate (VRR) support that provides both FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Its native 144Hz refresh rate can be overclocked to 170Hz, its response time is remarkable, and it has low input lag, but it increases significantly at 60Hz. The Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature can be used with VRR enabled, which is a nice addition. The IPS panel offers wide viewing angles, but it has a low contrast ratio and bad black uniformity, so it's not an ideal choice for use in dark rooms. Lastly, it meets its advertised DisplayHDR 400 standards, as it displays a wide color gamut and has decent peak brightness in HDR.
Our Verdict
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is a great monitor for most uses. It offers excellent gaming performance because it has a remarkable response time, VRR support, and incredibly low input lag. Its very good ergonomics, wide viewing angles, and high resolution make it a good choice for office use. It's good for watching movies, but it has a low contrast ratio and bad black uniformity. Lastly, for gaming in HDR, it displays a wide color gamut and gets decently bright, but it also adds a fair amount of input lag.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Remarkable response time.
- FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility.
- Decent peak brightness in HDR.
- Uniformity issues.
- Input lag significantly increases at 60Hz.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is great for office use. It has a large, 27 inch screen that offers enough space to multitask, and the 1440p resolution delivers clear text. It has wide viewing angles if you need to share your screen with others, and the ergonomics are very good. It has significant backlight bleed and some uniformity issues, but this may vary between units. On the upside, reflection handling is great, and it gets bright enough to combat glare.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Good ergonomics.
- Uniformity issues.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is excellent for gaming. The native 144Hz refresh rate can be overclocked to 170Hz, it's G-SYNC and FreeSync compatible, and its response time is remarkable. The input lag at its max refresh rate is incredibly low, but it increases significantly at 60Hz, so it's not suggested for console gaming. It has an IPS panel with a low contrast ratio, so it's not a good choice for dark-room gaming, but it has wide viewing angles for co-op gaming.
- Remarkable response time.
- FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility.
- Low input lag at max refresh rate.
- BFI feature can be used with VRR enabled.
- Uniformity issues.
- Low contrast ratio.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is good for multimedia use. It has a large screen with a high resolution that delivers crisp images. It has great reflection handling, and it gets bright enough to combat glare if you want to use it in a well-lit environment. Its IPS panel provides wide viewing angles, great for watching content with friends. However, it has a low contrast ratio, so blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Good ergonomics.
- Uniformity issues.
- Low contrast ratio.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is great for content creators. It offers enough screen space to open multiple windows at once, and the 1440p resolution helps deliver crisp images. It has very good ergonomics and wide viewing angles if you need to share your screen with others. Sadly, it has a low contrast ratio and bad black uniformity, so it's not the best option if you work in a dark room. Fortunately, it has great reflection handling and great brightness if you work in a well-lit environment.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Great reflection handling.
- Good ergonomics.
- Uniformity issues.
- Low contrast ratio.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is decent for HDR gaming. It offers a ton of gaming perks like VRR support, a remarkable response time, and a Black Frame Insertion feature. HDR content looks good because it displays a wide color gamut, but it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray, black uniformity is bad, and the input lag is quite high when gaming in HDR.
- Remarkable response time.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- Decent peak brightness in HDR.
- Uniformity issues.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Input lag significantly increases at 60Hz.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q, which is the only size available for this product. However, there are other monitors in the ROG Strix lineup, some of which are listed below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Panel | Max Refresh Rate | Variable Refresh Rate | Curve | Notes |
| XG279Q | 27" | 1440p | IPS | 170Hz | Adaptive Sync | No | |
| XG27UQ | 27" | 1440p | IPS | 144Hz | Adaptive Sync | No | No ELMB Sync |
| XG32VQR | 32" | 1440p | VA | 144Hz | FreeSync | Yes | |
| XG32VQ | 32" | 1440p | VA | 144Hz | FreeSync | Yes | Mini DisplayPort |
| XG32VC | 32" | 1440p | VA | 170Hz | Adaptive Sync | Yes | |
| XG43VQ | 43" | 3840x1200 | VA | 120Hz | FreeSync | Yes |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their ASUS XG279Q doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, such as the gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
The XG279Q we reviewed was manufactured in May 2020, and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q has one of the best response times we've seen on any monitor with an IPS panel, and motion remains exceptionally clear even when gaming at 60Hz, which is great. However, its input lag at 60Hz is too high compared to other gaming monitors, such as the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. Also see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 144Hz monitors, and the best 1440p monitors.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is slightly better than the Dell S2721DGF. The ASUS has a BFI feature, a quicker response time at 60Hz, a slightly higher max refresh rate, and much better color accuracy. However, the Dell has a quicker response time at its max refresh rate and a much lower input lag at 60Hz.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q and the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ are very similar monitors with similar specs. The biggest difference is that the XG27AQ has a simplified stand, and its local dimming is a little less aggressive. The XG27AQ shows less backlight bleed, resulting in better black uniformity, but this is something that can vary. The XG27AW also has slightly wider viewing angles. The XG279Q, on the other hand, gets brighter overall in SDR and HDR, so it can fight glare a little more easily and can bring out more highlights in HDR content. Otherwise, they perform very similarly and both are among the better gaming monitors we've tested, so you can't really go wrong with either.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, it gets brighter, there's a BFI feature, and you can overclock its refresh rate to 170Hz. However, the LG has a lower input lag and it has wider viewing angles.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is better than the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q. The XG279Q supports HDR, has a quicker response time, and its max refresh rate is slightly higher. However, the PG279Q has a much lower input lag at 60Hz, it has much better out-of-the-box color accuracy, and wider viewing angles.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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