The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is a budget-friendly 27-inch, 1440p gaming monitor. It sits alongside a sibling variant, the XG27ACS-W, with the only difference between the two being the color of their materials. As part of the ROG Strix gaming lineup, it competes against other entry-level 1440p monitors like the Dell G2724D and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B. It has features you'd expect to find in a gaming display, like a 180Hz refresh rate and VRR support. It also comes with ELMB-Sync technology to enable backlight strobing at the same time as VRR, and it has Dynamic Crosshair, Dynamic Shadow Boost, and Variable Overdrive features to help your gaming experience. It offers some connectivity options, including a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode, but with limited power delivery.
Our Verdict
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is decent for PC gaming. Its 180Hz refresh rate is good enough for most casual gamers but not for competitive gamers. Luckily, it supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing, motion looks sharp across its refresh rate range, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. It even has ELMB backlight strobing, but it creates image duplication. Also, it has limited picture quality, as it has a low contrast ratio without a local dimming feature. Blacks look gray in dark rooms, and highlights don't pop in HDR either.
Supports all common VRR formats.
Fast response time.
Low input lag.
Some inverse ghosting at lower refresh rates.
Low contrast and no local dimming.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is okay for console gaming. Although it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, it still works well with either console. Motion looks sharp, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. Unfortunately, though, it fails to deliver realistic and vivid images as highlights don't pop in HDR, and it lacks a local dimming feature to help it display deep blacks.
Fast response time.
Low input lag.
No obvious issues with PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.
Some inverse ghosting at lower refresh rates.
Low contrast and no local dimming.
Lack of HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is good for office use. It has good text clarity and is a great choice if you want to use it in a well-lit room, as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has decent reflection handling. It's also useful if you need to share your screen with someone else, thanks to its wide viewing angles and versatile ergonomics. While it has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode to connect your laptop, it has limited power delivery, so your laptop won't charge, and it doesn't have other USB ports to connect extra devices.
Bright enough to fight glare.
Decent reflection handling.
Fantastic ergonomics.
Sharp text clarity.
USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode.
No other USB ports.
Limited power delivery over USB-C.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is good for editing. It comes with an incredibly accurate sRGB mode that you won't need to calibrate for content creation, and this accurate image remains consistent no matter where you view it from, thanks to its wide viewing angles. It also gets bright enough to fight glare and has decent reflection handling, which is ideal if you want to use it in a well-lit room. However, it performs worse in dark rooms, as it has a low contrast ratio and lacks a local dimming feature. It doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop in HDR, which is disappointing for editing HDR content.
Bright enough to fight glare.
Fantastic ergonomics.
USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode.
Incredibly accurate sRGB mode.
Low contrast and no local dimming.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
Limited power delivery over USB-C.
The ASUS XG27ACS has decent brightness. It gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room, but highlights don't pop in HDR.
Bright enough to fight glare.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The ASUS XG27ACS has a great response time. The motion handling is sharp across its refresh rate range, but there's a bit of inverse ghosting, particularly at lower refresh rates.
Fast response time.
Some inverse ghosting at lower refresh rates.
The ASUS XG27ACS has poor HDR picture quality. Blacks look gray, and it lacks a local dimming feature to further improve the contrast. Colors don't look vivid, either.
Low contrast and no local dimming.
Colors aren't vivid.
The ASUS XG27ACS has decent SDR picture quality. The main advantage is that it displays a wide range of colors, but blacks look gray due to its low contrast.
Displays wide range of colors.
Low contrast and no local dimming.
The ASUS XG27ACS has incredible color accuracy. The dedicated sRGB mode is extremely accurate, and you won't need to calibrate it unless you want access to settings that are locked out in the sRGB mode.
Incredibly accurate sRGB mode.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 26, 2026:
We lowered the Build Quality score by 0.5 to better match current models and their reviews.
- Updated Mar 17, 2026: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1.2. We added a new Panel Technology box, including the Spectral Power Distribution (SPD) graph.
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Updated Feb 18, 2026:
We added that the LG 27G610A-B is another 1440p option with a higher refresh rate.
- Updated Nov 10, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1.1. We removed the Vertical Viewing Angle test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27-inch ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS in black, and it's only available in this size. The XG27ACS-W is also available, which is the same monitor but with a white body, so the results are valid for both models. The ROG Strix lineup includes other 27-inch, 1440p monitors with IPS panels that are similar but have a few differences, which you can see below.
| Model | Max Refresh Rate | Body Color | RGB Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| XG27ACS | 180Hz | Black | No |
| XG27ACS-W | 180Hz | White | No |
| XG27ACG | 180Hz | Black | Yes |
| XG27ACMG | 270Hz | Black | Yes |
Our unit's label indicates that it was manufactured in July 2024. We tested it with firmware MCM101.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is a budget-friendly 1440p gaming monitor. It has a 180Hz refresh rate with gaming-oriented features like VRR support and ELMB-SYNC to reduce persistence blur. It competes against other models with similar specs in the same price range, like the Dell G2724D and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B. It's a good choice if you want an entry-level model with a few advantages like the USB-C port and sharp motion handling. However, it has limited HDR picture quality, and there are some other models in the same price range that are better for HDR gaming, like the AOC Q27G3XMN.
Also, see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors under $300, the best budget and cheap gaming monitors, and the best 1440p 144Hz monitors.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS and the Samsung Odyssey G50D S27DG50 are both entry-level 1440p gaming monitors. They have similar specs, including their 180Hz refresh rates, but the ASUS is slightly better for gaming. It has better motion handling and a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. Overall, however, the two monitors are very similar.
The Dell Alienware AW2725DM and the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS are competing entry-level 1440p gaming monitors. They share many similarities, including their 180Hz refresh rates. There are some differences, though, as the ASUS has better motion handling with VRR. The ASUS is also more accurate before any sort of calibration. They each have a USB hub, with the Dell having two USB-A ports, and the ASUS having a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode to quickly connect a laptop.
The AOC Q27G3XMN and the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS are both budget-friendly 1440p gaming monitors with a 180Hz refresh rate. The biggest difference between the two is the fact that the AOC has Mini LED backlighting with a good local dimming feature. This means the AOC is the better choice if you want something for HDR gaming. On the other hand, the ASUS is the better choice if you need to often share your screen with someone else thanks to its wide viewing angles.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS are both budget-friendly 1440p gaming monitors with a 180Hz refresh rate. They perform very similarly, but the ASUS has a few extra perks, like better ergonomics and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode. Although they both have backlight strobing features, the ASUS supports ELMB-SYNC for it to work at the same time as VRR.
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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