The ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ is a very good monitor that's designed to satisfy even the most demanding gamers. It delivers great picture quality with its 1440p resolution and it has a high 144Hz refresh rate that can be easily overclocked to 165Hz. Its IPS panel provides excellent viewing angles, but it isn't the best for dark room gaming, as it has a mediocre contrast ratio coupled with significant black uniformity issues. Motion handling is superb, improved by its black frame insertion feature, and its native G-SYNC support delivers a nearly tear-free gaming experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR, but it does have several extra gaming features as well as integrated speakers. Best of all, these great features come with an impressive build quality that should last for years.
This monitor is a newer version of the ASUS ROG PG279Q.
Our Verdict
The ASUS PG279QZ is a very good monitor for most uses. Its 27 inch screen and 1440p resolution let you work comfortably, with plenty of space for multiple windows opened at the same time. Gamers should be happy with its high refresh rate, low input lag, and G-SYNC support. Dark room performance is rather disappointing, but it performs well in bright rooms and it has wide viewing angles, so you can share your work or for some co-op gaming. Color accuracy is good; however, its coverage of Adobe RGB may not be sufficient for professional photo or video editing.
-
Excellent gaming features.
-
Excellent motion handling.
-
Wide viewing angles.
-
Low contrast ratio.
-
No HDR support.
The ASUS PG279QZ is a great office monitor. It has a very good resolution and size that make multitasking easy. The viewing angles are excellent, allowing you to share your work, and you can position the monitor however you like thanks to its impressive ergonomics. It has a decent peak brightness and reflection handling, which is best for an averagely-lit room.
The ASUS PG279QZ is an excellent monitor for gaming. Apart from its large 27 inch screen size and sharp resolution, this monitor has excellent low input lag and it supports G-SYNC. Additionally, its high refresh rate and fast response time make it a great choice for gamers. It's not the best for dark room gaming due to its low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity, but it handles bright rooms very well.
The ASUS PG279QZ is a decent monitor for media consumption. It has a very low input lag and is very responsive to your actions. Its QHD resolution allows you to display much of the content in its native resolution and the monitor can handle well any annoying reflections from the light sources in your room.
The PG279QZ is a very good monitor for media creation. Its large size and high resolution allow you to multitask comfortably and its great ergonomics lets you switch from landscape to portrait mode easily. Its IPS panel provides wide viewing angles and it has excellent gray uniformity, with almost no sign of dirty screen effect. Sadly, it's an 8-bit panel, but its gradient performance is superb.
The ASUS PG279QZ doesn't support HDR.
- 7.8 Mixed Usage
- 8.0 Office
- 8.5 Gaming
- 7.4 Multimedia
- 7.5 Media Creation
- 5.8 HDR Gaming
- Updated Aug 10, 2020: The monitor's G-SYNC support has been changed from 'compatible' to 'native'.
- Updated Feb 17, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Jan 11, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Jan 09, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jan 09, 2019: Early access published.
- Updated Jan 07, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Dec 19, 2018: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch (PG279QZ) which is the only size of this monitor available. There are other variants within the ASUS gaming range which differ in design, size, and refresh rate. The ASUS PG279QZ is the newer version of the ASUS PG279Q, and it has now been replaced by the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their PG279QZ doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
| Model | Size | Native Resolution | Refresh rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG279QZ | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | G-SYNC support |
| PG279Q | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | G-SYNC support |
| PG279QM | 27" | 1440p | 240Hz | G-SYNC support, HDR |
| VG248QE | 24" | 1080p | 144Hz | Lightboost support |
| VG245H | 24" | 1080p | 75Hz | FreeSync support |
| VG278Q | 27" | 1080p | 144Hz | FreeSync support |
| VG275Q | 25" | 1080p | 75Hz | FreeSync support |
Our unit of the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ was manufactured in September 2018.
Compared To Other Monitors
The ASUS PG279QZ is an excellent gaming monitor with a well-balanced set of features. In the crowded market of 27 inch 1440p monitors with a 144Hz refresh rate, its performance is among the best; however, the lack of HDR support is a bit disappointing. For other options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best G-SYNC monitors, and the best 1440p gaming monitors we've tested so far.
The ASUS ROG PG279Q is very similar to the ASUS PG279QZ. The two monitors are nearly identical in design and have a very similar overall performance, except for brightness. The older PG279Q is brighter than the newer PG279QZ.
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is better than the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ. The TUF VG27AQ has better ergonomics, HDR support, and better black uniformity, but the ROG Swift has native support for G-SYNC, a slightly faster response time, and better reflection handling. Its out-of-box color accuracy is also better than the TUF VG27AQ.
The ASUS PG279QZ is better than the LG 27UD68P-B. The ASUS PG279QZ has better ergonomics, lower input lag, higher refresh rate, and a faster response time that will please gamers. On the other hand, the LG 27UD68P-B has higher resolution that can fit more detail on the screen.
The ASUS PG279QZ is better than the AOC AGON AG271QX for most people. The ASUS is an IPS monitor with much better viewing angles whereas the AOC has a TN panel with almost instantaneous response time and better black uniformity. The ASUS PG279QZ has better ergonomics and a BFI option to make the image crisper.
The ASUS PG279QZ is somewhat better than the Acer Predator XB271HU Bmiprz. The ASUS PG279QZ has marginally better reflection handling, and it ships with a slightly better pre-calibration which is important for office users that usually don't calibrate their monitors.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ and the LG 27UK650-W are very similar, but the PG279QZ is a much better gaming monitor. The PG279QZ has a faster refresh rate, resulting in much clearer motion, and it has an optional black frame insertion feature to further clear up any blur. The LG 27UK650-W, on the other hand, has a higher native resolution and is slightly better for multitasking.
The two monitors are of a different type, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ has an IPS and the image remains accurate when viewed from the side so it's more suitable if you often work with a colleague on the same monitor. The ASUS also has a faster response time and fast-moving content is crisper. The Samsung CHG70, on the other hand, has a higher contrast ratio, supports HDR, and has a local dimming feature to enhance dark room performance, so it's more suitable for dark room viewing.
The ASUS PG279QZ is better than the Dell S2417DG. The two monitors have different panel types, but very similar motion handling and equally low input lag. The ASUS, apart from being larger, has an IPS panel with better picture quality and wider viewing angles that make it easier to share your work with a colleague.
Unless you want to get the most out of your NVIDIA graphics card, the Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD is slightly better than the ASUS PG279QZ. The AORUS supports HDR and has a few extra gaming features designed to give you a slight edge in competitive games, and it supports FreeSync. Although the AORUS also works with NVIDIA's new FreeSync drivers, if you want a true G-SYNC experience, the ASUS is very similar overall.
The ASUS PG279QZ and ASUS VG279Q are very similar overall, each with their strengths and weaknesses. The PG279QZ supports G-SYNC and has a higher native resolution. The VG279Q supports FreeSync, which is more universally supported, and the stand has better ergonomics.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ for most uses. For gaming, the PG279QZ has better ergonomics, and an optional black frame insertion feature, but if these aren't very important to you, the 27GL850 has better motion handling overall, with a better response time, and it supports HDR.
The ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ and the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz are very similar for most uses, but the PG279QZ is better for gaming. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, so it's easier to adjust the screen to your ideal viewing position. The ASUS also has a much faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur. The Razer Raptor has an incredible design, and unlike the ASUS it supports HDR, delivering a decent HDR gaming experience.
The ViewSonic Elite XG270QG and the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ are very similar in terms of performance. Both are 27 inch, 1440p, 165Hz monitors with native G-SYNC support and no HDR support. The ViewSonic can get brighter, it has a better SDR color gamut and much faster response time at 60Hz. The ASUS has a better contrast ratio, slightly better viewing angles, and much better out-of-box color accuracy.
The ASUS ROG Swift PG259QN is marginally better than the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ. The PG259QN has a higher refresh rate, faster response time, better color accuracy, and gets brighter. However, the PG279QZ has better ergonomics, higher resolution, and wider viewing angles.
Video
Test Results
The ASUS PG279QZ has a simple design, with thin bezels on all sides and a square base that's accentuated by two red LED lighting zones on the stand.
The stand is square and doesn't take up a significant amount of space. It supports the monitor well, but it does wobble a bit when nudged. There are two red LED lighting zones; however, the metal contact that allows the light to turn on only works when the monitor is in a fully landscape or a fully portrait mode.
Great ergonomics. The stand allows for all manner of adjustments, including rotation to portrait mode, and it has a wide swivel range.
The back of the monitor is plain and made out of plastic. There are two vents to dissipate heat and there's basic cable management built into the stand.
The bezels are very thin and aren't distracting, which is great for a multi-monitor setup.
The monitor without the stand is fairly thin and won't protrude much when VESA mounted. However, when attached to its stand, the entire setup looks relatively thick.
The PG279QZ has an impressive build quality. It's mostly plastic, but there are no obvious gaps in its construction and it feels very sturdy.
Like most IPS monitors, the contrast ratio is mediocre. This results in blacks that look grayish when viewed in the dark.
The PG279QZ doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only.
SDR peak brightness is decent. It's very consistent and there's virtually no difference in brightness when displaying different content. The real scene measurement is slightly lower than the measurements on our preset size windows, but this is normal due to the uniformity of the screen.
Our measurements were done using the 'FPS' (calibrated) Picture Mode.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
The PG279QZ has excellent horizontal viewing angles. This is great for co-op gaming and for sharing content with others.
Decent vertical viewing angles. The image should remain accurate for the most part, but the top and bottom of the screen can look a bit washed out if you sit very close.
Gray uniformity is excellent. There are some darker spots near the edges of the screen, but there's very little dirty screen effect and uniformity is significantly better in dark scenes.
The PG279QZ has poor black uniformity. There's very visible backlight bleed near the corners of the screen as well as clouding throughout; however, uniformity can vary between units due to manufacturing tolerances.
Out of the box, the color accuracy of the PG279QZ is good. We used the 'FPS' picture mode for our measurements, as it's the most accurate one. There are inaccuracies with several colors, but white balance is pretty good. The color temperature is a bit warmer than our target of 6500k and the gamma doesn't follow the target curve much, causing most scenes to appear brighter than they should.
Color accuracy is excellent after calibration, which was also done using the 'FPS' Picture Mode. White balance and gamma are nearly perfect, and the color temperature is much closer to our target, although still on the warm side. There are still some inaccuracies with a few colors, but they're difficult to notice.
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 PG279QZ has an excellent SDR color gamut, with an outstanding coverage of the sRGB color space. It has good coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, but it may not be good enough for professional-level photo or video editing.
Excellent SDR color volume. The monitor is capable of producing bright and saturated colors in most color shades. Unfortunately, it can't display dark colors well due to its low contrast ratio.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
The PG279QZ doesn't exhibit any signs of temporary image retention.
Excellent gradient performance. There's only very faint banding when displaying gray and green.
There's a very small amount of color bleed when displaying large vertical bands of uniform colors; however, it isn't noticeable in normal content.
The PG279QZ has decent reflection handling. The matte coating reduces the intensity of direct reflections and diffuses them across the screen. You shouldn't have any issues using the monitor in most well-lit rooms, but it's best to avoid placing the monitor opposite a bright source of light.
Text clarity is decent. It's recommended to turn on ClearType, as it significantly improves the appearance of diagonal lines, as seen on the R and N.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Motion Blur Photo | Response Time Table |
| Off | Chart | Photo | Table |
| Normal | Chart | Photo | Table |
| Extreme | Chart | Photo | Table |
The response time of the PG279QZ is excellent, resulting in clear images with very short blur trails in fast-moving scenes. The recommended overdrive setting is Normal, which provides the best performance with minimal overshoot. The Extreme option is faster, but it causes quite a bit of artifacts.
The ASUS PG279QZ has a flicker-free backlight.
This monitor has a black frame insertion feature called ULMB, which introduces flickering to produce a clearer image with less motion blur. Do note that because it's a native G-SYNC monitor, this feature only works with NVIDIA graphics cards.
Update 08/10/2020: We previously indicated that the monitor is G-SYNC compatible, which is wrong. It has native G-SYNC support.
The PG279QZ has a 144Hz native refresh rate that can be overclocked up to 165Hz. It supports NVIDIA's G-SYNC to reduce screen tearing and it only works through a DisplayPort connection. When using an HDMI connection, the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz.
BFI frequency tested: 120Hz
The PG279QZ has an amazingly low input lag, even when G-SYNC is enabled. It's slightly higher when ULMB is enabled, as well as when playing at 60Hz, but it's still good enough for most gamers.
The ASUS PG279QZ has a 1440p resolution and a large 27 inch diagonal screen size, which is great for immersive gaming experiences and efficient multitasking.
The PG279QZ has a USB hub that includes two USB 3.0 and a USB-B upstream port.
The Asus PG279QZ has the same features as the ASUS ROG PG279Q. There are integrated speakers and other features that can be accessed through the OSD menu, including:
- Crosshair for shooter games
- On-screen timer
- Frame rate counter overlay
- Blue light suppressor
Like the PG279Q, if you want to disable the OSD features, press the X button on the monitor to access the menu, and then press it a second time to disable them.
