The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is a great gaming monitor. It's packed with features most gamers should enjoy, like FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support and G-SYNC compatibility. It also has an incredibly low input lag and a decent response time, but you may notice some motion blur with fast-moving content in dark scenes. Luckily, it has a Black Frame Insertion feature that helps improve the appearance of motion. It has a VA panel with a great contrast ratio, making it ideal for dark-room gaming, but it has narrow viewing angles and the image looks washed out when viewing from the sides. The ergonomics are also bad, so it may be difficult to place in an ideal viewing position. Lastly, it performs well in bright rooms thanks to its good reflection handling and high peak brightness.
Our Verdict
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is good for mixed usage. It's a great gaming option thanks to its high refresh rate, low input lag, and VRR support. However, fast-moving content looks a bit blurry. It has a large screen and high resolution for office use or content creation, but it has narrow viewing angles and bad ergonomics. HDR content looks okay as it displays a wide color gamut, but it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.
- Good reflection handling.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Slow response time in dark scenes.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is decent for office use. The 27 inch, 1440p screen offers enough space for most people and has a high resolution so that you can easily open multiple windows. It also has good reflection handling and gets bright enough to combat glare. However, it has bad ergonomics and narrow viewing angles, making it harder to share your screen with others.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is great for gaming. It has a high 165Hz refresh rate and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. The input lag is also incredibly low. The response time is only decent and you may notice some motion blur, but it has a Black Frame Insertion feature to help improve the appearance of motion. Lastly, it has a great contrast ratio for dark-room gaming.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Slow response time in dark scenes.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is decent for multimedia use. It has a large screen and a high resolution that help deliver crisp images. It also gets bright enough to combat glare and has good reflection handling. However, it has narrow viewing angles and the ergonomics are bad, so it's not ideal for sharing content with others. It displays deep blacks, but it has bad black uniformity that may become distracting.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is decent for content creators. The 27 inch screen allows you to open multiple windows and the high resolution delivers crisp images. It performs well in bright and dark rooms thanks to its good peak brightness and high contrast ratio. Sadly, it has narrow viewing angles and limited ergonomics, so it may be hard to share your screen with a client.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Good reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is okay for HDR gaming. It offers great gaming performance thanks to its 165Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and low input lag. However, you may notice some motion blur with fast-moving content because its response time is only decent. It displays a wide color gamut for HDR content, but it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- Slow response time in dark scenes.
- Low HDR peak brightness.
- No local dimming feature.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 14, 2021: We corrected an issue with the links in the Response Time @ 60Hz box.
- Updated Jan 20, 2021: For consistency, we've changed the height adjustment from N/A to 'No'. The score has been adjusted accordingly.
- Updated Dec 11, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Dec 08, 2020: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B, which is the only size available for this product. However, there are other monitors in the TUF Gaming lineup, some of which are listed below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Panel | Max Refresh Rate | Variable Refresh Rate | Notes |
| VG24VQR | 24" | 1080p | VA | 165Hz | FreeSync | Curved |
| VG27WQ1B | 27" | 1440p | VA | 165Hz | FreeSync | Curved |
| VG27VQ | 27" | 1080p | VA | 165Hz | FreeSync | Curved |
| VG27AQL1A | 27" | 1440p | IPS | 170Hz | Adaptive Sync | DisplayHDR 400 |
| VG27AQ | 27" | 1440p | IPS | 165Hz | FreeSync | |
| VG32VQ | 32" | 1440p | VA | 144Hz | FreeSync | Curved |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their ASUS VG27WQ1B 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.
The VG27WQ1Bwe reviewed was manufactured in August 2020, and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is a great gaming monitor. It has a high contrast ratio that makes it suitable for dark-room gaming. However, its response time is only decent, and there's more motion blur than most 165Hz monitors we've tested. Although it's an inexpensive option, there are other similarly-priced monitors with a better response time, such as the Dell S3220DGF. See our recommendations for the best monitors for Xbox Series X, the best 1440p gaming monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The Gigabyte G27QC is slightly better than the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B. The Gigabyte gets brighter, has a quicker response time at its max refresh rate and 60Hz, a lower input lag, and better ergonomics. However, the ASUS displays a wider SDR and HDR color gamut and has better out-of-the-box color accuracy, but this may vary between units.
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is better overall than the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B, but they have different panel types. The VG27AQ has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles and it gets a bit brighter in HDR. It also has a much quicker response time at its max refresh rate, it has lower input lag and much better ergonomics. However, the VG27WQ1B has a VA panel with much better contrast, it has a quicker response time at 60Hz, and it displays a wide color gamut for HDR content.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B is better overall than the ASUS TUF VG27VQ. The VG27WQ1B has a 1440p resolution against the VG27VQ's 1080p, it supports HDR, has a quicker response time, and better reflection handling. However, the VG27VQ has a slightly lower input lag and much better ergonomics.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A is better than the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27WQ1B, but they have different panel types. The VG27AQL1A has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles. It also has much better ergonomics, a quicker response time, and gets brighter in HDR. However, the VG27WQ1B has a VA panel with a better contrast, it displays clearer text, and it has much better out-of-the-box accuracy.
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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