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The Asus ROG XG27ACS is an reasonably priced 1440p 180Hz gaming monitor, which suggests as we speak we aren’t reviewing another OLED gaming monitor, however a $290 LCD concentrating on mainstream avid gamers.
And whereas there’s nothing significantly groundbreaking concerning the {hardware} right here, we’re at all times on the hunt for brand spanking new bang-for-buck choices that enhance upon current choices.
Options and Design
The XG27ACS packs a 27-inch 1440p 180Hz IPS LCD panel with a reasonably typical function set, together with adaptive sync variable refresh charges and ELMB backlight strobing. This show is not really HDR succesful regardless of promoting HDR, with no native dimming performance.
The design of this monitor is just like what we have seen from Asus in the past, minus the RGB LED lighting as it is a extra budget-friendly product. The entrance consists of three slim bezels and a chin alongside the underside edge, whereas on the rear you will discover typical ‘gamer’ styling with vents, textures, and a big ROG brand. We are likely to want a extra minimalist design, however all these things is on the again, which is fairly simple to cover.
The stand incorporates a small squarish base with a cutout for slotting in your cellphone. Nevertheless, our Galaxy Z Fold 5 would not match, although it’s a thick machine. The pillar has a cutout for cable administration and helps a very good vary of ergonomic adjustment, together with peak, tilt, swivel, and pivot. The utmost peak stage is a bit of brief for our tastes, however the stand general is sturdy, and the adjustment mechanisms work effectively.
As for construct high quality, nearly all exterior surfaces are a darkish grey plastic, and there is a crimson ring across the stand pillar’s connection to the bottom. There’s nothing overly premium about this construct, which is in step with its price range value level, although on the constructive facet, it appears effectively put collectively. We would definitely want a cheaper price tag than a steel stand on a monitor on this vary.
The XG27ACS makes use of a BOE panel, which comes with a normal matte anti-glare coating that includes reasonable ranges of grain. For those who’ve used any LCD gaming monitor launched during the last decade, you will know what to anticipate right here. It is an efficient coating that minimizes reflections.
For ports, we get one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and a USB-C supporting DP-Alt mode however simply 7.5W of energy supply, which is not adequate for charging most laptops. There is not any USB hub, so no KVM swap performance. The HDMI port ought to ideally be HDMI 2.1 to permit for the complete 180Hz refresh charge; as they’re solely 2.0 spec, the max refresh over HDMI is simply 144Hz.
The OSD is managed by way of a directional toggle and features a fairly good vary of options for a bang-for-buck monitor. Lots of the belongings you get on high-end Asus shows are included right here, like all of the gaming choices: crosshairs, FPS counter, timers, shadow boosting, and so forth.
Along with this, we get varied coloration area modes, adjustable ELMB, and even an overdrive slider that has 21 choices.
Response Time Efficiency
Relating to response time efficiency, we had been pleasantly shocked to see that Asus has included correct variable overdrive with this show, adjustable by way of the aforementioned slider. Variable overdrive adjusts the extent of overdrive relying on the refresh charge, permitting for a extra optimum expertise when utilizing adaptive sync. Traditionally, this function has solely been included with higher-end merchandise.
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS – 0 – 180Hz
When assessing response instances, we begin with setting the OD stage to 0, which exhibits native panel efficiency. Whereas response instances are within the 10ms vary, cumulative deviation is affordable, and that is across the stage we used to see in 5-year-old price range screens with overdrive enabled.
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS – 5, 10 – 180Hz
After we transfer as much as stage 5, the response time common and cumulative deviation enhance with no affect on overshoot. Then at stage 10, the default setting, we discover fairly optimum habits. A median response of 4.5ms and cumulative deviation round 400 is nice from an IPS LCD, whereas overshoot remains to be being stored in verify.
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS – 15, 20 – 180Hz
At greater settings, the XG27ACS would not carry out as effectively. At 15, the response common does enhance to three.5ms, however this comes at the price of noticeable inverse ghosting. The utmost setting is sort of excessive. Even at settings simply barely greater than 10, akin to 11 or 12, we did not discover a lot of a bonus in comparison with the default choice of 10. It is good to have adjustable overdrive management, although, so you may tune it to your liking, which may be useful in colder or hotter climates.
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS – 10 – 180Hz, 165Hz, 144Hz, 120Hz, 100Hz, 60Hz
It is nice to verify that variable overdrive does really work as effectively. As we transfer down the variable refresh charge vary, variable overdrive pulls again on the extent of overdrive barely to maintain efficiency optimized and overshoot in verify. This results in round a 6ms common response at 100Hz with no inverse ghosting, and a 7ms expertise at 60Hz, once more with no inverse ghosting.
Usually, after we see screens delivering 4.5ms at 180Hz, there could be fairly a little bit of overshoot at 60Hz utilizing the identical overdrive settings, however with variable overdrive that is not the case, resulting in a single overdrive mode expertise. You may maintain this show on OD stage 10 and revel in gaming in any respect refresh charges with few artifacts.
Response Time Comparisons
In comparison with different screens, the XG27ACS performs effectively at its most refresh charge, although it is throughout the vary of different IPS LCDs. It is barely higher tuned than LG choices just like the 27GP83B, which use LG panels, a very good displaying from this BOE panel. It additionally delivers decrease overshoot than the MSI G274QPF-QD or Gigabyte M27Q P at the same response time and quicker response instances than some older fashions.
The place the XG27ACS manages to carry out effectively is in common efficiency. Utilizing the identical response time settings as earlier than, this monitor delivers a 6ms common throughout the refresh vary with no overshoot. That is quicker than comparable price range fashions just like the M27Q P and G274QPF-QD can handle. It is also the same response time to merchandise just like the LG 27GR83Q, however at a decrease stage of overshoot.
After we have a look at cumulative deviation to evaluate the stability between velocity and overshoot, this new Asus mannequin performs very effectively. At a mean of 480, it is 20 % higher than the G274QPF-QD, which we have typically really useful round this value, and 30 % higher than the M27Q P. It outperforms the marginally costlier 27GP83B, and there is a massive 38% hole to the HDR-capable AOC Q27G3XMN.
One other benefit the XG27ACS has over the Q27G3XMN is not any darkish stage smearing. This Asus mannequin has commonplace darkish stage efficiency in step with different response instances. The AOC mannequin has slower darkish transitions, not outrageous for a VA LCD, however not wonderful, and that results in a noticeably slower expertise.
For mounted refresh charge gaming, this monitor additionally performs effectively, with aggressive response instances and no overshoot, all with no need to regulate the overdrive settings.
The XG27ACS helps ELMB-Sync, which is Asus’ backlight strobing know-how that works with adaptive sync concurrently. This function can ship a readability enchancment at excessive refresh charges close to 180Hz however would not work particularly effectively when the refresh charge drops. Round 120Hz, it is mainly as blurry as not utilizing ELMB. Even at 180Hz, there are some crosstalk artifacts and noticeable crimson fringing because of the KSF backlight.
There’s additionally the choice to make use of ELMB with out adaptive sync, which does work higher at decrease mounted refresh charges and offers you choices to regulate strobe timing and size. Nevertheless, it would not work at 60Hz and nonetheless has some high quality points. It isn’t an terrible implementation by any means, it is simply not one thing we might use on this monitor when the response time expertise with out ELMB is affordable.
Enter lag is excellent, with simply 0.5ms of processing delay at its most refresh charge. Nevertheless, most different screens with the same refresh charge additionally ship the same quantity of latency – the primary limiting issue right here is the refresh charge. We had been additionally happy to see lower than 1ms of latency when utilizing this show in its mounted 60Hz mode, which could be very uncommon.
Energy consumption is typical of an IPS LCD of this measurement and backbone. Screens with native dimming and HDR capabilities have a tendency to make use of extra energy, and there is one other step up once more to OLED screens. Nevertheless, with a normal SDR LCD like this, it is fairly environment friendly.
Shade Efficiency
Shade House: Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS – D65-P3
Shifting now to paint efficiency, the XG27ACS is a typical vast gamut LCD with 96% protection of DCI-P3 and 74% protection of Rec. 2020. That is proper across the center of the pack for gamut protection, with higher-tier merchandise being both QD-OLED or quantum dot-enhanced LCDs.
Default Shade Efficiency
Manufacturing unit out-of-the-box calibration is fairly good within the grayscale mode, with respectable adherence to sRGB gamma and no important coloration tinting by way of white stability. This results in a very good deltaE common. Nevertheless, as is typical for gaming screens, the default mode leaves the colour gamut unclamped, so commonplace SDR content material is expanded to fill this gamut, resulting in oversaturation. This hurts deltaE efficiency.
In comparison with different gaming screens, the XG27ACS performs effectively in grayscale, barely outperforming different choices. Outcomes are additionally close to the highest of the charts in ColorChecker.
sRGB Mode Shade Efficiency
What impressed us about this bang-for-buck monitor is the unlocked sRGB mode, which offers good coloration area emulation and the power to tweak different settings akin to white stability. That is enabled by way of altering the show’s coloration area to sRGB. As well as, there is a devoted sRGB Cal Mode, which produces glorious manufacturing facility calibration however locks some settings. Both of those choices is incredible, however the sRGB Cal Mode, specifically, has nice ranges of accuracy with deltaE averages under 3.0.
So after we examine this monitor to others, the XG27ACS is mainly a high-end show by way of its manufacturing facility calibration within the sRGB mode, approaching the degrees of the easiest QD-OLED screens. If that is particularly what you are on the lookout for, efficiency is significantly better than screens just like the G274QPF-QD.
Calibrated Shade Efficiency
There’s additionally the choice for a full software program calibration, which we carried out by way of Calman, although this solely led to small enhancements in coloration efficiency. Actually, what Asus is offering out of the field right here with the sRGB Cal Mode and unlocked coloration area modes must be adequate for many customers, permitting for an excellent vary of in-hardware calibration.
Brightness, Distinction, Uniformity
Most brightness is mid-range, providing round 390 nits. There are some merchandise that may push greater than this, however realistically, 380 nits is adequate for many indoor use instances. Minimal brightness of 35 nits can be respectable.
As for the distinction ratio, the XG27ACS is nothing particular. It options an IPS LCD with a distinction of 1,117:1, which is mid-range for that panel sort. It is good to see outcomes above 1,000, a lot greater than the 27GP83B, for instance, however black ranges on this monitor are poor, particularly relative to VA LCDs and OLEDs. It is a main draw back of IPS LCDs, and there is been little development on this space, a minimum of for gaming screens.
Viewing angles are respectable with out being something particular. This form of IPS panel is common on this space in comparison with different IPS panels we have seen. Uniformity is okay however not one of the best, particularly across the edges. Tremendous for gaming, although.
HUB Necessities Guidelines
The ultimate part of this evaluation is the HUB Necessities Guidelines. Asus solely does a mean job promoting this monitor. We respect them not emphasizing HDR, however they do nonetheless declare it helps HDR, which it does, simply not in any significant means because the {hardware} would not embrace any dimming performance and has a low distinction ratio. It is a pretend HDR product.
Response time numbers are additionally a bit deceptive, although that is typical of most LCDs. Surprisingly, Asus did not promote manufacturing facility calibration once they most likely ought to have, merely calling it “manufacturing facility checked.”
As for the function help matrix, as a result of Asus marketed HDR help, there are fairly a number of misses right here, akin to for HDR-level brightness and distinction, in addition to HDR coloration efficiency. EOTF monitoring within the HDR mode is definitely cheap, nevertheless it has poor black ranges and poor peak brightness, so it is arduous to name {that a} “good” expertise. We’re additionally unsure whether or not this monitor helps firmware updates, although at this level we’ve not discovered any cause to require one.
The place this monitor succeeds, although, is within the movement areas, with ticks for refresh compliance, a single overdrive mode expertise, respectable cumulative deviation, and low enter lag. As an IPS LCD, it additionally options no flickering or pixel inversion, RGB stripe stage textual content readability, and no danger of burn-in. Nevertheless, it lacks extra superior inputs like a USB hub or KVM swap.
What We Realized
Asus has accomplished a reasonably good job general with the ROG Strix XG27ACS as a bang-for-buck 1440p 180Hz gaming monitor. Efficiency in lots of key areas is surprisingly nice – there’s been extra consideration paid to tuning movement and coloration efficiency than we usually see from sub-$300 merchandise. This makes the XG27ACS a good candidate for mainstream monitor patrons.
The shock inclusion right here is variable overdrive, which permits for better-tuned response instances than we usually see at this value level. It is a quick IPS LCD with no overshoot in any respect refresh charges in its optimum configuration and a incredible single overdrive mode expertise. Many different price range 1440p screens require setting adjustments relying on the refresh charge you are utilizing, however not the XG27ACS – you may just about simply go away it on the defaults.
We had been additionally very impressed with its manufacturing facility calibration within the sRGB mode, together with the power to tweak settings whereas sustaining sRGB gamut emulation and nice accuracy. That is in any other case a reasonably typical IPS LCD by way of colours, so we’re getting respectable brightness and viewing angles as commonplace, however Asus has elevated it to high-end standing on this space by way of nice tuning.
In optimizing each response instances and manufacturing facility tuning, Asus is getting probably the most they’ll out of this IPS panel. Many of the remaining weaknesses are merely associated to what’s doable with this panel and at this value level. For instance, the distinction ratio shouldn’t be excellent, and best-case movement efficiency is fairly commonplace for a 2024 monitor.
The most important miss with the XG27ACS is the dearth of any true HDR capabilities. We’re now seeing precise native dimming at sub-$300 value factors – not in excellent merchandise, however accessible nonetheless – and this Asus monitor is totally absent of any actual HDR {hardware}. For many patrons, this implies having to resolve between wanting HDR or wanting higher response time efficiency at the same value. That is not a straightforward choice to make, and for a lot of forms of video games, having some type of precise HDR is best than having quicker movement efficiency.
The primary competitor we’re referring to right here is the AOC Q27G3XMN, which has a VA LCD and 336-zone backlighting, offering true (although entry-level) HDR. At $280, it is mainly the identical value because the XG27ACS, and the strengths of every product might hardly be extra totally different.
The AOC monitor has HDR and a a lot stronger distinction ratio however notably worse response instances, together with darkish smearing. This Asus monitor has no HDR and a weak distinction ratio however significantly better response instances and no darkish smearing. It can finally come all the way down to the kind of video games you wish to play as to which choice is best. For faster-paced multiplayer titles, we might definitely make the case that the Asus XG27ACS is the higher selection, however for single-player video games, we might most likely go along with the AOC.
With that mentioned, in the event you prioritize response instances and are not all that eager about HDR, the ROG XG27ACS is the best choice we have seen at this value level. It is clearly higher than the MSI G274QPF-QD we had been recommending earlier than, and it additionally outperforms choices just like the LG 27GP83B, which is normally bought on this value vary, so Asus has delivered in enhancing the standard of their mainstream 1440p monitor providing under $300.
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