ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q GSYNC Gaming Monitor review - Synchronizing Monitor & Graphics Card

NVIDIA G-Sync
ASUS Republic Of Gamers Swift PG278Q GSYNC gaming monitor

Join us as we review the ASUS Republic Of Gamers Swift PG278Q GSYNC gaming monitor. NVIDIA has announced GSync but 3rd party monitors with that GSYNC module have been hard to get. ASUS however now outs their second GSYNC compatible monitor, this round they do it with a nice 27-inch WQHD display that can handle a 144 Hz refresh rate and has 1ms response time. The downside, it is a TN screen. 

The PG278Q targeted at a very specific gaming crowd who want fluid visuals on this little beast with its 144 Hz refresh rate 1 ms response time. You, yes the end-user can even select your preferred refresh rates, with a  Turbo key for one-click switching between 60 Hz, 120 Hz or 144 Hz display modes. Albeit one does need to wonder, who cares about 144 Hz if you got GSYNC enabled ? G-Sync eliminates the problems that come with VSYNC both on and off. Meaning no more Sync stuttering and that dreaded demon of them all, Screen tearing. G-Sync basically is a technology made compatible with a G-Sync module and software. And that symbiosis honestly is a touch of magic. We have taken for granted many years, screen-tearing and VSYNC stutters. For that you will need to dig a bit into your wallet though as you will need a compatible Geforce graphics card and a compatible monitor that has been equipped with an Nvidia G-Sync module. But once you have established that combination, you'll be nothing other then impressed -- that much we can guarantee. G-Sync, a technology that is named to be a game changer, yes G-Sync eliminates the problems that come with VSYNC (both on and off) versus what is displayed on your monitor. See, in recent years we all have been driven by the knowledge that on a 60 Hz monitor you preferably need 60 FPS rendered by your graphics card. This was for a very specific reason, you want the two as close as possible to each other as that offers you not only the best gaming experience, but also the best visual experience. Running 35 FPS on a 60/120/144 Hz screen with VSYNC on would be great, but you'd still see a hint of what I like to name "soft vsync stuttering". Then the hardcore FPS gamer obviously wants extremely high FPS, and for these frag-masters the alternative is simply disabling VSYNC. However if you have that same 35 FPS framerate on 60 Hz, you'd see visible screen tearing. Heck, this is why framerate limiters are so popular as you try to sync each rendered frame in line with your monitor refresh rate. But yeah, these are the main reasons for screen anomalies, and ever since the start of the 3d graphics revolutions (all hail 3dfx), we simply got used to these sync stutters and/or screen tearing. To compensate we have been purchasing extremely fast dedicated graphics cards to be to be able to match that screen refresh rate as close as possible. 

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) now announced the Swift PG278Q Gaming Monitor, a 27-inch WQHD display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time armed with GSYNC. The 2560 × 1440 monitor was specifically designed for gamers. It features a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. A dedicated Turbo key allows you to select refresh rates of 60Hz, 120Hz or 144Hz with just one click. Have a peek and then lets head onwards into the review.