An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

Budgetary clarity in motion.

Gamers in the market for a 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor priced at less than $300 have a wide range of options to choose from this year. Brands such as Acer, Samsung, Dell, LG, AOC, and Gigabyte are offering several viable choices. Asus has also entered this competitive market with a monitor that may not be particularly groundbreaking, but it relies on the company's proprietary backlight strobing to enhance motion clarity.

An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

Design of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS

Given its inexpensive cost, the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS is identical to most other ROG Strix monitors, which is a positive thing. Sturdy plastics in a charcoal tint are used, offering good construction quality, and the design is stylish without being garish. It features a little chin on the bottom and thin bezels on three of the sides when viewed from the front. The ROG logo is displayed from the back using a faint etching in the plastic, along with a few cyberpunk-inspired design elements.

To maintain the price, some reductions are done. There is not any RGB LED illumination on the monitor to liven up your desktop. Additionally, it feels comparatively thick for a contemporary monitor, which may be related to its low cost and usage of an IPS LCD panel with an edge-lit backlight. Although Asus's design is not as appealing as Samsung's Odyssey G5 range or Dell's less-priced G-series gaming monitors, it is still not that bad.

An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

One crucial component of the monitor is still present: an ergonomically designed stand. It has height, tilt, and swivel adjustments, and it can be turned 90 degrees to operate in portrait mode. The maximum height adjustment is 120mm, compared to 150mm for some competitors, but that makes sense considering the cost. If you would like to utilize a third-party monitor stand or arm, the display is also compatible with 100mm x 100mm VESA mounts.

A little trench in the stand, intended for use as a smartphone stand, is how Asus completes the look of the monitor. Although I do not think many players would use this option, it is there if you so choose. The monitor also comes with a tripod mount at the top of the stand, which could come in handy if you wish to attach a webcam for streaming. At this cost, that is a unique feature.

Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS: Features & Connectivity

In terms of connection,  the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS distinguishes itself from rival models. It has one DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI 2.0, and one USB-C connector with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. With three video inputs overall, the monitor can be used with both desktop and laptop computers as well as gaming consoles thanks to its wide range of connecting choices. It is good to see here because most low-cost gaming monitors have not yet made the switch to USB-C.

An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

Do not get too excited, though. It will not help charge any laptop, much less a gaming laptop, as it can only give 7.5 watts of power. The display is not a USB hub either because it does not accept downstream USB connections for wired keyboards and mice. Considering the modest cost of the monitor, these omissions are not shocking, but it is nevertheless vital to remember them. Really, the purpose of the USB-C port is only for video input—it is not for data or charging.

The on-screen menu system of the display can be accessed via software called DisplayWidget, which is sold by Asus, or it can be controlled with a joystick. The menus on the display are user-friendly and offer a good range of options for adjusting the image quality, including gamma and color temperature presets that precisely target gamma curves. Even with inexpensive gaming monitors, this is becoming more and more typical, so it is still encouraging to observe.

Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS – High-Definition Gaming Graphics

The Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS's specs do not initially seem to indicate excellent image quality. The monitor features a 27-inch IPS panel with a maximum refresh rate of 180 Hz, a standard edge-lit backlight, and a resolution of 2560 x 1440. Here, there are no flashy quantum dots or mini-LEDs. The monitor's quality is still decent considering its cost.

An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

Performance with color is a plus. The monitor offers a color spectrum that encompasses 100% of sRGB and 91% of DCI-P3, and its color accuracy is good. Games appear vivid, colorful, and lifelike, particularly in bright, highly saturated landscapes. The XG27ACS produces stunning visuals for titles like Stardew Valley, Forza Horizon 5, and Overwatch 2. Additionally, the monitor boasts a high maximum SDR brightness of 406 nits, which enables it to produce bright and vivid presentations even in well-lit spaces. Additionally, the matte screen covering ensures that glare is not a problem.

With a maximum contrast ratio of 1360:1, IPS displays also perform well in terms of contrast. Given that most monitors in this class have a contrast ratio closer to 1000:1, that is definitely better than most of them. This improvement may not be apparent, though, because the display continues to have the "IPS glow" issue, which makes darker situations appear fuzzy and gray. Choose a monitor with a VA panel if you favor darker games, such as Resident Evil: Village, Darkest Dungeon, and Diablo IV. These monitors offer superior contrast for a lower cost.

An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

With a pixel density of 109 per inch on a 27-inch panel, the monitor's 2,560 x 1,440 resolution indicates positive sharpness. Even while it is not nearly as precise as the 163 PPI on a 4K display of the same size, most games still seem clear and crisp on it. Only games with poor anti-aliasing functionality will cause aliasing or stair-stepping artifacts that players will detect.

All things considered, the XG27ACS is a solid choice if you are looking for a low-cost gaming monitor that provides a vivid, colorful display with decent sharpness. Even though it performs better than average, there is still a lot of competition. Similar or greater performance is provided by substitutes including the Dell G2724D, Samsung Odyssey G5, and AOC Q27G3XMN, some of which are less expensive.

HDR image quality on the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS

Given that it has VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, you would assume that the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS is a good choice for HDR content. Unfortunately, it is not true. Although the monitor claims to be bright and supports HDR, it is still not up to par.

Contrast is a serious problem. As previously indicated, the XG27ACS lacks the ability to turn off portions of the display in order to enhance contrast between dark and bright regions because it uses a normal edge-lit backlight. This implies that situations with brighter items would typically have darker regions of the screen appear brighter as well, giving the impression of being flat and washed out. For example, I found that the bright blue surge coming from behind the spaceship and the vast disc of swirling hot gasses surrounding the black hole in the Interstellar black hole escape sequence were notably lacking in realism.

To be honest, the majority of the monitor's rivals are not able to provide a fantastic HDR experience either; they are just not priced this low. It will cost extra for gamers to have a Mini-LED or OLED display if they want an excellent HDR.

Even though HDR is not very good, I like that Asus included a feature for "adjustable brightness." It may surprise gamers who have not tried one yet to realize that most HDR monitors turn off brightness adjusting when the setting is engaged. It is fantastic to see Asus support changing brightness in HDR because that can be a pain.

Motion Performance of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS

There is no doubt about it: the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS should be purchased for its motion performance. Given that its highest refresh rate is 180 Hz, which is not particularly spectacular in 2024 when 240 Hz displays (and faster) are becoming increasingly popular, that may seem odd. But Asus has an advantage thanks to a technology called Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB). This Asus-exclusive backlight strobing technology uses a very high frequency of backlight strobing to eliminate motion blur. This lessens the impression of motion blur because of some peculiarities in the human eye.

Although other rivals do feature backlight strobing, ELMB's compatibility with Adaptive Sync sets it apart from Asus' competitors in the cheap gaming monitor market. Even though Nvidia just revealed plans to increase its frequency, it is still somewhat uncommon. Generally, gamers on a budget have to decide between increased motion clarity and smoother motion. Both are available when using the XG27ACS.

ELMB provides excellent clarity. Even though the refresh rate is only 180 Hz, it appears more like a 240 Hz monitor when this option is activated. Hit-point bars and other small, delicate features, such as lettering, are easy to see even when they scroll quickly across the screen. Additionally, ELMB exhibits less of the "double image" phenomenon that certain rival backlight strobe implementations can make visible. However, preferences differ, so players who are intolerant to the "double image" phenomenon should still exercise caution.

An evaluation of the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor

There are a few restrictions. ELMB is incompatible with the monitor's reduced blue light mode and aspect ratio modification settings. It also lowers the display's maximum brightness. However, it is generally functional enough that I would advise anyone who has this monitor to switch it on right away. The advantages of ELMB are even more noticeable in titles like League of Legends which include a lot of tiny, fine text and frequent movement. You are not likely to notice or care about the improvement if you favor Civilization VI.

It is Asus's fault that it officially supports Nvidia G-Sync in addition to AMD FreeSync. It is nonetheless a good idea to have support formally noted so that buyers are not misled by the monitor's capabilities, even though the majority of contemporary monitors that offer Adaptive Sync should work with both and function flawlessly in almost all circumstances.

For competitive gamers and anybody concerned about image quality in motion, the XG27ACS is an easy choice due to its excellent motion clarity and ELMB technology. It is the main factor that makes the XG27ACS superior than Asus' rivals.

Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS: Discrete Usage by Day

The Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS is a terrific monitor for normal everyday productivity even though it is primarily meant for gaming. It provides the brightness and sharpness required to read text easily and produce a visually appealing image when using Microsoft Word, YouTube, or online browsing. This may seem straightforward, but some low-cost gaming monitors—particularly those that maintain 1080p resolution—may have problems with it.

When creating content, the XG27ACS has its limitations. Professional photographers and video editors may find it problematic that 4K video files cannot be seen at their original quality at 1440p, even though the resolution is high enough to look sharp. Additionally, even though HDR is supported, working with HDR video on this monitor will not be recommended due to its poor visual quality.

The Competition: Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS

The Acer Nitro XV271U, LG 27GL83A-B, Samsung Odyssey G50A, Viewsonic OMNI VX2718-2KPC-mhd, and Dell G2724D are just a few of the devices that compete with the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS. While the XG27ACS is slightly more costly than these options, it offers comparable image quality and has an advantage in motion clarity and a built-in USB-C port. Gamers who do not think those things are necessary can save a few bucks and stay with the Dell G2724D or Samsung Odyssey G50A, but the XG27ACS is the superior option for those who want better motion clarity.

Conclusion

With one clever move, the Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS is a good but ordinary 1440p gaming monitor that offers better motion clarity thanks to ELMB Sync. It is a great addition that functions well, so most players should not have any issues utilizing it. Nevertheless, your choice to get the XG27ACS or not will probably depend on how you feel with backlight strobing and how much you need better motion clarity. The XG27ACS is not for you if you prefer the feature's lower brightness and "double image" effect or if you do not require the increased clarity. However, the XG27ACS is a good choice if you appreciate the feature or want to optimize motion clarity on a tight budget.