ASUS PB278Q Review
- Overall
Summary:
The ASUS PB278Q is a beautiful 1440p gaming monitor that suits the gamer who values image quality over response time and smoothness. We imagine the gamer playing RPG games or single player adventure/action games such as Assassins Creed or Skyrim (or games within that genre), where the surroundings and the color accuracy provides the most value to the gaming experience. However, the PB278Q will, of course, be able to play online shooting games like Counter-Strike for the average gamer but the more serious online shooting gamers would probably notice a lag as the response time, and refresh rate is slow compared to the TN panel based monitors. Nonetheless, the PB278Q looks good, performs great image quality and has a recommended resolution for gaming of any kind. Perfect for console gaming with its 60 Hz refresh rate, image quality and the two 3W speakers hidden instead of showing on the sides, or the audio line out on the monitor for your headphones.
Full Review of ASUS PB278Q
As opposed to normal ASUS monitors within the category of ‘normal’ monitors, thereby meaning the monitors that are not a part of the gaming series of a particular manufacture, the PB278Q comes with a beautiful matte black design which looks great on the desk and suits the price tag. The stand is fully adjustable with height, swivel, tilt and even pivot for portrait viewing should that fit your needs. What is also quite convenient is the cable manager on the back of the stand which helps with the cables not being in the way and contributes to the smoothness of its design. In the package, you also get all the cables necessary for the inputs including HDMI, DVI, VGA and DisplayPort cables. There is an audio line out for your headphones as well on the monitor besides the 3W speakers which are hidden.
The panel of the PB278Q is described as IPS, but it is a PLS panel which is Samsung’s equivalent of an IPS panel. It supports the full sRGB color gamut spectrum and thus operates as an IPS panel. It gives you the superb color productivity and the color accuracy of an IPS panel, which provides the image quality that RPG and similar gaming enthusiasts so dearly value. When it comes to gaming, the capabilities of the PB278Q will be just perfect for games like The Witcher, Assassins Creed, The Elder Scrolls and similar. Be aware that when we suggest games for the monitor we are not excluding other games we are merely suggesting what games would work perfect, thereby not saying that games like Counter-Strike are not playable. But if you want a monitor that focuses on these types of games you may want to prioritize the faster TN panel based monitors to get you lead in responsiveness. Like the last comment, we want to clarify our rating, which was because of some bleeding noticed on the upper right and lower right corners during black display. Nothing to worry about really, but it doesn’t add to the rating as well as the price since the monitor is about two years old (from release date).
All specs:
Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
Response Time | 5ms |
Input Lag Time | 11ms |
Size | 27” |
Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
Static Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
Dynamic Contrast Ratio | 80,000,000:1 |
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) |
Panel Type | IPS (PLS) |
Adaptive Sync | No |
Brightness | 300cd/cm2 |
Blue Light Reduction | Yes |
Anti-Glare | Yes |
Anti-Reflection | No |
Backlight | W-LED |
Speakers | No |
Color | Matte Black |
Ports | 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x D-Sub (VGA), 1x Dual-Link DVI-D, 1x PC Audio Input 3.5mm, 1x Headphone Jack |
Viewing Angle | 178/178 Degrees |
Adjustability | Height, pivot, swivel, tilt |
Brand-Specific Features | ASUS QuickFit Virtual Scale, ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio (ASCR), ASUS Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, ASUS Splendid Video Preset Mode, HDCP, LED PLS Technology, Trace Free Technology, Zero Bright Dot |
Additional Features | HDCP Support |
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