The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP offers the fastest gaming performance in the market right now thanks to its new and special panel. It’s three times as fast as the original PG248Q, which for its time, was closely regarded as the top premium pick for competitive gaming. It’s also the most expensive 1080p monitor we’ve seen, so let’s check it out to see if it’s worth it.
Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP Specifications
- Screen Size: 24 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Full HD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: Twisted Nematic (TN)
- Refresh Rate: 540Hz
- Response Time: .2ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 400 cd/m2
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 3 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 3.2 x 2, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 21.94” x 19.76” x 10.04”
- Weight: 16.53 lbs
Design and Features
The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP sports a new design that segregates it from the other ROG Swift monitors. It still has a matte black finish with RGB lighting on the back, but it doesn’t have the helix stand design. The screen doesn’t have bezels on three sides, but it still has inner borders and a thicker bottom strip.
It’s a 24-inch model, so it is considered to be compact by today’s standards. It only needs 10 inches of depth, so even those with smaller tables can utilize it. The redesigned base takes it a step further since you can swing the legs to create more room for complex mouse, keyboard, or controller setups.
Its build quality is fantastic just like every other ROG monitor we’ve seen on the market. The plastic panels are thick and well reinforced, plus there was no sign of cosmetic defects or weaknesses on any of its parts. The included stand is firm and stable, so the monitor will remain steady even if you have heavy hands.
One thing that did not change with the Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP’s functionality is its OSD control layout. It has a joystick with a mix of hotkeys so you won’t have to fumble around while adjusting something on the fly. Asus could improve and make this feature more convenient, but why fix something that’s not broken?
The stand with the transforming base offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments for your comfort and convenience. A monitor like this doesn’t need the flexibility since it needs to be used as a centerpiece, but the option will be there for owners. You can use VESA mounts, but we think it’s mostly unnecessary for typical gaming setups.
The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP’s connectivity layout doesn’t include a lot of extras since it follows what the G-Sync module in it will allow. However, it is not limited like it was in its predecessor. You get DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 slots, along with a 3.5mm jack and dual USB 3.2 connectors for your peripherals and its Nvidia Reflex Latency Analyzer feature.
It doesn’t have speakers anymore, but it does have an ESS codec embedded into it. Its purpose is to prevent audio lag and distortion, so gaming audio is always spot-on and clear. That means that this monitor was meant to be used with headsets which are always ideal for competitive play.
Display and Performance
The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP boasts a 24-inch TN panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 540Hz refresh rate, and a quoted 0.2ms response time. The backlight has a 400 cd/m2 output while the contrast ratio is at 1000:1 like most TN panels. This model is HDR 400 compliant, but all know that it is not the focus of this monitor.
Asus goes back to TN with this bad boy to maximize speed and motion clarity. BenQ did it with the XL2566K, making the product unique and qualifying for a position as possibly the best monitor for E-Sports. IPS and VA panels have slower pixel response times, but they historically have better viewing angles, color fidelity, and contrast versus TN.
1080p is still the master option for competitive gaming, even if Nvidia and its monitor partners have pushed for 1440p to replace it. It’s easier to get higher framerates on it, of which, the monitor has a lot of room for. You won’t need a top-end GPU for 1080p 540Hz, but an overclocked flagship processor might be necessary to help your system reach it.
The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP covered more than 100% sRGB and 94% of DCI-P3. That level of vibrancy is surprising for a TN panel, but Asus did brag that the module used for this was newly developed and very special. Its default accuracy is decent since the deltaE average is only at 2.34, so most users can simply fire it up and play games immediately.
Calibrating it reduced the dE average to 1.03, putting it very close to what prosumer variants typically offer. The downside is that you will need the guidance of a colorimeter to get similar results. Those are not cheap or readily available, so we can only recommend them if you are into color-critical work.
The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP’s backlight reached 415 cd/m2 at 100%, so it has plenty of room for adjustments. Its contrast has also improved compared to older TN panels which barely breached the original 1000:1. it is not capable of deep blacks like VA or OLEDs, but it’s certainly better-performing in that regard than the PG248Q and its counterparts.
Panel uniformity for the test sample was great since there were no major backlight leaks on any of its quadrants. There was some variance in the backlight’s spread, but it was nothing major. It can still vary between every monitor, but historically, TNs were less susceptible to this issue compared to IPS panels.
The biggest strength of the Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP is its fantastic pixel response time and motion clarity. There is absolutely no blurring or ghosting of any sort, putting it a step ahead of the PG259QN and BenQ’s XL2566K. It even has Nvidia’s ULMB2 feature which improves this characteristic further, although it doesn’t work with G-Sync and FreeSync and dims the backlight by around 100 nits.
The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP is a full G-Sync monitor, but it is also compatible with FreeSync unlike before. This is essential for practical purposes so you don’t have to replace a $900 monitor if you go with the other GPU brand. Its input lag is under 1 ms, making it the fastest gaming monitor to ever hit the retailer’s shelves.
Thoughts on the Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP
The Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP is a fantastic choice for serious E-Sports gamers who want the best possible performance. The display is blur and lag-free, unlike so many other fast monitors that advertise these qualities. Its color and contrast performance was also very surprising for a TN panel which used to fall behind in that regard.
The only complaint the Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP deserves is its price, although we feel that, in a way, it is justified. $900 or more for a 1080p monitor doesn’t feel right, even if the benefits can outweigh the cons. It’s a fantastic buy for E-Sports gaming, but the price and the necessary power to run and harness its speed are not for everyone.
Pros:
- Fastest Gaming Monitor
- Superb Contrast and Colors for TN Technology
- FreeSync and G-Sync Compatible
- Robust Design and Features
Cons:
- Expensive for 1080p
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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