Review on ASUS VG27AQ1A Gaming Monitor: Compatible DisplayPort, 2560x1440p, 170Hz, Swivel & Tilt Adjustment, Flicker-Free, Built-In Speakers by Jason Johnson

Right out of the box I am very happy with this monitor. It was recently featured in an episode of Linus Tech Tips and I was able to find it at a much lower price than what I just saw ($800). Actual MSRP is in the $450 range. So don't be fooled into considering this monitor as an option. It's not an $800 monitor, but it's not a lout either. Assembly was ridiculously easy. Attach the base, plug in the power adapter, plug in an HDMI or DP cable, and you're good to go. The only thing I have at the moment are the I/O ports on the back, a bit close to the back of the monitor. Originally I was going to use the Lockable Cable Matters DP cable, but due to the thicker connector I had to use the cable that came with the monitor. It was also very difficult to route the cable into the monitor due to the same tight tolerances. I finally put it back in place and the monitor worked right away. Did the Heaven test to tweak the settings to my liking and also see how the monitor performs. At first there was a slight flicker. Opened windows display settings and maximized the frame rate in QHD and that seemed to reduce it a lot but there was still a little zigzag in the shadow fringes. I found the OC option in the monitor menu and the problem was fixed immediately. I've kept increasing the Hz selections in both the Windows display options and the Nvidia Control Panel without looking back. I was able to overclock the monitor to 165(!)Hz with Nvidia and had no flickering or stuttering. The color convinced me! I know the monitor is advertised at 155Hz, so being able to overclock it to that level is a nice touch. The ELMB feature is amazing too! the picture is buttery smooth and I can read the text in the windows by moving them back and forth. I wouldn't say it's crystal clear, but it's definitely good! The IPS panel looks fantastic next to my 4K IPS monitor, colors are very similar between the two defaults, brightness is about the same. Money, holds the backlight better than the other monitor I bought. If anything changes or this monitor fails I'll update this review, but I think ASUS hit the nail on the head with this one. Very happy with the monitor! EDIT: Today is 6/15/2022 and this monitor is still working. Absolutely no backlight loss, the picture is bright and clear as always. I believe there has been some loss of brightness as the monitor has aged, but not enough to notice the change. I recently changed my GPU. I wasn't expecting any issues and luckily I had no trouble getting TUF Gaming up and running with my 3080Ti. I didn't even have to adjust the OSD settings. Connected and BAM. Doom Eternal at 165Hz is one of the smoothest experiences I can imagine, and this monitor handles it with grace and aplomb. I can say with certainty that this monitor is great value for money when you pay prices in the MSRP range. 11/10 recommend!