The ROG Strix XG27ACS Ultra Fast Gaming Monitor, supplied to us for review and packaged with the ROG Strix Scope II RX Optical Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, the ROG X Aimlab Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition gaming mouse, the ROG Sheath mouse pad, an ROG Delta S Gaming Headset, and an ROG Raikiri Pro Gaming controller wraps up the package recommended for gaming on the ROG G22CH desktop PC.

Compatible with both NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync and supporting DisplayHDR 400, this 27” Quad-HD IPS monitor is already ticking a lot of boxes, but diving a little deeper and looking into what it can actually achieve adds boxes with a prefilled tick, and you may not have known you needed them.

Providing resolutions up to 2560×1440, the Fast IPS screen offers refresh rates up to 180hz, a substantial jump from the well-known 144Hz, and a 1ms response time, but this is combined with the ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync, also known as ELMB SYNC, which works hand in hand with the variable refresh rate to deliver sharp images and higher frame rates while eliminating unwanted artefacts such as ghosting and tearing.

Furthermore, ROG Gaming A.I Technology enhances the gaming experience through Dynamic Shadow boosts, offering some extra brightness to dark areas without making them look overexposed, as well as offering that has been dubbed the GamePlus Crosshair.

This nifty little feature analyses the screen in real-time and adjusts an in-built crosshair accordingly, offering you a more accurate targeting experience as you prepare to look down the scope.

If you’d set these yourself, the DisplayWidget Center is a handy little proprietary app from ASUS, designed to work exclusively with a range of their monitors, and it offers an easier solution when it comes to making your adjustments.

Rather than fumbling around and trying to remember which button does what, the on-screen display can be manipulated with mouse clicks, meaning more time playing games and less time reaching across your desk because it doesn’t quite look right.

You’ll have a number of options when it comes to mounting the ROG Strix XG27ACS Ultra Fast Gaming Monitor, including the usual stand, which comes with a handy little cutout in the neck for keeping your cables tidy, as well as offering height adjustment between 0 and 120mm, tilting 20 to -5 degrees, swivelling 45 degrees, or pivoting 90 degrees each way to display in a portrait format.

A 100x100mm VESA socket lets you mount the monitor on a VESA-compliant wall bracket or alternative monitor arm, and somewhat surprisingly, there’s a tripod mount, so you can mount it to a tripod or hang it from a ceiling with a 1/4″ thread – although you’ll want to make sure you’re using a solid tripod to prevent collapse or the accidental knock over.

The usual HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 sockets give you options to connect your device, with HDMI allowing refresh rates of 144Hz and the DisplayPort providing the full 180Hz experience, but there is also a USB-C port that can support video inputs while in DP Alt Mode, and this can also make use of that refresh rate boost. Additionally, it can be used as a traditional USB hub, meaning you can connect wired USB peripherals to the monitor, as well as a set of earphones through the 3.5mm earphone port.

If you’re using the included stand, cables can be channelled through a small cutout, helping to reduce the amount of clutter on the desk. There is also a small cutout on the foot of the stand, perfect for inserting your mobile device and making it easier to use external apps such as GameGlass.

The ROG Strix XG27ACS Ultra Fast Gaming Monitor is an incredible monitor, and playing games with it was, for all intents and purposes, a dream come true, particularly when combined with the ROG G22CH desktop PC. Animations and special effects were incredibly well-detailed, filled with bright and vibrant colours as well as deep and immersive blacks.

The non-glare panel did its job admirably, allowing me to focus on the game at hand almost perfectly preventing external light sources from interrupting my experience, and the motions were buttery smooth, whether at high speed or not, and it turns out it’s a lot more affordable than I expected.

Written by: MKAU Gaming