Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q review
TechRadar Verdict
With the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q, you’re getting 4K resolution without the hefty price tag and with versatility in viewing positions. It does have some slight drawbacks that keep it from being a no-brainer.
Pros
- +
Incredibly affordable for a 4K monitor
- +
Extremely flexible in viewing positions including portrait mode
- +
Gorgeous, accurate colors
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Two-minute review
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q monitor certainly has a lot going for it. To start, it’s a 28-inch 4K monitor – one of the best 4K monitors, in fact – that won’t set you back more than $1,000/£1,000 or even $600/£600. Unlike other 4K gaming monitors out there, this little 4K gaming monitor that could is accessible to budget gamers who have big dreams of owning their very own 3,840 x 2,160 monitor without having to save and scrimp for a few months.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
And, with it, you also get an extremely versatile stand that offers extensive swivel, tilt, pivot and height adjustments.
One of the best things about this 4K gaming monitor is that it can tilt down to -5 and up to +20, swivel up to 62 degrees in each direction, and pivot 90 degrees in either direction for portrait mode viewing. That’s more movement in viewing positions than most displays offer today.
- Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q (HDR Black) at Amazon for $289
Combine its 4K resolution and ergonomics with three thin bezels, a wide, sturdy base that’s easy and tool-less to install, a clip for cable management, two built-in 2-watt speakers, and robust build, and you’ve got yourself a fairly high-quality, budget 4K monitor.
At least if you’re coming from a budget-conscious gamer’s perspective, that is. The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q retails at $329 (about £250, AU$460). That’s $30/£23/AU$42 cheaper than the Monoprice 27″ 4K, the cheapest monitor in our best 4K monitors list at the time of writing, and hundreds of dollars cheaper than many 4K monitors out there.
(Image credit: Future)
However, if you’re a gamer with a more discerning taste in image quality, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q does come with some drawbacks.
Our review unit did have a dead pixel on it right out of the box. Is this a sign of quality control or just bad luck? Who knows, but it’s not something you want to see on a brand new display. The monitor also has a stripped-down port selection (only two HDMIs, one DisplayPort, and 3.5mm audio jack), and it isn’t the fastest out there with a refresh rate of 60Hz and an even slower response time of 5ms.
(Image credit: Future)
While it is able to keep up with Rocket League with barely any issues, we did experience some stuttering when playing more graphics hungry games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Doom: Eternal. And, this was with a system packing an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Granted, these were environmental elements, like passing trees while on horseback, that experienced the stuttering so only the most discerning will pick up on it. And, since it does support Adaptive-Sync and AMD FreeSync, turning on V-Sync did seem to minimize, though not completely eliminate, the stuttering.
To be fair, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q does deliver flawless detail, impeccable sharpness, and vibrant, accurate colors with its 90% color gamut. Death Stranding looks incredible on it, and Doom: Eternal is colorful and sharp. As are movies and shows like Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse and Mindhunter. When performing the Lagom tests, it does rate well in contrast, black level, white saturation, and viewing angle.
That doesn’t change the fact that the gaming experience could be smoother. Again, it’s not bad, but for detail-oriented or Esports gamers, a monitor with a faster response time and possibly refresh rate might be a better buy.
Its HDR10 feature doesn’t help, either. To be clear, this isn’t VESA-certified HDR, simply a standard and the most minimum one at that. And, while the lowest HDR standard is still better than no HDR, it still isn’t much of an improvement in practice.
(Image credit: Future)
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q has two HDR settings – Cinema HDR and Gaming HDR.
There’s not much difference between the two, but a more discerning eye should notice the Cinema one being on the cooler side and the Gaming one being slightly warmer.
Both certainly would have been really cool features to have, except neither really looks like true HDR. Instead of the monitor expanding the dynamic range so that the darkest shadows are more visible and the blown-out highlights are less so, the monitor just kind of puts over a thin veil over the entire picture, lessening the contrast more than anything else.
It’s the same with its Shadow Boost feature. While the idea of both is to enhance image details, exposing dark areas better while also minimizing overexposures, they aren’t as effective in doing either. Toggling HDR on might lessen blown-out highlights a bit, but the monitor isn’t as much getting more details out in darker areas as it is just making those areas go from black to dark gray. If you’re counting on these features to give you a bit of a gaming edge, you might be a tad disappointed.
(Image credit: Future)
Still, do we really want to start nitpicking when the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q is the monitor most consumers have been waiting for – a gaming monitor that lives and breathes 4K, sans the exorbitant price? Well, that really depends on what you value most.
If you just want a decent-sized gaming monitor with 4K resolution, it’s hard to beat this display’s value, especially considering the few frills and thrills that come with it. On the other hand, if you want incredibly smooth performance to go with that gorgeous screen, you might have to spend a little more to get it.
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
You want a budget 4K monitor.
Although many 4K monitors that dominate the market today cost an arm and a leg, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q delivers that delicious 4K resolution at more than half the price of the competition.
You need a monitor with excellent ergonomics.
Among its greatest design features is its ability to tilt, swivel and pivot beyond typical monitors.
It can tilt -5 to +20 degrees, swivel up to 62 degrees in each direction and pivot up to 90 degrees in either direction.
You are looking for a monitor for media consumption.
Combine that ultra HD resolution with rich, vibrant colors, and you’ve got yourself a monitor that’s ideal for watching movies and shows in.
Don’t buy it if…
You want a monitor with a fast refresh rate and quicker response time.
Unfortunately, with only a 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q does experience some stuttering when playing AAA games at the highest settings.
You have money to spend.
If you can afford to spend more and you spend a lot of time gaming, go for a higher quality 4K gaming monitor with a higher refresh rate and faster response time.
You want real HDR.
HDR10 isn’t VESA-certified HDR, simply a standard and the lowest one you’ll find. In practice, this monitor only really just lessens the contrast to lighten dark areas and minimizes blown-out ones, instead of actually enhancing details.
Michelle Rae Uy is the Buying Guides Editor here at TechRadar. She’s a Los Angeles-based tech, travel and lifestyle writer covering a wide range of topics, from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She’s an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives.
ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q Monitor Review
For many, buying a 4K monitor for their gaming needs is nothing more than a pipe dream – a hope that probably won’t come to fruition thanks to the huge price tags that come equipped with most high-resolution gaming panels.
That said, ASUS has decided now’s the time to unleash a budget-oriented 4K gaming monitor that brings high-resolution and immersion to the budget end of the price spectrum. That’s right, their ASUS VG289Q ticks all the right boxes as far as single-player gaming is concerned.
Whilst this isn’t the best performing monitor on the market, it certainly offers something other 4K monitors don’t – an affordable price tag. In the following article, we’ll be testing the VG289Q for color accuracy, picture quality, and overall gaming performance.
So, with plenty to get through, let’s waste no further time and dive straight into it!
ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q
Specifications
What’s In The Box
As always, the box was fairly uneventful for the TUF Gaming VG289Q monitor – packaged in a layer of protective styrofoam and wrapped in a thin layer of foam to ensure safe transit. Inside the box you will find the following items:
- ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q
- Small power pack and plug
- DisplayPort 1.
4 - User Manual
- Warranty
ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q
Design And Features
The following section will be a more in-depth look at some of the design (and mechanical) features this monitor comes equipped with:
Design
I’ve used a tonne of TUF Gaming monitors over the years and it still surprises me how the design rarely changes. The VG289Q offers up a fairly basic aesthetic that is great for both office and home use. Despite the monitor not offering a great deal in terms of gaming aesthetics, it still feels more exciting than your generic office panel.
That said, this monitor is a careful balance between productivity and gaming aesthetics, designed to fit almost any environment – clever. The ASUS logo can be seen along the bottom bezel with a chrome finish – as you’d expect – with further TUF branding being found on the bottom of the stand itself. Whilst the stand is quite basic, there are a couple of design features on offer, including a neo-Aztec design embossed into the base alongside accents of red throughout.
The back really doesn’t offer anything noteworthy as far as design goes – apart from more Aztec-esque carvings and some stylish red writing – indicating the stand’s adjustability.
Build Quality
Looking at build quality, the ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q really did excel in this department. Before we discuss the pros, however, let’s quickly touch upon the negatives.
Firstly, the entire monitor seems to be made predominantly from plastic – including the stand. Whilst this isn’t a huge issue, and actually lowers the weight of the monitor, it doesn’t feel nearly as robust as other monitors that use more robust materials. That said, that’s pretty much the only negative I could find as far as build quality was concerned.
Overall, the monitor felt nicely made and offered little-to-no wobble when in use – great for gamers that enjoy the occasional rage outburst.
Panel Coating
Like many of today’s monitors, the VG289Q comes equipped with an anti-glare coating (in matte) with a 3H hardness.
The coating does an excellent job of mitigating both natural and manmade light sources, giving gameplay on this monitor an added layer of immersion during use.
Bezels
The ASUS VG289Q comes with very thin bezels that help to create that feeling of true immersion. Pairing the 9mm top and side bezels with the almost frameless design, it’s easy to see why people get immersed when gaming in 4K on this panel.
The bottom bezel is closer to 20mm but, thanks to the careful design, doesn’t take anything away from the overall viewing experience.
Stand
If you follow our monitor reviews often, you’ll already be aware of the praise we’ve given some of the other panels within the TUF Gaming range. ASUS is one of the best brands as far as stands are concerned, with their VG289Q offering the same levels of functionality and robustness that you might expect from their more premium options.
This budget 4K display comes with all the functionality you could require for both gaming and leisure viewing.
It comes equipped with tilt, height, swivel, and even pivot adjustability – something you seldom see in monitors of this size and price point. All functions feel extremely smooth and sturdy, with very little wobble experienced over the entirety of my time testing it.
Below we have listed exactly what the stand is capable of:
- Height – 150mm
- Tilt – 5° (forward) 20° (backwards)
- Swivel – 62°
- Pivot – 90°
Inputs
The ASUS VG289Q didn’t provide as many inputs as we’d hoped, only offering 2 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, and a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones. Despite this being fine for most users, it still feels a little lacking when compared to other modern panels – most of which offer some form of USB 3.0 input.
All the inputs are found at the rear of the monitor and need inserting in a vertical fashion – as per usual.
OSD
Finally, we have the on-screen display.
I’ve always been a fan of the menu system ASUS has used over the years, with the VG289Q not disappointing. ASUS has implemented the classic joystick menu button which sits at the right-hand side of the rear of this panel. It’s easily accessible and requires very little effort to cycle the menus it offers.
Like all ASUS monitors, users of the VG289Q have a tonne of versatility and customization at their fingertips. For gamers, ASUS has equipped the monitor with a number of different game presets and enhancements which can be added as per your requirements. All presets offer a change to the overall color profile, with some benefitting unique scenarios over others.
Users will be able to adjust brightness, contrast, and all the other unusual suspects that come with an ASUS monitor. Adding a timer or FPS counter is also an option with this monitor, easily toggled within the game enhancement section.
You have access to the built-in audio speakers as well, with volume changes being easy to find and adjust.
Color Accuracy & Picture Quality
Next up we’ll be taking a look at the color accuracy and picture quality this panel provides. ASUS says the VG289Q offers a 90% DCI-P3 color gamut, more than most gaming monitors in today’s market (and of this price point). With claims such as this, it’ll be very interesting to see how truly accurate the colors on this monitor are.
| Preset | White Point | Black Depth | Contrast Ratio | Average ΔE*00 | Gamma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDEAL | 6500K | 0.00cd/m² | Infinite | 0.00 | 2.2 |
| User (Out The Box) | 6639K | 0.1074 cd/m² | 1109.8:1 | 1.88 | 2.3 |
| FPS Preset | 6655K | 0.1838 cd/m² | 660.1:1 | 2.66 | 2.24 |
| Scenery Preset | 6674K | 0.1054 cd/m² | 1125.4:1 | 4.1 | 2.25 |
As you can see from the table above, we decided to run a color accuracy test on three of the VG289Q’s color presets.
For me, these are probably the most popular presets the monitor offers, covering most of the demographic that would pick this particular panel up.
Straight out the box, I was pretty impressed by the results this monitor offered – bringing good white point, black depth, and contrast ratio when in the User (out the box) preset. Better still, with a 1.88 average delta, the colors provided by the default preset were incredibly accurate.
We tested the FPS preset next and, as expected, almost every result took a dip when compared against the User preset. Despite the white point still being excellent at 6655K, black depth, contrast, and average deltas all saw a decline from what we class as IDEAL results. The contrast ratio was the biggest concern for me personally, seeing it drop from around 1000:1 to 660:1. That said, the average color delta was still very acceptable at 2.66 overall.
Lastly, we decided to run a preset tailored more towards entertainment viewing and leisure.
We ran the Scenery preset through some initial tests and the results were hit and miss. The average delta was way out at 4.1 and the white point was the highest we recorded (6674K). Black depth and contrast ratio were both good, but overall, this particular preset didn’t offer nearly as much accuracy as we’d hoped for.
| Preset | White Point | Black Depth | Contrast Ratio | Average ΔE*00 | Maximum ΔE*00 | Gamma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDEAL | 6500K | 0.00cd/m² | Infinite | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.2 |
| User (Out The Box) Preset | 6589K | 0.1101 cd/m² | 1179.8:1 | 2.37 | 4.68 | 2.31 |
| Custom Calibrated (In-depth) | 6556K | 0.1125 cd/m² | 1061.7:1 | 0.19 | 0.73 | 2.2 |
We ran a more in-depth color accuracy test on the most accurate uncalibrated preset to see how it faired in a wider color range.
We chose the User settings and was pleasantly surprised by the results. Whilst most results were the same, the one takeaway from this test was the excellent maximum delta of 4.68. Whilst this isn’t ideal as an average figure, it’s really not bad for a maximum delta across all colors tested.
That said, we wasted no time in calibrating the monitor to see how accurate we could get the colors to be on this panel. As you can see from the results above, the ASUS VG289Q offered extremely accurate colors after a quick calibration. We altered the R/G/B figures to 100/95/100 before doing so, as these were deemed the most accurate.
We ran an in-depth test after calibration and, as you’d expect, results were hugely improved. White point was almost perfect at 6556K and black depth measured in at 0.1125 cd/m². More impressive, however, was the average delta of 0.19 – one of the lowest we’ve seen in any panel we’ve tested. Maximum delta was way under 1, making this a hugely accurate panel from a color standpoint.
Panel Uniformity
Panel uniformity is a test we run to check how uniform the luminance and color is across the entirety of the screen. During this test, the center square is used as the reference space. Every other square is then tested to see how far it differentiates from the reference. In an ideal world, we want every square to be green, meaning it hasn’t broken the differential threshold – something we can set at the start of the test.
Note: results will differ from panel to panel.
We were extremely impressed with the overall uniformity of this panel, with very little variance seen when comparing both luminance and color delta.
On a lot of modern panels, you’ll see large differences in the corners – however, that wasn’t the case here. Almost every section of the monitor showcased a good uniformity score, resulting in almost every sector being classed as “green”.
Viewing Angles
The viewing angles of this panel were pretty good, with only little color deviation experienced when at extreme angles of viewing.
For the most part, both horizontal and vertical viewing angles were very good, allowing you to use this monitor in a meeting type scenario.
Color Gamut
Moving onto the color gamut briefly, ASUS has marketed this panel as offering 90% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum. That’s a much wider range than what sRGB offers, so it’ll be interesting to see where it lies.
As you can see from the results above, the ASUS VG289Q scored highly when it comes to color gamuts – bringing 99.7% sRGB, 82.8% Adobe RGB, and 87.4% DCI-P3 coverage to the table. That’s pretty much exactly what ASUS had in their specs list, filling me with confidence in not only this panel but ASUS as a brand.
Luminance
Lastly, we took a quick look at the brightness levels to see where this monitor sat. Below are the results of our tests:
| Brightness | Candelas |
|---|---|
| 100% Brightness | 363.59 cd/m² |
| 0% Brightness | 37. 85 cd/m² |
| 27 Brightness | 120 cd/m² |
ASUS VG289Q: Gaming Performance
Moving onto gaming swiftly, it’s safe to say that this monitor was extremely hit and miss. First, let’s start off with the positives.
For me, the biggest positive this monitor came equipped with was the immersive nature it provided when gaming. When I was playing single-player titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, I really felt like I was sucked into the storyline at all times. Not only was the picture quality absolutely flawless, but the general gameplay felt pretty smooth for the most part. Obviously, we had FreeSync enabled – meaning a lot of the screen tear that would usually occur with a 60Hz panel was mostly eradicated. Furthermore, colors all felt vibrant and immersive, increasing overall enjoyment quite a lot.
However, that’s pretty much where the positives end. I quickly finished up with the single-player titles and loaded something a little more competitive.
CS:GO was the first game to be tested on this panel and, yep, you guessed it, the experience was far from enjoyable. Before I go on, it’s worth mentioning that I do use a 240Hz monitor on a day-to-day basis for gaming, so making the switch back to 60Hz is obviously going to feel terrible. However, for the purposes of this article, I did try to keep an open mind.
That said, CS:GO felt dreadful. It’s hard to explain, but fast-paced games just felt ‘juddery’ and laggy – especially when spraying a weapon through a smoke, for example. Everything just felt a little 1990’s, if that makes sense. The lack of a high refresh rate really diminished the overall quality of the gameplay. Moving onto the response time and things didn’t get much better. With a response time rated at 5ms, it’s safe to say that ghosting was most certainly an issue when playing any fast-paced title – including CS:GO, Dirt 5, and COD. Whilst it wasn’t super-noticeable, you could clearly pick up where the pixels simply couldn’t change color fast enough.
Furthermore, using the monitor’s built-in HDR didn’t really add much to the overall viewing experience. It did create a little more detail in those usually blown-out bright areas, but nothing to write home about.
Ultimately, as I said earlier, the gameplay was very hit and miss for me personally. Whilst it did perform well in single-player titles, it fell massively short in other, more competitive game styles.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it guys, our comprehensive breakdown of the ASUS VG289Q 4K gaming monitor. For me, I feel this panel really does fill a void in today’s market – the budget 4K monitor sector.
For many, buying a 4K gaming monitor is merely a pipe dream – an idea that won’t really come to fruition as most 4K displays come equipped with huge price tags attached. That said, ASUS has addressed this issue by providing the market with an efficient 4K monitor on a budget.
Whilst it isn’t the best for competitive gaming, it certainly ticks a lot of the right boxes when it comes to single-player titles and overall immersion.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a budget 4K gaming monitor that is great for immersive games and last-gen consoles, the ASUS VG289Q should definitely be on your shortlist. It also offerings a wide color gamut and excellent color accuracy right out of the box, making it great for editing in the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spectrums.
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0051
| IPS | |
| Vertical angle | 178 ° |
| Horizontal angle | 178 ° |
| 350 KD/m2 9 q.0047 v.2.0 | |
| connectors (additionally) | Mini-Jack (3.5 mm) |
| Functions and capabilities | ||
| Functions and capabilities | Flicker-Free | |
| Swivel screen | ||
| Height adjustment | ||
| Built-in speakers | ||
| Sound power | 2 W / 2 x0041
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ASUS TUF Gaming VG289 28″ 4K Monitor Review and TestQ / Overclockers.
ua
1 — Appearance. Functionality
2 — Testing. conclusions
Display as one page
Finding the perfect monitor isn’t easy for most enthusiasts. Actually, there is no unity in decisions that could suit everyone. For one user, the refresh rate of the screen is more important, for another — the size, for the third, give excellent color reproduction to everything. But, unfortunately, you won’t be able to get everything at once, especially if you stay within a reasonable budget.
Let’s figure out who the ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q monitor is for, whether its feature set will suit everyone and what it lacks.
Features
| Model | ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q |
|---|---|
| Product page | TUF Gaming VG289Q |
| Diagonal | 28″ |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Screen resolution | 3840×2160 |
| Matrix type | IPS |
| Matrix cover | Semi-gloss |
| Backlight type | W-LED |
| Response time, ms | 5 (GtG) |
| Vertical frequency, Hz | 60 (FreeSync/Adaptive-Sync) |
| Maximum brightness cd/m² | 350 |
| Static contrast | 1000:1 |
| Number of displayed colors, billion | 1. 07 |
| Maximum viewing angles | 178/178 |
| Video inputs | 1x DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0 x2 |
| Additional interfaces | Headphone-out jack |
| Adjustable screen | Tilt, change in height, turn, turn |
| VESA mount, mm | 100×100 |
| Dimensions (including stand), mm | 639.5 x 405.2–555.2 x 233.4 |
| Weight (including stand), kg | 7.6 |
| Cost | 10999 UAH |
Of the interesting features is the 100% coverage of the sRGB color space, HDR10 declared by the manufacturer and all this in 4K and a decent size of 28 inches, which provides a very high PPI, namely 157.35 pixels per inch.
Scope of delivery
The box is quite consistent with the positioning of the TUF series, the manufacturer did not save on it. You can be sure that you will receive the monitor intact.
No too bright design, everything is restrained, however, not too informative.
In the delivery set we find everything you need:
- power cable;
- display port cable;
- HDMI cable;
- fasteners for installing a leg or VESA mount;
- printed materials.
Special thanks for the fact that the supplied cables are 1.5m long. For me personally, this is just right next to it to reach the PC.
Appearance and ergonomics
The design of the VG289Q is the same as that of the fellows from the TUF line: a rather strict appearance, which is complemented by a red ring around the leg.
Sometimes manufacturers, in pursuit of original design, try to give the stand an unusual configuration, which does not always have a positive effect on the stability and convenience of the design. But in this case, everything is fine, the monitor stands firmly on the table and withstands all tilts without swinging.
As always, when the device is turned off, it looks like there are no bezels, but in fact, the width of the top and side bezels, together with the border, is about 10 mm.
The lower edge is completely covered with plastic, the thickness of the frame is 15 mm and almost imperceptible 1 mm of edging.
The design of the back is basically the only creative space in a monitor. But the review shows a representative of the TUF line, not ROG, so everything here is quite restrained and neat. A few techno-reliefs and the logo of the line on the leg, which is completely sheathed in plastic. The monitor comes semi-assembled — you only need to attach the stand with one bolt.
Very pleased with the ergonomics. All manipulations are performed quite easily, while fixing in the necessary positions is clear and does not imply unnecessary buildup.
Tilt adjustable from -5° to +20° and height adjustable from 0 to 150 mm.
The monitor is quite easy to switch to portrait mode, but given its rather large size, to rotate 90 °, you must first tilt it away from you.
In general, for several weeks of using the ASUS TUF VG289 monitorQ, given that I often have to change the position of the screen, I did not experience the slightest problem with the adjustments.
Video inputs are standard. The manufacturer settled on one Display Port 1.2 and two HDMI 2.0. Also, there is a 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones. No frills in the form of a USB hub, for example, are provided, which is a pity. Still, we are not talking about a budget device.
But there are a couple of speakers available, but believe me, they will not pull more than some podcast in the background.
Controls and menus
A set of buttons and a joystick are located on the right side of the back of the device. I would call the presence of two shortcut buttons redundant, because all the necessary hot functions could be left on the joystick. But since the manufacturer singles out these functions as a feature of his product, he did not stint on separate controls for them.
The power button is at the bottom, the joystick is on top, and between them are the return / exit buttons, as well as those responsible for the GameVisual and GamePlus functions.
The activity LED is located on the bottom edge of the monitor. In sleep mode, it glows orange, and in active mode, it glows white. The brightness is absolutely unobtrusive, chosen very well in order not to distract at night.
Actually, this is how the general quick access panel looks like, where the placement of the functions of the controls is clear:
GameVisual is, in fact, a quick access to presets.
And, of course, what is a modern monitor without overlay sights? In addition to them, a timer, an FPS counter and a ruler for aligning multiple monitors are available in the GamePlus section.
The main menu allows you to select any of the presets, customize them to your liking.
A special tab is provided by the manufacturer for the blue color compensation function.
Display settings for colors, brightness and contrast, color temperature moved to the next tab.
Next on the menu is the management of special functions, including: Trace Free, which is responsible for overclocking the matrix, Vivid Pixel, which should make the blurry image sharper, Shadow Boost — brightening dark areas in games, and others. I’ll note right away that it’s better not to use the Vivid Pixel function on a 4K monitor with such a high PPI — there is nothing much to improve, but the input lag can increase significantly.
System settings contain a set of standard elements such as OSD menu display time, volume, and others.
And in a separate section there are «hot keys», with which you can hang most of the necessary functions for quick access by tilting the joystick.
Test Method
The monitor was tested and calibrated using the X-Rite i1Display Pro Calibrator. The monitor was connected to the ASUS GeForce RTX3070 Dual graphics accelerator (standard video driver settings) via a DisplayPort cable and operated at a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz.
All tests were carried out in the environment of the Windows 10 operating system. The monitor settings were reset to factory values. The list of software includes the following utilities:
- i1 Profiler;
- Argyll + dispcalGUI wrapper;
- HCFR Colormeter;
- basICColor display 5;
- UFO Motion Tests.
Test results
The ASUS VG289Q monitor uses a 10-bit Innolux M280DCA-E3B matrix with WLED backlight.
| Profile name | User | Scenery | Racing | Movie | RTS/RPG | FPS | sRGB | MOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White brightness cd/m² | 321 | 352.9 | 321.7 | 264.5 | 320.7 | 320.5 | 146.9 | 321.1 |
| Black brightness, cd/m² | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.28 | 0.48 | 0. 74 |
0.28 | 0.29 |
| Contrast ratio, x:1 | 1085 | 1154 | 1092 | 934 | 668 | 432 | 544 | 1090 |
| Color temperature K | 6674 | 6717 | 6645 | 8249 | 6652 | 6653 | 5834 | 6666 |
| Average ΔE*94 | 2.56 | 5.98 | 2.58 | 3.95 | 4.2 | 3.23 | 3.16 | 16.92 |
| Maximum ∆E*94 | 3.48 | 21.73 | 8.77 | 10.73 | 15.18 | 12.05 | 8.68 | 53.17 |
I think that the numbers speak for themselves (and, believe me, personal impressions are not far behind) — it is impossible to use the vast majority of preset modes. The most neutral and digestible is «Custom» (aka User), in it, perhaps, the brightness is turned up.
But it must be borne in mind that with a decrease in its level, the color balance will also creep. All further measurements were carried out in the User mode, as the most successful option out of the box.
Protective coating and crystal effect
The sensor has an anti-reflective coating, so reflections are very well suppressed. The crystalline effect is not noticed when used.
Maximum brightness and contrast stability
The brightness level is adjustable from 38 to 354 nits, allowing you to customize the monitor for any application. But, naturally, at a maximum brightness of 350 nits, it is not necessary to talk about an excellent HDR experience, even despite 10 bits.
But the contrast level pleased at all brightness settings.
Color gamut, color accuracy and color temperature stability (User preset), calibration
ASUS TUF VG289Q coverage in sRGB space was 116.2%, in AdobeRGB — 80.1%. These are very good numbers for a gaming monitor in an uncalibrated state.
The manufacturer also claimed 90% of the DCI-P3 space, which is necessary for HDR certification.
The color temperature is close to ideal and very stable.
Gamma curves still show the same slight oversaturation of red and green.
The factory User profile, although it clearly wins in comparison with other presets, still does not show ideal white point values. The maximum deviation was 5.48 units, and the average value was 2.08, with the recommended values less than 3 and 1, respectively. Not the best performance, but far from the worst.
Calibration made it possible to bring the sRGB coverage level to 121.4%, and AdobeRGB to 83.7%, the nature of the color gamut remained the same, but the gamma curves show that the image has become closer to the reference values.
The white point deviation was 1.31 for the maximum and 0.4 for the average. The conclusion, as always, is simple — do not be too lazy to calibrate the monitor and you can get good performance even on models that are far from pro-oriented.
Illumination uniformity
As you can see, the spread in brightness is not so great between the zones and floats around 6-7%, but the deviations of the white point are not so rosy. True, after calibration, its fluctuations return to normal.
The advantages of an IPS panel are evident. At any viewing angle, the image does not appear spurious shades, and saturation and brightness begin to disappear only with a strong deviation.
Two exposure options to clearly show backlight bleeding. But it should be noted that even the darker version is still a little overexposed and in reality the highlights are only noticeable on a completely black screen.
Well, this is already a super-exposed version to demonstrate possible zones with a glow effect. In reality, no significant coloring of black was noticed.
Matrix speed
The manufacturer claims 5 ms matrix speed in GtG mode, which, of course, is not very fast.
Built-in overclocking, also known as Trace Free, allows you to reduce the response speed of the matrix, but usually at the cost of artifacts. Level 40 is an acceptable compromise between speeding up reactions and the absence of additional artifacts in the form of «ghosting» and crowns.
But manual overclocking via the ASUS TUF VG289Q driver flatly refuses. Moreover, even small increases in “hertz” immediately collapse the settings into default, there can be no question of any testing and search for artifacts that have appeared. 65 Hz has become an unbearable figure, 75 and above — do not even try. And it is unlikely that the situation will change significantly with a more successful copy.
Feelings of use and conclusions
It should be noted right away that the ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q is not an option for everyone. Of course, who wouldn’t want to own a 4K monitor? But in the current conditions, when there are huge problems with video cards on the market, it is difficult to realize the capabilities of this device. And this is not a smart TV with a processor responsible for high-quality upscaling, here the joys of Full HD, stretched to 4K, will be visible to the naked eye.