Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q 4K Monitor Review: Ultra HD, Ultra Cheap
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
Asus made the right sacrifices to bring us a 4K gaming monitor at a super-low price. With a quality IPS panel, the TUF Gaming VG289Q delivers accurate color, Adaptive-Sync of both flavors (unofficially) and HDR support. A great choice for all but the most competitive gamers.
Pros
- +
Good value
- +
Accurate color
- +
Good build quality
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Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q: Price Comparison
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In 2014, the Asus PB287Q was the first 4K monitor to sell for under $1,000. It was a 28-inch TN screen with a bare-bones feature set and not much to recommend beyond its high pixel density.
Today, we’re looking at its spiritual successor, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q. This time, there’s a lot to consider as it fights to be one of the best 4K gaming monitors and best HDR monitors by using an IPS panel with extended color and AMD FreeSync. On top of that, the VG289Q breaks another price barrier. At this writing, it’s selling for well under $350 , making it one of the best budget 4K monitors overall too.
Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q Specs
| Panel Type and Backlight | IPS / W-LED, edge array |
|---|---|
| Screen Size / Aspect Ratio | 28 inches / 16:9 |
| Max Resolution and Refresh Rate | 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz, FreeSync 40-60 Hz |
| Native Color Depth / Gamut | 10-bit (8-bit+FRC) / DCI-P3, HDR10 |
| Response Time (GTG) | 5ms |
| Brightness | 350 nits |
| Contrast | 1,000:1 |
| Speakers | 2x 2w |
| Video Inputs | 1x DisplayPort 1. 2, 2x HDMI 2.0 |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone output |
| USB 3.0 | None |
| Power Consumption | 27.8w, brightness @ 200 nits |
| Panel Dimensions | 25.1 x 16-22.9 x 9.2 inches |
| (WxHxD w/base) | (638 x 406-582 x 234mm) |
| Panel Thickness | 2.1 inches (53mm) |
| Bezel Width | Top/sides: 0.3 inch (8mm), Bottom: 0.6 inch (14mm) |
| Weight | 16.8 pounds (7.6kg) |
| Warranty | 3 years |
- Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q (HDR Black) at Amazon for $289
Users looking for Ultra HD on the cheap no longer have to settle for a TN panel with a reduced feature set. The VG289Q proves that with a high-quality IPS screen, DCI-P3 color and HDR. And while it comes with FreeSync and isn’t Nvidia-certified as G-Sync Compatible, it ran G-Sync just fine in our tests (see how with our instructions on how to run G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor).
Both Adaptive-Sync flavors worked with HDR and the display’s full color gamut.
The backlight is a flicker-free LED arrayed at the edge. There is no zone dimming or additional dynamic contrast available for HDR. You’ll see in our tests that the luminance range is about the same for both SDR and HDR content. The monitor displays all content content in the extended color gamut, which by our calculations runs around 80% of DCI-P3.
Asus included its full suite of GamePlus, features including alignment guides for multi-screen setups. And at the VG289Q’s selling price, it’s easier to pick up two or three of them.
The only thing missing is a fast refresh rate. But although 60 Hz is the maximum and the best gaming monitors often go up to 144 Hz or greater, at 4K resolution, it takes an expensive graphics card to drive speeds past that mark. The lower FreeSync limit is 40 Hz, so you’ll want a mid-tier graphics board at least. But that’s true any time one adds a 4K display to their gaming rig.
Unpacking and Accessories of the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q ships with a minimal cable complement that includes just a single DisplayPort wire. The power supply is external and is much smaller than the typical brick. It’s easy to tuck away out of sight, leaving just a thin cord to carry electricity to the panel. A small bracket clips onto the upright for cable management. Documentation is online with just a quick start guide and warranty card in the box.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Asus)(Image credit: Asus)(Image credit: Asus)
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q maintains the company’s familiar styling cues with plenty of angles and corners along with a textured look to the base and panel back that looks a bit like the surface of a Borg cube. There are no colored accents or RGB lights. The stand is of very high quality and provides nearly 6 inches of height adjustment along with 62 degrees of swivel in each direction, 20 degrees back tilt and a portrait mode.
Movements were firm and sure with no play or slop. Build quality was excellent and far above what’s expected from a budget display.
The bezel is quite thin at just 8mm on the top and sides and 14mm at the bottom. The anti-glare screen (3H hardness) is flush-mounted and fits tightly against the TFT layer. This ensures a sharp image with no grain or softness apparent. The only feature in front is the Asus logo. Controls are on the back-right side. There are three control keys, a power toggle and an on-screen display (OSD) joystick. The back features more Borg cube textures and a TUF gaming logo.
The input panel is sparse with just a single DisplayPort 1.2 and two HDMI 2.0 (see how they compare in our DisplayPort vs. HDMI article). There are no USB ports, but you get a 3.5mm audio port for your best gaming headset or powered speakers.
The built-in speakers are 2 watts a piece and sound a bit tinny. You can’t crank the volume too high, but they are clear enough to work when there isn’t a better alternative available.
OSD Features on Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q
Asus cut no corners with the TUF Gaming VG289Q’s OSD. Everything one needs for an accurate image and solid gaming performance is here. Two clicks of the joystick brings up the full menu.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
GameVisual is Asus’ term for picture modes, and the TUF Gaming VG289Q has eight presets available. The default is Racing, and it provides an accurate image that does not require calibration. The native color gamut is DCI-P3, but there is a mode labeled sRGB. According to our measurements, it does not shrink the gamut enough to meet that standard; red is still over-saturated. We’ll detail those findings on page three.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
If you wish to calibrate, there is a User mode that unlocks all the image controls. You can tweak the RGB sliders, which are very precise. The only thing missing are gamma presets. The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q is nearly perfect in that metric, but it would be nice to have choices for a darker or lighter presentation.
We’d also like to see an accurate sRGB color option.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Gaming options are all grouped in the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q’s Image menu. TraceFree is the overdrive control, and rather than two or three levels, Asus includes a slider with five steps. We found 60% to be the best choice for maximum blur reduction and minimum ghosting. Higher settings produced visible white halos around moving objects.
VividPixel is a four-level edge enhancement option. You can also toggle Adaptive-Sync on or off, and Shadow Boost increases low-end gamma for more visible shadow detail at the expense of higher black levels. Finally, ASCR is a dynamic contrast option that works very well. We’ll detail its operation in the hands-on section below.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q includes Asus’ GamePlus menu, which provides a selection of crosshairs for aiming in first-person shooter games, countdown timers, a frame rate counter and alignment marks for multi-screen setups.
Setup and Calibration of Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q does not require calibration in its Racing mode. The only caveat here is that you’ll have to use the full DCI-P3 color gamut with both SDR and HDR content. Though there is a picture mode called sRGB, it does not reduce the size of the gamut enough.
To take the image from excellent to excellent-er, engage the User mode and adjust the RGB sliders. They are very precise and allowed us to achieve one of the best grayscale tracking results we’ve ever recorded. Color gamut accuracy was also very high, as you’ll see in our tests on page three.
The only option available for HDR signals are two image modes, which were nearly identical in both measurement and appearance. We settled on Cinema HDR as our favorite.
Here are our suggested settings for User mode:
| Picture Mode | User | |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness 200 nits | 77 | |
| Brightness 120 nits | 38 | |
| Brightness 100 nits | 28 | |
| Brightness 80 nits | 19 | |
| Brightness 50 nits | 5 | |
| Contrast | 80 | |
| HDR | Cinema HDR | |
| Color Temp User | Red 100, Green 98, Blue 99 |
Gaming on Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q
A common question that comes with HDR monitors is whether or not one should turn on Windows’ HDR mode.
The simple answer is that it depends on the application. For word processing and spreadsheet work, Windows HDR mode usually doesn’t provide any benefit. In the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q’s case, Windows HDR mode actually lowered contrast on the desktop. We turned up the brightness control in the Control Panel, which helped somewhat, but for typical workday tasks, it’s better to leave HDR off.
If you plan to play HDR games or watch 4K video, however, you should activate Windows HDR. The impact wasn’t huge, but we could see a difference with HDR-enabled content. As an edge lit IPS monitor, there’s a limit to the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q’s available dynamic range. But the tone mapping that comes with HDR in general did provide a bit of extra pop.
When we fired up the HDR title Call of Duty: WWII on the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q we saw a little better delineation between the darkest and lightest areas of the image. In a basement, for example, dark corners looked suitably mysterious while highlights, like from lanterns and flashlights, came to the fore.
The extra color was apparent as well with nicely saturated reds and slightly more vivid greens and blues.
Since the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q is an AMD FreeSync monitor, we connected it to a PC running an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card from Gigabyte, which should deliver comparable frame rates to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Frame rates on our FreeSync system stayed at or near the TUF Gaming VG289Q’s 60 Hz limit, and Adaptive-Sync worked without issue. TraceFree (overdrive) worked best at its 60% setting, where it cut down motion blur without any ghosting artifacts.
As mentioned, Nvidia hasn’t certified the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q, but we were able to run G-Sync on it (how to run G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor), and we experienced the same level of performance. With a 1080 Ti, we hit 60 frames per second (fps) and saw no tearing.
The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q worked well for SDR gaming, by providing just enough extra color to enhance the image without going too far.
Some purists will miss a true sRGB picture mode. However, game color is a relative perception for most, and we the typical gamer will complain about SDR picture quality.
We tried using the dynamic contrast option, called ASCR, for SDR gameplay. It worked subtly and didn’t clip shadow and highlight detail, like similar features on most monitors do. ASCR gave the image a tiny bit more dimension, so we left it on for all our hands-on tests. Unfortunately, ASCR isn’t available in HDR mode.
Though we’re usually spoiled by fast-refresh monitors, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q’s 60 Hz limit didn’t limit our gaming experience. If you’re a casual player, the environment will look suitably smooth with control response that’s plenty fast enough for your skills. Most fast action scenes retained enough detail to satisfy, and we certainly noticed the extra pixel density afforded by 4K resolution. This monitor is inexpensive enough that we can forgive its enterprise-level refresh rate.
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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom’s Hardware US.
He’s a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors.
Acer Predator XB273K review | PC Gamer
Our Verdict
One of the best monitors that we’ve seen, despite the high pricetag. Clarity, brightness, and refresh rate all combine to make this a genuine market-leader.
For
- Excellent picture detail
- Strong all-round gaming specs
- Good menu options
Against
- Ordinary design
- Minimum-spec HDR
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Acer Predator XB273K
£1,351.73
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The Acer Predator XB273K is a cousin of the revered Predator X27—which sits near the top of our best gaming monitor lists and at the peak of our best 4K monitor for gaming list—and brings with it a certain sense of excitement.
Inspecting the specifications on paper, it seems a close cousin of the X27. Very close. So close, from appearance to specs, that it is very hard to tell the difference. Nonetheless, given the reputation of Acer’s Predator series, there’s a very good reason to be optimistic here.
And given the price difference between the XB3 and the X27—a whopping nearly-$1000 price gap—there’s a desire to see if that difference is measurable in performance too. Putting it bluntly, if the XB3 can hold its own, particularly in the face of the X27, we may have a new 4K sheriff in town.
The XB273K’s gaming pedigree is obvious the second you unbox it: it is a 27-inch, G-Sync enabled, IPS screen, that boasts a 4ms gray-to-gray response rate, and a 144Hz refresh rate. Oh, and a 4K resolution. And it’s got HDR. As a starting reference point, those are the same specs as the X27 behemoth. If a monitor can offer all these and get it right, then it is quite something (if you have the rig to make the most of all of the specs).
Elsewhere, the XB273K gives you a good range of options within its menu to deploy those gaming specs, ranging from different gaming presets (Acer’s GameView options), to blue light settings you can adjust to save your eyes. There is definitely enough here to rely on for plugging and playing, as well as creating a perfect setting yourself, whatever you’re into. The buttons to access the menu are easy enough to use, and the main stick makes it particularly simple to navigate. And the ports you have available increase your ability to either plug and go or adapt to your machines’ needs: an HDMI; DisplayPort and five USB 3.0 ports are at your service.
(Image credit: Acer)
With the privacy shields setup (reducing screen glare and reflection), I booted up some games to test the monitor with. The glorious Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is just that: glorious. The whole game is incredibly vivid and has the crispest of image qualities to boot; no blurred or smudged edges to see and each feature looks almost perfectly defined and graphically identified.
Particular highlights are the way water effects, lighting, reflections and sheens are presented, but there is equal enjoyment to be had from landscape features, the people and urban elements. All further benefiting from a widespread excellence in color, contrast, shades (and shadows) and tones.
Acer Predator XB273K Specs
Panel Size: 27-inch
Native Resolution: 3840×2160
Panel Type: IPS
Maximum Refresh: 144Hz
Response: 4ms
Contrast: 1,000:1
Display Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort
Connectivity: 5 x USB 3.0
VESA Mount: 100mm
Warranty: Two years
Going darker, I turn to Metro Exodus, and am immediately greeted with a great quality picture. Any scene or view from Artyom’s perspective is fantastically clear and well presented. The contrasts are particularly strong with any colors punching through the greys and blacks.
However, the smaller details here are equally good, down to clothing detail, skin tone and complexion, and facial expressions once again. Exodus’s predecessor and cousin, Metro Redux proved that the Acer Predator XB273K handles near-total dark environments very well indeed. There is an immersion-heightening quality to the blacks and grays of the Metro and those games certainly don’t feel five years old on the XB273K.
(Image credit: Acer)
Playing Apex Legends on the XB273K, at max settings, seamlessly traversing and smoothly running around Kings Canyon is one of the best Apex Legends experiences I’ve had when it comes to monitors. Not only did the image quality from the other games remain, but the speed and smoothness of the monitor provides me with a wonderful, smooth picture at 144Hz. The speed of the screen means that there is no loss in quality even when you’re spinning on the spot frantically trying to find your enemies, or flitting between shots in cover.
Having used the Acer Predator XB273K for many hours of gaming, and then using the monitor as a day-to-day work screen, there really aren’t any significant shortcomings.
The pricetag is still high for a gaming monitor (usually about $1000), but at $1,000 cheaper than the X27—supposedly the leader in the field—the XB273K offers serious value for a screen that is likely to future proof you for years.
All in, the only real difference between the two are a slight reduction in the excellent HDR: the HDR is rated 400 nits (which is the minimum) on the XB273K and 1000 nits on the X27. In simple terms the HDR is a bit dimmer on the XB273K. That’s it. It’s definitely one of the best we’ve tested and if it ever comes down in a price it’ll be an absolute bargain.
Read our review policy
Acer Predator XB273K
One of the best monitors that we’ve seen, despite the high pricetag. Clarity, brightness, and refresh rate all combine to make this a genuine market-leader.
ViewSonic XG320U 32 «UHD Game Monitor 150Hz
Built-in speakers: 5W X2
Eco-mode (Stand.
V
Consumption (typ.): 46.3V
Consumption (max.): 74V
Voltage: AC 100-240V, 50/60 Hz
Standby: 0.5 Internal
Kensington Lock: 1
Cable management: Yes
Physical: Joystick key: Up, Right, Down, Left, Center; Quick Access; Power
On Screen: Game Modes, Display, Input Select, ViewMode, Audio Adjust, Setup Menu
Temperature: 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C)
Humidity: 20% to 90%
VESA compatible: 100 x 100 mm
Horizontal frequency: HDMI (v2.1): 30 ~ 230KHz, HDMI (v2.03): 30KHz, HDMI (v2.03): 30KHz v1.4): 30 ~ 250KHz
Vertical Frequency: HDMI (v2.
1): 48 ~ 144Hz, HDMI (v2.0): 48 ~ 60Hz, DisplayPort (v1.4): 48 ~ 150Hz
Digital sync: TMDS — HDMI (v2.1), TMDS — HDMI (v2.0), PCI-E — DisplayPort (v1.4)
Height adjustment (mm): 120
U -turn: 50º
inclination (forward/back): -5º/20º
Turn (to the right/left): 9000
Net (pound): 22.2
Net without a stand (pound): 15.6
Gross (pound): 32.3
Net (kg): 10.1
Net without stand (kg): 7.1
gross (kg): 14.7
Packaging (inch): 33.5 x 20.7 x 12.9
Physical (inch): 28.6 x 18.99 ~ 23.71 X 10.4
Physical Physical Physics without stand (inch): 28.
6 x 17 x 3.4
Packaging (mm): 850 x 527 x 327
Physical (mm): 726 x 482.3~602.3 Physical without stand (mm): 726 x 432 x 87
Certification: cTUVus, FCC-B, ICES003, CEC, NOM, Mexico Energy, CE, CE EMC, CB, RoHS, ErP, REACH, WEEE, EAC, UkrSEPRO, UKCA, CCC, China RoHS, China Energy Label
PACKAGING CONTENT: XG320U x1, 3-pin Plug (IEC C13 / CEE22) x1, HDMI Cable (v2.1; Male-Male) x1, DisplayPort Cable (v1.4; Male-Male) x1, USB A/B Cable (v3.2; Male-Male) x1, Quick Start Guide x1
Recycling: Please dispose of in accordance with local, state or federal laws.
Warranty: *Warranty may vary by country
Gaming Monitor 4K UHD Gaming Monitor 32M1N5800A/00
Gaming Monitor 4K UHD Gaming Monitor 32M1N5800A/00 | Philips Search Support Icon
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