These promising IPS gaming monitors from Asus tick all the right boxes

Asus is launching a couple of 27-inch gaming monitors with IPS screens and reasonably fast refresh rates, and at least one of them carries a price tag that fairly reasonable, for the features it offers. That would be the TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A.

It is up for preorder on B&H Photo for $479. While not exactly cheap, it pairs a presumably high quality IPS panel (as IPS screens typically are) with a 2560x1440 resolution and an overclocked 170Hz refresh rate (144Hz native) to keep the action smooth. It also has a 1ms MPRT response time.

This is a FreeSync monitor that is also G-Sync Compatible, meaning its adaptive sync capabilities are mostly GPU agnostic—it can sync the refresh rate with either an AMD Radeon or Nvidia GeForce graphics card.

The only bullet point we don't find all that compelling is HDR support. It can display HDR visuals and is DisplayHDR 400 certified, but with a peak brightness of 400 nits, I have my doubts it can do HDR content justice.

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The other monitor that is promising is the TUF Gaming VG279QL1A. It's also a 27-inch display that is outfitted with an IPS screen, but sports a 1920x1080 resolution a slightly slower refresh rate (165Hz), and lower max brightness (250 nits).

Like its 1440p sibling, it is built for fast-action gameplay, without resorting to a lower quality TN panel. So in theory, it should offer smooth visuals and above average image quality, though we have not tested either model.

It will be interesting to see where pricing lands on this one (it's not up for preorder yet). Looking on Newegg, the Gigabyte G27F offers similar specifications (27 inches, 1080p, 144Hz, 1ms MPRT, IPS) and sells for $250. The VG279QL1A is faster at 165Hz, but if pricing comes in too high compared to the G27F, it's going to be a tough sell.

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).