ASUS MG279Q 144Hz IPS FreeSync Monitor Review

Name: ASUS MG279Q
Brand: ASUS

by Marco Chiappetta — Friday, October 16, 2015, 12:05 PM EDT

We really like the ASUS MG279Q. This display hits a plethora of high notes; it supports Adaptive-Sync / FreeSync, is highly adjustable and tweakable, it has plenty of inputs, a nice IPS panel, and supports up to a 144Hz refresh rate. And on top of all that, its relatively thin bezels and sleek design language just plain look good too. If you haven’t bought a monitor in a few years, the ASUS MG279Q is most likely an upgrade in almost every way for the vast majority of you.

The ASUS MG279Q 144Hz IPS FreeSync Monitor, Find It At Amazon.Com

Monitors like the ASUS MG279Q force enthusiasts and gamers to make a tough decision. I have been using a high-end 4K display on my main workstation for quite a while now. I love the sharpness, color uniformity, and immense pixel real estate available. But the display maxes out at only 60Hz and some applications still look funky on HiDPI displays. Now that relatively high-quality IPS panels are available with high refresh rates in displays like the ASUS MG279Q, in lieu of lower quality TN panels that aren’t as accurate and have poor viewing angles, choosing between pixel density and high refresh rates is much more difficult. The buttery smoothness of using a high refresh rate on the desktop, and while gaming, is very enticing and the IPS panel produces some very nice imagery.

Overall, the ASUS MG279Q is a top notch monitor. It’s not perfect, but it’s still excellent and we’d highly recommend it for anyone in the market for a quality, FreeSync compatible monitor. If the 35 – 90Hz FreeSync limitation wasn’t present, and we didn’t see any ghosting, there’d be very little not to like about the MG279Q. And as it is, those are minor quibbles. Adaptive refresh rate technologies are most useful in that range and the ghosting wasn’t significant enough to detract from our gaming experience. Though somewhat pricey at about $579 currently, the MG279Q’s asking price is easily justifiable thanks to its IPS panel, high refresh rate, and support for Adaptive Sync / FreeSync.


High Refresh Rates Good Looks IPS Panel FreeSync Support Physical Buttons That Work! Thin Bezels	Price Premium 35 - 90Hz FreeSync Caveat

Tags: Asus, Gaming, monitor, IPS, freesync

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com