ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS Review – Bargain 1440p Gaming

The new ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS gaming monitor sits in a weird position in the industry. The display is a 1440p model that can hit 180Hz. It packs an IPS panel and some noteworthy features but on paper, this is your standard 1440p monitor. In certain markets, this monitor is a tough sell because just how competitive the display market is. However, here in SA, the monitor actually wants to slide in under a “more affordable” banner. We also don’t have a hugely competitive monitor market here yet. So I think ASUS may be onto something.

Watch our review below:

The monitor is your standard run-of-the-mill 1440p display you can pick up in 2024. It is 27 inches wide and features a flat-screen display, the standard, most updated DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 sockets and HDR. I won’t say the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS does anything exceptional on paper, to be honest, but that’s okay. You’re paying for a decent 1440p display here and it at least delivers that.

ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS Design

Starting off with the design of this ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS. It is quite a chunky piece of tech. The monitor is easy to assemble with the display easily attaching to the stand arm and then into the stand foot itself. The foot is a large square-shaped stand that can swivel the arm left and right by 45 degrees. The arm itself can then move the display up and down by 12cm. It can also tilt the display by 20 degrees in both directions.

Lastly, the arm can also pivot the display into portrait mode by 90 degrees on both axes. Every movement on the stand and arm felt easy to execute and the display moved about without much force. The display also packs some impressive wobble resistance so if you’re typing or gaming, the keyboard presses won’t cause too much wobble on the panel.

There’s no RGB on this monitor at all. It is an ROG product so you can expect all the fancy schmancy decals across the unit but there’s no way to make it light up. To be honest, the only real standout design feature on the monitor is the smartphone cradle on the stand. You can use this to prop your phone up while gaming. The monitor also includes a 7.5W USB C port which can be used to charge that said phone at the same time.

Speaking of that port, the USB C port and other included ports can all be found under the backside of the monitor. There are also a few buttons and analogue nub you can use to navigate through the menu. These are found on the right-hand side.

I do enjoy the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS when it comes to the design. It isn’t the flashiest display I have used but it works. The bezels around the display were thin, the stand didn’t take up too much space on the desk and the simplified port selection means more cost savings to make this more affordable. But keep in mind that this display is limited to one HDMI port and one DisplayPort. Just in case you’re looking for more.

ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS Performance

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is a 1440p monitor and right out of the box, this display is well-calibrated and ready for use. The SDR experience is especially impressive for SDR, of course. ASUS has included DCI-P3 of 97% on this display and an sRGB of 133%. It isn’t the award-winning colour range around but this is a gaming monitor so it makes sense.

ASUS has also included 20 different levels of pixel overdrive on this monitor. 20 is a lot. Maybe a little bit too much but the option is here for those who want it. I found that maxing this out didn’t have a dramatic effect on the overshoot and inverse ghosting. But I tended to leave it in the middle somewhere most of the time.

The monitor also includes an ELMB mode (Extreme Low Motion Blur) but I found enabling this setting would increase the brightness of objects essentially crushing details. I don’t think it is a setting I would use, to be honest. I don’t feel as if the advantages on offer here make up for the loss in image quality. However, if you’re highly competitive and rely on the best possible response rate, this setting will provide that. I would also suggest turning it on and off on a case-by-case basis.

I also say this because the monitor’s HDR isn’t great so you’ll want to maintain the best possible image whenever possible. It only has HDR 400 which means this display doesn’t get incredibly bright. Not bright enough to cause specular highlights to pop anyway. It also has no local dimming either. In short, this IPS panel is as “IPS” as it gets with no real standout visual features. Most of the advancements here are in response rate and the 180Hz refresh rate. Of course, there is also the 1ms response time which is the best you can get. This 1ms response rate is also on a grey-to-grey measurement – again, the best around.

ASUS has included all the settings you’ll need on the display to tweak it to your current gaming agenda. Mostly everything I have mentioned so far is accessible in these settings and getting around is simple enough. The UI and menu system is intuitive and easy to navigate around. I have no complaints here.

Lastly, I need to discuss this USB C feature because I think many will get confused. ASUS has included a 7.5W power delivery feature through USB C but this isn’t for charging anything but your phone. That’s why that cradle is there. The port does support DP alt mode for video out but you’ll need to make sure your tech supports this. Given how demanding, and quite frankly confusing DP alt modes are across the tech industry, you’ll likely never use this anyway and if you do, you are quite aware of what tech supports it.

Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AC is quite a robust gaming monitor and offers some great value for money. It falls short a bit on its HDR brightness but only because I just hoped for a bit more of a kick here. However, this display packs quite a number of features that you’ll often find in much higher-priced monitors. If you’re looking for a 1440p monitor that does it all and won’t break the bank, this model should be on your list.