9 hours ago
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There's a fast and vibrant Asus gaming monitor in your future, and it's all thanks to Amazon. The mega-retailer has cut the price of this 27-inch Asus ROG Strix display for a limited time, offering you a 4K resolution and a speedy 160Hz refresh rate, and all for less than $300.
This is a 27-inch monitor, which is the best starter size for any PC, but at 4K, it's going to mean having a seriously high pixel density. In this case, that's 163 ppi (pixels per inch). In the real world, that means that the dots will be so close together you're unlikely to ever see the pixels themselves, even if you're sitting up close. It's hard to understate how good that looks when you're used to 4K on a bigger display, or 1080p at this size or bigger, as it's more comfortable to look at for long periods of time, and the text is much, much sharper.
That's helped, too, by a fast 160Hz refresh rate with one of the fastest response times compared to rival displays. Our monitor testing shows that this display is able to draw a full white field in 6ms. That would deliver reasonably smooth motion on its own, but with Asus' ELMB technology switched on, motion blur is reduced even further. You can also use this display's ELMB Sync feature, which takes things one step further by eliminating motion blur by imperceptibly strobing the backlight on and off, though you trade blur for reduced brightness.
For most gamers, though, the standout feature is going to be that 4K resolution for under $300. You'll be able to max out your GPU at 3,840 x 2,160, as long as you've got one of the best graphics cards installed in your PC. The fast IPS panel used here is a good all-rounder for your troubles, with IPS panels traditionally offering the best viewing angles.
This is a gaming monitor, but if you're a professional too, you'll be happy with the extremely wide color gamut offered by this Asus ROG display. It almost hits 100% of DCI-P3, with accuracy that is almost astonishing at a monitor priced so low. It has a 500-nit brightness, with HDR10 support delivering hugely vibrant images in those big-budget cinematic games. The XG27UCS's only real problem is contrast: IPS panels are rated at 1,000:1, but this monitor achieved just under 900:1 in tests, with no local dimming.
That's a rare compromise on an otherwise highly spec'd 4K display, however. Alongside ELMB Sync, it also features several other gaming enhancements, including on-screen crosshairs, frame rate counters, and stopwatches for pro gamers. It also supports Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, features which will sync your monitor refresh rate with your GPU's frame rate, eliminating any screen tears or stutters in the process. You've also got a fully ergonomic stand, with tilt, swivel, and a 90-degree portrait mode supported. The XG27UCS offers one DisplayPort 1.4 and one HDMI 2.1 ports each, along with one USB-C port with DP capabilities, with all three supporting 4K at the full 160Hz.
A 4K display with a 160Hz refresh rate, packed with this kind of spec sheet, and all for less than $300 is an absolute steal. Plenty of rival budget panels opt for 4K at 60Hz, which just isn't suitable for gaming, and that isn't a compromise you have to make here, while ELMB Sync ensures you can completely eliminate motion blur at 4K without upgrading to a much more expensive OLED. The $299 sale price for this Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS monitor is one that you shouldn't ignore, because this limited time Amazon deal won't be around for long.
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
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