ASUS ROG Strix XG259CS 24.5" Black 2024

The ASUS ROG Strix XG259CS is a 24.5-inch 1080p gaming monitor with a 180Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, built for competitive players. Its ELMB Sync feature lets you run motion blur reduction alongside G-Sync, which is rare at this price. It's a great esports monitor, but the 1080p resolution and limited inputs make it less ideal for mixed use.

The XG259CS hits 180Hz out of the box, and in our database it lands in the 83rd percentile for performance among gaming monitors. That's well above average, though not quite the absolute top of the charts. The 1ms GTG response time is the headline number here, and in practice it means fast-moving targets stay sharp instead of turning into blurry smears. If you've ever lost a duel because you couldn't track an enemy mid-strafe, this monitor fixes that.

ELMB Sync is the feature that sets this apart from a lot of 180Hz panels. Normally, backlight strobing and variable refresh rate can't run at the same time, you pick one and live with the trade-off. Here, ASUS lets you stack them, which means you get the motion clarity of strobing without giving up tear-free gameplay. It's a genuinely useful feature for competitive shooters, and it works well. The 400 nits of brightness is fine for most rooms, and the HDR 400 certification is more of a checkbox than a real HDR experience, but that's true of almost every monitor in this price range.

The XG259CS sits in an awkward spot because its top competitors are mostly 1440p OLED panels that cost significantly more. The MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 and LG UltraGear 27GX790A-B are both 27-inch 1440p OLEDs with higher refresh rates and dramatically better contrast, but they'll run you hundreds more. The Samsung Odyssey G60SD is another OLED option that makes the ASUS look a bit plain by comparison. If your budget stretches to OLED territory, those are better monitors for mixed use.

But if you're sticking to 1080p for competitive gaming, the XG259CS makes more sense. The Gigabyte M Series OLED MO27U2 is a 4K panel, which is overkill for esports and way more expensive. The Dell UltraSharp U4025QW is a productivity ultrawide, not even in the same conversation. The real question is whether you want 1080p at 180Hz with great motion clarity, or 1440p at 144-165Hz with more screen real estate. For pure competitive play, the ASUS wins. For everything else, the 1440p options are more versatile.

At $499 USD, the XG259CS is priced right in line with other 180Hz Fast IPS monitors, but it's not exactly a bargain. You can find 240Hz 1080p panels for around the same money if you shop sales, and some 1440p 165Hz options dip into this range too. What you're paying for here is the ASUS build quality, the ELMB Sync feature, and the USB-C connectivity, which most budget monitors skip. If those extras matter to you, the price is fair. If you just want raw refresh rate per dollar, there are cheaper paths to 180Hz. The $490 CAD listing is also reasonable for the Canadian market, though availability seems limited right now.

The ASUS ROG Strix XG259CS is a 24.5-inch 1080p gaming monitor aimed squarely at competitive players who care more about frame rates than pixel count. It sits in the mid-range price bracket, around $499 USD or $490 CAD, and packs a 180Hz Fast IPS panel with a 1ms response time. That combo is basically the sweet spot for esports titles like Valorant, CS2, and Apex Legends, where motion clarity matters more than 4K eye candy.

People searching for a 1080p 180Hz monitor usually want to know two things: is it fast enough for competitive gaming, and does the picture look decent? The short answer is yes on both counts. The Fast IPS panel keeps colors punchy without the smearing you get on cheaper VA panels, and the 180Hz refresh rate is more than enough for most players. You also get G-Sync Compatible support, so screen tearing is a non-issue whether you're on an NVIDIA or AMD GPU.

ASUS also threw in some nice extras like USB-C with DisplayPort Alt mode, a fully adjustable stand, and their ELMB Sync tech that lets you run motion blur reduction alongside variable refresh rate. That last one is rare, most monitors force you to choose one or the other. It's a thoughtful touch for a monitor that's clearly built for people who take their ranked matches a little too seriously.

Skip the XG259CS if you're not a competitive gamer. If you mostly play single-player RPGs or strategy games, a 1440p 165Hz monitor will give you a sharper picture and more screen real estate for around the same price. If you do a lot of productivity work, text on a 1080p panel at this size looks noticeably softer than on higher-resolution displays. And if you want real HDR performance, this isn't it, the HDR 400 certification is just a brightness spec, not a meaningful HDR experience. For those use cases, look at 1440p IPS or OLED options instead.

Should you buy the ASUS ROG Strix XG259CS? If you're a competitive gamer who plays fast-paced shooters and wants a monitor that keeps up with your reflexes, yes. The 180Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and ELMB Sync combo is genuinely great for that use case, and the color accuracy is better than most gaming monitors at this price. The USB-C port is a nice bonus if you want to hook up a laptop or handheld.

But if you're a casual gamer who plays a mix of single-player titles, or you do a lot of work on your monitor, the 1080p resolution and limited inputs might feel restrictive. This is a focused tool for a specific job, and it does that job well. Just don't expect it to be a great all-rounder.