ASUS VZ279QG1R 27" Black 2023

It's a basic 27-inch office monitor in a slim gaming costume. Buy it for a clean desk setup on a tight budget, not for a competitive edge.

The 75Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support are a small step up from a standard 60Hz office monitor, making desktop movement and casual games feel a bit smoother. What surprised us, and not in a good way, is the '1ms MPRT' claim. That's a backlight strobing trick to reduce motion blur, not true pixel response time. In practice, you'll still see some ghosting, and the 250-nit brightness means the screen looks pretty dim if you actually enable that strobing mode. It's a solid performer for spreadsheets, but it's out of its depth in fast-paced shooters.

If you're actually looking to game, the MSI MAG 271QPX or the Alienware AW2725D are in a completely different universe with high refresh rates and proper response times, though they cost significantly more. For a direct budget competitor, a standard 24-inch 144Hz IPS monitor from a brand like AOC or ViewSonic will run circles around this ASUS in actual gameplay for roughly the same price. This ASUS only makes sense if you prioritize a 27-inch screen size and a sleek look over raw gaming performance.

Pricing for this monitor is all over the map, with a wild spread from $189 to over $4700 from different vendors. At the low end, around that $189 mark, it's a fair deal for a 27-inch IPS secondary screen. At anything over $200, you're getting fleeced. If you see it for $75 like one reviewer did, buy it immediately for an office setup, but don't expect a gaming revolution.

The ASUS VZ279QG1R is a budget monitor that looks the part of a sleek gaming display but doesn't quite have the guts to back it up. The one thing to know is this is a basic 1080p office screen with a 75Hz refresh rate and a thin bezel, not a serious gaming panel. It's fine for casual use and light gaming if you find it on a deep sale, but the '1ms' marketing is misleading and the feature set is barebones.

If you're looking for a high-refresh gaming experience, this isn't it. Go get a 144Hz or 165Hz IPS monitor instead. You'll spend about the same money and get a massively better gaming experience. This ASUS is for people who want a big, pretty screen for documents and web browsing first, with gaming as a very distant second.

Skip this if you call yourself a gamer. The ASUS VZ279QG1R is a stylish 27-inch office monitor that's been dressed up in gaming marketing. It's a decent choice if you need a basic, good-looking second screen for work and the occasional slow-paced game, but only if you can snag it for well under $150. For anyone serious about smooth gameplay, a true 144Hz panel is the bare minimum, and this isn't it.