8.2 Score
We have seen many ROG monitors, though it has usually been on the pricier side. But not the one we are going to talk about though. This is the ROG Strix XG27ACS Gaming monitor and I have been using it for a good few months to see if it lives up to my expectations. So, here’s our ROG Strix XG27ACS review.
ROG Strix XG27ACS Review
Design and Build
The ROG Strix XG27ACS has a straightforward design that might either make you happy or a little bummed out. The reason why I say this is that, while, sure it is an ROG Monitor, the accents and design the monitor touts, are more minimalistic than as epic as any other ROG monitors we have seen so far. But that said, at the budget you are looking at, it’s safe to say that it does look pretty okay. It somewhat matches the likes of the TUF Gaming monitor which we have reviewed in the past.
The stand on this monitor is extremely versatile for you to use it however you want. You can tilt, rotate to vertical orientation and pan – and honestly, you might not even get a VESA mount arm to use it. However, for those who want to do so, you can VESA mount it too. But you will lose a big feature the stand has – the slit that holds a phone. Personally, this is pretty cool as you can place your phone smack right at the base and when you are gaming, you won’t miss the call from your Mom.
The last thing you want is for your mom to take the role of Doom Slayer and Rip and Tear you. But I do like the phone slot, because say if you happen to use a Samsung to access DeX Mode, it is conveniently positioned and all you need is a USB-C to C cable which is included inside the box.
Specification
In terms of specification, there’s nothing much to rave about the ROG Strix XG27ACS but it does have what most consumers need.
- 27” 1440p Fast IPS Display with 180Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time
- G-Sync and FreeSync Compatibility with ELMB-SYNC.
- DisplayHDR 400 with DCI-P3 97%/sRGB 133%
- Type-C (DP Alt Mode) with PD, DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0
Performance and Experience
Let’s talk about the experience. For starters, you won’t have much to complain about or find faults as it is a complete monitor with a solid experience to offer. This monitor comes in Black and White. But we got the Black version, which in my opinion is a better colour for display as the design and body may not distract you and break that illusion between you and the game you choose to play.
The bezels are super thin, giving this display giving close to edge-to-edge experience. If you do have a smaller desk setup, this monitor does not take up too much of your space. In my case, I do have ample desk space, and it fits just right where my ProArt monitor is.
Let’s talk about the buttons and controls. I am not a fan of just having 5-to-6 individual buttons and getting this clunky experience, especially when I can’t see them. But what ROG has done is include individual buttons for quick shortcuts and a joystick button to navigate around.
I appreciate this and it works quite well. But for those who do not want to fiddle around, you can download the DisplayWidget Center which gives complete control on Windows. I prefer controlling the monitor settings on-board than using the app, though at times it does give the ability to control brightness through a shortcut, making life easier – under KB HotKey Settings. The app works as well as it should. But to make it work effectively, utilizing the USB-C connection is much better.
Now for the display. This 27” 2K 180Hz 1ms display is more in tune with gaming than editing. And honestly, if you want the latter, you can pick up an ASUS ProArt (which I am personally using). That said, since this monitor is more in line with DisplayHDR 400, it hits the bare minimum in minimum peak luminance, and colour, and the black isn’t true black but you can see a bit of a white shade to it. But just like any other IPS display, it performs how it should.
In our case, we connected the monitor to our PC running NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super which makes this monitor G-Sync compatible. For the most part, we had barely any issues with it and I am glad it’s a 2K display in a 27” form, as the pixel ratio is higher and you have a better experience. Ripping and tearing in Doom Eternal, playing Ghostwire Tokyo and Back 4 Dead was pretty fun as it could handle things very well, even over a USB-C Alt DP connection. There are some features like Shadow Boost, which shows what’s going on in the dark space – and to me, while it works, it loses the immersion in games.
At least I am glad it can be turned off. With ELMB-Sync, tearing and stuttering shouldn’t happen and I am happy to report it didn’t. Using the monitor in HDR mode wasn’t pleasant as the DCI-P3 scores are slightly lower and the display has a slight warm bias, making the experience a little lacklustre. To be honest, Windows needs to get this whole HDR thing working better or not implement it at all. Brightness with HDR hits 400 cd/㎡ whereas non-HDR hits 350 cd/㎡. It’s good enough for what it is.
Any Drawback?
Personally, there are two, one is a big one and the other one, well, you could say I am nitpicking. The biggest one is the USB-C Port. Now it supports USB-C DP Alt, which makes life easier for users on Macbook, who want to quickly connect to use the monitor, Samsung devices to use DeX or even the ROG Ally for instance. But, you won’t be able to use the Power Delivery because ROG capped it to charge only at 7.5W – making it redundant for most devices except for tablets like iPads and Phones.
Honestly, this kind of is a huge bummer and I was hoping it hit at least 30-60W and if that brings the monitor cost a little bit higher, I will take it. Because let’s be honest, if the RM 1900 (approx. but you can pick it up for RM 1.6k at a discount) ProArt Display PA278CV I use comes with 65W PD, there’s no excuse here.
I don’t mind paying the slight premium for a much better USB-C PD. This also makes this monitor not really a great option for those who want to connect their ROG Ally X and use it on a big screen while charging. Unless you want to connect the other port with a charger – which gives you a clunky setup.
The second one, while it isn’t a huge dealbreaker, having USB-C Uplink to give access to USB-A ports on the monitor too would have been a nice inclusion. Again gamers won’t need one, but having ports proximal to the user would also help with a much cleaner setup and lower latency for their receivers if they use wireless peripherals.
Conclusion
At RM 1,599, you are looking at a competitively priced ROG Monitor and if there’s one thing we know, the moment you slap that ROG name and logo on a product, it sells like hot cake. But what I want you to ask is, if this is a true ROG Product. To be honest, I feel like this is a slightly better version of the ASUS TUF Gaming Monitor – more specifically, the VG27AQ which is a 2K IPS monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate, that’s going for RM 1475 on Shopee – maybe lower.
The thing that makes this ROG Strix XG27ACS more appealing would be: USB-C with PD although slow output which only could charge an iPad properly, DP 1.4, 180Hz and support for Display Widget Center for easier control from the comfort of your desktop. If any of these features happens to be more important to you, then sure but get it when it’s on discount or when you can use like RM 100-200 voucher on Shopee.
Personally, I wish ROG did a better PD output with the USB-C to perhaps even support the ROG Ally or Ally X. I mean, what more do you need than to just charge and use the Ally X on a much bigger screen, right? But sadly, it can’t. ☹ But despite that, I must say that this monitor isn’t that big of a disappointment.
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