My current laptop, an ASUS ROG Strix GL502VS is one of the top-of-the-line gaming machines released in 2016. I enjoyed playing games on it, especially Overwatch which is my current favorite. Our friends in ASUS Philippines, upon learning that I spend a lot of time in front of my laptop playing games, sent me an ASUS ROG Swift PG258Q Review unit. I asked them why do I need the monitor for when I already am contented with my laptop’s screen. They just smiled “Oh, you’ll see why!”
ASUS ROG SWIFT PG258Q REVIEW SPECS:
| Panel Size: | 24.5" Widescreen |
|---|---|
| Panel Type: | TN |
| Resolution: | Full HD 1920x1080 |
| Display Surface: | Non-Glare |
| Brightness: | 400 cd/㎡ |
| Contrast Ratio: | 1000:1 |
| Response Time: | 1ms |
| Display Colors: | 16.7M |
| Connectors: | 1 x HDMI; 1 x Display Port; 2 x USB 3.0 |
| SRP | P38,260.00 |
THE LOOKS AND FEEL: ASUS ROG SWIFT PG258Q REVIEW
Seeing the PG258Q for the first time makes me want to do a sexy whistle. I’m so used to seeing the same ‘ol boring monitors so I can’t help but admire its design. Simple, but not modern. I think it’s futuristic.
The rear panel of the monitor is curved with design schematics and a chrome ring at the center. Air vents are placed at the back to generate airflow within the monitor.
The control joystick and function buttons are placed in the rear panel. Pressing the joystick will open the On Screen Display that lets you adjust the monitor’s settings, while the buttons will let you access the GamePlus and GameVisual menus which helps in enhancing your gameplay. More on these later.
Different types of ports are available in the PG258Q. There’s one for HDMI, another for Display Port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and two for USB 3.0. It’s quite limited, but it should suffice since they use the most common ports. Once the cables are plugged in, place the removable cover so the monitor will have a clean look.
The whole display panel is attached to a three-legged metal stand. The monitor can be swiveled sideways, tilted or rotated to portrait mode. It can also be adjusted vertically according to your viewing preference. Thanks to its design, all of these options can be done easily.
One of the nice things I like about the PG258Q is its cable management. All the cables plugged in the monitor pass through the stand’s front hole then goes out to the back. That makes the monitor even have a cleaner look.
The ROG logo illuminates under the stand whenever the monitor is turned on. It’s not Aura Sync compatible, but still cool to have.
THE DISPLAY: ASUS ROG SWIFT PG258Q REVIEW
The ROG Swift PG258Q has a 24.5″ bezel-less display with a Full HD resolution and a screen ratio of 16:9. I am not a fan of TN panels, but the monitor is surprisingly bright. Colors look fine, but not as striking and accurate usually found in IPS panels.
Since it uses a TN panel display, expect a yellowish tint when viewing a website or document with a white background. It’s common with most monitors using this panel. Personally, it doesn’t bother me at all.
THE PERFORMANCE: ASUS ROG SWIFT PG258Q REVIEW
The PG258Q’s main strength is its phenomenally fast 240Hz refresh rate. The ROG Zephyrus GX501 I reviewed last year had 120Hz refresh rate, so it’s mind-boggling on how my experience would be playing with a refresh rate that’s twice as fast.
Playing with a fast refresh rate makes the game’s movement look smoother. Playing First Person Shooter games like Overwatch and PUBG are hell of a lot faster than playing at 60Hz. This was the experience I had when I used the Zephyrus a year ago. Thing is, I couldn’t tell the difference between 120Hz and 240Hz. Nevertheless, I got addicted to playing more of these games thanks to the big improvement in refresh rate. I was told before “once you go to a faster refresh rate, you’ll never go back to 60hz.” This is definitely true. No wonder the peeps at ASUS were pushing me to review the monitor!
One thing to remember if you do want to achieve 240Hz with this monitor is to make sure you’re gaming machine is capable to produce it.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, pressing the joystick button at the back will reveal the On Screen Display. Navigating through the menus is easy.
GamePlus augments your gameplay in different ways. It lets you choose your preferred Crosshair that best suits your current game environment. This was helpful in of my FPS games where the crosshair was set to a small dot by default. I changed it to one of the PG258Q’s crosshair options and I was able to aim and shoot properly. The FPS counter is also helpful as I don’t have to install a software to benchmark.
GameVisual lets you choose six display mode presets to optimize your current usage. For example, if I play
DR’S CONCLUSION
The ROG Swift PG258Q is a monitor that is nice to have. It’s well-built, looks futuristic, and it’s the fastest gaming monitor in the planet. I have two concerns though before I buy this monitor. First, do I really need a 240Hz refresh rate? Honestly speaking, having a monitor with 120Hz or 144Hz would already suffice. Second, gaming monitors with at least 120Hz refresh rate cost a lot less. The PG258Q’s price of P38,260 is quite steep.
If I have more than enough funds to spare, then I would possibly buy this monitor. It would compliment my ROG laptop and my future souped-up ROG Gaming Rig and make me a certified ROG fanboy.
PROS
- Excellent build
- Bezel-less Display
- Can be easily swiveled, tilted or rotated
- Cable management
- Super fast Refresh Rate
- Easy to use OSD menus
CONS
- Do I really need a 240Hz refresh rate?
- Expensive
