Question 1

Will this monitor work bug-free with an Nvidia card (freesync disabled)?

Accepted Answer

Yes it will work with an Nvidia card. You just wont be able to take advantage of the Freesync option. But you CAN use it for the 144Hz. And if you use V-Sync in games (That will limit your frames to 144fps with the 144Hz), you will see very minimal tearing.

This is a really great monitor and I highly recommend it.

Question 2

Might be a stupid question - can you use FreeSync with a NVidia GPU? Or would you just use a G-Sync enabled monitor?

Accepted Answer

You can use this monitor with either AMD or NVidia GPU's, however the Free-sync capability will only enable with AMD GPU's. I run both NVidia and AMD GPU's with this monitor from two different computers using the two display ports. I am able to switch between GPU's using the on-board monitor switching. VERY convenient. I consider this the best 144MHz monitor you can buy.

Question 3

Apparently the picture quality of the MG27Q is incredible.  I am thinking about buying this monitor to pair with a nvidia geforce 1080 TI, solely for gaming at 1440p with max settings.  Will my gaming experience noticeably suffer without gsync capability?  I realize gysnc/free sync are far superior to vsync, but I'm wondering if the difference is that significant to justify the much higher cost of a gsync monitor.  Thanks in advance....

Accepted Answer

As long as you are fine with screen tearing and somewhat unlikely noticeable input lags, then it's fine. The only advantage of G-Sync/Free-Sync is the removal of screen tearing and decreased input lag.

Also, since you are using a 1080 TI, you can use the Nvidia's "Adaptive VSync" feature in the Nvidia driver control panel to compensate for the missing G-Sync or replace the inferior V-Sync. Frame skipping might be present as well, (You can look up online how frame skipping works on Nvidia GPUs + Freesync Monitor on many forums online) but it that sort of varies from different Nvidia GPU models.

Although I will agree that the image quality of of this monitor is amazing, such as the excellent contrast and stunning sRGB spectrum with the 144Hz, I would recommend finding another but similar 1440p 144hz monitor that doesn't have a built-in G-Sync/Free-Sync technology just so you can save more cash since it seems like you don't want to invest in the more expensive G-Sync version of this.

However, if you can't really find another similar monitor in the current market, don't care about the missing presence of G-Sync/non-usability of Free-Sync, and am already aware of the weight of your decision, then sure go for it.

Question 4

Does this have a matte or glossy screen?

Accepted Answer

It's between matte and glossy. Not as matte as I would like, but not really glossy either. It's not as easy to clean as an absolutely matte screen.

Question 5

Is this monitor cap at 90hz in Desktop only? If I disable FreeSync, will I be able to run native 144Hz Refresh Rate in both Desktop and in-game?

Is there perceivable motion blur difference between 4ms and 1ms pixel response time?

Do you strongly recommend MG279Q, even though MG278Q is coming out soon?

Is IPS monitor much superior than TN monitor?

Accepted Answer

1. The refresh cap is with FreeSync on only and it is very simple and seamless to turn it on and off as you please. You can read in some of my responses what the real benefits of FreeSync are and the situations in which it should be used to make it most effective. For example, if your computer can easily run a game at 144hz (think less demanding games like CS, DOTA, Insurgency) then switch it to 144hz mode and get the full benefit of super high framerates. If you're playing a demanding game like Battlefield 4, switch it to FreeSync and get the crazy-smooth feel of high framerates even when you're dipping well below 60hz. In short, with FreeSync on you will get the feel of 60+FPS in the 40-60FPS range.

2. Unless you are a very serious gamer with an high-polling acceleration-free mouse and all of your settings tuned to reduce your hand-to-screen motion disparity, you aren't going to notice 3ms. That being said, TN panels do /generally/ have less motion blur issues. There are lots of really great comprehensive articles about the 279 that analyze its motion blur and lag characteristics, and just about every one determines that for an IPS display the motion blur is somewhere in-between not noticeable and fantastic.

3. I am assuming that the 278 will cost less than the 279, so if cost is a concern then that would be the main reason to buy that monitor. That being said...

4. I had heard a lot about IPS panels, and being a video professional thought I was aware of how good colors could look on a screen. When I bought my first IPS panel, a cheapo AOC I believe, I was blown away. Sitting next to my old TNs the difference was astonishing. Rich, deep blacks (almost as black as it being off altogether) and bright silky colors that popped without being oversaturated like you see in OLED displays. This panel is twice as good as that one and the effect shows. If you are looking for image quality above all else, then IPS is for you.

Question 6

On connectivity, does HDMI and mini display port both output native resolution of 2560 x 1440??

Accepted Answer

HDMI 1.3 supports resolutions up to 2560x1600 at 75Hz, so you will be able to get the resolution you want but not the maximum refresh rate without having a monitor that has HDMI 2.0. with displays such as this (AMAZING DISPLAY BTW!!) it is highly recommended that you use DP or mDP anyways as the connection natively has enough bandwidth to do the full 1440p@144hz

Question 7

Why does free sync only go up to 90hz?  Are there monitors that do better at 2k?

Accepted Answer

FreeSync has a dynamic refresh rate range of 9-240Hz.

This monitor is only capable of utilizing Freesync from the 35-90Hz range. This is just a limitation of the hardware in this monitor. In time new monitors will come out with a wider range. I have been using this monitor for months and I have no gripes about its Freesync range.

There are better ranges with a TN type display, but people buy this IPS display because the colors are fantastic. Honestly the range on this monitor is good enough for me. You can always use the Frame Rate Target Control to cap your games at 90Hz or just leave Freesync on like I do for all my games.

I use Freesync and cap the frame rate on newer more demanding games where my current GPU cannot drive above 90FPS. Then on older less demanding games i don't cap the framerate or use freesync at all. I use this formula on a case by case basis.

Question 8

Will a Gigabyte GTX 980 G1 gaming edition do this monitor justice? Should I look for something else?

Accepted Answer

I personally have a MSI GTX 980 Ti + a 4690K (not overclocked) and am able to play almost all games at Max settings. Notable exceptions include the Wild Hunt and Grand Thief Auto V which I play at a mix of ultra or very high and sometimes high settings. Your Gigabyte GTX 980 should do fine with if you use the Nvidia Geforce Experience settings which will automatically set your card to the acceptable settings.  I was running two GTX 780's SLI before purchasing the 980 Ti and found little difference between the 980 Ti and the 780's so you could purchase another 980 and run it in SLI if necessary. With the combination of the 980 and this monitor you will probably NOT be capable using the 144 MHz on the games mentioned above. Battlefield 4, Far Cry 4, Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb raider, Xcom 2 you probably WILL use the 144MHz. All depends on which games you play.

Question 9

I'm new to all this so Freesync 90 hz is good for 1440p gaming???

Accepted Answer

There is a noticeable difference going from 60 to 75Hz. 90Hz is even better and a good quality jump. I look at it as a bonus that Asus gives at a really good price point. Keep in mind running at 1440p still needs the higher end video cards to keep the sustained frame rates that high to match up. Think of the newest games and some of the upcoming releases and they all will be buttery smooth up to 90 fps. Plus with IPS colors and sharpness, your eyeballs will thank you. You only get one pair of eyes, pamper them. I use a 290x with this and have been loving the experience for almost a year now.

Question 10

Whats the perfect AMD card for this monitor?
I want to take advantage of 144Hz

Accepted Answer

Well it depends on the games you want to play.

For example, there are no single gpu cards out there that can play Gta5 at 1440p 144fps at maximum settings.

On the other hand,  certain games like starcraft 2 are less demanding and can easily be played at max settings 1440p 144fps.

If you want to use this monitor in all its glory without having to turn down setting you would want a dual gpu setup. For example two AMD Fury X cards would work nicely.

Look at benchmarks for the games you want to play and see what cards are capable at driving those games 1440p @ 144fps.

Questions & Answers