Pros: The ROG Swift has been hyped by Asus, Nvidia and gamers for months since it was announced at CES in January of this year, and after a few bumps and delays in the road, it has finally arrived in all its glory. For those who are unaware of the key benefits of this monitor, and why it costs so much, here's a quick summary of the benefits over the existing 1080p 120+Hz "Gaming" monitors: +2560x1440 WQHD resolution. That's nearly 2x as many pixels in the same area as a 1080p panel, meaning much finer, detailed graphics and less visible pixelation. +First 2560x1440 G-Sync display. Asus had the first G-Sync capable monitor but it was limited to 1080p and a smaller 24" display. The Swift raises the ceiling for those who demand a higher resolution. G-Sync itself is an amazing feature and has to be seen to be believed, and I do believe this will be the main selling point of this panel. +ULMB. Builds on Nvidia's LightBoost backlight pulsing technology, that is made available outside of 3D Vision modes. This is a good alternative to G-Sync in fast-paced games where you can maintain high FPS at or above your set refresh rate. +First 2560x1440 3D Vision display. Another big jump for 3D Vision gamers stuck at 1080p since 2010. +First true 120/144Hz 2560 Gaming panel. There have been overclocked Korean IPS panels claiming this in the past, but if you look at image retention and blurring issues on those panels compared to true TN-based gaming monitors, you will see this is really no contest. As such, don't expect to see any "official" IPS 120+Hz gaming panels anytime soon. +Bezel size. Asus claims the bezel is 6mm, which is technically true, but the distance from edge to first pixel is closer to 10mm due to a black framing edge inside the bezel. This is still a huge improvement over previous models which had bezels closer to the 15-20mm range and the end result is just stunning especially with 3 monitors in surround configuration (PCPer had a preview). +No Bezel Glare. The bezel is almost flush to the actual panel screen, and with the inset black frame, this means there isn't a distracting glare around the screen edge like on some previous models like the VG278H. +8-bit TN panel. Most TN panels are 6-bit + dithering, leading to lower color gamuts, less color accuracy and more visible gradients. The Swift is a true 8-bit panel that results in much better color reproduction as numerous reviews have verified. +Anti-Glare matte finish. To some this is a negative, but in lighted situations, this means no glare on the monitor which is great. +VESA mounting and portrait pivot. VESA mounts are great for multi-monitor configurations, and the portrait pivot is actually a rare feature for a 3D capable monitor. +Fast response, great OSD navigation. The monitor turns on and off nearly instantly and is MUCH faster coming from wake than the VG278H. The OSD has a great little joystick that makes navigation fast and easy.

Cons: Despite the fact the Swift has a slew of positives making it a beast of a gaming monitor, there are a number of issues, bugs and unresolved problems that make me lukewarm on the monitor overall. -Price. This is at least 1 egg off, because for $800, I would expect the monitor to not have so many problems in general from both quality control and bugs. So, if price is weighing heavily on your decision and you can't be happy with something that isn't perfect for this much money, turn away now and wait for the Swift 2 or a new revision. -Fine, grainy desktop image. Only really noticeable on the desktop, but the image is grainier than I expected. This is a problem that is pretty common with AG matte coatings, but it was significantly worst than my VG278H which was unexpected. Out of the box colors were OK but backlight was too bright. -LCD Inversion artifacts in 3D Vision and some G-Sync modes. Hard to explain, but it almost looks like thinner lines as if the screen was interlaced. Google for more info. -Backlight bleed. There was a lot of bleed at the bottom of the screen at the default brightness (too bright) but turning it down has reduced it. There was also a very visible half-oval, moire pattern on the right side of the screen that was VERY disconcerting when I first got the panel, but it has since subsided and is only really visible on power on. If you are OCD about things like this, be warned, it might be a wart you can't live with. No guarantee you get a panel with this issue, but it could be better or worst. -High reliance on Nvidia drivers. G-Sync is a killer feature when it works, but it is a feature that is highly reliant on Nvidia driver support. Currently, there are numerous reports of problems for specific games and Asus' replies are to wait for an updated driver from Nvidia. While Nvidia is typically great about driver support for their products, this is just 1 more thing that you can run into when sitting down to game. -SLI problems. As an addition to the driver issues seen above, users are seeing more problems with SLI as they add another layer of potential driver failure. I've been a happy user of SLI for years now, but the problems I've experienced with G-Sync and 3D Vision using this panel have me leaning strongly towards a single fast GPU again for my next upgrade. Issues range from: less fluid G-Sync experience, crashing, out-of-range errors, no image, hard lock no image (requiring power cycle). For me at least, reverting to just single-GPU fixed most of the problems (Diablo 3 SLI, 3D Vision), while some titles worked fine with SLI and 3D Vision (Borderlands 2, BF4). Again, it is all very hit or miss right now and since the monitor just released, it is hard to get info. Asus basically points to Nvidia driver for support and Nvidia (ManuelG) is proactive in trying to track down bugs, but it does take some time. But, this all comes with living on the bleeding edge of tech!

Overall Review: So, even though I have a ton of negatives and wanted to write more for both pros/cons (like limited inputs), but I ran out of room. I just wanted to give a thorough and honest review of this product. It is an absolute beast of a monitor and it is still an upgrade over my previous VG278H, so in that respect I am happy with the monitor and will keep it. There are a number of issues I am not happy about however, as noted, and there are still a number of question marks going forward. I have a feeling Asus did not fully QA this product before launching it, and given Asus' track record of fixing many of their 1st run problems (VG278H oval backlight), I have a feeling they will improve this monitor in the future and release an updated version. I just wonder if they will offer to upgrade these 1st run panels as well or allow them to be updated via firmware improvement. There are a number of features and controls missing from the OSD for example, like a Sharpness control that I think could fix many of the complaints people are having. So, there it is, if you absolutely must have the latest and greatest and can't wait any longer, buying the Swift is for you. If you are fretting over a $800 purchase and usually don't spend this much on gaming hardware, or you know you won't be happy with anything short of perfection from both a build and driver perspective, you should probably hold off on pulling the trigger. I am somewhere inbetween so I am willing to overlook the problems I have experienced because ultimately, the gaming experience with this Swift and G-Sync is truly breathtaking to behold. It is so good, that I'm actually not fretting too much over 3D Vision not working properly in SLI in the 1 game I'm really playing right now (Diablo 3). Hope this helps you make your buying decision!

Pros: Great monitor while it worked.

Cons: After a year of ownership the monitor started showing intermittent flickers on the bottom right hand portion of the screen for two days. Then, on the third day, it made a loud pop sound and the entire screen went white, with the bottom right hand portion showing a dark black spot where it had been flickering. Using different DP ports made no difference, the monitor is fried. ASUS's warranty page for this product shows up completely blank for me, so there's little direction on how to start the review and repair process with them. Phone calls to the support number for components does not reach a live person after several 15-20 minute attempts. I've submitted an email and registered the product, hoping to get assistance.

Overall Review: This is a flagship product for ASUS ROG, and 600-700 USD is no small investment for most people. ASUS needs to make sure warranty information is readily available. They need to ensure product support pages are working. They need to staff their call centers appropriately.

Pros: 8 Bit TN Great Color for a TN still beat by the top IPS though 1440 @ 144hz 27 inchers ultimate gaming monitor G Sync built in ULMB option Great thin bezel Fantastic Aesthetic Great cable management Sturdy as a rock stand

Cons: No signal issues requires power cycle....cmon this is a gaming monitor for serious competitive gamers. Completely unacceptable and the primary reason I returned mine and am waiting a revision. Refresh Swap button does not function unless it feels like it... G Sync can just straight up stop working after a few hours of gameplay. There is an indicator light on the monitor to tell you when it is enabled but still another unacceptable bug for the price and hype. Inversion issues that I have not personally experienced but seem to be a common issue google around for it.

Overall Review: Wait on newer revision of this monitor. Sad it really is the best gaming monitor I have ever used and I came from 144hz 1080 so the G Sync really is an amazing feature that can solve issues in numerous games.

Pros: Good concept, bad execution

Cons: first 3 models I got had defective gsync modules Asus customer support was not very helpful The current replacement I have runs well but has dead pixels that are noticeable when you look for them TERRIBLE QA for a $800 monitor

Overall Review: This would be a good monitor if Asus stepped its game up and actually demonstrated that they care about the customer that buys their products. This monitor at this price point is absolutely not worth the hassle I went through.

Pros: When functioning as designed, this is one of the best monitors I've ever used --- hands down. Coupled with an nvidia G-Sync compatible 980Ti @ 1440p & 144hz makes for an amazing gaming experience. The monitor stand is extremely solid and lighting effects on the base are a nice touch.

Cons: Unfortunately, as so many other reviews quantify - the quality control on this product (or potentially even the retail design as a whole) is tragically flawed. The price point was much higher when I purchased this product 337 days ago and I most definitely expect my investment to carry further than that. Would you pay $2.44/day to use this product?

Overall Review: The RMA process so far has been less than desirable. The ASUS product RMA site managed to waste approximately 1 hour of my time as I attempted to use their RMA Submittal form. The S/N would detect, auto populate the model, and left the product type field blank with no additional options. After validation across 3x different browsers, I gave up and went for the phone. An additional 20 minutes was burned on the phone to get to Monitor support (note that it is not called out explicitly in the support menus and "accessories" is not the right selection) and get the RMA information submitted and approved. I genuinely hope the rest of my support experience goes smoother with ASUS.

Pros: Well constructed, sturdy and its weight adds a sense of durability and quality. Packaging was well beyond expectation; could have dropped this from a cliff and it'd probably be just fine. Upon first inspection there were no blemishes, scuff marks or scratches. It was clean and appeared in new condition (I've been fooled before). There was no need for a software installation by the included CD, Windows recognized it and installed everything it needed. Out of the box color and settings needed tweaking (see cons), but other than that set up was fast and simple. The power button turns on the monitor instantly, as opposed to ones in their previous lineup. The DisplayPort cable worked as expected and was a sufficient length. The red LED colored base is a nice touch and adds to the rest of my ROG components. The integrated USB ports are handy, though poorly placed.

Cons: The USB ports, while handy no doubt, aren't logically placed. It takes some skill to plug something in when they are so hidden, and half the time I still have to stick my neck under there to figure it out. But it's not brain surgery, and only a minor inconvenience at best. Just worth noting. The viewing angles aren't the greatest, but workable considering other TN panels I've had the pleasure (and displeasure) of using. And with being a TN panel, historically they haven't been great at color reproduction but I find it quite acceptable in this monitor. The only thing I had to do was download a color profile on the Interwebs that tweaked the settings to their absolute best; out of the box, I agree with most that they are slightly washed out. The hotkey on the monitor to select the refresh rate is puzzling; if I select 60Hz, down from 144Hz, Windows display adapter settings will still show the monitor at 144Hz. Games will reflect the hotkey position, however, so you can change it in game. But the fact that Windows doesn't keep up is an interesting note. Could be nothing, could be everything. Color reproduction was quite poor straight out of the box; colors were washed and inaccurate in my opinion. But, having little knowledge on the 'best' settings, I sought out a color profile from the series of tubes and, when enacted, changed the settings to very ideal. Since URLs are not allowed, a simple Google search will lead potential purchasers to several varying profiles at their disposal. G-Sync, while helpful no doubt, isn't worth the price increase for monitors offering 1440p and 144Hz. This thing is easily three hundred dollars more than its closest Freesync competitor. I understand it's Nvidia's baby, but the gap needs to close. Many buyers are willing to pay a premium, but there's a line and I believe this thing is dangerously close to it, if not slightly past it. One man's opinion though.

Overall Review: I purchased this from a different vendor, but place more stock in the Newegg community and wish to repay their insight with thoughts of my own. I've owned this monitor for just over two months. I purposely didn't review it right away, for fear of something failing in the near future, such as dead pixels or something of that nature. Plus, I wanted to ensure I tested the monitor from every aspect within my power, such as 'stressing' it with GTA V on max settings, at its full resolution and refresh rate (buttery smooth and zero hiccups or tearing, btw). From everyday use to the most graphically intense game I own, I gotta hand it to ASUS that they made a pretty darn good monitor. Its faults are minor and easily overlooked when looking at the big picture. I came from a 1080p, 120Hz monitor and even though the differences on paper are slight, real-world performance was a definite and worthwhile increase. Three quarters of my build are from ASUS, and that's not on accident. They make good products, at a steep price mind you, but I feel that it's justified because of quality. Your results obviously may vary, but at least for me I've yet to have something from them fail or be DOA. It was a good purchase, an investment really, and I hope it serves me for years to come. My build for comparisons sake (nothing is overclocked) i7 4790k 4.0GHz 16GB Corsair 1866MHz/CAS 9 730 Intel SSD GTX 980 in SLI Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

Pros: Built very well, sleek look. Really the best built monitor I've ever seen.

Cons: The panel inside (what really matters when it comes to a display). After owning an IPS panel for years, TN panels just look really washed out and faded to me. I noticed pixel crawling on all aliased edges which is I assume the pixel inversion issue this panel is plagued with and it's extremely distracting.

Pros: -G-sync is all it's cracked up to be and the hype is real. -Super fast TN monitor makes everything smooth as butter -8-bit panel has colors that are nearly as good as IPS/PLS -Good build quality

Cons: -Terrible QC, monitor lottery

Overall Review: I am RMA'ing my monitor because the out of the box gamma was extremely low, around 1.6, causing the picture to be terribly washed out and overly bright. Attempts to calibrate the monitor's gamma back to normal levels resulted in severe color banding and visual artifacts. Will update my rating to 5 eggs if the replacement monitor comes in defect-free.