Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP gaming monitor is a powerhouse designed with professional esports gamers in mind. The standout feature? An astounding 540Hz refresh rate, setting a new benchmark for high-performance displays.
Asus Swift Pro PG248QP monitor adopts an esports TN panel labeled by Asus as the world’s fastest TN panel, promising a 50% increase in responsiveness compared to traditional TN panels. Priced at 0, it boasts a 24.1-inch 1920×1080 TN panel with G-Sync support, DisplayHDR 400, and a uniquely adjustable base, catering to a variety of gamer preferences.
Specs and Design
- 24.1-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Esports-TN (E-TN) gaming monitor with 540 Hz (OC) refresh rate is designed for professional …
- World’s fastest TN panel; E-TN panel technology is approximately 50% more responsive than traditional TN panels availabl…
- Adjustable base with retractable claws ensures a small footprint
PG248QP supports 540Hz refresh rate which is a game-changer provides very fast smoothness, even in everyday desktop applications making actions feel nearly instantaneous. The Swift Pro PG248QP switching from 144Hz to 540Hz is a significant leap challenging the notion of diminishing returns beyond 144Hz, the jump is noticeable even compared to 240Hz, offering a tangible improvement in latency.
Shifting our focus to design, the PG248QP shares similarities with its ROG predecessors. While the build is robust, the overall aesthetic may not scream premium, raising eyebrows given the 0 price tag. However, Asus compensates with a unique adjustable base, accommodating diverse keyboard and mouse setups favored by esports enthusiasts.
Addressing a potential concern, the G-Sync module introduces a fan for active cooling. The constant low-speed is barely audible in regular use, ensuring it remains a minor issue.
Ports and OSD
As far the ports, it has DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and a USB hub, However, the absence of HDMI 2.1 support restricts HDMI ports to 240Hz, a drawback for those seeking full refresh rates across all ports.
Navigating the on-screen display (OSD) is intuitive, thanks to a directional toggle. The OSD packs features including crosshairs and a reflex analyzer, catering to the needs of professional gamers. Despite the price and some design the Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP stands out as a gaming monitor that pushes the boundaries with ground-breaking 540Hz refresh rate and responsive TN panel.
Response Time Performance
Response time performance on the PG248QP gaming monitor. It offers four overdrive settings: Off, Normal, Esports, and Extreme. With Off, surprisingly good results are achieved, often outperforming monitors with overdrive enabled. For 540Hz gaming, Normal mode is recommended, boasting a rapid 1.8ms average response time and minimal overshoot at 86% refresh compliance.
Esports mode slightly improves response time to 1.6ms but introduces a bit more overshoot. Extreme mode hits 1.2ms on average but comes with higher overshoot, making it less advisable. Notably, Normal mode excels across the entire refresh rate range, from 360Hz (1.9ms) to 60Hz (2.5ms), showcasing elite-tier performance with variable overdrive.
Response Time Comparisons
| Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM (27″ 1440p, 240hz WQLED) | 0.0% to 0.27 |
| Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP (24″ 1080p, 540hz TN) | 1.8% to 1.80 |
| Asus ROG Swift PG27AQN (24″ 1440p, 360Hz IPS) | 2.7% to 2.29 |
| Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 (32″ 2160p, 240Hz VA) | 25.5% to 2.51 |
| BenQ Zowie XL2566K (24″ 1080p, 360Hz TN) | 17.3% to 2.82 |
The PG248QP stands out as the fastest LCD I’ve tested, boasting a 0.5ms advantage over the PG27AQN at its highest refresh rate and surpassing the BenQ Zowie XL 2566K by over 50% at a lower overshoot level. Asus delivers on its claim of a 50% more responsive experience than traditional TN panels. Compared to standard 240Hz IPS and older TN displays, the PG248QP is over twice as fast in both refresh rate and response time, though OLEDs maintain a six times advantage at 540Hz.
In terms of average performance, the PG248QP maintains its lead, being 33% faster than the PG27AQN with lower overshoot. It outpaces the BenQ XL2566K by a clear margin, showcasing the strength of TN panels in extreme-speed scenarios. Anything below 360Hz struggles to compete.
| Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM (27″ 1440p, 240hz WQLED) | 35 |
| Asus ROG Swift Pro PG248QP (24″ 1080p, 540hz TN) | 222 |
| Asus ROG Swift PG27AQN (24″ 1440p, 360Hz IPS) | 290 |
| Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 (32″ 2160p, 240Hz VA) | 420 |
| BenQ Zowie XL2566K (24″ 1080p, 360Hz TN) | 334 |
Looking at cumulative deviation, the PG248QP maintains a 31% lead over the pg27aqn and a 50% advantage over the BenQ XL2566K at the same 360Hz refresh rate. Comparing best overdrive settings, the pg248QP outperforms the XL2566K by 39% in cumulative deviation, securing a substantial overall victory.
While LCDs are yet to match OLEDs, which boast a 5x advantage in cumulative deviation, the PG248QP remains an impressive performer. It excels in motion clarity from 240Hz to 540Hz, catering to the target market seeking extreme speed, even at 120Hz and 60Hz, the Swift Pro PG248QP proves its worth, making it a versatile choice for various gaming scenarios.
Backlight Strobing and ULMB 2
The ROG Swift Pro PG248QP’s standout feature, alongside its impressive 540Hz refresh rate, is its support for backlight strobing through Nvidia ULMB. The integration is more versatile than the PG27AQN, working with both AMD and Nvidia GPUs at various refresh rates, although AMD users are limited to 540Hz without adaptive sync.
Nvidia users have broader compatibility but are constrained to ULMB at fixed refresh rates, with a range limited to 360Hz. While ULMB motion clarity at 540Hz surpasses the BenQ XL2566K with DyAc Plus, the benefit extends beyond backlight strobing. The non-strobed 540Hz image showcases superior clarity compared to 360Hz, offering excellent readability and reduced blurriness.
ULMB supports adjustable strobe timing, providing flexibility, but non-strobed 540Hz remains an impressive option. Input latency on the PG248QP is elite, delivering just below a 1ms processing delay, ensuring exceptional responsiveness, matching the fastest OLEDs. Power consumption is average at 36 watts, with the G-Sync module contributing to this, using more power than the BenQ XL2566K but less than the PG27AQN gaming monitor.
Color Performance
The ROG Swift Pro PG248QP surprises with wide gamut support, covering 95% of DCI-P3 and 70% of Rec.2020. While not the widest, it meets the minimum for a proper wide gamut experience. Factory color performance is decent, with grayscale Delta E being reasonable, and excellent results for saturation and color checker due to default sRGB gamut emulation, preventing oversaturation.
Despite being tailored for esports, Asus ensures good visual experience from the factory. The PG248QP Gaming monitor offers control over white balance, sRGB mode, and wide gamut through OSD settings, allowing some calibration. Full software calibration with Calman yields satisfactory results, making it suitable for occasional wide gamut viewing, though not ideal for color-accurate work.
Brightness, Contrast and Uniformity
Brightness on the ROG Swift Pro PG248QP hits a solid 420 nits after calibration, outperforming the XL2566K with backlight strobing enabled. Strobed, it provides over 300 nits at the longest pulse width, around 30 nits at the shortest, and 150 nits at the middle 50 setting. Even at the minimum brightness of 41 nits, it remains respectable. Surprisingly, contrast is excellent for a TN monitor, reaching 1376:1, 26% higher than the compared BenQ model.
However, the PG248QP TN panel’s weak point is viewing angles, leading to significant gamma and brightness shifts off-axis, impacting image quality. Colors are notably affected at off angles, emphasizing the viewing angle sweet spot for an optimal experience. Aside from viewing angle concerns, uniformity is reasonable, making it suitable for gaming with minimal backlight bleed when viewed optimally.
HUB Essentials Checklist
Asus markets the monitor well, but the absence of HDMI 2.1 is a drawback. While color performance specs are good, the advertised 0.2ms response time is a bit misleading; the actual average is around 2ms.
The lack of backlight strobing support below 360Hz is a letdown. Asus oddly promotes HDR capabilities with DisplayHDR 400 support, but without local dimming, it falls short in delivering true HDR. Despite these concerns, panel quality is generally good, with no noticeable issues or defects.
Is it Worth it?
The Asus ROG Swift Pro pg248QP stands out with exceptional motion clarity, thanks to its groundbreaking 540Hz display. Gaming at this refresh rate brings joy in terms of responsiveness and smoothness, surpassing even 360Hz and 240Hz. It boasts the fastest response times on an LCD panel, outpacing competitors like the BenQ XL266K. The ULMB2 feature enhances motion clarity, making the PG248QP the leader in both strobed and non-strobed clarity.
While it impresses with good contrast, wide gamut support, and factory calibration, viewing angles remain a drawback inherent to TN panels. Priced at 0, it caters to a niche market, making it a tough sell for the average gamer or those seeking a premium esports monitor. Although slightly clearer than the BenQ XL266K for backlight strobing, the high price suggests waiting for a more accessible future iteration. While running games at 540Hz is excellent, the TN panel’s downsides and the steep price $900 make it a cautious consideration for now.
