New Year's Resolution - Best Monitor for Gaming in 2017

When we talk about new year's resolutions you know how the old joke goes, but with 2017 fast approaching take the excuse to plan that monitor upgrade you've always wanted. With so many models available though, what's the best 2017 resolution for you?

1920 x 1080

Ahh good old Full HD! If you're gaming on something like a GTX 1050-through-1060, or Radeon RX 470, or, if you just prefer something 24-inch on your desk instead of a bigger behemoth, then a 120Hz+ Full HD monitor is for you. 120Hz+ refresh rate is an important asset - refreshing the display at least twice as fast than the typical 60Hz gives exceptionally smooth gameplay, even when the action is furious.

PG258Q

Fitted with the fastest LCD ever the PG258Q has a native refresh rate of 240Hz - that's four times the usual 60Hz and twice as fast as "fast" 120Hz gaming panels! Combined with a 1ms GTG (grey-to-grey) response rate it's ideal for gamers looking to grab the very fastest. If you're running a PC with a fast-enough graphics card capable of pushing such a high frame-rates, gameplay will be buttery-smooth in high-fidelity. It's the ultimate accessory for twitch-sensitive players who take their gaming seriously; perfect for e-Sports. Coming soon!

PG248Q

This premium 24-inch model features the world's fastest panel with 180Hz refresh rate. This eSports-focused Full HD display has Nvidia G-Sync built in, 1ms GTG and ASUS' own GameVisual tech built in. As the official monitor for The International 2016, you know this can be used at the highest level.

MG248Q

Taking a step down to "just" 144Hz and dropping the G-Sync support, the MG248Q keeps the same ROG-design elemetns and also provides 1ms G2G and GameVisual technologies (at a lower price), making it a great entry to enjoy fast-gaming.

 

2560 x 1080

MX299Q and PB298Q

Going ultra-wide with a 21:9 ratio gives that bit more than Full HD, before the jump to WQHD, eeking more out of those 'Full HD focused' graphics cards. Here the entertainment-focused MX299Q and semi-professional PB298Q fill the gap, and while not expressly gaming they still offer superb color and viewing angles from the AH-IPS displays, and the MX even has B&O ICEpower speakers built in too. Great for mixing work, entertainment and splash of daily game-time.

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  MX299Q
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  PB298Q

2560 x 1440

WQHD is the sweetspot for gamers often looking to upgrade from an existing 24-inch Full HD panels. Radeon RX 480s, GeForce GTX 1060s and 1070s are ideal partners to push very high to ultra visuals in games.

PG279Q and MG279Q

Both the MG and PG offer 27-inch WQHD resolution with IPS displays, that have Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync support respectively. The PG offers display refresh rates of 165Hz and the MG up to 144Hz, making these the fastest IPS displays out there!

PB277Q

Another work-and-play monitor; the professional PB277Q blends high color IPS and professional features (Picture in Picture, SplendidPlus, VividPixel, EyeCare and QuickFit) with an overclocked 75Hz refresh rate that'll still benefit those who want something faster than the standard 60Hz.

PB328Q

At 32-inches there's another PB again mixing up work and play duties, with the PB328Q offering WQHD resolution with a super-sized screen real-estate. While not offering the pixel sharpness of its 27-inch WQHD brothers, 32-inches is ideal for completely filling your view and great for all applications without having to spend big dollars on a very high-end graphics card. 

3440 x 1440

PG348Q

Dubbed ultra-wide quad HD (UWQHD), the 21:9 ratio 3440 x 1440 gives the same feeling of size and sharpness as Ultra HD 4K but it saves 30% on the performance needed from the graphics card by only generating ~5 million pixels per frame vs 8.2 million at 4K. This means you can ease up on the need for all the graphics card horsepower possible, while still giving you a distinct upgrade from WQHD.

Currently only offered by the critically accliamed PG348Q, this whopping 34-inch wide, Nvidia G-Sync infused monitor delivers 100Hz refresh rate with IPS quality color and wide viewing angles. If you've got enough desk space, it's ROG's biggest and best gaming display with an incredible 'twisted stand' design that even shines an ROG logo on your desk! You'll have a totally enveloped view that immerses you in the game, equivalent to the wrap-around experience of having three displays.

3840 x 2160

Ultra HD 4K delivers the most possilble pixels in a single panel. It's the ultimate aspiration for performance PC enthusiasts and gamers, and you'll be needing to throw at least a GTX 1080 or a couple of lower series graphics card together in SLI/CrossFire to push four times the pixel count of Full HD! That said, the benefits are a pin-sharp display that's not only awesome for all types of games, but also perfectly fit for the latest 4K entertainment (Netflix, YouTube, 4K Blu-ray's for example) and a range of sizes no other resolution covers. Considering a display upgrade is often the longest lasting component an enthusiast buys, it can be well worth the investment!

MG24UQ

At 23.6-inches the MG24UQ offers an unparalleled 186.69 pixels per inch (PPI) for smartphone-esq pin-sharpness that sits on your desk. The MG offers adaptive sync to match recent Radeon's and should be considered if you're especially space concious or need to have things ultra-detailed in work or play.

PG27AQ and MG28UQ

Jumping to 27- to 28-inches and there's the 27-inch PG27AQ and 28-inch MG28UQ featuring IPS displays and Nvidia G-Sync or AMD Freesync inside respectively. The 163.18 PPI is extremely fine detailed and still 88% of what the MG24UQ offers, yet with considerably more vision-filling goodness from its larger size.

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PA329Q

At the very top-end of the scale, and admittedly while not expressly designed for gamers; the 32-inch, professionally orientated PA329Q produces the best quality color ASUS has to offer. With a factory pre-calibrated (∆E <2) IPS panel, it has support DIC-P3 and Rec. 2020 color standards - ideal for the very latest 4K multimedia with HDR - plus 100% Rec.709 and 99.5% Adobe RGB true color reproduction.

The downside of a display of this quality is slightly slower pixel response, but if you still want to get some game-time and prefer slower paced strategies (Cilization series), simulators, management titles or even indie; games that deliver vibrant visuals and benefit from tons of screen space, then the PA is still a great choice.