Asus PB279Q review

4K monitors just keep on getting cheaper, with manufacturers attempting to wow consumers with sub-£400 monitors with that all-important 3,840×2,160 pixel resolution. However, the twisted-nematic (TN) panel technology they use in these cut-price displays simply can’t do stunning high-resolution images, videos and games justice. The Asus PB279Q is one of the first of a new generation of 4K monitors to come equipped with a 27in AHVA panel, which on paper should mean superior image quality.

AHVA stands for Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle and should not be confused with VA technology; AHVA is more akin to IPS, but with slightly different viewing angle characteristics and slightly lower manufacturing costs, even though the £680 PB279Q is hardly what we would call cheap. Asus says it will deliver high colour accuracy and 1,000:1 contrast ratios, as well as quick response times for delay-free work and gaming.

First impressions are great. The PB279Q is bright and colours pop out of the screen, while the resolution does justice to high quality 4K video content. What’s more, black levels and contrast levels appear low enough to make even the darkest scenes, such as the night sky, appear rich and deep.

No calibration is required if you’re looking for peak sRGB colour performance; in our calibration tests performed on the monitor at its default settings, the panel was already displaying the full 100 per cent of the gamut.

With 10-bit colour processing allowing for 1.07bn colours, the panel is also very accurate, producing an average delta E of 1.18. Delta E figures represent the difference between a perfect colour and the colour displayed on screen, and smaller numbers are better. An average delta E of 1.18 is a very strong score, with the vast majority of colours accurate enough that the average human eye can’t tell the difference. Reds were the only exception, which our software detected as slightly oversaturated, but otherwise the PB279Q has well-balanced colours that make it suitable for graphic designers and photographers who need accurate colours.

Contrast levels were measured at 1063:1 with black levels at 0.25 cd/m2. While this can’t match some of the incredible contrast and black levels that VA screens are capable of, they were still superior to TN screens, which tend to mask a little detail when confronted with images containing darker shades.

Viewing angles are fairly wide and are rated at 178 degrees horizontal and vertical, although there’s a definite blue tint when the screen is viewed from angles greater than 30 degrees horizontally, and some moderate contrast shifting from slightly more extreme vertical viewpoints.

The PB279Q is has a very plain design, with a matt black bezel and stand. It’s not ugly, but it’s certainly no match for some of the design triumphs Samsung has been producing recently. The stand is height adjustable and can also be rotated using a turntable that sits under the base. There are plenty of inputs, including DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort and four HDMI ports. You should only use the DisplayPort connectors as your primary inputs, though, as this monitor only supports smooth 60Hz refresh rates from these ports at 3,840×2,160 resolutions. The HDMI connectors are limited to a jerky 30Hz for 4K content, which is a shame. There’s no USB hub, either, which may be a problem for users who like to have a desk clear of unnecessary cables.

The amount of extra desktop space afforded by the huge resolution is immediately obvious, although Windows 8 doesn’t always handle window scaling particularly well. You’ll need to make sure your software is compatible with high-DPI displays before buying, otherwise you may find yourself straining your eyes. Apple devices running OS X tend to handle high-dpi displays extremely well, so you shouldn’t have to worry if you use a Mac.

Response times are quick at 5ms, and we encountered no input lag whatsoever, which can sometimes be a problem with higher resolution screens. This makes this monitor suitable for gamers. We wouldn’t recommend using the built-in pair of 2W speakers for gaming, however, as they’re simply not powerful enough to do your games justice.

Picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes are available through the onscreen menus, letting you display up to four inputs simultaneously. If you only have two or three active inputs you get lots of wasted black space, but it works well with four. Monitors from Samsung get around this by changing the input resolution, thereby telling connected devices to change aspect ratio and resulting in no wasted space.

Despite this one shortcoming, the Asus PB279Q is a superb 4K monitor that combines superb image quality and a comparatively low price. If you’re looking for a slightly more cinematic experience, the stunning 34in, 21:9 aspect ratio LG 34UM95 has dropped in price to £680, making it an equally good buy.