Asus PB279Q review

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.