There was one factor that nearly had me hating the Asus Swift PG35VQ, which might have made me a really unhappy panda on condition that it’s virtually every little thing I’ve ever needed in a PC gaming monitor. And, virtually inevitably, it was due to the flailing fustercluck that’s HDR gaming on the PC.
There was an impact, a results of the tremendous excessive specs of this full DisplayHDR 1000 ultrawide magnificence, that meant while you weren’t indulging within the spectacular HDR visuals this display is able to delivering it was a horror-show on the Windows desktop. I’m saying all this prior to now tense as a result of it’s now not a difficulty. Not as a result of I’ve realized to stay with the dynamic backlighting making me need to tear out my eyeballs, however as a result of I’ve turned it off in my regular SDR world.
And now I’m in love. Those 512 zones of native dimming are very important for the highs and lows of excessive dynamic vary visuals, however after they’re monitoring a vibrant mouse cursor over a darkish display, offering an unpleasant monitoring halo of sunshine round it simply after you progress, it’s past distracting. And while you’re being anticipated to pay greater than $2,500 for the privilege that’s powerful to sq.. But with out them muddying up your PC’s SDR show, nevertheless, the PG35VQ turns into an absolute pleasure to make use of.
The Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ is a severely high-spec gaming monitor, in an analogous mould to the FreeSync-y Strix XG screens, however with an entire lot extra in the way in which of additional luxuries. First of which is the actual fact this can be a superb ultrawide monitor, with the completely mandatory 3440 x 1440 native decision. Seriously, I’ve a really strict 21:9 top restriction and 1440 pixel is that restrict. Show me a 1080 excessive ultrawide and I’ll present you the door. Head first. Without opening it first.
There’s a slight curve to the panel, which brings the sides of the 35-inch show just a bit in in the direction of you from the extremities. It’s barely noticeable while you’re in entrance of it, and truthfully I’m not totally certain of its worth – past the apparent aesthetic – when the VA panel is so good by way of the viewing angles.
| Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ | |
| Panel tech | VA |
| Native decision | 3440 x 1440 |
| Refresh price | 200Hz (overclocked) |
| Response time | 2ms |
| Curve | 1800R |
| Luminance | 500cd/m2 (typical) | 1,000cd/m2 (peak) |
| Price | $2,500 | £2,700 |
That panel may also be overclocked to a heady 200Hz and, not like some overclocked screens I’ve examined, I’d be blissful to run it at that velocity constantly. Some excessive refresh price shows wrestle to get past 120Hz comfortably regardless of being technically capable of run at as much as 165Hz, however right here the 200Hz refresh is greater than secure. And seems nice in game and on the desktop.
As it’s a Swift PG-series monitor it additionally come sporting the G-Sync {hardware} to ship super-smooth PC gaming, synced as much as the body price of your Nvidia graphics card. It’s rated as G-Sync Ultimate which places it above customary G-Sync in that it gives the complete DisplayHDR 1000 certification. That means the display is able to retina-searing peak luminance ranges of 1,000cd/m2, although the Asus VA panel will usually run at 500cd/m2.
That’s nonetheless loads brighter than your customary 350cd/m2 gaming monitor, and means it may well nail the pin level vibrant lights of HDR gaming and video. And oh mamma, does it look good doing it.
There are few panels, past a Samsung QLED or LG OLED TV, that I’ve seen such good HDR efficiency from. The Swift PG35VQ makes use of a quantum-dot filter to assist ship the mandatory colouring for a top quality HDR picture and the 512 zone backlighting helps deliver the extreme distinction.
Though that is the place I had my preliminary points with the Swift. Straight out of the field I felt the display was darkish and, as is my wont throughout monitor testing, I ran a manufacturing unit reset earlier than beginning. It got here again brighter, but additionally with the Variable Backlighting setting turned on. That was what was accountable not just for the halo impact round my mouse cursor, but additionally round any single vibrant spot on a SDR picture.
It’s one thing you may flip off for SDR content material within the monitor’s succesful OSD, but it surely’s one thing which is critical for HDR. As such, as quickly as you allow HDR within the Windows desktop settings it comes again. The halo-ing is absolutely irritating, ignoring the associated fee, as a result of that is the primary display I’ve used the place I may in any other case fortunately run with the HDR mode left on. With Windows operating in HDR mode it didn’t alter the usual dynamic vary desktop the way in which it does on different screens.
Unfortunately some PC games nonetheless require you to have the Windows setting completely enabled as they’re seemingly too dumb to have the ability to determine issues out themselves. Boot up Far Cry New Dawn with out enabling it in Windows and it nonetheless recognises you could have a HDR display hooked up and may swap all of it on with out you leaving the game. And due to this fact by no means having to endure the ache of the halo.
For different trendy games, like F1 2019, it’s important to stop out of the game and delve into your OS settings to have the ability to get the game to even provide the choice to allow HDR. But I’ll virtually forgive them when it seems so damned good…
Running Metro Exodus too seems beautiful, whether or not inside or outdoors, and my go-to HDR tester, Resident Evil 7, ran virtually flawlessly. I say ‘almost’ as a result of it sadly nonetheless doesn’t have correct ultrawide help which gained’t require you screw about with a hex editor simply to get a detailed approximation of a fullscreen 21:9 expertise.
That’s as a result of, ignoring the backlighting niggles, the efficiency of the panel is great. The distinction is exemplary, the VA tech delivers the usually good black ranges that you’d count on, and the white saturation is pretty much as good as you might want. There’s not a touch of banding within the gradient check and the viewing angles are completely secure. You’re going to be sat entrance and centre with this display whereas gaming, however for such a large panel that’s nonetheless reassuring.
We do must make a nod to the pricing of the PG35VQ. It’s loads. Like, a actual unhealthy mega lot. When you’re taking a look at across the $2,500 mark that’s an enormous chunk of change to be dropping on a display. But it’s nonetheless consistent with Asus’ different ultra-bright gaming displays, such because the ROG Swift PG27UQ, and this can be a far superior show than that.
You are operating headlone into ultra-enthusiast monitor territory right here, the place cash begins to make little sense. But I can’t consider every other high-priced PC panel I’d relatively have sat on my desk. Jacob will argue the case for the 49-inch Samsung C49RG90, however whereas that has the size, this has the panel, the refresh price, and the brightness.
The Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ, in the long run, is an excellent gaming monitor. It’s handsome – I’m even beginning to come round to the funky stand and down-firing LED aesthetic – and makes HDR content material genuinely pop. It nonetheless suffers from the PC’s propensity to completely screw up HDR, and the variable backlighting underneath SDR seems dreadful, however these are straightforward to handle away and also you’re simply left with an excellent PC display.
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