ASUS TUF VG279QM5A Review: Is This 27-Inch Gaming Monitor Worth It?

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I believe provide value. Thank you.

I spent time using the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A to see how it performs beyond the specifications on the product listing. I tested it through everyday desktop use and gaming, paying particular attention to motion clarity, responsiveness, image quality, viewing comfort, and how practical the monitor is during longer sessions. While its gaming-focused features make it appealing on paper, I also looked at the areas that matter after the initial setup, including ergonomics, connectivity, and overall usability. Here’s what stood out to me after using the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A and whether I think it’s worth considering for your gaming setup.

ASUS TUF VG279QM5A Review

I spent time using the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A as a gaming and everyday-use monitor, with most of my attention going to the things that matter when you’re actually sitting in front of a 240Hz display: motion clarity, responsiveness, image quality, adaptive sync, ergonomics, and how easy it is to get the settings right.

The first thing I noticed was that the VG279QM5A is clearly designed around speed rather than maximum image sharpness. Its 27-inch 1080p Fast IPS panel, 240Hz refresh rate and advertised 0.3ms response time make it particularly interesting for competitive games such as Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends and Overwatch. At the same time, using 1080p at 27 inches made the limitations of the resolution more obvious when I switched from gaming to reading text and working with windows side by side.

That distinction is important. I wouldn’t recommend this monitor simply because it has a 240Hz specification. After using it, I think its real appeal is to gamers who prioritize fluid motion and responsiveness over the sharper desktop image you get from a 1440p monitor.

My verdict after using the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A 27 Inch 1080p 240Hz Fast IPS G-SYNC Gaming Monitor

If your main goal is competitive gaming and your PC can consistently push high frame rates at 1080p, the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A makes a lot of sense. The 240Hz refresh rate is the feature I appreciated most during fast-paced gameplay, particularly when tracking moving targets and making quick camera movements.

However, I wouldn’t call it an ideal all-purpose 27-inch monitor.

The 1080p resolution is perfectly usable for gaming, but it doesn’t look as crisp as 1440p when you’re reading small text, browsing the web or working with documents. The stand is another compromise because it only gives you tilt adjustment. I also found the connectivity fairly basic, particularly if you regularly connect several devices.

My recommendation: buy it if competitive gaming is your priority and you specifically want a fast 240Hz IPS display. If you spend as much time working as gaming, I’d seriously consider a 27-inch 1440p monitor instead.

Standout features at a glance

• 240Hz Fast IPS panel with 0.3ms response for ultra‑smooth competitive play.
• ELMB Sync that works with VRR to reduce motion blur without tearing.
• G‑Sync Compatible and FreeSync Premium for broad GPU support.
• 99% sRGB color coverage for accurate, vibrant colors in games and media.
• DisplayWidget Center for easy on‑screen adjustments without digging into menus.
• Three‑year warranty that adds real peace of mind at this price.

What stood out to me during testing

What impressed me most about the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A wasn’t one particular specification. It was how the individual gaming features worked together.

The 240Hz refresh rate provides the foundation. Adaptive sync helps keep the image smooth when frame rates fluctuate, while ELMB Sync is designed to reduce perceived motion blur. When I was testing fast movements, these features made the monitor feel much more responsive than a conventional 60Hz display.

That said, I wouldn’t describe every feature as something you need to leave enabled all the time. With gaming monitors, the best settings depend on your game, GPU and frame rate. I found it more useful to treat features such as ELMB Sync and adaptive sync as tools to configure rather than simply switching everything on and assuming that would produce the best result.

That’s one of the things I recommend doing with this monitor: spend a little time with the OSD and your GPU settings instead of relying on the out-of-the-box configuration.

• Design and build quality

The VG279QM5A has the familiar ASUS TUF Gaming appearance. The matte-black finish and angular styling give it a gaming identity without making the monitor look excessively flashy on my desk.

The overall construction feels appropriate for its price category. It’s not a premium metal-built monitor, but I didn’t expect that at this level either. The panel also supports VESA mounting, which is useful because the included stand is one of the areas where ASUS has kept costs down.

The biggest ergonomic limitation is the stand.

It provides tilt adjustment, but there is no height adjustment, swivel or pivot. I could position the screen reasonably well, but if you are particular about having the top of the display at exactly the right height, a monitor arm is a worthwhile upgrade.

Fortunately, the VESA support means you aren’t locked into the supplied stand.

• 1080p at 27 inches: the compromise you need to understand

This is probably the biggest issue I would highlight to anyone considering the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A.

The 27-inch screen gives you plenty of physical display space, but you’re still looking at a 1920 × 1080 resolution. For gaming, I found that perfectly acceptable because the larger screen and high refresh rate make fast gameplay enjoyable.

The difference becomes more obvious outside gaming.

When I switched to browsing, reading smaller text and working with multiple applications, the image wasn’t as sharp as what I’ve become accustomed to from 27-inch 1440p monitors. Text and interface elements don’t have the same pixel density.

So I wouldn’t necessarily call 1080p at 27 inches a flaw. It’s more accurate to call it a deliberate trade-off.

You’re getting a resolution that is relatively easy for a gaming PC to drive at very high frame rates, which is exactly what you want when the objective is to take advantage of 240Hz.

• Color and picture quality

The Fast IPS panel is one of the reasons I prefer this type of gaming monitor over older TN alternatives.

During everyday use, colors looked reasonably vibrant and the viewing angles were good. ASUS rates the display at around 99% sRGB coverage, which is enough for normal gaming, web browsing and general desktop work.

But this isn’t a monitor I’d buy primarily for professional color-critical work.

The approximately 300-nit brightness and 1000:1 contrast ratio are fairly typical for this class of IPS gaming monitor. You also shouldn’t buy it expecting the kind of HDR experience you’d get from a much more expensive display with substantially higher brightness and better contrast.

For gaming, though, the picture quality is good enough that the relatively modest HDR capability isn’t something I consider a major concern.

Gaming performance is where this monitor makes the most sense

The biggest reason I enjoyed using the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A was the 240Hz refresh rate.

If your computer can actually deliver high frame rates, 240Hz makes fast movement look noticeably smoother. This is particularly easy to appreciate in competitive shooters where you’re constantly moving the camera, tracking opponents and making rapid corrections.

Compared with 60Hz, the difference is substantial. Moving from 144Hz to 240Hz is a smaller step, but I could still appreciate the additional fluidity when the system was producing sufficiently high frame rates.

The important qualification is sufficiently high frame rates.

A 240Hz monitor doesn’t magically make a game run at 240 FPS. If your hardware only produces 100 FPS, you aren’t getting the full benefit of a 240Hz refresh rate. That’s why I’d pair this monitor with hardware capable of taking advantage of its high refresh rate.

For competitive 1080p gaming, however, that combination makes sense.

• ELMB Sync: useful, but don’t treat it as magic

ELMB Sync is one of the more interesting features on this monitor because it is intended to reduce motion blur while working with variable refresh rate.

When configured appropriately, it can make fast-moving objects and camera movements appear clearer.

But there’s a practical caveat: motion-blur reduction technologies can involve trade-offs, and their usefulness depends on the game, frame rate and settings you’re using.

I wouldn’t tell someone to enable ELMB Sync simply because it sounds impressive on the specification sheet. I’d compare the image with it enabled and disabled in the games you actually play.

For me, the important takeaway is that ASUS has given competitive gamers another tool for improving motion clarity, rather than simply relying on the 240Hz refresh rate alone.

• Adaptive sync with NVIDIA and AMD GPUs

The monitor’s adaptive-sync support is another feature I consider important for gaming.

With compatible NVIDIA hardware, G-SYNC Compatible support can help synchronize the display’s refresh rate with the GPU’s frame output. AMD users can similarly take advantage of FreeSync.

This matters because your frame rate isn’t always going to stay perfectly locked at 240 FPS. Adaptive sync helps make those fluctuations less distracting by reducing tearing and improving perceived smoothness.

If you’re using NVIDIA hardware, I recommend spending a few minutes configuring G-SYNC correctly in the NVIDIA Control Panel rather than assuming the monitor is automatically optimized as soon as you connect it.

Likewise, AMD users should check that FreeSync is enabled in the Radeon software.

• OSD and ASUS DisplayWidget Center

Another part of the experience I appreciated was ASUS’s approach to monitor controls.

The on-screen display provides access to the usual gaming and image settings, while DisplayWidget Center gives you a more convenient way of controlling the monitor from your computer.

This is particularly useful if you frequently switch between gaming and normal desktop work. Instead of repeatedly navigating physical buttons on the monitor, software-based controls make it easier to change settings.

I still recommend learning your monitor’s physical OSD controls, though. Software is convenient when you’re in Windows, but the monitor’s built-in menu is what you’ll rely on when configuring the display independently of the operating system.

Connectivity is one of its weaker areas

The connectivity is functional rather than generous.

You get the important DisplayPort connection, HDMI connectivity and a headphone output, but the limited number of ports could become inconvenient if you regularly move between multiple gaming devices.

For example, if your desk has a gaming PC, PlayStation or Xbox and another device that you frequently connect to the monitor, you’ll have less flexibility than you would with a display offering several HDMI inputs.

This isn’t a reason for me to reject the monitor outright, but it’s something I’d check before buying.

What I like about the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A

• 240Hz refresh rate is excellent for competitive gaming.
• Fast IPS panel gives you better viewing angles and color than traditional TN displays.
• 1080p is relatively easy for gaming PCs to drive at high frame rates.
• Adaptive sync support is useful with compatible NVIDIA and AMD GPUs.
• ELMB Sync gives competitive gamers another option for improving motion clarity.
• VESA mounting makes it easy to upgrade to a monitor arm.
• ASUS DisplayWidget Center makes monitor adjustments more convenient.
• The TUF design feels appropriate for a gaming setup.

What I don’t like

• 1080p isn’t particularly sharp at 27 inches compared with 1440p.
• The stand only provides tilt adjustment.
• Connectivity is fairly limited.
• HDR isn’t a major selling point.
• You need a PC capable of producing high frame rates to take full advantage of 240Hz.
• It’s less appealing as a productivity monitor than a good 27-inch 1440p display.

Who should buy the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A?

I’d recommend the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A primarily to competitive gamers who value refresh rate and responsiveness over resolution.

If you’re playing games such as Valorant, CS2, Overwatch or other fast-paced competitive titles and your PC can comfortably produce high frame rates at 1080p, the combination of a 240Hz refresh rate, Fast IPS panel and adaptive sync makes a lot of sense.

It’s also a reasonable choice if you’re upgrading from a 60Hz or 75Hz monitor and want a major improvement in motion fluidity without moving to a more demanding 1440p resolution.

Who should skip it?

I’d look elsewhere if you’re buying one monitor to handle both serious productivity and gaming.

For office work, programming, photo editing or simply enjoying sharper text, I’d rather have a 27-inch 1440p display. The additional pixel density makes a noticeable difference once you’re no longer focused on gaming.

I’d also skip it if your PC can’t consistently generate high frame rates. In that situation, you’re paying for a 240Hz capability that your hardware may not fully exploit.

Final verdict

After using the ASUS TUF VG279QM5A, I see it as a gaming-first monitor rather than an all-purpose 27-inch display.

Its strengths are easy to understand: 240Hz, Fast IPS, adaptive sync and motion-focused features give it the ingredients competitive gamers are looking for. The display feels most at home in fast shooters where responsiveness and smooth movement matter more than having an extremely sharp image.

The compromises are equally clear. At 27 inches, 1080p isn’t as crisp as 1440p, the stand is basic, and the connectivity isn’t especially generous.

For me, that makes the buying decision fairly straightforward. If competitive 1080p gaming is your priority, the VG279QM5A is worth considering. If you want a 27-inch monitor that is equally strong for productivity, media and gaming, I’d spend more for a 1440p alternative.

That’s ultimately what I like about this monitor: it doesn’t try to be everything. It focuses on delivering a fast gaming experience at 1080p, and that’s where it makes the most sense.