ASUS - 27" IPS LED HD Monitor - Silver

The Asus MX279 is a nice monitor, but it's all about the 27" size -- otherwise it's an OK IPS panel. The advantages of an IPS vs. TN display is a greater viewing angle, plus it can display a larger range range of colors, particularly as you get close to pure black. The disadvantages are a slower speed, and a tendency to have problems with backlight bleed, where the backlight can shine around rather than just through the LCD panel -- it shows up as a glow from one or more edges when displaying a dark screen. The monitor I received does have a some backlight bleed from the lower left, but it's not excessive, not enough to worry about, & I haven't read of it being a common problem in site reviews. To make up for the lower speed -- how fast it can display the next screen for example gaming -- an IPS panel's electronics include overdrive, which can cause ghosting or motion blurring. Fortunately the MX279 lets you adjust the amount -- most people I think knock the Trace Free setting down to 40 or less from the default of 60, & I've had good success with it at 40. The actual display characteristics might be slightly closer to HDTVs than the average PC monitor, with white point around 7700 & a gamma curve of 2.4 -- that's something shared with some higher end Asus monitors. That's not a problem unless you need a very high degree of color accuracy. At default & calibrated settings I measured 98% sRGB coverage, which is good. I had trouble calibrating the display using a Spyder5PRO, with both the Datacolor software & dispcalGUI/Argyll [open source calibration software] -- I've read of similar difficulties with some other Asus models -- but what likely matters to most people is that turning the calibrated profile on/off there really isn't too much difference, meaning accuracy out of the box is reasonable. I got the best calibration using the Standard mode, setting Green = 96, Blue = 90, Brightness = 69, & Contrast = 65, though mileage will vary as calibration is different for each individual monitor -- that's just what worked best with this one. Moving on to the rest of the monitor, I'm one of what seems to be very few people who actually like the touch sensitive controls, though I am slightly apprehensive since that was the only thing that failed on another Asus monitor we had for several years. I've found it easiest to rest my right hand on the desk, palm facing left, & raise my index finger to lightly touch the switches. My desk, & this monitor are against the wall, so the monitor's backside isn't a concern -- if it was exposed I'm not sure how happy I'd be with the very high gloss finish, which has to be a bit more hassle to clean, & would need to be cleaned more often. Researching the MX279 before I bought it, several site reviews were critical of the display resolution at only 1080p. Any overall advantages of a 27" 1440 [or 4k] monitor might not be worth the current price premium. You can size text & windows however you want/need, so the real difference moving to a higher resolution is pixel density -- you just have to decide if it's worth the price. One thing that was important to me was local availability -- I went down the street to the local Best Buy & bought it, knowing that if it didn't work, or had a mess of dead pixels [it had none], I simply had to drive 1/2 mile & exchange or return it. I had just previously bought a monitor from Dell, & to say returning it was a nightmare would be like saying winter in Alaska is chilly. And weeks later I'm still waiting for the credit. I know that really doesn't have anything to do with the Asus monitor itself, but if you're reading this, thinking about buying this monitor from Best Buy, please consider the hoops you might have to jump through to return a monitor to some place online.

I first purchased a cheaper competitors model which looked good on VGA but when I connected the TV (I need dual purpose use) the picture was aweful, so I went back to Best Buy and luckily found this Asus 27" monitor. I simply love the video (isn't that what you buy a monitor for?) with both computer and 1080 TV video. The resolution for both is native 1920 x 1080 and after first setting it up it didn't fill the screen. You must play with the menu adjustment to bring it out to full screen. Even though it has a frameless design, that doesn't mean the video goes to the very edge of the monitor, only that a thin 1/2" bezel is hidden under the face panel. This edge remains dark when the monitor is on. You still have a full 27" display and the overall size of the screen is 28". The overall size is even bigger if you measure to the bottom silver bezel which is just a styling element really. The most bothersome concern at first use is that it does not come with a remote control and there is none available. However, the automatic switching between sources of video is nice and since it is unlikely that I would watch TV the same time I use the computer, it works out fine. (Although a PIP feature would have been great). If a TV monitor is what you want, and you don't sit about 1 meter or less from the screen, then you can have the PIP and remote control features with a TV, but at this price point and for use as a computer monitor in which you can't see the pixel separation even close up, this monitor is very hard to beat. I used a 32" Samsung LED HDTV as a monitor for a few months before this, but this monitor beats that experience for close up text reading and clarity. The chrome circular foot for the monitor is simply beautiful... too bad I always have papers on my desk between my keyboard and monitor covering this beautiful feature. I am not a fan of the layout of buttons on the bottom of the lower bezel and how it is not intuitive how to change between menu items, but the buttons are super touch sensitive and don't need to be depressed, only the presence of your finger over the sensor so you don't have to steady the monitor in order to push in a button... this is a really nice feature... just wish the button layout was more intuitive.The power LED is very dim so not harsh when turned on or off (the color changes). The image is crisp regardless of the video source, but I don't care for the fact that the inputs are limited to two HDMI's and one of those is used with a cable that comes with the monitor that terminates at a DVI connector. Fortunately this works out for my setup now, but if I wanted to test a computer with a VGA only output I'd either need some adapter (which it doesn't come with) or I'd have to upgrade the graphics card. However, this is the current technology and it does make for a clean connection at the back without fussing with screws (VGA). So with the noted concerns you may wonder why I still rated it 5 stars. I may have rated it down to 4 stars for the lack of a remote, but it truly isn't a hindrance to reach another foot to touch the screen and switch inputs while seated right in front of the monitor and if I needed a TV with much lower PPI resolution, that I viewed from across the room, then I would have bought an HDTV. The reason for 5 stars is the picture... it is really excellent with a high enough PPI that you can't see individual pixels, and with the matte-finish screen you get no reflections from nearby windows and lights making it less fatiguing to view for long periods of time. I am impressed by the TV (HDMI) quality relative to other monitors in this price range (and I include up to 32" HDTV's) that this one shines as a great value. I highly recommend it - if you need a computer/TV monitor you will not be disappointed. I got mine on sale for $60 off which just sweetened the deal and even without that discount it would be an excellent value. At this writing this monitor is again on sale for $30 off.

My old HP 25" monitor died on me and I wanted to find a replacement in the 27" class. It's pretty hard to compare monitors in store because the lighting is different, they usually use the same video feed and who knows what the picture settings are set at. So, I relied on a recommendation from my nephew that had owned this model for awhile and online tech and user reviews. In the 27" screen size range, I really don't think you can do any better as far as bang for the buck. The positives are that this monitor has a very sharp picture with vivid colors. Sure they're coming out with newer and better monitors with higher resolution now, but you have to pay significantly more to get that. It was very easy to set up and unlike most other monitors that were either flat or glossy black plastic, this monitor has a bit of style to it with the silver "sundial" base and the silver bar across the bottom of the screen. It also has very little bezel, practically an edge to edge display. The monitor is very thin and light, easy to move around and doesn't take up too much real estate on my desk. Many reviewers knock the sound quality, but I'd have to say that it knocks the socks off of any other monitor's built-in speakers at this price point. The audio was developed in conjunction with Bang & Olufsen which I'm sure contributes to this. Is it audiophile for watching movies or listening to music? No, but then, what built-in monitor speakers do? I have a separate speaker system with a subwoofer to use when needed but for most day to day tasks, I find the audio quality from this monitor's speakers to be perfectly acceptable. I also like the non-glare finish as I have my monitor on a desk in my den with a window behind me, so this makes the display easier to see than my old HP which had a glossy screen finish. Negatives? About the only thing I find that comes close to a negative so far is using the adjustment buttons as others have stated. They are overly touch sensitive which results in some accidental pushes occasionally and hard to see if you're in a darker environment. But I Googled "ASUS MX279h Manual" and after reading it, the system is easy to use and I find I don't really need to adjust much now that everything is set up. It's only been a month or two since I purchased it, so I can't say anything about long term reliability, but hopefully I'll get many years of use out of this monitor. Very satisfied with this purchase!

I liked this product so much I had to write a review on it. I'm one to do tons of research before coming to a conclusion on the exact product I want to purchase. For the $250-$350 price range I think this is absolutely the best monitor! For one, the quality is second to none. It's nice and sturdy and looks very aesthetically pleasing. Many people will try and complain about the resolution and argue it should be higher, but try and find a monitor this nice for the price with higher resolution. You won't. I think the best thing about this monitor is how well the colors look. The whites and blacks look especially amazing and the text is nice and sharp. If you're into graphic design, photo and video editing like I am, you will not be disappointed with this monitor. If you're into gaming, the 5ms response time isn't bad ether. I personally am a huge fan of the matte screen too, I just think it looks cleaner and reduces glare much better than a glossy screen. If I had any complaints at all about this monitor, it would be the fact that there is no DVI input. Although this wasn't a problem for me since I was connecting my MacBook Air via thunderbolt/ hdmi cable, others may prefer to use DVI. But Asus did include a DVI to HDMI cable in the box, which is pretty thoughtful if you ask me. As far as the audio goes, that isn't bad either, but after all it is a monitor so don't expect anything too crazy. I have Klipsch speakers, so the ones built in don't matter to me. Overall I give this monitor 5 stars! I am very satisfied with my purchase and will continue to buy Asus products in the future! Hope this helps anyone who is indecisive on what monitor to buy like I was.

As a photographer, I spend a lot of time on my computer editing. A little over a year ago, I started noticing inconsistencies between the colors on my monitor and the colors of my edited photos on other monitors/ screens. I decided it was time to upgrade from my 23" Acer (still a good monitor) and start the search for a replacement. I don't make purchases without research and began scouring the internet for monitors in my price range that met my list of requirements. As soon as I saw this monitor, it immediately caught my attention. Its design was unlike any I had seen before, and the reviews were top-notch. I decided to go with this ASUS monitor (shortly after also upgrading my laptop to a nice ASUS desktop). This monitor met all my expectations. Its beautiful design and build make it not only a nice aesthetic addition to any desk, but its performance is also awesome. I read a few reviews complaining about the touch-sensor buttons, but I honestly don't mind them. They are definitely very sensitive, but not to the point where it bothers me. They respond with a slight touch compared to a hard press like other monitor control buttons. I'm not sure how advertised this feature is, because I don't remember seeing anything about it before I plugged it in, but there is a feature where you can see the actual size (outlined on the screen) of an 8.5x11" sheet, and 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 photos. It's a pretty cool feature that helps you visualize the size of a printout, photo or design before you print it. The IPS feature of this monitor was an important deciding factor when I decided to buy this model. Although I don't understand all the technical jargon and how it works, I learned that IPS monitors are extremely accurate with color representation, which is vital to photographers. Overall I love this monitor, its size, its picture and its design. I'm very pleased.

Just went to the local BB on a whim to find a monitor for a new gaming rig I had ordered. They didn't have much selection and initially I wanted a 2ms monitor but was open to pretty much anything. Nothing they had I was interested in but in their PC gaming section they had this monitor set up as a DEMO for a gaming pc someone was using. It looked really nice with fast paced movement. The color/res looked amazing and the screen had that sweet spot between not having glare and being so matte it killed the picture. Also not familiar with IPS technology but I could also tell right off the top how beautifully balanced the transition from light/dark/black was. Now that's impressive if you play night time based games. I honestly figured I was going to buy and end up returning later since it was the only real option I had at the time. But with a Radeon R9 270x 2g graphics card and this I couldn't be happier. Only legit gripe is the fact it has a nice frame less design but when in use the picture doesn't actually go to the edge. It has a black boarder of about 1/2"- 5/8" on the sides and top. Not that big of a deal but defeats the purpose of it being frame less since it only comes into account when it's powered off. I even ended up scoring a great deal on a 2m 5 series Samsung 23.6" and I'm still using this as my main with the Sammy riding shotgun. And also like I mentioned the monitor attached to the base teeters slightly no matter how much I tighten it. If u push one corner down slightly it has a little play in it. Not a big deal either but it would be better if it was completely rigid and didn't move at all. All and all really a great purchase and u get your money's worth. Not a super deal at $279 really and wouldn't have even considered if it was anymore expensive than it was honestly. Oh, yeah and it has bad speakers. Surprise, surprise it's a flat panel LED they all do!

I love this monitor. I have a GTX 970 card, and wanted a good monitor to match. I wanted a 32" wide-screen or bigger display, but they were $499 or higher. I decided to get a good monitor until the wide-screens came down in price. Everyone told me to go with a gaming monitor, but I went for the best picture in the store. The ASUS MX279H had the best picture, and built in sound, but it was higher priced than the others. You get what you pay for though, and Bestbuy had no problem price matching. As a gamer, I don't notice any ghosting, and I play all the latest games. I have a bright, clear, and incredible picture, with colors that just pop. Everyone who comes over to see my newest game is amazed at how great the game looks; they always credit the video card, but the monitor is what gives it that edge. As a developer, I work with a lot of text and precision GUI tools. Text is clear, and doesn't have any of the slight fuzzy/blur effects I've seen in many monitors. Colors don't bleed, and the contrast allows you to distinguish between even slight color variations. Overall, I am very impressed with the ASUS. I only purchased the ASUS as a temporary monitor until the prices came down on the wide-screen. When the LG IPS wide-screen was finally part of a huge sale, it was only $50 more than the ASUS. Instead of getting the LG, I purchased another ASUS MS279H and went dual monitor!

I had 50 dollars in reward credits that I needed to use or I would lose them. I didn't know what to buy with my credits when I walked into the Best Buy. I walked passed this monitor and remembered I had recently been looking for a new monitor for my home office setup and it looked pretty smooth on the display. I figured "I'll give it a shot, after all I'm getting it 50 dollars cheaper than it's regular price". I picked it up and immediately started to worry if I could hook this into my setup. I wanted to share this monitor with my work laptop and my personal home computer via a DVI KVM switch. Well this monitor doesn't have DVI, but HDMI. I thought for sure I was going to have to hunt down a DVI to HDMI cable, but was immediately relieved to see this monitor came with the necessary cables to hook up to DVI, and VGA. As for the picture, it's superb, not the highest of resolutions but at this price point you get a solid 1920x1080 resolution, the HD standard. IMO anything more would be hard to see without scaling up the size of fonts etc. Colors are faithfully reproduced. And it's an IPS monitor so the screen doesn't get washed out when viewing from off center. This is nice if you are hooking up the monitor to a gaming console and are playing with a friend as both players will get a clear picture. I can't comment on the sound as I am still using my PC speaker set, but just having speakers is a bonus I suppose, especially if you are trying to reclaim space on your desk. As for the looks, the monitor is sleek and very thin. The base is sturdy and well balanced. You need to buy a special kit I believe if you want to hang it on the wall as it doesn't come VESA compliant. Overall a great monitor.