Choosing the perfect 2K gaming monitor can be overwhelming, especially with top contenders like the ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG and Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3. Both boast glossy OLED panels for vibrant visuals, ultra-fast refresh rates, and cutting-edge gaming features. Whether you value smooth gameplay with 0.03ms response time or ergonomic designs with adjustable stands, these monitors deliver. But which one takes the crown? Dive into our comprehensive comparison to uncover their strengths and choose the one that meets your needs for gaming, productivity, and beyond.
Design and Display
ROG Strix
One of the most interesting 2K gaming monitor in the industry right now is the ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG. This is a 26.5-inch monitor with a resolution of 2560×1440p. It uses a WOLED panel, and what’s more special is that it is a glossy WOLED panel. The glossy panel is highlighted so much here because we often see OLED monitors use Anti-glare or Anti-Reflection coatings. OLED panels deliver outstanding colorful, vibrant, and sharp output. But with the Anti-Glare coating, the output seems a bit faded. On the other hand, with the glossy panel, we can experience the best and most amazing picture output. This is why the OLED + Glossy panel is an excellent thing. Craziness does not end here. It is HDR10 certified a very bright and contrasty display with
Brightness (HDR, Peak): 1,300 cd/㎡,
Brightness (100% APL): 275cd/㎡,
Contrast Ratio (Typ.): 1,500,000:1 1.
This monitor is capable of displaying 1073.7m colors due to its 10-bit display. Now in the case of gaming, all this will matter only when the gamer can experience the smoothest and fastest gameplay. If it is a scenario of multiplayer and fast-paced gaming then FPS, Refresh Rate, and Response Time are most major parts. That is ensured by its 270 Hz super-fast refresh rate and only 0.03ms (GTG) response time rate. So, there is no doubt that users will obtain instant reaction timing in the gameplay. Impressively this glossy panel has enhanced the experience of viewing the outcomes far satisfactorily.
So, you can understand why the glossy panel is so popular and attractive. You can notice the monitor’s outlook is very similar to several other monitors from ASUS. There is a large heatsink area on the back of this 2K gaming monitor which makes the monitor quite bulky. Along with that, there is an RGB rich ROG logo which has the freedom to customize its colors or keep it off. The base and stand are also quite bulky but very sturdy. There is the facility of tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustment along with Vesa mount. Due to these flexibilities users are getting the full benefit of better ergonomics and desired desk setup.
There is a place to manage cables but there is no opportunity to hide them which would have been better. There is also space to keep the phone on the base. Asus has further improved the ergonomics with its Ergo Monitor Arm, which is actually the Vesa mount. With this, the positioning freedom increases a lot. Also, if you want to use another VESA mount, then you must use the Vesta Bracket that comes with the monitor. Its screen area is quite thin, due to which it is not clear from the front that there is a heatsink installed on the back. The bezel is also relatively narrow and symmetrical.
AORUS FO27Q3
This rival powerhouse offers a 27-inch QD-OLED panel with a resolution of 2560 X 1440. This one is capable of displaying 1.07B colors and uses a gorgeous glossy panel due to which the picture output looks outstanding. The biggest fact is this monitor wins here with an extremely smooth refresh rate of 360 Hz. This thing puts this monitor ahead of the ROG Strix by a large margin. Along with that, there is 0.03ms (GTG) lowest response time.
This higher refresh rate and lower response time provide a huge advantage in playing fast-paced games. You will witness great performance in multiplayer-type games every time. Its backside is a little simpler than ROG but it also gives a gaming vibe. There is an RGB line on the back and a little RGB space on the top which shows the logo. Unlike ROG, RGB is not spread over a large area but is kept in a small area which is not so noticeable because it is at the back.
So you can also keep them off if you want. The bezel is kept quite narrow and the body is a good-quality plastic built. Its stand is sturdy and provides all kinds of ergonomic features like Tilt, Swivel, Pivot, Height Adjustment, and VESA Wall Mounting. You can manage cables through it. Its wide V-shaped base is so balanced, no bobbing issues. But will take up a lot of space on your desk. Due to this, you have to make sure that the desk area is sufficient.
Its brightness level is
- 250 cd/m2 (Typ, SDR APL 100%),
- 1000 nits (Typ, HDR APL 3%),
- and the contrast ratio is 1.5M:1 which ensures a great bright and colorful display.
Apart from being OLED, it has VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification which indicates truer black. GIGABYTE is doing a great job with this 2K gaming monitor to enhance and improve the picture to a more exciting level.
Availability of I/O Ports
ROG Strix
- A power port,
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4,
- 2x HDMI (v2.0),
- 1x USB Type-B,
- 2x USB 3.2 Type-A
- Earphone jack port, and
- Kensington Lock.
GIGABYTE AORUS
- 2x HDMI 2.1,
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4,
- 1x USB Type-C (Alternate Mode; Upstream port; Power Delivery up to 18W),
- 2x USB 3.2 Downstream ports,
- 1x USB 3.2 Upstream port,
- 1x Earphone Jack,
- 1x Microphone Jack,
- 2x 5W Speaker,
- Kensington lock.
Specialties and Extras
In addition to being gaming-capable, manufacturers now offer several special features and modes to enhance gaming performance. Let’s see what these monitors have in store for you.
ROG Strix
- Trace Free Technology,
- Extreme GamePlus modes,
- Game Visual modes,
- Advance Low Blue Light feature to protect eyes from strains and headaches,
- HDCP 2.2 Support,
- FreeSync™ Premium & G-SYNC® Compatibility,
- Extreme Low Motion Blur mode,
- Shadow Boost mode,
- DisplayWidget Center,
- Multiple aspect changing options.
GIGABYTE AORUS
- PiP/PbP mode,
- Auto-Update,
- KVM,
- Tactical Switch feature,
- OSD Sidekick,
- HDMI-CEC,
- RGB Fusion mode 2.0,
- Black Equalizer mode 2.0,
- Dashboard,
- Crosshair mode,
- Timer,
- Counter,
- Night Vision mode,
- Eagle Eye mode,
- 6-axis Color Control,
- Apply Picture Mode.
All the features are highly optimized to increase gaming scenarios. The modes are specially optimized to help gamers improve their professionalism in competitive gaming. Both monitors are far ahead in this regard and challenge each other greatly.
Overall performance of both 2K gaming monitor
- In the entire discussion, we have examined the factors that determine gaming performance. Neither of the two monitors is inferior in any aspect. But you need to notice some points. Look at the refresh rate. While the ROG Strix has a refresh rate of 240 HZ, the Gigabyte AORUS has a refresh rate of 360 HZ, which is a massive jump. Gigabyte is already ahead by a huge margin here.
- Next, we will see two monitors with glossy OLED panels, but one has a better anti-reflection coating. That is, despite being glossy, one screen is better anti-reflective, which is the ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG. Despite being glossy, this monitor is relatively anti-reflective due to WOLED. If you want a completely clean glossy panel, Gigabyte is fine in this area, and if you don’t mind being a little anti-reflective so that even if you are gaming under a light source, you don’t have to worry about seeing the screen, then Asus will be the best option. However, both are top-notch 2K panels.
- These are about gaming. But you will do many other things beyond that. It can be productive work, writing, or something else. In these points, color accuracy, text type, and perfect picture visibility are very important. We usually see that OLED panels have a little problem with the typeface, which Microsoft has been working on for a long time. If you look closely here, you can see a red tint on the border of the text on both panels, but it is not a serious issue.
And if you maintain the right distance, it is not even noticeable at all, which is why there is no reason to have a problem. The color accuracy of both monitors is very good. However, since they are gaming monitors, there may be a slight obstacle in color-based accurate output in tasks like video editing or color grading. In this section, you can switch the color modes and work from the mode that you think gives better color output.
Pros
ROG Strix
- 27″ 2K monitor,
- Glossy WOLED panel,
- HDR10 certified,
- No compromise on brightness and contrast,
- 10-bit display,
- 0.03ms (GTG) response time,
- Custom heatsink at the back,
- RGB logo at the back panel,
- Full ergonomic facility,
- Important I/O ports are available,
- Outstanding gaming features.
GIGABYTE AORUS
- Built-in speakers,
- 2k resolution
- Brightness and Contrast provide gorgeous picture output,
- 27-inch massive screen,
- 0.03ms (GTG) lowest response time,
- 360 Hz smoothest refresh rate,
- VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification ensures rich black output.
Cons
ROG Strix
- Bulky design,
- 270Hz refresh is greatly huge but compared to AORUS it’s not at the top level.
AORUS
- Although both monitors have glossy panels, the ROG Strix is ahead regarding anti-reflection coating,
- Its V-shaped stand base takes up a lot of space on the desk.
Final Thoughts
Which one will be the overall best choice for competitive gaming? Our answer will be Gigabyte AORUS. It is ahead in terms of overall performance. Due to the huge lead in refresh rate, the competition margin has increased a lot. Now the point is that if you are thinking of buying a monitor to play console-based games instead of PC games, there is no need to invest so much in these monitors. Currently, PS5 and Xbox Series X both support a maximum of 120 fps. Then there is no need to buy a monitor with such a high refresh rate in the sector of console gaming. It would be better to look at monitors with 120Hz.
Even you can get a large 2K monitor. But if PC gaming is the main goal, then this monitor will definitely take you on a different gaming amusement. Then if there is a console as well, it will also work well. The console will merge beautifully with the monitor through scaling technology. The Steam results show that the maximum gamer is still gaming at 1080p, and the second is at 1440p. So, keeping the PC gaming aspect in mind, you should select this Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 monitor for yourself. This 2K gaming monitor will provide you with exceptional support for the next few years in fast-paced, highly competitive, multiplayer, or any type of gaming.