The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is a budget 27-inch 1440p IPS gaming monitor with a 180Hz refresh rate, VRR support and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode. PC Gamer scored it 90 and called it a really, really quick monitor by IPS standards, with accurate colors out of the box and the best SDR handling in HDR mode it had seen from an affordable LCD. RTINGS rated it decent for PC gaming, crediting low input lag and sharp motion, but found low contrast with no local dimming, so blacks look gray in a dark room and highlights don't pop in HDR. It suits gamers who want a fast, well-calibrated 1440p IPS screen at a sensible price; anyone after real HDR or competitive-level refresh rates should look elsewhere.
Full review
Fast for an IPS panel, with accurate colors
PC Gamer called the XG27ACS a really, really quick monitor by IPS standards, as good as it had seen, and said you have to move to an OLED panel to get something unambiguously faster. ASUS gives the OSD 20 levels of pixel overdrive. RTINGS found low input lag, sharp motion across the refresh range and support for all common VRR formats, though it judged the 180Hz refresh rate good enough for most casual gamers but not for competitive ones. GamesHub reported no screen tearing or ghosting in newer games. PC Gamer also found the monitor well calibrated out of the box, and said its SDR handling in HDR mode was the closest it had seen an affordable HDR-capable LCD get to perfect.
HDR400 without local dimming
This is an entry-level DisplayHDR 400 panel. PC Gamer notes there is no local dimming and 400 nits is as bright as it goes. RTINGS found a low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray in dark rooms and highlights don't pop in HDR, and it points to the AOC Q27G3XMN as a better pick in the same price range for HDR gaming. The ELMB backlight strobing mode is of limited use: RTINGS found it creates image duplication, and PC Gamer said it crushes brightness so badly that most gamers would not want it. GamesHub also found the matte screen washed out in a well-lit room.
Stand and connections
The stand is fully adjustable, with swivel and rotation into portrait, and GamesHub found it height adjustable with a smooth mechanism, though it is a sturdy unit that takes up significant desk space. Inputs are one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 and one USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode. The USB-C port delivers only 7.5W, which PC Gamer called pointless for laptop charging; ASUS cut a slot into the base to hold a smartphone. PC Gamer's verdict is that this is the best sensible-money 1440p panel around, and that paying more mostly buys higher refresh rates or local dimming.
Strengths
- +Very fast response for an IPS panel; PC Gamer said only OLED is clearly faster
- +Accurate colors out of the box, including SDR content in HDR mode
- +Supports all common VRR formats and has low input lag
- +USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode for connecting a laptop
- +Fully adjustable stand that swivels and rotates to portrait
Watch-outs
- −Low contrast with no local dimming, so blacks look gray in a dark room
- −Entry-level HDR400: highlights do not pop in HDR
- −USB-C power delivery is only 7.5W, too little to charge a laptop
- −ELMB backlight strobing creates image duplication
How it compares
RTINGS compared the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS directly with the AOC Q27G3XMN: the AOC's Mini LED backlight with local dimming makes it the better choice for HDR gaming, while the ASUS's wide viewing angles make it the better choice for sharing the screen. Unlike the Dell Alienware AW2725DF's 360Hz QD-OLED panel, it is an IPS LCD capped at 180Hz, and PC Gamer notes you have to move to OLED to get something unambiguously faster.
Price history
3 daily reads from amazon.com since Nov 2, 2026. Lowest $229 (Nov 3), highest $229 (Nov 3), latest $229 (Nov 8). We call whether it's a good price once there are 7 days of reads at one store.
Rating sources
Counts as 3.88/5 in our score — this publisher's 87 scores on the site average 3.98, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Counts as 4.36/5 in our score — this publisher's 16 scores on the site average 4.35, so its scores are adjusted down to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 4.1 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
