ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM5A: Specs, Features, Pros & Cons
This is what the esports-monitor formula looks like once it matures: 240 Hz on a fast IPS panel with a genuine 1 ms response, at a price that bought a 144 Hz screen three years ago.
What you get is legitimately complete for competitive play — both sync certifications, a blur-reduction mode that runs alongside adaptive sync, and even speakers and a headphone jack. What you give up is pixel density and stand adjustment, which is an honest trade at this price.
Category strengths
Where the ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM5A beats the average
- A faster response time ?1 ms vs 1.3 ms (avg)
- A higher refresh rate ?240 Hz vs 208.82 Hz (avg)
- Has motion blur reduction ?
- Has built-in speakers ?
- More HDMI ports ?2 vs 1.74 (avg)
- Has headphone output ?
- Has variable refresh rate ?
Where the ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM5A trails the average
- A much lower contrast ratio ?1,000 :1 vs 423,802.48 :1 (avg)
- Much lower peak brightness ?300 nits vs 697.38 nits (avg)
- No height adjustment ?
- No USB hub ?
- No USB-C ?
- A lower pixel density ?82 ppi vs 125.84 ppi (avg)
- No swivel adjustment ?
- No pivot adjustment ?
- A slightly smaller screen ?27" (68.58 cm) vs 29.13" (73.99 cm) (avg)
- A lower color depth ?8 bit vs 9.53 bit (avg)
Editor’s note
The VG279QM5A is what the esports-monitor formula looks like when it matures: 240 Hz on a Fast IPS panel with a genuine 1 ms GtG response – ASUS quotes 0.3 ms at minimum – for a street price ASUS itself lists at $149. Numbers that cost four hundred dollars three years ago are now the budget tier, and this TUF delivers them without the usual budget-tier asterisks.
Well, most of them. What you get is legitimately complete for competitive play: both AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible certification – the dual badge that cheaper rivals skip – ASUS's ELMB blur-reduction mode which we record because it can run alongside adaptive sync, HDR10 signal support, and even a pair of 2-watt speakers and a proper earphone jack. Two HDMI 2.0 ports run consoles; the DisplayPort 1.4 carries the full 240 Hz.
The honest ceiling is the panel format itself. 1080p across 27 inches is 82 ppi – coarse for text, fine at gaming distance – and this is the identical trade LG's 27G414B-B makes in our catalogue. Brightness is 300 nits with ordinary 1000:1 IPS contrast, HDR is decode-only in practice, and the stand tilts and does nothing else, though VESA 100 mounting fixes that for twenty dollars.
Under 18 watts of power draw is a quietly excellent figure.
The buying logic: against the 144 Hz LG at similar money, this ASUS's 240 Hz, dual sync badges and speakers make it the stronger pure-gaming pick; anyone who also works at their desk should pay up for a QHD panel instead. As a first serious esports monitor – or the second screen for a shooter habit – it is the current value benchmark.
Specifications
Quality bars are generated automatically against 90 other monitors.
Picture
Larger screens are more immersive; measured diagonally.
The total pixel count; higher is sharper.
The panel technology; OLED offers the best contrast.
The more specific panel or backlight technology (e.g. QD-OLED, WOLED or Mini-LED VA).
The native or supported bit depth used to reproduce colour gradients.
The display surface treatment and its balance of glare control and image clarity.
Higher refresh rates are smoother for gaming and scrolling.
Grey-to-grey response; lower reduces motion blur.
Higher brightness makes HDR highlights pop.
The ratio between the brightest and darkest output.
Wider colour gamut for more vivid, accurate colour.
Full sRGB coverage keeps everyday content and photos colour-accurate.
The certified HDR tier.
Pixels per inch; higher looks sharper.
Dims parts of the backlight independently to improve contrast.
More independently controlled zones can improve HDR precision.
Gaming
Variable-refresh technology for tear-free motion.
Syncs the refresh rate to the GPU.
Backlight strobing for clearer motion.
The delay between an input and the image changing; lower is better.
The minimum-to-maximum refresh range over which variable refresh rate operates.
Ergonomics & design
The width-to-height ratio (e.g. 16:9, 21:9).
The curve radius (e.g. 1000R); blank for a flat panel.
Raise and lower the panel.
Angle the panel up and down.
Rotate the panel left and right.
Rotate to portrait orientation.
The VESA wall / arm mount pattern (e.g. 100 x 100 mm).
Connectivity
More HDMI inputs connect more devices.
The highest HDMI standard supported by the monitor.
DisplayPort inputs, preferred for high refresh rates.
The highest DisplayPort standard supported by the monitor.
A USB-C input, often with power delivery for laptops.
Charges a connected laptop over USB-C.
Built-in USB ports for peripherals.
Integrated speakers.
A 3.5 mm audio output for headphones or external speakers.
Control two computers with one keyboard and mouse.
Features
A built-in camera for video calls.
A built-in microphone for calls.
A wired network port for USB-C docking.
Shows inputs from two computers side by side.
Specs last verified August 19, 202631 of 42 specs verified (74%)Unverified specs show as Unknown — never estimated, never scored
Price history
Monitors with similar specs to the ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM5A
Ratings & reviews
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The bottom line
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM5A earns a VS Score of 37, trailing most of the 91 monitors we compare here, at least on the spec sheet.
- Who it’s for
- Competitive shooters on a budget: 240 Hz Fast IPS, genuine 1 ms GtG, both sync certifications and ELMB at ASUS's own $149 – today's esports value benchmark.
- Who should look elsewhere
- Desk workers: 1080p across 27 inches is 82 ppi, and text shows it. QHD is the correct spend for mixed use.
- The trade-off that matters
- Speed and certification completeness at the cost of pixel density and a tilt-only stand – a pure-gaming spec, honestly priced.
- The main alternative
- LG UltraGear 27G414B-B is the 144 Hz version of the same trade for less; MSI's curved MAG 275CQDF X24 adds contrast at 1440p.
The VS Score is calculated from the weighted specifications above, measured against every other monitors we track — a shortlisting guide, not a substitute for your own priorities. See how we score.
