Asus ProArt PA279CV monitor review: The go-to for content creators on a budget

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You can create content material on any monitor. Really! Photoshop will launch even on a 1080p monitor that prices lower than an evening out for 2. If you’re critical about your work, nonetheless, you’ll in all probability need one thing extra.

Enter the Asus ProArtwork PA279CV. This 4K monitor presents correct coloration and necessary “pro” options like correct gamma presets. It even has USB-C connectivity, making it a wonderful selection for creators seeking to improve from their laptop computer show.

Asus ProArtwork PA279CV Specs and Features

The Asus ProArtwork PA279CV is a 4K 60Hz monitor that targets full protection of the sRGB and Rec.709 coloration gamuts. It additionally has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts of energy supply.

• Display measurement: 27-inch
• Native decision: 3,840 x 2,160
• Panel sort: IPS
• Refresh price: 60 Hz
• Adaptive Sync: Yes
• Ports: 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts Power Delivery, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 3.5mm audio out
• Stand adjustment: Height, Tilt, Swivel, Pivot
• VESA mount: Yes, 100mm x 100mm
• Speakers: Yes
• Price: $499 MSRP

At $499, the PA279CV goes toe-to-toe with options such because the BenQ PD2720U, Dell S2722QC, and ViewSonic ColorPro VP2768A-4K. The Asus’ specs are roughly much like most of those displays, but it surely does have an edge in connectivity.

Asus ProArtwork PA279CV Design: Mostly perform and never type

The Asus ProArtwork PA279CV doesn’t make a great first impression. Its show bezels aren’t precisely giant, however they’re not small for a monitor bought in 2022, and the chin on the monitor’s backside edge is bigger than most.

A ruler is included on the underside bezel. I’m undecided if there’s any actual profit to this, because it’s not one thing I might use in my work. Perhaps some picture editors have a necessity for it. There’s additionally a set of forward-facing monitor menu buttons, which feels quaint.

Matt Smith/Foundry

It’s an analogous story round again. The monitor’s plastic chassis has a easy, matte black look with a faux-aluminum end within the heart. It’s not luxurious but it surely’s wonderful for an workplace or workstation.

An ergonomically adjustable stand retains the PA279CV upright and stage. The stand is clad in a tough plastic that feels cheap when dealt with. I additionally assume the monitor stand base is barely bigger than it must be.

To be brief, it’s not a lovely monitor. I don’t assume it is a significant issue given the monitor’s low worth and purposeful focus, however those that care what a monitor appears to be like like when it’s off will want a Dell or LG show.

Asus ProArtwork PA279CV Features and Menu: Packed with extras

Matt Smith/Foundry

The ProArtwork PA279CV has stable connectivity for its worth. The standout is the USB-C port, which incorporates DisplayPort Alternate Mode and as much as 65 watts of energy supply. This is sufficient to cost most slim and mid-range laptops, although high-end laptops like a Dell XPS 15 or MacBook Pro 16 will want extra juice.

The USB-C port drives 4 USB-A ports, providing some hub functionality. The USB-A ports are positioned on the rear and are a bit laborious to entry. The monitor lacks an Ethernet port or DisplayPort-out, so it’s not as succesful as Dell’s P2723QE.

Other video inputs embrace a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports and DisplayPort 1.2. This is typical for a monitor on this worth vary. There’s additionally a 3.5mm audio output.

Menu controls are discovered on the entrance of the monitor. They don’t work in addition to the joystick system discovered on many trendy displays and menu navigation feels gradual.

Matt Smith/Foundry

I can forgive this as a result of the menus are filled with choices. There’s quite a few helpful picture high quality presets together with sRGB, Rec. 709, and DCI-P3 modes. These are flanked by customization choices for coloration hue, coloration temperature, and gamma.

This is the place the PA279CV’s give attention to content material creation turns into clear. A variety of picture high quality choices means you may tune this monitor to suit your work. Some displays which might be roughly equal in picture high quality, just like the Dell P2723DE, are much less suited to professional customers as a result of they lack the PA279CV’s flexibility.

A pair of audio system prime off the monitor’s options. They’re not nice, however they’re acceptable for podcasts or YouTube and positively higher than nothing.

Asus ProArtwork PA279CV SDR Image Quality: Solid for sRGB, and the presets work

Asus’ ProArtwork model is the corporate’s line of displays meant for skilled work. That stated, the line-up’s vary is critical, and the ProArtwork PA279CV is among the many extra inexpensive choices. This limits its efficiency, but it surely does nicely inside these limits.

Matt Smith/Foundry

The PA279CV hits a really excessive most brightness of 402 nits in SDR. This is in the direction of the excessive finish for an SDR monitor and beats options just like the BenQ PD2720U or Dell S2722QC. You’ll don’t have any bother utilizing this monitor in even the brightest of rooms.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Contrast got here in at a ratio of 1110:1, which is typical for a contemporary monitor with a top quality IPS panel. It’s price noting this distinction ratio stays throughout a wide range of brightness ranges, which implies black ranges are relatively dangerous at most brightness. Though its distinction is just not distinctive, the ProArtwork PA279CV has an edge over a number of opponents.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Color gamut is available in at 100% of sRGB, 86% of DCI-P3, and 84% of Adobe-RGB. This monitor is just not marketed as a large coloration gamut show and, certainly, its efficiency bears out this limitation. The monitor is suited to extra slim gamuts together with sRGB and Rec.709 however not a good selection if it’s essential to work in DCI-P3. How a lot this issues depends upon your wants. If you want good protection of DCI-P3, nicely, you in all probability already understand it.

The PA279CV’s efficiency is typical for its worth vary. There are some displays of comparable worth with a large coloration gamut, corresponding to Samsung’s S80A and BenQ’s Mobiuz EX2710Q gaming monitor. These lack the Asus’ picture high quality adjustment settings, nonetheless, so that they’re not an important selection for content material creation.

Matt Smith/Foundry

Measured coloration error got here in at a mean of 1.18 in normal mode (different picture high quality presets are related, with a most common coloration error of 1.94 in DCI-P3 mode). That’s an important outcome for an inexpensive skilled monitor and usable for many content material. Anything displayed on the PA279CV will look lifelike and true to the creator’s intent. This is beneficial for work, in fact, but additionally nice for video games and flicks.

The coloration accuracy is supported by a spot-on default gamma curve of two.2 and a default coloration temperature of 6600Ok, simply off my desired goal of 6500Ok. This is a 4K monitor, as nicely, with glorious sharpness and nice textual content readability. Everything appears to be like clear and crisp, which is good even when shopping the net.

There is one picture high quality downside to notice, and that’s uniformity. Luminance variance was as excessive as 20 %, which implies some parts of the show are a lot brighter than others. This could be a actual distraction when working with darkish images or video, and even when watching Netflix. There’s additionally a relatively important vignette impact attributable to the edge-lit backlight. This is just not unusual for an edge-lit monitor however I do really feel the PA279CV exhibits this challenge greater than a few of its opponents, just like the BenQ PD2720U or Dell’s Ultrasharp displays.

Overall, the ProArtwork PA279CV performs nicely for its worth. Make no mistake: this monitor is just not for mastering a movement image or high-end pictures. But the reality is most content material creators don’t even want a large coloration gamut, because it’s extra frequent to focus on digital content material that continues to be within the sRGB coloration house. The PA279CV is nice for YouTube creators, starting photographers, and digital artists who want high quality on a funds.

Asus ProArtwork PA279CV HDR Performance: It’s there, but it surely’s not nice

HDR is just not a headline characteristic for the ProArtwork PA279CV, however it’s supported. The monitor hits a relatively excessive sustained HDR brightness of 491 nits, so it may well definitely pump out the luminance when required.

Matt Smith/Foundry

It’s in any other case a lackluster performer, nonetheless. The monitor doesn’t have a large coloration gamut and doesn’t have native dimming, so it lacks each coloration and distinction to make HDR work. In truth, the distinction at most brightness is lowered to 960:1.

In brief, HDR is just not good- however that is typical for a monitor on this worth vary. Those who need really nice HDR efficiency might want to funds for a Mini-LED monitor just like the Asus ProArt PA32UCX-PK, which is about eight instances costlier.

Asus ProArtwork PA279CV Motion Performance: Not nice for quick gaming

Adaptive Sync is supported inside a refresh vary of 40Hz to 60Hz. Strangely, the monitor doesn’t declare assist for both AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync in any type. Adaptive Sync appeared to work with out challenge with my Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti however the lack of official assist ought to give players pause.

Then once more, I don’t know that the majority players can be taking a look at this monitor to begin with, because it lacks an enhanced refresh price and exhibits important ghosting behind fast-moving objects.

Games which might be extra static look nice due to the monitor’s 4K decision and correct coloration. However, players who need the sharpness of 4K decision at 60Hz can discover related efficiency at a lower cost with Dell’s S2721QS, Samsung’s S80A, or Viewsonic’s VX2776, amongst others.

Conclusion

Asus’ ProArtwork PA279CV is a good choice for content material creators who desire a coloration correct 4K monitor however don’t wish to clear out their financial savings account. It edges out options just like the BenQ PD2720U and Dell S2722QC in brightness and distinction with out giving up floor on connectivity or menu choices.