ASUS MG28UQ: 4K Gaming Monitor for Gamers On a Budget
With FreeSync support, several gaming modes, and other gaming-friendly features, the ASUS MG28UQ is still one of the most affordable 4K gaming monitors that ASUS can offer. It belongs to the ASUS MG series that is, actually, a low-cost alternative to the ASUS high-end ROG series.
Since it's a budget-friendly 4K gaming monitor, in order to cut the price, it's equipped with slightly limited features. The ASUS VG245H, for example, has Full HD resolution, but a better refresh rate and more gaming features available in the OSD menu. In fact, all of the ASUS non-premium gaming monitors are equipped with the TN panel.
Dimensions
28 inches in diagonal are enough to have a big visual area. The aspect ratio is standard (16:9). The monitor is sized at 30.6 x 8.9 x 18.4 inches and weighs 23.3 pounds.
Features
The MG28UQ belongs to the category of TN-based gaming monitors. This means that it can provide the fastest response time (1ms), but if you look at the monitor from an angle, you notice poor color reproduction.
The ASUS MG28UQ refresh rate is limited down to 60Hz, so it's not designed for high-tech CPUs and high-grade graphics cards. The FreeSync support actually means that the refresh rate is adaptive (varies from 40Hz to 60Hz).
The monitor has 3 gaming modes: Racing mode (for racing games), RTS/RPG Mode (for real-time strategy and role-playing games), and FPS mode (for first-person games). Thanks to these modes, the monitor automatically adjusts its settings according to various types of games, and you don't have to do it manually.
Apart from gaming features, the other ASUS MG28UQ specs are fully legit. It features a flicker-free backlight and great color depth of 10 bits. The Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) resolution implies a highly detailed image, being 4 times better than the standard Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. There are also different modes for different viewing scenarios: Scenery mode will work great for pictures and photos, while Cinema mode and sRGB mode enhance the color reproduction.
The out-of-the-box color accuracy is mediocre. However, while testing the monitor's settings for this MG28UQ review, I managed to adjust the settings in this way to improve overall performance. Fortunately, there are a lot of options for color customization: brightness, saturation, color temperature, etc.
Considering the fact that it's a budget gaming monitor with UHD resolution, I can estimate its overall performance at 8 from 10.
Design
Nothing in the monitor's appearance, except for the red accent on the stand and on the rear asserts that it's a gaming monitor. In fact, it looks simple.
The stand is weighted, providing great stability. It allows tilting the panel from -5° to +20°, swiveling from +60° to -60°, pivoting up to 90°(clockwise), and changing the height (up to 150mm).
Except for the 5 control buttons, there is also a 5-way joystick to navigate the menu. They are located on the right side of the back panel.
The screen has a matte anti-glare coating.
This monitor offers such ports as:
- DP 1.2
- Two HDMI 1.4
- HDMI 2.0
- USB 3.0
- Audio-out
The monitor has a good set of connectors, convenient controls, and a fully adjustable stand, so I give it 10/10 for the design.
Conclusion
So, summing up this ASUS MG28UQ 28 4K review, I can say that it's a decent budget monitor with a lot of gaming features. However, the 60Hz refresh rate may not be enough for modern games.
