ASUS ProArt PA278QV monitor – Specs, Pros / Cons: A Dedicated Creator Monitor – We’re Very Interested

LaptopMedia.com Reviews and Analysis ASUS ProArt PA278QV monitor - Specs, Pros / Cons: A Dedicated Creator Monitor - We're Very Interested

From: Severin Kolakov 02 May 2024 / 13:31 | 0

How good is a dedicated Creator monitor at content creation? Today we have the ASUS ProArt PA278QV and we’ll check everything there’s to have with it when it comes to color work, from the color coverage to the accuracy. We’ll also see how ergonomic and inviting it is when it comes to spending long hours on it.

In terms of specs, this ProArt screen features a 27-inch Quad HD IPS panel with a 75Hz refresh rate, a 5ms response time, and Adaptive Sync support with a range from 48 to 75Hz. This means that the monitor is able to match the refresh rate to the framerate of your games, as long as it falls within that range. ASUS firmly states that the monitor delivers 100% sRGB coverage, as well as a b. We’ll see about both of those claims, as we take the ASUS ProArt PA278QV through our lab.

You can check the current price of the ASUS ProArt PA278QV here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Specs sheet, Assembly, OSD, Drivers, Design, Connectivity
Display quality, Buy our profiles, Verdict

Specs sheet, Assembly, OSD, Drivers, Design, Connectivity

Screen size	27 inch (68.58 cm)
Refresh rate	75Hz
Response time	5ms
Panel type	IPS
Backlight type	LED
Screen finish	Matte
Resolution	2560 x 1440 (QHD)
Technologies	Contrast ratio: 1000:1 (Static); 100 000 000:1 (Dynamic) Brightness: 350 cd/m² Viewing angles: H/V° 178/178 VESA mount: 100 x 100 mm Tilt: -5 to 35° Pivot: -90 to 90° Swivel: -90 to 90° Height adjustment: 0 – 150mm Measurements (with stand): 615 x 532 x 226 mm Power consumption (Idle): 12.5W Power consumption (Stand-by): 0.50W Built-in speakers: 2x 2W
I/O	1x HDMI 1.4 1x DisplayPort 1.2 1x Mini DisplayPort 1x Dual Link DVI 4x USB Type-A 3.0 1x Audio jack

What’s in the box? Assembly

OSD Menu

Drivers and Software

Currently, the only downloadable on the ASUS ProArt PA278QV’s Support Page is the ASUS Chroma Tune, an app that allows you to switch between modes and color setups, as well as create your own presets.

Design and Connectivity

The ASUS ProArt PA278QV has a very industrial design, with sharp edges and a lot of angles. Overall, it feels like an old-school monitor, especially with the buttons on the bottom bezels being well visible. The stand is a bit reminiscent of the past too, with a square base, a rectangular arm, along with a wide rectangle hole, which is to be used as a cable channel. The stand is a big reason to get this monitor, as ergonomics is a big part of any office setup when you’ll be spending long hours on it. The ProArt PA278QV can be adjusted in every way imaginable, including Pivot, Swivel, Tilt, and Height, so you can get the best position possible.

The port selection is pretty full, with an HDMI 1.4 port, one DisplayPort 1.2 port, another Mini DisplayPort, a DVI Dual-Link port, four USB ports, an audio jack, and another line-out audio port. We can’t forget about the stereo speakers, which provide decent audio if you’re on a tight budget and want to invest in a better pair of headphones, foregoing a soundbar or regular speakers.

Display quality, Buy our profiles, Verdict

The ASUS ProArt PA278QV brings a 27-inch Quad HD screen (2560 x 1440), which calculates to a pixel density of 108.79 PPI, a pitch of 0.2335 x 0.2335 mm, and a Retina distance of 31.60 inches or 80.26 cm. From this distance, the human eye can’t distinguish individual pixels.

The correlated color temperature on a white screen after a Factory Reset in sRGB mode is 6290 K (Luminance 150 cd/m2 at 20% Brightness). The average gamma value is 2.18.

Color coverage

Here’s an illustration (Fig. 1). The whole “sail-shaped” map below consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.

Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of ASUS ProArt PA278QV can show:

Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content

ASUS ProArt PA278QV: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display. In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 99% of the sRGB color gamut.

(Fig.1) ASUS ProArt PA278QV covers 99% of the Web colors (sRGB)

This means that if the ASUS ProArt PA278QV tries to show any color outside of its triangle, it will show the closest color to it that’s inside the triangle.

Color accuracy

Now let’s see how big is the difference between the real colors and the ones you’ll see on the ASUS ProArt PA278QV. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the bigger the number, the more different they look.

For the next illustration, we’ve chosen 24 common colors like dark and light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.

Values below 2.0 are considered suitable for color-sensitive work. Before our calibration of the ASUS ProArt PA278QV, the Average color accuracy was 2.1 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Web Design and Office Work profile, it lowered to 1.0 dE (Fig. 3). The profile provides a 2.1X Increase in accuracy, making the monitorvery suitable for Creator work.

(Fig. 2) ASUS ProArt PA278QV in its factory condition

(Fig. 3) ASUS ProArt PA278QV with our display profiles

Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).

Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile

Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom-tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate (they may seem strange at first but after a few minutes our brain will start recognizing them as accurate ones – that’s how Health-Guard differs from alternatives like f.lux).

Pro Tip: As the Health-Guard profile simulates paper and has as accurate as possible colors, it could be a great tool for prepress designers!

Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Health-Guard Profile

Gaming and Movies

We also have a third Gaming and Movies profile, which regulates the black colors, making dark areas in games and movies appear more visible, thus giving you a better viewing experience. Shooting at your opponent first can be a make-or-break moment, so make sure you’re best prepared with our profile.

Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile

BUY OUR DISPLAY PROFILES

Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for the ASUS ProArt PA278QV.

*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].

In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.

Office Work

Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.

$9.90 BUY NOW

Design and Gaming

This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.

$9.90 BUY NOW

Health-Guard

Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.

$9.90 BUY NOW

Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount

$19.90 BUY NOW

Verdict

It’s hard not to like the ASUS ProArt PA278QV, as it’s got a lot going for it, not only when it’s going to be considered for a Creator monitor, but as a monitor as a whole. The ergonomics that it provides are quite good, while the design is smart and functional. It’s mostly for productivity and design, as the wide port selection indicates that ASUS wants you to plug in as many accessories and additional peripherals as you want. This can include a graphic tablet, microphones, dials, or whatever else you might need as part of your workflow.

Even the additional features like the low response time of 5ms, the 75Hz refresh rate, or the Adaptive Sync support are here to make the overall user experience smoother and more enjoyable. You’d be able to feel it just by moving around menus and apps on the monitor, as everything feels buttery smooth.

Going to the color tests, the 99% sRGB coverage isn’t 100% like ASUS claims, but we won’t judge their marketing department that much. While they promise a dE of below 2, our tests give the factory condition of the monitor a dE of 2.1. Only after we apply our Web Design and Office Work profile, does the dE value drop to 1.0, which is a 210% increase in accuracy.

With the Gaming and Movies profile, you can tune the monitor for darker scenes and movies, as the profile will allow you to see more of the image. However, it’s purely for entertainment purposes, if you specifically want to create a dark image or strive for a dark scene when editing a video, you should go to the first profile.

Lastly, the Health Guard does exactly what the name suggests. With it, any Blue Light or PWM (Flickering) is kept at bay. Blue Light harms your quality of sleep, while the flickering can tire your eyes a lot and cause headaches.

You can check the current price of the ASUS ProArt PA278QV: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)