KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
This has been the first ASRock monitor I have ever reviewed and generally the PG27QFT2A is a solid option to have. It's not designed to be an all-singing all-dancing screen, but rather it is targeting the mainstream audience with its 1440p 180Hz panel and £220 asking price.
By and large, the panel performance on offer is decent. It's not the most accurate out of the box – we recommend the Warm colour balance profile instead of the Normal option – and it does lack an sRGB emulation mode to clamp down on over-saturation. However, the range of brightness is solid and contrast is impressive for an IPS panel, hitting 1500:1, so that's good to see. Viewing angles were a bit disappointing however, with the panel looking noticeably dimmer and less vibrant when viewed from the side.
Response time performance follows a similar trend. By enabling overdrive we saw an average grey-to-grey response time of just over 7ms, which is fine but hardly super-fast. The thing is, ASRock hasn't implemented multiple overdrive options – it's either ‘on' or ‘off', and there is clearly scope to push overdrive further and get faster results, so that does feel like a missed opportunity.
ASRock has clearly tried to differentiate itself from the pack with its built-in WiFi antenna, as you can actually connect the stand to your motherboard or WiFi card in an attempt to improve WiFi coverage, and it supports up to WiFi 7. In my testing it did work reasonably well, though performance was basically the same as what I got from a £15 add-on antenna from Amazon, and of course many gamers use Ethernet instead. This feature could certainly appeal to some, but I think it's a fairly niche extra.
All in all, the ASRock PG27QFT2A is a generally decent monitor in a highly competitive area of the market. It hasn't blown me away in any one area, and I think its lack of features (no sRGB emulation mode, absence of USB ports, no multiple overdrive modes) is the biggest drawback here. However, despite its shortcomings this screen does offer a solid all-round experience at a very good price of £220 so it's definitely one to consider, especially if it dropped below the £200 mark during a sale.
We found it for £219 from Laptops Direct HERE.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
Pros
- Very strong contrast for an IPS panel.
- MPRT mode noticeably improves motion clarity.
- Solid build quality.
- Integrated WiFi antenna could appeal to some buyers.
- Affordable at just £220.
Cons
- No sRGB mode.
- Lacks multiple overdrive modes – the panel can clearly be pushed harder than it is.
- No USB ports.
- Viewing angles could be better.
KitGuru says: The ASRock PG27QFT2A isn't perfect, but priced just over £200, it's an affordable option if you're looking to join the 1440p/144Hz+ bandwagon.
