Price
$549.99 ($299.99 ATM)
ASRock’s journey into the gaming monitor segment has been very recent. The company introduced its first gaming monitor within the “Phantom Gaming” lineup in 2022, just three years back, and since then, they have been really aggressive in this space, introducing new designs with the latest technologies, and at very competitive price points.
Since the first launch, the company has introduced a total of 21 monitors, featuring OLED, IPS, and VA panels. These range from 24.5, 27, 32, 34 inch designs with refresh rates starting at 100Hz, all the way up to 520Hz. ASRock also has four ultra-wide curved monitor, so in a way, they have a thing for everyone, and today, we are going to try out their highest refresh rate design, the PG27FFX2A, which is rated at 520 Hz out of the box, and retails for $300 US.
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In terms of specifications, the ASRock PG27FFX2A is a FHD IPS monitor with a screen size of 27″. The monitor comes in a flat panel, which is great for those who have been looking for such designs in an era where curved panels are oversaturating the market. The screen itself comes with an anti-glare coating which does a good job in reducing reflections from light sources. The complete package measures 614.00 x 258 x 542 mm.
Diving deeper into the operation specifications, the ASRock PG27FFX2A features a max resolution support of 1920 x 1080, commonly referred to as FHD or Full HD. The Pixel Pitch is 0.3108 x 0.3108mm and the contrast ratio is 1000:1 with a maximum brightness of 400 cd/m2 (SDR). The monitor is rated to provide 8-bit (16.7M) colors.
Lastly, we have to talk about the response time and the refresh rate. The monitor supports DP1.4, and HDMI 2.1, offering a high refresh rate of up to 520Hz, and a response time of 1ms (Gray-To-Gray). The monitor is fully compliant with AMD’s Freesync Premium.
On paper, the specifications for the PG27FFX2A are as follows:
- Resolution(Max): 1920×1080
- HDR Support: VESA DisplayHDR 400
- Panel Size: 27.0″
- Panel Treatment: Anti-Glare
- Panel type: IPS
- Response time: 1ms (GtG)
- Refresh rate(Max): 520Hz
- Viewing angle:178°(H) / 178°(V)
- Brightness: SDR: 400 cd/m2
- Color depth: 16.7M, 8 bits
- Native contrast: 1000:1 (Typ.)
- Height Adjustment: 0 ~ 100 mm
- Tilt: -5° ~ 20°
- Swivel: -20° ~ 20°
- Power input: 100~240V, 50/60Hz (68W @Max, 0.5W Power Saving, 0.3W Power Off)
The IO ports on the monitor include:
- 2x HDMI 2.1
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-B
- 1x Headphone Out
- 2x Speakers (2W x 2)
Some unique features about the PG27FFX2A include its Low Blue Light technology, Freesync Premium support, an integrated WIFI antenna, an ergonomic design. The gaming monitor weighs 7.7kg.
ASRock PG27FFX2A Gaming Monitor: First Look and Aesthetics
The ASRock PG27FFX2A comes in a large cardboard package which is to be expected since this is a 27″ gaming monitor. The front side has a picture of the monitor itself along with its model number, its size, and its maximum resolution. The back lists down a few specs, but not much. The features are also mentioned in the bottom right corner.
Opening the package, you are first met with the accessories which include the feet, the power cord (C13), and a set of HDMI and DP cables.
The full list of accessories include an HDMI v2.0 cable and a DP v1.4 cable, both of which measure 1.5m. There’s also a 1.5m AC power cord (monitor features a built-in power supply), a Quick Start Guide, a WI-Fi-Antenna cable set, and a Phantom Gaming Cable Sleeve to tidy up the cables.
Underneath this foam packaging is another foam container that houses the monitor itself along with the stand. ASRock has paid extra attention to securing the monitor in a foam package to avoid any damage during shipping.
The stand attaches to the feet with relative ease. All you need to do is flip the metal lever, attach the stand to the mounting bracket, and rotate the lever until it’s secured. This is a fairly simple process, and getting the whole monitor ready will hardly take more than 5 minutes.
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The stand looks futuristic and has a large cut in the center through which you can route cables but its intended purpose is to move the panel up and down. The monitor installation to the stand is also super easy with a simple lock press holding the entire thing in place. There’s also a “Phantom Gaming” logo on both, the feet and the monitor stand. You can also see two Wi-Fi antenna ports on the monitor which is a unique addition.
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You can press the same lock to remove the panel from the stand. Extra durability is added through the magnetic locking interface.
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The ASRock PG27FFX2A is a stylish, and modern 27″ IPSpanel. It looks great in terms of ergonomics, and takes up minimal space at the bottom.
The monitor comes with a unified shroud on the exterior which houses the panel and all of the internal components.
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The side profile is a little bit thicker compared to the OLED panels that we have tried out recently. The large chassis on the back of the panel houses the components.
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There’s also a large “ASRock” logo on the back. The bottom features two speakers, each with a 2W output. That’s mostly about it as far as the exterior design of the monitor is concerned.
Despite being an IPS LCD, ASRock has done a great job with the overall design of this monitor which looks very modern.
For the ergonomic perfectionists out there, the ASRock PG27FFX2A comes with several modes allowing users to Swivel (20° ~ 20°), Tilt (-5° ~ 20°) and adjust the height by up to 100mm. The monitor also supports a 100x100mm VESA mounting.
The ports on the backside include 2 HDMI 2.1, 1 DP 1.4, 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-B, 1 headphone out, and two speakers, each capable of 2W. The monitor also has five buttons on the back to access the OSD, which include the Power On/Off switch.
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ASRock PG27FFX2A Gaming Monitor: OSD
Coming to the OSD, in Standby mode, the monitor gives you the option to select from the type of output you have it plugged into. The options include HDMI 1, HDMI 2,& and the DP ports.
The main OSD gives you the option to select between various settings, listed in their own specific tabs. It also shows the navigation buttons, making it easy for users to access the different menus.
The first settings to go through are the input selection, which let you select between the four individual inputs: HDMI1, HDMI2, DisplayPort1, and Auto.
Next up, we have ASRock’s “Image Setup” panel which lists down several modes. The PG27FFX2A is set to the “Standard” mode by default. Other modes include sRGB, FPS Game, RTS Game, MOBA Game, Movie, Internet, and custom profiles. As you can tell, ASRock has modes specific to the game type which is great to see. The sRGB mode is the go-to mode as it provides great color and brightness levels but that’s just my personal opinion.
The same “Image Setup” panel also features other options. It let’s users adjust the brightness, set to 90% in the standard image mode, contrast, Dark Boost, Color temperature, Gamma and Low Blue Light. The Dark Boost slider can be moved down to increase the level of darks while increasing it essentially reduces the darks.
The Display menu let’s you select the Sharpness levels, OD, Freesync Premium, and HDR. The Audio panel lets you change the volume of the onboard speakers. You can also mute the speakers entirely. The “Extra” menu has a range of settings such as Language, Refresh Rate OSD, DDC/CI, Menu Transparency, Timeout, Menu Position, and the option to reset everything.
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Lastly, there’s the information tag which gives us the details on which input is being used, the monitor’s current resolution, refresh rate, and the technologies that are enabled. It also lists down the HFrequency, and DCLK.
ASRock PG27FFX2A Gaming Monitor: Display and Performance
Coming to the display aspects and performance, particularly in gaming, the ASRock PG27FFX2A is a great choice for those who are into the eSports genre of gaming, or those who want faster refresh rate monitor specs.
As you can see below, the monitor has a refresh rate ranging from 50Hz to 520Hz in the 1080p mode. The maximum screen resolution is 1920×1080 while the minimum resolution supported by the monitor is 1280 x 720.
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As I have said before, 27″ and 32″ are the best fit for gamers who want a great gaming experience, whether it be AAA titles or eSports games. Sure, smaller 24/21″ monitors still have their demand for users with limited space or those who want to carry their monitors to competitive events where you are required to bring along your own setups.
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The ASRock PG27FFX2A also offers great sRGB color accuracy with solid white accuracy and a peak measured brightness of around 480 nits. It comes with a decent set of calibrated modes with good color space coverage, while the response time can be anywhere from 3.6 to 2.8ms, depending on the config. It also has a display input lag measures around 1.3ms. As for image clarity, the 520Hz refresh rate is a high number but there is a little bit of smearing present on LCD panels.
Office and productivity work was decent on the large 27″ panel. That is something that eSports gamers would love but moving to FHD means that pixels are visible on this large screen more noticeably.
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Now achieving the frame rate to push 520 FPS to make full advantage of a 520Hz monitor means having a powerful graphics card such as the GeForce RTX 5090 from NVIDIA. It really goes well with this monitor as you’re able to get frame-rates up to 520 Hz in several AAA titles using the DLSS 4 MFG technology at 1080p.
But here’s another issue. 27″ is a lot of pixel real-estate and going up to just 1080p means that there will be several instances where you can actually view each individual pixel. A close up shot from a single game posted about shows this issue. It’s a sacrifice that you will have to make to achieve high refresh rates.
ASRock PG27FFX2A Gaming Monitor: Conclusion
ASRock is offering a very good priced, and modern looking monitor with a refresh rate as high as 520Hz with its PG27FFX2A. This is a highly recommended design for eSports gamers who can couple this with a fast graphics card, and achieve some crazy high frame rates on 1080p resolution. The monitor comes with decent colors, and pre-configured settings for an IPS LCD, and has low input lag. The only downsides are the limiting 1080p resolution, and the IPS LCD design which can feel a bit older in this OLED era, but it’s a compromise you have to make. There’s also a solid set of features and IO on the monitor such as three USB ports, WIFI Antenna, and compliance with AMD’s Freesync Premium.
Things I liked about the ASRock PG27FFX2A Monitor:
- Available for $299 US at the moment
- Very High 520Hz Refresh Rate
- Very low input lag, and superb motion clarity
- Solid Color Accuracy
- Solid Design & Build Quality
- Great IO, Lots of USB ports
- Great for eSports Gamers
- Loaded OSD with lots of tuning options
- Speakers & Wi-Fi Antenna Included
- AMD FreeSync Premium support
Things to consider:
- 1080p resolution
- Response times could be better
- No USB-C or KVM switch
In terms of pricing, the ASRock PG27FFX2A retails for $549 US, and is currently available at $299.99 US, which makes it a highly recommended model at the price point.
