ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ3A Monitor

ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ3A Monitor

By ASUS · Gaming Monitors · Audio & Electronics

  • 27-inch 1440p Fast IPS, 180Hz
  • G-SYNC compatible with ELMB Sync, 1ms
  • 130% sRGB, built-in speakers
  • 3-year warranty

Lowest price seen
$175.00
from $175.00 at eBay · Checked Oct 13, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor with a native 180Hz Fast IPS panel, strong out-of-box color accuracy and low input lag at a budget price. Check two things before buying: it is a 250-nit display with no real HDR, and the stand tilts and swivels but never rises.

Strengths

  • Color accuracy out of the box is strong: Delta-E 0.88 calibrated.
  • Native 180Hz refresh rate with no overclock required.
  • Low input lag at 3.1ms measured.
  • Good value for 1440p 180Hz, with a lower launch price than the predecessor VG27AQ1A.
  • The Fast IPS panel closes the motion-clarity gap with TN while keeping good colors.
  • Three-year warranty is above average for a budget monitor.

Weaknesses

  • 250-nit brightness with no local dimming makes HDR effectively non-functional.
  • The stand tilts and swivels but has no height adjustment and no pivot.
  • HDMI ports are capped at 144Hz; DisplayPort is required for the full 180Hz.
  • No USB hub.
  • The 2W speakers are very quiet and have no bass.
  • Samples show backlight bleed and IPS glow on dark content.

Verified specifications

ModelVG27AQ3A, part number 90LM0940-B019B0.
Panel27-inch Fast IPS (AU Optronics M270DAN08.D), anti-glare.
Resolution2560 × 1440 (QHD), 16:9, 108.79 ppi.
Refresh rate180Hz native, no overclock required.
Response time1ms GTG.
Brightness250 cd/m² typical.
Contrast1000:1 typical; TechPorn.ph measured about 690:1.
Color gamut130% sRGB; measured 100% sRGB, 88% AdobeRGB, 98% DCI-P3 and 85% NTSC.
Color depth8-bit (16.7M colors).
Viewing angle178° / 178°.
HDRaccepts HDR10, no DisplayHDR certification, no local dimming.
Adaptive-SyncAMD FreeSync Premium, NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible and VESA AdaptiveSync.
ELMB Syncyes; variable overdrive with 5 levels, level 4 optimal in testing.
Input lag3.1ms average measured on display lag.
Color accuracyDelta-E 0.88 calibrated.
Speakers2 × 2W.
I/O1 × DisplayPort 1.4 (HBR2), 2 × HDMI 2.0 and 1 × 3.5mm earphone jack. No USB hub.
HDCP 2.2; flicker-free; Low Blue Light (TÜV certified); Kensington lock.
Powerunder 35W, 100–240V 50/60Hz, with a 65W external adapter.
Dimensionswith stand 61.50 × 45.50 × 21.40 cm (24.21 × 17.91 × 8.43 in); without stand 61.50 × 36.70 × 5.40 cm (24.21 × 14.45 × 2.13 in).
Weight4.6 kg (10.14 lb) with stand, 3.6 kg (7.94 lb) without, gross 7.2 kg (15.87 lb).
StandV-shaped base with a cable-management hole; tilt +20° / -5°, swivel +20° / -20°, no height adjustment and no pivot.
VESA mount100 × 100 mm.
In the boxmonitor, stand, power adapter, power cord, DisplayPort cable, HDMI cable, L-shaped screwdriver, quick-start guide and warranty card.
Warranty3-year manufacturer warranty.
Full research notes and sources

Panel, color and motion

The standout is the panel. TechPorn.ph measured Delta-E 0.88 after calibration and called it among the best they had tested, with 3.1ms average input lag. Coverage came out at 100% sRGB, 88% AdobeRGB and 98% DCI-P3, so the colors are accurate enough for photo and video work as well as games. The 180Hz refresh is native; the predecessor VG27AQ1A needed an overclock to reach 170Hz.

Motion clarity is the other win. A Fast IPS panel narrows the gap with TN panels while keeping the colors, and ELMB Sync plus variable overdrive help with ghosting and smearing. One owner on r/Monitors, after two years of use, wrote that they could recommend it for both gaming and work, with only mild IPS glow on dark scenes.

HDR, brightness and ports

Brightness is the compromise. At 250 cd/m² typical with no local dimming, the monitor takes HDR10 signals but cannot do much with them; TechPorn.ph measured up to 236 cd/m² in SDR and called HDR “just there to check the box.” Owners have measured higher peaks in HDR mode, so treatment varies with the panel and the test.

Ports need attention. The two HDMI 2.0 inputs top out at 144Hz, and only DisplayPort 1.4 reaches the full 180Hz, a detail the ASUS signal-frequency table shows but seller listings often miss. There is no USB hub on this model. Sound comes from two 2W speakers that PCMag, testing the related AQL3A, described as clear but extremely quiet even at full volume and without any bass; a headset or external speakers are worth budgeting for.

The stand and ergonomics

The V-shaped base holds the monitor firmly, and owners report no wobble. But the stand only tilts and swivels; there is no height adjustment and no pivot, which owners upgrading from ergonomic monitors name as the most common frustration. A VESA 100 × 100 mm mount lets you fit your own arm. Backlight bleed and IPS glow show up on dark images on some samples, and Digital Reg noted minor LED light spillage; it is a panel-line trait rather than a defect rate, so buy from a store with an easy return if that bothers you.

Is it worth it?

At $200 or below it is strong value for 1440p 180Hz with excellent color accuracy and a 3-year warranty, and it competes well with the ViewSonic VX2728J-2K at $199 and the LG 27GR83Q at $249. From $201 to $250 it is fair: it wins on color and input lag but lacks the HDR, height-adjustable stand and USB hub some rivals include. From $251 to $300 it is weak, since monitors with DisplayHDR 400 and better ergonomics, including ASUS’s own VG27AQL3A, become available. CDW and the ASUS eShop USA both listed the VG27AQ3A at $249.00 in this pass; PCMag tested the AQL3A variant at $209 against a $299 list price, and in the Philippines Digital Reg lists an SRP of ₱17,840, about $320.

Which model this is

This page covers the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ3A, part number 90LM0940-B019B0, a 27-inch QHD Fast IPS panel. Don’t confuse it with the VG27AQ (older 165Hz), the VG27AQ1A (170Hz overclock), the VG27AQL3A (350-nit DisplayHDR 400 with a height-adjustable stand and USB hub) or the VG27AQ3AZ (identical specs, different SKU). The panel is an AU Optronics M270DAN08.D Fast IPS, which AU Optronics brands AHVA; the two names describe the same technology. The listing’s ASIN is B0BZR9TMBJ. PCMag’s review covers the AQL3A, not this model, so its brightness and contrast figures don’t apply here.

Sources

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Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

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