InIn the world of computing, ASUS is a household name that is mostly related to graphics card, sound cards and maybe notebooks. ASUS have a plethora of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, networking devices, workstations etc.
So today, we’ll be taking a look at the ASUS’s Designo Series the MX279H . The ASUS MX279H retails at RM1379 and it’s a huge one to unbox so lets get to it!
Specifications
Full specifications of the MX279H can be found at the following link:
Unboxing
The MX279 comes in a matte black cardboard box. The front depicts the top-down view of the monitor in the middle with the branding and name right above it. Features of the monitor is also highlighted at the bottom.
Most of the details are the same on the other side of the box, except that you now see a full frontal view of the monitor.
Taking everything out of the box, you get the LCD screen, the circular stand, a power brick, VGA cable and power cord. Not a whole lot in terms of accessories, would’ve been nice if ASUS have provided a HDMI cable as well.
The Monitor
Turning onto the monitor, physical switches are replaced with touch sensitive points dubbed “convenient hotkey” for operating and adjustments to the monitor. These set of controls are located on the bottom-right side of the screen.
On the opposite side, you’l find some branding / highlights of the MX279.
This shot will tell you why it’s called a frame-less monitor, similar ultra thin bezel as the BenQ EW2440L that we have previously reviewed.
Right under the MX279H we can see that there’s 2 ventilation holes like design, which is actually a pair of Bang and Olufsen ICEpower speakers.
The I/O connectors at the back includes 2x HDMI, D-Sub, 3.5mm PC Audio in, 3.5mm Audio out and a DC-in port. A Kensington lock is also present here right below the I/O ports.
Taking a look at the back of the monitor, you’d notice that the MX279 is not VESA-compliant so you have no choice but to use the provided circular stand. Also, the glossy surface is really something you should take care of the most. Not really a big fan of glossy stuff ourselves, as we find it very prone to scratches and fingerprints that will ruin the overall appearance.
No tools needed here, just a simple twist on the bolt at the base of the circular stand will get the job done.
It might looks small but the stand provided a sturdy mount to this 27″ beauty.
On-Screen Display Menu
Taking a look at the convenient hotkeys functions on the MX279, you will have 5 options to select from; namely Splendid, Color, Image, Input Selection and System Setup. Navigating to the Splendid option lets you select display modes to the MX279.
Color options lets you adjust brightness, contrast, saturation and even the color temp and skin tones.
Image option allows the adjustment of sharpness, trace free, toggle Aspect control and ASCR.
As the name implies, Input selection lets you select your input. Though the MX279 may have automatically detected the input source already.
Testing
There’s a built in Splendid Demo feature that can be enabled for color comparison demonstration and that’s the sole purpose of it. The color preset comes in pretty handy for different viewing purposes, but personally we find the arrangement of the touch controls rather inconvenient. we would prefer to have the up and down control placed side by side for easier control more than having it separated by the menu control.
We did a quick run on Elder Scrolls: Skyrim with Tracer Free enabled, the result doesn’t really turns out well as everything is pretty much visually degraded. Things went back to normal after turning off the Tracer Free feature, so it’s best to leave it untouched.
A quick test on the built in Bang and Olufsen ICEpower speakers, impressive sound quality from a built-in 3 watt speakers.
As for image editing with Photoshop CS4, it’s great to have a large 27 inch monitor around for better working experience but the ASUS MX278H only comes with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080.
Final Thoughts
Aesthetically eye pleasing 27 inch monitor that comes with a pair of Bang and Olufsen ICEpower speakers, the ASUS MX279H is a badass on the desk. Most of the features offered will benefit users more as a workstation display rather than gaming display, especially for the QuickFit feature for document and photo display.
The price might be a little expensive for a 27 inch monitor with the resolution of 1920 x 1080, but the trade off is still pretty reasonable as for what you will get – stylish, quality and feature.
Pros
- Good overall build quality
- Stylish design
- Easy to setup
- Lots of color preset for various viewing purposes
- QuickFit feature for quick and easy document and photo display
- Impressive sound quality from the built-in Bang and Olufsen ICEpower speakers
Cons
- Glossy are more prone to scratches and fingerprints that will ruin the overall appearance
- Enabling Trace Free feature will ruin the color of most games
- Despite of having 2 HDMI ports, it doesn’t comes with even a single piece of HDMI cable
It might not be the best 27 inch monitor around, but for what ASUS has to offer with the MX279H. It deserves a Silver award and Recommended award from us at www.tech-critter.com.
