When HDMI falls short: ASUS’s ROG Strix XG259QNSR Ace needs DisplayPort 1.4 for its 420 Hz

ASUS has expanded its catalog of esports monitors with two new variants that focus on speed above any other feature. He ROG Strix XG259QNSR Ace and his brother in a light finish, the XG259QNSR-W Acearrive with a 24.5-inch Fast IPS panel and Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) capable of reaching the 420Hz refresh rate by overclocking. The difference between both models is limited to color: the first maintains the black characteristic of the ROG range, while the second opts for a white chassis that moves away from the usual aesthetics of gaming monitors.

This launch is part of ASUS’ strategy to cover different profiles of competitive gamers with small panels and high refresh rates, a segment where the brand has been competing for a long time with manufacturers such as AOC or Alienware. The ROG Strix

A panel designed to squeeze out every frame

He Fast IPS panel The ROG Strix XG259QNSR Ace boasts a 1ms response time in its gray to gray mode, with a minimum of 0.3 ms when motion compensation technologies are activated. ASUS has certified the panel with VESA AdaptiveSync Display 420 Hzin addition to offering compatibility with AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNCwhich in practice allows the monitor’s refresh rate to be synchronized with that of the graphics card, regardless of whether the system uses AMD or NVIDIA silicon.

To squeeze out that 420 Hz frequency, ASUS has chosen to reserve maximum performance exclusively for the DisplayPort 1.4 port. The two HDMI 2.1 connectors with TMDS support that the monitor incorporates remain at a limit of 240 Hz when working in 1080p resolution, a figure that is still high looking at it from a conventional perspective, but which is well below the peak announced by the brand. Added to this are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports and a headphone output, a discreet connectivity feature that makes it clear that this model prioritizes pure performance over versatility.

ELMB Sync and ASUS software tools

One of the most interesting aspects of the ROG Strix XG259QNSR Ace is the inclusion of ELMB SyncASUS’ own technology that allows you to combine backlight strobing with variable refresh rate, two functions that were traditionally incompatible with each other in most monitors on the market.

Added to this is Variable Overdrive 2.0responsible for automatically adjusting the panel’s overdrive level based on the refresh rate that the user is using at all times, thus avoiding the ghost effect or overshoot that appears when the overdrive is not calibrated correctly for the active refresh rate.

He ASUS DisplayWidget Center software adds additional features like Dynamic Crosshairwhich overlays a customizable crosshair over the image, Dynamic Shadow Boostdesigned to illuminate the dark areas of the scene without compromising the rest of the image, and Visual AIa set of automatic settings that the company integrates into more and more models in its ROG catalog.

HDR certification and color coverage

In terms of image quality, the ROG Strix XG259QNSR Ace achieves a 400 nits typical brightness and has the VESA DisplayHDR 400 certificationan entry level within the HDR standard, but enough to notice some improvement in contrast compared to SDR content. ASUS specifies a coverage of 90% of the DCI-P3 color space and 115% of sRGB, with a color depth of eight bits and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, figures that place this panel in the usual average for IPS monitors aimed at competitive gaming rather than content editing.

Included stand allows you to adjust panel height, tilt, swivel and pivotwhile the base is compatible with 100 x 100 mm VESA mounts and quarter-inch tripod heads, designed for those who prefer articulated arms instead of the traditional foot. Energy consumption is 24 W and the total weight of the set is 5.6 kilograms, a light figure thanks to the compact size of the 24.5-inch panel.

For now, ASUS has not detailed prices or availability dates for Spain or the rest of Europe.something common in this type of advertisements that first reach markets such as the United States or Asia. It has also not been confirmed if both color variants will arrive simultaneously in all markets or if there will be some gap between the black and white model.

With this launch, ASUS reinforces its presence in the high refresh rate monitor segment, an increasingly disputed field as rival manufacturers present their own solutions with similar figures. The combination of 420 Hz, Fast IPS panel and HDR400 certification makes the ROG Strix