Asus ProArt 27 QD-OLED (PA279cdv) Review: HDR for All

OLED is common in gaming monitors these days. But for those of us who don’t need gaming gear? Well, home-office and content-creation monitors have been much slower to adopt the exciting and more capable display technology. That’s unfortunate because having an OLED monitor is every bit as useful as having an OLED TV if you ever use your monitor for entertainment purposes. OLED displays are also helpful for photo editors, videographers, game developers, and other creators who might want to work in high dynamic range (HDR) for a broader range of brightness, contrast, and color.

The PA279CDV is Asus’ attempt to bring that OLED goodness to a wider demographic, at a retail price of $699, which is competitive for the technology. This monitor makes a few compromises to hit that price, but it does so without losing what makes owning a high-end OLED display feel unique.

Asus is one of the few manufacturers releasing OLED monitors precisely for this non-gamer demographic, and the PA279CDV is the cheapest it's ever had in its lineup. In fact, the monitor only has one major competitor: the Dell 32 Plus QD-OLED (9/10 WIRED Recommends). The main difference between the two is the size. Dell’s model is 31.6 inches, compared to Asus’ 27 inches. Being larger gives you more screen to work with, but it's also less sharp and takes up more desk space. The Samsung 32-inch Smart Monitor M90SF (7/10 WIRED Recommends) is the only other non-gaming OLED monitor option, but that's far more expensive.