You can pick up a curved 1440p 165Hz Asus monitor for £289
The Asus Tuf Gaming VG27WQ is a great performer, and £135 off
The Asus Tuf Gaming VG27WQ1B is a great monitor in the current sweet spot - 27 inches across the diagonal, a resolution of 2560x1440 and a refresh rate of 165Hz. This spec provides a good balance of clarity and responsiveness, while not being too hard to drive with a mid-range PC. Normally this model retails for £400+, but today Laptops Direct have the VG27WQ1B for just £289 - a pretty standout deal.
The VG27WQ1B has a lot in common with the best gaming monitors on the market today. It uses a curved VA panel that provides excellent contrast and minimises the traditional downsides of VA panels. Poor viewing angles are handled by the curve of the screen, ensuring each side is still seen almost straight-on, while fast pixel response times (1ms MRPT) help to prevent the motion handling artefacts that affected early VA designs. The result is a monitor that works well in both slow, cinematic games as well as faster, more competitive fare.
Katharine hasn't had the chance to test the VG27WQ1B herself, but the fine Canadians at RTings dubbed this model "a great gaming monitor", "packed with features" like FreeSync, G-Sync Compatibility and Black Frame Insertion (here called Extreme Low Motion Blur or ELMB). RTings also note that the monitor's high peak brightness and reflection handling make it well-suited for bright rooms, while the deep blacks and excellent contrast ratio mean it looks great in dark environments too.
For the money, I think you'll struggle to find a monitor that delivers as strong a performance as the VG27WQ1B. It's an upgrade over a bog-standard 1080p 60Hz monitor in two dimensions, supports variable refresh rates on PCs with Nvidia or AMD graphics cards and has a raft of positive reviews online. For under £300, that sounds like a bargain.
The only real divisive point about this monitor is its curved screen. Some prefer curves (like me), others don't, but most people haven't given them a try. I reckon it's well worth a go!
What do you think of curved screens - and this deal? Let me know in the comments below.