AORUS AD27QD Gaming Monitor Review

Final Thoughts

How Much Does it Cost?

Dropping monitor on a new monitor can be daunting. At £534.98 on Scan, the Aorus 27″ 144Hz FreeSync HDR IPS RGB Gaming Monitor is not cheap. However, just look at the level of features it offers. Sure, you’re paying a lot more money than a standard 60 Hz 1440p 27″ monitor. However, IPS costs more, so does 144Hz, FreeSync, HDR adds a fair bit for sure, RGB, and that tricked out OSD. The list goes on, but in my opinion, it’s just expensive, but it’s far from overpriced.

Overview

AORUS is known for having some of the fastest graphics cards, best motherboards, and more. We should know, we’ve tested plenty of them to prove it. Now it seems, they’re taking their reputation to the gaming monitor market, and they’re coming out winning yet again. They’ve spared no expense on their product development here and it really shows.

Gaming

It ticks every box I can think of and then a few more in this regard. If you’re coming from a 1080p panel, the leap to 1440 is a big one and the increase in detail that brings is huge. Plus, it is considerably less demanding to run than 4K, while still offering great pixel counts. Plus 4K is a bit wasted on a 27″ panel anyway, where 32″ would be a more suitable minimum, in my opinion. Then there is that super fast 144 Hz refresh rate, which once you’ve spent some time with, it’ll be bloody hard going back to slow and juddery 60 Hz panels. For eSports and competitive gaming in general, it’s hugely beneficial. However, even playing single player games and enjoying silky smooth frame rates is something to behold.

OSD

AORUS really went over the top here, cramming in a lot of innovative features that feel practical rather than just being gimmicks. I’ve seen similar features on other monitors, but not all in one package. Plus, while many brands have had say, on-screen crosshairs, I often find their OSD so awkward to navigate I simply never bother with them. Thanks to software trickery and macros, you can do so much more with GameAssist on this monitor.

Overlays

I love my stats while I’m working and gaming. Keeping tabs on FPS, GPU temperatures, and even your mouse DPI on the overlay is hugely advantageous. Sure, some software can do most of this, but not all of this. Plus since it’s monitor rendered, not GPU rendered, it has no chance of conflicting with your games.

Build Quality

The little details are not passed over here either. The stand is durable metal, and all locks together with confidence. The weighted base means you can raise, lower, and swivel the panel without the whole thing moving around your desktop scratching things up. I especially love the built-in PSU power brick. It keeps things looking clean, and the addition of RGB keeps things looking swag. Sure, you can’t wall mount it, but if you want to do that, buy another monitor suitable to your requirements I guess.

Should I Buy One?

It’s a lavish purchase dropping this amount of money on a monitor. However, with a fantastic IPS panel, high frame rates, HDR, 1440 resolution and more, it’s going to leave a huge grin on your face. If you want a monitor that presents your games in all their glory, while also offering actually useful features to expand your experience, look no further.