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Grayscale, Gamma and Color

The PG248QP ships with a calibration data sheet, but I could not replicate its values without calibrating. The Racing mode is the best starting point for adjustment.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software fromPortrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detailhere.

The PG248QP’s green tint is fairly obvious in the Racing picture mode. Considering the price tag, I’m a bit disappointed here. You’ll need to make some adjustments for the best image quality. Gamma runs a bit light except for a dark spike at the 90% step. This suggests color clipping, which I verified in the tests.

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

With adjustments to the RGB sliders and a change to gamma 2.4, the picture is greatly improved. Though static contrast is lower, the image has far more depth and dimension because color is more saturated. You’ll see that in more detail below.

Comparisons

The PG248QP starts with a 6.5dE grayscale error, which is higher than that of the other screens. The other Asus, the PG259QN, also needs some tweaking for the best results. The top four can get away with their default settings. After calibration, the PG248QP is still in last place but has no visible errors.

Gamma has a tight range of values with just 0.16 from lowest to highest. With the change to the 2.4 preset, it strays only 1.82% away from the 2.2 reference. The actual value is 2.28. If I can’t nail 2.2, I always choose the darker (higher) value. As you’ll now see, it positively affects color saturation.

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing usePortrait Displays’Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations,click here.

The PG248QP defaults to its wide gamut for SDR content but under-saturates the inner points. The look is that of sRGB except in the image’s brightest and most saturated areas. White balance is green, so it pulls the secondaries (cyan, magenta and yellow) off their hue targets. This isn’t a bad chart, but there is room for improvement.

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

Calibration makes a huge difference here. Not only are all the hue points on target, but the shift in gamma has also increased color saturation. It’s a bit counter-intuitive to think that reducing static contrast by 30% is good, but in the PG248QP’s case, it is true. The proof is in the visuals. It looks much better than before.

I can’t complain about a color error of 1.74dE. Though it puts the PG248QP last, this is a group of accurate monitors. None of them have any visible errors. Calibration is required to achieve this, but the result is excellent.

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

In the category of super-fast gaming monitors, none have more color volume than the PG248QP. That creates a visible advantage in color saturation. It is more colorful than any other fast screen, with nearly 90% coverage of DCI-P3. This is a positive enhancement for both SDR and HDR content. The indicated sRGB coverage of 127.29% means that I could not find a true sRGB mode that measured any smaller than the native color space. I doubt anyone springing for a 540 Hz monitor will care about this.

Test Takeaway:The PG248QP’s out-of-box color performance is a little disappointing considering its price tag. But with the right adjustments, it looks a lot better. When compared to other 360 and 500 Hz displays, it lags slightly in these tests, but since you’re reading this, you know how to make it equal to the others.

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

MORE:How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor

Current page:Grayscale, Gamma and Color

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom’s Hardware US. He’s a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

Asus ROG Swift PG248QP

Christian Eberle