Everyone is anticipating perhaps the best monitor from FreeSync to compete with G-Sync. However, PC Per has found a defect on the MG279Q, that is the FreeSync only works on 35-90FPS. Yes, you will have to wait if you want a better FreeSync solution than this.
I'm very disappointed in this news as I hope FreeSync will kick G-Sync monitor so hard that the price come crashing down hard too as I can have viable choices from both camps.
But, this news just shows how G-Sync implementation make sense too. I suppose Nvidia is fully aware of the limitation on how the FreeSync is implemented and thus they decided to make a custom controller. It is not just locking their users to the wall garden but also achieve what they want as G-Sync can support up to 144Hz without issue like this.
EDIT: Asus has recalled the monitor saying there is a factory defect of frame skipping at 144Hz.
from what i could find. the ips panel can do 144hz with freesync w/o overcharge or what ever that pixel thingy is called its 40 - 144 with overcharge & freesync its 35 - 90
this would be a panel issue. not a freesync issue. as freesync isn't the hardware its a spec, meaning this product could of been better or worse,
as a personal note. 35 - 90 is a big range, is it 9 - 144 as from everything i could find freesync has a spec for as low as 9. it boils down to what they are able to get the panel to do. .... as for comparing directly to g-sync, they finally have monitors worth buying. maybe .... so at the end of the day. this is a really interesting IPS monitor, i want to see what happens once it hits the us market. really was hoping freesync panels would already be at the 20 - 75 coverage. but its all about what the panel can do.
Hold on for thorough reviews in your respective part of the world. Here in Northern Europe where it appears the monitor was first to reach the distributors, the MG279Q is being recalled for firmware updates. It seems that on many if not all of the first samples there are skipped frames when in 144Hz mode.
Confusingly enough Asus still mentions this as a 120Hz monitor in some recently shared marketing material. At any rate that's probably a sign that the display is not released worldwide yet. And perhaps ought not to have been out yet by the looks of it. Hopefully it really is just a firmware problem, although on the other hand if they find a hardware flaw then just maybe they could delay the release in time to find a scaler that is capable of adaptive refresh a bit higher than 90 Hz too. But the last is really only wishful thinking on my part. ;-)
Yeah, I have read about that. But I'm not sure if the 35-90 is also the factory defect. If Asus manage to fix that allowing it to support full 144Hz it will really kick G-Sync pricing so hard that I can just buy it without breaking my wallet hard.
Just going to add to this thread that I've now been using this model of monitor for a few weeks and am very happy with it for the price. The Freesync range of up to 90Hz fits very well with a card like my R9 290 in games like Battlefield 4 or Shadow of Mordor.
But there are people whose configuration allows them to easily go past that 90FPS on certain games, Free Sync IMO still cannot directly hurt G-Sync yet.
just an FYI for anybody seeing this post when researching this monitor.
the 35-90hz limit isnt amd or asus's fault, the scaler boards that support IPS do not yet support vrr at 120-144hz, really freesync/gsync are not ment for times you can keep you fps at 120-144hz, but are ment to smooth out those times you CANT keep it that high.
all the 144hz gsync/freesync monitors that have come out that do 144hz vrr(freesync/gsync) are TN at the moment, again hardware limitation of the scaler boards, give it a year or 2 and you should see MUCH wider ranges on IPS/VA/PLS type panels all the way up to 4k, till then this is the best option you have for IPS IMHO...
would be nice if it was 16:10 (2560x1600) but those cost more to make and i doubt there are any panels that support such speeds at that res yet. (god how i wish 16:10 was the norm....)
if you can do 144hz constantly on all titles you dont need gsync/freesync...