Asus TUF Gaming VG28U UHD Review: Solid Gaming and HDR Performance

Packed with 144 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, ELMB blur reduction, extended color and HDR

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The VG28U offers three HDR picture modes: Gaming, Cinema and Console. They are subtly different in terms of luminance tracking. After measuring them all, I’m posting the results from Gaming HDR mode. It is indicative of the VG28U’s performance with all types of HDR content.

Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

HDR monitors can be separated into three categories: edge backlight without dynamic contrast, edge backlight with dynamic contrast, and full-array local dimming. The VG28U fits into the middle tier. It has an edge backlight but offers a zone dimming feature for that very effective array. With over 450 nits of peak brightness, there is plenty of juice for bright highlights that pop out from the background.

Black levels proved hard to measure. If you display a full black field, the backlight shuts off completely. Displaying a small info bug clearly shows the zone dimming feature in action. By measuring just outside the dimming zone, I recorded a 12,454.5:1 result which is far better than average. The top four monitors, which include the VG28U, are exceptional HDR machines. They clearly deliver more impact than SDR.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

All three HDR presets produce nearly identical grayscale tracking. There is a bit of warmth visible in the brighter steps, but the error is very minor. I had no complaints when playing games or watching HDR video. The EOTF trace shows tight tracking to standard up to the tone-map transition point at 65%. The VG28U punches up its color saturation in HDR mode like most wide gamut monitors do. The only color that comes up short is green, also typical performance. There are no hue errors visible either.

Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

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.

Read more
ViewSonic XG2536
ViewSonic XG2536 25-inch FHD IPS 280 Hz gaming monitor review: Incredibly quick and value priced
Asus XG27ACDNG
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACDNG 360 Hz OLED gaming monitor review: Lighting-fast with pro-level color accuracy
ViewSonic XG2736-2K
ViewSonic XG2736-2K 27-inch QHD 240 Hz gaming monitor review: Getting faster all the time
Gigabyte M27QA ICE
Gigabyte M27QA ICE 180 Hz QHD gaming monitor review: Solid performance with a unique look
Gigabyte G34WQCP
Gigabyte G34WQCP WQHD VA 190 Hz curved gaming monitor review: Faster than ever
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 27-inch 280 Hz gaming monitor review: Remarkable performance and value
Latest in Gaming Monitors
Odyssey OLED G9
Samsung's 49-inch OLED Odyssey G9 monitor drops to just $949 during Amazon's Spring Sale
Asus Monitor
You can snag this 24-inch Asus TUF gaming monitor for $99 at Amazon – its lowest price to date
Gigabyte G34WQCP
Gigabyte G34WQCP WQHD VA 190 Hz curved gaming monitor review: Faster than ever
Asus Monitor
Asus ROG Strix 27-Inch QHD IPS monitor is only $199 at Amazon
Dell Monitor
This Dell 27-Inch FHD IPS monitor is only $89 at Best Buy
LG 27GS50F-B UltraGear Gaming Monitor
Budget 27-inch gaming monitor hits all-time low price of $129.99 for Presidents' Day
Latest in Reviews
Bambu Lab H2D
Bambu Lab H2D Review: For Elite Crafters
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD Review: Samsung’s Capable Answer to Phison’s Storage Gauntlet
Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 V2 Plus
Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 V2 Plus review: Essential cooling, with a reverse fan
Corsair E400U
Corsair EX400U review: Game-changing USB4 speed in a magnetic, phone-friendly form factor
KYY X90D Triple Portable Monitor
KYY X90D Triple Portable Monitor Review: A screaming dual-screen bargain at $250
Amazon Eero 7 Pro
Amazon Eero 7 Pro Wi-Fi 7 mesh router review: Middle child with middling performance
  • ssj3rd
    „Excellent HDR“ with HDR400? Hmmmm
    You can’t be serious
    Reply
  • peachpuff
    ssj3rd said:
    „Excellent HDR“ with HDR400? Hmmmm
    You can’t be serious
    Indeed, hdr is junk at that price.
    Reply