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Last summer Asus released a 32-inch 4K display for a whopping £3000 and we reviewed it. The PQ321Q put in an excellent performance, but its expensive price tag made it seem like an experimental product for people with too much money to burn rather than a viable purchase for those after an accessible 4K experience. In fact, at the time virtually every 4K display was an ultra-expensive luxury. Now that is finally starting to change. The stage is finally set for affordable 4K technology and Asus is back with a new UHD display aimed directly at PC owners wanting the ultimate in ultra-high resolution gameplay at a slightly less insane price point.The brand new PB287Q is a 28-inch display capable of handling full-fat 60Hz 4K signals via a DisplayPort 1.2 connection, also featuring dual HDMI ports (limited to 30Hz in 4K, but full 60Hz at 1080p), along with built-in speakers. Better still, it retails for around £650 for a 28-inch screen - great value for a 4K display considering that a 1440p Dell monitor sets you back around £450 for around half the resolution.
So what's the catch? Well, Asus has achieved such a dramatic reduction in price by switching technology: gone is the Sharp-manufactured IGZO panel found on the PQ321Q, replaced by cheaper and more familiar TN display here. Historically, monitors using TN panels have suffered from poor viewing angles, terrible colour accuracy and sub-standard contrast ratios, but in the last few years the technology has matured to the point where achieving decent image quality is now possible with fewer drawbacks than before. The result is that we should now start to see more competitively prices 4K displays with low levels of input lag, making them well suited to gaming. So how well does the PB287Q fit the bill?
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