ASRock PG27FFX2A Review (1080p/520Hz IPS)

1. Introduction2. Design3. On-screen Display (OSD)4. Panel Analysis: SDR5. Response Times & Motion Clarity6. Input Latency7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

It's been an interesting few days putting the ASRock PG27FFX2A through its paces – we've never tested an IPS screen with such a high refresh rate before, and that is clearly the USP for this monitor, though there are plenty of other factors to consider.

One is the factory calibration, which really isn't too bad – there's a slight greenish tint to the image, but this is easily fixed with a minor tweak to colour balance, while gamma tracking is very good, too. It's just a real shame there's no sRGB mode included, something I consider a real miss in 2025.

On top of that, the monitor is very light on features – the OSD looks very dated and doesn't offer many, if any, gaming-oriented settings, while there's also no USB-C or KVM functionality. I am once more frustrated to see five fiddly buttons used to navigate the OSD instead of a joystick.

As for the actual gaming experience though, we can't deny the impressive motion clarity on offer from the 520Hz refresh rate, marking a noticeable step up compared to older, 360Hz IPS panels we have tested for comparison. That said, the response times of the panel aren't quite able to keep up, so there is more blur than there otherwise would be if all the response times fell within the 1.92ms window needed for 520Hz.

You also have to factor in the screen size, with 1080p looking fairly soft over the 27in diagonal. I appreciate there's really not many other IPS panel that push refresh rate this high, so your options are a bit limited, but if I were looking for a super-fast 1080p screen, a 24 or 25in panel would be my preference for the increased pixel density.

The PG27FFX2A does have one last trick up its sleeve though, and that's the price. Currently listed for under £380 from NeoComputers, as far as I can tell this is easily the cheapest 520Hz IPS monitor on the market, with the next-closest model being Alienware's AW2524HF, at almost £550. It's safe to say there's plenty of room for improvement, and we also can't deny it's targeting what must be a pretty niche area of the market, but if you are looking for a fast LCD that won't break the bank, ASRock's PG27FFX2A does enough to be worth buying.

Pros

• One of the fastest IPS panels on the market.
• 520Hz provides noticeably better clarity compared to older 360Hz LCDs.
• Solid factory calibration, with particularly accurate gamma tracking.
• Wide gamut (but there's no way to clamp it to avoid oversaturation.)
• Easily the cheapest 500Hz+ IPS monitor we could find.
• Strong contrast by IPS standards.

Cons

• Response times can't quite keep up with the refresh rate.
• 1080p resolution over 27in panel looks soft.
• OSD looks very dated and is missing a number of features.
• Design looks quite clunky.
• No USB-C or KVM functionality.

KitGuru says: It has a number of drawbacks, but if you're just interested in getting the fastest IPS screen possible, the PG27FFX2A is worth a look at £380.

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