A well spec’d and designed monitor is one of the most important peripherals for gamers. Gaming monitors are meant to be fast, responsive, and provide the clearest images to gamers so that they can react to the world around them. Today I’m going to review the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A gaming monitor. I’ll discuss its set-up, design, performance, and of course sharing my final thoughts.
ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A specs
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Unboxing and setting up the ASUS TUF VG30QL1A
The unboxing and set-up process for the ASUS TUF VG30QL1A is straightforward. Inside the box you will find the monitor, base, power supply, 1x HDMI cable, and 1x display port cable.
After removing the packaging, setting up the monitor is surprisingly simple. In my test unit the monitor arm was already attached to the back of the monitor, all I needed to do was connect the base. What I really appreciated in ASUS’s design is that assembly doesn’t require any additional tools. The base is connected to the monitor arm using 2x pre-installed thumb screws. Once you tighten both screws the base is securely attached.
Overall the set-up process is quick and simple, you can have the monitor on your desk and ready to use in less than 5 minutes.
ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A monitor ergonomics and adjustments
Something that’s often overlooked is the quality and design of a monitor stand. In the case of the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A, this monitor has a well designed stand with plenty of adjustments. Fine tuning is simple and the stand allows you to adjust the monitor height, tilt, and swivel. The stand also allows you to pivot the monitor 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode.
Plentiful connectivity on the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A
Connectivity is plentiful on the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A. For video input there are 2x HDMI 2.0 ports and 1x Display port. There’s also 2x USB-A 3.0 ports for users to connect peripherals. Given that USB-C is becoming the new standard for many devices it would’ve been nice to see ASUS include a thunderbolt port for audio/video or at least a regular USB-C port to connect peripherals.
A monitor designed for gamers in mind
The ASUS TUF VG30QL1A sports a 30 inch VA panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1080. ASUS’s decision to use a VA panel reflects their target demographic of gamers. VA panels provide faster refresh rates, higher brightness, and better viewing angles. Gamers that need a fast monitor will definitely appreciate the ASUS’s 200Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time.
The ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A also comes with Freesync premium ensuring that the monitor will match the frames per second (FPS) produced by your graphics card. Adding to this the monitor also comes enabled with Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) which is meant to eliminate ghosting of on screen images. With these features gamers should experience near flawless images while playing any games.
The ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A also has a 1500R curve. Given how wide the monitor is I like the decision to make the screen curved. The curve adds more immersion to your games giving you easy visibility to the corners of your monitor without having to turn your head.
Gaming and media performance of ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A
In my testing with the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A I played some of my favourite games including Call of Duty and Tomb Raider. The monitor is HDR-10 compatible and looks amazing while playing games and watching movies, the colors are punchy, the contrast provides deep blacks in dark areas, and the image is sharp.
The high refresh rate of the monitor and ELMB really came through while playing both games. I’m able to clearly see what was happening during fast action sequences and the ELMB ensures that I’m not distracted by ghosting.
What I’ve really come to love with the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A is the ultra wide curved panel. Having an ultra wide panel gives you a wider field of view allowing you to see more of the game in your peripherals. When you add the curved nature of the screen it greatly improves your immersion, spatial awareness, and allows you to react more quickly to the environment.
Watching movies is equally enjoyable on this monitor. On traditional monitors with 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios, when watching movies you will see black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. However, with the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A the 21:9 aspect ratio means that when watching movies the image fills up the entire screen.
Average built-in speakers
I’m surprised to see that ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A also comes with built-in speakers. These speakers are on the average side, they have a slightly hollow sound and lack bass. If your computer doesn’t have speakers then the ASUS VG1A’s speakers will do in a pinch.
When comparing the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A speaker quality to my 2019 MacBook Air, the MacBook speakers are superior. The MacBook speakers produced clearer sound, more rich audio, and stronger bass.
Overall, the built in speakers of the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A will be adequate for general use. Hardcore gamers and movie enthusiasts will want to use dedicated headphones or external speakers to better enjoy their content.
ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A and productivity
The ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A performs equally as well when it comes to day-to-day productivity. As someone who’s working on multiple spreadsheets, video calls, and building PowerPoints throughout my day I can’t say enough good things about this monitor. The wide viewing angles, curved screen and adjustable stand make it easy for me to swap between applications, and comfortably multitask. I find portrait mode is most helpful when working on vertical designs or reading long documents.
Overall, the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A brings a lot of comforts and features that productivity professionals would like in their day to day workflow.
Easy to use controls
Using the ASUS VG1A’s controls is simple and easy to use. On the back right hand side of the monitor you will find 4x buttons and a navigation joystick. While this is a standard layout ASUS made two key design decisions that made this style of navigation more user friendly. The first change is that the buttons are much larger than other computer monitor buttons. Secondly, ASUS staggered the buttons which improves the tactile feel and prevents accidental presses.
Aside from the standard computer monitor options the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A offers some gamer centric features. For example the shortcut menu allows users to select game specific presets including racing, real time strategy, and first person shooters. Another feature that’s offered is the ability to enable a frames per second counter and the ability to have an on screen crosshairs for first person shooter games.
Overall, I found the controls on the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A to be easy to use, navigate, and offer helpful features for gamers.
Final thoughts on the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A
The ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A is a great monitor for gaming, media, and productivity. I love the flexibility of the monitor stand, the 1500R curve, its fast 200Hz refresh rate, and the 1ms response time. These features add up to a fantastic monitor that will satisfy even the most hardcore gamers. The only disadvantage I can find with the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A is it’s average speaker. This is a minor complaint in an otherwise feature rich and quality monitor.
If you’re in the market for a new monitor I strongly suggest checking out the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A. If you’d like to see what other gaming accessories are made by ASUS you can check them out here.
i love that its easily set up and the screen has a curve to it
200hz refresh and 1ms response is the best feature of this monitor!
Being able to
Pivot from landscape to vertical is awesome for my little gamer kiddo
I like the curve screen and easy set up.
the Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) is a great feature for watching videos
The 1500R curve is the most interesting feature, to me.
The ultra wide display is awesome for a wider field of view! This would help improve productivity and multi-tasking being able to have multiple files and windows open
The feature that stands out the most to me is the Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB). Motion blur can be hard on the head so this is great.
I think that the stand pivoting of the monitor 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode is really intriguing and useful. If you needed to give a report and had to show info the page flipping 90 degrees would show better than a regular screen. This is cool – I didn’t know that was possible!
Mishelle G
I am interested in the fact the set-up process is quick and simple and the monitor is ready to use in 5 minutes. This is good for me because I am doing the set-up myself and the easier the better for me.
the 200Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time is a HUGE plus ! I also love the built in speakers
200hz for the win. I need every advantage possible to win against all those kids
Personally, I love the fact that you can adjust the height of the monitor and I love the look of a curved monitor.
I like that the stand allows to pivot the monitor 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode to view various documents for easy viewing.
The feature that stands out the most is the VA panels. It provides faster refresh rates, higher brightness, and better viewing angles.
the extra width along with the curve, will allow my to maximize the desktop usage.
The standout feature is the ultra wide screen for a more immersive gaming experience
The features that stand out for me is the ease of set up and the curve monitor. I’d love to have one of these.
A feature of this monitor that stands out to me most is its 30-inch VA panels because of their ability to provide better viewing angles and quicker refresh rates.
I love the fact that you can adjust the height of the monitor and I’m very intrigued to try out a curved monitor while gaming!
I like that the stand allows to pivot the monitor 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode to view various documents.
The feature that stands out the most to me on the ASUS TUF VG30VQL1A Monitor is the ELMB feature that eliminates ghosting of images also love the fast refresh rate and response time.
I think the VA panels for faster refresh rates and brightness combined with the curve screen make the product amazing for gaming!!
I love the feature (on the monitor I chose) – “ASUS Eye Care technology with TÜV Rheinland-certified Flicker-free and Ultra-Low Blue Light technologies reduces eye fatigue, even during marathon gaming sessions”, this would be amazing for me if I won, but especially for my grandson who is 10, given how much time he is fixated on the TV screen when playing his Nintendo Switch or X-box with his dad. He would love his own monitor for this.
The portrait mode would be perfect for reading documents.
The curve is a great feature.
I love how well engineered the stand is. Need all the ergonomics I can get, with my huge amount of screen time.
The feature that stood out for me was the easy set up so it is ready to use.
The curve of the screen is definitely a game changer and point of differentiation from a lot of other gaming monitors I’ve seen on the market. The refresh rate is also a huge plus seeing as my partner constantly complains about lag time while gaming! Although the speakers are flagged to be average, my partner is always using a head set so I think this downside is pretty minimal if you are primarily a headset user!
I like that the stand allows to pivot the monitor 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode to view various documents.
I particularly like the fast 200Hz refresh rate, and the 1ms response time along with the ELMB which should make it easy on the eyes when using the monitor for extended sessions. That along with the curved screen for a more immersive experience and the adjustability makes this a winner in my books!
Portrait mode is so cool! This would have helped me so much when reading papers for university!
I like the stand allows you to pivot the monitor 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode to view various documents.
I love the fact that you can adjust the height of the monitor and I’m very intrigued to try out a curved monitor while gaming!
One really great feature is the ability to tilt and change the height of the screen. This makes it so much more flexible for my workspace
I like that you can adjust the monitor height, tilt, and swivel. My husband would appreciate this so he can set it up the way he wants!
AS a FPS gamer the Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) sounds really exciting to eliminate ghosting and improve the gaming experience
I love that the monitor comes enabled with Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) so that my actions films look more realistic.
For me the ELMB is fantastic! Finally less shadows when watching content with fast motion.
I really like that I can adjust the monitor height, tilt, and swivel. I can’t do that with my present model. I could also pivot the monitor 90 degrees from landscape to portrait mode. that would be so neat.
I love that it’s made for gamers but alss has practical features for others to enjoy
For me, the key feature has to be its fast 200Hz refresh rate, and the 1ms response time. If in front on a monitor for long hours, that would help the old eyes feel so much better.
The feature of this monitor that stands out for me as the most interesting and why:
From a productivity perspective, it would be the Portrait mode of the curved screen, e.g. for reading documents in portrait mode rather than landscape mode on such a wide curved screen.
I love that the monitor comes enabled with Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) so that my actions films look more realistic.
The ultra wide curved panel is the most interesting feature because it would allow you to play games in an even better way when you can see the side views more clearly. It would up your game experience!
Hands down the most unique feature is the large 29.5″ size and curvature, which is a space saver because you can replace two smaller monitors with this one.
I like the 1500R curved monitor with 2560 x 1080 pixels. Amazing for playing games or watching movies.
I like that it has an ultra wide panel which gives you a wider field of view.
The curved panel will help my larger-than-average family all be able to catch the action well!
To me the ELMB is fantastic! Finally less shadows when watching content with fast motion.
Happy holidays!
I like the curve of this screen, as well as the easy set up with the stand that can easily turn the monitor for productivity!
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