ASUS ProArt Display PA279CV 27″ 4K HDR UHD Professional Monitor

I thought this would be very easy and plug and play using the provided USB-C cable from my MacBook Air M2 laptop to the back of the monitor. But forgive me while I rant. The solution is bottom is at the bottom of my rant.

When I used the USB-C cable as required for a Mabook Air (no HDMI port). I kept getting a message HDMI-1 cable not found..

I spent over an hour on the phone with ASUS support, and was given totally complex and incorrect information!!

After an hour of answering questions,, the first support person explained to me that I needed to download firmware on a flash drive!!! The problem is all the flash drives I have are USB and my Mac doesn’t have a USB port ! Throughout the call, she put me on hold to search for the answers. I said that can’t possibly be can I have a second level person. I was told the only way to reach second level support was to fill out a form. She would email me and I would submit it and wait a day or two for a response by this point and I was going insane and demanded second level support. And it was I was told again that the only way to solve the problem was to download firmware for a Macbook Air M2 and that I needed to download it on a PC!! with a flash drive!! I said no company should deliver a monitor that requires users to download firmware and especially on a PC for a Mac!!! Comments on the Internet, confirm that others were told they needed firmware too!

At wits end, I decided to bring in on the monitor and stand, cables, and my MacBook Air, which was no easy task and drive to my local Berkeley M.A.C. repair store for support before having to repackage the monitor and sending it back to Amazon and then having to scramble to order and wait for a different monitor! . Fortunately, the very kind store manager was able to provide the right and simple answer.

THE SIMPLE SOLUTION!!!

You must sure the the settings (small button, on the Bottom, right front of the monitor) must set to USB-C, rather than as it arrived, factory set to HDMI-1.

The display is truly wonderful! The fact that it can swivel horizontal/vertical so easily is such a great feature. If you end up with a dud, then you, too, may have just wasted a lot of money and time. a lot of money.

Purchased through the Asus storefront on Amazon for with a 3-year protection plan in mid-March 2023.  As someone that works from home, I require a high quality monitor to use on a daily basis.  The product was received, new product, original box, stand, cables, and all. lt was operating as expected. Sixteen calendar days later, connectivity through the USB-C port stopped working. After troubleshooting and calling tech support, I was notified that the product would need to be sent to the Repair Center.  They provided me with a shipping label and I was responsible for purchasing a box and shipping materials. The product had no physical damage upon drop-off at FedEx Center. Two weeks later, I received an email indicating that the product was damaged upon receipt. Asus emailed me the invoice invoice, indicated that I owed $313.74 for the cost of the damages as they were not covered by the warranty.  Images of the damaged package and product were included with the email and invoice.  I had to then file a claim to dispute the charges.  Fourteen business days later, I received an email from Asus stating that my claim has been denied and that I was responsible for the cost of repairs caused from damage in transit.  I was then instructed to contact “The Office of the CEOs”. Someone was assigned to my case and notified me that the charges had been waived and all repairs would be completed. Ten calendar days later, I received shipment, both of which were damaged. Asus requested that the product be sent back for repairs, but first, they had to file another claim with FedEx. I had expressed concerns throughout this process and began reluctantly, inquiring about a refund. The person assigned to my case said that all possibilities had been reviewed and the only option at this time was to send for repairs, again. Ten days later, I dropped off the package at FedEx. By this point, I had made multiple requests for a refund. In early June, I requested a status update regarding the repairs. The same day, I received the invoice, filed the claim to dispute the charges, which were again waived the charges. Repairs were complex and the rep. stated that additional packing materials were requested along with expedited shipping. Seven days later, I emailed the assigned rep., no response. I called to learn that the individual was no longer with the company and a new person would be assigned to my case. A few days after, l received the package. While there is some minor damage to the exterior of the monitor, the screen was left undamaged. When I tried using USB-C connectivity, the monitor once again showed “no signal”. l am now back to square one.

I am beyond exhausted and angry with this seemingly endless process. For this to continue on such a devastating path has been a surreal experience.

I just received my new monitor today and I was stoked to set it up using the USB-C connection. Sadly it didn’t work – even after trying to set it up with two different MacBooks Pros and two different usb-c cables. I contacted Asus Support and they said, “This known issue for the first batch of this device if you are using MAC OS. It will not work out of the box. This is classified as hardware issue.”

UGH!!! Consider yourself warned if you don’t want to use an HDMI connection.

Updated review after getting defective monitors: Got the monitors in March and had failures on each of them almost exactly two months later. One went pixelated (see picture) and the brightness on the other one randomly drops to an almost black screen. Checked the settings and the menu showed nothing had changed. The only way to get the brightness back is to shut the monitor off and wait. Called Amazon to get them shipped back and was told that they couldn’t help me. Amazon connected me to the ASUS support desk who told me that they would not refund me the money and that I could ship them back to get repaired. When I explained that if I did that there would be no monitors for me to work with, they said they would ship advanced replacements, but I would had to give them my credit card to charge $1,000 as a hold for several weeks while repairs happened. After 35 minutes on the the phone, nothing was resolved. My monitors are still defective and ASUS got to keep their money. I wish I could give 0 stars.

I’ve done a ton of research on monitors over the last 2 months trying to find the right one. Please remember this is just my opinions.

Situation: I am a graphic/web design student and manage a website professionally for a major organization, I do have some financial freedoms, this monitor is not cheap and not needed for students but a huge bonus to have.

I originally was looking for an ultra-wide (45”+). However, if you need color/image accuracy, bigger is worse. There is no right size but 24-32” is a good range. I went with the 27” which is perfect for my design, I run a 2nd monitor for my other programs through my work computer, it’s not ideal for “non-technical designers”. If you want a big screen for multi-tasking and other stuff, don’t spend the money on this. If you are looking for color/image accuracy, I think you found what you are looking for.

System: I am running a 2020 M1 Mac Air w/ 16g ram, connection is through the usb-c port (touch on that later).

Projects completed: I recently finished up some work and have completed about 3 illustrator projects and 5 photoshop projects since my purchase. I was working off my 13” screen and an HDMI connected 27” Acer. When I opened a few projects I had been working, I ended up changing all of my colors that weren’t part of the style guides, man was it off on the Acer.

This Asus has everything a designer needs. RGB and CYMK are both very accurate, the cymk is not perfect but, you are looking at print colors on a screen. 4K is beautiful. I did hook up my Xbox series s and it looks good but doesn’t have frame rate needed so meh there but like I said, this is a monitor for designers. Movies play great through both HDMI, DP, and USB-C. I am still trying to get used to the board in this monitor charging my computer and other devices, It acts as a connection hub. Basically, this monitor hit every need.
However…….
If you plan on using usb-c connections (recommended), you will need to be a little tech savvy. These monitors do not work from the manufacturer with Apple. They just don’t. But. You can go to the asus website, download the firmware and drivers, install the drivers through commander, then move firmware to a thumb drive, plug it in to a usb 2.0, hit a sequence of monitor buttons which opens the hardware up for service. You run the file on the thumb drive through the monitor and then boom, it works. I typed this all out because it seemed daunting, but I was a first time to by following the directions step by step. Now, if you are looking at a monitor like this, you probably have the capacity to do what I just described, it’s worth it and will work fine with HDMI/DP until you do this. It seems like a big deal and I wish they did this at the factory but I know more about my monitor and how to troubleshoot it locally as opposed to shipping it back, waiting, and possibly being denied. It’s a pain in the butt but trust me, it’s totally worth the 15min it took.

Overall, I’m very satisfied and would recommend this to designers/artists (digital). I would not recommend it to anyone outside of that field. If you are a student on a budget, you’ll get there eventually and be just fine.

This is a rather expensive monitor for the feature set. On the one hand, the picture is great. On the other hand, if you are like me, you will encounter more difficulties than it is worth in trying to get that picture to work.

I needed to connect three devices, a new M1 Mac Mini, a new Windows 11 PC, and a Nintendo Switch. In order to make the M1 Mac Mini functional over USB C I understood I needed to install new firmware — the firmware that came with the monitor was not the most recent. I had never had to do so with any monitor I had ever purchased. The process was not intuitive, and even with the update the USB hub feature did not work. I understood there is another firmware update that must be installed via a Windows computer, but felt that the reward wasn’t worth the further effort.

The larger problem with the monitor stems from the poor menu, settings, and switching ability. The monitor is a power saving monitor, which I am all about, but this apparently comes at the expense of the monitor detecting input from devices when they are starting up. This is important for things such as Mac recovery and PC bios screens. Despite my many attempts at getting the monitor to work to detect those screens for some OS and hardware updates on my other devices, I ended up having to use an old monitor elsewhere in my house.

I had no luck with the monitor automatically detecting displays. With the above issues with it detecting devices early in start-up this is, perhaps, no surprise.

The menus appear to have a full array of options to tweak the monitor’s features, which is great in theory. Specifically, I found it interesting that there was a picture-in-picture and side-by-side mode, which I did try to use to some extent and with some success. But the problem is the effort and time it takes to switch that mode on or off or between those various modes. The menus are not intuitive and the buttons have lag such that the switching is not a fast process. The same is true switching between various inputs.

Another negative I would point out is the speakers. They are poor, so I would not plan on using them. Even the Mac Mini’s internal speakers were better than the monitor’s.

Lastly, I would note the poor to non-existent support for these above-noted issues. There are forums, so you may find your issue covered in those. I did not. Eventually, I decided to give up and return the monitor. It is unfortunate, because the picture is great. It is just not worth the hassle.

I am a patient person when it comes to tech products and rarely leave negative feedback, but this monitor deserves it. I would advice folks to look elsewhere.

This will be the second replacement I have had to get for the Asus ProArt on Amazon in the past month. The first time, the image quality on the monitor I received was TERRIBLE! My cheap, uncalibrated Viewsonic had better quality. To avoid user error, prior to my initial purchase I verified that my PC capabilities could properly support the monitor. Also each time, I was sure to follow the included instructions and to use the cables that arrived with the monitors.

As my video shows, this monitor appears to be a used monitor based on the removal of the spec labels from the box (which people often do when removing labels to return and item in its original box). I did not process an exchange with the first return. Instead, I got a refund and placed a new order. I was initially going to try an different brand but decided to give the ProArt another shot. I am starting to regret my decision.

This is unacceptable, especially for a $500 monitor!

Had this unit for three months hooked up to a Mac mini with their new processor. Everything worked well out of he box. I thought I found the perfect monitor for editing my photos. But when I returned from a one week vacation I found the usb-c connection no longer worked. I took my computer and monitor to Apple. And after everything was tested it was concluded the problem was with the monitor. I sent it toasts to be repaired and after two weeks (Was promised I would have it in one week) and the same problem existed. It was though the replaced a part and never tested it. I called Tech support the same day I received it and they directed me to a firmware update. The technician walked me through the process and the new firmware was installed. Unfortunately, not only was the old problem not fixed but a new problem developed. I was no longer able to access the Menu from the monitor. The technician was confused and said he would have to elevate the support to a higher level. This afternoon I got a call from Asus and was told I had to fill out a form and then there would try fixing my issues. Why I had to complete this form that requested redundant information they already had I don’t know. I suspect I will have to send this monitor back again and be without it for another two and half weeks. And there is no guarantee they will get this working as apparently they don’t bother testing their units once repaired. If I had a choice I would just want a refund and go with a different brand. But I passed the 30 day return window that Amazon allows. My advice, don’t be enticed by its feature. It seemingly is a bargain, but will become a very expensive paper weight.

I create Fine Art Photography for Galleries and Publications. I needed an affordable Delta 2 Color Accurate Monitor with 4K Resolution. Most options are well over $800 including Apple’s Monitor at $1600. BenQ has an impressive monitor, but it is well over $3000. This ASUS Monitor is not only within my Budget, the screen brightness is one of the best in its class. Also, I’m able to connect my laptop and gaming console to it. The Speakers on this monitor are not great; headphones or external speakers will be useful.

My only real complaint about the monitor is how you’re forced to switch between Menu Options. ..and there are a ton of Options to choose from. Six small buttons are in the front bottom right of the monitor. They are not backlit making them near impossible to see. Scrolling through the Menu with these buttons is annoying. From adjusting the screen brightness to the monitor volume to Color Modes, this is the only way to change them. This Monitor desperately needs a remote for easy access to all these functions.

Overall, the Color Accuracy of this Monitor is even better than some more expensive models. Although the resolution looks great, at 60 Hz Refresh Rate, it’s not ideal for Pro Gamers. You will have to spend more to get better ease of use and other features you may want.

I built a computer with their motherboard and video card five years ago, and their tech support people (US based) were beyond awesome, they were fantastic. That alone sold me on ASUS, they knew their stuff. I can’t say enough nice things about them based on those interactions.

Now fast forward to the present. Based on that support I went all in on ASUS to build the replacement for that aging system. Big mistake. Big. Huge. Colossal.

I built the computer to replace that system this month. I had to call tech support. The new ASUS is an absolute nightmare. They outsourced support to the Philippines. So…the phone lines are horrible, chickens cluck in the background,the techs know next to nothing, I get put on hold for five minutes, which means they are calling someone else and asking my question.

Wait there is more. Their accents are make understanding them impossible, and they constantly say thank you after every answer I give them, then profusely apologize for everything. I don’t want a thank you, or the same empathetic apology (“Your house is on fire, I am so sorry to hear that, can I have your serial number, you name, your favorite color and the hour of your birth.”) But they can’t give an honest answer about anything and are just reading from a checklist.

I will never, as long as I walk the surface of this earth, nor will I ever let any of my progeny buy so much as an ASUS paper clip, so help me God.

And the monitor is nowhere close to as bright as it should be given what I paid for it. Junk, absolute junk.