Right out of the box, extremely happy with this monitor. It was featured in a Linus Tech Tips episode recently, and I managed to find it for much less than the price I saw just now (~$800). Actual MSRP is in the 450$ range, so don't get ripped off if you're looking at this monitor as an option. It is no 800$ monitor, but by no means is it a slouch either.
Assembly was silly easy. Attach base, plug in power, plug in HDMI or DP cable, and you're in business. Only gripe I have at this point is the IO ports on the back are a little close to the monitor backplate. I was originally going to use a Cable Matters DP cable that had locks on it, but the thicker plug on that one necessitated I use the cable that came with the monitor. It also was really difficult to get the cable to click into the monitor due to the same close tolerances. Finally got it in place, and the monitor fired right up.
Ran the Heaven benchmark in order to tweak the settings to where I wanted them, and also see how the monitor performs. Initially, there was a bit of flickering. Opened up Windows Display settings and maxed the Hz at QHD, and it seemed to dramatically reduce it, but there was still a teeny bit of zig zagging in shadow borders. I found the OC option in the Monitor's menu, and that immediately resolved the issue. I still followed up by maxing the Hz selection under both Windows Display options and Nvidia Control Panel, haven't looked back.
I was able to OC the monitor using Nvidia to 165(!)Hz, and have had zero flickering or stuttering. Color me impressed! I know the monitor is advertised to 155Hz, so being able to push it beyond that is a nice add on.
The ELMB function is pretty amazing too! image is buttery smooth, and I can read text on windows while moving them around. I wouldn't say it's crystal clear, but it's definitely nice!
IPS Panel looks amazing sitting next to my 4K IPS monitor as well, color between the two on default settings are very similiar, brightness is about the same as well.
I expect for the money, the backlights will hold up better than the other monitor I purchased. If anything changes or this monitor quits, I'll update this review, but I think ASUS hit the nail on the head with this one. Very happy with the monitor!
EDIT: It's 6/15/2022, and this monitor is still running strong. Absolutely no backlight loss, image is bright and crisp as always. I'd imagine there's been some brightness loss as the monitor ages, but it isn't enough that I notice a change.
Changed my GPU recently. Didn't expect any problems, and happily had zero issues getting the TUF Gaming to play nicely with my 3080Ti. I didn't even need to adjust the OSD settings. Plugged it in and BAM... Doom Eternal pegged at 165 Hz is one of the smoothest experiences I could imagine, and this monitor handles it with grace and aplomb. I can confidently assert this monitor is an amazing buy for the money, as long as you're paying MSRP range prices. 11/10 would recommend!
Edit 2; 3/1/2024: Still going, still overclocked to 165Hz, still bright enough to give me a headache if I turn off all of the lights in the room.
What are you waiting for? Click buy.
kyle b