The ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM, a 280 Hz 24.5-inch IPS monitor released in late 2020, shipped with a Qisda panel and received positive reviews.[1][2][3] Beginning around mid-2022, buyers reported that newly sold VG259QM units used a different, reportedly inferior AUO panel, with no change to the model number or any external indication of the switch.[4][5][6]
Background
The VG259QM was released in late 2020 and reviewed positively by outlets including RTINGS and Tom's Hardware, which tested units using the original Qisda panel.[7][8]
Silent panel switch (2022)
In November 2022, a VG259QM owner reported on the Blur Busters forum that new units of the monitor used a different AUO panel than earlier ones, identified through the monitors' service menus, and described the new panel's motion clarity as worse; according to this owner, ASUS support attributed the change to a panel shortage and stated that such component switches are normal practice.[4]
Other owners in the same thread reported that the VG259QM had been released in Japan as a "new" product in July 2022, with service menus showing the AUO panel.[5] Guru3D also listed the VG259QM as a new 2022 product.[9]
ASUS's response
ASUS has not published a public statement on the panel change. In a support exchange relayed by a forum user, the company attributed the switch to a panel shortage and described such switches as normal, without providing an official notice to buyers.[4]
Consumer response
There was no indication on ASUS's website, on retailer listings, or on the packaging that the panel had changed; the only indication is in the monitor's service menu. The product retained the exact same model number after the panel change.
The user-reported inferior performance of the new panel, the lack of any indication of a change, combined with the positive reviews of the original monitor, has led some owners to suggest that ASUS may have kept the model number to benefit from reviews of the original panel; however, there is no direct evidence that ASUS deliberately intended to deceive consumers or reviewers.
Because two different products shared the same model number, no outlet formally reviewed the AUO-panel version, so there is no measured comparison confirming the reported difference in motion clarity. TechSpot nevertheless named the monitor "Best of 2022", directly referencing the 2020 Tom's Hardware review of the Qisda-panel version.[10]
References
- ↑ "Qisda Q250HTA00-A000 Overview". Panelook.com. Archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ↑ Breton, Samuel; Lim, Ryan; Khong, Yannick (2020-08-25). "ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM Monitor Review". RTINGS.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-07.
- ↑ Eberle, Christian (2020-09-14). "Asus TUF VG259QM Monitor Review: Ultimate 280Hz Gaming". Tom's Hardware. Archived from the original on 6 Feb 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 cmdrgod (2022-11-23). "The Official *Asus VG259QM* Owners Thread (+ Secret Overdrive)". Blur Busters. Archived from the original on 2026-01-04. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 djexpert (2022-08-04). "The Official *Asus VG259QM* Owners Thread (+ Secret Overdrive)". Blur Busters. Archived from the original on 2026-01-04.
- ↑ "AUO M250HAN01.3 Overview". Panelook.com. Archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ Breton, Samuel; Lim, Ryan; Khong, Yannick (2020-08-25). "ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM Monitor Review". RTINGS.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-07.
- ↑ Eberle, Christian (2020-09-14). "Asus TUF VG259QM Monitor Review: Ultimate 280Hz Gaming". Tom's Hardware. Archived from the original on 6 Feb 2026.
- ↑ Hagedoorn, Hilbert (2022-07-22). "ASUS VG259QM 280Hz / 1ms 24.5-inch Fast IPS gaming LCD". The guru of 3D. Archived from the original on 6 Feb 2026.
- ↑ "Asus TUF Gaming VG259QM 24.5"". TechSpot. Archived from the original on 2025-06-16.