#i feel like i missed out on heavier contrast and a brighter pop

[may8elle]

sweet as sugar, lethal as poison

[extremelyblackandwhite]

innocence - 08

PAIRING: bodyguard!bucky barnes x innocent actress!reader

WARNINGS: age gap, fainting, anxiety

A/N:  this is a tiny chapter that i wrote while listening to folklore from taylor swift and i just really wanted to share it today. hope you enjoy it. much love xx

NEXT CHAPTER

Y/N rushed off the set, she felt sick, too sick. The scene replayed in her head like a wrapped twisted horror movie scene and everyone around her seemed to look at her, almost as if they knew, shaming her. She continued to run, to run to the car as if going to the car was going to save all her issues. It was Bucky’s car and Bucky made her feel safe, it was safe, it was safe there. However, she could still feel the stares burning on her back like camera flashes and with her hands in front of her face, she ended up going against someone. 

     - Y/N? Are you okay? - the words sounded echoed and she looked up to see Chuck holding her, concerned drawn all over his normally relaxed features. Yet, not even the familiar face seemed to calm her down. She could still feel it, she could still feel his hand on her leg, his rough, sandpaper like skin rubbing against her thigh. Was that why she had gotten the role? Did she had no ability to act? Was it all a way to get her close? She started to breathe in fast, breathing in and out faster than her body allowed her. Soon enough, she felt herself dizzy headed. - Y/N? Y/N, can you hear me?

The sound seemed to dim and the lights got brighter until suddenly everything just collapsed on top of her and she felt herself get heavier and heavier. Chuck gripped onto her as so she wouldn’t fall onto the ground. The man looked around for anyone but there wasn’t anyone who was even looking at him or had even noticed her. As he looked around he did see something, Bucky, staring him down who started walking his way as if he were a lion and Chuck a gazelle. On that moment, Chuck wished he hadn’t been the one who had caught her.

    - She fainted. - he said before he could taste a bit of the former Winter Soldier’s ire. - She was breathing too fast, I don’t know why.

Bucky mumbled something under his breathe, cursing the director and himself for not having been there for Y/N. He took her from his friends’ arms, his own arm going under her knees to pick her up bridal style, her face leaning against his chest. He looked around and people still weren’t interested. At least there was something that didn’t change about the world, he thought. Still selfish, still unable to look outside their own lives to see others. He wanted to be wrong about her being eaten alive, he so wanted to be wrong yet you don’t live to be over a hundred and not know what soft people go through. 

He wanted to be wrong so badly, he wanted to protect her from everything. God, he wanted to be able to tell her it wouldn’t happen again but he couldn’t. He could punch his way through protecting her but he could never tell her that other people wouldn’t try it. In that moment he wondered what was worse, if his past or her present. 

Bucky guided her into the back seat of his car, pulling a quilted blanked, which normally laid on the floor of the car for whenever one of his friends passed out drunk, and laid it over her. Last thing she needed was for some cheeky paparazzo to photograph her unconscious in the back of someone’s car. As he drove, his eyes were glued onto the mirror, eyes on her. He drove the softest and slowest he could, as if he carried a newborn baby. 

He got to her apartment and drove inside the garage, parking next to that oil stain before going to pick her up once more. He probably guessed she had fainted due to fast breathing, probably an anxiety attack. He should’ve gone after her, he told himself as he stepped inside the lift. Some of her neighbours gave him encouraging looks, as if carrying an unconscious woman was something to be proud of. He gave them intimidating looks, exiting the lift and walking straight to her home. Her home always smelled nice, notes of vanilla, apple and cinnamon, probably due to the tea light candles she had scattered around several rooms. In any other situation he would tell her about it being a fire hazard but by the amount of candles, he guessed it probably brought her a sense of comfort to see the twinkling flame and smell the sweet aromas. 

Walking into her room, he pushed the several blankets that decorated her bed and laid her down, pulling the blind down and the blankets to cover her. She will be okay, he told himself. He just didn’t know if to believe himself. 

Y/N woke up not with the sun shining, no, it was night time and she couldn’t remember exactly how she had ended up home. She gripped her sheet and rose her torso up, leaning against the metal framing of her bed while her free hand rubbed the sleep off her eyes. Her hearing was still somewhat echoey but she could hear two people fighting. She rose from her bed and walked up to the door, opening it slowly to check who was fighting.

    - She was feeling uncomfortable and she fainted. Are you seriously gonna give her a talk because of that? - she could recognise Bucky’s voice, seeing his arm from the fringe of the door. 

   - She’s a disappointment for this agency. What if the production had gone on hold? - that was definitely Miss Olson’s voice.

   - She’s human and considering how you and your people treat her, it’s not surprising she hasn’t been completely healthy.

   - You are her bodyguard so I would suggest you stay out of this. 

   - I will protect her from you if it’s necessary now get out. You can speak with her during her working hours like a regular person. - he closed the door on her, the harsh sound making Y/N take in a silent gasp, hand in front of her mouth. She wasn’t entirely sure how the former Winter Soldier would react to someone listening on his conversations so she rushed back to her bed, pulling the bedding up to her.

She felt guilty, guilty he had to deal with her problems and guilty she had put the agency in trouble. She didn’t meant to, she really didn’t meant to cause anyone any harm. Maybe people were right, maybe she should’ve stuck to theatre, that was all she could do. Maybe her father was right, she should’ve made use of the law degree which was gathering dust in the attic. She didn’t know, she didn’t know anymore. The only time the director seemed to be happy was if she was being what he wanted, the agency was barely happy. Maybe she wasn’t a good actress.

    - Y/N? - she turned her head to the side to see Bucky holding a paper cup from the tea shop downstairs. - I got you some tea, thought it’d make you feel better.

    - Bucky, it’s past your clock in time. You should be home with your friends.

   - Well ... - he sat next to her, putting the cup on her bedside table. - I only consider Steve my friend, the others are just people I live with. Besides, it’s Taco night in the tower and I don’t particularly fancy it. 

   - I really fucked up didn’t I? - she sighed. - I’m going to get fired.

   - No, princess, you’re not gonna get fired. - he handed her the tea. - The director personally promised me you’re not gonna get fired. 

   - Really? - he felt the breath that had gotten stuck on his throat leave once he noticed she didn’t seem to realise the pet name he had let slip.

   - Yeah. Come on, you just got nervous, it happens. I got nervous too when I was first drafted. 

   - With all due respect, Bucky but you don’t look like the guy who gets nervous. 

   - When I was first drafted, I spent at least half an hour in the bathroom throwing up. I would say you deal with stress much more gracefully than me. 

   - You’re just saying that to make me feel better. - she laughed, moving her head to look at the blankets covering her legs, hair moving to form almost a curtain which kept Bucky from seeing her soft, almost princess-like smile. Bucky had met several women and taken out some more but none of them seemed to have the softest of movements Y/N had, the elegance which came ever so naturally yet mixed with her natural clumsiness so perfectly. It was a stellar thing he loved to experience. - I don’t know if I’m worth all of that. 

    - Come on, you did so good today. 

    - Sure ... “it’s like he was touching a piece of wood” surely sounds like a great day of acting. 

    - That’s not your fault, maybe your friend just sucks at touching.

    - No, I just suck at reacting to touch. 

    - Mhm ... - Bucky looked at her before an idea popped into his head. He smirked, before his fingers went to touch her torso, dancing around and effectively tickling her. Y/N let out a hearty chuckle, letting herself lay down in the middle of her several pillows while he tickled her torso up and down, head moving with chuckles. He was standing atop her watching her eyes closed, large wide smile, the only type of smile he’d seen in Coney Island which her hands trying to shoo his away while the most melodic of chuckles excited through her still painted scarlet lips.

    - Bucky! - she shrilled as his hands left her torso to instead hold his body, each hand on the side of her shoulders. Y/N gained her breathe, her eyes opening up to stare at his. She wondered why time suddenly stopped, one hand going to cup his face while other pushed some of the hair that covered his eyes away. 

The eyes, you cannot change someone’s eyes. They remain mostly the same from the moment you are born to the moment you die. They remain the same through hard and good moments of your life and Bucky’s had remained the same. They were bright, bright and clear, contrasting his mostly conflicted mind. You could almost see yourself in them. 

     - You have really pretty eyes.

     - Don’t change the subject. - he coughed, trying to maybe get the flush he was getting to disappear. - You seem pretty reactive to touch, I’d say it’s Charles fault. 

     - You don’t need to make me feel better, Bucky. - she sat up. - You really don’t. Maybe I’m just not good enough for all of this.

     - You cannot win every single battle, no one does.

     - Have you ever lost a battle? - Y/N found it harder to believe that the Winter Soldier formerly known as a ghost story for how good he was would have ever lost something. No, she just seemed to be finally waking up that maybe her place was not here.

     - Yes and my loss was pretty much publicised all over the Washington papers. You can Google it, Sam has pretty much all of them framed in the kitchen. I am reminded of it everyday. - he chuckled, turning to face her. - It’s not going to happen again, Y/N. I can promise you that. 

Y/N remembered one thing that her mother had told her when she was little. She was riding her bike and hit a stone making her crumble and fall to the ground, hurting her knee in the process. She didn’t want to get on a bike after that but her mum took her hand and sat her on the bike, told her she believed she could do it again and when she replied she couldn’t, her mum told her “it only really takes one person to believe in you”. She had never thought of it much after, she had never really had someone believing her. She could maybe say her agency did but she was too smart to know what her contract stated. If she did well, they earn money. It’s not that they believe in her, it’s that she’s bankable. However, looking into Bucky’s eyes, hearing his words echo in her mind, maybe someone believed in her.

     - Thank you for defending me today.

     - Anytime. 

taglist: @disasterbii @lookiamtrying @buckysteveloki-me @nsfwsebbie @americasass81 @jamesbarnesappreciationclub @lostinthebeans @mariahthelioness29 @buckyandsebastian @peaches-roses-sins @theadorasabditory @sipsteacasually @tonystankschild @saiyanprincessswanie @booktease21 @noiralei @learisa @everythingisoverrated @uglipotata72829 @naturalthrone22 @husherstan @mandiiblanche @vicmc624 @newyorkgoddess @itsallyscorner @chipilerendi @emzd34 @writerwrites @bluevxnus @that-girl-named-alex���

[happymetalgirl]

Periphery - Periphery IV: Hail Stan

Periphery is one of those bands that I think draws way more polarized opinions than they need to. When it comes to them, it's either the big djentheads who appreciate what they do or the rest of the metal world that just can't get past Spencer Sotelo's vocal style. While it did take me a while to get used to, I eventually came around to Spencer's vocals around their second album.

Even though I am now on the fan side of the Periphery dichotomy, I have actually never been much of a fan of their beloved self-titled debut; I've always found to be kind of an overdrawn prototype for what was to come. I gave it a listen not too long ago before this album dropped and it again confirmed my position on it. I did of course find their sophomore effort to be a lot more polished and for the better.

It was with the Clear EP, though, and the subsequent, long-awaited Juggernaut double release though that I really found myself drawn to Periphery, and largely for Spencer's incredible melodies. The band were starting to really find the dynamic between anthemic choruses and crushing djenty heaviness that allowed both of those facets of their sound to compliment each other exquisitely. Songs like "Parade of Ashes", "Pale Aura", and "Feed the Ground" brought the best out of Spencer's slightly scratchy high range through anthemic melodies and set up the rest of the band for the best of the heaviness they had to offer.

The band really set the gold standard for themselves in a lot of ways with Juggernaut though, refining everything that made their sound already great at its best and raising it to a new best. There's djent at its most powerful on songs like "MK Ultra" and "Hell Below", which is absolutely filthy, slow 8-string deliciousness, and the absolutely ripping breakdown of "The Bad Thing" still fucking gets me every time I hear it (and I've heard it a lot). Spencer's highs at the climax of "The Scourge" and his entire performance on the also invigorating melodies of "22 Faces" are absolutely phenomenal as well, and the risky melodic direction of "Alpha" paid off stupendously. Needless to say, I really liked Juggernaut, and while 2016's Periphery III: Select Difficulty wasn't a complete letdown, it definitely missed that divine spark and seemingly the long grooming process that the Juggernaut albums did. It had its moments, but it's still just so overshadowed by the band's magnum opus.

So now a little further down the road from that towering monument of theirs, the band are back with their fourth self-titled album, which is another respectably ambitious effort that seeks to build its own monstrous djent castle on bigger compositions and darker themes. At 63 minutes, Periphery: Hail Stan is quite a beast of its own. Sonically, much of this album feels like a combination of the grandiosity and untethered heaviness of Juggernaut and the rawness and stylistic tendencies of the band's debut LP, and the mixture is, to a degree, predictably mixed.

As much as I love big, ambitious prog metal epics, and I love the idea of kicking an album off with one, the nearly 17-minute, string-backed "Reptile" that starts the album feels so unusually meandering and unnecessarily dragged out for Periphery, and despite the few shining moments in the track, it seems more like the band just wanted to make their longest song than anything else. So while it's not a particularly great start to the album, it certainly comes with enough highlights to not sink it immediately, and it does get better from there. The determinedly deathy, djenty, and eventually anthemic lead single "Blood Eagle" that follows the somewhat misdirected epic finds the band channeling their Juggernaut form into a much more focused and perfected piece than the preceding track, and it very much confirms where the band's strengths still mainly lie. The eerily relevant "CHVRCH BVRNER" subsequently carries the heavy momentum further by upping the speed and even the black metal intensity. Still, the band manage to impressively work in a sweet and fitting melodic vocal hook seamlessly, a testament to their progression as a group and proficiency with their common elements.

The album's second single, "Garden in the Bones", breaks the "kvlt" vibe with brighter, less aggressive instrumentation, hearkening to more ethereal prog metal anthems like "Heavy Heart" and "Priestess" from Juggernaut. I'm surprised the band used it as a single because it's not one of their most impressive contrasts to their heavy style on the album. An electro synth line then opens the following song "It's Only Smiles" much like that of "Alpha", but unlike "Alpha", Spencer's reverting to the debut LP's pop punk melodic tendencies on this song are not effectively balanced and given the vigor they had on the Juggernaut classic. It's not the worst example of the style, but it is the kind of song the band's and Spencer's detractors can point to to feel justified in calling Periphery weak (which is bullshit even just looking at this song in the context of melodic hardcore).

"Follow Your Ghost" follows with more indulgent heaviness but not really much in the way of tasty riffs, unique grooves, or infectious vocal melodies. It's clearly meant to simply juxtapose the lighter atmosphere of the previous track, which it does wel enough at an aesthetic level, but it's a little bit of an autopilot track. The electro beat that starts the next song, "Crush", ushers in an electronically supplemented, bass-y rocker that outshines much of what Underoath and Bring Me the Horizon were attempting on their recent albums. Its a bit long and I wish the climax was a little more climactic, but its consistent infectious bass and the swagger the band are able to pull off with it make up for it.

The following song, "Sentient Glow", is a reworking of a song from a previous side project of Misha Mansoor's and Mark Holcomb's, and it does feel a bit like an outside track that's just been Peripherized. Spencer's ethereal high melody at the song's explosive ending is a nice touch, but I still wouldn't say it alone justifies the song's inclusion.

The album finishes with the angelic and euphorically anthemic "Satellites", which is a bit of a new prog, melodic metalcore power ballad that ascends from atmospheric clean guitar echoes and soft singing into a crescendo of emotive, ambiance-supplemented djent with some of Spencer's most impassioned and impressive high singing atop it, and it makes for a fittingly grand and well-executed conclusion to a similarly massive and ambitious album.

Even where the band so stumble on Hail Stan, they are so tuned in to what they do well when they revert to their evolved form that they more than make up for it. And that's not to say all their musical ventures flop, they do pull off quite a few surprising hits on songs that don't fall within their usual modes of operation. And when they're on their tried-and-true shit the band don't slip up much, showing their focus and full capabilities with their style. It's still not quite up to the level of long-toiled mastery that Juggernaut was, but I definitely want to heap more praise than criticism on this album because so many bands have tried (or half-assed) the kind of reconciling of dense production, orchestration with an older, heavier sound and it usually falls flat on its face, while Periphery have managed to to stay themselves and still channel the best version of themselves even through less familiar means. Unlike the many bands who neuter, malform, or erase their signature essence through forays into bombastic projects like this, Periphery's most vibrant form shined through and kept the background from taking over the album, which is certainly a much more accomplished follow-up to their masterpiece than their previous album was.

Juggernaut: Beta/10

[tech-battery]

Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE 240Hz Portable Monitor Review: Expensive Innovation

Having a portable monitor is a lifesaver. Whether your laptop’s screen just doesn't give you enough space or you’re looking for something to connect to a smartphone or tablet, having an extra screen can instantly boost your productivity. But what if that lightweight screen wasn’t all business? What if it had a fun side too?

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is just that, bringing a pro-level 240 Hz refresh rate to a portable screen for the first time. The 17.3-inch monitor (DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB Type-C or HDMI) delivered most of what I wanted and needed for both work and gaming and made its mark as a one-of-a-kind product. But that innovation comes at a $500 price tag that leaves us wondering if you’re better off just buying one of the best gaming monitors instead.

Design of Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

With speedy specs, there’s no doubt that the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is for gamers, but with portable monitors offering little space to work with, gamer aesthetics are only embodied by a pair of watchful eyes that are the Asus ROG logo. With black the dominating color, the overall look here is pretty mute, but Asus found subtle ways to include premium touches.

With its subtle placement, smooth feel and silver look, the Asus ROG logo actually looks good in a bottom bezel that also manages to fit in two 1W front-firing speakers without taking up too much room. The back of the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is its fanciest looking part. A diagonal line starkly divides two contrasting brushed finishes that makes one half look darker than the other. Here lies another ROG eye that glows when the monitor’s on. I’m not usually a fan of massive branding, but when the logo looks this good and gives out a vibe this creepy, I can’t help but appreciate it.

The 17.3-inch Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE will naturally take up more desk space than the 15.6-inch MSI Optix MAG161V (15.7 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches for the Asus versus 14.05 x 8.94 x 0.43 inches with the MSI), but it’s still comparably thin and even thinner than the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 (12.7 x 8.2-8.7 x 3.8 inches). However, with its larger size, the Asus is also heavier than those non-gaming portable displays (2.3 pounds versus the MSI’s 2 pounds and the Lenovo’s 1.3 pounds). But if you want larger screen size, which is handy for immersing yourself in the game as much as possible, the extra screen real estate will be worth the extra pound, and pixel density is still fantastic at 127.3 pixels per inch.

A small way the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE starts earning its price tag is through versatile connectivity options. If you have a laptop or desktop with a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, you can connect to the monitor that way. If your computer's USB-C port can charge other devices, you can even use the ROG Strix XG17AHPE without ever having to worry about it running out of battery. Through USB-C, the monitor can receive up to 12V at 2A (with USB Power Delivery 3.0). With my laptop’s Thunderbolt port, I was able to use the ROG Strix XG17AHPE with a single (included) USB-C to USB-C cable for hours without its battery life ever dropping. USB-C also serves to connect tablets and smartphones, including a Samsung Galaxy S10 I connected to it effortlessly.

Either of the two USB-C ports can power the monitor, so if none of your system’s ports can’t do that, you can use one to connect to your device and the other to supply it power. The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE comes with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, which plugs into an included power brick. That adapter also means the monitor can connect to your system’s USB-A port and receive power.

In addition to USB-C or USB-A, you also have the option to connect to a device’s HDMI port via a MicroHDMI to HDMI cable. This opens up possibilities in the world of Raspberry Pi, gaming consoles and even cameras. If you use HDMI, it’ll either run on battery (see the Battery Life section) or you could simultaneously give the monitor power through a USB-C cable. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging in your best gaming headset.

The panel’s left side holds all the ports and controls. Controls come in the form of a power button located higher than the rest of the inputs and lights up when on or charging, plus three additional buttons. They’re all pretty shallow but worked on the first try.

Origami Stand on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

Like with many portable monitors, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE uses an origami-style stand that you must fold a certain way to prop up the monitor. It felt a little more intuitive to fold than the one found on the Optix MAG161V, and the Asus has a magnetic hard bit that secures under the bottom bezel for added stability. But the stand was still a pain in the butt.

The origami stand does allow for different levels of back tilt, but I sometimes wished I could get the monitor closer to 90 degrees to better line it up with a connected laptop. If my table started shaking due to aggressive typing, I’d notice the XG17AHPE wobbling too. But the monitor never came crashing down, even if I slid it across my desk (putting pressure on the top bezel was a different story though).

In portrait mode, the stand never failed me, but I felt nervous the whole time. The stand just doesn’t provide enough of a foundation for me to feel safe using it that way long-term or with a wobbly table. But I have to admit that having this much vertical screen space is fantastic for reading and something missed with the vast majority of laptops.

We wish more monitors would employ a reliable and sturdy kickstand like Lenovo does with the ThinkVision M14, which has not one, but two built-in stands. Portable monitors are just too delicate and, in the XG17AHPE’s case, expensive to bet it all on thin, bendy stand-sleeves. The monitor will eventually be available as a different SKU (XG17AHP) with a tripod stand, (plus the same sleeve and a bag), but that ups the monitor’s price to $600.

As bad as this thing is as a stand, it’s even worse as a protective case. While the cover makes a debatably safe stand, it’s an undeniably flawed protector that leaves the sides and back of the monitor exposed. Since this monitor’s meant for traveling, we expected Asus to provide a sleeve that covered all bases without easily sliding off.

Gaming Performance of Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

A 240 Hz monitor opens up a world of potential for first-person shooters and other eSports. While even the best graphics cards for gamers can’t always push AAA titles at a frame rate of 240 frames per second (fps) and high settings, eSports games look extra smooth at 240 fps with low latency and the elimination of disastrous distractions, like ghosting. The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's FreeSync fights off screen tearing, which happens when your GPU’s frame rate doesn’t match up with the display’s refresh rate, but that only works with AMD graphics cards.

Unfortunately, with New York City in lockdown we couldn’t use our lag tester on the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE; however, I put it through its Overwatch paces, paired to a gaming laptop running an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 mobile GPU. I used the monitor’s out-of-the box settings, so overdrive was set to Level 3.

As I played Overwatch for a few hours, I didn’t notice any input delay with the monitor with the game set to run at 1920 x 1080 at 240 Hz, but with a GTX 1060 GPU, I was only able to hit a frame rate of about 63-85 fps. To maximize the screen’s potential, I’d need a more-powerful GPU that can push out 240 fps with this game.

Still, images on the ROG Strix XG17AHPE appeared smooth, even during Sigma’s most intense and fastest moments of battles or when enemies filled the screen. Trotting around felt very smooth and realistic. Ocean waves in the distance moved smoothly without stuttering. I’m used to gaming on a 17.3-inch 144 Hz screen, so I didn’t notice a grand improvement in quality when graduating to a 17.3-inch 240 Hz display. But if you’re moving from a standard 60 Hz screen, your experience may differ.

On-Screen Display, Calibration on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's on-screen display (OSD) is surprisingly navigable for a portable monitor settings menu. Pressing the menu button on the side brings up icons on the display that align with the corresponding buttons for activating. This makes it easy to know where the buttons for scrolling, selecting and back are. It’s no joystick, but the pop-ups are large and proved helpful in navigation.

Asus also surprised me with a large number of calibration options on the ROG Strix XG17AHPE. The Gaming menu features overdrive (five levels of overdrive, plus off), an option for toggling FreeSync and the GamePlus menu, which has a crosshair, timer, FPS counter and display alignment. In the GameVisual section, you can pick from eight image modes. Racing is the default, but there’s also Scenery, Cinema, RTS/RPG, FPS, sRGB, MOBA and User. The Gaming section also has Shadow Boost, which, according to Asus, “clarifies dark areas of the game without overexposing brighter areas” with three levels, including 0, the default.

The Image section of the ROG Strix XG17AHPE's OSD provides control over things like brightness, contrast and the blue light filter, depending on the mode selected. Meanwhile, the Color menu has options for Color Temp (cool, normal, warm, or user with red, green and blue sliders from 0-100%), Gamma (2.2, the logic default, or 1.8 or 2.5) and Saturation.

Other menu sections include Power, Input Select (HDMI or USB Type-C), My Favorite, for shortcuts and customized settings and System Setup, with standards like language, volume, key lock, OSD setup and reset. There’s also an Auto Rotation feature, but to use it you must download Asus’ DisplayWidget software.

Image Quality on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

We did our testing with out-of-the box image settings, so the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE was in Racing Mode with contrast set to 80 and the blue light filter and Shadow Boost off.

The ROG Strix XG17AHPE worked great as my general second display with plenty of brightness. Even when I was facing a sunny window, the screen was bright enough for productivity use at 50% max brightness, and games were playable at this setting, albeit more dull.

Word documents were luminous enough to edit while looking at the monitor head on, and when I turned it perpendicular from me, I could still view documents and games, but with just a touch of reflection in the further third of the screen. When I boosted brightness up to 100%, that reflection was barely noticeable. Additionally, with the screen completely flat, I could comfortably view documents and movies, only sacrificing a small amount of brightness. Credit is due to Asus’ use of IPS, a panel tech known for strong viewing angles.

Overwatch, a particularly colorful game, looked properly saturated on the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE, and dark colors were distinct. Different shades of dark green topiaries and a yellow sunflower were apparent in shadowed corners. Colors on the movie Mission: Impossible Fallout were also strong, from green poplars that looked exuberant and vivid as Ethan and Ilsa walked past them, to differing shades of gold and rust in a club scene. Even the secretly olive green in Ilsa’s jacket was discernible on the ROG Strix XG17AHPE.

The ROG Strix XG17AHPE proved pleasantly bright in our testing but fell short of Asus’ 300-nit max brightness claim. Still, 285.6 nits is plenty and still brighter than the next runner up by 117.2 nits, as well as the average of the comparison group by 81.6 nits.

Asus claims that the ROG Strix XG17AHPE covers 100% of the sRGB color space, but our review unit actually surpassed that slightly. Colors on the Asus should look more saturated than those on the MAG161V or the 15.6-inch Asus ZenScreen MB16AC. The Lenovo fell behind the XG17AHPE by 11.5%. When it came to the wider DCI-P3 space, the XG17AHPE hit an impressive 77.5% coverage, significantly better than what MSI’s MAG161V or Asus’ MB16AC can do here.

Battery Life on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE runs on a 7,800mAh battery. If you have a USB-C or USB-A port with Power Delivery 3.0 support, it can provide the monitor enough power to save you from having to get a charger. When I used it with a Thunderbolt port, battery life never fell below 100%, and when I used it with a supporting USB-A port for 7 hours at max brightness, the battery life only dropped to 97%.

But if your device doesn’t have a Power Delivery port, the monitor will be running off battery power. With the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE running at 240 Hz and using the speakers at max volume, it lasted about 2 hours at 80% brightness. At 100% brightness and without using the speakers, it lasted about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

At 60 Hz, the display uses less battery power. With brightness maxed out, but rarely using the speakers, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE lasted 3 hours. When I used the XG17AHPE at 50% brightness at this refresh rate, the portable monitor lasted about 4.5 hours.

Asus claims that the ROG Strix XG17AHPE can get enough juice to game for 2 hours at the max 240 Hz refresh rate with an hour of charging.

Audio on Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE

It’s not the primary reason people buy portable monitors, but the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's two 1W stereo speakers are shockingly loud and might outblast a connected phone, tablet or disappointing laptop speakers. The ROG Strix XG17AHPE’s speakers were especially handy when I played emulated N64 games off a Raspberry Pi, which, of course, doesn’t include speakers, as would also be the case if you connected the XG17AHPE to a gaming console.

Because the speakers on my laptop are particularly bad, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE's speakers were actually an upgrade when I played Overwatch. With front-firing speakers, audio from the monitor never sounded muffled. During battle, I could make out the differences in sound effects from various weapons and still clearly hear characters' voices and even that of my teammate, who wished something bad would happen to me in real life (I hope you live a long life, pal!). Overall, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE provided fuller sound, even allowing me to hear wind blowing in the background during a quiet training session that I couldn’t hear when I toggled audio back to my lackluster laptop speakers.

Hearing Mission: Impossible Fallout was also easy, even with the windows in my Brooklyn apartment open. Ethan and Ilsa’s whisperings were hard to make out, but gunshots were booming, and I could even follow the echo of Luther’s pained voice traveling down a tunnel.

You can also plug a pair of cans into the display’s 3.5mm headphone jack, which uses an integrated ESS ES9118 digital-to-analogue (DAC) converter. For audiophiles, the SoC drives 24-bit, 192 kHz lossless playback that Asus promises delivers “unprecedented dynamic range and ultra-low distortion.”

Bottom Line

The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is an amazing portable monitor for gamers with the need for it. Nothing can compete for pairing with a good graphics card or gaming console or just packing up for a LAN party, thanks to its thin build and 2.3-pound weight. And with great viewing angles, it’s also a great second screen for work.

But $500 is a steep price to pay for a portable monitor considering that some of the best full-sized PC gaming monitors are available for less. 240 Hz monitors are so speedy that they’re in their own category, but our favorite 240 Hz desktop monitor right now is the Samsung 27-inch CRG5, which as of this writing is a mere $400. Looking around online, I also found a 27-inch LG 240 Hz monitor for pre-order at $279 and a 240 Hz Acer 25-inch available now for $300. At $500, then, the XG17AHPE isn’t for gamers seeking an inexpensive way to add a 240 Hz display to their setup.

Therefore, this monitor’s best audience is those who need a monitor they can easily pick up. If you travel a lot, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE will make sure you’re never stuck gaming on a lackluster screen or, even worse, not gaming at all.

If you’re just looking for a quality portable display, the Lenovo Thinkvision M14 isn’t fit for gaming, but is half the price ($250) and has a built-in kickstand rather than an annoying origami stand. That said, you can’t get this level of color saturation from Lenovo’s monitor. And the ROG Strix XG17AHPE's port selection brings valuable versatility, including console gaming, connecting to a Raspberry Pi and getting power and data from one cable.

If you need a gaming monitor that can move with you while delivering very high refresh rates, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE is a premium option, but it’s also the only option we know of.