ASUS ROG Strix XG129C Review: A $199 Gaming Monitor You Don't Play Games On

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

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The XG129C is a 12.3-inch display that is designed to sit beneath your main gaming monitor. With its 24:9 aspect ratio, 1920 x 720 resolution, and 75Hz refresh rate, the XG129C is intended to display commonly used software that is typically running in the background. For example, Discord, Spotify, OBS controls, or additional browser windows. Additionally, the XG129C comes with 10-point touch control, which turns the XG129C into much more than just a second monitor, but a control station that can be interacted with at the press of a finger.

Furthermore, ASUS is providing a one-year subscription to AIDA64 Extreme for dedicated hardware monitoring software that can be displayed on the XG129C through the dedicated integration within the ASUS ROG Dial & Control Panel software. For comparison, the XG129C is up against the Corsair XENEON EDGE, which is currently priced at $249.99, but it sports a bigger resolution of 2560 x 720 and a size of 14.5 inches at 60Hz. However, the XENEON EDGE is only a five-point touchscreen.

So, who is the XG129C really for when you can just spend $200 on a normal monitor and receive a bigger, and likely better, all-round display?

Specifications

Close-up

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Design

ASUS hasn't strayed too far from its traditional design language seen across its range of gaming monitors, as the XG129C embodies all of the ROG hallmarks. Front-on, the XG129C appears extremely minimal, with very thin bezels around the edges of the display that help keep focus on what is being displayed, and not what is happening behind it. Spinning the XG129C, you immediately notice the ROG eye logo dominating one half of the back enclosure, along with the connectivity options above and below it.

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ASUS has gone with a dedicated HDMI input for a GPU, plus 2x USB-C, 1x DP Alt Mode, and 1x DC-in. One of the USB-C ports supports 20W fast charging. A fantastic touch is that ASUS's included HDMI cable and USB-C cable are both L-shaped, meaning when looking at the XG129C front, there aren't nasty cables poking out above and on the edges of the screen. On the opposite side to the connectivity options is the On-Screen Display (OSD) multi-directional joystick that is accompanied by a dedicated power button.

Keeping to the back, ASUS has placed a 1/4-inch tripod socket, which enables the XG129C to be attached to numerous mounting solutions, such as tripods, articulating arms, or even a dolly. The idea is that streamers, content creators, or general enthusiasts will be able to take advantage of the quarter-inch socket to mount the XG129C where they need, versus a traditional monitor stand restricting the XG129C to beneath the primary display.

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However, if tripods and monitor arms aren't your thing, ASUS has included a traditional kickstand that uses the quarter-inch socket. This kickstand enables the XG129C to almost lay completely flat and is great for quickly setting it to the correct vertical angle for easy touch navigation. Notably, the XG129C measures at 11.9 inches wide (30.4cm) and 5-1-inches tall (13cm), and ASUS recommends giving at least 6.6 inches (17cm) of desk space if you intend to extend the kickstand to its maximum. So, despite its thinness, the XG129C can surprisingly take up a bit of desk space, but obviously nowhere near as much as a normal second monitor.

If you were thinking about mounting the XG129C, the large majority of monitor arms will be able to do so with ease, as the XG129C only weighs 560 grams. It's clear that ASUS has put some thought into the physical design of the XG129C, as its design language is purposely built around how and where the monitor is going to be used.

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What are the XG129C’s exact video and power input options and which USB‑C port supports 20W charging?

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How does the XG129C physically mount or stand—what mounting options and desk space does ASUS recommend?

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Question #3

What software and integrations are available for the XG129C (including the AIDA64 subscription) and how do they work with the display?

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How does the XG129C’s color/brightness/contrast spec (300 nits, 1200:1, sRGB/DCI‑P3) impact readability for monitoring widgets and video?

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Panel Breakdown

The XG129C uses a 12.3-inch IPS panel with a 24:9 aspect ratio and a native resolution of 1920 x 720 at a maximum refresh rate of 75Hz. While these numbers pale in comparison to the many gaming monitors that commonly rock a 4K resolution and 200Hz+ refresh rate, the XG129C's panel specifications work out to about 166 Pixels Per Inch (PPI), which is about the same amount of pixel density as a 3840 x 2160p 27-inch monitor (163PPI).

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At that level of pixel density, text is extremely clear, making monitoring widgets displaying hardware or system information extremely easy. This was quite a shock to me as I wasn't expecting this level of image clarity at such a small, or perhaps unusual, resolution and aspect ratio. Trust me, if you are expecting average image fidelity, you are going to be pleasantly surprised. Brightness comes in at 300 nits, along with a 1200:1 contrast ratio.

IPS makes sense over OLED for the XG129C, as ASUS believes the display will be mostly used to display hardware monitor information such as clock speeds or temperatures of components. These figures don't have a lot of variation in movement, which would be bad for an OLED panel over many years.

Refresh rate comes in at 75Hz, which is an interesting choice, as ASUS could have easily just gone with 60Hz, but I suppose to maintain its cosmetic categorization as a "gaming monitor," 75Hz was required, as 60Hz is the same refresh rate found in every monitor in offices around the world. Furthermore, a 75Hz refresh rate is better for the touch capabilities, as scrolling, dragging windows, and navigating Windows itself feels just that little bit better at 75Hz versus 60Hz.

Performance

So, what was actually using the XG129C like? Well, obviously this monitor has nothing to do with frame rates or response times, or even gaming at all, making it the very first gaming monitor I have reviewed that I didn't play any games on.

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First is setup. This was very much plug-and-play, with one settings navigation to Touch Control in Windows 11. After setting up the XG129C, I headed to the ROG website listing for the XG129C and downloaded the monitor's dedicated drivers and ASUS Control Panel software. Now, the ASUS Control Panel software is downloaded from the Microsoft Store and is designed to enable a user to create customized layouts for the XG129C.

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While the ASUS Control Panel does enable very nice additions such as system volume controls, scrolling, copying & pasting, and brightness levels, there really doesn't feel like there is enough functionality here at all for those who won't have an AID64 Extreme subscription after the 1 year expires.

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Additionally, to put it bluntly, this software isn't very good at all. It's barebones, clunky, and looks/feels like a cheap, undercooked version of Corsair's Stream Deck software. A prime example is the low resolution of each of the dials and the oversized buttons. These look fine when viewed on the XG129C, but when customizing your layout in the software, the UI looks and feels tragic.

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There is also a complete lack of personalization settings for users, making the software and the customized layout feel sterile and bland. After checking out the dials and setting up a basic layout for quick multimedia navigation (volume, etc), I began using the XG129C for video viewing, music listening, and Discord.

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I found the XG129C was much more impressive than I initially expected. The ease of being able to quickly hit pause on a YouTube video when someone walks into the room, and at a glance be able to see real-time system information, alongside the dedicated group chat window, created an almost luxurious feeling as all of those pieces of software would otherwise be minimized and out of view, but instead they were at a glance and not taking up valuable screen real-estate.

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Final Thoughts

So, who is the ROG Strix XG129C for? At $200, the XG129C is primarily aimed at enthusiast gamers who are looking to add a little bling to their setup, or maybe the extremely niche gamer who wants a second display that can fit underneath their primary one.

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It was clear from the jump that ASUS is targeting enthusiasts with the XG129C, and honestly, after using the product for several weeks now, I've been pleasantly convinced, from once believing the product is silly and unnecessary, to loving the product because it's silly and unnecessary. The XG129C falls right into the "Desk Swag" category, as it looks fantastic everywhere you put it on the desk, and provides some quality-of-life improvements that are nice to have but not essential.

So, if you consider yourself an enthusiast gamer and want a dedicated Discord, Spotify, Zoom meeting, or real-time system information display, check out the XG129C. It's sleek, extra, bougie, and might be just what you need to take your setup to the next level.