It has to be recognized that:
1. A $1,000 IPS screen is in a different world that a $200 IPS screen.
2. Lowering response time and input lag, especially via the use of "overdrive" impacts screen image.
3. It has to be recognized that a 144 Hz TN screen is in a different world than a 60 Hz TN screen.
4. All screens need to be calibrated and adjusted, preferably with a Spyder or other professional solution. Using IPS w/o a Spyder / CalMan calibration will negate a significant part of the color accuracy advantage
http://spyder.datacolor.com/display-calibration/
5. I did mention that we have had many IPS panels here, so your implication that the conclusion is based upon experience with just one monitor is not accurate. I do CAD builds for engineers, clients, colleagues and with 3 kids in different age groups, 3 sets of friends from the neighborhood and High School / College. I'd estimate maybe 2 dozen were IPS. I just happen to choose the Dell because to my mind it offered the best price / performance ratio. I'd love an Eizo premium monitor but that kinda budget is not in the cards. However, many peeps read reviews on one of these $2,000 IPS jobs and expect the same benefits out of any $200 IPS . It doesn't happen.
6. While I will do a final "look see" in person for most purchases, I tend to rely mostly on published reports and testing from reputable sites, all of which clearly state the limitations of each alternative in hard numbers rather than subjective observations.
That Overlord article is a bit "late to the table".
http://www.overclock.net/t/1450386/overlord-tempest-x270oc-reports
But with the quality so variable, I don't see it gaining much in popularity and why the Korean alternatives have been so popular. Frankly, I feel too "iffy" about either. The idea of having to "patch" after the thet at least monthly (sometimes 2 or 3 a month) is also annoying. You moght get 120 hz out of any particular unit..... you also might get 96. And with no OSD, calibration is a bit of a chore ....
The only image control available [on the Overlord] is brightness, which moves in fairly coarse steps of about 8 cd/m2 per click. To complete our benchmarks, we used CalPC to generate a software look-up table after measuring the X270OC’s default state. For more information on the CalPC process, please refer to Do It Like Tom's: Calibrating Your Monitor With CalMAN RGB,where you’ll find a step-by-step guide.
For $249, you can calibrate your HDTV using a DVD as your pattern source. And if you like to tweak, you can get fairly close to the power of CalMAN’s professional solutions for around $400. Or, spend $1000 on a SpectraCal C6 meter.
The Overlord's does very well with black luminescence but has the typical IPS white luminescence and maximum contract limitations (60% and 66% of of Asus 144 Hz respectively). It also falls down on minimum white luminescence (Asus 144 Hz is 7.5 times better) and minimum contrast (Asus is 7.14 times better). Even after calibration, the Overload does 50% worse on Black Luminance, Asus does 47% better on contrast ratio. This is what's responsible for the "washed out" appearance....especially in dark scenes which instead of being midnight black are like predawn dark gray. This is the exact cause of the problem you observed .... in low light scenarios, the background light intended by the designer to be provided is hampered by the brightness and contrast issues. The high speed TN panel's single biggest feature is right here.... minimum contrast is 6591 on the Asus versus 922 on the overload.....the minimum black luminescence is 0.01 versus 0.09. The problem is that there is a base light haze on a total black screen which washes out the things you are trying to see in low light conditions.....simply not enough contrast.
The Overload does better in grayscale, color and and gamma measurements which are very important in for example getting correct flesh tones. However the RGP color is not quite what I'd be comfortable with in photo editing..... Color uniformity however is a surprise in that is is 10 times worse than Asus 144 Hz. However all of these are not of significant impact in gaming.
What was missing from the THG review however was how well it does in 3D gaming. Personally, I dislike 3D movies and the 1st time I played a 3D game I experienced a slight case of motion sickness. However, I gave it a 2nd try and found the experience a real kick. Similarly 120 / 144 Hz, Lightboost and later G-Sync was a boon to motion blur, and I really wouldn't bother with a gaming screen that did not support all of the above.
So while lower priced IPS and specifically the Overlord have made inroads and provide an "acceptable" compromise solution to both Gaming and Photo Editing .... I hardly consider them the "best" option for either. For gaming, I still want the RoG Swift..... For Photo Editing, I still want a Dell or preferably Eizo IPS..... I should note I still have an Eizo CRT (1600 x 1200) that cost me 2 grand back in the 90's that I use in the office for image editing. Like a pair of pliers, a low cost gaming IPS can get both jobs done .... if ya only have 1 tool or one monitor and need to do both jobs, pliers gaming oriented IPS make sense. But if ya want a better job, use a wrench on bolts, a screwdriver on screws and a hammer to get nails out.
I also much prefer 1920 x 1200 as I like the extra 120 pixels down at the bottom of screen so as to eliminate alt tabbing and having quick access to utilities or viewing temps etc.....sadly the industry has moved away there and they are pretty much shrinking in number every quarter.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1450386/overlord-tempest-x270oc-reports
27" makes a poor monitor at 1920 x 1080 for people with normal vision and at normal viewing distances. The human eye us able to distinguish individual pixels below about 96 ppi (CRT screens were designed at 96 dpi for this reason). A 27" is down at 81.6 pixels per inch making the screen appear grainy
. 
erformance, high quality TN panel.
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