[PCM2]

Hi there Hindsight,

You’re very welcome. The AG241QX is far from the pinnacle of TN technology when it comes to pixel responsiveness. It has been a while since I’ve thought about this model, but the pursuit photographs were taken in the same way as our newer ones. Except only the medium background was tested back then. The weaknesses in pixel responsiveness are captured correctly, they’re simply that clear – you should see them by eye if you run Test UFO yourself, too? That doesn’t mean you’re necessarily sensitive to those weaknesses or find them bothersome during normal use. If you don’t observe any such trailing on your unit there’s a slight possibility that there have been later revisions of the AG241QX which were a bit faster or even used a slightly different revision of the panel. Though I’d be a bit surprised given the rather niche panel used there. Either way, comparing what we tested with the M27Q, the Gigabyte is indeed faster in most cases.

I’ve covered the BGR ‘issue’ extensively and it’s honestly not a good reason not to give the monitor a try. Only a small minority of users have an issue with it after correcting with ClearType, it’s only really an issue in most cases if you have a multi-display setup with mixed BGR and RGB. There’s not much more I can say about that really, but I wish people would stop getting put off even trying an excellent all-round performer like the M27Q for that reason. It would also be a huge upgrade from the AOC in terms of screen surface lightness and lack of graininess, colour consistency, vibrancy (including gamut) and a bit in terms of responsiveness. This is nothing personal by the way and I entirely understand why the BGR layout would put you off – but I can’t say in any stronger terms, as a user of the FI27Q-X as my own current main monitor, you shouldn’t let it put you off giving it a go. I can’t guarantee you won’t find it bothersome, but I can certainly reaffirm that most people do not find it bothersome following appropriate ClearType correction. 🙂

As for the Iiyama, we don’t cover their products in part because our main audience is US-based and they don’t serve that market. I don’t actively gather or seek feedback about their models so I can’t add any more about that. I’m not sure where the ‘6-bit + FRC’ originated from and it isn’t something Iiyama specifically mentions on their GB2770QSU-B1 product page or mentions in the product manual. The image you linked to from the review isn’t a pursuit image and rather just appears to be a stationary capture of the monitor. It is there to show the relative effect of the overdrive levels on overshoot but doesn’t give you the sort of useful visual insight into a monitor that pursuit photography would.

[Hindsight]

Thanks PCM2.

Yes, I do see the trailing in person on the UFO test and notice it at times in normal use, so if these newer IPS panels are better in that regard that is very good to hear; as I presumed they’d be worse.

I understand your defence of the M27Q but my use case would fall precisely into your ‘only really an issue if’ category as I often use a secondary screen. If it weren’t for this it would likely be top contender.

Having looked at more of his review images they all show similar levels of doubling effect even with 240Hz displays! helps proves your point about pursuit photography.

[PCM2]

Ah that’s a shame about the secondary screen. That certainly makes things trickier with the M27Q. Perhaps in that case something like the MSI G273QF/QPF would be worth considering? I’ve made a few comments about it earlier in this thread and on a few others, but I feel it’s a good all-round performer with strong responsiveness and priced very competitively. It has standard RGB subpixels. Whilst I wouldn’t say the screen surface is quite as smooth as the M27Q, it’s not bad in that respect either and is much better than the AG241QX for screen surface. 🙂

[Bruizer]

@PCM2

I wonder if they are phasing out the Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprxz for this: Acer Predator XB273U NVbmiiprzx.

Both claim to use the Agile-Splendor IPS panel and basically advertise the same specs. The XV272U KV has been very sparse while this one (at least on Amazon) seems readily available. If not phasing out, maybe just up-selling as a more gaming oriented model.

I have to say this Agile-Splendor panel on my XV272U KV is pretty solid. Maybe you can get them to send you one of these two models for review. 😉

[PCM2]

It is possible they’re trying to push the XB273U NV more. I imagine it wasn’t selling so well given the significant bump up in price compared to the XV272U KV, with the main difference being the design and the inclusion of the ‘AdaptiveLight’ ambient lighting feature.

Either way, I’d quite like to see the XB273U NV go down in price a bit – $500+ USD is simply too much of a premium to pay for a 27″ 170Hz WQHD model without any particularly noteworthy HDR attributes, in my view. I was actually keen on reviewing it as it’s been on my radar for over a year now, but I didn’t expect it to cost quite that much. Even if it’s a solid performer I’d have a tough time recommending it over the M27Q at ~$300. I’ll keep an eye on its pricing though, it’s certainly a possibility if that drops to levels I find more agreeable. Or the XV272U KV for that matter, if stocks become more stable!

[Hindsight]

The G273QF (£260) has been oos at amazon.co.uk for a while now, it looks too low for me so I’d have to factor the cost of a stand in for this one, but otherwise seems ok. The QPF with its better stand looks set to replace it, sadly no idea when it’ll be available, pricing or of any other changes they might’ve made. Back-burnered.

Samsung G50A is currently on offer (£285) which reviewed well, but no guarantee it’s the same regionally, model numbers differ here (S27AG500PN vs LS27AG500NUXXU), Korean review has different result to rtings etc.

There’s a very recently released AOC Gaming Q27G2S/EU at £280 which seems to boast increased refresh rate (165Hz) over the disgustingly similarly named Q27G2S (155Hz) which released late last year and received mixed reviews, no reviews or even info really on this new one.

LG 27GN88A (£290) which is apparently just the 27GL850 but with their ergo mount stand.
The iiyama has just gone oos at amazon but can still be ordered at £250 which I’m leaning towards.

[PCM2]

Fair point about the ergonomic inflexibility of the G273QF – the ‘QPF’ variant has been the preferred option in the US for a while now and is priced very well, but in the UK that’s not the case.

Regarding the S27AG500 (Odyssey G5 / G50A whatever you wish to call it), the ‘L’ prefix is always part of the extended model code of Samsung models if they’re LCD (i.e. all current monitors from them) and the rest are regional codes. The model itself should be the same – possible differences between results in reviews may be accounted for by different testing equipment and inter-unit variation. This could also be one of those models that has multiple different panels used due to parts shortages etc. but that isn’t usually linked to regional differences, specifically. The BenQ EX2710Q appears to do this according to some information I have received, with an LG Display and Innolux panel used interchangeably.

With the current pricing and what is offered I can see why you would lean towards the Iiyama. Might well be trying out at that price and seeing how you find it. 🙂

[PCM2]

Interesting addition to my previous post. I’ve been in contact with somebody who has tried multiple S27AG500s and found one very comfortable visually and the other provided rapid discomfort. The one he found uncomfortable was the S27AG502, but I don’t believe the number guarantees the panel that is used and I think that is the key to this story. He has tried many monitors where the panel used is known and in those cases has only ever found AUO AHVA panels comfortable. This includes those using LG Display and BOE ‘Nano IPS’, Sharp IPS, AUO AHVA and Innolux IPS. For the latter he even tried the XV272U KV and didn’t find it comfortable for his eyes, despite the ‘Eyesafe’ certification with shifted blue peak – he didn’t have any issues with text clarity as anecdotally reported by others using some earlier units, however. I do know an LG Display Nano IPS panel is used for some S27AG500s, but given the curious differences between review data and also this person’s experiences I’d postulate an AUO panel is used for some S27AG500s.

I’m not suggesting others avoid IPS-type panels that aren’t AUO AHVA, even if they’ve had viewing comfort issues with some models. Everybody’s eyes are different and will respond to different things. But I’ve been communicating with this individual for some time now and have found his experiences fascinating. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about AUO panels he would prefer given the spread of backlight types he has also tried. This included the older PG279Q so they’re not all wide gamut models. Perhaps slightly different polarisers or a slightly different way of layering things that his eyes get on with better for AHVA models. This doesn’t guarantee some S27AG500 units are AHVA, but suggests they might be and certainly indicates that multiple panels are used.

[romeogiggletoes]

Hello PC Monitors, firstly I want to just say thank you for putting in time and effort into reviewing so many monitors in such detail. Not only that, but I’ve found that this forum is a really great resource to hear open opinions from you and others on comparisons of certain models, unlike certain forums that echo chamber the same statements repetitively *cough*. It has really been helpful for me on deciding which monitor I wanted to purchase.

I ended up deciding to purchase multiple of the M27Q as it seems to be the best overall monitor for such a price that’s hard to beat. As I don’t have a mixed subpixel layout setup, while using the ClearType tool I can say that the over exaggerated fringing ‘issue’ is not a problem for me and is hardly noticeable unless I’m really trying to focus on it. Overall I’m very satisfied with the decision and I couldn’t have made it as confidently without the help and resources that you and this community has provided. 🙂

[PCM2]

Hi romeogiggletoes and welcome,

I appreciate the kind feedback and I’m glad you’ve found this to be a helpful resource. Happy to hear that you’ve managed to use multiple M27Qs without your eyeballs exploding due to the BGR subpixels and are actually enjoying the monitors! 😉 I find it really disheartening when people are put off giving the Gigabyte a try for due to the BGR subpixels, it really is something most people won’t find bothersome or necessarily even notice when using the monitor after running through ClearType. And then you’re left with such a nice all-round performer for the price, definitely one I think people should try out if they’re on the fence.

[Bruizer]

Something interesting.

I believe the Acer XV272U KV has been discontinued. But I think they may be merging it with the XV272U V and relaunching under just the V name. If so, it’d be a great deal. The KV retailed for $430 (which is what I paid), and this will be $300. My theory could be completely wrong, but I find it odd that Amazon would be showing the V as being released soon. And the V currently is not shown on Acer’s monitor page while the KV has no buying options.

https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/models/monitors

With the KV being such a hidden gem (after the brightness firmware update), I feel it worth following to see what comes of the panel.

[PCM2]

This is a bit confusing, but the XV272U V was actually initially released in 2020 before the XV272U KV with the same Innolux AAS panel (M270KCJ-K7E). It doesn’t have the ‘VisionCare 3.0’ sensor suite. I have some information from Acer via my Taiwanese contacts suggesting the re-released XV272U V you see listed on Amazon may be using the same AUO panel as the Nixeus NX-EDG27. I honestly hate this re-releasing, they really should’ve re-designated it to make sure people know what they’re getting. As for the XV272U KV, it hasn’t been discontinued as far as I’m aware but I’m not really sure what’s going on with it. Perhaps they’re trying to push the pricier XB273U NV as the ‘Eyesafe’ option of choice, as you suggested a few months back. But stock issues in certain regions are affecting other Acer models (which I know haven’t been discontinued) such as the XV252Q F.

[EsaT]

Acer is about the worst one when it comes to naming monitors.
Someone should grab fine adjuster and give some cognitive recalibration to whoever decides model names.

Though suspect they do it on purpose to fool people for selling what ever they want.
If us hobbyers have hard time tracking what some model actually means, average consumers have snowball’s chance in hell.

[Darryl282]

Hi all,

A question that probably has not been asked here. How does the panel clarity of the ASUS TUF VG27AQ compare to the Gigabyte M27Q? Sadly yes, I am this picky and do prefer glossy panels.

Many thanks!

[PCM2]

The M27Q has a lighter screen surface and smoother finish.

[Sl0th87]

Hi all,

I am currently looking at upgrading my very ancient 60hz monitor for something a bit more modern.
I play mainly FPS like Overwatch, CSGO, and occasionally other games Diablo or LoL

I am currently torn between the:-
* Acer Predator XB273UGS 27″ 165Hz QHD 1ms HDR400 G-Sync Ready Gaming Monitor

And the

* MSI Optix MAG274QRF 27″ 165Hz WQHD 1ms HDR G-Sync USB-C IPS Gaming Monitor

I would like to know if anyone has used these and what their experience was like with them and if anyone has any opinion on a better gaming monitor ?

It has been over a decade since I bought my last monitor so I am not overly sure what I should be looking for in a good gaming monitor

TiA

[PCM2]

Hi Sl0th87,

I’ve merged your thread with this one as it’s a suitable place and there are some relevant posts here. I’d also advise reading through this thread, which covers the ‘QD’ version of the MSI model you’re looking at. The ‘non-QD’ is very similar except that it has a less wide (but still fairly wide) gamut, so things are less vibrant and saturated. Given the ‘QD’ version of the MSI is a model I would recommend as I feel it’s a good monitor, particularly as its price is significantly lower now than when it was first released, I would by extension also recommend the ‘non-QD’ variant. The main criticism of mine relates to the gamma not tracking the target ‘2.2’ curve correctly, meaning some shades are darker than they should be and some are brighter. I wouldn’t say the deviations are massive and you’re probably going to find it absolutely fine for gaming and general purpose use. It’s just that some competing models offer accurate gamma tracking or at least allow it to be adjusted appropriately in the OSD.

The Acer XB273U GS isn’t a model I’ve received much feedback on, but the feedback I have received has been mixed to positive. The overdrive setting is locked if using VRR (Adaptive-Sync) and it is better tuned for higher refresh rates than lower ones. Extra overshoot can be expected as frame rate dips if you’re using VRR (FreeSync or ‘G-SYNC Compatible’), in other words. The gamma tracking tends to be better on the Acer than on the MSI, but whether you’d appreciate that difference is difficult to say. You’re probably likely to be happy with either model really, it will be a significant upgrade over what you’re used to.

[PCM2]

It appears Gigabyte has launched or will launch a ‘Rev 2.0’ of the M27Q. Based on the specifications it could use a different panel, perhaps a new Sharp panel or one from another manufacturer with RGB subpixels.

– 95% DCI-P3 is now specified as opposed to 92% DCI-P3, 140% sRGB. Though the DCI-P3 coverage has increased, it’s possible it doesn’t have as much Adobe RGB coverage as that isn’t specified and neither is the relative sRGB gamut for comparison. It may still have good Adobe RGB coverage, it simply isn’t specified 😉 .

– A 1ms MPRT response time is specified instead of 0.5ms MPRT. Such response times are best ignored anyway, but worth noting a change there.

I really don’t like it when manufacturers launch new ‘revisions’ of monitors without a new designation, particularly if they swap out the panel in a way that changes characteristics. Hopefully retailers will make it clear which ‘revision’ they stock so people at least know what they’re getting. Best to assume current stock is the original revision (as reviewed), perhaps the new revision will be sold alongside the old one with a different listing. If not, look out for things like the MPRT response time being either 0.5ms (old revision) or 1ms (new revision). This is certainly something I’ll be keeping an eye on.

[PCM2]

Some notes on the M27Q P can be found in this thread. I add some thoughts on a comparison with the original and reiterate that I would still recommend the original to some users or the MSI G273QF/QPF as a similarly priced alternative. As per my previous post in this thread, the whole ‘Rev. 2.0’ thing has thrown a bit of a spanner into the works when recommending the M27Q. 🙂

[DeluX]

After weeks of research I think I narrowed down my options to Acer XV272U KV with M270KCJ-K7E panel or MSI G273QF with M270DAN08.2 panel. They go respectively for 383 and 355 Eur here and seem to have very similar features and performance.
Any of those two you find more preferable, PCM2?

However just now I’ve ran into some posts listing few more models for which I can only find reviews of in Polish or Russian, such as:
Iiyama GB2770QSU-B1 (review1, review2) which seems to have AUO M270DAN08.6 panel and priced at 330 Eur AOC Q27G2S / EU (review) with unknow panel though it’s specs seem exact copy of AUO panel, it’s priced at crazy low 280 Eur here.

Anyone have any input on these AOC and Iiyama models? They seem to be oriented for niche market so I don’t expect reviews at the main sources (like here, rtings, HU etc) to be posted ever..

Now say 20 Eur doesn’t change anything for me, I just want quality monitor at reasonable price as I don’t feel like MAG274QRF-QD or XG27AQ are worth 200 Eur more than the above listed options that use exactly the same panels just cut on some features such as wider gamut.

[Author]

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