[River]

Thank you for the reply,

I’m interested in learning more about these new panels and their implementation into monitors. I did a quick search of both the panel and Acer’s upcoming models and besides some inconsistencies (Acer advertising 8-bit color, while Innolux advertises 10-bit color depth; more likely 8-bit + FRC dithering like the BenQ), seem promising. The changes I see are 1) Faster pixel response times 2) a new 8-string vs the previous 4-string backlight system of the M270KCJ-K7B and 3) possibly decreased color gamut (95% on the M270KCJ-K7B > 92% on the M270KCJ-K7E).

Of course, it is impossible to tell how these will all appear on new monitors. Their new design is also more palatable as it moves away from the sometimes over-the-top “gamer” aesthetic Acer used to implement. It seems like these new panels are not far off from being supplied in higher quantities to monitor manufacturers, so I think the smart move for me will be to wait for reviews of monitors containing the new and (hopefully) improved panel.

I appreciate your insight, and hopefully one of these new monitors will fall into PCMonitors’ hands for review!

[PCM2]

Yeah, official Acer specifications can be quite ‘off’. They sometimes quote aspects that apply to a series or even just some members of a series rather than a specific model. The information in our XB273U NV news piece came from a spec sheet we were given as it doesn’t have an official product page or Acer store listing currently. The spec sheets like this are usually very reliable, but this wasn’t the final spec sheet. This model has a specified 95% DCI-P3 colour space coverage, I think the panel spec was just highly conservative with the >92%.

But you’re right that the 8-bit colour is an odd specification given the panel is 8-bit + FRC. It could be that they were just trying to highlight the ‘true 8-bit’ part of that and consider the FRC element separately. Or it could’ve just been a mistake on the specifications we were given. Perhaps the FRC stage is disabled by Acer except under HDR, as for most users that’s the only time such a signal would be used or useful. Whatever the reason for this, I’d expect to see clarified in the final product page. And if I’m reviewing one if these models, I’d certainly seek clarification and a finalised spec sheet from Acer if possible.

[PCM2]

A small correction to information given earlier on this thread. I assumed the ViewSonic XG270Q used a new AUO panel, but it actually uses a new Innolux panel – the M270KCJ-K7E. This isn’t a model ViewSonic can provide for review as it isn’t available in the UK.

[PCM2]

Another option not yet discussed in this thread is the MSI G273QF. I’ll include a little snippet from another thread sharing a few thoughts I have on this in comparison to the M27Q. Both are priced similarly in many regions and are more on the budget end – which doesn’t reflect on the performance of either product as I feel that’s strong in many respects:

The MSI G273QF uses an AUO AHVA panel – and yes, it is a fast one. The use of standard RGB subpixels will of course attract some to the MSI, not just the faster pixel responses. My main criticism is the same as I level towards many MSI models. Some units (including RTINGS sample, to an extent) have messed up gamma handling. Tracking of the ‘2.2’ curve is a bit off, which makes some shades brighter than intended and some darker. In this case it’s not too bad, based on RTINGS sample and some feedback I’ve received from a user. But it still affects the output in a way some would notice. There aren’t any gamma settings in the OSD, either, and this is a combination which I find rather unattractive. Another issue for some with the MSI will be that it’s a wide gamut model yet fails to provide any sRGB emulation setting. And it doesn’t offer any HDR capability – which isn’t something to write home about on the M27Q either, but at least makes decent use of the colour gamut. The M27Q also offers much better Adobe RGB coverage, making it fairly competent for editing or viewing within that colour space. Whilst the stand offers height adjustment vs. the MSI which is tilt-only. VESA holes are included in both cases.

Edit 28/08/2021: Worth adding that I have now received quite a bit of positive feedback about the MSI G273QF/QPF (QPF has full ergonomic flexibility). I’ve shared a little bit about that here and as noted there may consider reviewing this model myself.

[music_lover]

Hello there! Thank you for all your useful informations!

What about the gigabyte G27Q and the msi MAG274QRF? They seem nice alternatives

[PCM2]

They’re decent monitors, but I don’t recommend either as highly as the Gigabyte M27Q. I compare the G27Q and M27Q in this thread. And the MSI MAG274QRF has the same shortcomings as the MAG274QRF-QD, identified in this thread. The colour gamut isn’t as wide on the ‘non-QD’ model, but still wide enough that some users would appreciate an sRGB emulation mode. And gamma tracking is often off-target and can’t be adjusted – exact criticism provided for the G273QF just above and something they really should work on. Some users won’t mind either issue, though, so they’re still models worth considering.

[music_lover]

Thank you for the quick reply. I have seen too many users (YouTube, Reddit etc) to complain about dead pixels on the M27Q model and I wonder if the quality control of them (with this new Sharp panel) has some problems.

[PCM2]

Not from what I’ve seen and I’m exposed to a lot of feedback both positive and negative on these models. A lot of this I’ve received directly on the M27Q, which tends to happen when I recommend people try out a product this strongly. The M27Q is no more prone to such issues than other models, it’s entirely within average range in that respects. You’ll also find there are plenty of complaints on pretty much any competing model in that respect as well and that certainly includes the other two you’re considering. When there are ~3.7 million pixels it isn’t unusual for such defects to occur.

Edit: Shared some further thoughts on this in an unrelated thread.

[Dan H]

Dear PC Monitors.info,

I bought the AOC C24G1 at launch following your review and some discussion on the forum- it has been amazing and I have frequently directed friends to this site for fantastic PC monitor information!

I am now looking to upgrade to a 27” 144Hz+ 2560 x 1440 monitor. I thought I would ask if you have any buying advice or recommendations?

I have read through many articles and posts on this site as well as looking at Hardware unboxed reviews so feel fairly up to date with the market and the terminology (though there is so much that I’m far from an expert!).

I live in the UK and my budget is around the £350 ballpark.

I have currently shortlisted the following monitors:

Gigabyte M27Q
Dell S2721DGF
LG 27GL850
MSI Optix G273QF

One concern I have is viewing sRGB content on monitors with a wider gamut than sRGB. I mostly game and so ICC profiles are of little interest to me. Furthermore, I am not looking to spend £150+ on a Datacolour Spyder (I understand these are the cheapest calibration tools worth buying?).

I have read your article on taming the wide colour gamut and do not like the idea of extreme vibrancy and oversaturation. I own a galaxy S10e and even on the “natural” screenmode, things can still look oversaturated to me (I don’t understand how people like the default “vivid” mode on most modern smartphones!). Therefore, a monitor with good out of the box calibration and sRGB emulation options sounds ideal. Alternatively, a monitor without wide colour gamut support may be ideal though I cannot find too much concrete information on these.

It’s worth noting here that I have a Radeon RX 5700 XT and so AMD’s colour temperature control is an option for me. However, I will likely keep the new monitor for many years and so would like the option of an NVDIA GPU down the line.

Contrast is another thing to consider. I am used to a VA panel on my AOC C24G1 and the OLED on my phone and so it is possible the weaker contrast on the LG and Dell may prove an issue for me. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there doesn’t seem to be any good VA panels in my budget worth considering?

Something which I have been able to find very little reliable information on is how a Nintendo Switch interacts with a 1440p monitor. I am a competitive Smash player and so Switch performance is important to me. The switch can only output at 720p or 1080p. I’ve heard that many monitors have terrible upscaling capabilities compared to GPU upscaling. I also certainly don’t want upscaling to introduce latency. I’ve read that a 720p output can look better on a 1440p screen due to the exact pixel ratio? I know some monitors have scaling options to downscale a 4k output to 1440p for xbox/ps5 but reliable information on upscaling 720p/1080p is thin on the ground. Additionally, the switch can only output at 60Hz and so a single overdrive setting that works well at both high refresh and 60Hz would be a nice feature.

I am fairly sensitive to motion clarity and can see a visible improvement using the strong overdirve setting on my AOC C24G1 when playing FPS games such as Doom eternal at 144Hz. (Frustratingly, this means I have to change overdrive back to medium when playing on switch as overshoot on strong at 60Hz is very noticeable to me). I am not interested in backlight strobing options as I am very sensitive to screen tearing and so VRR is a must for me (also a 5700 XT is not quite powerful enough to maintain 144+FPS at 1440p in many games so I will be leaning on VRR).

The monitor will primarily be used for gaming. However, it will also double as a TV. Gaming performance is my main priority but ideally, I would like a decent picture for movies and nature documentaries.

I was wondering if you had any insights or recommendations from my shortlist based on my use case? Additionally, any information about switch/upscaling performance would be greatly appreciated. I also wanted to ask if you know of any upcoming monitors that fit my needs and could maybe be worth waiting for (after all I waited a few weeks for the AOC C24G1 to launch and was not disappointed!) Finally, are there any models I may have missed on my shortlist that are worthy of consideration?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my long post. I appreciate that this is not a free technical support forum and will be sure to buy through your Amazon affiliate link. Once again, you do fantastic work!

[PCM2]

Hi Dan H and welcome to the forum,

It’s always nice to see some positive feedback like that and I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the experience that the C24G1 offers. Given what you’re used to and the sensitivities you’ve identified, I would stay clear of the Nano IPS options. It’s not worth the hit in contrast for little to no gain elsewhere compared to the other models you’re considering. I appreciate the MSI G273QF has not yet been discussed here, but like many MSI models it lacks an sRGB emulation setting. So that should be immediately discounted. Of the models you list, the M27Q is a clear choice and a model I recommend more broadly in this thread. The sRGB emulation mode allows brightness adjustment and certainly gives the more subdued look (without oversaturation etc.) that you prefer.

Another option would be ASUS VG27AQ. That would generally be what I’d recommend for people who want a fast modern IPS model with decent contrast (for the panel type) but without a wide gamut. The gamut extends a bit beyond sRGB but much less so than the wide gamut models. So things would look a touch more saturated than, for example, the M27Q running its sRGB emulation setting but much less saturated than the M27Q natively. Tough to say which is the better option for you, I think either could work well and I suppose it depends if you’d prefer a little undersaturation (Gigabyte) or a little oversaturation for some shades plus better adjustability with colour temperature settings unlocked (ASUS). Further down the line, when you perhaps can’t rely on the AMD Color Temperature Control feature that is.

The closest match in 2560 x 1440 VA form to what you’re used to would, perhaps unsurprisingly, be the AOC CQ27G2(U). That’s discussed alongside other models in this thread. But none of them would really tick your boxes and for ones that come close like the CQ27G2(U), they fall down because the pixel responsiveness just isn’t as good as your current monitor. I think sticking with the IPS options would be preferable.

[Dan H]

Thank you for your excellent response.

I’ll weigh up the M27Q and ASUS VG27AQ. Yes I had discounted the AOC CQ27G2(U) due to weakness in pixel responsiveness.

Another monitor I forgot to add to my shortlist is the BenQ EX2780Q– this looks like it ticks many of my boxes?

[PCM2]

Yes indeed, the EX2780Q is a good one to consider. It’s not quite as fast as the others you’ve now shortlisted, but should still feel rather nice coming from the C24G1. And it offers relatively strong contrast for an IPS-type panel as well as having a pretty good sRGB emulation setting (‘Rec. 709’).

[Dan H]

So I went for the Gigabyte M27Q. Sharing my thought below:

There is one big negative but I’ll list the positives first.

Fantastic motion handling- Picture overdrive is great from 60 to 170, no noticeable offshoot/smearing etc.

Colours are amazing- I’m using the AMD Color Temperature Control as otherwise colours look unnatural to me (the greens especially are neon!)

Contrast and brightness are all excellent to my eye- particularly impressive as I’m coming from a VA panel.

No issues with BGR, clear type does its thing and text is fine.

Pixel density is amazing- playing games like Doom Eternal and the Witcher 3 is stunning.

Unfortunately there is one big negative and I’m considering returning. The bottom left has extensive backlight bleed/IPS glow (not sure which?). To the point where if the screen is dark, there is noticeable orange clouding in the bottom left. Whilst this is unlikely to be a huge issue whilst gaming (unless playing dark games like Resident Evil), one instance where this may be a problem would be viewing 21:9 films with black bars. Whilst this is less noticeable in a light room than a dark room, it is still obvious in good light. I have attached a link to a google drive with photos for reference, showing a still from a movie and a pure black screen in both light and dark room conditions. The camera actually makes it look worse than reality in the dark conditions (though light is fairly true to reality)- only the bottom left corner is obviously visible in reality in the dark.

I’m not sure whether this is expected for the M27Q or if I got unlucky with a bad unit. A shame that an almost perfect monitor has this flaw otherwise I’d be very satisfied. At the moment I’m conflicted and am considering returning.

[PCM2]

Thanks for sharing your impressions. And I’m glad you’ve got a lot of positives to say about M27Q despite that negative. It’s a shame about that negative, but actually it could easily have been reported for any model you’re considering. It’s all too common for IPS-type panels to have these sorts of issues, to some degree at least.

Although I appreciate the photos exaggerate the issue, it appears to me you’ve got backlight bleed which is causing the ‘IPS glow’ to be brought out more strongly. With respect to backlight bleed, it can get slightly better over time as the panel settles. And it’s rare to have perfect uniformity on any monitor and certainly modern IPS-type models. The ‘IPS glow’ is readily intensified by that kind of bleed. What you’ll need to do is take a photo or simply observe the monitor further back (2m+) and stay perfectly central, which will eliminate the ‘IPS glow’ and leave only dark uniformity issues behind. You can then assess the backlight bleed in isolation and decide whether you want to re-enter the lottery. That’s really what it is as some units will be better than yours, some similar and some worse. And going for a different model would be a similar story.

[PCM2]

I’ve been doing quite a bit of digging into the Acer XV272U KV recently, which is a model I haven’t said much about aside from that it uses the Innolux M270KCJ-K7E. RTINGS has published a review and some feedback has appeared at the usual places. The monitor really is fast, whilst delivering a vibrant and consistent look to things from its generous colour gamut and IPS-type panel. So if those are your main boxes to tick, it’s certainly one to consider. Contrast is reasonable, it doesn’t have the ‘Nano IPS drop’ there – not that you’d expect it to, with an Innolux panel. It’s also an ‘Eyesafe’ certified model as described in our news piece. The overall construction of the screen itself is quite basic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – ‘unfussy’ as some might say. Although it has a powder-coated metal stand neck and base gives a bit more of a premium feel to the stand. An sRGB emulation mode with adjustable brightness is included, too.

It has a few quirks, which may or may not be important or necessarily noticed in the first place. One is that the brightness is often heavily limited under SDR, to ~180 cd/m². Most people will run their monitor between 100 – 200 cd/m² so this restriction shouldn’t be a complete barrier to entry. But some people will prefer things to be brighter, due to lighting conditions or simply due to preferences. I’ve also received feedback about some sharpness or text display issues on the monitor. Another user reported not finding the sharpness quite right as well. RTINGS didn’t really uncover anything other than fairly minor ‘fringing’ to the sides for some straight edges with their vertical column ‘pixel bleed’ test. The monitor performed better here than quite a few others even though it isn’t perfect. I must stress this is a very specific test so I’m not really convinced it’s the best way of highlighting issues like this. It’s probably one of those things we’ll have to keep an eye for further feedback on. It also seems to have some issues with FreeSync not working via HDMI, not sure if that is something easily addressable with a new AMD driver or monitor firmware but something console users will want to be aware of.

I feel the ASUS XG27AQ is probably a safer bet if you’re after a strong 170Hz performance and vibrant colour output in a similar price range. Using its AUO M270DAN06.8 it provides excellent pixel responses for high refresh rates with fairly low overshoot using the optimal setting (‘Level 2’). It also offers a setting that works well at all refresh rates with low overshoot across the entire VRR range (‘Level 0’), providing a similar to the experience the M27Q‘s optimal ‘Picture Quality’ setting. There are no reported quirks with text or fine edge clarity to be aware of, either and it has an appropriate SDR brightness range. VRR seems to work as advertised and expected and static contrast is quite decent. Slightly above advertised.

I still consider the Gigabyte M27Q is an attractive alternative for the price, with its good Adobe RGB coverage from the Sharp LQ270T1JG08 appealing to some as well. And the BenQ EX2780Q with its Innolux M270KCJ-K7B remains a long-standing recommendation as positive feedback continues to come in. The pixel responsiveness isn’t up there with the others discussed, but it is ‘good enough’ for most users. And the all-round performance is strong, with those little additions like the OSD remote and decent integrated speakers being appreciated by others. Plus it’s generally well-received when it comes to viewing comfort.

A wildcard is the LG 27GP850, which Hardware Unboxed has reviewed. It suffers from the usual contrast hit associated with the WQHD Nano IPS panels, so my thoughts on that earlier in this thread apply. But it offers excellent responsiveness even for 180Hz using its ‘Fast’ setting – although the ‘Normal’ setting would be preferred if you frequently dip into the double digit refresh rates. The ‘Normal’ setting works fairly well for higher refresh rates as well, it isn’t slow. This model also ticks the vibrancy box, although gamma seemed a bit wonky ‘out of the box’ on the Hardware Unboxed sample, too low overall with some shades lighter than intended. There are other gamma settings which weren’t covered, however. An sRGB emulation mode is offered with adjustable brightness, but locked gamma that wasn’t ideal on the HUB sample.

[Raspibit]

Hello again, PCM2. After testing a 32-inch 4K Philips monitor, another by LG, a 34-inch 1440p ultrawide by MSI and another by Xiaomi, all of them with VA panel, I have come to a single conclusion: they were all too big for my viewing distance and their panels were too slow. Now I’d like to try a 27-inch 2560×1440 at 144/165/170 Hz IPS monitor, even if right now I can’t take advantage of these high refresh rates because my laptop only has an HDMI 1.4 (I want to try a monitor of this type for the smooth experience they are able to achieve). I will use the monitor primarily to work with text and media, and won’t be able to use it for gaming until I can afford building a proper PC. My idea is to choose an exact model and wait for this year’s Prime Days (expected to be on June) hoping that the one I’ve chosen (or one of those on the list that can satisfy my requirements) drops its price and I can buy it for cheaper. Right now I have a few models on my list (Amazon Spain prices):

Gigabyte M27Q (€360): it was my first option but I’m aware of the BGR subpixel layout instead of RGB, which result in not sharp as it should text and weird artifacts on icons, so I’d say I should discard this one despite of the performance is good (including a single overdrive mode for the entire VRR range).

Gigabyte G27Q (€355): this one uses a standard RGB subpixel layout and it seems to be a good option but I don’t know if it has a single overdrive mode for the entire VRR range and it seems to be a bit slower than the previous one.

BenQ EX2780Q (€399): the most expensive one right now and it’s recommended by yourself so I think there’s not that much to say about it.

ViewSonic XG2705-2K (€355): I’ve read good reviews about this panel on Techp*rn and Reddit but I don’t know how it is compared to the previous ones.

Acer Nitro XV270UPB (€358): this one looks good too but I haven’t found any professional review about it, I’ve just read that in terms of pixel response times it’s slower than the Gigabyte models.

Lenovo G27q-20 (€350): don’t know much about it apart from some good Reddit opinions.

Any other one you’d recommend me: feel free.

Thank you very much for your help.

[PCM2]

Hi again Raspibit,

I’ve merged your thread with this one as there are relevant discussions on most of those models here. A forum search for the model code will point to further discussions (this thread being an example comparing the two Gigabyte models specifically). Models you’ve listed not discussed here already, I have no feedback to share on them and wouldn’t recommend them over the alternatives. I also make it clear here and in the review that the BGR subpixel layout and associated issues are a non-issue for most users with the Gigabyte M27Q and it’s a strong all-round performer that certainly shouldn’t be dismissed for that reason.

Nonetheless, the BenQ EX2780Q remains an excellent choice as well without those potential issues. If you’re coming from some VA models you’ll find the responsiveness rather pleasant, I’m sure. Even if it’s weaker than the M27Q for example. I continue to receive a lot of positive feedback on the BenQ so I’m confident when I say it’s fast enough for most people, especially for mixed use including casual gaming.

[Raspibit]

Thanks for replying. It’s true that the M27Q ticks all the boxes but I’m a bit special with these details because once I see or perceive something that shouldn’t there then my eyes will go straight to it, so sadly I think I’d ended up returning it despite it even has software control, USB C, etcetera. I could try the BenQ as it’s stated as a solid performer by yourself and users, or go with the ViewSonic instead. I thought that the Acer model could be a good candidate because it’s kind of like the M27Q in terms of specifications, plus it’s color calibrated from the factory, but with worse response time, so I wanted to know how worse it is before purchasing any of them and if it has an overdrive setting that covers the entire VRR range. Anyway I’ll add all of them to my wish list and wait for Prime Day to check prices again and make a decision. Thank you again.

[PCM2]

No problem.

The XG2705-2K was reviewed by Hardware Unboxed – or more specifically the VX2705-2KP-MHD which is very similar and based on the same panel but has a different stand design. And whilst I don’t blindly trust their data (it can be misleading), it’s pretty unequivocal in this case. And based on that I wouldn’t recommend it. I thought I had posted a few summary points about this earlier in the thread but seems I was mistaken. Even the ‘Advanced’ overdrive setting (middle one) on that offers a very low level of acceleration, with sluggish pixel responses. The ‘Ultra Fast’ setting is the next one up and that does speed most transitions up, but presents significant overshoot as well. It uses the same Innolux M270KCJ-K7B panel as the BenQ EX2780Q and also the older VX2758-2KP-MHD but simply isn’t anywhere near as well-tuned as either.

[Raspibit]

So I discard the ViewSonic then and the Lenovo too because I haven’t found enough info to make make me feel its worth it. The BenQ is the most convincing one by now (I still really like the M27Q but I know myself) so let’s see how prices change.

[Author]

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