HP X27Qc Qhd Gaming Monitor 68.6 Cm (27") 2560 X 1440 Pixels, W128257397 (Cm (27) 2560 X 1440 Pixels Quad Hd Black)

Product Information

Rec. 2020 coverage is only 67%, which is only 5 percentage points better than sRGB-only displays like the PX277 Prime, and behind other monitors that target DCI-P3. I guess this is why HP didn't advertise a wide color gamut, it straddles the middle between standard and wide. Default Color Performance Information about the minimum amount of time, in which the pixels change from one color to another. Very often the manufacturer provides the response time for transition from grey-to-grey (G2G). The ratio between the horizontal and the vertical side of the display. Some of the standard and widely used aspect ratios are 4:3, 5:4, 16:9 and 16:10. Ordinarily, we’d advise looking for monitors with a refresh rate of 144Hz. Given the price point, however, that might be a struggle, but don’t worry: 60Hz (or even 75Hz) is still very smooth indeed. Ergonomics Information about the ergonomic functions - height adjustment, swivel angles, tilt angles, etc. VESA mount

The static contrast shows the ratio between the brightest and the darkest color, which the display can reproduce simultaneously, for example, within one and the same frame/scene. To read more about the technologies and even learn how to get Nvidia G-Sync working on an AMD FreeSync-certified monitor – even one that might not be officially supported – read our dedicated article. The panel produced an impeccable 94.5% of the sRGB colour gamut when tested, with a delta E colour variance score of just 0.8. Most budget monitors struggle to reach the 90% boundary for what we’d describe as a colour-accurate monitor, so this result is fantastic for the price, and it means colours will appear natural across the board. Max luminance and contrast aren’t quite so spectacular, so you may find the HDR 400 certification doesn’t quite do the vibrant light and inky dark of HDR content justice – although again, colours will look suitably vivid. It's also not that different from products like the Pixio PX277 Pro, given the differences in inverse ghosting performance. Another product we often recommend is the Gigabyte M27Q, and the HP X27q we feel delivers the better experience. When we move up to Level 2 overdrive, this is where the monitor is most usable at 165Hz. Performance improves significantly to a 6.13ms grey to grey average, and although overshoot has also increased, it's to a minimal level that you won't notice while gaming. Cumulative deviation is also now around a more acceptable level, with a score of 500 being around the average we like to see for this class of monitor.

We take you through our favourite cheap 1080p, 1440p and 4K gaming monitors

This is despite both the Dell and HP models using an LG panel; it appears as though the X27q uses a slightly different variant or perhaps a worse bin of that product family. However, it is good to see the X27q outperforming the hideously expensive Razer Raptor 27, and the M27Q, but ideally an overdrive setting between Level 1 and Level 2 would have been able to provide a more balanced experience. Measured in hertz (Hz), a monitor’s refresh rate is the maximum number of times it can refresh the entire panel per second, to show each individual frame being created by your gaming PC. This means that the refresh rate is ALSO a measure of how many of those frames per second your monitor can display – a 60Hz monitor will display a maximum of 60 frames per second. So what? If you want a good budget ultrawide for gaming and work duties, the MateView GT is an excellent choice. Information about whether the stand can be dismounted. Usually, this is required for wall mounting.

Or at least, mostly great. As I’ve already indicated, the X27qc suffers from a small accuracy problem. Across the board, this monitor struggles to accurately reproduce blue tones, dragging what might otherwise have been an acceptable set of colour accuracy results into perceptible levels of inaccuracy.

If you’re a casual gamer on a tight budget the X27qc has almost everything you need

Fortunately, it is still possible to nab a high-quality monitor for less – if you know where to look. You’ll have to be willing to make a few sacrifices: monitor manufacturers keep the costs down by opting for less impressive panel technology, and often by removing a few quality-of-life features such as height/swivel adjustments. The maximum number of colors, which the display is able to reproduce, depends on the type of the panel in use and color enhancing technologies like FRC.

Power consumption is low, this is a non issue for the display as it appears to use an efficient panel that holds up well compared to other models. Power prices are rising, but 23W of usage at 200 nits is very acceptable by today's standards. A frame is a still image. Your gaming PC combines a vast number of frames into a sort of virtual flip-book to create what you see on your monitor. The number of frames your gaming PC can combine in a second is known as a frame rate (measured in frames per second), a figure that will vary depending on the intensity of the task. Approximate height of the display. If the manufacturer does not provide such information, the height is calculated from the diagonal and the aspect ratio. Very simple stand setup, normal bezels on three sides and a bit of a chin along the bottom edge. In going with something so basic, HP haven't ended up including any "gamer" design elements like RGB lighting or weird patterns, which is an approach we like. However, it definitely looks and feels like a monitor on the cheaper end of the scale.Information about the maximum horizontal viewing angle, within which the image on the screen is of acceptable quality.

The operating temperature shows the safe temperature range (from minimum to maximum), within which the display will function flawlessly. Outside this range it might operate improperly and/or fail entirely. Maximum brightness is good, at a touch under 400 nits, which is what HP advertises. Most budget monitors of this class get around this bright, which is sufficient for indoor usage in most conditions. Minimum brightness is also solid at 43 nits, great for users in darker conditions.However. there is no inverse ghosting present, as there is no overshoot, typical of settings where overdrive is not used. Cumulative deviation is only modest, suggesting the balance between response times and overshoot is unbalanced in favor of minimizing overshoot. The X27q is generally a responsive monitor to use, the OSD is quite fast. So I'm not surprised the input latency is low, at just 0.4ms of processing delay. The major limiting factor is not so much the processing lag, but more the moderate refresh rate. 165Hz is a great starting point for PC gamers today, but if you want the best latency for competitive gaming, jumping up to 240Hz is the way to go, though you'll have to spend roughly twice as much if you want to stay at a 1440p resolution. The average Delta E colour variance score didn’t drop below 2.5 in any colour mode and the culprit was the same corner of the colour spectrum every time. Given the HP X27qc seems to be fairly accurate elsewhere this isn’t completely damning but it’s a shame nonetheless. One final point to note is that competitive gamers or those with an interest in shooters should steer clear. VA panels produce lots of ghosting, and the X27qc is no exception. For the casual gamer, however (the kind who enjoys a trip to Skellige over a gunfight in Nuketown) the X27qc is phenomenally good value. What we're left with is the monitor being unable to provide a single overdrive mode experience. This is pretty typical for a budget monitor, we don't expect perfect overdrive optimization here, it's a standard area of compromise as integrating features like variable overdrive would increase the cost.