Gigabyte M27Q X review: Lush color in a 240Hz monitor

Best Prices Today: Gigabyte M27Q X

There’s loads of 27-inch gaming displays to select from, however one class stays slim: 27-inch shows with 1440p decision and a 240Hz refresh price. While roughly a dozen are actually accessible, most are expensive. The Gigabyte M27Q X tries to convey 1440p and 240Hz to a extra palatable worth. 

Gigabyte M27Q X: The specs 

Resolution and refresh price are the headline options right here, however a number of others stand out. The monitor makes use of AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for adaptive sync and isn’t formally G-Sync appropriate (although it did work with G-Sync in my testing). The monitor additionally helps HDR and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 licensed.  

• Display measurement: 27-inch 
• Native decision: 2560×1440 
• Panel kind: IPS edge-lit LED backlight 
• Refresh price: 240Hz 
• Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro 
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and Power Delivery as much as 18 watts, 2x USB-A, 1x headphone 
• Stand adjustment: Height, tilt 
• VESA mount: Yes 
• Speakers: 2-watt stereo audio system 
• HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 400 
• Price: $499.99 

Carrying an MSRP of $499.99, and customarily priced at or close to its that worth on-line, the Gigabyte M27Q X isn’t precisely reasonably priced, however worth for its function set. Acer’s Nitro ED271U and Optix MAG274QRX are in the identical worth vary, however premium alternate options just like the Alienware AW2721D and Asus ROG Swift PG279QM are a number of hundred {dollars} costlier.  

Gigabyte M27Q X: Design

The M27Q X’s construct high quality falls firmly in finances territory. It has a easy, matte black plastic shell that appears thinner and extra versatile than alternate options from Dell and BenQ, although it’s about on par with LG Ultragear displays.  

It’s not a lot to take a look at, both. The M27Q X doesn’t go for a daring gamer look, but additionally doesn’t move as a ho-hum house workplace monitor. Display bezels are of modest measurement on the highest and sides, whereas the underside has a small plastic chin. Around again the monitor is apparent, with only a trace of plastic etching to set it aside.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

The stand adjusts for peak and tilt however doesn’t swivel and might’t pivot 90 levels to be used in portrait orientation. This is uncommon for a 27-inch monitor that retails round $500, as most in that worth vary (and even decrease) supply these options. A 100x100mm VESA mount is offered for attaching a third-party monitor arm or stand with larger flexibility.  

Gigabyte M27Q X: Features and menu

A buffet of image-quality choices are packed within the Gigabyte M27Q X’s menus. These embody exact gamma presets, a number of colour temperature modes, and a devoted sRGB mode, plus a number of gaming-centric choices reminiscent of a black equalizer. The monitor’s quite a few image-quality choices can be helpful to content material creators who need to calibrate the display. 

Accessing the choices is a chore due to Gigabyte’s deep and complicated menu construction. Options are sometimes a number of layers deeper than they have to be and a few options have names that aren’t apparent. For instance, I do know Smart OD means “Smart Overdrive” and references pixel response occasions, however I’m guessing most customers can be puzzled as to what this setting does and why it’s on by default.  

Gigabyte’s advertising for this monitor emphasizes its “KVM” button. It’s a button that flips between enter over USB-C or an upstream USB 3.0 port. It’s helpful, although held again by the USB-C port’s meager 18 watts of Power Delivery and the slim variety of accessible USB ports general. This isn’t any substitute for a more feature-rich USB-C hub monitor. 

A pair of 2-watt audio system are included within the Gigabyte M27Q X and supply acceptable sound high quality. External audio system stay a giant enchancment, however you’ll be able to depend on the built-in audio system in a pinch.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

Gigabyte M27Q X: SDR efficiency

The Gigabyte M27Q X isn’t a sexy or feature-rich monitor for the worth, however what it lacks in design it makes up for in picture high quality. This is a wealthy and vivid monitor. 

SDR brightness is available in at 461 nits, which is actually in direction of the excessive finish of what could be anticipated from a monitor in SDR mode. The extraordinarily excessive brightness, mixed with the matte show coating, means you’ll don’t have any bother utilizing the M27Q X even reverse a sunlit window. In most rooms you’ll want to show down brightness considerably—except you get pleasure from roasting your retinas. 

Matt Smith / Foundry

The distinction ratio got here in at 1140:1. This isn’t a great consequence when in comparison with an OLED or Mini-LED show however, as evident on the graph, it’s good in comparison with most IPS panel gaming displays. However, the M27Q X leans closely on brightness to hit this ratio, and doesn’t obtain black ranges notably deeper than different normal IPS displays.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

Color gamut is phenomenal. There’s full sRGB protection right here, plus 96 p.c of DCI-P3 and 98 p.c of AdobeRGB. The Gigabyte M27Q X beats all 27-inch shows I’ve examined which are within the gaming monitor class, together with the older Alienware AW2721D, which I already thought spectacular. This is an space the place the M27Q X punches manner above its worth.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

There’s extra excellent news with colour accuracy, which is splendidly sturdy straight out of the field. The Gigabyte M27Q X isn’t simply very good for a gaming monitor, it’s nice for any monitor in any class, interval.  

Great colour accuracy, mixed with the extraordinarily broad colour gamut, offers the M27Q X a vivid, lush, oversaturated vibe.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

This isn’t relevant in most video games, as most depend on the extra restricted sRGB colour gamut, however gamers might want how the M27Q X seems to be. It’s an eye catching show and particularly stands out in colourful, punchy titles reminiscent of Valorant or Final Fantasy XIV.  

This can also be monitor for content material creators. The Gigabyte M27Q X has a wider colour gamut and higher out-of-box colour accuracy than Asus’ ProArt PA249CV, a comparable skilled show.  

However, the Asus ProArtwork PA249CV is a 4K show, whereas the M27Q X is just a 1440p monitor. This is an issue for these working with 4K video or different high-resolution content material. It lacks the decision and sharpness some will need. It’s much less of an issue in video games, the place the monitor’s pixel density is excessive sufficient to make video games with midway first rate anti-aliasing look sharp.  

Gigabyte M27Q X: HDR efficiency

The Gigabyte M27Q X is already a vivid show in SDR, however turning on HDR kicks up brightness to a superb 518 nits. This is an especially excessive brightness for a gaming monitor and it does add some drama to HDR video games.  

That’s the place the excellent news ends. The M27Q X lacks the distinction wanted to make HDR video games stand out and doesn’t have dynamic backlight. Dark scenes with vivid objects can seem hazy as a result of the monitor should ramp up the complete show’s brightness to light up even small objects.  

Bottom line: Don’t purchase the M27Q X for the HDR expertise. It’s higher than not having HDR in any respect—however solely a bit.  

Gigabyte M27Q X: Motion readability

I assumed my Gigabyte M27Q X pattern is perhaps faulty after I fired up my first recreation. Quick digicam motion induced apparent, vivid halos round any high-contrast objects, and busy textures regarded like they had been handed by way of a sharpening filtering.  

The drawback? Gigabyte ships the M27Q X with the Smart OD (Overdrive) function turned on. This amps up pixel response occasions, which might scale back blur, however causes an issue referred to as overshoot. Overshoot occurs when pixel response is simply too aggressive and flies previous the meant colour.  

Luckily, the issue is simple to repair. Just flip off Smart OD. Once off, you’ll be able to benefit from the full advantages of a quick IPS panel with a 240Hz refresh price. Motion readability is robust, with good element in fast-moving objects, and the 240Hz refresh price is butter-smooth in case your video card is fast sufficient to deal with video games at 240 frames per second (or one thing near it). 

The Gigabyte M27Q X formally supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. It’s not G-Sync licensed, but it surely did work with G-Sync through my Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti graphics card, with no noticeable points.  

Gigabyte M27Q X: Final ideas

Gigabyte’s M27Q X is a superb 1440p gaming monitor. Although costly for a 27-inch monitor, it’s among the many least costly 1440p/240Hz choices accessible proper now. The proven fact that it delivers vivid, vivid picture high quality solely sweetens the deal.  

The M27Q X is held again by an unimpressive design, a sub-par stand, and complicated menus. But most avid gamers purchase gaming displays to, effectively, recreation—and that’s the place this monitor excels.