Gigabyte M27QP QHD 170 Hz Gaming Monitor Review: Blistering Performance and Lots of Color
The QHD/165 Hz category is still the best choice for gamers looking for the best balance of performance and value in a top gaming monitor. It offers reasonable pixel density (109ppi on a 27″ screen) and high frame rates from a wide range of video cards. Speed and clarity go hand-in-hand when motion is the most important consideration. Motion quality, or motion resolution, is key to the best gaming experience. The image looks great when it’s still, but when you’re fighting enemies or exploring richly rendered environments, the image becomes blurry and undefined, what’s the point?
Gigabyte has consistently delivered solid performance in its gaming monitors. The company’s latest offering, the M27QP, is a 27-inch 16:9 flat IPS panel with QHD resolution, 165 Hz (170 Hz with overclock), Adaptive-Sync, wide color gamut, and DisplayHDR 400.
Gigabyte M27QP Specifications
| Panel type/backlight | IPS/W-LED, edge array |
| Screen size/aspect ratio | 27 inches/16:9 |
| Maximum resolution and refresh rate | 2560×1440 @ 165Hz |
| row 3 – cell 0 | (170 Hz with overclock) |
| row 4 – cell 0 | Free Sync: 48-170Hz |
| row 5 – cell 0 | G-Sync compatible |
| Native color depth and color gamut | 10 bits (8 bits + FRC)/DCI-P3 |
| row 7 – cell 0 | HDR10, Display HDR 400 |
| Response time (GTG) | 1ms |
| Brightness (mfr) | 400 nits |
| Contrast (mfr) | 1,000:1 |
| speaker | 2x 3w |
| video input | 1x DisplayPort 1.4 |
| Row 13 – Cell 0 | 2x HDMI 2.0 |
| Row 14 – Cell 0 | 1x USB-C |
| audio | 3.5mm headphone output |
| USB3.2 | 1x up, 2x down |
| power consumption | 29.8w, brightness @ 200 nits |
| Panel dimensions WxHxD (including base) | 24.3 x 15.2-20.3 x 9 inches (616 x 386-516 x 229mm) |
| panel thickness | 2.4 inches (60mm) |
| bezel width | Top/Side: 0.3″ (8mm) |
| Row 21 – Cell 0 | Bottom: 1 inch (25mm) |
| weight | 14.7 pounds (6.7kg) |
| guarantee | 3 years |
Like most gaming monitors today, the M27QP features an IPS panel. The fast panel eliminates the need to rely on old-school TN technology for low input lag and quick response. The only thing missing is contrast. 1,000:1 is common in this category, but this is the only area where his M27QP falls a little short.
My sample could only manage around 800:1. This isn’t a big deal, but if ultimate contrast is on your priority list, there are IPS and VA monitors with wider dynamic range. The downside is the slightly higher than average black level measurement. Brightness is not an issue, with around 400 nits available for both SDR and HDR content.
No problem with the color. With DCI-P3’s 95% coverage and sRGB modes available for those who need it, that’s a lot. Accuracy is also covered in out-of-the-box image modes that don’t require calibration increase. Dynamic Contrast is available for his SDR images, but unfortunately not for HDR content. The M27QP is noticeably brighter when playing HDR games and videos, but without the added contrast.
Game performance is the star of the show here. M27QP includes 170Hz overclocking and ultra-low input lag. That extra 5 Hz doesn’t make much of a difference in smoothness, but in my control delay tests, the performance matched that of a 240 Hz display. It is well implemented with a balanced mode that provides good processing.
There is no lighting function, but all other possible gaming options are standard. Aimpoints can be called from the OSD or user-created with Gigabyte’s OSD Sidekick app. You can also view CPU and GPU stats on-screen in real time. It also has his KVM capabilities with sophisticated graphical wizards for managing multiple system and peripheral connections. With a solid physical build, the M27QP looks attractive with well-balanced performance at an affordable price.
Gigabyte M27QP assembly and accessories
The M27QP comes in a rather modest box with basic graphics on the outside. Its three parts are protected by fragile foam and can be assembled without tools. A handful of reflective film peels away to reveal polished bits of the stand and panel. It comes with his 3 different power cords for the built-in PS, plus quality cables for HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB.
Product 360: Gigabyte M27QP
image 1 of Four
The M27QP features a minimalist design. Aside from his Gigabyte logo on the front bezel and a slightly larger graphic on the back, the finish is basic. Polished pieces adorn the back of the panel and the top of the stand, as well as a few other small areas.A bit of molded trim surrounds the OSD joystick and KVM keys, and it’s never an issue while using the monitor. A thin grille runs across the back to expel any heat that wasn’t there.
Given the M27QP’s KVM capabilities, I was surprised by the lack of side USB ports. In fact, the input panel has only two downstream ports. This is enough for a mouse and keyboard, but most KVM compatible monitors have 4 ports. You get USB-C with 18 watts of charging power and can act as a video input mimicking DisplayPort. Legacy signal jacks include one DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0. It also has a 3.5mm headphone input and the internal speakers play with 3 watts of power. They sound fine at decent volumes, but offer only high-mid frequencies (no bass).
The stand is well made and solid, but it only has 130mm of height adjustment and -5/20 degrees of tilt. No rotation or portrait mode. Movement offers a smooth, solid quality worthy of more expensive displays.
OSD function of Gigabyte M27QP
OSD joystick covers all functions of M27QP. Press once to bring up the quick menu. Add an up click to open the full menu.
image 1 of 9
The game menu is the first place most players visit. Aim Stabilizer Sync is Gigabyte’s term for backlight strobes and is one of the rare examples that works in tandem with Adaptive-Sync. The brightness has dropped by about 60% and the slider is grayed out and cannot be corrected by increasing the slider. There is no pulse width adjustment, but it is one of the better implementations for users who like the effects it offers.
Overdrive has 4 options and off. Image quality is the only thing that makes the movement clean without ghosting or black trails. It’s clean and smooth and doesn’t affect light output.
The Image menu has nine image modes. With calibration controls like gamma presets and his RGB sliders for color temperature adjustments, there’s no reason to leave the Standard. But they are not needed. Out of the box, the M27QP proved to be on spec. If you want the sRGB color gamut, that mode will give you exactly that, but you won’t be able to adjust the brightness, which is fixed at around 150 nits.
Overclocking should probably be in the game menu, but it was in the display. When turned on, a refresh of up to 170 Hz is required. This improves input lag slightly, but doesn’t make a difference in perceived smoothness.My sample ran fine with overclocking during hours of gameplay.
Once fine-tuning is complete, the configuration can be saved to any of the three memory slots. This is a feature that every monitor should have.
The Game Assist menu includes countdown and countup timers, and a refresh rate indicator. The crosshair defaults to a green cross, but you can create 3 more unique designs using the OSD Sidekick app. With a USB connection to the M27QP, the dashboard shows real-time CPU and GPU information.
A KVM switch is represented by this cool graphic showing how the video inputs and USB ports are linked. This is so useful that it’s also something that every monitor should have.
Gigabyte M27QP calibration settings
The M27QP does not require calibration, but was performed to slightly improve measurement accuracy. In standard mode, just set the brightness to your liking and enjoy saturated colors with great image detail. If you prefer a different gamma presentation, there are presets to accommodate your wishes. A few clicks on her RGB slider for user-defined color temperature brings grayscale tracking to the baseline level. My instrument-derived settings are as follows:
HDR mode is less accurate with cool grayscale that cannot be adjusted. Combined with a wide color space to provide a decent HDR image, it allows for excellent luminance and color gamut tracking. Contrast is a bit lacking, but more on that on page 5.
| picture mode | standard |
| Brightness 200 nits | 62 |
| Brightness 120 nits | 35 |
| Brightness 100 nits | 16 (minimum 82 nits) |
| contrast | 50 |
| gamma | 2.2 |
| color temperature user | Red 100, Green 96, Blue 96 |
Gaming and hands-on with Gigabyte M27QP
After playing and working with the M27QP for a few days, I can say that everything works great and is especially fast and responsive in games. As a flat 27-inch 16:9 QHD panel, it offers plenty of screen real estate and excellent image quality for any task. Looking at page 3, we found it had a bit less contrast than its competitors, but found that a lot of saturation and decent gamma partly made up for that lack.
The combination of size and shape of the M27QP gives it next to Ultra HD pixel density. 109ppi is good enough that detailed graphics and small fonts don’t show pixel structure. Images are very sharp thanks to the tightly assembled panels and effective anti-glare layer. I was managing the monitor test database and writing copies, so hours of work sessions were no problem. Both DCI-P3 and sRGB gamuts could be alternated if desired.
The game opened up some video processing options, so I gave it a shot. As one of the few monitors that can use backlight strobe and Adaptive-Sync at the same time, we dealt with this first. The strobe certainly removes a hint of motion blur, but I found the screen too dark with the room lights on. , you can effectively use this setting. It also lowered the contrast ratio, which made the image a little flatter.
Overdrive is a good option if you have the image quality set to on. This is the only option that has absolutely no ghosts or other artifacts.The clarity of movement at the maximum frame rate of 170fps that I have seen while playing is outstanding. Doom Eternal in HDR mode.
HDR’s contrast wasn’t as great as SDR’s, but the brighter and more saturated images made HDR a good proposition. The M27QP is not an HDR standard-bearer, but it supports the standard without issue and offers a great gaming experience.
The best part was the ultra-low input lag. Subjective gaming feel was on par with any 240 Hz screen I’ve reviewed. The M27QP makes full use of 170 Hz for excellent video processing. Detail remains sharp even with fast movements, and I barely noticed any motion blur. In the 165-170 Hz category, this monitor offers some of the best gaming I’ve experienced.
more: best gaming monitor
more: How to test your PC monitor
more: How to Buy a PC Monitor: The 2022 Guide
more: How to choose the best HDR monitor
more: best gaming monitor
more: How to test your PC monitor
more: How to Buy a PC Monitor: The 2022 Guide
more: How to choose the best HDR monitor
