The 6 Best 27 Inch Gaming Monitors - Summer 2020
Reviews

The best 27 inch gaming monitor that we've tested so far is the ASUS TUF VG27AQ. It's a 1440p monitor that delivers a great picture quality with outstanding motion handling, as it allows the optional black frame insertion feature (ELMB) to be used while FreeSync is enabled. This results in a clear picture with almost no blur trail behind fast-moving objects and a nearly tear-free gaming experience. Input lag is remarkably low and the monitor's native refresh rate of 144Hz can be easily overclocked to 165Hz.

Like most IPS monitors, contrast ratio and black uniformity are mediocre, which is less ideal for gaming in the dark. However, it offers good viewing angles and its color accuracy is pretty decent out of the box. There's HDR support, but the lack of wide color gamut and the monitor's mediocre peak brightness results in a rather lackluster HDR experience. Gray uniformity is excellent, as only the edges of the screen look slightly darker, and thankfully, no dirty screen effect.

This monitor performs at its best in a moderately-lit room. It gets bright enough to combat glare and its reflection handling is decent, but direct sunlight is definitely not recommended. It has built-in speakers for those who need them and the backlight is flicker-free, which is great for those gaming marathons. All in all, this is a feature-rich monitor that most gamers should be happy with.

The best 27 inch 4k gaming monitor we've tested so far is the Acer Predator X27. It's a monitor that delivers a superb picture quality with its high resolution and excellent motion handling. Its response time is fast, resulting in very little motion blur, and it performs equally well whether you play at its maximum 144Hz refresh rate or at 60Hz, which is good news for console gamers. Input lag is extremely low and it supports NVIDIA's G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing.

If you're in a moderate to bright room, then this monitor is a perfect choice. It gets searingly bright, enough to fight glare in any type of room setting, and its reflection handling is pretty decent too. However, the same can't be said about its dark room performance, as its IPS panel has significant black uniformity issues, even with its full-array local dimming enabled. Furthermore, its low contrast ratio makes blacks look gray, although this is expected of most IPS panels. On the bright side, it has wide viewing angles and there's almost no visible dirty screen effect.

There are 4 USB 3.0 ports that you can use to charge your mobile devices and it comes with internal speakers. You can add a crosshair to shooter games or a frame rate counter overlay, and it even has some customizable RGB lights to match your mood. So if you're looking for a monitor that can do nearly anything and price is no object, you should check this one out.

The best budget 27 inch gaming monitor we've tested so far is the ASUS TUF VG27VQ. It's a good budget gaming monitor with a high refresh rate of 165Hz, an incredibly low input lag, and it supports FreeSync for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. Its response time is decent and it has an optional black frame insertion feature that can help reduce motion blur. Visibility should be fine in most rooms, but it may be an issue in very bright rooms with lights shining directly on the screen, as its reflection handling is just okay.

This monitor uses a VA panel that's capable of producing deep blacks, but it comes at the cost of poor viewing angles. Gray uniformity is excellent, so you shouldn't see any dirty screen effect, although there's some backlight bleed that can be distracting if you plan on gaming in the dark. Sadly, there's no HDR support and the 1080p resolution may be a bit disappointing for some.

Despite its budget price, this monitor is very well-built. Ergonomics are decent; however, it can't rotate to portrait mode. It comes with a few extra features that may be useful for some, such as a blue light filter, an FPS counter overlay, and a pair of internal speakers. Overall, if you don't mind its 1080p resolution and lack of HDR support, this is a budget-friendly monitor that's worth considering.