The Gigabyte G27Q is a great budget gaming monitor. It's similar to the Gigabyte G27QC, except it has an IPS panel. This means it has wide viewing angles, but it comes at the cost of its low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark. It has features most gamers would want in a 144Hz, 1440p monitor, like variable refresh rate support in the form of native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility. It has a very good response time at its max refresh rate, which results in minimal motion blur, and its input lag is exceptionally low. Unfortunately, it has poor ergonomics, so placing in an ideal viewing position may be difficult. If you want to use it in a well-lit room, it gets bright enough to combat glare and has good reflection handling.
The Gigabyte G27Q is very good overall. It's great for gaming because it has VRR support, a fast response time, and exceptionally low input lag. It's good for office use and content creators thanks to its wide viewing angles, high peak brightness, and good reflection handling. However, it has poor ergonomics, making placing the screen in an ideal position difficult. While it displays a wide range of colors in HDR, it has a low contrast ratio and doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.
The Gigabyte G27Q is good for office use. It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, which is great if you need to share your screen with others. The 1440p resolution delivers clear text, and the 27 inch screen offers enough space to multitask. It gets bright enough to combat glare in well-lit rooms and has good reflection handling. Sadly, it has poor ergonomics as you can't swivel it.
The Gigabyte G27Q is great for gaming. It has a high 144Hz refresh rate with both FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility. The response time at its max refresh rate is very good, and it has an exceptionally low input lag. It has wide viewing angles if you want to use it for co-op gaming. Unfortunately, it's not the best for dark room gaming because it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray.
The Gigabyte G27Q is good for multimedia use. It has a high 1440p resolution that makes images look crisp. It performs well in bright rooms thanks to its high peak brightness and good reflection handling. Sadly, it doesn't perform as well in dark rooms because it has a low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray. Luckily, it has wide viewing angles, which is great if you want to watch content with a friend.
The Gigabyte G27Q is very good for content creators. The large 27 inch screen offers enough room to open multiple windows side-by-side. It has wide viewing angles, so someone viewing from the side still sees an accurate image. However, it has poor ergonomics, and you won't be able to easily place your screen in an ideal viewing position. Lastly, it has an outstanding SDR color gamut with excellent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space.
The Gigabyte G27Q is alright for HDR, but it offers nothing special. While it displays a wide range of colors, it doesn't get bright enough to make those colors look vivid. It also has a low native contrast ratio, and without a local dimming feature, blacks look gray in dark rooms. It doesn't make highlights pop in HDR, so everything looks dull and muted.
We reviewed the 27-inch Gigabyte G27Q, which is the only size available for this model. There are similar monitors from Gigabyte, and you can see the differences between them below.
Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Curved | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G27Q | 27" | IPS | 1440p | 144Hz | No | |
G27QC | 27" | VA | 1440p | 165Hz | Yes | |
G32QC | 32" | VA | 1440p | 165Hz | Yes | |
M27Q (rev. 1.0) | 27" | IPS | 1440p | 170Hz | No | KVM feature |
Our unit of the Gigabyte G27Q was manufactured in August 2020; you can see the label here.
The Gigabyte G27Q is a great budget-friendly gaming monitor. It offers good value for its price, and in terms of gaming, it provides similar features as more expensive options, like the ASUS TUF VG27AQ. It has a very good response time at its max refresh rate, and even though it's slower at 60Hz than some other monitors, it's still decent. However, it lacks on ergonomics, which may be disappointing.
See our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 1440p 144Hz monitors, and the best budget gaming monitors.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) is better for gaming than the Gigabyte G27Q. It has a higher 170Hz refresh rate and a much quicker response time at 60Hz, resulting in minimal motion blur. It has a better SDR color gamut, making it a better choice for content creators, and it has a KVM feature allowing you to control two devices with the same mouse and keyboard. On the other hand, the G27Q has a bit better reflection handling and gets slightly brighter in HDR, but these are minor differences and may be hard to notice.
The Dell G2724D is a better, low-cost gaming monitor than the Gigabyte G27Q. The Dell has a slightly higher refresh rate, but the main advantage is its better motion handling across the entire refresh rate range. The Dell also supports VRR with the PS5, which the Gigabyte doesn't. However, the Gigabyte has slightly better picture quality because it displays a wider range of colors in HDR, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature that causes blooming like the Dell has. The Gigabyte also has a few extra features, like a USB hub.
The Gigabyte G27Q is better overall than the Gigabyte G27QC, but they're very similar monitors with different panel types. The G27Q has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, it gets brighter, and it has a better SDR color gamut, making it a better choice for office use. However, the G27QC has a VA panel with a much better contrast ratio, so it's a better choice for dark room gaming, and it also has a quicker response time at 60Hz, resulting in less motion blur.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 2.0) is a higher-end monitor than the Gigabyte G27Q, so it has a few more features. The main difference is that the M27Q has a USB-C port and KVM switch, making it easier to multitask, which the G27Q doesn't have. The M27Q also has Picture-by-Picture and Picture-in-Picture modes, which is something else that the G27Q doesn't have. Besides those differences, the G27Q has a bit better reflection handling and gets slightly brighter, so it's the better choice for well-lit rooms. The M27Q has better accuracy before calibration, but besides that, both monitors perform similarly.
The Gigabyte M27Q X is a lot better than the Gigabyte G27Q, especially for gaming. The M27Q X has a faster refresh rate, resulting in much better motion handling, with significantly less blur behind fast-moving objects. The M27Q X also has better connectivity and more features, with USB-C connectivity and a built-in keyboard, video, and mouse switch.
The Gigabyte G27Q and the Gigabyte GS27QC are different types of entry-level gaming monitors. The main difference comes down to their different panels, as the G27Q has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles, while the GS27QC has a curved VA panel with a higher contrast. The GS27QC has an advantage when it comes to gaming because it has a higher refresh rate, and it also has a faster response time. However, the G27Q is better for most other uses as it gets brighter, displays a wider range of colors, and has better ergonomics.
The Gigabyte G27Q and the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A are both great gaming monitors. The ASUS has a higher refresh rate, making it feel a bit more responsive, but its response time at max refresh rate isn't as good as the Gigabyte. That said, the ASUS performs much better at 60Hz. Feature-wise, the ASUS has better ergonomics, but the Gigabyte gets brighter to combat glare.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is better than the Gigabyte G27Q gaming-wise because it has a higher refresh rate and a much better response time, especially at 60Hz. The LG can display a wider range of colors in HDR, but it doesn't get nearly as bright as the Gigabyte. The LG allows for rotation to portrait mode, whereas the Gigabyte doesn't.
The Gigabyte M27Q P is a higher-end model compared to the Gigabyte G27Q. While the M27Q P has a higher 170Hz refresh rate than the G27Q, the main difference comes down to their ports and features. The M27Q P has a USB-C port and a KVM switch, making it easy to multitask with different computers, which the G27Q doesn't have. The M27Q P also has much better motion handling, but the G27Q has lower input lag with 60Hz signals.
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is a bit better overall than the Gigabyte G27Q. The ASUS has a higher 165Hz refresh rate with a faster response time at 60Hz to make motion look smoother. It also has much better ergonomics, making it easier to place in an ideal viewing position. However, the Gigabyte is better for well-lit rooms because it gets brighter and has better reflection handling.
The Gigabyte G27Q and LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B are two very good monitors, and they both have a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. The Gigabyte gets brighter, so it does a better job at combatting glare and makes highlights stand out a bit more in HDR. On the other hand, the LG has a much quicker response time at 60Hz, so motion looks less blurry in 60fps games.
The Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx and the Gigabyte G27Q are both 27 inch, 1440p gaming monitors. For the most part, the Acer performs better. It has a higher refresh rate of 170Hz versus the Gigabyte's 144Hz, and its response times are much faster, at max refresh rate and especially at 60Hz. It also has better ergonomics so that you can place the screen in a comfortable viewing position.
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is better than the Gigabyte G27Q for most uses. The MSI has a slightly higher refresh rate and faster response time to deliver smoother motion. It also has better ergonomics because it allows for swivel and pivot adjustments, and its USB hub includes a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort and 15W charging. It has a wider color gamut than the Gigabyte but doesn't get as bright to bring out highlights in HDR content.
The Gigabyte G27Q and the LG 27GN800-B are very similar as they're both 27 inch, 1440p gaming monitors with a 144Hz refresh rate. Performance-wise, the LG has a much faster response time at max refresh rate, and especially at 60Hz. However, the Gigabyte has USB ports, better ergonomics, and it gets a lot brighter to combat glare and deliver a better HDR experience.
The HP OMEN 27q and the Gigabyte G27Q are both great budget-friendly 1440p gaming monitors. The HP has a slightly higher 165Hz refresh rate and better motion handling, leading to less blur. The Gigabyte is better for console gaming because it can downscale 4k signals from the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which the HP monitor can't do. On top of that, the Gigabyte has a few extra features, like a USB hub.
For gaming, the Dell S2721DGF performs better than the Gigabyte G27Q. The Dell has a higher refresh rate of 165Hz, compared to the Gigabyte's 144Hz, and it has a much faster response time, resulting in a clearer image with less ghosting. The Dell also has better ergonomics and wider viewing angles, but it doesn't get as bright as the Gigabyte.
The LG 27GN650-B and the Gigabyte G27Q are both great 144Hz gaming monitors. The main difference is that the LG has a 1080p resolution, while the Gigabyte is 1440p. Gaming-wise, the LG has much better response times at max refresh rate and 60Hz. However, the Gigabyte might be a better choice if you plan on using it for work due to its higher resolution. It's also better suited for well-lit rooms because it gets a lot brighter.
The ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD and the Gigabyte G27Q are similar entry-level 1440p monitors, but the Gigabyte has a few advantages. The Gigabyte is much easier to adjust as it offers height adjustment, which the ViewSonic doesn't, and the Gigabyte also offers HDR, which is useful if you want to watch HDR content, but it has limited picture quality anyway.
The Gigabyte M28U is a bit better than the Gigabyte G27Q. The M28U has a higher native resolution, giving it better text clarity for office use or media creation. The M28U has a faster response time, a more versatile black frame insertion feature that works even when VRR is enabled. The M28U also features two HDMI 2.1 ports, so it's also a better choice for console gamers looking to get the most out of their PS5 or Xbox Series S|X.
The Gigabyte M32Q is a bit better overall than the Gigabyte G27Q, and much better for gaming. The M32Q has a much faster response time, especially when gaming at 60Hz. The M32Q also has better ergonomics, a larger screen, and a more versatile black frame insertion feature that works across a wider range of refresh rates, and it can be used concurrently with the variable refresh rate feature.
The Gigabyte G27Q and the MSI Optix G273QF are both entry-level 1440p gaming monitors with a few similarities and some differences. The MSI has a slightly higher refresh rate, and it has a bit better motion handling as well. On the other hand, the Gigabyte is a bit more versatile for all-around use as it has extra features, like a USB hub, and it has better ergonomics. The Gigabyte also gets brighter and has better reflection handling, making it a better choice for well-lit rooms. Lastly, the Gigabyte supports HDR, which the MSI doesn't, but it doesn't add much due to its limited HDR performance.
The Gigabyte G27Q is better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 C27G55T because it has a better response time that results in a clearer image with a shorter blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It also has wider viewing angles that make it easier to share content and gets significantly brighter to combat glare. The Gigabyte can display a wide color gamut for HDR, but the Samsung has a much better contrast ratio to produce deeper blacks.
The Gigabyte G27Q is much better than the MSI Optix G273. The Gigabyte has a higher native resolution, resulting in clearer text and sharper images. The Gigabyte also has a much faster response time, resulting in clearer motion, and it supports HDR10. Finally, the Gigabyte has better ergonomics, with an excellent height adjustment, making it easier to place it in an ideal viewing position.
The Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 is slightly better for gaming than the Gigabyte G27Q, but they're different types of monitors. While the Samsung has a 4k resolution, the Gigabyte is 1440p, and they each have a 144Hz refresh rate. The Samsung has much better motion handling, and it has HDMI 2.1 inputs that allow you to play 4k @ 120 fps from gaming consoles. However, the Gigabyte is better to use in bright rooms because it has slightly better reflection handling, and it gets brighter.
The Gigabyte AORUS FO48U OLED and the Gigabyte G27Q use very different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The FO48U uses an OLED panel, which has a nearly-instantaneous response time and can display deep, inky blacks with perfect uniformity. Unfortunately, the FO48U also has a risk of permanent burn-in. The G27Q uses an IPS panel, which has no risk of burn-in, but it's brighter in HDR, especially with very bright scenes.
The Gigabyte G27Q is much better than the Lenovo D27-30. The Gigabyte has a much faster refresh rate, a higher resolution screen, and better viewing angles. The Gigabyte also has much better ergonomics and a significantly faster response time. On the other hand, the Lenovo has better contrast, and it looks better in a completely dark room.
The Lenovo ThinkVision M14 and the Gigabyte G27Q are for different uses. The Lenovo is a portable monitor with limited features and inputs compared to the Gigabyte. It only has a USB-C input, which allows you to connect a compatible device and charge it. Since it has a smaller screen, the Lenovo has much higher pixel density and better text clarity. However, the Gigabyte is a gaming monitor that's more versatile for other uses because it has a larger screen, a higher refresh rate, quicker response times, and it gets brighter.
The Lepow Z1 Gamut and the Gigabyte G27Q are for different uses. The Lepow is a portable monitor with a 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate, while the Gigabyte is a 27" gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. For the most part, the Gigabyte is better. It has a bigger screen to deliver a more immersive gaming experience, and its motion handling is significantly better. However, it suffers from color bleed, so it isn't ideal for content creation.
The Gigabyte G27Q looks almost exactly like the Gigabyte G27QC, except it has a flat screen. It has a simple design, and it isn't too gamer-oriented, so it doesn't stick out in an office environment. It's mainly made out of matte plastic with a glossy panel on the back. It has fairly thin bezels on three sides and a thicker bottom bezel.
The Gigabyte G27Q has good build quality. It's very similar to the Gigabyte G27QC, and it's made with basic, yet sturdy, plastic panels. There's no flex or any obvious gaps in the construction. The feet don't feel premium, but they hold the monitor well, and there's no wobble.
The ergonomics are alright. It only allows for height and tilt adjustments, and you can't rotate or swivel it. The back of the Gigabyte G27Q mainly has matte plastic, except for the glossy panel on top where the branding is. Cable management is serviced through a hole in the stand.
The Gigabyte G27Q has a mediocre contrast ratio, which is expected from an IPS panel. Blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark. If contrast is important to you, then check out the Gigabyte G27QC, which has a VA panel.
The Gigabyte G27Q doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video above is provided for reference only.
The SDR peak brightness is impressive. It maintains its brightness very consistently across different content, and it gets bright enough to easily fight glare. This is much higher than the advertised 350 cd/m² brightness. We measured peak brightness after calibration in the 'Custom 1' Picture Mode with Brightness at its max.
The Gigabyte G27Q has decent HDR peak brightness. It's very consistent across different content, meaning small highlights don't stand out against the rest of the image. The EOTF tracks the target fairly well until there's a sharp roll-off at the peak brightness, as it lets highlights get the brightest they can before the source does any tone mapping. We tested HDR peak brightness after calibration in the 'Custom 1' Picture Mode with Brightness at its max.
The Gigabyte G27Q has a good horizontal viewing angle. The image remains accurate when you view it from the sides, which is great for co-op gaming or sharing your screen with someone else. This is typical of an IPS panel.
The Gigabyte G27Q gaming monitor's vertical viewing angle is decent. You may lose some image accuracy if you mount it too much above eye level, but it should be fine for most people.
The accuracy before calibration is good. The dedicated sRGB mode locks colors well to the sRGB color space, and most colors are accurate. However, the white balance is worse, and the color temperature is on the cold side, resulting in a blue tint. On the plus side, gamma follows the sRGB curve well enough. Unfortunately, the sRGB mode locks most picture settings, and if you want to use those settings, you'd have to use another less-accurate mode, as you can see here. If you want better accuracy and an sRGB mode that allows you to customize more picture settings, check out the HP OMEN 27q.
The accuracy after calibration is simply exceptional. Any remaining inaccuracies can't be spotted without the aid of a colorimeter, and the color temperature is extremely close to the 6500K target.
The Gigabyte G27Q's color gamut is outstanding, even better than the Gigabyte G27QC. It has perfect coverage of the commonly used sRGB color space, and photo editors should be happy with the excellent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space.
The Gigabyte G27Q monitor's SDR color volume is fantastic. Thanks to its outstanding color gamut and high peak brightness, it displays colors at a wide range of luminance levels. Unfortunately, it struggles to display deep, saturated colors due to the low contrast ratio.
The Gigabyte G27Q has an excellent HDR color gamut. It has excellent coverage of the DCI P3 color space used in most HDR content; however, its coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 is just okay.
You can reach the max refresh rate over HDMI or DisplayPort, but if you're looking for something with an even higher refresh rate, check out the LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B or the Gigabyte M32Q.
The Gigabyte G27Q has native FreeSync support and is G-SYNC compatible as well. You can achieve its full refresh rate range over both a DisplayPort and HDMI connection, but G-SYNC doesn't work over HDMI.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
Picture Quality | Chart | Table | Photo |
Balance | Chart | Table | Photo |
Speed | Chart | Table | Photo |
The Gigabyte G27Q has a very good response time at its max refresh rate of 144Hz. Motion looks crisp, and there's minimal blur. The recommended Overdrive setting is 'Speed' because it's the fastest, and there isn't too much overshoot. If the overshoot bothers you, there isn't any in the 'Balance' setting, but it has a slower response time. If you want a monitor with an even faster response time, then consider the Gigabyte M27Q P.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
Picture Quality | Chart | Table | Photo |
Balance | Chart | Table | Photo |
Speed | Chart | Table | Photo |
The response time at 120Hz is good. Like at the max refresh rate, the recommended Overdrive setting is 'Speed' because it has the fastest total response time without much overshoot.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
Picture Quality | Chart | Table | Photo |
Balance | Chart | Table | Photo |
Speed | Chart | Table | Photo |
The response time at 60Hz is mediocre. The Overdrive settings are a bit different than at higher refresh rates, as 'Balance' has the fastest response time and less overshoot, but motion still looks blurry. If you want a monitor with a faster response time at 60Hz, check out the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ.
The Gigabyte G27Q has a backlight strobing feature, but its range is limited. It doesn't work with VRR enabled, and it automatically locks the Overdrive setting to 'Speed'. You can see the 120Hz backlight strobing pattern here.
The Gigabyte G27Q has an exceptionally low input lag. It stays low whether you're gaming at 60Hz or with VRR enabled.
The Gigabyte G27Q has a great resolution and size. There's enough space to open multiple windows side-by-side, and the 1440p resolution helps deliver crisp images. This is a better choice for multitasking than 1080p displays, like the MSI Optix G273.
The Gigabyte G27Q works well with the PS5, but without HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, you can't play 4k games up to 120Hz. However, it downscales 4k signals, which results in a sharper image than native 1440p. Although some user reports are saying that firmware F06 makes the monitor incompatible with 1080p and 1440p signals at 120Hz, we didn't experience any issues. For 1080p @ 120Hz, we just had to start a game and return to the menu to see that 1080p @ 120Hz is supported in the Video Output Information page.
There are a few issues using this monitor with macOS, but it works well for the most part. Windows don't always stay in place when resuming from sleep, which can be a bit frustrating. HDR works properly and looks good. The variable refresh rate feature doesn't work properly when on the desktop with a lower framerate, but it works fine in-game.
The Gigabyte G27Q has a few extra features, including built-in speakers. You can see the other features listed below:
There's a Picture-in-Picture option in the OSD Sidekick, but it doesn't work and doesn't show up in the regular on-screen display either.