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Gigabyte M28U Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Jul 27, 2021 at 10:09 am
Latest change: Writing modified Jun 02, 2023 at 08:57 am
Gigabyte M28U Picture
8.0
Mixed Usage
8.2
Office
8.6
Gaming
7.5
Media Consumption
8.3
Media Creation
6.5
HDR

The Gigabyte M28U is a great monitor with a 28-inch, 4k IPS screen. It delivers an excellent gaming experience with low input lag, a fast response time, and a great selection of gaming features. It's also great for office use, as the high pixel density results in outstanding text clarity, and it has wide viewing angles. It's one of the first monitors on the market to support HDMI 2.1, making it a great choice for 4k @ 120Hz gaming on the next generation of consoles. It's not without its flaws, as there's some overshoot with every overdrive mode. It also doesn't look very good in a dark room, as it has low contrast and bad black uniformity.

Our Verdict

8.0 Mixed Usage

The Gigabyte M28U is a great monitor for most uses. The high-resolution screen delivers outstanding text clarity, making it a great choice for office use. It has wide viewing angles, a superb SDR color gamut, and excellent gray uniformity, making it a great choice for media creation and a decent monitor for watching videos. It's an excellent gaming monitor with low input lag, a fast response time, and a great selection of gaming features, including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for next-gen console gaming. Sadly, it's just okay for HDR as it has a low contrast and a terrible local dimming feature.

Pros
  • High-resolution screen and high pixel density.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
Cons
  • Low contrast.
  • Terrible local dimming feature.
8.2 Office

The Gigabyte M28U is a great office monitor. The large, high-resolution screen delivers outstanding text clarity, and it has wide viewing angles, great for sharing your screen with your colleagues. It has excellent peak brightness in SDR and good reflection handling, so glare generally won't be an issue. It's also a great choice if your work requires accurate colors, as it has fantastic accuracy out of the box, incredible gradient handling, and excellent gray uniformity. Unfortunately, the stand has limited ergonomics in that it can't swivel or rotate to portrait orientation.

Pros
  • High-resolution screen and high pixel density.
  • Fantastic text clarity.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
Cons
  • Low contrast.
  • Stand can't swivel or rotate to a portrait orientation.
8.6 Gaming

The Gigabyte M28U delivers an excellent gaming experience. It has an outstanding response time and a great selection of gaming features, including support for variable refresh rate technology (VRR). It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, making it a great choice for next-gen console gamers. Input lag is also really low, but you need to make sure it's updated to the latest firmware. The overdrive settings are a bit strange, too, as there's noticeable overshoot in every mode.

Pros
  • HDMI 2.1 ports for next-gen console gaming.
  • Outstanding response time.
  • Fast refresh rate.
Cons
  • Low contrast.
7.5 Media Consumption

The Gigabyte M28U is a very good monitor for watching videos. The large, high-resolution screen is great for watching high-definition videos, and the wide viewing angles make it comfortable for sharing your screen with your friends. It has excellent peak brightness in SDR and good reflection handling, so glare won't be an issue for most people. It's not as well-suited for watching movies at night, though, as it has low contrast and a terrible local dimming feature.

Pros
  • High-resolution screen and high pixel density.
  • Fantastic accuracy out of the box.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
Cons
  • Bad black uniformity.
  • Low contrast.
8.3 Media Creation

The Gigabyte M28U is a great monitor for media creation. The large, high-resolution screen makes it easier to see more of your project or timeline at once. It has fantastic accuracy out of the box, incredible gradient handling, and excellent gray uniformity. It also has an outstanding color gamut in SDR, but coverage of the Adobe RGB color space might be a bit too limited for some professional users. Unfortunately, it's not as well-suited for a dark room, as it has low contrast and bad black uniformity.

Pros
  • High-resolution screen and high pixel density.
  • Fantastic accuracy out of the box.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
Cons
  • Bad black uniformity.
  • Low contrast.
  • Stand can't swivel or rotate to a portrait orientation.
6.5 HDR

The Gigabyte M28U is okay for HDR. It displays a wide range of colors in HDR and has decent peak brightness, so some highlights pop, but it's not enough for a true cinematic HDR experience. However, it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray, and its local dimming feature is terrible and doesn't do much to improve the contrast.

Pros
  • Decent HDR peak brightness.
  • Displays a wide color gamut.
Cons
  • Bad black uniformity.
  • Low contrast.
  • Terrible local dimming feature.
  • 8.0 Mixed Usage
  • 8.2 Office
  • 8.6 Gaming
  • 7.5 Media Consumption
  • 8.3 Media Creation
  • 6.5 HDR
  1. Updated Jun 02, 2023: Added that the MSI Optix G321CU has higher HDMI bandwidth in Video and Audio Ports.
  2. Updated May 15, 2023: Added that the newly-tested Gigabyte M27U gets brighter in SDR.
  3. Updated Feb 23, 2023: Added a note in Text Clarity to say that square images are slightly stretched horizontally, although it isn't a major concern. Also confirmed that 1440p works with the PS5.
  4. Updated Dec 16, 2022: Updated the monitor to firmware F10, which changed the results in SDR Brightness and HDR Color Gamut as the peak brightness is lower and the tone mapping is worse now.
  5. Updated May 27, 2022: We corrected a typo in the measured brightness after calibration.
  6. Updated May 02, 2022: We tested the monitor with the PS5's new variable refresh rate feature and confirmed that it's working properly.
  7. Updated Apr 08, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.2, resulting in changes to the results and scores with the Response Time and Input Lag. Added tests for Console Compatibility and macOS compatibility and made minor changes to other tests, which you can see in our Changelog.
  8. Updated Feb 16, 2022: Retested the peak brightness and color volume after updating the firmware to F07.
  9. Updated Jan 17, 2022: Looked into issues with Display Stream Compression.
  10. Updated Nov 22, 2021: We corrected a mistake in the Additional Features section.
  11. Updated Nov 18, 2021: We rechecked the black uniformity, reflections, and screen dimensions.
  12. Updated Sep 03, 2021: Updated the firmware and remeasured the input lag.
  13. Updated Aug 17, 2021: We confirmed that the HDMI 2.1 ports are limited to 24Gbps.
  14. Updated Jul 27, 2021: Review published.
  15. Updated Jul 22, 2021: Early access published.
  16. Updated Jul 12, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  17. Updated Jul 06, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  18. Updated Jun 16, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 28-inch Gigabyte M28U, which is part of Gigabyte's M Series gaming monitors, designed with productivity in mind, and all feature a built-in KVM (keyboard, video, & mouse) switch. It's a bit different from the other M series monitors, as it's one of the only ones with a 4k screen and HDMI 2.1 support. It's also available in a 32-inch size, known as the Gigabyte M32U, which we've also tested.

Model Size Native Resolution Max Refresh rate Panel Type
M32Q 32" 1440p 170Hz IPS
M32U 32" 4k 144Hz IPS
M28U 28" 4k 144Hz IPS
M27Q (rev. 1.0) 27" 1440p 170Hz IPS
M27F 27" 1080p 144Hz IPS

If you come across a different type of panel or your Gigabyte M28U doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.

Our unit was manufactured in March 2021; you can see the label here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The Gigabyte M28U is an impressive gaming monitor, and it's one of the few monitors available with HDMI 2.1 support, making it a great choice for next-gen console gaming. It has a few extra features that help it to stand out against the competition and it's one of the best 4k gaming monitors we've tested, but there are some motion issues that aren't on other monitors.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best monitors for PS5, the best monitors for Xbox Series X, and the best gaming monitors.

Gigabyte M27U

The Gigabyte M27U and the Gigabyte M28U are very similar monitors in terms of features, but the M27U edges out in a few areas. The M27U gets much brighter, making it better for bright rooms and delivering a better HDR experience. The M27U also has an overclock feature to 160Hz for a slightly smoother feel than the 144Hz on the M28U.

Gigabyte M32U

The Gigabyte M32U is a bit better than the Gigabyte M28U. Although these two monitors are very similar overall, the larger model has better ergonomics and response time. The M28U has worse overshoot in every overdrive mode, especially when gaming at 60Hz. On the other hand, the M28U has better reflection handling, but it's not a significant difference.

Acer Nitro XV282K KVbmiipruzx

The Acer Nitro XV282K KVbmiipruzx is a bit better than the Gigabyte M28U. The Acer has much better ergonomics, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position. The Acer also has slightly lower input lag. There's also a difference in extra features, as the Gigabyte has a built-in KVM switch, supports Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture, and has a better black frame insertion feature.

Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T

The Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T and the Gigabyte M28U use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The Samsung uses a VA panel, and it's a much better gaming monitor overall. The Samsung has a much faster response time at 60Hz, lower input lag, and better contrast. The Gigabyte, on the other hand, supports HDMI 2.1, so it's better for next-gen console gaming, and it has much better viewing angles and a higher resolution screen.

Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0)

The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and the Gigabyte M28U are very similar, with a few key differences, so the best one depends on your usage. The M28U has a higher resolution screen, making it a better choice for office use or media creation. 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. On the other hand, the M27Q is slightly better for most PC gamers, as it has slightly lower input lag and less overshoot.

Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70

The Gigabyte M28U and the Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 are two excellent 4k gaming monitors. Picture quality is fairly similar, and even though the Gigabyte has much better out-of-the-box accuracy, it may vary between units. Motion is fantastic on each, but the backlight strobing feature on the Gigabyte flickers at a wider range than the one on the Samsung. They both have HDMI 2.1 inputs, but the Samsung has 40 Gbps bandwidth while the Gigabyte is limited to 24 Gbps, so it needs Display Stream Compression for certain signals, which you won't have to worry about on the Samsung.

LG 27GP950-B

The Gigabyte M28U is slightly better than the LG 27GP950-B overall, but some people might prefer the LG. The Gigabyte has much better reflection handling, so glare isn't as distracting in a bright room, and it has an optional backlight strobing feature. On the other hand, the LG has a faster refresh rate and better motion handling with 60Hz sources. The LG's HDMI 2.1 ports support the full bandwidth of HDMI 2.1, so it's also a slightly better choice for PS5 gamers.

Dell U2723QE

The Gigabyte M28U and the Dell U2723QE are different types of 4k monitors. The Gigabyte is more focused on gaming as it has a higher refresh rate and a faster response time, resulting in better motion handling. The Gigabyte also has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. However, the Dell is the better choice if you need something specifically for office work or photo editing as it has more features, like a bigger USB hub to which you can connect your devices. The Dell also displays a wider range of colors in HDR, which is great for HDR video editing. Lastly, the Dell has much better ergonomics, making it easier to place in an ideal position.

Samsung Odyssey G7/G70B S32BG70

The Samsung Odyssey G7/G70B S32BG70 and the Gigabyte M28U are both great 4k, 144Hz monitors. They share many similarities, including a fast response time, and while the Samsung has a faster response time at 60Hz, the Gigabyte has lower input lag with 60Hz signals. The Samsung also gets brighter if you want to use it in a well-lit room, but the Gigabyte has more work-oriented features like a USB-C input.

Dell G3223Q

The Gigabyte M28U and the Dell G3223Q are very similar monitors, with the big difference being that the Dell has a larger screen. Besides that, they each have a 4k resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and you won't have issues playing games from consoles on them. The Dell displays a wider HDR color gamut, but it has worse tone mapping anyways, so colors in HDR look better on the Gigabyte. They each have smooth motion handling, but the Gigabyte has a backlight strobing feature, which the Dell doesn't have.

LG 27GN950-B

The Gigabyte M28U is slightly better overall than the LG 27GN950-B for most users. The Gigabyte has much better reflection handling, so if you're in a bright room, it's a better choice. The Gigabyte is better for gaming, with two HDMI 2.1 ports for next-gen console gamers and a black frame insertion feature that works even with VRR enabled. The LG has a better response time, though.

Gigabyte AORUS FI32U

The Gigabyte AORUS FI32U is slightly better than the Gigabyte M28U. The FI32U has better ergonomics, and it has a much better response time at 60Hz. The M28U, on the other hand, has better reflection handling and a better horizontal viewing angle.

Cooler Master Tempest GP27U

The Cooler Master Tempest GP27U is better overall than the Gigabyte M28U. The Cooler Master delivers better overall picture quality thanks to its decent local dimming feature, which helps it get brighter and display deeper blacks. It also has higher HDMI 2.1 bandwidth than the Gigabyte, so your graphics card doesn't need to use compression to achieve high-frame-rate signals. On the other hand, the Gigabyte has better color accuracy, and colors don't wash out when viewing off-center like on the Cooler Master.

MSI Optix G321CU

The Gigabyte M28U is a better gaming monitor than the MSI Optix G321CU. The main advantage the Gigabyte has is its superior motion handling, so there's less smearing with fast-moving objects. The Gigabyte also has wider viewing angles and better ergonomics that make it better for co-op gaming. On the other hand, the MSI has a bigger screen for a more immersive feel. It also has the full 48 Gbps bandwidth of HDMI 2.1, while the Gigabyte is limited to 24 Gbps, so your graphics card doesn't need to use compression for demanding signals.

Gigabyte G27Q

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.

ASUS ROG Strix XG27UQ

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27UQ and the Gigabyte M28U are very similar overall, but the ASUS is slightly better for most people, as it has better ergonomics. The Gigabyte has slightly better reflection handling, and its black frame insertion feature is a bit more versatile, as it works across a wider range of refresh rates.

Apple Studio Display

The Gigabyte M28U and the Apple Studio Display are different types of monitors. The Gigabyte is a 4k gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, meaning you can play games from the Xbox Series X and PS5 without issue. It's also more versatile for different uses because it has HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, as well as HDR support, which the Apple monitor doesn't have. On the other hand, the Apple is a 5k monitor meant for macOS users, and it has significantly better reflection handling, so it performs better in well-lit rooms.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved
No
Curve Radius
Not Curved

The Gigabyte M28U looks almost identical to the other M Series gaming monitors, including the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0). It has a simple design with extremely thin bezels on three sides and a flat stand base that supports the display well but takes up a bit more space overall. There's nothing flashy about this monitor; it looks good in almost any setting.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Gigabyte M28U has good overall build quality. It's very similar to the other M Series monitors, like the Gigabyte M32Q. It's entirely plastic but feels sturdy. The glossy back section is prone to gathering fingerprints and dust, but you usually won't see it. The bezels seem solid, with no flex, and the stand is easy to adjust. Unfortunately, the stand wobbles a lot if the height is extended more than halfway to the maximum.

6.9
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
5.1" (13.0 cm)
Tilt Range
-20° to 5°
Rotate Portrait/Landscape
No
Swivel Range
No swivel
Wall Mount
VESA 100x100

Unfortunately, the Gigabyte M28U's stand can't rotate to portrait orientation, and it can't swivel, so it's not very versatile. It has a great height and tilt adjustment range, though. The Gigabyte AORUS FI32U has slightly better ergonomics if that's important to you. However, if you want a 4k gaming monitor that offers swivel adjustments, and you can rotate it into portrait mode, then check out the Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70.

The back of the monitor is a mix of matte and glossy plastic, which is prone to collecting dust and fingerprints. There's a cutout in the stand for cable management, and unlike the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0), there's a quick release for the stand. Unlike some high-resolution, high refresh rate monitors, there's no fan on the back for cooling.

Design
Stand
Base Width
14.2" (36.0 cm)
Base Depth
7.1" (18.0 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
6.0" (15.2 cm)
Weight (With Display)
15.4 lbs (7.0 kg)

The Gigabyte M28U's stand has a relatively large footprint. Unfortunately, the stand and display wobble if the height is extended more than halfway to the maximum.

Design
Display
Size
28"
Housing Width
25.0" (63.6 cm)
Housing Height
14.6" (37.2 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
2.5" (6.3 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
11.7 lbs (5.3 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.3" (0.7 cm)
Design
Controls

You can control the OSD using the joystick button at the back of the monitor, similar to most LG monitors. There's also a dedicated button for the KVM switch.

Design
In The Box
Power Supply
Internal

  • User manuals
  • DisplayPort cable
  • HDMI cable
  • USB-B upstream cable
  • Three different power cables (Type B, I, and J)

Picture Quality
6.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,228 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
1,224 : 1

Unfortunately, the Gigabyte M28U has mediocre contrast, resulting in blacks that look gray in a dark room. These results are expected for an IPS panel and are slightly higher than the advertised typical contrast of 1000:1 for this model.

Note: The contrast measurements with local dimming were taken at the maximum brightness, as local dimming locks the brightness setting at max.

2.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Edge

The Gigabyte M28U has a local dimming feature, which isn't mentioned anywhere in Gigabyte's marketing for this monitor. Unfortunately, like almost all monitors on the market, it's terrible. There are only about eight zones, so zones are large, and transitions are extremely noticeable. It crushes small highlights, so scenes like a starfield look like they're completely black.

There's no major blooming with regular content; however, when zones first turn on, colors briefly appear over-saturated before shifting to normal. In many cases, the content we were trying wasn't even bright or large enough to cause the zones to turn on, so the screen remained dark, including when we tried playing content with subtitles.

Local dimming can be enabled or disabled in most picture modes, including in HDR, but it's not available in the sRGB mode. Enabling the local dimming feature locks out a few settings, including brightness, which is locked at max.

7.2
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
262 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
293 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
309 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
309 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
311 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
312 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
292 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
308 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
308 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
310 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
312 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.004
Minimum Brightness
34 cd/m²

Update 12/16/2022: After an update to firmware F10, the brightness is a lot lower and closer to the original measurements before firmware F07. F07 had increased the brightness to 473 cd/m² in the Real Scene measurement and around 520 cd/m² with most windows, with local dimming enabled. These results with F10 are closer to the Gigabyte M32U, although it isn't as bright with real content.

The Gigabyte M28U has decent peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to overcome glare in moderately-lit rooms but not enough to fight intense glare. The brightness is consistent across different scenes, which is great.

These measurements were taken after calibration in the 'Standard' Picture Mode, with the backlight at max and local dimming enabled. The peak brightness can change depending on which mode you're using.

If you do want something that gets brighter, check out the Gigabyte M27U.

7.1
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
DisplayHDR 400
Real Scene
447 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
470 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
495 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
496 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
498 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
500 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
467 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
492 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
492 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
496 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
497 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.004

Update 12/16/2022: After an update to firmware F10, the HDR brightness is a bit different than what it was with firmware F07. Unlike with the SDR brightness, there isn't a significant difference in brightness, but the biggest change is that the EOTF has a slow roll-off with F10, meaning there isn't a loss of fine details like with F07 which had a sharp roll-off.

The Gigabyte M28U has decent peak brightness in HDR. It's not bright enough for a true HDR experience, but for gaming, it stands out. The peak brightness varies a bit with different content, but it's not noticeable. The EOTF follows the target well until there's a slow roll-off at the peak brightness, meaning it preserves details in bright scenes well.

These measurements were taken before calibration, with HDR enabled, with the backlight at max and local dimming on. The peak brightness can change depending on which mode you're using.

7.6
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
38°
Color Washout From Right
39°
Color Shift From Left
47°
Color Shift From Right
50°
Brightness Loss From Left
42°
Brightness Loss From Right
44°
Black Level Raise From Left
70°
Black Level Raise From Right
70°
Gamma Shift From Left
35°
Gamma Shift From Right
37°

As expected for an IPS monitor, the Gigabyte M28U has good horizontal viewing angles. Colors remain accurate even at a wide angle, but gamma shifts at a moderate angle, causing the image to wash out. This won't be noticeable in normal usage, which is great if you like to sit close to the screen or share it with someone else.

7.9
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
31°
Color Washout From Above
36°
Color Shift From Below
54°
Color Shift From Above
64°
Brightness Loss From Below
34°
Brightness Loss From Above
39°
Black Level Raise From Below
70°
Black Level Raise From Above
70°
Gamma Shift From Below
48°
Gamma Shift From Above
59°

The Gigabyte M28U has a very good vertical viewing angle, with a similar performance to the horizontal viewing angle. Colors remain accurate at a wide angle, but gamma shifts and brightness fade at a moderate angle.

7.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.607%
50% DSE
0.150%

The Gigabyte M28U has good gray uniformity. The sides of the screen are slightly darker, and there's a bit of dirty screen effect in the center.

4.1
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.306%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
3.350%

Unfortunately, the Gigabyte M28U has bad black uniformity. The screen is cloudy throughout, with a few spots of backlight bleed that can be very distracting in a dark environment. Unfortunately, local dimming does nothing to improve black uniformity, as the test cross is too small to trigger the local dimming feature.

9.3
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
sRGB
sRGB Gamut Area xy
101.1%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
1.57
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,790 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.18
Color dE (Avg.)
1.07
Contrast Setting
N/A
RGB Settings
Default
Gamma Setting
Default
Brightness Setting
44
Measured Brightness
155 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

Out of the box, the Gigabyte M28U has superb accuracy. There are no noticeable issues with the white balance or color accuracy, and the sRGB mode clamps colors to the sRGB color space, so they're not over-saturated. Gamma follows the sRGB target curve well, but some dark scenes are a bit too dark. The sRGB picture mode locks most settings, which is disappointing if you want to fine-tune the image, but the 'Custom 1' mode is less accurate as colors are over-saturated.

9.8
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Custom 1
sRGB Gamut Area xy
99.7%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.49
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,493 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.18
Color dE (Avg.)
0.34
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Settings
100-97-98
Gamma Setting
2.2
Brightness Setting
22
Measured Brightness
100 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

After calibration, the already superb accuracy of the Gigabyte M28U is even better. The white balance and color temperature both improved, but the gamma didn't change much. While calibrating it doesn't significantly change the color accuracy, it allows you to use more settings that are locked in the sRGB mode, like the local dimming and overdrive settings.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here. It's provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit due to manufacturing tolerances, even for the same model.

9.4
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
99.7%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
83.6%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The Gigabyte M28U has a remarkable color gamut in SDR. It can display the entire sRGB color gamut used by most desktop and web content. Coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space typically used for content creation is decent, but it's not good enough if you work in this color space and need the monitor to display a wide range of colors, particularly with green.

9.8
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
99.6%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
92.4%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

Update 12/16/2022: After an update to firmware F10, the color volume is slightly better compared to what it was with firmware F07, although it isn't a significant difference and isn't enough to be noticeable. The color volume is also close to what it was before firmware F07.

The Gigabyte M28U has exceptional color volume in SDR. It fills out nearly the entire sRGB color volume but can't display dark saturated colors very well due to the low contrast ratio.

7.8
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
89.0%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR Mode
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
65.0%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Mode

Update 12/16/2022: After an update to firmware F10, the tone mapping is worse than what it was with firmware F07, although the actual coverage area is the same. With F10, colors aren't as accurate as they should be.

The Gigabyte M28U has a good HDR color gamut. It has excellent coverage of the most common DCI-P3 color space, but coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space is just okay, so it's not as future-proof as more content will start to come out in this color space.

7.0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
71.2%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR Mode
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
63.2%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Mode

Update 12/16/2022: After an update to firmware F10, the color volume is a lot worse than with firmware F07. On F07, the DCI-P3 color volume was 84.5%, and Rec. 2020 was 62.4%. This means that the monitor can't display a wide range of colors as well as it was doing with firmware F07.

The Gigabyte M28U has decent color volume in HDR. It's limited by the incomplete color gamut in both DCI-P3 and Rec. 2020. Due to the low contrast ratio, it can't display saturated colors at low luminance levels.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.2%
Indirect Reflections
3.0%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.2%

The Gigabyte M28U has good reflection handling, much better than the LG 27GP950-B. Glare from bright lights or sunlight directly opposite the screen can still be distracting but combined with the high peak brightness, you won't have any issue using it in a bright room.

9.0
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The Gigabyte M28U has outstanding text clarity thanks to the high-resolution screen and high pixel density. While running Windows ClearType can help improve text clarity a bit (top photo), it's not necessary, as text looks good even without it (bottom photo).

We received user reports about pixel inversion and color discoloration issues with high-frame-rate signals using Display Stream Compression (DSC). You can see in this video that there are color glitches with certain content. We couldn't replicate the issue with real content, so we tried to see if certain test patterns behaved the same. We noticed a pixel inversion issue with pattern #3, which caused stripes to appear, almost in the same spot as the video. We noticed a similar thing with the Gigabyte AORUS FV43U, although it's less visible on the M28U and not as consistent as sometimes it would be normal. This problem is only noticeable with high-frame-rate signals like 4k @ 144Hz 10-bit RGB that use DSC, and not at lower signals that don't require compression, as you can see here, but we can't be sure it's DSC causing the issue. We experienced the problem with our NVIDIA RTX 3070 and AMD RX 6800 graphics cards.

Additionally, it stretches images very slightly horizontally, as square images are about 2.5% wider horizontally. This doesn't have a big impact on the user experience, though, and is only something you'll notice if you're physically measuring objects on your screen.

9.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The Gigabyte M28U has exceptional gradient handling. There's a tiny bit of banding in darker shades, but it's not noticeable with regular content unless you're looking for it.

Motion
8.3
Motion
Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
144 Hz

You can the Gigabyte M28U's max refresh rate over DisplayPort and HDMI, as long as your graphics card supports compression for HDMI signals. All HDMI 2.1 graphics cards support compression, so you can reach 4k @ 120Hz signals without issue, but if you have an HDMI 2.0 graphics card like a 20-Series NVIDIA graphics card or older, you're limited to 4k @ 60Hz signals.

Motion
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
144 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
DisplayPort, HDMI
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes

The Gigabyte M28U supports FreeSync variable refresh rate technology, and it works fine with NVIDIA's G-SYNC compatible mode, too, but it's not officially certified.

We received reports from users about issues with function shortcuts while using Display Stream Compression (DSC). One major complaint was that the Alt + Tab function took a long time to switch between apps, like between games and the desktop. We tried with our NVIDIA RTX 3070 graphics card with a 4k @ 144Hz 10-bit RGB signal, which uses DSC, and noticed it was slow to tab in and out games. We lowered the resolution to 1080p and 4k signals that don't require DSC, and while it was faster with each, it was still slow to tab into games. However, we tried with our AMD RX 6800 graphics card PC and noticed that there weren't any issues, even with 4k @ 144Hz 10-bit RGB signals. This makes us believe that the issue has to do with NVIDIA drivers and DSC and not with the actual monitor.

8.9
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Picture Quality
Rise / Fall Time
2.5 ms
Total Response Time
7.7 ms
Overshoot Error
6.9%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
3.0 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
11.7 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
21.8%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
OffChartTablePhoto
Smart ODChartTablePhoto
Picture QualityChartTablePhoto
BalanceChartTablePhoto
SpeedChartTablePhoto

The Gigabyte M28U monitor has an amazing response time at its max refresh rate. Using the 'Picture Quality' overdrive setting, motion looks smooth and there's minimal motion blur with fast-moving objects. Both 'Picture Quality' and 'Balance' are similar in performance to each other, but 'Picture Quality' is slightly better and it performs better at lower refresh rates, so it's a good 'set and forget' mode. The 'Smart OD' mode is supposed to adjust the overdrive setting according to the refresh rate, and it performs similarly to 'Balance'.

8.7
Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Picture Quality
Rise / Fall Time
2.5 ms
Total Response Time
8.7 ms
Overshoot Error
7.9%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
3.1 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
13.5 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
25.3%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
OffChartTablePhoto
Smart ODChartTablePhoto
Picture QualityChartTablePhoto
BalanceChartTablePhoto
SpeedChartTablePhoto

The response time on the Gigabyte M28U at 120Hz is once again excellent. The 'Picture Quality' overdrive setting performs the best because it's slightly quicker than 'Balance' and has a bit less overshoot, but choose whichever mode you prefer. Unlike at the max refresh rate, the 'Smart OD' setting performs like 'Speed', which has a ton of overshoot, so it's best to not use this setting at all.

7.8
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Picture Quality
Rise / Fall Time
2.5 ms
Total Response Time
14.4 ms
Overshoot Error
9.1%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
3.0 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
22.8 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
30.3%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
OffChartTablePhoto
Smart ODChartTablePhoto
Picture QualityChartTablePhoto
BalanceChartTablePhoto
SpeedChartTablePhoto

The Gigabyte M28U has a good response time at 60Hz, but there's significantly more inverse ghosting behind fast-moving objects than at the max refresh rate, which is caused by the overshoot. The recommended overdrive setting is 'Picture Quality', because while it still has overshoot, it's less than on 'Balance'.

Motion
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Yes
Maximum Frequency
144 Hz
Minimum Frequency
60 Hz
Longest Pulse Width Brightness
153 cd/m²
Shortest Pulse Width Brightness
153 cd/m²
Pulse Width Control
No
Pulse Phase Control
No
Pulse Amplitude Control
No
VRR At The Same Time
Yes

Refresh RateVRRMotion Blur Photo
144HzOffPhoto
OnPhoto
120HzOffPhoto
OnPhoto
60HzOnPhoto

The Gigabyte M28U has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion. There's very little strobe crosstalk, but the flicker can cause duplications in motion.

Unlike most monitors on the market, the Gigabyte M28U can use BFI even with a variable refresh rate, similar to ASUS' ELMB Sync technology. You can enable the BFI between 120 and 144Hz. Enabling the VRR and BFI support at the same time allows the BFI to flicker all the way down to 60Hz. Below 60Hz the flicker rate doubles and you get image duplications. However, using the VRR and BFI at the same time results in less image clarity than using a fixed refresh rate with the BFI as you can see in the above photos.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The backlight of the Gigabyte M28U completely flicker-free, which is great as it can reduce eye strain.

Inputs
8.8
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
4.6 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
4.9 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
13.1 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
4.6 ms

The Gigabyte M28U has exceptional low input lag. It's a bit higher than the LG 27GP950-B, but it's still low enough for competitive gamers. You need to make sure the monitor is updated to firmware F06 or higher to get low input lag with 4k content at 60Hz, as before the update the input lag was a bit high.

9.0
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution
3840 x 2160
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Megapixels
8.3 MP
Pixel Density
160 PPI
Measured Screen Diagonal
27.9"
Screen Area
329 in²

The Gigabyte M28U has a great amount of screen area to work with and an extremely high-resolution screen. It's a great choice for multitasking or if you just want to enjoy excellent text clarity from the high pixel density. If you prefer a larger screen, the Gigabyte AORUS FI32U is a very similar monitor with a larger screen, and if you want a higher 5k resolution, then check out the Apple Studio Display.

10
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Gigabyte M28U doesn't have any issues with 4k signals up to 120Hz from the PS5. Because the PS5 doesn't support Display Stream Compression, it's limited to chroma 4:2:0 instead of 4:2:2 with 4k @ 120Hz signals, which affects text clarity, but it's still fine if you're reading game menus.

10
Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Gigabyte M28U monitor doesn't have any problems with common signals from the Xbox Series X. Since the console supports Display Stream Compression, it displays chroma 4:2:2 with 4k @ 120Hz signals, resulting in clearer text than on the PS5.

Inputs
Inputs Photos
Inputs
Video And Audio Ports
DisplayPort
1 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort
No
HDMI
2 (HDMI 2.1)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
24Gbps (FRL 6x4)
DVI
No
VGA
No
Daisy Chaining
No
3.5mm Audio Out
1
HDR10
Yes
3.5mm Audio In
No
3.5mm Microphone In
No

The Gigabyte M28U's HDMI 2.1 bandwidth is limited to 24 Gbps, so it relies on Display Stream Compression to achieve high frame rates. This isn't an issue as HDMI 2.1 graphics cards support compression, but the PS5 doesn't, so it has some limitations. If this isn't something you want to worry about, and you want a monitor with higher HDMI bandwidth, then consider the MSI Optix G321CU.

Inputs
USB
USB-A Ports
3
USB-A Rated Speed
5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
USB-B Upstream Port
Yes
USB-C Ports
1
USB-C Upstream
Yes
USB-C Rated Speed
5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
USB-C Power Delivery
15W
USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode
Yes
Thunderbolt
No

As the USB-C port on the Gigabyte M28U monitor can act as an upstream port, you can connect USB devices to the monitor, freeing up slots on your laptop. Sadly, the USB-C power delivery isn't enough to charge your laptop, but it will keep the battery life going while you work.

Inputs
macOS Compatibility

The Gigabyte M28U doesn't have big problems with recent Mac devices. The default resolution is 1920x1080, so you just have to change that in the Mac settings, and it doesn't have any issues with waking up from sleep. The VRR support worked well with games, but there were some VRR issues with the screen occasionally flickering in the desktop after changing the refresh rate and resolution. It's best to disable the VRR support when not playing games.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
Yes
RGB Illumination
No
Multiple Input Display
PIP + PBP
KVM Switch
Yes

The Gigabyte M28U has a few additional features available, most of them gaming-oriented. It also supports picture in picture or picture by picture, allowing you to display two sources at once, but this feature isn't available in HDR or if FreeSync is enabled. Some of the other features include:

  • Virtual Crosshair: There are four virtual crosshairs to choose from. Unlike software virtual crosshairs, these can't be detected by your games.
  • FPS Counter: Displays the current number of frames per second received from the source.
  • Black Equalizer: Adjusts gamma to make it easier to spot other players/enemies in shadows.
  • KVM: The main feature of Gigabyte's M Series monitors, the KVM button at the back of the monitor allows you to quickly switch from controlling one device to another, with just one keyboard and mouse, by connecting them to the back of the monitor instead of your PC.
  • Dashboard: This feature allows you to display vital statistics from your computer, including CPU and GPU temps, fan speeds, memory usage, etc.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)