The HP 27f is a basic entry-level gaming monitor that delivers decent overall picture quality. The 27" IPS screen delivers great wide viewing angles, and it has great accuracy out of the box. It also has very good gaming features, including excellent low input lag and AMD FreeSync support. Unfortunately, it has a fixed stand with bad ergonomics, and it has mediocre dark room performance.
Our Verdict
The HP 27f is a decent monitor for most uses. It has a fast response time so fast-moving objects in movies and games look good and have only slight motion blur. It has excellent low input lag and supports AMD FreeSync, great for gaming. Unfortunately, it is limited by the 1080p resolution, which isn't great for multitasking or for working on detailed projects. It also has a fixed stand with bad ergonomics, so it is hard to place in an ideal viewing position.
- Accurate image out of the box.
- Low input lag and FreeSync support.
- Fixed stand with bad ergonomics and no VESA mount.
- Mediocre dark room performance.
The HP 27f is a decent monitor for office use. The image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, which is great for sharing work with nearby coworkers. The HP 27f has decent peak brightness, and great reflections handling, so you shouldn't have any issues in a bright office. The 27" screen is a great size, but the 1080p resolution is less than ideal for multitasking. Unfortunately, it has a fixed stand with bad ergonomics, so you may have a difficult time adjusting the monitor to an ideal position, and it can't be VESA mounted.
The HP 27f is a decent monitor for gaming. It has a great response time, with only a short blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It has excellent low input lag, and it supports AMD FreeSync, which is great. The 75Hz refresh rate is great for casual gamers but may be disappointing to more advanced gamers. Unfortunately, the 1080p resolution doesn't provide a very immersive gaming experience, and it has mediocre dark room performance.
The HP 27f is alright for multimedia. It has a large, 27" screen and great wide viewing angles, good for sharing the latest trends with a group of friends. Motion looks good thanks to the fast response time, so there's only a slight blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It is limited by the 1080p resolution and mediocre dark room performance though.
The HP 27f is okay for media creation. The 27" screen is a good size, but the 1080p resolution limits how much of your project you can see at a time. It has excellent s.RGB coverage, but the Adobe RGB coverage is less than ideal for professional photo and video editing. The fixed stand also makes it difficult to place the monitor in an ideal viewing position.
The HP 27f doesn't support HDR.
Changelog
- Updated Oct 19, 2022: Compared the SDR color gamut to the recently-reviewed LG 27MN60T-W.
- Updated Jul 02, 2021: Changed height adjustment result from 'N/A' to '0' to match our methodology.
- Updated Jul 13, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Jan 15, 2019: We tested the monitor's compatibility with NVIDIA's new FreeSync driver. See our full investigation into NVIDIA's FreeSync Drivers here.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27" 27fw 3KS64AA, and it is also available in 22", 23", 24", and 25" models. We don't know what other differences there may be for the other sizes, and we don't know if our review is representative of these sizes.
Update 03/18/2019: The product SKU listed was incorrect, it was for the 27f model (2XN62AA).
Update 09/25/2019: There's an international variant of the 27fw, product code 4TB31AA. We don't know if it performs the same, but it does have built-in speakers.
The HP 27fw is also known as the 27f. The only difference is the color of the back panel. The HP 27f has a black back, the 27fw has a white back.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their HP 27fw doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Notes |
| 22f | 22" | 1920x1080 | 75Hz | FreeSync |
| 23f | 23" | 1920x1080 | 75Hz | FreeSync |
| 24f | 24" | 1920x1080 | 75Hz | FreeSync |
| 25f | 25" | 1920x1080 | 75Hz | FreeSync |
| 27fw | 27" | 1920x1080 | 75Hz | FreeSync, White Back |
| 27f | 27" | 1920x1080 | 75Hz | FreeSync, Black Back |
| 27Q | 27" | 2560x1440 | 60Hz | FreeSync |
The 27fw we tested was manufactured in July 2018.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The HP 27f is a decent budget monitor with great gaming features. See our recommendations for the best monitors under $200, the best budget gaming monitors, and the best gaming monitors under $200.
The HP 27F is overall much better than the MSI Optix G27C for most uses. The 27F has an IPS panel, so the image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, great for quick co-op gaming sessions, or for sharing your work with a nearby coworker. The 27F also has much better dark room performance. For gamers, it depends on what's the most important thing to you, as the G27C has a much faster refresh rate and wider VRR range.
The HP 27F and the Samsung CF398 use different types of panels, each with their strengths and weaknesses. The 27F has an IPS panel, so the image remains accurate when viewed at an angle. The CF398 has a VA panel, and it delivers better overall dark room performance. The HP 27F also has a slightly faster refresh rate, although it isn't a significant difference.
The Dell P2417H is a bit better than the HP 27F. The P2417H is a slightly smaller screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, and no VRR support, but it has significantly better ergonomics, making it easier to place in an optimal viewing position, or for a multi-monitor setup. The P2417H is also more versatile than the HP 27F, with HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA connections, and it can be used as a USB hub.
The HP 27F is slightly better than the HP 27Q. The 27F has a slightly faster refresh rate, and much lower input lag, great for gaming. The HP 27Q has a better 2560x1440 resolution, which allows you to see more fine details in games, and makes it easier to multitask.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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