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HP 27F Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Reviewed Dec 04, 2018 at 10:03 am
Latest change: Writing modified Oct 19, 2022 at 04:21 pm
HP 27F Picture
7.0
Mixed Usage
7.2
Office
7.3
Gaming
6.9
Multimedia
6.8
Media Creation
5.3
HDR Gaming

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

7.0 Mixed Usage

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.

Pros
  • Accurate image out of the box.
  • Low input lag and FreeSync support.
Cons
  • Fixed stand with bad ergonomics and no VESA mount.
  • Mediocre dark room performance.
7.2 Office

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.

7.3 Gaming

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.

6.9 Multimedia

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.

6.8 Media Creation

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.

5.3 HDR Gaming
  • 7.0 Mixed Usage
  • 7.2 Office
  • 7.3 Gaming
  • 6.9 Multimedia
  • 6.8 Media Creation
  • 5.3 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Oct 19, 2022: Compared the SDR color gamut to the recently-reviewed LG 27MN60T-W.
  2. Updated Jul 02, 2021: Changed height adjustment result from 'N/A' to '0' to match our methodology.
  3. Updated Jul 13, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  4. 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.
  5. Updated Dec 04, 2018: Review published.
  6. Updated Dec 02, 2018: Early access published.
  7. Updated Nov 30, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Nov 30, 2018: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Nov 14, 2018: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

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.

Compared To Other Monitors

Comparison picture

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.

Dell S2721D

For most uses, the Dell S2721D is better than the HP 27F. The Dell has a higher resolution, a better color gamut, and it gets brighter. However, the HP has wider viewing angles, better color accuracy, and faster response time when running at its maximum refresh rate.

Samsung CF398

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.

LG 27MN60T-W

The LG 27MN60T-W and the HP 27F are both basic 1080p office monitors. They're very similar in terms of features, inputs, and ergonomics, but the main difference is that the HP gets much brighter. It means it's a better choice to use in well-lit office spaces.

MSI Optix G27C

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.

Dell P2417H

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.

HP 27Q

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.

ASUS MX279HS

The HP 27F is better than the ASUS MX279HS. The HP has a higher refresh rate for smoother motion and supports FreeSync for nearly tear-free gaming. Also, blacks appear more uniform on the HP 27F when in a dark room.

Acer Nitro RG241Y Pbiipx

Overall, the Acer Nitro RG241Y Pbiipx is better than the HP 27F. The Acer has a significantly faster response time, a higher refresh rate, and a Black Frame Insertion feature to improve motion clarity. However, the HP has wider viewing angles and better accuracy out of the box.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 27"
Curved No
Curve Radius Not Curved
Weight (without stand)
7.1 lbs (3.2 kg)
Weight (with stand)
8.2 lbs (3.7 kg)
Design
Stand
Width
9.2" (23.4 cm)
Depth
7.9" (20.1 cm)

The stand is fixed and has a small overall footprint. It doesn't support the monitor very well, and the monitor wobbles a lot when nudged.

1.6
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
0.0" (0.0 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range No swivel
Tilt Range -7.5° to 20°

Update 07/02/2021: We previously had incorrectly listed the Height Adjustment as 'N/A' as opposed to '0'. The review has been updated to reflect this change, as the Ergonomics score has dropped slightly.

The HP 27f has a fixed stand that can only tilt. There is no height adjustment, and it can't swivel or rotate.

Design
Back
Wall Mount No Mount

The back is very simple, with only a slight silhouette of the HP logo. All of the inputs face out of the back, and unfortunately, it can't be VESA-mounted. There's also no cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.3" (0.8 cm)

The borders are very thin, and they look great.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
5.4" (13.7 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
2.6" (6.6 cm)

The HP 27f looks great when viewed edge-on. The stand extends almost 3" behind the screen, preventing the monitor from being placed close to a wall.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

The HP 27f has decent build quality. The monitor itself is well-built, but the stand does have some issues. It isn't very solid, and doesn't support the display well; even the impact from typing causes the monitor to wobble significantly. Overall, it's similar to the HP 27Q, but the stand is slightly worse.

Picture Quality
6.2
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,142 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

The HP 27f has mediocre contrast, very similar to the Dell P2417H, and about average for an IPS monitor. Unfortunately, blacks tend to look gray in a dark room.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

There's no local dimming feature on this monitor. The video is for reference only.

7.5
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
290 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
297 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
298 cd/m²
SDR ABL
0.000

Decent peak brightness, with no variation between scenes, which is great. There should be no issues using the monitor in a bright room.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

HDR isn't supported on this monitor.

8.5
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
47°
Color Washout From Right
46°
Color Shift From Left
55°
Color Shift From Right
56°
Brightness Loss From Left
48°
Brightness Loss From Right
47°
Black Level Raise From Left
70°
Black Level Raise From Right
70°
Gamma Shift From Left
59°
Gamma Shift From Right
58°

The HP 27f has decent horizontal viewing angles, typical for IPS monitors. Colors remain accurate up to about 40°, and then they rapidly oversaturate. The brightness drops gradually as you move away from the center but remains within acceptable limits up to 47°, and the black levels remain accurate at any viewing angle.

6.6
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
30°
Color Washout From Above
31°
Color Shift From Below
32°
Color Shift From Above
34°
Brightness Loss From Below
33°
Brightness Loss From Above
33°
Black Level Raise From Below
59°
Black Level Raise From Above
59°
Gamma Shift From Below
31°
Gamma Shift From Above
31°

The HP 27f has very good vertical viewing angles. Within 25°, the image remains accurate, but beyond that, it degrades rapidly as colors quickly become over saturated and the brightness drops.

8.9
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
1.554%
50% DSE
0.117%
5% Std. Dev.
0.199%
5% DSE
0.043%

Excellent gray uniformity. There's very little dirty screen effect, great for playing sports games or browsing the web. In near-dark scenes, the uniformity is even better, and shouldn't cause any issues.

6.6
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.592%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The HP 27f has decent black uniformity. There's some clouding throughout the display, and some backlight bleed around the edges, but this isn't too noticeable.

8.3
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom
Luminance
304 cd/m²
Luminance Settings
90
Contrast Setting
80
RGB Controls
255-255-255
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
6,723 K
White Balance dE
1.61
Color dE
2.82
Gamma
2.13

Out-of-the-box, the HP 27f has great accuracy. The white balance is excellent, with very few issues. Color accuracy is good, but there are small inaccuracies in almost every color, although they are minor enough that most people won't notice them. Gamma doesn't follow the target curve, with some scenes over brightened, and some over darkened.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom
Luminance
101 cd/m²
Luminance Settings
15
Contrast Setting
77
RGB Controls
255-253-249
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
6,447 K
White Balance dE
0.52
Color dE
0.90
Gamma
2.17

After calibration, the HP 27f has excellent accuracy. The white balance error and color error are nearly entirely corrected. Gamma follows the target curve almost perfectly.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and should not be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit even for the same model due to manufacturing tolerances.

8.3
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
92.7%
Adobe RGB xy
71.9%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

The HP 27f has a very good color gamut. It has excellent coverage of the standard s.RGB color space, but only decent coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space, which is less than ideal for professional photo or video editing. If you prefer something similar with a slightly wider color gamut, then consider the LG 27MN60T-W.

8.5
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
92.6%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
76.2%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

s.RGB Picture Mode: Custom
Adobe RGB Picture Mode: Custom

Very good SDR color volume. It has excellent color volume in the s.RGB color space, but it can't produce deep, dark colors very well, and like most monitors, it can't produce bright blues or magentas.

In the wider Adobe RGB color space, it has good color volume. Like with s.RGB, it is limited by the mediocre contrast ratio, so it can't produce deep, dark colors very well.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 xy
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

HDR isn't supported on this monitor.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

HDR isn't supported on this monitor.

10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR After 0 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 2 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 4 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 6 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 8 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 10 Min Recovery
0.00%

There are no signs of image retention on the HP 27f, even immediately after showing our high contrast static test image for 10 minutes.

8.4
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

Great gradient handling, with only slight banding visible in some darker shades.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.001%
Pixel Column Error
0.000%

There's only a minor row error, and this is completely unnoticeable.

8.3
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
4.4%
Indirect Reflections
3.7%
Calculated Direct Reflections
0.7%

Great reflections handling, similar to the HP 27Q and ViewSonic XG2402. There should be no issues using this monitor in a bright room.

7.0
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB
Motion
7.4
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
Level 2 (Fast)
Rise / Fall Time
7.8 ms
Total Response Time
17.3 ms
Overshoot Error
4.9%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
8.4 ms
Dark Total Response Time
18.7 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
4.7%

Response Time Level 1
Response Time Level 2
Response Time Level 3
Response Time Level 4
Response Time Level 5

The monitor has a great response time. There are five overdrive settings, and each setting adds a bit more overshoot. The best Response Time setting is 'Level 2', as this mode improves the response time the most without adding noticeable overshoot.

6.7
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
Level 2 (Fast)
Rise / Fall Time
7.5 ms
Total Response Time
20.4 ms
Overshoot Error
8.7%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
8.1 ms
Dark Total Response Time
20.6 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
11.3%
10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The HP 27f is completely flicker-free, which is great, but it lacks the option to add flicker to reduce persistence blur.

0
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No BFI
BFI Maximum Frequency
N/A
BFI Minimum Frequency
N/A

The HP 27F doesn't have an optional Black Frame Insertion feature. If you want a monitor that does, check out the Samsung Odyssey G5.

7.7
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
Native
75 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
75 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
No
VRR Maximum
75 Hz
VRR Minimum
48 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors HDMI

Update 01/15/2019: Unfortunately, the HP 27F does not support NVIDIA's FreeSync implementation, as it doesn't have a DisplayPort connection, which is required.

At the native resolution of 1080p, the HP 27f has a decent 75Hz refresh rate. At non-native resolutions, only 60Hz is supported. This shouldn't be an issue for most people though, as most graphics cards will upscale without you even knowing. Many websites advertise the HP 27f as a 60Hz monitor, but 75Hz is supported out of the box with no additional steps, and it is fully supported with no dropped frames. On NVIDIA cards, the 1920x1080 resolution must be selected from the list of 'PC' resolutions in the NVIDIA Control Panel.

It supports FreeSync over HDMI, which is great. To enable FreeSync, select the 'Gaming - FreeSync' Picture Mode.

Inputs
9.2
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
7.4 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
8.9 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
7.8 ms
Variable Refresh Rate @ 60Hz
8.7 ms
10 Bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
N/A

Excellent low input lag, great for casual gamers. The non-native resolution was tested at 60Hz, as that is the only refresh rate available in non-native resolutions. The input lag is much better than the HP 27Q.

7.1
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 1920 x 1080
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 2.1 MP
Pixel Density
82 PPI
Screen Diagonal 27.0"
Screen Area 311 in²

The HP 27f has a great 27" screen, which allows you to see more fine details in your work, but the 1080p resolution may be limiting to some people. It doesn't provide a very immersive gaming experience, and it isn't ideal for multitasking.

If you want a similar monitor with a higher resolution, check out the Dell S2721D.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort No
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 2 (HDMI 1.4)
DVI No
VGA 1
DisplayPort Out No
USB No
USB C No
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm No
Microphone In 3.5mm No
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply External Brick

There's no 3.5mm jack for connecting speakers or a headset, which is uncommon.

Features
Features
Additional Features
RGB Illumination
No
Speakers
No
HDR10 No
Multiple Input Display
No

The HP 27f has very few additional features. It does not support HDR, and has no built-in speakers. There are a few image adjustment options that can help when gaming, including:

  • Dynamic Contrast: Automatically adjusts the contrast on a per-scene basis.
  • Black Stretch: Adjusts the gamma to make dark objects in dark scenes easier to spot, similar to the Black Stabilization feature found on other monitors.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

The controls are easy to use and provide decent tactile feedback.

Features
In The Box

  • Proprietary power adapter
  • Manual
  • HDMI cable