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We've recently released Test Bench 2.0 for Monitors! Read our new VRR Flicker R&D Article and Pursuit Photo R&D Article to learn more.

HP OMEN 27c Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Reviewed Jan 17, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Latest change: Writing modified Feb 09, 2023 at 03:23 pm
HP OMEN 27c Picture
7.6
Mixed Usage
7.3
Office
8.3
Gaming
7.5
Multimedia
7.6
Media Creation
7.4
HDR Gaming

The HP OMEN 27c is a 1440p gaming monitor part of HP's OMEN lineup. It's the first in the lineup to have a VA panel and a 240Hz refresh rate, as their models in the past with that high refresh rate had TN panels. The VA panel is supposed to deliver better dark room picture quality as it has a good native contrast ratio. However, its local dimming feature that automatically turns on in HDR performs terribly and causes blooming. In addition to the fast refresh rate, it has native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support with G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, and although it has a quick overall response time, there's black smearing with dark objects. Unfortunately, it's not ideal for office work because it has narrow viewing angles, and its stand offers limited ergonomic adjustments. Also, while the 1000R curved screen is good if you're sitting directly in front of it, it's not ideal for co-op gaming.

Our Verdict

7.6 Mixed Usage

The HP OMEN 27c is good for mixed usage. It's designed for gaming and offers great performance as it has a fast 240Hz refresh rate. It also has VRR support, a quick response time, and low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. Sadly, it's not the best for HDR gaming because its local dimming feature is terrible and causes blooming around bright objects. It's decent for office use and good for content creators because of its 1440p resolution and 27 inch screen, but it has narrow viewing angles, and the ergonomics are disappointing.

Pros
  • 1440p resolution with good text clarity and sharp images.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Fast 240Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
Cons
  • Limited ergonomics.
  • Black smearing with dark objects.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
7.3 Office

The HP OMEN 27c is decent for office use. It has a large screen with a high 1440p resolution, making it easier to open windows side-by-side, and the text clarity is good. However, it has disappointing ergonomics as you can't swivel the stand, and the narrow viewing angles make it less-than-ideal for sharing your screen with others. Also, while it has good reflection handling and decent peak brightness, it doesn't perform well in really bright rooms.

Pros
  • 1440p resolution with good text clarity and sharp images.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Limited ergonomics.
  • Not bright enough to fight intense glare.
8.3 Gaming

The HP OMEN 27c is great for gaming. It has a high 240Hz refresh rate with FreeSync VRR support and G-SYNC compatibility to deliver a nearly tear-free gaming experience. It also has low input lag and a quick response time, but you'll notice black smearing with some fast-moving objects. It's a good choice for dark room gaming because it has a good native contrast ratio, but the black uniformity is disappointing. Sadly, it's bad for co-op gaming because of its narrow viewing angles and limited ergonomics.

Pros
  • Low input lag.
  • Fast 240Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
  • Quick response time in most transitions.
  • Good native contrast ratio in SDR.
Cons
  • Black smearing with dark objects.
  • Disappointing black uniformity.
7.5 Multimedia

The HP OMEN 27c is good for watching multimedia content. The 27 inch screen is big enough for an immersive viewing experience, but it has narrow viewing angles, and the aggressive curved screen makes it difficult to share the screen with someone else. It performs well in dark rooms because it has a high native contrast ratio, and even though its local dimming feature performs terribly, it only turns on in HDR and not with SDR content.

Pros
  • 1440p resolution with good text clarity and sharp images.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Good native contrast ratio in SDR.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Limited ergonomics.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
7.6 Media Creation

The HP OMEN 27c is good for content creators. The screen is big enough to view a lot of your video timeline or have multiple windows opened, and it has good text clarity thanks to the 1440p resolution. While it has good out-of-the-box accuracy and an amazing SDR color gamut, photo editors will be disappointed to know it has limited coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. Also, it has narrow viewing angles and limited ergonomics, making it difficult to share the screen with a client.

Pros
  • 1440p resolution with good text clarity and sharp images.
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Good native contrast ratio in SDR.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Limited ergonomics.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
7.4 HDR Gaming

The HP OMEN 27c is decent for HDR gaming, mainly due to its great gaming performance. It has a few gaming features like a 240Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and low input lag. It has a great response time, but there's black smearing with fast-moving objects. Sadly, HDR content doesn't look good because HDR automatically enables the local dimming feature, which performs terribly, as it lowers the contrast and causes blooming. Also, it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.

Pros
  • Fast 240Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
  • Quick response time in most transitions.
  • Good native contrast ratio in SDR.
Cons
  • Black smearing with dark objects.
  • Disappointing black uniformity.
  • Terrible local dimming feature in HDR.
  • Not bright enough to make highlights pop.
  • 7.6 Mixed Usage
  • 7.3 Office
  • 8.3 Gaming
  • 7.5 Multimedia
  • 7.6 Media Creation
  • 7.4 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Feb 09, 2023: Added that the Contrast Ratio of the Samsung Odyssey G6 S32BG65 is better.
  2. Updated Jan 17, 2022: Review published.
  3. Updated Jan 11, 2022: Early access published.
  4. Updated Dec 08, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Dec 03, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  6. Updated Nov 27, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 27 inch HP OMEN 27c, which is the only size available for this monitor. It's part of HP's OMEN lineup, which has a few other monitors. You can see the differences between them below, and our results are only valid for the 27c.

Model Panel Refresh Rate Variable Refresh Rate Notes
OMEN 27 TN 144Hz G-SYNC  
OMEN 27i IPS  165Hz FreeSync  
OMEN X 27 TN  240Hz FreeSync  
OMEN 27c VA 240Hz FreeSync Curved

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their HP 27c 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.

You can see the label for our unit here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The HP OMEN 27c is a great gaming monitor if you want something with a high refresh rate and high resolution. It's one of the few on the market with a 1440p resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and VA panel, but it's not as good as its main competitor, the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T. It has noticeable black smearing, limited ergonomics, and its HDR support doesn't add much. Although it's cheaper than the Samsung, you're getting what you pay for, and you'll have to make a few compromises if you're set on getting a high refresh rate monitor with a VA panel. Otherwise, there are other IPS monitors, like the Dell Alienware AW2721D.

Also see our recommendations for the best 240Hz monitors, the best 1440p monitors, and the best 27 inch gaming monitors.

Dell S3222DGM

The Dell S3222DGM and the HP OMEN 27c are both great 1440p gaming monitors. The HP has a higher 240Hz refresh rate than the 165Hz on the Dell, and even though the Dell has a quicker overall response time, there's more black smearing. They both have VA panels with a high native contrast ratio, and the HP has a local dimming feature, which the Dell doesn't have, but it performs terribly and worsens the contrast. The HP also supports HDR, which the Dell doesn't, but once again, it doesn't add much as it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.

Samsung Odyssey G6 S32BG65

Despite some similarities, the HP OMEN 27c and the Samsung Odyssey G6 S32BG65 diverge in some aspects. On the physical side, they both have a 1000R curved screen with a 1440p resolution. The Samsung is a 32-inch monitor, while the HP is 27. The G6 also comes with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, while the HP is limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. Although they use similar panel technology, the G6 does a better job of rendering a deeper contrast ratio. On top of that the G6 handles motion better, but the HP is more responsive with lower input lag overall.

HP OMEN X 27

The HP OMEN X 27 and the HP OMEN 27c are part of the same product lineup, and they have many of the same features, like a 240Hz refresh rate, but there are a few differences. They have different panel types, as the X 27 has a TN panel with much better motion handling, while the VA panel on the 27c has better contrast. The X 27 is also better for use in bright rooms because it has better reflection handling, and it gets brighter. While they're each a 27-inch monitor, the 27c has a curved screen while the X 27 is flat, but other than that, there aren't many big differences.

HP OMEN 27i

The HP OMEN 27i and the HP OMEN 27c are both great gaming monitors with a few differences between them. They use different panels, as the IPS panel on the 27i provides wider viewing angles, and the VA panel on the 27c has better contrast. Even though the 27c has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, motion looks smoother on the 27i because there's less black smearing. The 27c supports HDR and has a local dimming feature, both of which the 27i doesn't have, but it doesn't add much as the local dimming on the 27c is terrible. They're built almost the same way, but the 27c has a curved screen while the 27i is flat.

Dell Alienware AW2721D

The Dell Alienware AW2721D and the HP OMEN 27c are both great gaming monitors. They each have a 1440p resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, but the Dell has native G-SYNC support while the HP has native FreeSync support. They also have different panel types; the Dell has an IPS panel with better viewing angles, and the HP's VA panel has a higher contrast. The Dell offers better picture quality, as it gets brighter, displays a wider range of colors, and has much better motion handling. It also has much better ergonomics. On the other hand, the HP has much better reflection handling, so intense glare isn't as distracting.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 27"
Curved Yes
Curve Radius 1000R
Weight (without stand)
10.4 lbs (4.7 kg)
Weight (with stand)
15.2 lbs (6.9 kg)

The HP 27c looks almost like a curved version of the HP OMEN 27i. It has an all-black design with a simple look, and it doesn't have any RGB bias lighting. While meant for gaming, it won't stand out much in an office environment.

Design
Stand
Width
10.2" (26.0 cm)
Depth
10.2" (26.0 cm)

The metal square-based stand is very solid, and it supports the monitor well as there's no noticeable wobble. The stand doesn't take up a lot of space, and you can place stuff on top.

5.1
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
5.1" (13.0 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range No swivel
Tilt Range -17.5Ā° to 5Ā°

The HP OMEN 27c has disappointing ergonomics. It offers a good range of height and tilt adjustments, but you can't swivel the screen.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 100x100

The back of the HP OMEN 27c has a simple design. It's made of matte plastic, except for the reflective OMEN branding. The inputs are at an angle, making them easier to access than down-facing inputs. The hole in the stand is meant for cable management. There's also a headphone holder on top. Because the VESA mounting slots are rotated at a 45-degree angle, you need to make sure you get a mounting arm that rotates at least 45 degrees.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.3" (0.9 cm)
Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
9.2" (23.4 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
4.0" (10.2 cm)

Despite its aggressive curve, the HP 27c isn't as thick as the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T, so it doesn't take up as much space.

8.5
Design
Build Quality

The HP OMEN 27c has excellent build quality. The entire monitor is well-put-together, and there aren't any issues. The metal stand is solid, and the plastic on the back doesn't flex at all.

Picture Quality
7.4
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
2,402 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
1,805 : 1

The HP OMEN 27c has a decent contrast ratio, but it's considered low for a VA panel. It's lower than the advertised 3000:1 contrast, but this can vary between units. These results are from measuring the contrast ratio after calibration in the 'Standard' Picture Mode, but we also measured it before calibration in the 'HP Enhance +' Picture Mode, and we got a contrast of 2,957:1. This mode is the most accurate before calibration, so if you're not going to calibrate the monitor, you can use it to achieve a higher contrast. We also measured a contrast of 2,541:1 in the 'Standard' mode before calibration. If you're looking for a VA panel with a better contrast ratio, look into the Samsung Odyssey G6 S32BG65.

The native contrast ratio is good, but it's worse with the local dimming feature enabled. Local dimming automatically turns on in HDR, and there's no way to disable it, and the contrast is so low because all the zones are on. We measured the contrast using the white level of a zone that's turned on and the black level of a zone that's off, and we got 12,569:1. However, this isn't representative of most content because the local dimming turns on all zones with most content.

2.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Edge

The HP 27c has an edge-lit local dimming feature, and it's terrible. It's only available with HDR signals as it automatically turns on, and there's no setting to disable it. There are approximately eight zones, and because they're so large, a small highlight lights up an entire zone, which is distracting. The algorithm is sensitive, meaning that most of the time, all the zones are on together, and the local dimming isn't doing anything.

7.1
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
273 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
250 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
251 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
251 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
252 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
252 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
250 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
251 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
251 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
252 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
252 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.001

The HP OMEN 27c has decent SDR peak brightness. It's much lower than the advertised 400 nits brightness with HDR off, and while it's bright enough to fight glare from some light sources, it's not good enough to place opposite a bright window. Luckily, the brightness doesn't vary at all between different content.

We measured the SDR brightness after calibration in the 'Standard' Picture Mode with the Brightness at '100'. Like with the contrast ratio, we checked the brightness before calibration, and we measured a real scene brightness of 300 nits in the 'HP Enhance +' mode. While this makes the screen brighter, it's not a significant improvement, and you lose image accuracy.

6.7
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
410 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 2% Window
361 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 10% Window
376 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 25% Window
380 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 50% Window
383 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 100% Window
384 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
359 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
376 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
380 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
382 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
383 cd/mĀ²
HDR ABL
0.004

The HP 27c has okay HDR brightness. Its real scene brightness is enough to meet the brightness requirement of the DisplayHDR 400 certification. However, it's still not bright enough to make highlights pop in HDR the way the creator intended. When you play HDR content, all settings are disabled, as it enables local dimming and sets the backlight to its max.

5.6
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
23Ā°
Color Washout From Right
23Ā°
Color Shift From Left
42Ā°
Color Shift From Right
41Ā°
Brightness Loss From Left
43Ā°
Brightness Loss From Right
43Ā°
Black Level Raise From Left
18Ā°
Black Level Raise From Right
17Ā°
Gamma Shift From Left
12Ā°
Gamma Shift From Right
11Ā°

As it has a VA panel, the HP OMEN 27c has narrow horizontal viewing angles. The image looks inaccurate when viewing from the sides, so it's not ideal for co-op gaming. The curved screen helps bring the edges within your field of vision, which helps improve the viewing angles if you're sitting directly in front of it, but our testing measures from the center of the screen, so it doesn't take the curvature into account.

5.4
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
22Ā°
Color Washout From Above
22Ā°
Color Shift From Below
44Ā°
Color Shift From Above
45Ā°
Brightness Loss From Below
31Ā°
Brightness Loss From Above
33Ā°
Black Level Raise From Below
14Ā°
Black Level Raise From Above
15Ā°
Gamma Shift From Below
12Ā°
Gamma Shift From Above
13Ā°

Once again, the vertical viewing angles are disappointing on the HP OMEN 27c. You'll notice that the image looks inaccurate if you choose to mount it above eye level.

8.8
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.527%
50% DSE
0.105%
5% Std. Dev.
0.581%
5% DSE
0.042%

The HP 27c has excellent gray uniformity. The entire screen is very uniform, and even though there are a few darker patches towards the edges, they're minor. There's also almost no sign of dirty screen effect in the center. Uniformity is even better in near-dark scenes. Uniformity can vary between units, but it's not a common issue on monitors.

5.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.161%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
3.516%

The HP OMEN 27c has disappointing black uniformity, but this may vary between units. You can see that the uniformity is worse with local dimming because it causes blooming around the center across. Even without local dimming, there's noticeable backlight bleed along the edges.

7.9
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
HP Enhance+
Luminance
184 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
75
Contrast Setting
100
RGB Controls
236-241-255
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
6,978 K
White Balance dE
2.56
Color dE
2.75
Gamma
2.22

The HP OMEN 27c has very good accuracy before calibration. Most colors and the white balance are only slightly inaccurate, but some primary colors are over-saturated, and there's no sRGB mode to limit them to the sRGB color space. The color temperature is on the cold side, giving the image a blue tint. Gamma is good overall, but it seems to follow a flat 2.2 target instead of the sRGB curve, so some scenes are too dark.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Standard
Luminance
100 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
39
Contrast Setting
90
RGB Controls
255-249-240
Gamma Setting
No Gamma Setting
Color Temperature
6,554 K
White Balance dE
0.60
Color dE
0.89
Gamma
2.18

The HP OMEN 27c's accuracy after calibration is exceptional. There aren't any visible inaccuracies to colors and the white balance, and the color temperature is nearly spot-on with our 6500K target. Gamma tracks the target curve a bit better, but some really dark and really bright scenes are slightly too bright now.

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

8.6
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
98.8%
Adobe RGB xy
73.4%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The HP OMEN 27c has an excellent SDR color gamut. It has near-full coverage of the sRGB color space used in most went content, but its coverage of the Adobe RGB color space is too limited for professional photo editors.

9.0
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
97.9%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
81.1%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The HP OMEN 27c has fantastic color volume. Thanks to its good native contrast ratio and decent peak brightness, it displays colors at a wide range of luminance levels. However, it still struggles with really bright and really dark colors.

7.8
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
89.9%
Rec. 2020 xy
65.7%
DCI P3 Picture Mode
HDR Mode
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Mode

The HP OMEN 27c's HDR color gamut is good. It has amazing coverage of the DCI P3 color space, which is used in most HDR content, and even the wider Rec. 2020 color space has good coverage.

7.6
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
87.3%
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
64.6%
DCI P3 Picture Mode
HDR Mode
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Mode

The HP OMEN 27c has good HDR color volume. It displays most colors well in the DCI P3 color volume, but it's more limited in Rec. 2020.

9.9
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR After 0 Min Recovery
0.04%
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 some very minor signs of temporary image retention on our unit of the HP OMEN 27c after displaying a high-contrast static image for 10 minutes. However, it's hard to see, and it disappears quickly. Temporary image retention may vary between units, and it's rarely a big problem.

9.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The HP OMEN 27c has fantastic gradient handling. It accepts a 10-bit signal, and there are no signs of banding in most colors.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.001%
Pixel Column Error
0.002%

The HP OMEN 27c doesn't have any visible signs of color bleed. It may vary between units, but it's rarely an issue.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.3%
Indirect Reflections
3.2%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.1%

The HP OMEN 27c has good reflection handling. It handles moderate amounts of light well, but it struggles with strong light sources, so we don't suggest placing it opposite a bright window.

7.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
VA
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB

The HP OMEN 27c has good text clarity. Enabling Windows ClearType (top photo) improves the appearance of diagonal lines. The text clarity is in line with most other 27 inch, 1440p monitors, but it's not as good as the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T because the matte coating introduces some haze.

Motion
8.3
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
Level 3
Rise / Fall Time
5.8 ms
Total Response Time
12.0 ms
Overshoot Error
0.4%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
10.6 ms
Dark Total Response Time
20.0 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
0.0%

Response Time SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
Level 1ChartTablePhoto
Level 2 (Fast)ChartTablePhoto
Level 3ChartTablePhoto
Level 4ChartTablePhoto
Level 5ChartTablePhoto

The HP OMEN 27c has a great response time at its max refresh rate of 240Hz, but it's still slower than the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T. The response time is quick with most transitions, but it's slower in dark transitions, which is typical of VA panels, and it results in some black smearing. We recommend using the 'Level 3' Response Time setting because it's quicker than 'Level 1' and 'Level 2 (Fast)', and it doesn't have any overshoot like with 'Level 4' and 'Level 5'. However, if you don't mind introducing some overshoot for a quicker response time, you can use 'Level 4'.

7.6
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
Level 2 (Fast)
Rise / Fall Time
7.2 ms
Total Response Time
16.1 ms
Overshoot Error
0.2%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
11.3 ms
Dark Total Response Time
20.3 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
0.0%

Response Time SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
Level 1ChartTablePhoto
Level 2 (Fast)ChartTablePhoto
Level 3ChartTablePhoto
Level 4ChartTablePhoto
Level 5ChartTablePhoto

The response time at 60Hz is good. Like at its max refresh rate, you may notice some black smearing due to the slow response time in dark transitions. This time, we recommend using the 'Level 2 (Fast)' Response Time setting because you already notice inverse ghosting caused by overshoot at 'Level 3', so you may have to change the setting if the frame rate of your game drops.

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

The HP OMEN 27c has a flicker-free backlight in any mode and backlight setting. However, like with the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T, we noticed that it flickers with VRR enabled and with low-frame-rate content in dark areas. You can see an example of this in the Adobe Premiere menu here. We don't know if this is a common issue, so let us know if you experience the same thing.

7.3
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Yes
BFI Maximum Frequency
240 Hz
BFI Minimum Frequency
100 Hz

The HP OMEN 27c has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion, to try to reduce persistence blur. It flickers at a fairly wide range, but it introduces some image duplication, and you can't use it at the same time as VRR. We took photos with the BFI set to 120Hz and at 240Hz using the different Response Time settings, so you can see how it performs below. The photo above was taken with the Response Time setting at 'Level 4'.

Response Time Setting120Hz240Hz
Level 1PhotoPhoto
Level 2 (Fast)PhotoPhoto
Level 3PhotoPhoto
Level 4PhotoPhoto
Level 5PhotoPhoto

Keep in mind that the BFI score is based on the flicker range, and not the actual performance.

9.6
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
Native
240 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
240 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
240 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors DisplayPort, HDMI

The HP OMEN 27c has a native 240Hz refresh rate that you can achieve over a DisplayPort connection, and you can reach a max of 144Hz over HDMI. It has native FreeSync support to reduce screen tearing, which works over both HDMI and DisplayPort, and we confirmed that the G-SYNC compatible mode works over DP.

The VRR feature works without any issues over its entire range, but if you set the refresh rate from your source to 60Hz, and you're using a DisplayPort connection, the VRR feature stops working. You can still enable VRR, but there's constant tearing. You need to make sure you set the refresh rate of your source is above 60Hz.

Inputs
9.6
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
3.5 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
9.9 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
3.0 ms
Variable Refresh Rate @ 60Hz
N/A
10 Bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
4.6 ms

The HP OMEN 27c has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. We couldn't measure the 60Hz VRR input lag because of the issue explained in the Refresh Rate section. We couldn't measure the 10-bit HDR input lag either because you can only achieve the max refresh rate with 10-bit signals with DisplayPort connections, and we don't have the tools to measure HDR input lag over DisplayPort. However, we don't expect HDR to impact the input lag.

8.3
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 3.7 MP
Pixel Density
110 PPI
Screen Diagonal 26.8"
Screen Area 308 inĀ²
Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 1 (HDMI 2.0)
DVI No
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB 2 (USB 3.0)
USB C 1 (USB)
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Microphone In 3.5mm No
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply External Brick

The USB-C port is upstream only, so you can use the included USB-C to USB-A cable to connect it to your PC, and you can connect your peripherals to the monitor.

Features
Features
Additional Features
RGB Illumination
No
Speakers
No
HDR10 Yes
Multiple Input Display
PIP + PBP

The HP OMEN 27c has a few gamer-oriented features, including:

  • Crosshair: Adds a virtual crosshair that your system won't detect.
  • Edge Precision: Sharpens the image.
  • Frame Rate Counter: Displays the current frame rate of your game.
  • Multi-Monitor Alignment: Displays a grid so that you can align it in a multi-monitor setup.
  • Shadow Vision: Raises the gamma so you can see opponents in games easier.
  • Timer: Displays a timer.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

There's a single joystick on the back right side to control the on-screen menu, and there's also a power button.

Features
In The Box

  • Power cable
  • Power supply
  • DisplayPort cable
  • USB-A to USB-C cable
  • User guides
  • Allen key