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Razer Raptor 27 144Hz Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Review updated Apr 20, 2020 at 08:42 am
Latest change: Retest Jul 04, 2022 at 02:52 pm
Razer Raptor 27 144Hz Picture
7.9
Mixed Usage
7.9
Office
8.3
Gaming
7.8
Multimedia
7.9
Media Creation
7.1
HDR Gaming
This monitor was replaced by the Razer Raptor 27 165Hz

The Razer Raptor 27 144Hz is a great 1440p gaming monitor. It has an impressive design with outstanding build quality, a unique and impressive cable management system, and Razer's signature RGB lighting feature in the base. Like most IPS monitors, it has wide viewing angles but a low contrast ratio, so it's not the best choice for gaming in a dark room. It has an outstanding low input lag and a great response time, but there's a bit more motion blur than most 144Hz gaming monitors. It also has great peak brightness and can display a wide color gamut, delivering a decent HDR gaming experience. Unfortunately, it has poor accuracy out of the box.

Our Verdict

7.9 Mixed Usage

The Razer Raptor 27 is a good overall monitor for most uses. It's designed to be a gaming monitor with an incredibly low input lag, excellent motion handling, and support for FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology. It's good for office use with its high resolution and large size, and you can easily share your screen with others. Unfortunately, the contrast ratio is mediocre and it has poor out-of-box color accuracy, but it displays a wide color gamut for HDR content.

Pros
  • Excellent design and impressive build quality.
  • Low input lag and a great response time.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
Cons
  • Poor accuracy out of the box.
7.9 Office

The Razer Raptor 27 is a good office monitor. It has wide viewing angles and great screen real estate. Unfortunately, the stand has a limited range of motion, so it might be difficult to place in an ideal viewing position, and it has only decent reflection handling. It has great peak brightness, though, so glare shouldn't be an issue in most offices.

8.3 Gaming

The Razer Raptor 27 is great for gaming. It has an incredibly low input lag and excellent response time, resulting in clear motion. It has a native refresh rate of 144Hz and supports FreeSync VRR technology, reducing tearing in games. Unfortunately, it has a mediocre contrast ratio, so blacks will appear gray if you game in the dark. However, since it has an IPS panel, it has good viewing angles if you want to use it for co-op gaming.

7.8 Multimedia

The Razer Raptor 27 is a good monitor for multimedia. It has a great amount of screen real estate, outstanding low input lag, and wide viewing angles, great for sharing the latest trends with some friends. It only has decent reflection handling, but it's bright enough that glare shouldn't be an issue in most rooms. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as good in a dark room, due to the low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.

7.9 Media Creation

Good for media creation. The 27 inch screen on the Razer Raptor 27 offers plenty of space for opening multiple windows at once and the 1440p resolution delivers a clear image. It has good viewing angles if you need to share your screen with others, but unfortunately, the stand only allows for tilt adjustments. It also has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing.

7.1 HDR Gaming

This is a decent monitor for gaming in HDR. It has a mediocre contrast ratio, so blacks look gray in a dark room, but it has decent peak brightness in HDR and it can display a wide color gamut. The Razer Raptor 27 has great gaming performance, with outstanding low input lag and great response time.

  • 7.9 Mixed Usage
  • 7.9 Office
  • 8.3 Gaming
  • 7.8 Multimedia
  • 7.9 Media Creation
  • 7.1 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Jul 04, 2022: There was a mistake in the 60Hz input lag results. We remeasured the input lag at 60Hz, and it's 0.4ms higher than our original results.
  2. Updated Mar 25, 2021: We set the tilt range to 'No' by mistake. It has been fixed.
  3. Updated Mar 25, 2021: For consistency, we've changed the tilt range from N/A to 'No', and the USB-C result to indicate power delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode.
  4. Updated Jan 28, 2021: We've changed the HDR input lag to N/A and the DisplayPort version from 1.4 to 1.2.
  5. Updated Jan 20, 2021: For consistency, we've changed the swivel adjustment from N/A to 'No'. The score remains unchanged.
  6. Updated Aug 13, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  7. Updated Dec 11, 2019: Review published.
  8. Updated Dec 05, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Dec 05, 2019: Early access published.
  10. Updated Dec 01, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  11. Updated Oct 31, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 27" Razer Raptor 27 144Hz, model number RZ39-0276, which is the first monitor made by Razer. At E3 2021, Razer announced an updated version of this monitor. The new version has a 165Hz refresh rate and is FreeSync Premium certified and THX certified, but otherwise appears to be unchanged.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Raptor 27 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.

Model Size Resolution Refresh Rate Notes
Raptor 27 27" 1440p 144Hz FreeSync, G-SYNC Compatible

We don't know when the Razer Raptor 27 we reviewed was manufactured, but the product label can be seen here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The Razer Raptor is a great gaming monitor with an impressive design, but slightly worse motion handling than most similar models. See also our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 27 inch gaming monitors, and the best 1440p 144Hz monitors. Also, check out our recommendations for the best gaming mice and the best gaming keyboards.

Razer Raptor 27 165Hz

The Razer Raptor 27 165Hz replaces the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz. Both monitors are very similar, but the main difference is that the newer one has a higher 165Hz refresh rate, and it has a quicker response time too. The 165Hz model displays a wider color gamut in SDR and HDR, and it has much better out-of-the-box accuracy, but this can vary between units. The newer model has a few extra features, like a THX Cinema mode, but we don't test for that.

LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B

The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz. The 27GL850-B has a much faster response time, resulting in much clearer motion with almost no noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. The Razer Raptor has an optional black frame insertion feature, though, which can help improve the appearance of motion. The LG also has a slightly more adjustable stand, and it can be VESA mounted.

ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q

The ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q is slightly better than the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, motion handling, and color accuracy, but the Razer has a significantly better build quality and supports HDR. Also, the ASUS has a slightly higher contrast ratio, better black uniformity, and significantly better reflection handling.

ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ

The ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ and the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz are very similar for most uses, but the PG279QZ is better for gaming. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, so it's easier to adjust the screen to your ideal viewing position. The ASUS also has a much faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur. The Razer Raptor has an incredible design, and unlike the ASUS it supports HDR, delivering a decent HDR gaming experience.

Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD

The Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD is slightly better than the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz, and it's a bit better for gaming. The AORUS has a more adjustable stand, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position. The AORUS also has a faster response time, resulting in slightly clearer motion, with less blur behind fast-moving objects.

ASUS TUF VG27AQ

The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is better than the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz. The ASUS has a higher native refresh rate, and a faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur behind fast-moving objects. The ASUS also has a more adjustable stand, and it can be VESA mounted. The Razer, on the other hand, has a nicer design, with a unique RGB lighting feature around the base.

Pixio PX7 Prime

The Razer Raptor 27 144Hz and the Pixio PX7 Prime are very similar overall. The PX7 Prime has a slightly faster refresh rate and slightly clearer motion,  but it lacks an optional black frame insertion feature. The PX7 Prime has better ergonomics, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 27"
Curved No
Curve Radius Not Curved
Weight (without stand)
N/A
Weight (with stand)
24.3 lbs (11.0 kg)
Design
Stand
Width
13.0" (33.0 cm)
Depth
7.5" (19.1 cm)

The stand is large and supports the monitor extremely well but there's still a bit of wobble to it. The base is thin enough that you can still place small objects in front of it, and there's a unique RGB feature around the base.

5.4
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
4.8" (12.2 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range No swivel
Tilt Range -90Ā° to 2.5Ā°

Update 03/25/2021: We set the tilt to 'No' by mistake. It can tilt from 2.5 degrees to -90 degrees. It has been fixed.

Update 01/20/2021: For consistency, we've changed the swivel adjustment from N/A to 'No'. The score remains unchanged.

Unfortunately, the Razer Raptor 27 has disappointing ergonomics. It has a decent height adjustment range and an outstanding tilt range, but the base can't swivel, and it can't be rotated to portrait orientation.

Design
Back
Wall Mount No Mount

Update 06/15/2021: At E3 2021, Razer announced a new VESA mount adapter. The adapter is compatible with this model and the new 2021 version.

The back of the monitor has a high-end fabric finish and it feels extremely well-built. There are grooves along the back of the base that provide outstanding cable management. Unfortunately, the stand can't be removed easily.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.2" (0.5 cm)

The borders are incredibly thin on three sides, great for a multi-monitor setup.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
7.3" (18.5 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
N/A

The monitor itself is fairly thin, but it'll take up more space on your desk with its large stand.

9.0
Design
Build Quality

This monitor is extremely well-built. Most of the frame is made of metal, and the back is covered in a premium texture cloth. The stand wobbles a little bit where it attaches to the back, but this shouldn't cause any issues.

Picture Quality
6.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,211 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

As is the case with most IPS panel monitors, the contrast ratio is mediocre. Blacks will look gray when viewed in dark rooms.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

The Razer Raptor 27 doesn't support local dimming. The above video is for reference only.

8.0
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
342 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
363 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
363 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.000

Great SDR peak brightness. This monitor should be able to overcome glare in any room.

7.2
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
476 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 2% Window
510 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 10% Window
514 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 25% Window
515 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 50% Window
516 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 100% Window
516 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
507 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
512 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
514 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
515 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
515 cd/mĀ²
HDR ABL
0.001

Decent peak brightness in HDR. Small highlights in some scenes stand out a bit, but it isn't quite bright enough. It can get a bit brighter than the Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD.

8.7
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
49Ā°
Color Washout From Right
49Ā°
Color Shift From Left
61Ā°
Color Shift From Right
63Ā°
Brightness Loss From Left
49Ā°
Brightness Loss From Right
49Ā°
Black Level Raise From Left
70Ā°
Black Level Raise From Right
70Ā°
Gamma Shift From Left
59Ā°
Gamma Shift From Right
61Ā°

Good horizontal viewing angles, which is typical of an IPS panel, although it doesn't perform as well as some other monitors.

6.9
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
29Ā°
Color Washout From Above
29Ā°
Color Shift From Below
40Ā°
Color Shift From Above
41Ā°
Brightness Loss From Below
33Ā°
Brightness Loss From Above
33Ā°
Black Level Raise From Below
70Ā°
Black Level Raise From Above
70Ā°
Gamma Shift From Below
30Ā°
Gamma Shift From Above
30Ā°

Good vertical viewing angles. The edges of the screen may appear a bit darker if you sit close to it, but this shouldn't be a problem for most people.

8.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.450%
50% DSE
0.101%
5% Std. Dev.
0.377%
5% DSE
0.040%

Excellent gray uniformity. The sides of the screen are a bit darker than the rest, but this shouldn't be very noticeable with most content.

5.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.325%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

Poor black uniformity. There's visible clouding throughout and there's blooming around the center cross. This is most noticeable when viewed in the dark.

4.8
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
MMO
Luminance
221 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
70
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Controls
Default
Gamma Setting
2.2
Color Temperature
5,633 K
White Balance dE
5.32
Color dE
5.03
Gamma
2.23

The Razer Raptor 27 has poor out-of-box color accuracy. Most colors are inaccurate and the color temperature is much warmer than the target, so each color is closer to red. Fortunately, the gamma follows the curve well, although dark scenes may appear darker than they should.

9.7
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Custom
Luminance
104 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
50
Contrast Setting
48
RGB Controls
44-46-50
Gamma Setting
2.2
Color Temperature
6,559 K
White Balance dE
0.56
Color dE
0.38
Gamma
2.18

After calibration, the Razer Raptor 27 has excellent accuracy. Any remaining inaccuracies aren't noticeable.

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.

9.3
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
99.6%
Adobe RGB xy
86.0%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

Excellent SDR color gamut, with near-perfect coverage of the sRGB color space used in most content. It also has excellent coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space used for some professional photo editing.

9.5
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
98.0%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
91.2%
sRGB Picture Mode
Custom
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Custom

Outstanding SDR color volume. It's mainly limited by the low contrast ratio, as it can't produce dark saturated colors very well.

7.7
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
82.9%
Rec. 2020 xy
70.4%
DCI P3 Picture Mode
HDR On
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR On

The Razer Raptor 27 displays a wide color gamut, with great coverage of the DCI P3 color space used in most current HDR content.

6.1
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
68.3%
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
52.7%
DCI P3 Picture Mode
HDR On
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR On

Mediocre HDR color volume. Unfortunately, colors aren't as bright in HDR, and it can't display dark, saturated colors very well.

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 temporary image retention, even immediately after displaying our high-contrast static test image for ten minutes, which is great.

10
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The Razer Raptor 27 has outstanding gradient performance, with no noticeable banding in any shade.

7.8
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.000%
Pixel Column Error
0.454%

Unfortunately, there are some signs of color bleed. This shouldn't be an issue with most content, though.

8.2
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.1%
Indirect Reflections
4.5%
Calculated Direct Reflections
0.5%

This monitor has decent reflection handling, similar to the Acer Predator X27 and the Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD.

7.0
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB
Motion
8.3
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
Strong
Rise / Fall Time
4.2 ms
Total Response Time
12.4 ms
Overshoot Error
11.1%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
5.3 ms
Dark Total Response Time
14.5 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
13.7%

Mode Response Time Chart Motion Blur Photo
Off Chart Photo
Weak Chart Photo
Strong Chart Photo

Excellent response time. It's a bit slower than some other 144Hz monitors, like the Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD, but motion still looks clear on the Raptor. The recommended overdrive setting is 'Weak', as it offers the least amount of overshoot. The 'Strong' setting has less motion blur behind fast-moving objects, but there's overshoot in some darker transitions. This monitor's replacement, the Razer Raptor 27 165Hz, has a higher refresh rate and quicker response time.

7.5
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
Weak
Rise / Fall Time
5.9 ms
Total Response Time
17.9 ms
Overshoot Error
6.5%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
6.5 ms
Dark Total Response Time
18.4 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
8.7%
10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The Razer Raptor 27 has a flicker-free backlight at all brightness settings. There's an optional Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature that can improve the appearance of motion. Like most FreeSync monitors, this feature isn't available if FreeSync is enabled. The setting that controls this feature is called Motion Blur Reduction.

9.0
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Yes
BFI Maximum Frequency
144 Hz
BFI Minimum Frequency
60 Hz
9.0
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
Native
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (NVIDIA Certified)
VRR Maximum
144 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors DisplayPort, HDMI

This monitor has an excellent fast refresh rate. It supports AMD's FreeSync VRR technology and it has an excellent wide VRR range over both HDMI and DisplayPort.

Inputs
9.5
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
4.1 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
8.7 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
4.0 ms
Variable Refresh Rate @ 60Hz
9.2 ms
10 Bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
4.2 ms

Update 01/28/2021: We've changed the result of the 10-bit HDR input lag to N/A due to a change in our testing methodology. At 10-bit, we can only achieve 100Hz over HDMI, and 120Hz over DisplayPort. Also, we lack the necessary tools to measure HDR input lag over DisplayPort. The input lag at 100Hz with 10-bit HDR over HDMI is 6.7ms.

Incredibly low input lag, which is excellent for gaming. Console gamers will also appreciate the low input lag at 60Hz, delivering a quick gaming experience.

8.3
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 3.7 MP
Pixel Density
109 PPI
Screen Diagonal 27.0"
Screen Area 310 inĀ²

The 1440p, 27 inch screen is great for gaming or multitasking.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.2)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 1 (HDMI 2.0)
DVI No
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB 2 (USB 3.0)
USB C 1 (USB, USB PD, DP Alt Mode)
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

Update 03/25/2021: We've changed the USB-C result to indicate power delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode.

Update 01/28/2021: We incorrectly indicated the DisplayPort version as 1.4 instead of 1.2. It has been fixed.

The single USB-C port supports DisplayPort Alt Mode and USB-C power delivery, but it's also the upstream port.

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

The Razer Raptor 27 has a few additional features. It can overlay a refresh rate counter, and it has a unique RGB feature around the base. The RGB feature can only be controlled through Razer's Synapse software, and the USB upstream cable must be connected to your computer.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

A single joystick nub is used to navigate the on-screen display, similar to the one found on LG's UltraGear monitors, like the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B.

Features
In The Box

  • Manual
  • HDMI cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • USB-A extender
  • USB-C cable
  • Power Adapter and cable