The Razer Raptor 27 165Hz is a great 27 inch, 1440p gaming monitor. It replaces the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz with a higher refresh rate, and you have the option of purchasing the VESA Mount Adapter separately, but it has many of the same features and performance as its predecessor. It has native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support with G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Gaming feels smooth and responsive thanks to the quick response time and low input lag. Even though it's designed as a gaming monitor, it offers good features for content creators as it displays a very wide color gamut in SDR. It has wide viewing angles if you need to share your screen with someone else, but its stand doesn't offer swivel adjustments. Unfortunately, it has an IPS panel with a low contrast ratio, and it lacks a local dimming feature, so blacks look gray in dark rooms, and it's not an ideal choice for dark room gaming.
Our Verdict
The Razer Raptor 27 165Hz is very good for most uses. It's great for gaming because it has a high refresh rate with FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility, and it has a quick response time for smooth motion. It's good for office use, watching videos, or for content creators, because it has a big enough screen, high 1440p resolution, and wide viewing angles. Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver a true HDR experience because it lacks a local dimming feature and has a low contrast ratio.
- 1440p resolution delivers fairly clear text.
- Gets bright and has good reflection handling.
- Quick response time at 165Hz and at 60Hz.
- Stand doesn't offer swivel adjustments.
- VRR doesn't work properly if refresh rate is set at 60Hz.
The Razer Raptor is good for office use. The 27 inch screen and 1440p resolution help deliver clear images and provide enough space to open a few windows side-by-side. It has good reflection handling and great peak brightness if you want to use it in a well-lit room. It has wide viewing angles if you need to share your screen with someone else, but the stand doesn't offer any swivel adjustment.
- 1440p resolution delivers fairly clear text.
- Gets bright and has good reflection handling.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Stand doesn't offer swivel adjustments.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray; lacks local dimming.
The Razer Raptor 27 is great for gaming. It has a high 165Hz refresh rate with native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Motion looks smooth thanks to the quick response time, and it has low input lag. Sadly, it's not good for dark room gaming because it has a low contrast ratio and doesn't have a local dimming feature, so blacks look gray.
- 1440p resolution delivers fairly clear text.
- 165Hz panel with VRR support.
- Quick response time at 165Hz and at 60Hz.
- Low input lag.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray; lacks local dimming.
- VRR doesn't work properly if refresh rate is set at 60Hz.
The Razer Raptor 27 is good for watching multimedia content. The 27 inch screen and 1440p resolution provide an immersive viewing experience, and it has wide viewing angles if you want to share the screen with someone else. It's good for watching videos in bright rooms because it has good reflection handling and great peak brightness, but its low contrast makes it less suitable for dark room viewing.
- 1440p resolution delivers fairly clear text.
- Gets bright and has good reflection handling.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Stand doesn't offer swivel adjustments.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray; lacks local dimming.
The Razer Raptor is good for content creators. The screen size and high resolution make it easier to view your entire timeline without scrolling too much. It has great out-of-the-box accuracy and displays an incredible SDR color gamut with excellent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. It has wide viewing angles, but its stand doesn't have swivel adjustments, which isn't ideal if you need to turn the screen for a coworker or client.
- 1440p resolution delivers fairly clear text.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Perfect sRGB coverage and excellent Adobe RGB coverage.
- Stand doesn't offer swivel adjustments.
- Our unit has worse color bleed than most monitors.
The Razer Raptor 27 is decent for HDR gaming. It has great gaming performance thanks to its high refresh rate, VRR support, quick response time, and low input lag. It displays a wide color gamut for HDR content and has decent HDR peak brightness. However, it doesn't deliver the best HDR experience, especially in dark rooms, because it has a low contrast and lacks a local dimming feature.
- 165Hz panel with VRR support.
- Quick response time at 165Hz and at 60Hz.
- Low input lag.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray; lacks local dimming.
- VRR doesn't work properly if refresh rate is set at 60Hz.
- HDR peak brightness is decent, but not enough to make highlights pop.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Razer Raptor 27 165Hz (model code RZ39-0350), an updated version of the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz with a faster refresh rate. It also has the option to add the VESA Mount Adapter, sold separately, if you want to wall-mount it. It's Razer's only available monitor, so there aren't any variants or similar models.
If you have this monitor and it's different from ours, let us know, and we'll update the review. Keep in mind that some tests like gray uniformity can vary between units.
You can see the label for our unit here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Razer Raptor 27 is a great gaming monitor with a quick response time and VRR support. It's similar to its predecessor, the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz, but with a higher refresh rate, so if you already have the older model, it's not worth the upgrade. Also, it's a bit expensive, and there's nothing that stands out about this monitor versus other 27 inch, 1440p models, and you can get higher refresh rate options for the same price, like the Dell Alienware AW2721D.
Also see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 1440p monitors, and the best monitors for photo and video editing.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Razer Raptor 27 165Hz are both great monitors. They each have a 1440p resolution with a 165Hz native refresh rate, but you can overclock the LG to 180Hz. Motion looks better on the LG thanks to the quicker response times, and its stand can rotate into portrait mode. On the other hand, the Razer's stand can tilt a full 90 degrees backwards, and it has a better selection of inputs because there's a USB-C input.
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.
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD and the Razer Raptor 27 165Hz are great 1440p monitors with a 165Hz resolution. The MSI displays a wider color gamut in SDR and HDR, but that's because it over-saturates colors. The MSI also has a much quicker response time at 60Hz, delivering smoother motion for console gamers, and has better ergonomics. The Razer has better reflection handling and gets slightly brighter, so it's a better choice for well-lit rooms. Even though the MSI has Adaptive Sync technology and the Razer has native FreeSync, both FreeSync and G-SYNC VRR work on either monitor.
The Razer Raptor 27 165Hz and the Dell Alienware AW2721D are great 1440p gaming monitors with some differences. The Dell has a 240Hz panel with native G-SYNC support, and it has a much quicker response time, while the Razer is a 165Hz monitor with FreeSync support. The Dell gets much brighter, but the Razer has better reflection handling. The Dell has better ergonomics, making it easier to place in an ideal viewing position. The Razer has a USB-C input, which the Dell doesn't have, meaning that you can connect compatible USB-C devices with it.
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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