Cheapish 27" 2k for working from home and light gaming?

CF93 · 21 Nov 2021 at 17:07

Looking for a couple of 27" monitors mostly for working from home but also some gaming - F1 2020 mainly, but a little FPS stuff too like Doom (2016, I don't but new games often!). Not looking ultrawide or curved, image wheen screensharing with colleagues is too small from ultrawide. I'd like 2k resolution though as 1080p isn't enough to fit all the data I need to have on screen in Excel these days.

Currently got a couple of Benq GW2283 (21.5" 1080p), pretty cheap but I do like the auto-brightness and blue-light-reduction features, would be great if I could get something with those features.

Here's the kicker - my employer is reimbursing employees so they can upgrade their home kit, up for £410 total for monitors.

Anything that would fit roughly in that budget that's actually any good? (thinking Black Friday sales might just make it possible??) Or would I need to look at just biting the bullet and putting in a load more cash myself?

EsaT · 21 Nov 2021 at 19:52

144+Hz 2560x1440 monitors are actually very competed class and very affordable.
£300 starts getting good gaming capable monitors and £400 is really sensible max for such size/resolution monitor.

LG has some very popular models with excellent response time for gaming...
But unfortunately contrast of those 27" 2560x1440 "Nano-IPS" panels is blast from dozen+ years past.
So those would definitely need normal room illumination to mask bad black.

But AU Optronics has equally fast response time panels with very good contrast for IPS giving better black.
Panel in MSI G273QF has actually one of the highest contrast ratios of all IPS panels.
MSI OPTIX 27" G273QF 2560x1440 IPS 165Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync Widescreen LED Backlit Gaming Monitor= £348.95
Stand just has barely any adjustments.

MSI MAG274QRF-QD would have properly adjustable stand.
Though panel is variation sacrificing tiny bit of that contrast for very wide AdobeRGB colour gamut.
MSI 27" MAG274QRF-QD 2560x1440 IPS Quantum Dot 165Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync Widescreen LED Backlit Gami= £398.95

CF93 · 21 Nov 2021 at 21:02

Thanks, but I'm looking for two screens for that budget, so £350 each is too much

Freddie1980 · 23 Nov 2021 at 22:35

CF93 said:
Thanks, but I'm looking for two screens for that budget, so £350 each is too much

If you shop around the Gigabyte M27Q can be had for around £300. Good value monitor, comes with backlight strobing, 170hz refresh, KVM switch a decent sharp panel, low input lag and the stand is height adjustable which you don't always get on more expensive panels.

If you want to go cheaper try and find a Pixio PX277 Prime for around £250 but if that's not possible I suggest going VA with something like the AOC CQ27G2U for around £250 mark. Cheaper then that you looking at refurbished or B-Grade stock.

CF93 · 24 Nov 2021 at 08:18

What about something like the Benq EL2870IE? It's a TN panel, are TN any good these days? Tbh I've no idea what my current screen panels are or what difference it really makes in the real world. Seems like it's under 200 in the sales, even if it's not the best for gaming, I'm not sure I could justify spending the best part of 400 per screen even if it's someone else's money as most of my use is office work.