Gigabyte G27F 2 Review: 1080p 165Hz FreeSync IPS Gaming Monitor

The Gigabyte G27F 2 is a budget 27″ 1080p high refresh rate IPS gaming monitor yet it features a wide color gamut, VRR, MBR, decent design quality and a USB hub!

Image Quality

Now, for most people, the deciding factor in getting this gaming monitor will come down to its pixel density.

The 1920×1080 resolution on a 27″ sized screen gives you 81.59 PPI (pixels per inch) meaning that you won’t have a lot of screen real estate as icons and windows take up a lot of desktop space at 100% scaling, while small details such as text aren’t very sharp.

However, when playing games and watching videos, the lack of crispness in details isn’t as noticeable as it is during regular desktop use, especially if you’re sitting a bit further away from the screen.

So, if you plan on using the Gigabyte G27F 2 mainly for gaming and videos, and you’d rather have a larger screen than a sharper image quality that a 24″ 1080p display would provide, it’s definitely worth considering.

In case you got a decent graphics card (something along the lines of the RTX 3060 or RX 6600), you should consider investing in a higher-resolution display if you want a bigger screen.

Moving on, the Gigabyte G27F 2 is one of the rare 27″ 1080p high refresh rate monitors that offer a wide color gamut and a high peak brightness.

It covers 95% of the DCI-P3 color space (~125% sRGB gamut size), which results in rich and saturated colors. It also provides you with an sRGB emulation mode in case you prefer the more neutral 100% sRGB output.

The colors are consistent across the entire panel thanks to the 178° wide viewing angles, and the monitor is suitable for basic content creation.

With a peak brightness of up to 400-nits, the monitor can easily mitigate glare even in well-lit rooms.

As expected from an IPS display, the contrast ratio amounts to 1,000:1, so you won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA panels, which usually have a contrast ratio closer to ~3,000:1. However, VA monitors have other disadvantages at this price range, mainly a much slower pixel response time speed.

Another drawback of IPS displays is IPS glow, which is characterized as visible glowing around the corners of the screen at certain viewing angles. However, it’s mainly noticeable when viewing dark content in a dark room with high brightness settings, so it’s manageable.

Finally, the Gigabyte G27F 2 monitor supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), however, it lacks proper display capabilities for a noteworthy HDR viewing experience. Thanks to its wide color gamut, some HDR content might look a bit better than SDR, but you’ll mostly prefer to have it disabled.

Performance

There are five response time overdrive modes: Off, Smart OD, Picture Quality, Balance and Speed.

Both Balance and Speed can introduce inverse ghosting, so we recommend sticking with the Picture Quality mode for the least amount of visible trailing behind fast-moving objects without any overshoot.

All in all, there’s next-to-none ghosting in fast-paced games, while input lag of just around 4ms makes for no imperceptible delay between your actions and the result on the screen.

Next, you can overclock the Gigabyte G27F 2 to 170Hz and it supports variable refresh rate (VRR) for tear-free gameplay up to 170FPS.

AMD FreeSync Premium is supported over both HDMI and DisplayPort, and while the monitor doesn’t have official G-SYNC Compatible certification by NVIDIA, VRR works without issues with supported GeForce cards over DisplayPort.

Alternatively, you can use Aim Stabilizer, which uses backlight strobing to improve motion clarity at a cost of picture brightness. It cannot be active at the same time as VRR and your refresh rate must be set to at least 100Hz.

The backlight of the monitor is flicker-free (unless Aim Stabilizer is enabled) and there’s an integrated low-blue light filter.

Features

At the rear of the monitor, there’s a joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu. Alternatively, you can use the OSD Sidekick desktop application to make your adjustments via keyboard/mouse.

The Dashboard feature allows you to track your system performance on the screen, such as CPU/GPU temperature, fan speed, utilization, etc. You just need to connect the monitor to your PC via a USB cable.

Other noteworthy features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes), crosshair overlays, a refresh rate tracker, on-screen timers and various picture modes (including three customizable profiles).

Besides the standard image adjustment tools (brightness, contrast, color temperature, aspect ratio, etc.), the Gigabyte G27F-2 offers several advanced settings, including gamma presets, Color Vibrance, sharpness and Input Auto Switch support.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers height adjustment up to 130mm, tilt by -5°/20° and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility. The screen has a matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.2, a dual-USB 3.0 hub and a headphone jack. All three display inputs support up to 170Hz at 1920×1080 with 10-bit color depth.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte G27F 2 price ranges from $160 to $210, which is a bit steep.

There’s also the 24″ model, the Gigabyte G24F 2, with a lower price and a higher pixel density.

Keep in mind that for ~$160, you can get the KTC H27E22F with a higher 240Hz refresh rate.

Alternatively, you can also find 27″ 1440p 165Hz IPS models in this price range, such as the KTC H27T22S.

To learn more about monitors and ensure you’re getting the model most suited for your personal preference, visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

Overall, if you don’t mind the low pixel density, the Gigabyte G27F 2 is an excellent gaming monitor if you find it on sale for under $150. Otherwise, there are better alternatives available.

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	1920×1080 (Full HD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	165Hz (170Hz OC)
Response Time (GtG)	Not specified
Response Time (Aim Stabilizer)	1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync (48-170Hz)
Ports	DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness	400 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	1000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 95% DCI-P3
HDR	HDR10
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)