Gigabyte G27Q Review: 1440p 144Hz IPS FreeSync Gaming Monitor

The Gigabyte G27Q offers a combination of specifications that’s favorite among many PC gamers: 27″, 1440p, 144Hz, and IPS – plus, it does so at an affordable ~$300 price tag.

There are a lot of similar gaming monitors at this price range though, so here’s how it compares to the competition.

Image Quality

Based on an IPS panel, the Gigabyte G27Q monitor delivers accurate, consistent, and vibrant colors with 178° wide viewing angles, which prevent gamma/saturation shifts and make the image perfect regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.

It covers 92% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is equivalent to ~125% sRGB gamut size. As a result, you get more lifelike and saturated colors.

If you prefer more accurate color output for sRGB content, you can use the sRGB mode to clamp the gamut to ~100%. Note that you can also adjust the brightness in this mode.

Other panel-related specifications include a 1,000:1 static contrast ratio, which is expected from an IPS panel monitor, and a 350-nit peak brightness resulting in a more than bright enough picture under normal lighting conditions.

The Gigabyte G27Q display also supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) and has VESA’s entry-level DisplayHDR 400 certification.

HDR content gets a boost in peak brightness up to 400-nits and it makes good use of the monitor’s wide color gamut, but due to the limited contrast ratio, you’re not getting the ‘true’ HDR viewing experience, which is only possible on notably more expensive monitors anyway.

1440p resolution is perfect for 27″ sized monitors as you get an ideal pixel-per-inch ratio of 108 PPI, which results in plenty of screen space as well as sharp details and text, without any scaling necessary.

Performance

The Gigabyte G27Q has three response time overdrive modes: Picture Quality, Balance, and Speed.

The ‘Speed’ mode is the fastest and effectively eliminates trailing behind fast-moving objects at 144Hz without adding any prominent overshoot.

If you’re gaming at 60Hz, or using a variable refresh rate (VRR) around 60FPS, dial the overdrive back to ‘Balance’ in order to prevent overshoot from becoming too noticeable.

AMD FreeSync is supported with a 48-144Hz dynamic range and LFC (Low Framerate Compensation), thus preventing screen tearing and stuttering up to 144FPS.

While the monitor is not officially certified as ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ by NVIDIA, FreeSync works with compatible GeForce cards (GTX 10-series or newer) over DisplayPort without any issues. With AMD cards, FreeSync works over both DisplayPort and HDMI.

As an alternative to VRR, you can use the Aim Stabilizer technology, which uses backlight strobing at a fixed refresh rate to reduce perceived motion blur. It can’t be active at the same time as FreeSync and it reduces the monitor’s brightness while active.

Note that while Aim Stabilizer can improve motion clarity in fast-paced games, your frame rate should match the monitor’s refresh rate for the best performance and minimal strobe crosstalk (duplicate images).

The Gigabyte G27Q input lag amounts to only ~4ms, which makes for imperceptible delay between your actions and the result on the screen.

Finally, the backlight of the monitor is flicker-free (unless Aim Stabilizer is enabled) and there’s a 10-level low-blue light filter.

Some IPS glow is noticeable as expected from an IPS panel monitor, but keep in mind that the amount of IPS glow varies across different units of monitors.

Features

At the rear of the monitor, you’ll find a 5-way directional joystick for easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.

You can also download and use the OSD SideKick desktop application and make all your adjustments there via your mouse/keyboard.

Noteworthy features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes), custom crosshair overlays, a refresh rate tracker, on-screen timers, and various pre-calibrated picture modes (FPS, RTS/RPG, Reader, and three customizable profiles).

The G27Q also supports Gigabyte’s Dashboard feature, which allows you track your PC’s system performance (CPU/GPU temperature, utilization, fan speed, etc.) on the screen as long as you’ve connected them via USB.

Besides the standard brightness, contrast, and color temperature adjustments, you’ll also find advanced settings, such as gamma presets, sharpness, and saturation (Color Vibrance).

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and even offers height adjustment up to 130mm, which is great to see in this price range.

You can also tilt the screen by -5°/20° or mount it via the 100x100mm VESA pattern.

The screen has a 3-side borderless design and a matte screen finish with an anti-glare coating that eliminates reflections, but doesn’t make the picture appear too grainy.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a dual-USB 3.0 hub (1 upstream + 2 downstream), a headphone jack and dual 2W integrated speakers.

The DisplayPort 1.2 input has added HDR support (DP 1.2 + HDR), but if you want to use the monitor with 10-bit color depth, you’ll need to lower the refresh rate to 120Hz.

Since most games only support 8-bit color and there’s no noticeable difference between 8-bit and 10-bit color in most games (or between 120Hz and 144Hz for that matter), this isn’t a big issue and is, in fact, common among 1440p 144Hz+ displays.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte G27Q goes for ~$320, which is a decent price for a 1440p 144Hz IPS gaming monitor.

However, we recommend the Acer XV272UV instead. It’s cheaper ($250) yet offers a faster 1ms GtG pixel response time speed for no ghosting.

Visit our comprehensive gaming monitor buyer’s guide for more information and the best deals available (always up-to-date).

Conclusion

The Gigabyte G27Q is a great budget 1440p 144Hz monitor for gaming, everyday use, and even entry-level color-critical work within the sRGB color space.

Its fast response time and FreeSync support ensure smooth performance, while the wide color gamut and high resolution make for an immersive viewing experience.

However, there are faster alternatives at this price range.

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	2560×1440 (QHD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	144Hz
Response Time (GtG)	Not specified
Response Time (Aim Stabilizer)	1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync (48-144Hz)
Speakers	2x2W
Ports	DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness	350 cd/m²
Brightness (HDR)	400 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	1000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 92% DCI-P3
HDR	DisplayHDR 400
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)