Gigabyte GS27FC Review: 1080p 180Hz FreeSync Curved Gaming Monitor

Gigabyte’s monitors have generally been praised for having useful features (such as an ergonomic stand, a USB hub, built-in speakers, a KVM switch, etc.) at budget prices.

However, their newest series consists of cutdown models at even more affordable prices, giving more options for those who don’t need these features on a monitor and would instead save some money.

Image Quality

The Gigabyte GS27FC is based on a curved 27″ 1920×1080 VA panel.

Now, a lot of users might find 1080p resolution to be too low for 27″ sized screens as you get a low pixel density of 81.59 PPI (pixels per inch).

Indeed, you won’t get as sharp text and details as that of 24″ 1080p (~92 PPI) or 27″ 1440p (109 PPI) displays, but if you want a bigger screen and don’t have a GPU that can run high frame rates at 2560×1440, a 27″ 1080p is a valid option.

The low pixel density is less noticeable in games and videos, especially if you’re not sitting too close to the screen. In fact, at a distance of 42″ (107cm) from the screen, individual pixels won’t be distinguishable to the human eye on a 27″ 1080p display.

However, if you want to use your monitor for productivity work or any job that involves a lot of typing and reading, we recommend considering a 24″ 1080p version instead, or investing in a higher resolution monitor.

Moving on, the VA panel provides you with a high 3,000:1 contrast ratio, which results in deep blacks and an immersive viewing experience, especially in dark rooms. The blacks are noticeably darker in comparison to IPS monitors with a ~1,000:1 contrast ratio; another advantage is that VA panels don’t suffer from IPS glow.

One of the disadvantages of VA technology is that you don’t get quite as wide viewing angles as that of IPS panels since there are some minor gamma/saturation shifts when looking at the screen at certain angles. While this is an issue for professional color-critical work, it’s negligible when it comes to everyday use.

Next, the Gigabyte GS27FC monitor has a peak brightness of 250-nits, which is the minimum as far as modern LED-backlit LCDs go, but it can still get more than bright enough under normal lighting conditions. If you’re in a particularly bright room or your screen faces a big window without curtains/blinds, you might need a brighter display.

It has a 108% sRGB color gamut volume, which means you’ll get some minor saturation added without the image being over-saturated. Overall, the colors are vivid and accurate for sRGB content, but there are wider gamut displays available in this price range that add even more color vibrancy.

The Gigabzte GS27FC also supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), but due to its limited brightness, narrow color gamut and lack of local dimming, you won’t be getting a proper HDR image. Some HDR content might look a bit better than SDR due to the dithered 10-bit color depth support for less banding.

Performance

While the 180Hz refresh rate provides you with responsive gameplay and low input lag below 5ms, there’s some noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects, particularly in dark scenes, due to the slow pixel response time of budget VA panels.

Related:What Is VA Smearing And Can You Fix It?

Some gamers are repulsed by this ghosting, while others don’t mind it, so depending on your tolerance for it, you may want to consider a faster IPS gaming monitor instead, especially if you’re playing competitive FPS titles.

There are two response time overdrive modes: On and Off. We recommend just sticking with the On mode since it provides the best performance across the entire refresh rate range.

Variable refresh rate is supported with a 48-180Hz dynamic range, providing you with tear-free gameplay up to 180FPS. Although the Gigabyte GS27FC doesn’t have official G-SYNC Compatible certification, VRR works with compatible NVIDIA GPUs (10-series or newer) over DisplayPort.

AMD FreeSync Premium works over both HDMI and DP with Radeon graphics cards.

When using VRR, you may encounter brightness flickering in in-game menus, loading screens and games with fluctuating frame rates, though this is standard for most high refresh rate displays, particularly those with VA panels.

Alternatively, you can use Aim Stabilizer technology, which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at the cost of image brightness. It cannot be active at the same time as VRR and it introduces flickering that’s invisible to the human eye, but can cause headaches to users sensitive to screen flicker after prolonged use.

The backlight of the monitor is otherwise flicker-free (that is, unless Aim Stabilizer is enabled) and there’s a harmful low-blue light filter feature.

Features

At the rear of the monitor, there’s a directional joystick for effortless navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu, which is well-organized and packed with useful features.

Apart from the standard image adjustments (brightness, contrast, color temperature, etc.), you also get access to some advanced settings, such as gamma, saturation (Color Vibrance), sharpness, aspect ratio control and various picture presets.

Other features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes by increasing the gamma), on-screen timers, a refresh rate tracker, crosshair overlays and Input Auto Switch support.

Alternatively, you can download the Gigabyte Control Center desktop application and use the Sidekick tab to make all OSD adjustments using your keyboard and mouse.

Design & Connectivity

The Gigabyte GS27FC has a tilt-only stand, but it’s sturdy and doesn’t take up a lot of desk space. It’s also VESA mount compatible via the 100x100mm pattern.

Further, the screen has a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy. It also has a moderate 1500R curvature for added immersion.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports and a headphone jack.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte GS27FC goes for ~$160.

If you want a 27″ 1080p high refresh rate curved VA monitor, we recommend the Acer ED270RM instead. It has a fully ergonomic stand and built-in speakers for $130 – $160 – or the Acer Aopen 27HC5RV without an ergonomic stand.

You can also find flat-screen IPS models, such as the KTC H27E22F with a wider color gamut, 240Hz and a fully ergonomic stand for $170 – $200.

Conclusion

Overall, the Gigabyte GS27FC is an excellent budget gaming monitor.

However, its price needs to drop a bit as there are many alternatives with similar specifications and additional features in this price range.

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Screen Curvature	1500R
Resolution	2560×1440 (WQHD)
Panel Type	VA
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	180Hz
Response Time (GtG)	Not specified
Response Time (Aim Stabilizer)	1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync (48-180Hz)
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0
Other Ports	Headphone Jack
Brightness	250 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	3000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 108% sRGB
HDR	HDR10
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)