Gigabyte M27Q-P Review: 1440p 170Hz 1ms FreeSync IPS Gaming Monitor

The original Gigabyte M27Q was one of the most popular budget 27″ 1440p high refresh rate IPS gaming monitors.

Sadly, its BGR subpixel layout results in some text clarity issues that bothered many users. For gaming, content consumption and everyday use, the BGR layout issue is negligible, which is why it’s still a popular model today.

Now, the updated M27Q-P variant features a regular RGB subpixel layout in addition to a few more upgrades. Let’s see how it compares to the older model and other alternatives available in this price range!

Note that this monitor is also referred to as the Gigabyte M27Q PRO.

Image Quality

The Gigabyte M27Q-P is based on a Nano IPS panel by LG with a wide 98% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for rich and saturated colors.

This is equivalent to around 135% sRGB gamut size, meaning that regular content made with sRGB color space in mind will have over-saturated colors. Some users prefer this over-saturation, but you can also use the provided sRGB emulation mode in the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu to clamp the gamut down to ~100% sRGB.

The monitor can get very bright thanks to its 400-nits peak brightness, however, the brightness is oddly limited to around 150-nits in the sRGB mode.

As a workaround to this, you can use AMD’s GPU drivers or the novideo_srgb third-party tool (if you have an NVIDIA GPU) instead of the sRGB mode. This will clamp the gamut on the software side therefore not locking any monitor picture settings.

While the Gigabyte M27Q-P can get really bright, it cannot get particularly dim as the minimum brightness sits at around 100-nits, which might be too bright for users who plan on using the monitor in a dark room.

Most users find a brightness level of 120 – 150 nits suitable for a dark room, so this won’t be an issue unless you’re used to quite dim displays (most monitors can get as dim as 30 – 50 nits).

The monitor also supports 10-bit color depth via dithering for smooth gradients and has 178° wide viewing angles, ensuring that the image remains accurate and consistent regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.

Thanks to its decent factory calibration and IPS panel, the M27Q-P is suitable for entry-level color-critical work.

The main drawback of IPS technology is IPS glow (visible glowing in corners of the screen at certain angles) and the mediocre contrast ratio of 1,000:1, which means that blacks won’t be as deep as that of VA panels with ~3,000:1 contrast ratio.

However, VA technology has other disadvantages at this price range, such as slower response time, inferior VRR performance and not as wide viewing angles. As for the IPS glow, its intensity varies from panel to panel, but it’s manageable in most cases.

Related:What Is IPS Glow And How Can I Reduce It?

Moving on, the 2560×1440 Quad HD resolution nicely fits the 27″ viewable screen of the Gigabyte M27Q-P monitor as you get a high pixel density of 108 PPI (pixels per inch).

This means you’ll get plenty of screen space as well as sharp details and text without any scaling necessary. Further, 1440p is significantly less demanding to drive than 4K UHD, allowing you to achieve higher frame rates in video games.

The monitor can also accept the HDR10 signal and has VESA’s entry-level DisplayHDR 400 certification, but since it lacks proper HDR hardware, most scenes will look better with HDR disabled.

Performance

When it comes to pixel response time performance, the Gigabyte M27Q-P has five overdrive settings: Off, Smart OD, Picture Quality, Balance and Speed.

The Off mode is too slow, while ‘Speed’ is too aggressive as it introduces high levels of overshoot (inverse ghosting). ‘Smart OD’ is supposed to function as variable overdrive, but it’s not very effective and should be avoided.

At high refresh rates (120Hz+), go with the Balance mode for the least amount of ghosting. Below 120Hz, you’ll need to dial it back to ‘Picture Quality’ in order to avoid overshoot.

The monitor supports variable refresh rate (VRR) with AMD’s FreeSync Premium certification for tear-free gameplay up to 170FPS.

While it has no official G-SYNC Compatible certification by NVIDIA, there are no issues when using VRR with compatible GeForce GPUs over DisplayPort.

With AMD GPUs, FreeSync is supported over both DisplayPort (48-170Hz) and HDMI (48-144Hz).

Motion Blur Reduction is also supported, which uses backlight strobing to improve motion clarity at the cost of picture brightness.

Through Gigabyte’s Aim Stabilizer Sync implementation, MBR can work at the same time as VRR given that your refresh rate/frame rate is over 100Hz.

Input lag is imperceptible at ~4ms, so you won’t be able to notice or feel any delays between your actions and the result on the screen.

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

Features

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

Useful gaming features include various picture presets (including three customizable profiles), crosshair overlays, Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes by altering the gamma curvature), on-screen timers and a refresh rate tracker.

Besides the standard image adjustments (brightness, contrast, color temperature, aspect ratio, etc.), the Gigabyte M27QP also offers some advanced tools, including gamma, sharpness, 6-axis hue/saturation and Color Vibrance settings.

Input Auto Switch and Picture in Picture/Picture by Picture are supported too and there’s a built-in KVM switch at the back of the monitor.

Once you connect the monitor to your PC via a USB cable, you can use the Dashboard feature, which can show your system performance (CPU/GPU fan speed, utilization, etc.) on the screen.

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, but it cannot swivel or pivot.

Further, the screen has a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports (limited to 144Hz), a USB-C port (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 18W Power Delivery), a dual-USB 3.0 hub, a headphone jack and two 3W integrated speakers.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte M27Q-P usually goes for around $320.

If you don’t need KVM, we recommend the KTC H27T22S with a 27″ 1440p 180Hz IPS panel that can be found for as low as $150. Alternatively, consider the Acer XV271U M3 with an ergonomic stand for ~$200.

You can also find 27″ 1440p 240Hz models around this price range, such as the MSI G274QPX (with USB-C 65W PD), the Gigabyte M27Q-X (with KVM) and the Gigabyte GS27Q-X (budget model for ~$300).

Check out our best gaming monitor buyer’s guide for more information and the best deals available!

Conclusion

All in all, the Gigabyte M27Q-P is an excellent gaming monitor. However, there are better models available in terms of value for the price.

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	2560×1440 (QHD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	165Hz (170Hz OC)
Response Time (GtG)	1ms (GtG)
Response Time (Aim Stabilizer Sync)	1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync Premium (48-170Hz)
Speakers	2x3W
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 18W PD)
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness	400 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	1000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 98% DCI-P3
HDR	DisplayHDR 400
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)