Gigabyte M27Q-X Review: 1440p 240Hz 1ms FreeSync IPS Gaming Monitor

The combination of 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate is certainly appealing to gamers who enjoy both crisp details and responsiveness – and have the proper hardware for it. The Gigabyte M27Q-X is one of the cheapest models available with these specs, so let’s see how it compares to pricier alternatives.

Image Quality

To start with, the Gigabyte M27Q-X is based on an IPS monitor by Sharp (LQ270T1JG29) with a wide 97% Adobe RGB and 92% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage; that’s equivalent to around 140% sRGB gamut size. As a result, you get more saturated and vibrant colors, especially when it comes to greens and blues.

This will lead to over-saturation of content made with sRGB color space in mind, but most users will prefer the extra vibrancy even if it wasn’t the creator’s intent.

The Gigabyte M27Q-X features an sRGB emulation mode, so you can clamp its native 140% sRGB gamut down to 100% sRGB for better accuracy. You can adjust the brightness in this mode, but color channels for whitepoint tuning are locked.

It supports 10-bit color depth via dithering (8-bit + FRC) for 1.07 billion colors and smooth gradients.

Thanks to its wide Adobe RGB color gamut coverage, decent factory calibration and wide viewing angles, the Gigabyte M27Q-X is suitable for professional color-critical work!

Further, the monitor has a strong peak brightness of around 450-nits, exceeding the specified 350-nits. So, it will be able to get bright enough for well-lit rooms as its brightness can mitigate glare.

The static contrast ratio amounts to 1,000:1, meaning that you won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA monitors, which usually have a contrast ratio of around 3,000:1. However, VA technology has other disadvantages.

As it’s the case with all IPS monitors, some IPS glow is present. It varies from unit to unit, but it’s manageable in all but the most extreme cases.

The 2560×1440 resolution perfectly suits 27″ sized screens as you get a high pixel density of 108 PPI (pixels per inch), resulting in crisp details and text, plenty of screen real estate, no scaling necessary and it’s not nearly as demanding on the CPU and GPU as 4K UHD.

Unlike Gigabyte’s M27Q model with a 170Hz maximum refresh rate, the M27Q-X uses a regular RGB subpixel layout, so you won’t have any issues with text clarity.

Finally, the M27Q-X supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) and has VESA’s DisplayHDR 400 certification. Since it lacks local dimming, you won’t get the true HDR viewing experience.

Thanks to the monitor’s wide color gamut and decent peak brightness, some HDR scenes might look a bit better than SDR, but you’ll mostly prefer to have it disabled.

Performance

Moving on, the Gigabyte M27Q-X has a rapid 1ms GtG pixel response time speed for minimal ghosting in fast-paced games.

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

Depending on your refresh rate, you’ll have to change the overdrive mode for optimal performance. You can ignore the Speed and Smart OD modes as they’re not properly optimized.

This means that if you’re using variable refresh rate technology (VRR), AMD FreeSync or NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible, you’ll have to change the overdrive according to your frame rate as well.

If your frame rate is over 200FPS, you can use the Balance mode. At around 60FPS, the best mode is ‘Off.’ And if it’s between 60FPS and 200FPS, the Picture Quality provides the best overall performance.

So, in case you’re not sensitive to ghosting and overshoot, you can just stick with the Picture Quality mode.

The Gigabyte M27Q-X also supports MBR (Motion Blur Reduction) via its Aim Stabilizer Sync technology, which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at the cost of picture brightness.

You can use MBR and VRR at the same time as long as your refresh rate is over 100Hz. Some red fringing is present due to slow red phosphor decay, but if you’re a fan of CRT-like motion clarity, it’s worth trying it out as the reddish artifacts are less obvious at higher refresh rates.

Despite not having official G-SYNC Compatible certification by NVIDIA, VRR performance is buttery-smooth with tear-free gameplay up to 240FPS. Input lag is excellent as well at around 2ms of delay, which is imperceptible.

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

Features

The Gigabyte M27Q-X 1440p 240Hz display is equipped with plenty of useful features that you can easily access and adjust via either the directional joystick at the rear of the monitor or the OSD Sidekick desktop application.

Noteworthy gaming features include crosshair overlays (including ‘Eagle Eye’ that zooms in the area around the center of the screen), on-screen timers, a refresh rate tracker and Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes).

You also get various picture presets (Standard, FPS, RTS/RPG, Movie, Reader, sRGB and three customizable profiles) and advanced image adjustment tools, such as 6-axis hue/saturation, Color Vibrance, sharpness and gamma.

Another useful feature is ‘Dashboard’ – it allows you to track your CPU/GPU temperature, utilization, fan speed and other specs on the screen if you connect the monitor to your PC via USB.

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 you cannot swivel or pivot the screen. There’s a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, a USB-C port with DP 1.4 Alt Mode and up to 18W Power Delivery, one upstream and two downstream USB 3.0 ports, a headphone jack and dual 2W built-in speakers.

The monitor also has a built-in KVM switch, allowing you to control two PCs connected to the screen via the same keyboard and mouse. Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture are supported as well.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte M27Q-X price ranges from $410 to $450.

The HP Omen 27qs with similar specifications can be found for $300 – $350, while the MSI G274QPX model with a USB-C port (65W PD) usually goes for $320.

If you want something better, there’s the ASUS PG27AQN with a 1440p 360Hz G-SYNC panel.

Finally, if you want better HDR image quality, consider the Cooler Master Tempest GP27Q 1440p 165Hz 1ms IPS gaming monitor with a 576-zone mini LED FALD backlight for $500.

Visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide to check out other recommended models.

Conclusion

All in all, if you’re mainly playing fast-paced competitive games and can maintain high frame rates at 1440p, the Gigabyte M27Q-X is for you!

However, in case you won’t be getting over 170FPS and don’t plan to upgrade your system anytime soon, you should check out the Acer XV272UV 1440p 170Hz IPS gaming monitor that goes for $250.

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	2560×1440 (QHD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	240Hz
Response Time (GtG)	1ms (GtG)
Response Time (Aim Stabilizer Sync)	1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync (48-240Hz)
Speakers	2x2W
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, USB-C (DP Alt Mode, 18W PD)
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)