Bottom Line
The HP Omen X 27 is the ideal monitor for competitive gaming if you (and your PC rig) have outgrown the low 1080p resolution.
The HP Omen X 27 is one of the first 1440p 240Hz gaming monitors to be available on the market.
People who enjoy 240Hz gaming can now finally move past the lowly 1080p resolution and revel in crystal-clear details, provided they have the proper PC rig to sustain it.
Alas, the Omen X 27 uses a TN panel, so common downsides such as narrow viewing angles and inferior image quality are still present.
Image Quality
The HP Omen X 27 monitor sports a screen resolution of 2560×1440, which is for most people the ideal resolution for 27″ sized displays.
You get the perfect pixel-per-inch ratio of ~108 PPI (pixels per inch), resulting in vivid and crisp details as well as plenty of screen real estate without having to use any scaling.
Naturally, 1440p is also more demanding than 1080p.
If you want to get anywhere near 240FPS, you’ll need a high-end graphics card, and you shouldn’t expect to get such high frame rates in games other than the eSports titles.
Other panel-related specifications include a 300-nit peak brightness, a static contrast ratio of 1,000:1, true 8-bit color depth, 90% DCI-P3 color gamut, and HDR (High Dynamic Range) support.
While the colors are good for a TN panel display, they are still a far cry from color vibrancy found on equally-priced IPS or VA gaming monitors.
Further, the HP Omen X 27 can accept the HDR10 signal of compatible content, but it lacks proper display capabilities to enhance the viewing experience notably.
HDR content gets a boost in peak brightness up to 400-nits, but the lack of 10-bit color depth, high contrast ratio, and color quality is evident. The display doesn’t even qualify for VESA’s entry-level HDR400 certification.
The backlight of the monitor is edge-lit, and there’s a local dimming solution. However, there are only 16 dimming zones. Enabling local dimming will make blacks a bit darker, but due to the low contrast ratio, there’s an obvious lack of black depth and visibility of details in shadows.
What’s more, since there are only 16 dimming zones, they cannot quite keep up with fast-moving objects, which will introduce noticeable trailing/glowing. So, for fast-paced gaming, make sure local dimming is disabled.
Overall, the image quality isn’t bad. There’s a notable improvement over the older 1440p 144Hz TN models, such as the Dell S2716DG.
However, don’t expect the IPS or VA levels of color and contrast quality due to the monitor’s specified wide color gamut, HDR support, and local dimming features.
These features are a bit misleading and unnecessary, but the image quality is decent for a TN panel, while 1440p ensures crisp details without having to sacrifice CPU/GPU power for anti-aliasing.
Performance
While the image quality is a bit better as opposed to the previous-generation TN models, the 160°/170° viewing angles are still a bit of a problem.
As soon as you move and look at the screen from the sides or from below/above, the picture quality degrades. This isn’t a problem if you’re sitting directly in front of the screen, but it’s something you should have in mind.
Moving on, the HP Omen X 27 input lag performance is impressive, with just below 3ms of delay at 240Hz, which is imperceptible.
The response time speed is top-notch as well; you won’t encounter any prominent ghosting or trailing behind fast-moving objects.
There are four response time overdrive modes: Normal, Fast, Faster, Fastest. We recommend using either ‘Fast’ or ‘Faster,’ as ‘Fastest’ introduces a lot of pixel overshoot.
Unfortunately, there’s no MBR (Motion Blur Reduction) technology of any sort available.
The HP Omen X 27 supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which provides a variable refresh rate (VRR) within the 48-240Hz/FPS (Frames Per Second) range for compatible graphics cards.
This technology effectively eliminates all screen tearing and stuttering with minimal input lag penalty (1-2ms). FreeSync works without any issues when used with compatible NVIDIA cards, even though the monitor isn’t certified as G-SYNC compatible by NVIDIA.
Note that the HP Omen X 27 display is not flicker-free. It uses PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) to regulate brightness, and although the flicker is invisible to the human eye, those very sensitive to it may experience headaches after prolonged use.
Features
Next to the power button, you will find four hotkeys for OSD (On-Screen Display) navigation, but no joystick, which we would’ve preferred.
Luckily, HP has the exclusive Omen Command Center application, which allows you to make all the important monitor adjustments there, among other things.
Useful gaming features include customizable crosshair overlays, an FPS counter, pre-calibrated picture presets (Gaming, Movie, Low Blue Light, etc.), and customizable RGB lighting.
The RGB LED is facing the monitor’s stand, it’s subtle and actually practical, especially in the dark.
For the best image quality, we recommend using the ‘Native’ color temperature mode.
Design & Connectivity
The HP Omen X 27 1440p 240Hz gaming monitor has a fairly slim but sturdy design with ultra-thin bezels. It has a rather aggressive matte anti-glare screen coating, which some users may find too grainy, but it’s tolerable.
Ergonomics include height adjustment up to 130mm, tilt by -3°/23°, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility via the provided adapter. You cannot swivel or pivot the screen.
Connectivity options include one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.4 input, a dual-USB 3.0 hub, and a headphones jack. Note that HDMI 2.0 is limited to either 1440p 144Hz or 1080p 240Hz.
Price & Similar Monitors
The HP Omen X 27 price ranges from $600 to $650.
The only other 1440p 240Hz TN monitor currently available (not yet in the US) is the Lenovo Legion Y27GQ-25.
While the Lenovo display has NVIDIA G-SYNC, it’s also significantly more expensive (~$1,000), and many users are complaining about its loud built-in fan.
Either way, we recommend considering the Samsung Odyssey G7 or the ASUS XG27AQM at this price range instead.
These IPS (XG27AQM) and curved VA (Samsung C27G7) 1440p 240Hz monitors offer just as fast response time, but with better image quality for the same price.
Visit our always up-to-date best gaming monitors buyer’s guide for the best deals currently available and all the information you need to know before purchasing the perfect monitor for you.
Conclusion
The HP Omen X 27 was the first 1440p 240Hz model available. When it was released, there were no IPS and VA alternatives. Nowadays, you can find an IPS or VA model with just as good performance and better image quality for the same price, thus making the Omen X 27 obsolete.
Specifications
Screen Size | 27-inch |
Resolution | 2560×1440 (WQHD) |
Panel Type | TN |
Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
Refresh Rate | 240Hz |
Response Time | 1ms (GtG) |
Adaptive Sync | FreeSync (48Hz-240Hz) |
Ports | DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0 |
Other Ports | 2x USB 3.0, Headphone Jack |
Brightness | 300 cd/m2 |
Brightness (HDR) | 400 cd/m2 |
Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 (static) |
Colors | 16.7 million (true 8-bit) |
HDR | HDR10 |
Local dimming | 16-zone (edge-lit backlight) |
VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- Impeccable response time and input lag performance
- AMD FreeSync up to 240Hz
- Clear and crisp details thanks to high pixel density
- Height-adjustable stand
- Good colors for a TN panel display
The Cons:
- Expensive
- Underwhelming HDR viewing experience
- Only 16 dimming zones
- Narrow viewing angles
- Inferior image quality to similarly priced IPS and VA alternatives