Lenovo G27q-20 Gaming Monitor
RM1,599
As graphics cards are getting more and more powerful, many gamers are ditching Full HD displays, going for 2K and beyond. But there are plenty of options in the market, each with different special features that can cater to your needs. So today, we're looking at an affordable gaming monitor that can provide what most gamers would need.
Build and Design
The Lenovo G27q-20 is one of the most plain-looking gaming monitors that I've ever reviewed. It ships with a V-shaped stand in the box and can be easily installed without the need for extra tools.
At first glance, it looks minimal with an all-black finish with some blue accents on the stand, adding some gaming vibes to it. At the top left corner, you'll see Lenovo's logo on the clean black rear cover.
The OSD menus come in 5 simple buttons, giving you basic display settings, such as brightness, contrast, saturation, and others. And, that's about it. Nothing about its design screams gaming and it's not the most attractive one you'll see in the market.
The stand itself is very firm and sturdy. As for adjustments, the monitor is only limited to tilt and height adjustments so that means you can only tweak it to fit your viewing angle. It also has 100x100 VESA compatibility if you need extra desk space.
Cable management is also available on the back of the stand with two dedicated slots on each side of the stand to gather your cables together. It's not a very good sight as the "snakes" are still visible from the front. It would've been better if the cables can be hidden within the stand but I'm taking what the monitor offers.
Display
This is a 27" IPS panel with a QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution, as well as a speedy 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. It also has 400 nits of brightness and paired with HDR decoding, it can deliver bright and original images in real-time for smooth gameplay. Bezels on the top and sides are very narrow while the chin is relatively thick with Lenovo's logo on one end and an LED indicator on the other end.
With it, you'll be able to enjoy a gaming experience without screen tearing thanks to its AMD FreeSync Premium support with a compatible AMD graphics card. Color accuracy is also top-notch as it covers 99% of the sRGB color gamut and has 10-bit color support to render over 1 billion colors. With that, if you're a creative professional besides a gamer, you can take your work to this monitor too.
When I try it with games like Valorant, the monitor didn't disappoint with its brightness and color accuracy. I also enjoyed watching movies on the screen and I was impressed by the color reproduction and contrast ratio.
On top of that, the monitor has TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light and Flicker Free certifications to reduce harmful blue light and screen flicker so extended hours of gaming won't cause much discomfort to your eyes.
Like all Lenovo monitors, this one also supports the Lenovo Artery software, which can enhance user experience, either for work, gaming, or entertainment. For gaming, it gives you quick access to adjustments of the display settings like refresh rate and resolution. It also offers gaming tools to help you in games by showing frame rate, aim point, and timer on-screen.
I/O Ports
As for connectivity, I wish Lenovo had included more USB passthrough ports for frequently used peripherals and perhaps, even one for power delivery. On the back, it includes one HDMI 2.0 port, a DisplayPort 1.2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. If you own next-gen consoles, you can only connect one at a time.
Buy or no buy
The Lenovo G27q-20 may not be the best gaming monitor in the market but it's a very good option for its price range. Lenovo has given the most necessary specs that gamers could ask for in this monitor. For RM1,599, it does well with a high price-to-performance ratio.
