The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is a 4K QD-OLED monitor designed with creative professionals in mind — specifically those who prefer Mac over Windows. Despite its Mac-centric design, it manages to pack in many of MSI’s best gaming features to make it an ideal display for both work and play.

I remember when I first saw the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G back at CES, as it left an immediate impression on me. Unlike the Studio Display or Studio Display XDR, you won’t find any of Apple’s usual limitations here. Instead, this is a full-featured QD-OLED monitor with all the ports you could ever need — and then some.

After using the Pro Max 271UPXW12G as my daily driver for the past month across both macOS and Windows, I’m just as impressed as I was when I first laid eyes on it. From its sleek, minimalist design to its packed array of ports and, of course, its 4th-Gen QD-OLED panel, this display has served me well both on and off the clock. Still, while I appreciate that it has built-in speakers, they do leave a bit to be desired.

My MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G review will help you decide if this is the best monitor for your Mac (and even your gaming PC or PS5) — or if it’s worth paying the Apple Tax for a Studio Display instead.

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor designed for Mac that you can also game on.
• Who is it for? Creative professionals who need full color accuracy on Mac or Windows and don’t want to deal with the limitations and higher price of Apple’s Studio Display.
• What does it cost? The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G costs $999, but now you can find this monitor for $710 in white or $650 in black and often for even less when it’s on sale.
• What do we like? Its sleek design, the vibrancy and detail of its 4th-Gen QD-OLED panel, the integrated Mac controls, its 120 Hz refresh rate, the full-featured ports and its built-in KVM switch.
• What don’t we like? That the monitor auto-mounts a drive on both Mac and Windows and that the built-in speakers leave something to be desired.

MSI MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: Specs

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: The Ups

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is an incredibly capable professional monitor in a sleek and stylish package. You’d be hard-pressed to find a similar port array on even more expensive displays — and beyond creative work, it manages to hold its own against top-tier gaming monitors even if that isn’t its primary focus.

As clean as can be

Just like with MSI’s MPG 321URXW gaming monitor I reviewed last year, the Pro Max 271UPXW12G is incredibly thin thanks to its QD-OLED panel. On the top and sides, the display is razor-thin at four to five millimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) — with its internal components and built-in power supply housed in the center.

Underneath the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s display, you’ll find an AI Care Sensor that houses a CMOS camera/sensor and an NPU used for features like presence detection and adaptive brightness. This monitor also comes with MSI’s OLED Care 3.0 tech to protect its panel from burn-in.

Around back, there’s a joystick and two buttons for navigating the monitor’s OSD menu to adjust its settings. While the Pro Max 271UPXW12G has a circular cutout for the included monitor stand, MSI includes a standard 100 x 100 VESA mount adapter if you want to use this display with one of the best monitor arms. There’s also a square plate in the box in case you want to mount a mini PC like the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG or the updated 3MG behind your monitor.

Speaking of the monitor stand, it’s made entirely from metal — and to date, it’s one of the highest-quality included stands I’ve seen yet. I typically use a monitor arm, but with the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, I didn’t even consider it.

I also really appreciated that MSI includes every cable you need right in the box — from DisplayPort to USB-C. The ones that came with my review unit were color-matched to the white version of the Pro Max 271UPXW12G I tested, blending in seamlessly with the rest of my setup too.

A multi-workstation hub

Although MSI designed the Pro Max 271UPXW12G with Apple’s Macs in mind, you wouldn’t want to limit yourself to one operating system (or device) with this monitor. While other displays have built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switches to let you use the same peripherals seamlessly across two computers, this one actually supports three.

As such, the Pro Max 271UPXW12G is outfitted with an impressive selection of ports. For video, you get dual HDMI 2.1 connections, DisplayPort 1.4a, and two USB-C inputs with power delivery. While one is limited to 15W, the other delivers 98W of power so you can use and charge one of the best laptops simultaneously. For the KVM switch, there’s a USB-B port alongside four USB-A ports.

Since I switch between computers quite often while reviewing the best mini PCs, I like to use my mouse and keyboard’s 2.4 GHz USB dongles instead of Bluetooth. Even with a webcam connected too, I still had one free USB port — which was really impressive.

Another detail I really like about the Pro Max 271UPXW12G is its internal power supply instead of a bulky power brick. This made cable management under my desk a lot easier — and if you ever need to replace this monitor’s power cable, it uses the same standard one as a desktop PC.

Sure, you could plug in one of the best MacBooks or even a Mac mini M4 into the Pro Max 271UPXW12G and call it a day. However, by doing so, you’d be wasting one of its best features: the built-in KVM switch. With a Mac on one side of my desk and a PC on the other, switching between the two and using the same keyboard and mouse was almost instant. Likewise, it worked like a charm over both USB-C and with the included USB-B cable.

Crisp, colorful and Mac-friendly

In the past, it was often difficult using a third-party monitor with a Mac due to how macOS handles pixel density. This causes text fringing, where the words on your screen look fuzzy or blurry. Fortunately, MSI considered this when developing the Pro Max 271UPXW12G and gave it a higher pixel density of 166 PPI.

One of the best things about the Studio Display and the Studio Display XDR I reviewed is being able to use your keyboard to adjust things like brightness and volume — which you can’t do on a lot of third-party displays. To address this, MSI created a dedicated Mac app called M-Mate. After installing it from the App Store, not only can you control this monitor using the keys on your MacBook, but you can also match the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s color profile with your Apple laptop or even your iPad.

If Apple’s color profile isn’t the one you use for photo or video editing, no worries — this monitor comes with a ton of other popular ones too. With a few clicks on the joystick around back, you can switch between sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, and several other color spaces depending on the task at hand. Though not for everyone, creative professionals will really appreciate this feature.

During my time testing out the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, I started with my Mac mini M4 on one side and the Khadas Mind 2S mini PC — equipped with Khadas’ Mind Graphics 2 eGPU — on the other. From there, I swapped out the Mac mini for a 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro, which let me take full advantage of that USB-C port with 98W of power delivery. Everything worked and looked great on MSI’s Studio Display alternative, but I wasn’t done there….

Made for more than work

Having used both the Studio Display and Studio Display XDR, I’m still a bit baffled by how both monitors only come equipped with Thunderbolt ports. I’d love to hook up a gaming PC or a console to one of Apple’s monitors alongside a Mac, but unfortunately, I don’t know if that will ever be possible.

Fortunately, with the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, you can actually do this — and at higher frame rates too, since its QD-OLED panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz. Now, I know that isn’t as high as what you’ll find on dedicated gaming displays, but this is a monitor designed around productivity after all.

To put the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s gaming capabilities — and aesthetics — to the test, I hooked it up to the Minisforum G1 Pro mini PC, which features a desktop-grade Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU. In addition to finishing Death Stranding 2 on PC this way, I also played through a bit of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Both games looked incredible on the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, with a bit of help from Nvidia’s DLSS tech. However, I wasn’t done there.

As I simultaneously reviewed the Pro Max 271UPXW12G alongside Splatoon Raiders, I hooked up my Nintendo Switch 2 to MSI’s monitor as well. The colorful hues from the game’s ink-filled battles looked amazing on the panel, and just like with Death Stranding 2, I actually ended up beating the game while using MSI’s display.

There are definitely higher-refresh options out there if you're looking for one of the best gaming monitors. However, this is the only productivity-focused monitor for creatives I know of that lets you jump straight into gaming without severe limitations.

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: The Downs

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G sets itself apart as a third-party Mac monitor with some solid gaming chops to boot. However, it’s not without a few slight downsides — one of which I’m still thoroughly confused by.

An auto-mounting annoyance

Following the recent controversy with LG’s monitors auto-installing software, imagine my surprise when I saw an auto-mounted drive from MSI on both my Mac and PC after connecting the Pro Max 271UPXW12G. Fortunately, we’re dealing with a different beast entirely here.

You see, instead of auto-installing software, the monitor’s onboard microcontroller automatically mounts the contents of a tiny flash storage chip whenever a device is connected via USB-C or through the USB-B cable for its KVM switch.

This drive doesn’t force-install anything, but it does give you a direct download link for MSI Productivity Intelligence on Mac or MSI Gaming OSD on Windows.

The software itself lets you adjust settings like brightness and contrast with your mouse and keyboard so you don’t have to reach for the physical joystick around back. In theory, this is meant to be a convenient shortcut for end users so they don’t have to hunt down extra software on MSI’s support page. In practice, however, I found it fairly annoying — especially on Mac.

Due to how macOS operates, any connected volume automatically mounts directly onto your desktop. While you can turn this off by going to Finder > Settings > General and unchecking External disks under “Show these items on the desktop”, this is still a minor nuisance. Alternatively, you could skip connecting your computer via USB-C or avoid using the included USB-B cable for the KVM switch altogether, but that defeats the entire point of buying a feature-packed, productivity-focused monitor like the Pro Max 271UPXW12G.

Good but not great built-in speakers

Unlike with MSI’s gaming monitors, its business and productivity-focused ones often come with built-in speakers. This is a feature that’s always nice to have in a pinch since you can test your audio easily, and if they’re good enough, you don’t have to bother cluttering up your desk with extra hardware.

The Pro Max 271UPXW12G has dual 2.5W speakers, and for attending meetings or other less demanding tasks, I found they worked well enough. Since their wattage is on the lower side, they do sound a bit tinny, though.

I relied on the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s built-in speakers for the most part during my testing. However, when it was time to put its gaming capabilities to the test, I opted for a pair of Kanto Ora 4 bookshelf speakers, which made a massive difference.

Now, if you’re the type who wears headphones while working or gaming, this won’t be a problem. The built-in speakers are good enough, but if you want more volume or bass, I’d recommend going a similar route with a pair of the best computer speakers.

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: Verdict

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is a breath of fresh air when it comes to Mac-focused monitors. Not only can you control its brightness and audio with your MacBook’s keyboard, but you can also match the display’s color profile directly with your Apple laptop. All of those full-featured ports and the built-in KVM switch also make the Pro Max 271UPXW12G a productivity powerhouse for anyone who relies on multiple operating systems and devices for work.

The 4th-Gen QD-OLED panel is another major highlight thanks to its vibrant colors, deep contrast, and anti-glare, low-reflection finish. Similarly, MSI deserves credit for including every cable you could ever need alongside plenty of extra accessories right in the box.

Still, I do wish you could permanently disable the auto-mounting drive on the monitor itself, and the built-in speakers leave some room for improvement. Overall though, if you want a more affordable Studio Display alternative that doubles as a high-performance gaming monitor, the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is an excellent choice — especially given its more competitive pricing post-launch.

The humble computer monitor — they come in all shapes and sizes and with all kinds of display tech, but the way you use them hasn’t really changed since the early 1950s. You plug it in and a pretty picture shows up … That’s about it!

But Lenovo’s Vice President and GM of Visuals business, George Toh, has ambitious dreams for how this peripheral will not only develop over time, but actually change the future of how we go about doing things at our desk.

I got the chance to speak to Toh following a bunch of concept device unveilings over the past few months, to see where he thinks things will go, and being real, I don’t think my desk is ready for the glow-up it’s going to get over the next few years.

Appearances will be deceiving

One of the first things Toh mentioned is that if we were to get into a time machine and travel forward, “the physics of a display won’t change.” It will be that same familiar rectangle on your desk. “I anticipate it to be a lot thinner, but still physically large — I expect it to look a lot more attractive than what it is today,” Toh added.

You can see this pursuit of thinness in a lot of monitors today, which comes up against the simple physics of the heat generated and the dimensions of the panel inside the case. Given the iterative pace of monitor tech, it really doesn’t surprise me that the sleekness will get even sleeker. On top of that, the price of these materials to build panels is coming down too — one of those rare moments in computing where something gets more cost effective.

“Even OLED panel costs are coming down,” Toh proclaimed. “We spend time working with panel and scaler manufacturers to figure out how to get higher refresh rates in a more cost effective way. For example, the cost is very minimal from 144 Hz to 160 Hz.”

But the real differences will come with what they can do, rather than what they look like.

The seamless hub of everything

So chances are you’ve seen us show off all the concepts and prototypes Lenovo brings to trade shows like CES and MWC — whether it’s the rollable ultra-wide gaming laptop, the AI Sense display that moves around with you, or the AI frame gaming display that can enhance resolution to zoom into areas of gameplay on-the-fly.

Lenovo shows these off to get feedback on ideas they have that could become features in future products, and George started to paint a picture of how these will come together. “I anticipate that more and more likely, your display will also be the center hub of your desk,” Toh explained. “When you walk close, it detects you and powers on, and if the device’s app your opening uses a camera, it will start to capture [from the camera on the monitor].”

Right now, the back of my desk looks like a nest of aggressively hostile snakes. I have dongles for my dongles. But Toh’s vision is a monitor that acts as an omniscient overlord. You walk up, it detects you, and it hijacks your camera automatically. The monitor isn't just a dumb screen anymore; it's the brains of the operation.

His vision is a monitor that is “smarter to what content you are displaying on the screen,” which is “able to adjust its own settings and know automatically for you.”

So it should come as no surprise that the key behind this will be agentic AI that runs locally on the monitor. This is something you’ve seen in a couple of conceptual forms — that AI frame gaming display concept used deductive AI to enhance details like flight simulator dials or distant enemies in an FPS with a chip built into it.

"We use a deductive AI mechanism that fills in the blanks on-the-fly, to smooth out the resolution — meaning you’re able to zoom in deep and get a quite good picture," Toh adds.

PC gamers are currently selling internal organs to afford GPUs that can render a blade of grass at 4K. Toh’s solution? Make the monitor do the heavy lifting. By putting agentic AI directly into the display to upscale the image on the fly, the monitor essentially becomes a co-pilot, saving your graphics card from catching fire during a Cyberpunk 2077 boss fight.

Next generation eye health

Then we turn our attention to Lenovo’s AI-powered personalized display and the wellness features it incorporated. We gravitated towards this a lot in our time going eyes on, and it seems like Lenovo’s planning a runway to this new version of eye health that transcends minimizing blue light.

“It tracks how often you blink and yawn. It tracks how much time you rested and can prompt you,” Toh added. “And also it uses things like a circular polarizer that diffuses light in a manner that is more attuned to natural sunlight.”

Modern monitors are essentially high-powered interrogation lamps aimed directly at our retinas. Toh's integration of circular polarizers doesn't just 'reduce glare' — it stops the screen from treating your eyeballs like a laser-tag target, diffusing the light so you don't feel like you've been staring at the sun after an eight-hour shift.

As someone who's spent far more time in front of a screen than he'd like to admit, this is probably the most welcome news of all.

Outlook

For the last 70 years, we've treated monitors like hostages — chaining them to our desks, plugging them into increasingly expensive PCs, and demanding they just sit there and look pretty. We've accepted the cable spaghetti and retinal fatigue as the inevitable cost of doing business.

But speaking with Toh, it's clear the industry has realized that just making a screen thinner isn't going to cut it anymore. Lenovo's vision is to finally give the monitor a brain.

Now, it might take a few years for agentic AI upscaling and circular polarizers to become standard. Until then, I'm stuck battling my nest of hostile cable snakes. But when this glow-up finally arrives, the monitor won't just be a passive window on your desk — it will be a bodyguard for your graphics card, a shield for your eyeballs, and the boss of your workspace.

The days of the "dumb" display are officially numbered. And honestly? Good riddance.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested ‘the perfect monitor for MacBook users’ with Nano-texture glass — and it's $600 cheaper than the Apple Studio Display
• Forget a regular TV — I just tested a 160Hz monitor that has Google TV built right in
• I just tested MSI’s $749 QD-OLED monitor — and the X50’s 500Hz refresh rate and colorful panel deliver a phenomenal gaming experience

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is, according to Alogic, the “world’s first 6K touchscreen” monitor at the time of writing. It’s plenty bright, and it boasts superior color accuracy and coverage, making it a great choice for creatives and professionals. Throw in versatile viewing angles that let you use the monitor upright or flat, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

But the monitor has noteworthy drawbacks, unfortunately. Its stylus, which is crucial for taking full advantage of the touchscreen, isn’t included with the monitor. Also, the monitor’s refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, and its glossy panel is like a mirror. Oh, and it’s rather expensive.

Is it still one of the best monitors for you? Read my full Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review to find out.

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: Specs

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 6K touchscreen monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Graphic designers, architects, and other creative professionals
• How much does it cost? Quite a lot! The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is available for $1,999 / £2,199
• What do we like? The responsive touchscreen, bright 6K panel, superior color accuracy and coverage, and versatile viewing angles
• What don’t we like? The 60Hz refresh rate, stylus that isn’t included, and mirror-like reflections

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: The ups

From its versatile viewing angles and responsive touchscreen, to its excellent color coverage and accuracy, the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is an excellent monitor for creatives.

Versatile viewing angles

I’ve tested many monitors in my time as a reviews writer, but none have been as versatile as the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch — specifically in terms of viewing angles. Featuring a specialized hinge and Fold Stand, the Clarity 6K Touch can be used in a standard upright desktop position, or at a flat drafting-table angle. Adjusting angles is easy as the hinge can be pulled and pushed as needed, but it’s also stiff enough to stay locked into place.

Another thing I appreciate about the Clarity 6K Touch is its 360° rotating base which makes it extremely easy to turn the monitor as and when needed. You don’t need to lift the monitor every time you want to, say, show your monitor to a colleague sitting opposite you. That’s good because this is a hefty boi, weighing a whopping 24.91lbs (including the stand). That’s nearly 10lbs heavier than the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,299) and 17lbs more than the Apple Studio Display ($1,499) — both of which are the Clarity 6K Touch’s main rivals.

Of course, the Clarity 6K Touch has an ace up its sleeve here: neither of the two Apple monitors can be turned into an almost flat screen. Speaking of, if you’ve got the dough, the Clarity 6K Touch is a great Apple Studio Display alternative, offering seamless integration with MacBooks and you can even plug your iPhone or iPad into it. The monitor’s sleek design and aluminum frame makes it look like an Apple-esque display.

Connectivity and ports are there in spades too. There are two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4 ports; one USB-C 3.0 port with up to 95W of power delivery; one USB-B 3.0 port; two USB-A 3.0 ports; and a 3.5mm audio out port. The monitor features two 5W speakers which sound decent, too.

Responsive touchscreen

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch’s unique selling point is its touch panel, and Alogic claims that it’s the “world’s first 6K touchscreen.” The 32-inch LED-backlit panel has a maximum resolution of 6016 x 3384, or 6K, and it’s a great size and resolution for creatives. The touchscreen is extremely handy for architects, artists, graphic designers, and illustrators, and it’s extremely responsive.

To use the touchscreen, you’ll need to connect your laptop to the Clarity 6K Touch using the included USB-C cable — it won’t work over an HDMI or DisplayPort connection as those cannot transmit touch data. Trust me: I tried. Plugging my MacBook Air M2 directly made the touchscreen come to life, and I appreciated not having to install any third-party or proprietary drivers or software onto my laptop.

Once I connected my laptop, I was able to use my fingers to manipulate, control and navigate the screen — like I would do with my mouse, but with my hands instead. The real star of the show, though, is the tilt- and pressure-sensitive (4,096 levels) Clarity Active Stylus Pen 2. I tested it and found it extremely responsive, and I used it to make a few drawings on a free online app.

I’m not an artist or designer, but I thoroughly enjoyed drawing with the stylus. I even got a few of my colleagues to draw on the Clarity 6K Touch. I hope you enjoy our works of art in the gallery above. Everyone who used the stylus said they found it comfortable to hold.

Alogic’s stylus is shaped and designed like an Apple Pencil, and even has an eraser at the top, so you can just flip the stylus to get rid of what’s on the virtual drawing board. There’s also a quick-action button on the stylus which you can hold down to right-click on your desktop, and other shortcuts depending on the software you’re using. Oh, and the stylus magnetically clips to the bottom edge of the monitor, so you don’t need to worry about losing it.

Excellent color coverage

There’s no point in buying a monitor if it doesn’t boast excellent color coverage — especially one that’s as expensive as the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch. Fortunately, my lab testing showed that the monitor goes a long way to justifying its premium price tag, as its color coverage is something to behold.

My lab testing results blew me away, to be honest with you. As you can see in the table above, the Clarity 6K Touch covered 176.8% of the sRGB color space and 125.3% of the wider DCI P3 gamut. Anything above 100% is great, and the Clarity 6K Touch goes above and beyond, delivering a wide array of tones, which look vivid and beautiful on the display.

The Clarity 6K Touch blows its competition out of the water, upstaging other third-party monitors, like the BenQ MA270S ($999) and the BenQ PD3226G ($1,099). What impressed me the most, though, was how easily the Clarity 6K Touch flew past Apple’s first-party monitors. Both the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR are excellent in their own right, but neither come close to the Clarity 6K Touch’s color coverage — especially in the DCI P3 color space, which will be important for professional video and photography production.

This monitor sounds great on paper and it’s even better in practice. Having used the Clarity 6K Touch for a week, I can confirm that all colors look lovely. Greens appear vivid and lush, while reds and blues look textured and deep, and I didn’t think any of the colors looked oversaturated or fake. The blacks appeared inky too — or as inky as they could on an IPS/non-OLED panel — and I enjoyed the contrast, especially while watching wildlife documentaries on YouTube.

Great color accuracy, too

In addition to wide coverage, colors appear extremely accurate on the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch too. Color accuracy is measured as a Delta-E number which is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ. It essentially tells you how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). The closer the score to zero, the better.

In my lab testing, the Clarity 6K Touch achieved a Delta-E score of 0.1, which is superb. This means that the colors displayed on the monitor are extremely close to the ones being sent to it by the source. The only monitor to beat that score is the BenQ MA270S, and even then, it edges the Alogic out by 0.01, which is negligible. The Clarity 6K Touch also performs better than the Apple Studio Display (0.2) and the Apple Studio Display XDR (0.2).

As someone who tests the best cameras and the best drones, color accuracy is crucial when I’m editing photos and videos. My lab tests reassured me that the colors I was seeing on the monitor were as accurate as they could be, and this gave me more confidence when editing photos for reviews and my photography Instagram account.

The Clarity 6K Touch also features 8-bit + FRC color depth. In addition to producing 16.7 million colors, the monitor essentially simulates 10-bit color depth by rapidly flashing two alternating colors so the human eye perceives it as 10-bit. This can sometimes cause flickering issues but I didn’t experience any such thing in my testing. If you want a true 10-bit color monitor, I’d recommend the BenQ MA270S instead.

Plenty bright!

Once I was done measuring color coverage and accuracy, I lab-tested the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch’s brightness, and you can see the results in the table below.

The Clarity 6K Touch achieved a peak brightness of 342.2 nits in SDR mode — only slightly dimmer than the BenQ MA270S. It’s also dimmer than the Apple Studio Display XDR but remember: that monitor is nearly two times pricier than Alogic’s offering. The Clarity 6K Touch reached 298 nits in HDR mode (10% window size) which is nothing to write home about, but hey, at least the monitor has an HDR mode — which the Apple Studio Display doesn’t.

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: The downs

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch isn’t without its faults. Its refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, its gloss panel is like a mirror, the stylus needs to be bought separately, and it’s quite expensive.

60Hz refresh rate only

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is a productivity-focused monitor, and as such, it doesn’t have a very high refresh rate, topping out at just 60Hz, just like the Apple Studio Display. I wouldn’t recommend the Clarity 6K Touch to competitive or FPS gamers, but the monitor should suffice for casual, slower-paced gaming.

It’s worth considering one of the best gaming monitors if you spend a lot of your time playing video games. There are plenty of gaming monitors available that also have high color accuracy and wide color gamut coverage. And some are even cheaper than the Clarity 6K Touch, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949) with its 360Hz refresh rate or even the 500Hz MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749).

Gloss panel is like a mirror

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch features a gloss panel, and you can’t buy the monitor with a matte screen. Positioning the monitor is, then, crucial. My office is west-facing and I sit in front of massive windows which let a lot of sunlight in, especially once it gets past noon. The Clarity 6K Touch’s gloss panel is very reflective: it’s almost like a mirror, and I even used it to fix my hair. There’s a lot of glare and there were a few instances where I had to adjust the screen to ensure I could see it. This also poses a risk to your eye health, as glare can quickly cause eye strain.

One of the biggest advantages of the Clarity 6K Touch’s glossy panel is its anti-fingerprint coating, which is important for any monitor, in my opinion. But is it worth the trade-off if you need to ensure the monitor doesn’t sit in front of big windows or in very bright rooms? I’m not entirely convinced. The BenQ MA270S’ panel is also reflective but not this reflective.

Stylus not included

When I was sent the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch, I was very surprised to find that its stylus wasn’t included in the box, especially given the monitor’s already steep MSRP. While you can use your fingers to manipulate the Clarity 6K Touch’s touchscreen, you need a stylus for drawing if you’re an architect, for instance, and graphic design, and Alogic recommends an MPP 2.0 stylus to use with this monitor.

I tested the Clarity Active Stylus Pen 2 with the Clarity 6K Touch, and it’s fantastic, as you read about earlier. The Clarity Active Stylus Pen 2, on its own, costs $100 at B&H Photo / £69 at Park Cameras, which drives up the monitor’s total cost to a whopping $2,099. And this is a nice segue into my next point…

Expensive

I’ll start this off by saying that while the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is expensive, it’s still considerably cheaper than the $3,599 Apple Studio Display XDR. It has a retail price of $1,999 at B&H Photo / £2,199 at Park Cameras, so it isn’t for the budget-conscious buyer. That eye-watering price tag makes it more expensive than most other monitors I’ve tested, like the BenQ MA270S ($999), the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199) and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949).

But again, the Clarity 6K Touch is a lot cheaper than Apple’s first-party monitors. It offers seamless MacBook compatibility and features a touchscreen, which neither the Apple Studio Display XDR nor the Apple Studio Display do — though the latter is $400 cheaper than the Alogic 6K Touch.

The Clarity 6K Touch’s premium price tag is more of a pre-purchase consideration than an outright drawback. If you’ve got the dough, I wouldn’t stop you from buying it, especially if you need a production monitor with a touchscreen. But if you’re a little tight on budget, it’s worth considering other alternatives, like the BenQ MA270S which also offers impeccable MacBook integration.

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: Verdict

How much money are you willing to spend on a monitor? If the answer is, “Just under $2,000,” then the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch could be the one for you. The monitor’s 6K panel is plenty bright, and the Clarity 6K Touch boasts excellent color accuracy and coverage. With its versatile viewing angles and seamless Apple compatibility (and sleek design), it’s a beautiful monitor for creatives.

But is it worth the money? I’m not entirely convinced. It’s got a 60Hz refresh rate only; it doesn’t come with a stylus (which costs an additional $100); and its glossy panel is highly reflective, almost like a mirror. Those drawbacks make that eye-watering price tag sting your eyes even more — but at least it’s cheaper than the Apple Studio Display XDR!

If those are drawbacks you can live with, and you need a high-resolution monitor with a touchscreen for professional purposes, then the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is a solid choice. Its 6K panel really is stunning.

I’ve been a big fan of the Alienware 34 QD-OLED gaming monitor series since its launch in 2022. Subsequent models have introduced subtle but necessary improvements over the years, maintaining the line’s sterling reputation. Now, we have the best iteration yet — the new Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED (AW3426DW).

Like the AW3425DW before it, this latest model features an immersive 1800R curved panel with an ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio. It retains the same flat, space-saving stand and the classy “Interstellar Indigo” color I’ve grown to love. This is a seriously sexy-looking gaming monitor.

As for what’s new, we get a higher refresh rate of 280Hz, up from the previous 240Hz. Then there’s the 4-stack Penta Tandem tech that delivers deeper blacks even in bright environments, along with sharper text with no fringing. Best of all, the panel is now brighter than before, which addresses my chief complaint with prior versions.

Given all its improvements and the same relatively low $799 asking price, the Alienware AW3426DW is another winner and an easy addition to our best gaming monitors list. Find out why in my full review.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Alienware AW3426DW is a curved ultrawide QD-OLED gaming monitor.
• Who is it for? For gamers seeking a curved OLED gaming monitor priced under $1,000.
• How much does it cost? The Alienware AW3426DW costs $799, which is the same price as last year's model.
• What do we like? We like the vivid ultrawide display, elegant design, fast performance, and clean UI.
• What don’t we like? Not worth upgrading from the previous model.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: Specs

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: The ups

The Alienware 34 280Hz OLED is a phenomenal gaming monitor thanks to its sleek, space-saving design, vibrant picture quality, and buttery smooth performance.

Elegant design

The Alienware AW3426DW shares the same design as its predecessor, which I’m okay with given how lovely and practical it still is. It won’t look out of place in an office environment or a gaming den.

With its panel measuring 32.05 x 14.23 x 4.38 inches, you’ll need a decent-sized table for this beauty, but nothing overly large. The flat stand is unobtrusive, so it’s unlikely to get in the way of peripherals like your keyboard and mouse. The cutaway on the stand’s shaft makes cable management easy, and you can raise or lower the monitor to your desired height.

You can raise or lower the screen by 4.3 inches along the stand’s shaft and tilt it backward by 5 degrees or forward by up to 21 degrees. You can also swivel the screen 20 degrees left and right. Adjusting the screen to your preferred viewing angle is seamless and should take less than a minute.

There’s a good selection of ports on the back, including a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort, a USB-A port, a USB-B port, and a single USB-C port. There’s also an OSD (on-screen display) joystick just below the ports, which you use to access and navigate the display settings.

Again, I’m glad Alienware didn’t change the AW3426DW’s design, since it’s about as perfect as you can get. It might not immediately scream “gaming monitor,” but it keeps the focus on the display and, thus, on whatever game you’re currently playing.

Vivid panel

The Alienware AW3426DW draws you into whatever game you’re playing thanks to its immersive 1800R curvature, sharp 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, and expansive 21:9 aspect ratio. The image quality is so good that you won’t mind that it’s not a 4K OLED panel.

I tested Cyberpunk 2077 and was blown away by the rich picture quality. The increased contrast between dark and light elements is noticeable on this updated panel, making colors feel more vibrant. It’s also brighter than other OLED gaming monitors, resulting in a more vivid image overall.

Our lab tests align with my own testing. In its standard display mode, the AW3426DW produces oversaturated colors in sRGB and DCI-P3, while maintaining good color accuracy (Delta-E). As shown in the table above, its color representation and accuracy are comparable to those of the $899 Asus ROG Swift OLED (PG34WCDM) and the $349 Alienware 27 AW2726DM.

Where the AW3426DW literally outshines the competition is in brightness, which is generally around 300 nits. We even saw HDR nearly hit 500 nits on 10% of the display in certain modes. That might not sound high, but considering how similar gaming monitors are in the 200 to 250 nit range, this is marvelous. Right now, it’s one of the brightest gaming monitors I’ve tested.

You’ll find 11 display modes here. This includes modes dedicated to game genres like FPS, RTS, and Sports. The monitor also has a Creator mode, which offers better color accuracy for creatives (as the name suggests). Other than that, the modes are only slightly different from one another, depending on what they’re designed for.

Excellent performance

The AW3426DW performs like a dream thanks to its high 280Hz refresh rate and low 0.03ms response time. Compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync also ensures a buttery-smooth gaming experience for both casual gamers and professionals.

I tested the AW3426DW by connecting it to the new Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, and 32GB RAM. You don’t need a gaming rig this powerful to enjoy the monitor, but having the extra horsepower helps if you’re trying to maximize frame rates to match the refresh rate.

Thanks to the high refresh rate and low latency, I had a smooth time playing Cyberpunk 2077. I couldn’t get the frame rate anywhere near the refresh rate, but having all that extra headroom effectively eliminates any choppiness. I also didn’t notice any input lag. Like previous models, you’ll get excellent gaming performance from the AW3426DW.

Intuitive UI

We get the same basic interface as on previous models. The UI features a black-and-gray background with blue-and-white lettering. Within the menus, you’ll find the aforementioned display modes and other settings to adjust the picture to your liking. While there’s certainly a lot to go through, it’s easy enough to find what you’re looking for.

As always, the OSD joystick you use to navigate the menus is responsive and easy to reach. It isn’t flimsy either, despite being a relatively small joystick.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: The downs

If you’re new to the Alienware 34 QD-OLED series, you’re in for a treat thanks to everything this gaming monitor offers. However, if you own the previous model, you might want to hold off.

A minor upgrade

The Alienware AW3426DW is a nearly perfect gaming monitor for what it offers. If you’ve never owned a monitor in this lineup, then this is an easy recommendation. This is especially true thanks to its $799 asking price.

While the AW3426DW is undeniably great, it’s not a mandatory upgrade if you own its direct predecessor. Yes, the higher refresh rate and sharper image make a difference, but not a major one. Besides that, the AW3426DW has the same design as before and many of the same features.

If you own the original AW3423DW — which has lower performance and a less desk-friendly design — then upgrading to the AW3426DW is a no-brainer. If you have the 2025 model, then you can skip this one, as that older monitor is still fantastic.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: Verdict

The Alienware AW3426DW is a phenomenal gaming monitor thanks to its immersive, sharp display, excellent performance, and elegant design. Though it’s not a major upgrade from last year’s model, it’s an easy choice for anyone looking to upgrade from an older monitor. And in a time when everything is going up in price, I commend Alienware for keeping this at $799.

If you’re looking for a smaller and more affordable gaming monitor with a QD-OLED panel and fast performance, you can’t go wrong with the $349 Alienware 27 AW2726DM. And if you’re willing to pay $100 for a more overtly “gaming” monitor, then the Asus ROG Swift OLED is a phenomenal pick.

Though there are certainly other solid options, few deliver the same brilliant experience as the Alienware AW3426DM. This is still my favorite gaming monitor line. As such, this model comes with my highest recommendation. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Amazon Prime Day is in full swing, so if you're looking to buy a new monitor for work or for gaming, you can save a decent amount of cash right now.

Some solid deals I've found include the Samsung 24 (S30GD) for just $79. If you need a larger panel, the Samsung 27 Essential S3 (S36GD) is currently on sale for $109. The Acer Nitro KG241Y for $109 and the Asus ROG Strix 27 for $189 are great gaming monitors that won't break the bank.

There are a lot of awesome deals at the moment, and there are sure to be more as Prime Day continues. For now, here are 11 great monitor deals to save you money. For more sales, check out our Prime Day deals hub and the Tom's Guide Saving Squad page.

Quick links

• MSI Pro MP243EL E14: was $109 now $74 @ Amazon
• Samsung 24" (S30GD): was $129 now $79 @ Amazon
• LG 24U411A-B: was $99 now $84 @ Amazon
• Acer 27 KB272: was $149 now $89 @ Amazon
• Samsung 27" Essential S3 (S36GD): was $129 now $109 @ Amazon
• Acer Nitro KG241Y: was $172 now $109 @ Amazon
• Dell 24 Plus (S2425HSM): was $149 now $118 @ Amazon
• Samsung S3 (S39GD): was $232 now $169 @ Amazon
• ASUS ROG Strix 27” (XG27ACS): was $269 now $189 @ Amazon
• Samsung ViewFinity S50GC: was $329 now $208 @ Amazon
• Dell 27 Plus 4K Monitor: was $299 now $218 @ Amazon

Best Prime Day monitor deals

When people think about upgrading to a big, immersive display, the latest 5K2K monitors from LG and Samsung are usually the first that come to mind. However, while they’re certainly some of the best monitors you can buy, they come with premium price tags of at least $1,000.

Fortunately, if you want more screen real estate but don’t want to pay as much as you would for a high-end graphics card, there are more affordable alternatives. A few months back, I tried out the 5K2K Innocn 401CU and it certainly fits the bill. While it has a list price of $999, I’ve seen it as low as $600 during major sales events.

After looking through the comments on that story though, I was surprised to see how many Tom’s Guide readers thought even that sale price was too expensive for a monitor, with many suggesting buying a budget 4K TV instead. To see if I could find a gem in the rough, I decided to try out Innocn’s even more affordable sibling: the 401CR ultrawide monitor.

At full price, it’s just under $500, but I’ve seen it go for as low as $350 while on sale. At that price, it’s a steal for a flat, 40-inch ultrawide with single-cable USB-C connectivity. Given Prime Day starts today, I expect it to see a deep discount.

If you need massive screen space for productivity and more immersive gaming, this underdog might just be the perfect upgrade for your desk setup.

Flat, wide and fully-specced

At 37.1 x 16.5 x 2.2 inches, the 40C1R is anything but a small display, and at roughly 20 pounds without the stand, it’s on the heavier side, too. Thankfully, Innocn includes a fairly heavy-duty stand with a thick metal baseplate and a plastic vertical arm that’s reinforced with a sturdy metal core.

Having unboxed my fair share of monitors over the years, I really like how Innocn includes a high-speed USB-C to USB-C video cable and a DisplayPort cable right in the box. You don’t get an HDMI cable though, but you likely have several of those laying around anyway. Likewise, you probably won’t want to use an HDMI connection with this display as your refresh rate will be capped at 100 Hz versus the full 144 Hz you get over DisplayPort.

With the monitor lying face down on my desk, you get a clear look at its overall structural design. Right off the bat, I love how Innocn uses standard, square 100 x 100 VESA mounting holes instead of those silly circular 75 x 75 ones you see on a lot of other gaming monitors. This makes it incredibly easy to swap out the stand for any of the best monitor arms since you won’t need to hunt for a proprietary adapter.

Looking at the back of the panel, the connectivity is split cleanly. The power port sits entirely on its own side, which highlights one of my favorite features: a built-in power supply. Just like the more expensive 40C1U, there is no bulky power brick to hide under your desk — just a single standard power cable. On the opposite side of the rear cutout, you'll find the main selection of ports, while the monitor’s physical OSD navigation buttons line the corresponding outer edge.

As for those ports, you get a great selection of connection options, including dual HDMI 2.0 inputs, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack. While the 40C1R drops the built-in USB-A hub found on the premium 40C1U to save on cost, it oddly beats its more expensive sibling in utility: its USB-C port delivers a massive 90W of power delivery as opposed to just 60W.

After unboxing the 40C1R, I installed the included stand using a single built-in thumb screw. With the monitor securely set up and plugged in, it was finally time to see how it performs.

Laptop power with gaming PC framerates

In order to test the 40C1R and make sure it was working properly, I first hooked it up to a MacBook Pro M5 I borrowed from work for another monitor review. Although 90W of power delivery is a bit less than the 140W provided by Apple's included charger, it is still more than enough juice to keep a 16-inch MacBook fully topped off even during heavy workloads. For the rest of the best laptops, 90W will be plenty to fast charge them while connected to this massive display.

With the MacBook Pro plugged into the 40C1R, the monitor’s IPS panel looked vibrant and crisp, with no dead pixels to speak of. While the 40C1R does come equipped with dual 5W built-in speakers, I ended up switching back to the ones on the MacBook Pro after a bit. Still, they are nice to have in a pinch, and they do sound much less tinny than the bottom-tier 2W speakers you find on a lot of other budget monitors.

Sadly, I no longer own a big, bulky gaming desktop anymore (as I’ve been using one of the best mini PCs for both work and play for the past few years) but fortunately, my favorite pocketable mini PC — the Khadas Mind 2S — can be instantly upgraded with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti desktop GPU just by dropping it onto Khadas’ Mind Graphics 2 dock.

Now, I know what you might be thinking when looking at a compact setup like this: airflow. I too was worried about putting this docked mini PC directly underneath the 40C1R at first. However, after pushing the hardware and running a few demanding games on it, I didn’t run into any thermal throttling or heating issues at all. I chalk this up to Khadas' excellent internal cooling design and the fact that the dock's entire outer shell is machined from aluminum, which acts as a giant heatsink.

With the 40C1R confirmed to be fully operational and paired with a surprisingly powerful eGPU dock, it was time to see how this budget-friendly 40-inch ultrawide handles real-world productivity and immersive gaming.

Big screen on a budget

Back when I tried out Innocn’s more premium 40-inch ultrawide, I did play a few games on it. However, with a massive resolution of 5120 x 2160, the Framework Desktop I was using at the time struggled to push smooth frame rates. With a lower — yet still reasonably high — resolution of 3440 x 1440, I knew that my mini PC with its desktop-grade RTX 5060 Ti would have a much easier time keeping up. Likewise, given this is an outright gaming monitor instead of a productivity-first screen like the 40C1U, it actually features a much higher 144 Hz refresh rate.

For the past few months, I’ve been making my way through Death Stranding 2, and on an ultrawide display like this one with a 21:9 aspect ratio, it’s been an absolute joy to play. Not only was the game’s world wider than it was on my PS5 Pro, but I could crank the framerate past 60 fps all the way up to a buttery-smooth 144 fps. In fact, if you’re coming from a console and are playing on an ultrawide, you might end up double-dipping on a few titles just to experience them at full width without any distracting black bars on the sides.

In addition to Death Stranding 2, I also really enjoyed playing my go-to skateboarding game Session and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on this wider display. It also helps that the monitor comes equipped with AMD’s FreeSync Premium, so you can turn on VRR (variable refresh rate) for a tear-free experience. The 40C1R does have HDR support, but I preferred leaving it off since it's an HDR400 panel that tops out around 400 to 500 nits of brightness. Without local dimming, SDR content actually looks a lot punchier.

With an ultrawide display like the 40C1R, streaming content online can be awesome, too... if you find the right video. While most TV shows are locked to standard 16:9, you can find plenty of movies and even some music videos — like Drake’s "2 Hard 4 The Radio" pictured above — that are natively available with a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio. After upgrading to an ultrawide, I highly recommend going to YouTube, searching for 21:9 trailers, and turning the resolution all the way up. You won’t be disappointed.

Overall, I’m quite impressed with the 40C1R, especially given the fact that it’s a four-year-old monitor design. While you might think you need the latest and greatest OLED display to upgrade your desk setup or battlestation, my experience with this monitor proves you definitely don’t.

One for work, one for play

I’ll admit, I was lucky enough to experience Innocn’s latest and greatest 40-inch ultrawide before tying out this more budget-friendly model. However, after thoroughly testing both of them, they each clearly have their place depending on your use case and how much you’re willing to spend.

With its higher resolution and built-in USB hub, the Innocn 40C1U is a fantastic productivity monitor. You can see substantially more on the screen at the same time, and if you want to switch between two computers — say a Mac and a Windows machine like I’m doing here — you won’t need to buy a separate KVM switch. However, for gaming at that native 5K2K resolution, you’re going to need a really beefy graphics card with frame generation turned on for your favorite titles to truly shine.

Given its higher refresh rate and lower price, the Innocn 40C1R stands out as a fantastic ultrawide monitor for gaming, even if the underlying panel design is several years old now. While it comes equipped with legacy HDMI 2.0 ports instead of newer HDMI 2.1 ones, that won’t be a problem since you’re going to want to use a DisplayPort cable anyway to make full use of its faster 144 Hz refresh rate. Although a built-in USB-A hub would have been nice to see, I’m sure most people would rather have the massive 90W of power delivery over USB-C so they can fast charge a laptop and utilize it to its fullest potential at the same time.

Now, would I recommend either of these monitors for gaming on a console? Absolutely not, since even the more powerful PS5 Pro is still strictly locked to a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. That could very well change down the road with the PS6 and Xbox’s upcoming Project Helix, but for now, if you want to experience a wider, more immersive field of view while gaming, PC is your best and only option.

At the moment, I have the Innocn 40C1U set up as my dedicated work machine powered by the ultra-powerful Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition, and I’m using the Innocn 40C1R right alongside it for gaming. If I was on a strict budget and had to pick one over the other, the 40C1R would easily be my choice because you’re getting a flat, massive 40-inch ultrawide with a high refresh rate and better power delivery over a single USB-C cable. That’s not to say the 40C1U is a bad monitor by any means, but at 100 Hz with a demanding 5K2K resolution, it’s simply much better suited for spreadsheets and content creation than it is for high-framerate gaming.

More from Tom's Guide

• I built a completely distraction-free desk setup with these 10 gadgets and now I’m truly locked in
• Monitor stand vs monitor arm: how to pick the right one for your display
• I spent a week with dual Apple Studio Displays and realized I’ve been lying to myself about glossy screens for years

The Apple Studio Display is expensive. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the Silicon Valley giant's products. It's expensive, and some might argue it's worth the premium — and I won't lie, I've always been a little envious of those who own it. Have you seen how good it looks, how great it performs?

But as someone who reviews great tech day in and day out, I've finally found an Apple Studio Display alternative that's expensive but nowhere near as pricey as the first-party monitor. I've spent the last week testing the BenQ MA270S, and boy, I shed a tear when I boxed up our review unit to ship it back.

Unlike most of the other monitors I've tested, the MA270S is a MacBook-first monitor, and it's designed for owners of Apple's powerful laptops. Its design, interface, selection of ports, and companion app are all very Apple-esque. It packs a bright and vivid 5K Nano-texture glass panel that's a joy to look at. As a MacBook user, this is the monitor of my dreams, and here's why it's worth buying if you can't get the Apple Studio Display.

Nano Gloss for the win

I've used and reviewed my fair share of the best monitors, and one of the reasons why the BenQ MA270S is the perfect display for MacBook users is that it features a Nano-texture glass display — or Nano Gloss. It's the same glass you'll find on the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR. This panel delivers true blacks and refined highlights, and it's one of the reasons why the colors appear Mac-like.

The MA270S' Nano Gloss panel is designed to diffuse the light source softly, making it more comfortable to look at. The surface diffuses the light so it looks like it has a velvety finish. What's great about the MA270S is that its panel features flicker-free technology, and it has received the industry's stamp of approval. Eye Comfort 3.0 certification from TÜV Rheinland and EyeSafe 2.0 mean that the monitor is designed to reduce visual fatigue and protect eye health.

As someone who spends up to eight hours a day, five days a week, staring at a screen, using a monitor that doesn't hurt my eyes or make them feel achy is a necessity for me. Now that I've used a Nano Gloss screen, I don't know how I'm going to go back to my work-sanctioned monitor.

Mac-like, true-to-life colors

Alongside the Nano-texture glass that protects your eyes during prolonged use, the BenQ MA270S boasts Mac-like colors, as the monitor has been fine-tuned for this. This makes it a class apart from all of the other screens I've tested. BenQ says that its Nano Gloss panel goes toe-to-toe with the Apple Studio Display.

According to BenQ, in side-by-side tests, "color tone and saturation were remarkably close," and it "maintained contrast and color that stayed consistent with Mac colors, ensuring accuracy whether working flexibly or sharing the screen." When I plugged my MacBook into the MA270S, I immediately noticed the colors looked just like on my work-sanctioned MacBook Air M2, so I was looking forward to seeing how the monitor performed in my lab tests.

And lo and behold, the MA270S performed formidably. I measured the color coverage and accuracy, and imagine my surprise when the MA270S upstaged the Apple Studio Display and the very expensive Apple Studio Display XDR. Have a look at the table below. As you can see, in my lab tests, the MA270S covered 158.7% of the sRGB color space and 112.4% of the wider DCI P3 gamut, blowing both Apple displays out of the water.

As for color accuracy? Also better than both Apple displays, as the MA270S achieved a Delta-E score of 0.09. This goes to show that the color relayed on the monitor is extremely close to the output from the source. The closer the Delta-E score to zero, the better, and the MA270S's 0.09 score is quite a bit better than the Apple Studio Display's and the Apple Studio Display XDR's (0.2 each).

Throw 10-bit color into the mix, and you've got a beast for productivity and creative work. The colors I saw on the MA270S appeared bright, vivid, and nothing short of stunning, and I felt fully immersed in whatever activity I was doing — whether that was going about my daily task or watching 4K wildlife compilations on YouTube.

I even edited some photos to share on my Instagram account, and knowing that the colors I was seeing on the monitor were as accurate as they could be gave me a lot of confidence in post-production.

Ports for days

For power users and those who have many, many devices they like hooking up to their monitors, the BenQ MA270S sports a wide array of ports. Ready to find out what they are? Let me take a deep breath in. Okay. Here we go:

• A power port (obviously)
• Two HDMI 2.1 ports
• One Thunderbolt 4 port with 96W power delivery
• A second Thunderbolt 4 port with 15W power delivery
• And another Thunderbolt 4 port for daisy-chaining
• Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream ports with 10Gbps transfer speeds and 7.5W power delivery
• One USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 downstream port also with 10Gbps transfer speeds and 15W power delivery
• And a USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode port with 35W power delivery

Phew! Give me a second to catch my breath. Okay, I'm back now. Having that many ports at your disposal means you don't need to worry about hooking up any additional USB hubs or docks. Cable management is a breeze, too, as BenQ happily includes a cable holder that can be clipped around the monitor's stand.

For MacBook users, I really can't think of a better monitor. Well, there's the Apple Studio Display, yes, but not everyone has $1,600 just lying around. If you're happy to fork over $999 at B&H Photo / £884 at Amazon U.K., the MA270S is a no-brainer. It's stunning to look at and use; it features more ports than you might have use for, and its color coverage and accuracy easily outdo Apple's first-party displays.

What do you think? Would you buy the MA270S? Or is there another MacBook-first monitor you use? Let me know in the comments below! And check out my full BenQ MA270S review for all the details.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget Apple Studio Display — I just tested the BenQ MA270S and its Nano-texture glass display is ‘one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen’
• BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: The endgame of productivity monitors
• Best monitors in 2026

Amazon Prime Day runs from June 23 to June 26, so now is the best time to shop for a new monitor, whether it's for work or for gaming.

Some solid deals right now include the Samsung 24 (S30GD) for just $79. If you need a larger panel, the Samsung 27 Essential S3 (S36GD) is currently on sale for $109. The Acer Nitro KG241Y for $109 and the Asus ROG Strix 27 for $244 are great gaming monitors that won't break the bank.

We'll see better deals when Prime Day officially kicks off, so make sure to come back to this page for the latest. Also, make sure to come back to this page for the latest deals. Now, here are my top Prime Day monitor deals worth your money. (For more sales, check out our Prime Day deals hub and the Tom's Guide Saving Squad page).

Quick Links

• Samsung 24" (S30GD): was $129 now $79 @ Amazon
• Samsung 27" Essential S3 (S36GD): was $129 now $109 @ Amazon
• Acer Nitro KG241Y: was $172 now $109 @ Amazon
• ASUS ROG Strix 27” (XG27ACS): was $269 now $244 @ Amazon
• Dell 27 Plus 4K Monitor: was $299 now $279 @ Amazon

Best Prime Day monitor deals

I’ve always been envious of people who own the Apple Studio Display, but I’m also aware that it’s very much out of my budget. First-party products aren’t everything, though, and the BenQ MA270S proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a Nano-texture glass display. Having spent a week with it, I’m finding it very hard to go back to my old monitor now.

The MA270S sports a gorgeous, bright 5K panel that’s easy on the eyes — no, really, it carries industry-leading certification that make it safe for prolonged use. Boasting outstanding color coverage and accuracy, the MA270S is perfect for creatives and photo editors, especially those who own MacBooks as the monitor features seamless Apple integration. There’s no shortage of ports and cable management is a delight.

Could this be the best monitor for you? It certainly is for me! Read my full BenQ MA270S review to find out more.

BenQ MA270S review: Specs

BenQ MA270S review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 5K monitor with a bright, detailed and colorful Nano Gloss panel
• Who is it for? MacBook users and Apple fans who don’t want to spend thousands on the Apple Studio Display
• How much does it cost? The BenQ MA270S is available for $999 / £884
• What do we like? The 5K panel, wide color coverage, accurate colors, plethora of ports, and Apple-like app for controls
• What don’t we like? The 70Hz refresh rate and high(ish) price… but that’s about it

BenQ MA270S review: The ups

From its beautiful, bright 5K Nano Gloss display and its wide range of ports, to its color coverage and accuracy, the BenQ MA270S doesn’t give you much to complain about.

Built for MacBook users

The BenQ MA270S is advertised as a monitor designed for MacBook users, and as someone who uses a MacBook Air M2 for work and a MacBook Pro M1 at home, I can confirm that this is an Apple-first display, through and through. Just like the Apple Studio Display ($1,599), the MA270S features a Nano-texture glass (or Nano Gloss), so that’s where the similarities start. I’ll talk about the panel shortly but before that, I want to talk about the MA270S’ Apple-first compatibility.

When you buy a monitor that isn’t made specifically for MacBooks or Mac minis — the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749), for instance — you may not get the right colors. The MA270S, however, boasts BenQ’s Mac color-tuning technology, which means that it shows the exact same colors sent by your MacBook (in short: color accuracy is spot on). This is backed up by my lab testing, which I’ll discuss in detail soon.

Adding to the MA270S’ appeal for MacBook users is the synchronized controls — if you have the companion app installed (more on that shortly). If you press the brightness or volume buttons on your MacBook, both your MacBook and the MA270S will be adjusted simultaneously. I love this feature as it means I don’t have to use the monitor’s joystick to adjust the brightness every time. It has simplified my workflow in a small but meaningful way.

Apple-esque app for controls

To take full advantage of the BenQ MA270S and its many features, you’ll need to download the Display Pilot 2 app, available for free on Windows, macOS and Linux. I downloaded and tested it on my personal MacBook Pro M1. It runs in the background and you can access it via an icon in the primary Menu bar — akin to the MacBook’s Control Centre.

Display Pilot 2 essentially lets you control and customize the monitor directly from your connected source, and without having to fiddle with the physical joystick and buttons. You can use the app to quickly change resolution, adjust the monitor’s speakers’ volume, choose a layout, customize blue light settings, auto-match and synchronize color profiles when changing color modes, and even customize the speakers’ five-band equalizer.

I personally love having an app for changing monitor settings. That means I don’t have to physically move — call me lazy all you want, but at least it isn’t breaking my flow!

There's no remote control, though, which was something we loved on the BenQ PD3226G editing monitor — with its round hotkey puck. The physical desk puck let you switch functions without even having to change software window, making it a handy workflow addition.

Stunning 5K Nano Gloss display

I’ve used many monitors, and as a reviews writer, I’ve tested my fair share of displays. The BenQ MA270S is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful monitor I’ve ever seen. As I alluded to earlier, the MA270S features a Nano Gloss or Nano-texture glass, similar to the one you’ll find on the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,599). The Nano Gloss panel delivers true blacks and refined highlights, and colors appear lifelike and exactly how they do on your MacBook — and I’ll discuss color coverage and accuracy shortly.

The MA270S’ Nano Gloss panel features flicker-free technology as well as Eye Comfort 3.0 certification mark from TÜV Rheinland and EyeSafe 2.0. These are industry-leading certifications which reaffirm that the monitor is designed to reduce visual fatigue and protect eye health. In theory, that’s fantastic, and in practice, it’s even better. The MA270S is a sheer delight to look at, and even after eight straight hours of use, my eyes haven’t felt tired or achy.

Another thing I love about the MA270S is how bright the monitor gets. Similar to the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199), the MA270S features a 27-inch 5K IPS panel with a resolution of 5120 x 2880, and it’s bright, colorful and easily readable under office lights.

My lab testing confirmed the same. As you can see from the table above, the MA270S reached a peak brightness of 387.4 nits in SDR mode, and it’s the brightest of any other third-party monitor I’ve tested so far. It’s dimmer than the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR, but both monitors are far pricier than the MA270S.

While the MA270S’ HDR brightness is nothing to write home about at just 272 nits (10% window size), at least it has an HDR mode, which the Apple Studio Display doesn’t.

Superb color coverage

As someone who spends a lot of time editing photos and videos, I need a display that boasts great color coverage and accuracy — and the BenQ MA270S does just that. According to BenQ, its Nano Gloss panel “maintained contrast and color that stayed consistent with Mac colors” in side-by-side tests with the Apple Studio Display, so if you want Mac-like colors on a third-party monitor, this is the display to get.

I put the MA270S through its paces to see how it fared against other monitors. In my lab tests, the MA270S covered 158.7% of the sRGB color gamut and 112.4% of the wider DCI P3 color space. Anything over 100% is good, so the MA270S goes above and beyond.

As you can see from the table above, the MA270S outperforms its cousins, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S and the BenQ PD3226G ($1,099). It also upstages the the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR, neither of which even come close to covering the entirety of the DCI P3 color gamut. The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 covers even more of the spaces but you don’t get a Nano Gloss panel or as many productivity-focused features, as it’s a gaming monitor.

So, all of that sounds great on paper, but what about in real-world usage? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed testing the MA270S. The greens look vivid and rich, while reds appear deep and blues are intense and pure. None of the colors look oversaturated or fake, whether I was watching a 4K wildlife video on YouTube or playing a neon-bright game like Cyberpunk 2077. There was plenty of detail to enjoy in the shadows, and highlights didn’t appear blown out either.

I used the monitor to edit some photos I’d taken on the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, and I was able to color-grade accurately, as the fine color differences were more visible. The MA270S also features 10-bit color so it’s capable of displaying 1.07 billion individual hues — again, perfect for creatives who, like myself, use the best drones or best cameras.

Outstanding color accuracy

Alongside wide coverage, colors appear accurate on the BenQ MA270S too. We measure color accuracy as a Delta-E number, and this is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ. It gives you an idea of how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer).

You ideally want the Delta-E score to be as close to zero as possible. As you can see from the table above, the MA270S achieved a Delta-E score of 0.09 in my lab tests, which is phenomenal. This means that the colors displayed on the monitor are near-identical to the ones being sent to it by the laptop.

The MA270S displays colors even more accurately than its closest competitors. Once again, it performs better than the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR, as well as the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S and the BenQ PD3226G. That isn’t to say that any of the monitors are bad — but when it comes down to on-paper specs, the MA270S just that little bit better.

My lab tests reassured me that the colors I was seeing on screen were as accurate as they could be, and this gave me more confidence when editing photos for my photography Instagram account.

A plethora of ports

BenQ rarely skimps on ports, and its MA270S isn’t any different. It hosts plenty and plenty of ports, all present to streamline your workflow and keep your devices powered — just like on the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S. A selection of ports is located around the back and another at the bottom of the panel. These include a power port (duh) and two HDMI 2.1 ports for hooking up your MacBook, console or other laptop.

Now, allow me to word-vomit for a second. You get three Thunderbolt 4 ports: one with 96W of power delivery, another with 15W of power delivery, and a third for daisy-chaining. Then there’s a bunch of USB ports. You’ve got two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream ports with 10Gbps transfer speeds as well as 7.5W of power delivery. There’s a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 downstream port too, with 15W power delivery and, again, 10Gbps transfer speeds.

And last but not least, there’s a USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode port with 35W power delivery. I know you’re probably wondering, “What’s DisplayPort Alt Mode?” Essentially, it means the monitor's USB-C port can receive video signals using the DisplayPort protocol. This gives you extra connectivity options; can help you cut down on cables; and is also super handy if you're routing graphics through a docking station via USB-C, as you can still access the high resolutions and supported refresh rates of DisplayPort.

BenQ includes a handy cable holder which you can clip around the monitor stand. You can then bunch up your cables and run them through the holder to create a nice and tidy setup. It’s great and I wish all monitors came with one.

BenQ MA270S review: The downs

There isn’t a lot to dislike about the BenQ MA270S but it’s important to note that its refresh rate is limited to 70Hz, and it’s a little expensive (but still cheaper than the Apple Studio Display).

70Hz refresh rate only

The BenQ MA270S competes directly with the Apple Studio Display, and it serves as a cheaper alternative to Apple’s first-party monitor. In the same vein, the MA270S doesn’t have a very high refresh rate either, topping out at just 70Hz — that’s only 10Hz more than the Apple Studio Display’s 60Hz refresh rate. Because of this, I wouldn’t really recommend the MA270S for competitive or FPS gamers.

If you spend a lot of your time playing games, it might be worth checking out one of the best gaming monitors instead. There are plenty of options available around the $1,000 mark, like the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749) and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099). Of course, you’ll miss out on that lovely Nano-texture glass with either of those options, though.

Expensive… but cheaper than a Studio Display!

BenQ monitors don’t come cheap — it’s the price you pay for the premium build and features after all. The MA270S isn’t the cheapest monitor around, retailing for $999 at B&H Photo / £884 at Amazon U.K. This makes it pricier than some other monitors I’ve tested, like the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749) and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949), and it’s only slightly cheaper than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199).

But none of those monitors have seamless Apple compatibility akin to a first-party monitor. And even though the MA270S sounds expensive as a standalone product, it really isn’t when you compare it to Apple’s monitors. It’s a lot cheaper than the Nano-texture glass variant of the Apple Studio Display XDR which costs a whopping $3,599. It’s also cheaper than the entry-level Apple Studio Display which retails for $1,599.

Given that, I’d say the MA270S’ premium price tag is less of a drawback and more of a pre-purchase consideration. You’re getting great MacBook compatibility and a stunning Nano Gloss display, as well as a wide array of ports, all for at least $600 less than the Apple Studio Display.

BenQ MA270S review: Verdict

You don’t need to spend thousands to get a Nano-texture glass monitor like the Apple Studio Display, and the BenQ MA270S proves that. Designed with MacBook users in mind, the MA270S combines a stunning Nano Gloss 5K panel, excellent color accuracy and coverage, and comes with a plethora of ports for efficient cable management.

The MA270S’ 5K display is the star of the show, delivering outstanding sharpness and vibrant yet accurate colors. It’s comfortable to use all day long, thanks to industry-recognized eyecare certifications, making it great for creatives and power users. Add in seamless Mac integration and a user-friendly companion app, and you forget that the monitor’s refresh rate is limited to just 70Hz.

If you’re a MacBook user looking for a cheap alternative to the Apple Studio Display, the MA270S should be your port of call. After using it, I’m dreading going back to using my old monitor.

The best gaming monitors can elevate your experience and make your favorite games feel extremely immersive — and the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 does just that. This is one of the finest monitors you can buy today, as it boasts a blistering 500Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time. With wide color coverage and accurate shades to boot, the X50 gives you nearly everything you could ask for.

Almost, because the monitor isn’t perfect. It isn’t the brightest monitor around, and it doesn’t feature enough ports for complex setups. It’s on the expensive side of things, too. On the plus side, though, the monitor sports a minimalist design and it’s a jack of all trades.

To find out if this is the perfect monitor for you, and whether those compromises are worth making, read my full MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Specs

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 0.03ms response time and 500Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Competitive as well as casual gamers who want best-in-class performance
• How much does it cost? It’s not cheap. The MSI X50 retails for $749 / £599
• What do we like? The exceptional gaming performance, great color coverage and accuracy, and sleek and minimalist design
• What don’t we like? The low brightness, lack of ports, and premium price tag

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: The ups

From its minimalist design to its 500Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time as well as color coverage and accuracy, the MSI X50 is a superb monitor.

Minimalist, sleek design

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is a sleek and minimalist monitor that can fit right into most setups — whether that’s work-first or a gaming den. It comes in all-black with minimal branding and no loud RGB. The 27-inch panel is perfect for those short on space and to me, it feels like the sweet spot, or Goldilocks, of monitor sizes. Not too big, not too small.

The X50’s panel is held together by a body that measures 24 x 20.9 x 9.5 inches, including the stand. Weighing 17.6lbs, the monitor isn’t too heavy so it can be easily moved around if you’re cleaning or rearranging your setup. The stand itself feels fairly compact, sporting a mostly flat, shield-shaped base, and it doesn’t take up too much space. Its height can be adjusted up to 4.33 inches, and the monitor can swivel horizontally, tilt vertically, and even rotate into a 90° vertical position.

Incredible gaming performance

If you need a mid-range monitor that doesn’t skimp on gaming performance, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is the one for you. As you do on many other gaming monitors, the X50 features several picture modes, such as Premium Color, FPS, RTS, RPG, and others. But that’s not even the best part.

The X50 boasts a whopping 500Hz refresh rate for PC gaming and a 0.03ms response time, making it excellent for slow- and fast-paced titles alike. You can plug in a console too, and the X50 supports HDMI VRR and a resolution of up to 1440p at 60Hz or 120Hz — if you’re using a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, that is.

I tested the monitor for PC gaming, and regardless of the title I played, the X50 didn’t let me down. I didn’t experience any choppiness while playing fast-paced games like Forza Horizon 5, as well as first-person titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 where I was comfortably running 480-500fps. No motion blur and no noticeable ghosting made for an extremely enjoyable gaming experience — and that’s thanks to the 0.03ms response time which is on-par with pricier monitors, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949) and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099).

The X50’s QD-OLED panel is nothing short of stunning, too. The screen boasts outstanding color reproduction, so neon-bright lights in Cyberpunk 2077 were well-balanced against the dark, inky shadows, and the game looked incredible. Meanwhile, in Forza Horizon 5, desert scenes appeared warm with the beige tones not appearing too yellow or oversaturated. There was plenty of detail to enjoy in close-up shots of the drivers’ faces in F1 25 too, as I could see the face wrinkles and fine lines in detail.

My lab testing further confirmed the X50’s color coverage across the two most common color gamuts: sRGB and DCI P3. As you can see from the table above, the X50 covered 192.9% of the sRGB space — though you don’t need more than 100%, this goes to show that the X50 boasts great tonal range. DCI P3, a wider color gamut used primarily for cinematic video editing, is easily covered by the X50 too at 136.7% coverage.

The extensive color coverage makes the X50 fantastic for gamers who also partake in creative work, such as photo and video editing. The monitor upstages the Alienware AW2725D ($499), the MSI MPG 272URX, and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, to name a few. The only monitor that outdoes the X50 is the HyperX Omen OLED 27q ($499), but by a very narrow margin.

Great color accuracy

In addition to superb color coverage, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 features great color accuracy, as proven by my lab testing and real-world use. Color accuracy is measured as a Delta-E score, which is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ — and how close the color relayed on screen (the monitor) is to the output from the source (a computer or console). The closer the score to zero, the more accurate the colors.

The X50 achieved a Delta-E score of 0.11 in my lab tests, which is exemplary, especially compared to its competitors. In the table above, the X50 performed better than the five other monitors I pitted it against. I can also confirm that the colors I saw on the monitor appeared extremely accurate to me.

As I mentioned earlier, the X50 is a competent monitor for photo and video editing too, and the great color accuracy further bolsters that aspect. Color modes like sRGB and Display P3 are available for color grading and correction in post-production, and the X50 even features an Adobe RGB mode.

Adobe RGB is a color space that covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers, and is essential for photographers who print. Editing in this mode ensures color accuracy for creating prints. What’s surprising is that the X50, a gaming-first monitor, features an Adobe RGB mode when creativity-oriented monitors, like the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199), don’t. The X50 isn’t just a one-trick pony.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: The downs

The MSI X50 is fantastic but it isn’t without its shortcomings. It isn’t the brightest and it doesn’t feature a ton of ports. Oh, and it’s a little expensive too.

Not the brightest

If you’re looking for the perfect brightness stats and specs on paper, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 might not be for you. While the monitor looks fairly bright in real-world usage, my lab testing showed that it doesn’t get very bright. This isn’t the X50’s fault; OLED and QD-OLED monitors just aren’t very bright, especially compared to IPS panels.

Have a look at the table above. I measured the X50’s brightness in both SDR and HDR (10%, 40% and 100% window sizes). It achieved a peak SDR brightness of 289.6 nits, and though that doesn’t sound especially bright, the X50 outclasses its competition.

HDR is another story, and it doesn’t have a happy ending for the X50. Measured in a 10% window, the monitor reached only 284 nits. The only other monitor it upstages here is the HP Omen Transcend 32 and its 241 nits. Every other monitor, however, blows the X50 out of the water.

Don’t let the X50’s poor on-paper results put you off. In real-world situations, it’s plenty bright. Having used it extensively, I haven’t had any issues seeing or reading the monitor, even when it’s been sunny and a lot of sunlight has made its way into the room. Low brightness, on paper at least, is just a limitation of OLED panels, sadly.

Could use more ports

One of my biggest gripes with the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is the lack of ports. Located around the back, you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort 1.4 ports. There’s also a USB-C port with 15W of power delivery, and it enables you to charge your handheld console or laptop while keeping it connected to the monitor — thereby negating the need for a separate charger. You got a 3.5mm audio out port too to plug in your headset.

These sound fine, but I’m surprised that there isn’t a USB hub as found on many other monitors, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 or the HP Omen Transcend 32. The existing array proves limiting if you need to hook up more devices for complex workflows. I suppose MSI had to reserve something for its pricier X36, eh? And hey, at least you get a 3.5mm audio out jack — something that’s missing from the Alienware AW2725D.

A little expensive

There’s no denying that the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is an excellent monitor in almost every regard — and it carries a premium price tag, too. The X50 retails for $749 / £599 at Amazon, though you can sometimes find it for up to 20% off during sales events. For instance, at the time of writing, it’s down to $649 / £498, so it’s worth keeping an eye out during Black Friday and the like.

This retail price makes the X50 pricier than a lot of its competition, like the Alienware AW2725D ($499) and the HyperX Omen OLED 27q ($499). It’s a lot cheaper than the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099), though, and features a much higher refresh rate. If you find yourself with another $200 to spare, you could even get the ultra-wide curved MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949).

Of course, this isn’t to say that the X50 is unjustly overpriced. It packs plenty of performance and best-in-class features that make it worth the premium. Think of this as less of a drawback and more of a pre-purchase consideration.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Verdict

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 doesn’t skimp on features or performance. For gamers, it packs a blistering 500Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time, which combine to produce incredibly smooth, responsive gameplay with virtually no motion blur or ghosting. The 27-inch QD-OLED panel delivers stunning image quality with best-in-class color coverage and accuracy.

The X50 doubles as a capable creative-work display too, thanks to its dedicated color modes. Additionally, sporting a minimalist, low-key design, the monitor fits right into most existing setups. But the monitor isn’t perfect. HDR brightness is underwhelming compared to its rivals, and the limited port selection may frustrate users with more complex workflows. It also costs noticeably more than several strong alternatives from HP and Alienware.

At the end of the day, though, if it’s sheer speed and beautiful visuals you’re after, the X50 is still a more-than-capable monitor. For the 500Hz refresh rate alone, the X50 almost justifies its premium asking price.

As expected, there are plenty of monitors here at Computex 2026. Asus unveiled a bunch of new displays, including its first monitor with a Tandem OLED panel. Alienware also showcased new products, such as the Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED monitor, which brings some serious upgrades to one of the best gaming monitor lineups around.

That said, I've always believed there's still room for innovation in this space, and not everyone is looking for the highest refresh rates or the fastest response times. Here at Computex 2026, I came across a new monitor from a relatively young brand that does something completely different — it comes with Google TV built directly into the monitor.

This monitor is basically a smart TV

Traditionally, monitors and external displays have relied on an external input source to display anything on screen. They're essentially "dumb" displays that require a Windows PC, Mac, console, or streaming device to do anything useful. But that's not what Amzfast's new monitor is trying to do.

The company has introduced a new 27-inch 4K monitor at Computex 2026 that runs Google TV out of the box. This means that alongside working with gaming PCs and Mac devices, the monitor independently runs Google TV — which is essentially Android TV with Google's modern interface — giving it access to Android apps and the Google Play Store.

That means you can run apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and more without connecting any external hardware to this monitor. In fact, the bundled remote even includes a Live TV button that provides access to Freeplay, Google's free streaming TV channels.

In terms of the display itself, you're looking at a Fast IPS panel with 4K resolution and support for up to a 160Hz refresh rate. It includes a USB-C port with 65W Power Delivery, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and a DisplayPort for connectivity.

There are also plenty of software settings you can tweak, including the ability to boot directly into a connected device when powering on. The monitor also supports multiview, allowing you to display two sources simultaneously. In theory, that means you could have your desktop workspace on one side while streaming content through the built-in Google TV interface on the other.

The company hasn't disclosed the internal specifications yet, including what chipset is powering Google TV behind the scenes. However, during my roughly 15-minute hands-on session on the show floor, the experience felt surprisingly fluid. Apps opened quickly, navigation felt responsive, and because it runs Google TV, you'll also be able to cast directly from supported apps on your phone.

Amzfast hasn't announced pricing or availability just yet. However, given that competitors, including Asus, sell similar smart monitors for around $350, I'd expect the company to undercut that price in some way.

Representatives told me they're "trying" to bring the monitor to the U.S. market as soon as possible, although they denied to share any launch timeline. It would've been great to see this arrive before the FIFA World Cup, though.

There's another monitor from this brand worth keeping an eye on

The Google TV monitor wasn't the only display Amzfast had on show. It also showcased several new monitors, including its first move into the OLED market. Historically, the brand has relied on IPS panels to keep prices low, but that's changing with their new AMZG27P1QL.

The monitor features a 27-inch 2K OLED panel with support for up to a 280Hz refresh rate. Amzfast claims response times as low as 0.03ms, alongside HDR support, which could make this a compelling option for gamers. There's also a built-in blue light filter designed to reduce eye strain during longer gaming sessions.

Of course, being a more budget-conscious brand, it isn't packing cutting-edge technologies like Tandem OLED panels or GaN-based power supplies. That said, if you're looking for an OLED gaming monitor that focuses on the fundamentals and keeps the price within reach, this could be worth considering.

Similar to the Google TV monitor, though, Amzfast hasn't shared pricing for the OLED model just yet, but it does say it plans to launch the monitor in the U.S. later this year for under $500.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 Google TV features you're probably not using but definitely should
• I just tested Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra — Nvidia RTX Spark brings life to one of the best laptops I’ve ever tried
• I gamed for 250 hours on AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE — it’s a $549 nightmare for Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti

Asus went all-in on OLED monitors at Computex 2026, and we got our first hands-on look at some of them.

Over the past few years, the company has tried to make OLED the default choice, whether you're a competitive esports player or someone building a work-and-gaming setup. Asus wanted to cast the widest net possible, and mostly to great effect.

I spent a good chunk of my time checking out Asus' gaming monitors at Computex 2026, but I found only one worth spending my time with. Read on to find out what it was!

The 32-inch ROG Swift OLED is everything you'd want from a flagship monitor

I've seen a lot of OLED gaming monitors over the past couple of years, and at this point, it's honestly difficult to get excited about yet another 32-inch 4K OLED display. But Asus' ROG Swift OLED PG32UCWM (yes, the name is a mouthful) brings a few genuinely interesting upgrades.

As expected, you're looking at a 32-inch 4K OLED panel. The monitor uses Tandem RGB Stripe OLED technology. The Tandem OLED part means there's a dual-layer OLED stack designed to improve brightness, while the RGB Stripe pixel structure means the underlying panel ditches the traditional white sub-pixel entirely and relies solely on red, green, and blue sub-pixels.

The result, Asus says, is noticeably sharper text, which has long been one of the biggest complaints about such monitors, along with better color reproduction compared to previous OLED generations. Asus even had a digital microscope connected to the display to show the sub-pixel layout.

The monitor runs natively at 4K and 240Hz, but it can also switch into a Full HD mode capable of reaching 480Hz. As you'd expect, it also supports Dolby Vision, while Asus claims a response time of just 0.03ms. Connectivity is equally impressive, with DisplayPort 2.1 offering full 80 Gbps bandwidth, alongside HDMI 2.1 and USB-C with 90W PD.

One of the more interesting details wasn't the display itself but the internals powering it. The rear of the monitor still carries the usual ROG industrial design language, but Asus has also integrated GaN-based power delivery technology into the monitor's power system.

According to the company, using GaN improves power efficiency and reduces heat generation, which is increasingly important when driving a tandem OLED panel at such high resolutions and refresh rates.

Asus also confirmed that a 27-inch version is coming later this year. Unfortunately, the company still isn't talking about pricing just yet.

This 540Hz OLED monitor is where things get interesting

Another arguably more interesting monitor from a technology perspective was the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace. Asus is calling it the world's first OLED esports monitor, and honestly, there is a pretty good reason for that claim.

Until now, most 500Hz+ monitors have relied on LCD technology (TN or IPS panels). Asus is taking a different approach by using a Tandem WOLED panel in the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace. As you'd expect, the move to Tandem OLED brings a number of benefits, including up to 15% higher peak brightness, 25% larger color volume, and up to 60% longer OLED lifespan compared to previous-generation WOLED panels.

The monitor itself features a 24.5-inch display and can reach an eye-watering 540Hz refresh rate with a 0.02ms response time. It's pretty clear that this monitor is aimed at professional esports players and competitive gamers. Asus is also using its GaN tech here to help improve efficiency and keep temperatures under control.

The company has even added measurement markings directly onto the stand and base, allowing players to consistently position the monitor exactly how they like it, something professional esports players will probably appreciate more than anyone else.

I also got to see the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace side by side with a traditional high-refresh-rate gaming monitor that wasn't OLED, and the difference was immediately noticeable. The OLED panel delivered noticeably better color reproduction, especially when viewed from off angles.

Outlook

Computex is always packed with monitors, gaming gear, and other ridiculous hardware. And with the event now officially underway, there's still plenty more weird and wonderful tech to check out.

I'll be spending the next few days getting hands-on with even more peripherals and displays to find the coolest gadgets at Computex 2026, so stay tuned!

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — it leaves ROG Xbox Ally in the dust with breakthrough Intel Arc G3 power
• I tested the Acer Predator Atlas 8, and played a game Intel told me not to
• I just tried the new Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED — and my favorite gaming monitor is better than ever

For the last few years, a 240Hz refresh rate has been the standard for the best gaming monitors that promise buttery smooth performance. However, with Computex 2026 kicking off in Taipei this week, monitor manufacturers are cranking the Hz to the limit.

Our friends at Tom's Hardware reported that Acer is boosting its Predator gaming monitor up to 1,000Hz. And Samsung is expected to reveal 32-inch QD-OLED that offers 360Hz at 4K and 680Hz at 1080p, per PCWorld.

But unless you're a professional FPS gamer, you may not need those super speeds. Recently, my colleague Tony Polanco got a chance to check out LG's "world's first" 1,000Hz gaming monitor.

"All the slides moved very smoothly at 240Hz and up. I’m sure a eagle-eyed esports player could tell the difference between 1,000Hz and 720Hz, but I sure couldn’t," Tony wrote of the experience.

Tony also recently went eyes-on with Samsung's new 6K gaming monitor saying it "can offer a truly rich viewing experience."

One nice thing about these new super monitors is that it makes slightly older, but still quality monitors a bit cheaper. I've picked out four that you can pick up right now for under $1,000 and under $500 that still over 240Hz refresh rates and optimal performance.

240Hz OLED gaming under $500

If you're looking to save some money, then the HP HyperX OMEN QD-OLED and Alienware's new AW2726DM are both newer monitors released this year the won't break the bank. Neither monitor will blow you away with design or the best specs but they perform mighty well at their price point and tick all the right boxes.

Just under $1,000

These next two monitors are both bigger than the sub-$500 ones we looked at but also more expensive. However, Samsung's 6k monitor is expected to launch around $1,600 and the LG 1,000Hz beast is expected to be well north of $1,000 when it releases.

At launch both the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED and LG UltraGear 45GX90SA had equally sky-high prices. However, they're both about a year old now and between sales and a natural price drop have reached friendlier waters.

The Lenovo has seen the biggest drop as it launched closer to $1,200 but is now only $879 on Amazon.

"The Legion Pro 34WD-10 is an excellent performer. The exquisite QHD OLED panel has enhanced every aspect of my gameplay, from immersion to performance. And having the space of the ultra-wide aspect ratio has been incredibly useful for operating multiple windows when working," my colleague Peter Wolinski said in his hands-on testing.

Meanwhile, the LG UltraGear is so good that we described as both a good gaming monitor and an impressively feature OLED TV. this set can pull some true double duty if you need. Problem is it launched with a massive $1,700 price tag. Fortunately, it's nearly halff off now.

If you're in the market for a new gaming monitor don't wait for spec monsters that you don't actually need. Try out any of these suggested monitors and your eyes will be in for a treat and a super smooth performance.

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• I ditched my dual-monitor setup for a single 40-inch ultrawide — and two screens aren’t better than one
• I added a portable monitor next to my main display and this inexpensive upgrade is a game changer

The Alienware 34 QD-OLED gaming monitor series has been my favorite ever since the first model launched in 2022. Now, it’s set to receive a new model later this year. While the Alienware AW3426DW isn’t a radical change from the past, it delivers meaningful upgrades for an even richer gaming experience.

Some enhancements include a higher refresh rate of 280Hz, up from the previous 240Hz. The display’s new 5-stack Penta Tandem tech helps deliver darker blacks in bright environments, higher peak brightness, and sharper text with no fringing. As before, the 34-inch curved display does an excellent job of immersing you in games.

The Alienware 34 AW3426DW has debuted at Computex, but I’m currently testing it at the office. My full review will come in due course, but for now, I want to outline the basics of what has a good shot at making our best gaming monitors list. Here’s what I think of the AW3426DW.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Specs

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Display

Like previous models, the AW3426DW has an immersive 1800R curvature and a sharp 3,440 x 1,440 resolution. Yes, it’s not a 4K OLED panel, but everything looks bright and vibrant. And thanks to the cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio. If you’ll pardon the pun, it’s a sight to behold.

I tested Cyberpunk 2077 on the AW3426DW and was impressed by the rich picture quality. The greater contrast between dark and light elements is noticeable and makes colors feel more vibrant. That said, the standard picture mode isn’t as oversaturated as on other gaming monitors, which helps everything feel more realistic.

Naturally, I’ll need to test more games, and we need to run our display benchmarks to see what the AW3426DW can really do, but for now, I can say it delivers a superlative gaming experience.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Design

The Alienware AW3426DW has the same design as before, which I certainly won’t complain about because it’s both lovely and practical.

With its panel measuring 32.05 x 14.23 x 4.38 inches, you’ll need a decent-sized table for this beauty, but nothing overly large. The flat stand is pretty unintrusive, so it’s unlikely to get in the way of peripherals like your keyboard and mouse. The cutaway on the stand’s shaft makes cable management easy, and you can raise or lower the monitor to your desired height.

Again, I’m glad Alienware didn’t change the AW3426DW’s design, since it’s about as perfect as you can get. It might not immediately scream “gaming monitor,” but it keeps the focus on the display and, thus, on whatever game you’re currently playing.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Performance

Performance gets a nice boost thanks to the higher 280Hz refresh rate and lower 0.03ms response time. And as before, compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync also helps deliver a smooth gaming experience.

To test the AW3426DW, I connected it to the new Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, and 32GB RAM. You won’t need such a beastly rig for this monitor, but it certainly helps.

Thanks to the high refresh rate and low latency, I had a smooth time playing Cyberpunk 2077. I couldn’t get the frame rate anywhere near the refresh rate, but having all that extra headroom effectively eliminated any choppiness. I also didn’t notice any input lag.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Outlook

I’ll need more hands-on time with the Alienware AW3426DW, but for now, I can say it brings meaningful updates to an already fantastic gaming monitor.

Even if it gets outclassed by the new Alienware 39 5K OLED, it should still be an excellent option for those who want a smaller monitor with excellent features. Stay tuned for my full review!

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• I checked out the world’s first 6K gaming monitor — and it's a sight to behold
• I just saw LG’s 'world's first' 1,000Hz gaming monitor in person — and my eyes couldn’t keep up
• Microsoft Build 2026 preview — all the big announcements to expect

If you’re looking to upgrade your current gaming setup, you’re in luck, as Memorial Day sales are slashing prices on some of the best gaming monitors. Whether you’re looking for something compact or gargantuan, I’ve got you covered.

Some of the best deals I’ve found include the Samsung 27-Inch Odyssey G3 for $189 at Amazon, which is both affordable and great. The incredible Alienware 34-inch AW3425DW is currently $749. If you want to go big, you can’t go wrong with the monstrous 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, which is on sale for $849!

Here are the best gaming monitors I’d buy with my own money during Memorial Day. Also, be sure to check out our Memorial Day sales live blog to save on a variety of products.

Quick Links

• shop all Memorial Day sales at Amazon
• Samsung 27" Odyssey G3: was $229 now $189 @ Amazon
• Samsung 34" Odyssey G5: was $399 now $279 at Amazon
• Alienware 27" AW2725QF: was $589 now $431 @ Amazon
• Alienware 34" AW3425DW: was $799 now $749 @ Amazon
• Samsung 49" Odyssey G9: was $999 now $849 @ Amazon
• MSI 27" MPG 272URX QD-OLED: was $1,099 now $899 @ Amazon
• Sony 27" Inzone M10S: was $1,199 now $1,098 @ Amazon

Memorial Day gaming monitor deals

I recently reviewed the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B, which can hit a 720Hz refresh rate. I thought we couldn’t get higher than that, but LG decided that wasn’t enough and has now unveiled what it claims is the world’s first native 1,000Hz Full HD gaming monitor. No, that’s not a typo, my friends.

During a recent LG event, I got to see the new LG UltraGear 25G590B first-hand. While I wasn’t able to test any games on the prototype model, I did see a test pattern that demonstrated how much smoother things can run at 1,000Hz compared to lower refresh rates. I also learned about some of the AI features meant to provide a more immersive experience.

While I’m not the competitive gamer this monitor is designed for, I’m still impressed that it can hit such a lofty refresh rate. Here are my eyes-on impressions of the LG 25G590B.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: Display & performance

Most of LG’s recent UltraGear lineup comprises dual-mode monitors, but the 25G590B is 1,000Hz by default. The company told me that this lets players play (and compete) under consistent visual conditions. I take that to mean you won’t have to worry about the monitor's refresh rate when you're using it.

The test pattern I saw showed several slides running at different refresh rates. Naturally, 30Hz to 120Hz looked the choppiest compared to the higher refresh rates. However, all the slides moved very smoothly at 240Hz and up. I’m sure a eagle-eyed esports player could tell the difference between 1,000Hz and 720Hz, but I sure couldn’t. Regardless, I could still see that the 25G590B does indeed offer buttery smooth movement.

This monitor is best suited for first-person shooters like Counter-Strike and Call of Duty, where you need ultra-fast response times to survive. Despite the 1080p resolution, everything from in-game menus to interfaces comes through clearly, even if you’re moving fast in a game. That’s thanks to a new Motion Blur Reduction Pro technology (as LG calls it) that ensures fast-moving objects are sharp and easy to track.

LG says the 25G590B’s IPS panel has a low-reflection film meant to offer consistent color reproduction while reducing glare. There was a light directly above the monitor I was viewing, and I can confirm it didn’t significantly degrade the image quality. This is all meant to increase visibility across various in-game environments.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: Design

The 25G590B has a 24.5-inch FHD panel. As I was told, this is the size professional gamers prefer because it lets them see everything on the screen without moving their heads.

Design-wise, LG has kept things simple and efficient. For instance, the stand’s base has a small footprint, so you have more room to move your mouse. There are even calibration indicators on the stand to let you adjust the height, swivel, and tilt settings. This way, you can achieve an optimal viewing angle.

The main embellishment is on the back, with a nifty UltraGear Logo that creates ambient illumination. I wasn’t able to test this at the event, but if this is like other UltraGear monitors I’ve reviewed, you’ll be able to customize the RGB lighting to your liking.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: AI features

The LG 25G590B boasts AI features, such as AI Scene Optimization, which adjusts picture quality to suit different game genres. We didn’t get to see this feature in action, but one of the slides showed how AI is used to improve image quality and clarity. Given how this is a 1080p display, this seems like a smart feature.

Then there’s AI Sound, which will apparently create spatial audio and deliver clearer in-game communications when used with compatible headsets. Sound is almost as important as visuals in fast-paced first-person shooting games, so it’s good to know LG has taken that into account for a competitive-focused gaming monitor.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: Outlook

I’ll need to test the LG UltraGear 25G590B myself to see if the insane 1,000Hz is more than just tech flexing. Now that LG has taken the refresh rate wars to literal new heights, it’ll be interesting to see if competitors follow suit.

The LG UltraGear 25G590B should launch in the second half of 2026 in select markets. Let us know in the comments if you would want a 1,000Hz monitor or if you think it's overkill.

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The Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) is the world’s first 6K gaming monitor, according to Samsung. While this 32-inch monitor focuses on high pixel counts, it also has two refresh rates that favor cinematic or competitive gaming.

I recently went hands-on with the G80HS at a Samsung event, and was stunned by the sharp picture quality it delivered in both its 6K 165Hz and 3K 330Hz display modes. Not only that, but the vibrant colors and smooth performance made me demo the monitor longer than I typically would. It’s a thing of beauty.

Though it doesn’t have an OLED panel, its ultra-sharp resolution and immersive 32-inch canvas make for a fun gaming experience. Here’s what I think of the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS).

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Display

Naturally, the 6K resolution is the main draw here. And I have to say, it’s not just number-flexing.

When I played Cyberpunk 2077 on the Odyssey G8, I purposely focused on buildings in the distance. Despite being so far away, I could make out the individual windows and even the dirt around the building’s facade. Of course, objects in the foreground, like the car and the grimy streets I rode across, also came to life in stunning detail.

3K resolution is just slightly less detailed than 6K, but no less stunning. I’m used to 1440p monitors, so the step up from that is noticeable, even if it's not as sharp as 4K. I could tell the immediate difference when I switched between 3K and 6K modes. However, you’re not getting a diminished viewing experience with either mode.

We’d need to get the Odyssey G8 in for testing, but to my eyes, everything looked bright and colorful on the 32-inch display. I don’t know which display mode it was set to, but the colors didn’t appear overly saturated. Despite this not being an OLED panel, you still get excellent overall picture quality.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Performance

Dual-mode gaming monitors are all the rage these days, and the Odyssey G8 follows suit with its two refresh rates.

6K resolution gives you 165Hz, while 3K mode bumps that to 330Hz. 6K 165Hz mode is ostensibly for “cinematic” games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima, where you’d want the very best picture quality. Conversely, competitive gamers who need faster performance can flip over to 3K 330Hz. In this way, the G80HS is basically two gaming monitors in one.

Since I’m not a competitive gamer, I couldn’t notice a huge difference between the modes in terms of performance. However, I’m sure hawk-eyed Esports players will notice the difference right away. Regardless, both modes feel incredibly smooth and responsive.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Design

The G80HS has the familiar design of the Odyssey series, with its sharp angles and relatively dark color way. Besides the display, the only other light source is the RGB ring around the monitor stand, which creates a nice glow when the monitor is close to a wall.

Other features include a flat stand that doesn’t get in the way of your peripherals, and easy access to the ports on the back. I was also able to raise, lower, and tilt the monitor to my liking.

Overall, this is a nice and practical design that keeps the focus on the game you’re playing.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Outlook

Right now, the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) isn't yet available to purchase. However, it should cost around $1,600 on Samsung's online store. That's not cheap, but for what it offers, it could be worth it for you.

I’ve tested a lot of the best gaming monitors over the years, so it’s nice to have the Samsung Odyssey G8 G80HS flip the script by featuring a 6K resolution. That might sound ludicrous (and perhaps it is), but there’s no denying that it can offer a truly rich viewing experience.

I can’t yet say whether this should be the new standard, but it’s certainly impressive. I should have a full review of the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) soon, so stay tuned for more!

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At $499, the HyperX Omen OLED 27q is arguably a lot to spend on a 1440p 240Hz gaming monitor. That’s especially true when you compare it to the wide selection of 1440p monitors on Amazon, most of which sit under $200. Some of those sub-$200 monitors even have higher refresh rates than the HyperX Omen. However, compared to pricier competitors offering similar specs, it's a great deal.

Considering that four of the five displays on our best gaming monitors list have OLED panels, there’s a reason critics keep turning back to the technology, even as more competitive miniLED panels are hitting the market.

OLED has benefits that standard IPS displays have yet to match. From vivid colors to eerily dark blacks, the richness on display is hard to match. OLED does suffer from lower peak brightness, but given that most people sit inches from their monitors, it should still be bright enough for most.

If budget is a concern, then it ultimately comes down to the type of work you’ll need the monitor for outside of gaming. For creatives who need the color accuracy of OLED, the 27q is an easy choice. For everyone else, there might be more to consider. Still, if you've eyed a more expensive monitor at $1,000+, this one is a steal.

Here's my full HyperX Omen OLED 27q review.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: Specs

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A flat 27-inch 2560 x 1440 QD-OLED monitor with a 0.03ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate.
• Who is it for? Creatives and enthusiast gamers who want the richest colors and top gaming performance.
• How much does it cost? It’s marketed at $499, but at time of writing, it's $399 on HP's website.
• What do we like? It’s hard to match OLED's vividness, and the 240Hz refresh rate makes it a top performer for gaming.
• What don’t we like? There’s no forward tilt, so the display looks like it’s leaning back slightly when on its stand.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: The ups

The HyperX Omen OLED 27q delivers the good thanks to its vivid picture quality and fast performance.

OLED or nothing

Fans online jest that once you go OLED, you never go back. That’s the case with the HyperX Omen OLED 27q, or any other OLED gaming monitor on the market.

Given the richness of color and the near-instantaneous response time, jumping to an IPS display can feel like a significant downgrade. Although miniLED monitors are starting to hit the market, the gap in color contrast is closing.

At a 2560 x 1440 resolution, it won’t take the highest-end graphics cards to push this monitor. However, getting all 240Hz out of a game like Cyberpunk 2077 or Alan Wake 2 will require an Nvidia RTX 5080 or above. Actually, when testing Cyberpunk 2077 on my gaming rig, which is equipped with an RTX 5090, it struggled to maintain a consistent 240 fps. Granted, that framerate is totally overkill for this type of game.

The HyperX Omen OLED 27q has eight display modes, with some dedicated to genres like RTS, RPG, and FPS. There are also some creator-centric modes, such as Display P3 and sRGB. These modes are the same as you'd get on similar monitors, albeit with more balance between gaming and creativity.

For creative work, that’s where color accuracy and brightness come into play. In our testing, the 27q spanned 116% of the sRGB and 82% of the DCI-P3 color gamuts in the monitor's sRGB display setting. For creatives, the 27q will likely suffice for photo editing and other use cases.

Like all OLED gaming monitors. HDR brightness isn't exactly impressive. This is a small knock, but not out of the ordinary for similar monitors.

Esports performance

My competitive game of choice on PC is Overwatch. My personal monitor is a Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED, a 49” behemoth of a display with an absurdly wide 32:9 aspect ratio. When playing Overwatch, however, it crops down to a 21:9 aspect ratio. It’s also a 240Hz panel, making it a fair comparison to the 27q.

While playing Overwatch, I noticed no difference between the two displays aside from their aspect ratios. I was still able to land headshots with Kiriko’s kunai as efficiently as I always do, depending on how sharp my mind feels at the moment.

That’s the thing with OLED. The technology is rather standardized, meaning the colors, depth, and response times will feel very similar across similarly spec'd monitors. So, if you’ve decided to take the plunge on an OLED gaming monitor, it simply comes down to the size you want and how much you’re willing to pay, in my opinion.

For competitive gamers, the 27q features a crosshair, which places a reticule at the center of your display to make aiming easier. I personally don’t use this function, so I can’t speak to it at greater length. But if it’s a feature you prefer in your gaming displays, know that it’s here.

The 27q also includes a speedrun and countdown timer, which is handy when trying to run through Super Mario Bros. or Sonic Adventure 2 as quickly as possible. I’m not a speedrunner, so this is less useful to me, but I’m sure those in the speedrunning community might find this to be a valuable add-on.

More importantly, the 27q does feature both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. While on HP’s website and on the monitor's box, only G-Sync is advertised, in the settings, you can enable FreeSync.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: The downs

As a gaming monitor, there really isn't much to ding the 27q on. It delivers the performance advertised on the box.

Bland design

I also noticed that the 27q, while being able to tilt backward or turn 90 degrees, had limited forward tilt when affixed to the included stand. As a result, the monitor leans back slightly, making it a bit awkward to look at it directly. Although I did have the monitor rather close to me when it was on my desk. If you move the monitor a few inches back, it should make for a better experience.

The number of ports is also rather limited. It only sports two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Granted, given that this monitor is relatively small at 27 inches, it’s not like you’d be using a KVM switch to use two computers on it simultaneously.

The monitor's design is kind of boring. There also aren’t any fancy RGB lights on the back, although some may prefer that. But other than that, there really aren’t many demerits to throw at the 27q.

Good enough but not standout

There are certainly faster OLED monitors on the market, such as the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. But at $870, it's more than double the price of the 27q.

And honestly, at that price, I feel it might be better to opt for a super ultrawide monitor, like the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED, which is also around the $900 range, depending on sales. That's also assuming your desk can accommodate it.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: Verdict

The HyperX Omen OLED 27q is a solid monitor at a competitive price, but it doesn’t do much to set itself apart. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as most OLED displays on the market are rather standardized, meaning that manufacturers don’t have incredible leeway in making their displays more unique. At most, consumers are faced with choosing between higher refresh rates, wide aspect ratios, and sometimes gimmicky AI features.

But this is good for consumers, in my opinion. The commodification of OLED technology means it can reach more people at a wider range of price points. The fact that someone can walk into a Best Buy and pick up a 27-inch OLED monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate would have been unheard of a decade prior. After some online research, I found that 1440p IPS monitors with a 144Hz refresh rate from 2016 were over $700.

Ultimately, I recommend the 27q. I would tell someone with a $200 budget to consider saving up for the 27q. Also, yes. Would I personally opt for the 27q when there are 21:9 and 32:9 ultrawide OLED monitors available on the market? No. But that’s me. For many, a 27-inch display is the perfect sweet spot. It’s compact and is ideal for esports titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Overwatch.

If you’ve been in the market for an OLED display and have the cash to spend, go for it.

Who needs two monitors when you can get an ultrawide, 40-inch beast that makes your space look tidy? The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide, as its name suggests, is a 40-inch monster featuring a gorgeous 5K panel, and it’s one of the best monitors for Mac users. Boasting excellent color coverage and accuracy, the Edge 5K is great for creatives, photo and video editors, and everyone in between. There’s a plethora of USB ports, too, which eliminates the mess of cables and additional docks.

But the Edge 5K isn’t perfect. It’s heavy and unwieldy, and it doesn’t feature the strongest hinges, making the screen wobble when it’s touched. Oh, and there’s the small matter of that price tag — it’ll set you back nearly $1,500!

For the complete breakdown, read my full Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review.

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: Specs

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 40-inch ultrawide Mac-first monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio
• Who is it for? Photographers, video editors, creative professionals, and anyone and everyone in between
• How much does it cost? It ain’t cheap as it retails for $1,499 / £1,399!
• What do we like? The excellent color coverage and accuracy, 5K panel, array of USB ports, and Mac-first design
• What don’t we like? The unwieldy design, loose hinges, and premium price

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: The ups

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide’s panel is gorgeous, and its color coverage and accuracy will give you little to complain about. There’s a plethora of USB ports, too, and the monitor’s Mac-friendly design makes it fit right into existing setups.

Huge 40-inch 5K panel

Who needs two or three monitors when you can have one massive display instead? The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide, as its name suggests, features a 40-inch 5K IPS panel with a resolution of 5120 x 2160. I’m more accustomed to using 27-inch screens, and my office desk consists of two of these. If you don’t fancy two separate monitors, the Edge 5K is the perfect monitor for you.

I’ve found the 40-inch panel to be extremely handy for navigating multiple browsers and windows at the same time. It also makes quick work of trawling through massive spreadsheets and Slack threads. 5K monitors are becoming increasingly popular amongst creatives, and the Edge 5K’s panel is stunning. Colors are bright and vivid (more on that shortly), and the monitor gets quite bright too.

I lab-tested the Edge 5K’s brightness and was very impressed with the results in SDR mode. As you can see in the table above, the Edge 5K reached a peak brightness of 417 nits (Alogic advertises 400 nits), which is better than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199) and the Dell UltraSharp 40 ($2,399), both of which are also 5K monitors. The Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,299) gets a tad brighter, but most users won’t be able to tell the difference.

However, the Edge 5K disappoints when it comes to HDR brightness. In my lab testing, the monitor achieved a peak HDR brightness of 168 nits only (100% window size), which pales in comparison to all the other monitors on the list. If that’s an issue for you, it’s worth considering other displays — the PD2730S is my top pick, as long as you don’t mind stepping down to 27 inches.

Excellent color coverage

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is a beautiful monitor for creatives and photo editors, and that’s because it boasts excellent color coverage and accuracy. Alogic claims that the monitor covers 100% of the sRGB color space and 99% of the wider DCI P3 gamut. Manufacturer claims are usually conservative, as I’ve seen with other monitors, so I had to lab-test the monitor to see for myself.

In my lab tests, the Edge 5K covered 104.5% of the sRGB and 99.8% of the DCI P3 color spaces, surpassing Alogic’s aforementioned claims, which is superb. The monitor performs slightly better than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S in the DCI P3 space, but only by a small margin. It also blows the Apple Studio Display XDR and the Apple Pro Display XDR out of the water.

So, the Edge 5K performs formidably on paper, but what about in practice? In real-world usage, this monitor lives up to those numbers. All shades appeared vivid and bright. Reds and purples appeared rich while greens and blues looked lushious. I watched a few 4K videos on YouTube and I noticed there was plenty of detail in the shadows, and highlights never appeared blown out or oversharpened.

I even edited some photos I’d captured on the best cameras and best drones, and I appreciated being able to see the different shades and hues. Thanks to 5K resolution, editing 4K videos was a walk in the park as I could accurately make extreme crops without losing detail.

Accurate colors

Alongside wide color coverage, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide boasts great color accuracy too. When I measured color coverage, I measured the accuracy as well, known as Delta-E, which is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ. Delta-E gives you an idea of how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). You want the score to be as close as possible to zero.

The Edge 5K achieved a Delta-E score of 0.08 in my lab tests, which is outstanding and better than every other monitor in the table above. A score of 0.08 means the colors displayed on the monitor are extremely accurate. When I was editing photos, this gave me reassurance that the colors on the monitor were appearing as intended, and I could confidently continue editing.

A range of creative features

As you’d expect from a creativity-focused monitor, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide packs a range of creative features. Naturally, you get access to color modes like sRGB and Display P3. There’s also a dedicated Adobe RGB color mode for photographers who print, and this gives the Edge 5K a leg-up over the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S, which surprisingly doesn’t feature it.

The Edge 5K also features Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes which can be accessed via the on-screen display settings by using the joystick. These modes, essentially, enable windows from different sources to be simultaneously displayed on the monitor. In Picture-in-Picture, you can adjust the window size and position to suit your needs, while Picture-by-Picture splits the monitor into two, giving you essentially two different screens. I’m certain many creatives will find these useful.

Designed for MacBook owners

Though the Alogic 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is compatible with Chromebooks and Windows machines, it is advertised as a Mac-first monitor. That’s due in part to its ports (more on those shortly) and its design. You can buy the Edge 5K in either Silver or Space Gray colors. Sound familiar? Those are the colors used by MacBooks, of course, so this monitor will fit your setup effortlessly and is ideal for those chasing visual aesthetics.

Plenty of USB ports

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide doubles as a USB dock thanks to its extensive array of ports, designed with macOS users in mind. As a productivity-oriented monitor, it packs all the ports that would be needed by creatives, photographers and videographers. Around the back, you’ll find an HDMI 2.0 port and a DisplayPort 1.4 port for connecting your laptop or PC to the monitor.

Located next to these is a USB-C 3.0 Gen 1 port with 90W of power delivery and display capabilities, so you can plug in, say, your MacBook Air M2 and charge it simultaneously. You also get two USB-C downstream ports (although Alogic doesn’t specify the data transfer speeds), an Ethernet port, as well as a 3.5mm jack for headphones or computer speakers. There are no USB-A ports, unfortunately, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing — you may want to pick up a USB-C to USB-A adapter for around $12.

Throughout my testing period, I haven’t felt the need for more ports, as the one’s on the Edge 5K are more than enough for hooking up my laptop and other peripherals.

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: The downs

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is an excellent monitor, but it’s important to note that it’s heavy and unwieldy, and it doesn’t come with the strongest of hinges. Oh, and it’s a little expensive too.

Heavy and unwieldy

As is the nature of ultrawide monitors, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K is heavy and large, weighing 18.36lbs and measuring 37.04 x 27.32 x 9.64 inches (with stand). I’m used to using heavy monitors — the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S, which I tested most recently, weighs 18.12lbs. However, because the PD2730S is a 27-inch monitor, I didn’t have any issues lifting it or moving it around.

The Edge 5K is a different story, as I found it quite difficult to move around and reposition it. It’s unwieldy and is best suited to staying in one place, so if you like to rejig your setup every now and then, you may want to start hitting the gym.

Not the sturdiest hinges

One of the things I’m most disappointed by is the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide’s hinges — yes, the ones that keep the screen attached to the stand, and enable you to swivel and extensively adjust the viewing angle. When I first assembled the monitor, I immediately noticed that the hinge felt loose, and the screen moved a lot if I lightly pressed it with my finger.

After setting it up on a desk, I sat in my chair, pulled it forward and in the process of doing so, banged the chair’s arms against the table. When that happened, I saw the Edge 5K’s screen wobbling. Now, I’m not saying that this monitor won’t stand the test of time, but seeing it jiggle and wobble like that doesn’t fill me with a lot of confidence. I haven’t had this issue with any of the (many) other monitors I’ve used and reviewed.

Expensive

This is more of a pre-purchase consideration than an outright flaw: the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide doesn’t come cheap. But this is the nature of 5K monitors, especially ones with huge displays. The Edge 5K retails for $1,499 at B&H Photo / £1,399 at Park Cameras, so it costs almost the same as the base Apple Studio Display ($1,599). The Edge 5K is worth the investment if you want a Mac-compatible monitor that isn’t made by Apple but at this price, why wouldn’t you just buy the first-party monitor? Obviously, if you need a 40-inch screen, the Edge 5K is the way to go.

The Edge 5K is pricer than other 5K monitors I’ve tested, like the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199) but again, the latter features a smaller 27-inch screen. Luckily, Alogic’s offering is cheaper than the Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub which starts at a whopping $2,399. There’s also the LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B ($1,999), but it’s a gaming monitor rather than a productivity-first display, so that might not be everyone’s bag.

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: Verdict

For productivity power users and creatives, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is an excellent choice. It delivers on its core promise of replacing a multi-monitor setup with one expansive 40-inch screen, as well as features like Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture. Its 5K display offers excellent brightness and sharp detail, and exceptional color coverage and accuracy make it perfect for photo and video editors.

That said, the monitor isn’t without its faults. Its sheer size makes it tricky to reposition, and the wobbly hinge design undermines confidence in an otherwise premium package. Given that this monitor costs nearly $1,500, I honestly expected better.

But if these are compromises you’re okay with, nothing is stopping you from getting the Edge 5K. At the end of the day, it’s a color-accurate productivity monitor that gives you very little to complain about.

As someone who uses a MacBook Air M2 for work and a MacBook Pro M1 for personal use, I've always been envious of people with the Apple Studio Display. After all, it looks good and it packs performance in spades. But the more I review monitors, the more I realize, I don't need an Apple Studio Display, especially as it's quite expensive and a little out of my budget. The solution? A third-party monitor with exceptional Mac compatibility, and there are few options better than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S.

BenQ is a well-known brand in computing circles, and it's the brains behind some of the best monitors you can buy today, one of them being the PD2730S. I've thoroughly lab-tested it and used it for the better part of two weeks for everyday productivity, and the results are in: it's glorious. Pretty Delightful, really, and no other monitor has streamlined my workflow as much as the PD2730S has.

Hosting a plethora of productivity-focused ports, many photo editing features and color modes, as well as being accompanied by a handy control accessory, there are many things to love about the PD2730S. Though it's a little expensive, it's $400 cheaper than the base Apple Studio Display, making it a fantastic alternative for Mac users.

A simply stunning 5K panel

My favorite thing about the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is its gorgeous 5K panel. It's bright, colorful, and features an anti-reflective coating to protect your eyes from glare. In my lab tests, the PD2730S achieved a peak brightness of 382 nits, which dropped to 346 in HDR (window size 100%). While that might sound like a lot, in real-world usage, I had no issues seeing everything on the screen in exceptional clarity, even in a brightly lit room.

But color coverage and accuracy is where the PD2730S truly comes into its own. Colors appear extremely accurate, bright, vivid and detailed, which is crucial to me as someone who reviews the best cameras and the best drones. My lab testing further confirmed what I was seeing on screen. You can scroll through the results in the table below.

As you can see, the PD2730S covers 104.9% of the sRGB gamut and 98.3% of the DCI P3 space, and it even crushes the much pricier Apple Studio Display XDR and the Apple Pro Display XDR in the DCI P3 color space! The PD2730S' Delta E score of 0.1 is also slightly better than both Apple displays, which means that the monitor relays colors extremely accurately (the closer the Delta E score to zero, the better).

Overall, the PD2730S hasn't given me anything to complain about when it comes to how it displays colors — and that's one of the many reasons why it earned 4.5 stars from me in my full review.

Streamline your workflow

I won't lie: I love a good accessory when it's not just a gimmick and is actually useful. BenQ includes what it calls a Hotkey Puck with the Creative Pro PD2730S, and it's essentially a controller that gives you quick access to the monitor's settings.

There's a scroll wheel and a few buttons which can be customized to access color modes, input, DualView and even app launch. If you frequently swap between color spaces, this accessory would be a boon for you.

Also in the PD2730S' arsenal is its range of photo editing features. You get sRGB, Display P3, DCI P3, Rec.709, HDR, and even a Darkroom mode. Oh, and there's a CAD/CAM mode for product designers; an Animation mode for game designers; and the aforementioned DualView mode which displays designs side-by-side to streamline your workflow.

Having used the Hotkey Puck (and I love that pun) and the monitor extensively, I don't know how I've gone so long without it — and it will be an uphill battle for any other productivity-first monitor to upstage the PD2730S.

You've convinced me: where can I buy it?

So, you want to buy the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S: great! The monitor is available for $1,199 / £988 at Amazon, and you even get a 12-month subscription for Pantone Connect Premium, a mobile app for color matching on the go. Given that the Apple Studio Display starts at $1,599, the PD2730S feels like a much cheaper, perhaps even better, investment.

Of course, it won't be for everyone. The monitor's lack of a dedicated Adobe RGB color mode sticks out like a sore thumb, as it limits its use for photographers who print. Adobe RGB covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers versus sRGB, so colors may not appear as accurate when you're going to print them.

But in the grand scheme of things, the PD2730S doesn't really have many other flaws, and if you can get over the lack of Adobe RGB, I'm confident you'll be extremely satisfied with all the other goodies the monitor has to offer.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested this 5K Mac monitor that's $400 cheaper than the Apple Studio Display — and it offers vivid colors, excellent accuracy, and streamlines your workflow
• I ditched my dual-monitor setup for a single 40-inch ultrawide — and two screens aren’t better than one
• I've tested 100 monitors and these are the best ones for work, gaming and everyday use

I spend up to eight hours a day, five days a week, staring at a screen, so having one of the best monitors is a non-negotiable for me. I’ve just tested a monitor that puts nearly every other 27-inch screen to shame, and that’s the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S. This 5K monitor is a sight for sore eyes, offering plenty of editing and productivity-oriented features to streamline your workflow. Whether you’re a professional creative or someone who just wants a nice screen to look at, this is the monitor for you.

The PD2730S boasts excellent color coverage and accuracy, and it’s got a wide array of ports to hook up all your peripherals or quickly transfer data. BenQ happily includes a Hotkey Puck that also helps you make changes on-the-fly and without the need to dig through menus. It is truly marvelous — but not without its flaws.

To find out if this is the right monitor for you, read my full BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: Specs

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch 5K monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate and a plethora of ports and editing features
• Who is it for? Creatives, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, game designers, what-have-you
• How much does it cost? Quite a bit, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is available for $1,199 / £988
• What do we like? The bright panel, outstanding color coverage and accuracy, wide range of ports and editing features, and the included Hotkey Puck
• What don’t we like? The lack of an Adobe RGB mode and the steep price

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: The ups

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is a stunning monitor, packing a lovely 5K display with excellent color coverage and accuracy. For creatives, there’s plenty of productivity-first features and ports to take advantage of, too — as well as a handy Hotkey Puck.

Gorgeous and bright 5K panel

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S features one of the most beautiful panels of any monitor I’ve used or tested so far. Fitted with a 27-inch 5K IPS panel with a resolution of 5120 x 2880. A 27-inch panel, for me, is the sweet spot, as it isn’t too big that it takes up all the space on your desk, and it isn’t too small that you can’t see everything that’s displayed properly and in depth.

I was able to easily fit the PD2730S on my already-crowded office desk, as I slotted it in perfectly next to another 27-inch monitor and a pair of computer speakers. That’s because the monitor measures 24.17 x 16.83-22.74 x 9.53 inches, and its base isn’t too wide either. The monitor, with the stand, weighs 18.12lbs, so it can be easily moved around.

Speaking of the panel, the PD2730S is quite bright, as I was able to read it properly under bright office lights as well as when bright sunlight came in through the big windows behind my office chair. My lab testing confirmed the same.

In SDR mode, the PD2730S achieved a peak brightness of 382 nits, and it dropped to 346 in HDR (window size 100%). This monitor is much brighter than the BenQ PD3226G ($1,199), the MSI MPG 272URX ($1,099) and the Dell UltraSharp 40 ($2,500). The PD2730S pales in comparison to the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,299), but I’ll caveat that by saying the Apple display is three times the price of the BenQ. For the price you’re paying, the PD2730S is plenty bright.

Productivity-focused ports

Much like many other BenQ monitors, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is a productivity-oriented monitor, suited to game designers, photographers and videographers. It is, then, not surprising that it packs in loads of productivity-friendly ports. Naturally, there’s a power port, an HDMI 2.1, and a DisplayPort 1.4 around the back for display connection.

Alongside these, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports. One’s a 90W upstream port for either hooking up to the display or as a power-out for your laptop. The other’s a 15W port for charging and daisy-chaining. You also get two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2: a data-only upstream one and a 7.5W downstream charging port, both with 10Gbps transfer speeds. *takes a deep breath* There’s also three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two with 4.5W of power delivery and one with 7.5W. And to top it off, there’s a 3.5mm audio out port too.

That’s a lot of ports, and they cover everything you need for a clean, well-managed desk. If you use a lot of devices and peripherals, the PD2730S is the perfect monitor for you. What more could you ask for, really?

Outstanding color coverage

The ports and the 5K panel would be utterly useless if the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S didn’t feature excellent color coverage. Thankfully, it does! BenQ claims the monitor covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut and 98% of the wider DCI P3 color space. But as I’ve seen with most other monitors I’ve lab-tested, manufacturer claims are usually conservative, so I put the PD2730S through its paces.

As you can see in the table above, the PD2730S covered 104.9% of the sRGB gamut and 98.3% of the DCI P3 space — both of which are higher than BenQ’s aforementioned claims. The monitor doesn’t perform as well as the BenQ PD3226G, but all you really need is a percentage more than 100%, which the PD2730S achieves in the sRGB test.

The PD2730S also crushes the much pricier Apple Studio Display XDR and the Apple Pro Display XDR in the DCI P3 color space, surpassing both with ease. The MSI MPG 272URX performs formidably, too, but it’s a gaming monitor and doesn’t have as many productivity features as the PD2730S.

Numbers on paper are one thing, but how does the PD2730S perform in real-world usage? I’ve been thoroughly impressed in my testing. All shades appeared vivid and detailed, and there was plenty of detail to be found and enjoyed in the shadows, too. Highlights never appeared too sharp or peaking, especially while watching 4K videos on YouTube.

I love the 10-bit color depth too, which means that the PD2730S is capable of displaying 1.07 billion individual hues. I found this handy as I usually capture 10-bit 4:2:2 RAW video with the best cameras and the best drones.

Excellent color accuracy

In addition to superb color coverage, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S boasts excellent color accuracy, too. BenQ says that the PD2730S should have a Delta-E score of less than or equal to 2. Delta-E is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ, and it gives you an idea of how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). The closer the score to zero, the better.

Naturally, I put this to the test with my own lab-testing, and the monitor achieved a Delta-E score of 0.1. This means that the monitor relays colors extremely accurately, and even more accurately than some of its competitors. As you can see in the table above, all other monitors — including the pricey Apple Studio Display XDR and the Dell UltraSharp 40 — score higher than the PD2730S. This doesn’t mean they’re bad; it simply means that the PD2730S is either on par or better. It’s what we’d expect from a high-end monitor, too.

And indeed, I was seeing colors very well on the PD2730S. The lab tests reassured me that the colors I was seeing on screen were accurate, which helped me edit photos accordingly and confidently for my reviews and my photography Instagram page. The monitor also has a 60Hz refresh rate which feels plenty to watch videos I record at 60fps — but of course, if you want more, you might want to consider the BenQ PD3226G with its 144Hz refresh rate.

Industry’s stamp of approval

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S carries a few official accreditations and certifications for added reassurance. It features Pantone and Pantone SkinTone Validation, which are industry-standard color definitions for printing — perfect for creatives who print. With the monitor, you get a 12-month subscription for Pantone Connect Premium, a mobile app for color matching on the go.

This monitor is Calman Verified as well. Calman is well-known for making display calibration software (it’s what we use to test the best TVs!), and the certification ascertains that Calman approves of the monitor’s AQColor technology.

A range of editing features

For photo and video editors, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S features plenty of editing features. Let’s talk about the color modes first. You get a range of these, including but not limited to: sRGB, Display P3, DCI P3, Rec.709, HDR, and even a Darkroom mode for those who want to mimic the heightened color perception achieved in a darkroom.

Then you’ve got dedicated modes for specific tasks. There’s a CAD/CAM mode for product designers as this mode displays superior contrast between lines and shapes in illustrations. Game designers and animators can take advantage of the Animation mode which enhances the clarity of dark areas without overexposing bright ones. The last is the DualView mode which, as the name suggests, displays designs side-by-side to streamline your workflow.

I also appreciate the anti-reflective coating which reduces glare. The PD2730S’ panel has a TUV-certified reflection-free feature too, which enhances eye comfort during long periods of use. As someone who stares at a screen for up to eight hours, five days a week, this is a blessing.

An accessory that streamlines your workflow

Last but certainly not least, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S comes with a controller pad accessory which BenQ calls a Hotkey Puck (get the pun?). It’s the same as the one you get with the BenQ PD3226G: a white circular remote with a scroll wheel and a few buttons. While you can control the monitor via the physical buttons, it’s much easier to use the Puck as you don’t need to extend your arms or get up from your seat.

On the Puck, you’ll see three buttons, and these are fully customizable. You can remap these to gain quick access to Color Modes, Input, DualView, KVM or app launch. This speeds up and streamlines your workflow, and it’s especially useful if you frequently swap between color spaces.

The KVM switch is a boon, too, as it enables you to use the same monitor and peripherals with multiple computers — ideal for those working across different machines.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: The downs

While the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is an outstanding monitor, it’s important to note that there’s no dedicated Adobe RGB mode, and that it costs a pretty penny.

No Adobe RGB mode

Similar to the BenQ PD3226G, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S lacks a dedicated Adobe RGB mode, which essentially deters its use for photographers who print. Adobe RGB covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers versus sRGB. When editing photos for print, small or large, colors may not appear as accurate as you want them to be.

sRGB is perfectly fine for online use, and for photographers or game designers who are making a digital-first product. In my testing, I had no issues ensuring color accuracy while editing photos I’d taken on a range of different cameras. If Adobe RGB is important to you, I’d recommend the Asus ProArt Display PA27JCV ($799) instead.

A little expensive

By now, I’m certain it’s clear that the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is an excellent monitor, perfect for game designers, photo editors, productivity power users, and everyone in between. But all of those goodies don’t come cheap. The PD2730S retails for $1,199 / £988 at Amazon, which is quite a bit of dough. Studio displays generally cost a lot of money — let’s not forget that the Apple Studio Display XDR starts at a whopping $3,299.

Of course, if you’re restricted by your budget and don’t want to spend over a grand on the PD2730S, there are other options. The 27-inch version of the Asus ProArt Display PA27JCV costs $799. It’s Calman-verified and comes with similar productivity-oriented ports as the PD2730S. You don’t get BenQ’s hotkey pad with the Asus, naturally, but if that’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make, do so by all means.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: Verdict

For creatives and professionals, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is a powerhouse, period. With its stunning 5K panel, wide color coverage and accuracy, and comprehensive connectivity, it sets a high bar for productivity displays. It’s a reliable companion for photo and video editing, thanks to its many color modes and settings, and the included Hotkey Puck does well to streamline workflows and save you a few minutes here and there.

But I wish I could say the PD2730S was perfect, as it isn’t. The lack of a dedicated Adobe RGB mode is a notable omission for photographers who work in print, and the $1,199 price tag is a steep investment. However, having tested this monitor extensively, I believe the PD2730S is an exceptional tool that does enough to justify its cost. It’s a premium, purpose-built display that delivers exactly what modern creatives need to succeed.

There’s no ideal desk setup that works for everyone. While one person might be content with a laptop or a single monitor, another might want multiple monitors. Likewise, your old desk setup might have been perfect at the time but now, it no longer meets your needs.

As someone who builds desk setups for a living, I’m constantly trying out new configurations when it comes to how many displays I have and what’s driving them. Although I spent years using a single ultrawide monitor by itself, I later added a portable monitor underneath it specifically to keep up with work chats. Of course, I wasn’t done there.

From stacked monitors to dual monitors and even triple monitors, it feels like my desk is constantly evolving and rightfully so. However, at the beginning of this year, I put together a dual-monitor setup that I just couldn’t bear to break down. That all changed though, when I finally had a chance to try out a larger, 40-inch ultrawide.

Even though the Innocn 40C1U’s screen is only six inches wider than the 34-inch ultrawide I’ve used for years now, it’s made a massive difference. So much so that I don’t think I could go back to using a dual-monitor setup anytime soon. If you’ve also been considering upgrading your own desk setup, here’s why you might want to go wider instead of adding another display.

No curves here

At 40 inches, the Innocn 40C1U is certainly an outlier. With most monitors, once you go beyond 34 inches wide, you no longer have the choice between a flat or a curved display. Since I have multiple monitors for my various desk setups stored in a closet, I don’t really have the option to use curved ones as they take up far too much space when not in use.

After eying the Innocn 40C1R online for what seemed like ages, the company reached out and asked if I’d be interested in trying out the more powerful 40C1U instead. Since I just reviewed the Apple Studio Display XDR, I decided to give this 5K2K monitor a try and I’m glad I did.

In the box, you get a surprisingly capable stand along with a high-speed HDMI cable, a USB-C video cable and a power cable. The fact that Innocn includes a USB-C cable in the box is a nice touch. However, like with the LG DualUp monitor I reviewed back when I first started at Tom’s Guide, I would have loved to see a USB-B to USB-A cable included as well — but more on that in a bit

While the 40C1U is definitely on the less expensive side for a 5K2K monitor, I really like how it has a built-in power supply instead of a bulky power adapter with a barrel port connector. Likewise, it has standard 100 x 100 VESA mounting holes instead of the 75 x 75 ones you see on many of the best gaming monitors. If you’ve ever tried to lift a display like that up off your desk using one of the best monitor arms, then you know how much of a hassle it can be.

In terms of ports, the 40C1U has a generous selection on the right side including two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, an upstream USB-C port with 65W of power delivery, two USB-A ports, a USB-B port and a headphone jack. As such, you can connect up to four devices at the same time.

After unboxing the 40C1U and attaching the included monitor stand, it was time to take it for a spin. Given I had a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip on hand, I figured that would be perfect for testing out this monitor as I previously used that laptop with the Studio Display XDR. Fortunately, there weren’t any dead pixels or other issues to be worried about and everything worked like a charm right out of the box.

With my initial testing out of the way, I decided to build a new desk setup based around the Innocn 40C1U to see just what this 40-inch, 5K2K ultrawide was capable of.

Mac or PC: why not both?

Deciding between a Mac or a PC for work can be difficult which is why many people like myself use both. Normally, I spend my time working on my Mac mini M4 at one desk setup and on one of the best mini PCs at another. This time though, I wanted the best of both worlds and figured having two computers on the wider Secretlab Magnus Evo desk wouldn’t be a problem, so I did just that.

On the left side, I set up that MacBook Pro in a vertical stand with the computer set to not go to sleep with its lid closed. Then on the right, I plugged in the Framework Desktop which, in addition to being a powerful PC for work, holds up surprisingly well when gaming despite not having a discrete GPU.

Normally, you’d need two separate keyboards and mice with a setup like this one. However, remember those USB-A ports and that USB-B port around back? Well, like many of the best monitors, the 40C1U features a built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch. So instead of having to connect, disconnect and then reconnect my mouse and keyboard over Bluetooth, I plugged their respective 2.4 GHz USB dongles into the back of the 40C1U. This let me use the same mouse and keyboard with multiple computers.

Since the USB-C cable plugged into the MacBook Pro handles both video and data, I was able to use my peripherals on Mac with just a single cable. However, because I connected the Framework Desktop via HDMI, I had to connect a USB-B to USB-A cable at the back of the monitor and then plug it into my PC. If you get a monitor with a built-in KVM switch that doesn’t come with this cable, don’t worry. Just like I did, you can likely borrow the one from your printer until you pick up a new one.

What I like about using the Innocn 40C1U with both of these computers is that I don’t have to press any buttons or mess around in the display’s settings menu to use my mouse and keyboard. Instead, I just switch inputs and the monitor does the rest, automatically assigning my peripherals to whichever computer is currently on screen. Having the option to use macOS or Windows 11 while working has been great and I’m kind of surprised I didn’t try something like this earlier.

With my dual-OS desk setup for work finished, it was time to try pushing the 40C1U — and the Framework Desktop too for that matter — to its limit.

Work hard, play wide

Now I know what you might be thinking: gaming on a 5K2K monitor requires a beefy gaming PC. I thought the same thing when I first booted up Steam on the Framework Desktop. Using a massive panel like the 40C1U for gaming seems impractical since you need to render a whole lot more pixels than you would on a 1080p or 1440p display.

I know Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR upscaling tech sometimes get a bad rap due to "fake frames," but in this instance, FSR was a lifesaver. When I first loaded up Death Stranding 2, everything looked a bit blurry at this high resolution. After updating AMD’s software and enabling FSR, however, the game was surprisingly playable.

I did have to drop the game’s internal resolution down to 2560 x 1080 and let FSR upscale it back to 5K2K. Much like when I brought the Framework Desktop to my living room to play on my 4K TV, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip and built-in Radeon 8060S graphics in this mini PC really surprised me.

Playing Death Stranding 2 on a 40-inch ultrawide adds so much immersion. With FSR enabled, my frame rate stayed at around 70 fps — even with the graphics set to high. I also didn’t have to worry about hooking up bookshelf speakers as the 40C1U has built-in audio. While you’ll still want one of the best gaming headsets for a truly premium experience, the monitor’s built-in speakers were more than capable.

It’s worth noting that with its 100Hz refresh rate, the 40C1U is a productivity monitor first and foremost. If you have a powerful GPU or don't mind enabling frame generation, you can certainly game on it, but running games natively at 5K2K will be a tall order for most rigs.

If you’re after a larger ultrawide primarily for gaming, the Innocn 40C1R is the better (and cheaper) choice. It has a more manageable 1440p resolution and a faster 144Hz refresh rate. Still, while it's better for high-speed gaming, you lose out on the incredible clarity and text crispness you get with the 40C1U’s 5K2K resolution.

The cost of simplicity

Deciding between a dual-monitor setup and a single ultrawide is a tough choice. You can pick up a pair of identical monitors — or even use mismatched ones like I did here — for a whole lot less than a massive ultrawide display. However, doing so requires a bit more work, both during the initial setup and in your daily workflow.

With two screens, you have twice the cables to manage. You also might need to swap out your power strip for one with more outlets and be much more deliberate with your cable management. Using a dual-monitor arm can help, but as I’ve found, this often requires longer cables to route through the arms and down to your computer.

When using a single ultrawide like the Innocn 40C1U, you cut your cable count in half. But since the display is so large, you might need to invest in a heavy-duty monitor arm. If you use a standard one, your monitor will likely droop instead of staying firmly in place.

After years of testing both configurations, I’d recommend setting aside some extra cash for a single, wider display. You don't have to worry about lining up bezels or managing a nest of wires. At the same time, both Windows and macOS also tend to play better with a single monitor than they do with multiple screens.

The Innocn 40C1U was the upgrade I needed to finally break down my previous setup and go back to an ultrawide. I’m not saying I won’t build another dual-monitor setup in the future — or finally tackle a quad-monitor one — but for now, I’m more than content using multiple computers on a single, massive display.

More from Tom's Guide

• I built a completely distraction-free desk setup with these 10 gadgets and now I’m truly locked in
• Monitor stand vs monitor arm: how to pick the right one for your display
• I spent a week with dual Apple Studio Displays and realized I’ve been lying to myself about glossy screens for years

The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B ($999) is one of the wildest devices I’ve tested. Like most of LG’s current gaming monitors, it lets you switch between two refresh rates. The difference is how high those numbers go: 540Hz at 1440p resolution and 720Hz at 720p resolution. No, those numbers aren’t typos! As things stand, this is certainly one of the fastest gaming monitors you can buy, but that’s not all the UltraGear 27GX790B-B has going for it.

The main complaint I have with every OLED gaming monitor I’ve reviewed is the dim HDR compared to other monitors. LG’s latest bucks that trend by delivering some of the brightest brights I’ve seen on similar devices. In fact, the company claims this is the world’s brightest OLED gaming monitor. I can’t verify if that’s true, but I’m inclined to believe it, especially after our testing.

As with all LG UltraGear monitors, this 27-inch model features an elegant design that’s well-suited for any office or gaming setup. Since this is a gaming monitor, you can enable RGB backlighting for fun. You also get a great range of motion to help you achieve the best viewing angle.

The insanely high refresh rates are certainly impressive and ensure that everything runs buttery smooth. However, unless you’re a professional gamer, you likely won’t be able to tell the difference between what you get here and what you’d get from a similar 240Hz monitor. In fact, I even question whether professionals can tell the difference.

Other than refresh rates that feel like tech flexing and the monitor topping out at 1440p, I have little to complain about. Faults aside, it’s certainly one of the best gaming monitors, especially if you want such high refresh rates. Find out more in my full review.

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B is a 27-inch OLED gaming monitor featuring two refresh rates: 540Hz at 1440p and 720Hz at 720p.
• Who is it for? For competitive gamers who need the absolute highest refresh rates.
• What does it cost? The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B costs $994 on Amazon.
• What do we like? We like the elegant design, high HDR brightness for an OLED gaming monitor, and relatively affordable price.
• What don’t we like? The super high refresh rates aren’t essential for most gamers, and the display tops out at 1440p resolution.

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: Specs

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: The ups

The UltraGear 27GX790B-B impresses thanks to its insanely high refresh rates, bright HDR brightness, and overall sleek design.

Lovely design

The 27GX790B-B has the classic LG UltraGear design, which is to say that it’s sleek and elegant. I like how the all-silver understated aesthetic can work just as well in an office environment as it would in a proper gaming den. Even the RGB lighting surrounding the monitor arm on the back is relatively subdued, should you choose to turn it on.

Gliding the monitor up and down along the stand is a smooth process, as is tilting it forward and back for that perfect viewing angle. If you want, you can also rotate the monitor a full 90 degrees for vertical orientation—something I certainly appreciate.

You get a good amount of ports, including two HDMI, one DisplayPort, a lone USB-C, and a pair of USB-A. All the ports are located on the back, so you’ll need to turn the whole monitor and stand around to access them. The button to switch from 540Hz to 720Hz is conveniently located underneath the display’s bottom bezel, along with the OSD joystick.

The wide and flat stand keeps the monitor in place even when you’re swiveling it. It’s also large enough to place items like your phone or an extra controller. The shaft doesn’t have an opening for tucking your cables through, but this isn’t a deal-breaker.

Vivid display

The 27-inch OLED panel on the 27GX790B-B is a sight to behold. Even though it tops out at 1440p, you get sharp, crisp picture quality when playing games or scrolling through websites. The OLED itself delivers strong contrast between dark and light elements, which helps oversaturated colors look even more vivid.

I played Cyberpunk 2077 on this monitor and was impressed by how vivid the dystopian Night City looked. All the cars, buildings, pedestrians, and holographic displays popped out, heightening my immersion. Similarly, YouTube videos and websites looked great.

The 27GX790B-B has 14 display modes, including modes dedicated to game genres like FPS and RTS. Most of the modes are only slightly different from one another, depending on their intended function. If these presets aren’t to your liking, the “Personalized Picture” mode offers a greater degree of customization.

One of the big selling points here is the HDR brightness, which LG claims is the highest ever for an OLED gaming monitor. To that end, let’s take a look at what our lab results had to say about the Max Brightness display mode.

As you can see from the table above, the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B produces oversaturated colors (sRGB and DCI-P3) and decent color accuracy (Delta-E). We saw similar values across most of the other modes. The Alienware AW2726DM also produces oversaturated hues, though it has better color accuracy (closer to 0 is best).

You’ll notice that the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B delivers significantly higher brightness than its Alienware counterpart. While 561 nits across 10% of the display might not sound impressive, keep in mind that this is nearly double what most OLED gaming monitors deliver. It makes a huge difference, making everything appear more vibrant.

Smooth performance

Thanks to its “Dual Mode” feature, discussing the 27GX790B-B’s performance isn’t as straightforward as it is with other gaming monitors. The default setting is 1440p at 540Hz. With the press of a button, you can switch to 720p at 720Hz. Both of these are tailor-made for professional competitive gamers or hardcore enthusiasts.

Regardless of which mode you choose, both have the same low response time of 0.02ms. Compatibility with Nvidia G-SYNC Compatible & AMD FreeSync Premium Pro also ensures smooth performance.

For my testing, I had the 27GX790B-B connected to the new Razer Blade 16 gaming laptop, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 “Panther Lake” CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 mobile GPU, and 32GB of RAM. That’s a pretty powerful gaming laptop, but even with such a rig, you’ll struggle to get frame rates that match this monitor’s refresh rates—even if you drop the graphics settings to low and disable all effects like ray tracing.

That said, even if you can’t get a game to run at 540 frames per second, games will run very smoothly. During my time testing Cyberpunk 2077 on this monitor, I never experienced screen tearing or input delays. The low response time also contributes to the excellent performance.

Simple UI

The 27GX790B-B has the same simple and clean interface I’ve come to expect from UltraGear monitors. This is where you’ll find the aforementioned display modes, along with picture adjust, sound, input, and general options. Everything is easy to locate.

The OSD (On Screen Display) joystick under the display is small but intuitive to use. You don’t have to apply much pressure when you’re moving it up, down, left, or right with your finger.

LG’s interface is pretty bare, but I like the simplicity since I always know where to find what I’m looking for. As I’ve said in previous reviews, the less time I spend fiddling around in the menu, the more time I can spend actually playing games.

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: The downs

The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B is certainly impressive, but its defining feature is also its greatest weakness.

Obscenely high refresh rate

The big selling point of this monitor is its super-high refresh rates. While it’s certainly impressive to see a monitor going as high as 720Hz, I don’t think it’s completely necessary.

The main issue is that very few games can achieve frame rates high enough to match the refresh rate. Perhaps you could pull it off if you’re playing an ancient game on the lowest possible settings and on a gaming rig with an RTX 5090 GPU and an obscene amount of RAM, but that’s the only scenario I can imagine.

Then there’s the loss of visual fidelity. 540Hz at 1440p looks fine, but everything looks very blurry when playing at 720Hz at 720p resolution. I understand you’re prioritizing performance over visuals, but if you can’t clearly see enemies in a game, is the extra refresh rate even worth it?

I realize I’m not the target esports player who would want such ludicrously high refresh rates. I might feel different if I had the reflexes and timing required for professional gaming. But as an average gamer, I’d rather have a monitor with a more modest refresh rate.

No 4K option

This ties into the last point, but to achieve such lofty refresh rates, resolution had to take a hit—hence why this isn’t a 4K monitor. That’s a shame, considering how the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B has a default setting of 240Hz and 4K resolution.

Again, I’m sure professional gamers are fine with sacrificing visuals to achieve the best performance possible—but I’m not that kind of gamer!

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: Verdict

There’s no denying that the LG UltraGear 27GX709B-B offers unprecedented performance. It also delivers astonishing HDR brightness for an OLED gaming monitor. For what you get, it’s certainly worth considering, even if it's admittedly for niche use cases.

That same focus on a specific audience is also this monitor’s greatest weakness. Yes, it’s cool that it can achieve such monumental refresh rates, but most folks don’t need that level of performance. And while the $999 asking price isn’t offensive, something like the $349 Alienware AW2726 has excellent performance and picture quality for a third of the cost—even if it doesn’t get nearly as bright.

The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B isn’t a gaming monitor for everyone, but it’s arguably the best at what it does. For that reason, I say check it out if you are a hardcore competitive gamer who wants what is arguably the fastest gaming monitor available.

Shortly after I began writing for Tom’s Guide, I covered a news story about an Asus gaming monitor boasting a 240Hz refresh rate. At the time, my team and I thought it was over the top. Who but the most hardcore gamer needed such high refresh rates? In the years since, we’ve only seen refresh rates on certain gaming monitors climb even higher.

What’s the point of all this? Simply put, the higher the refresh rate on the best gaming monitors, the smoother everything looks on screen. For competitive gamers, matching a game’s frame rate to a high refresh rate makes your actions feel fast and responsive. But even if you’re just a regular gamer, you can still benefit from a higher refresh rate.

I’m currently testing the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B ($994 on Amazon), a dual-mode monitor that can switch between 540Hz at 1440p and 720Hz at 720p. This monitor completely blows away the Alienware 500Hz monitor I reviewed a couple of years ago. While testing it, I can’t help but ask the obvious question: Do such high refresh rates truly benefit gamers, or is this all just flexing?

For this article, I’ve reached out to two Future colleagues: Brandon Hill from Tom’s Hardware and Dave James from PC Gamer. As hardware reviewers, they know their stuff and provided me with some great insight on this topic. Here’s what they had to say about high-refresh-rate gaming monitors, along with my own thoughts.

High refresh rates can be beneficial

Not everyone chasing ultra-high refresh rates is doing it purely for bragging rights. I checked in with my colleague Brandon Hill, senior editor at Tom’s Hardware, and he’s a firm believer that high-refresh-rate monitors are a boon for gaming — so long as you have the hardware to push them and the personal drive to take advantage of them.

He regularly games on a massive 49-inch 240Hz DQHD QD-OLED paired with an RTX 5090. Even with that kind of power, he often hovers around 180 FPS in Battlefield 6 while keeping the graphics settings high. “I prefer eye candy over insane refresh rates,” he told me.

The same thinking carries over to today’s dual-mode monitors. Brandon gets why the most hardcore esports players “would kill to eke out every possible frame to gain the upper hand online,” especially when you’re talking pixel response times in the 2ms range and super-low input lag. But he’s quick to admit he’s not in that camp. “I play for fun, not for competitive aspirations.”

Given the choice between 540Hz at crisp 1440p or 720Hz at 720p on something like the Sony Inzone M10S II, his pick is an easy one: “I’d choose the former every single time — and twice on Sundays.”

I agree with Brandon’s take here. While you certainly want games to run as smoothly as possible, it shouldn’t be at the expense of visual fidelity. My eyes scream whenever I switch to the LG UltraGear’s 720Hz mode since it’s locked to 720p resolution. And since I legit cannot tell or feel the difference with 720Hz gaming, sacrificing visuals really makes no sense.

Bragging rights?

Dave James, Editor-in-Chief of Hardware at PC Gamer, has a similar perspective about the benefit of insane refresh rates on gaming monitors. They can surely be beneficial, but they do feel like companies flexing what their hardware can achieve.

Dave says it largely depends on who you are and what kind of games you play. For those of us who mostly enjoy single-player or co-op experiences, he argues that 144Hz is still a fantastic refresh rate, with 240Hz now a realistic and worthwhile target. He understands why competitive players want to chase the absolute highest refresh rates they can manage, but stresses that they only become relevant “if you have a system that can drive frame rates to match.” This is something that’s getting easier thanks to upscaling technologies.

When you can actually keep up with the monitor, Dave says playing a competitive shooter on a super-fast screen “almost becomes like looking through a window.”

That said, Dave is much more skeptical about the other end of the spectrum. Once you get to numbers like 720Hz that are extremely difficult to fully utilize, he believes it shifts away from actual benefit. “Beyond genuinely achievable frame rates, these extra high refresh rates become less about gaming and more about numbers on a spec sheet you can use for marketing and one-upping the competition,” Dave told me. “At this level, those numbers aren't for us gamers.”

This is where I fall on this topic. I find it very impressive that LG and others can achieve such lofty refresh rates on their respective gaming monitors. However, it’s hard to see how this benefits anyone but the most hardcore professional gamers.

Bottom line

After hearing Brandon and Dave’s thoughts and spending time with the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B, my stance hasn’t changed much. These insanely high refresh rates are impressive, but they’re not essential for most gamers.

If you’re an esports competitor, monitors like this can give you a real edge. For everyone else? 144Hz or 240Hz at crisp resolution still delivers smooth gameplay and great picture quality without any sacrifice.

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If there’s only one monitor you buy this year, make it the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. This 34-inch QD-OLED monitor is an absolute delight and doesn’t give you much to complain about. For gamers, you’ve got a silky smooth 360Hz refresh rate and quick 0.03ms response time. For productivity power users, there’s accurate and wide color coverage and 10-bit color depth. It’s the ultimate hybrid monitor.

With plenty of connectivity options packed into a sleek design that doesn’t take up heaps of space on your desk, the X36 is one of the best curved monitors I’ve personally used and professionally tested. Performance on paper is just as solid as real-world use, and even though the monitor is expensive, it’s well worth the premium for a plethora of reasons.

For the complete breakdown, read my full MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review.

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: Specs

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A curved, ultrawide 34-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 0.03ms response time and 360Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Power users needing expanded screen real estate and best-in-class gaming performance
• How much does it cost? Quite a bit. The X36 retails for $949 / £999
• What do we like? The 360Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time for gaming, accurate and wide color coverage, sleek design, and AI features
• What don’t we like? The slightly dim panel and premium price tag

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: The ups

From its silky smooth 360Hz refresh rate and accurate color reproduction, to its 0.03ms response time and useful AI features, the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is the cream of the crop.

Sleek design

Though the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 features a 34-inch panel, it sports a sleek design. It comes in all-black with minimal branding and good-looking RGB lighting around the back. The panel is held together by a body that measures 32 x 8.9 x 21.3 inches, including the stand, and with the stand, the monitor weighs 29.7lbs. I didn’t find it too bulky or unwieldy to move around — trust me, I’ve carried it between studio spaces.

The base of the X36 stand is fairly compact too, as it has been upgraded from the previous Y-shaped stand to a sleek, flat base that’s thin enough to slide a keyboard over. The monitor can now sit closer to the wall for a more efficient and cleaner desk setup. If you like having two monitors on your desk, you’ll be pleased with how much the monitor can be tilted (20°), swivelled (60°) and pivoted (20°) — plenty of movement to achieve the ideal, ergonomic viewing angle.

Plenty of connectivity options

There’s no dearth of connectivity options and ports on the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. You’ll find the ports around the back, and these include: power, two HDMI 2.1, a DisplayPort 2.1a, two USB-A, one USB-B, a USB-C 98W PD, and a 3.5mm audio out for headphones. The X36 has you covered in basically every aspect. The USB-C port with its 98W power delivery means you can use your laptop or handheld console using a single cable.

Setting up is a walk in the park and it took me less than a minute to connect my laptop to the monitor. If you want to take advantage of the 360Hz refresh rate, which I did for the most part during my testing, you’ll need to use the DisplayPort 2.1a port.

Powerful gaming performance

If you want a curved monitor for an immersive and powerful gaming experience, there are few better than the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. Firstly, there are plenty of picture modes for both gaming and professional use, such as AdobeRGB, FPS, RPG, Premium Color, RTS, and… Black and White. The monochrome mode is good for accessibility reasons and can help reduce eye strain — or if you want a cinematic or aesthetic experience, if that’s your speed.

The X36 boasts some impressive specs, such as its 360Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. Regardless of the game I played, I didn’t experience any choppiness during fast-paced games, such as F1 25, and competitive first-person shooters, like Counter-Strike 2. The smooth, blur-free performance was nothing short of outstanding. The 0.03ms response also meant that I didn’t experience any ghosting or motion blur. This response time is on par with other high-end gaming monitors, such as the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099), and even faster than the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED (0.1ms, $1,099).

The QD-OLED panel is a sight for sore eyes, and playing on the X36 is some of the most fun I’ve had while gaming on a PC (as I’m more of a console fan). The X36’s screen is bright and boasts accurate color reproduction. In Forza Horizon 5, the greens were vivid and there was plenty of detail and depth to enjoy in the sand dunes. I also appreciated the level of detail revealed in the shadows in the moody Lies of P, where the world is always dark. I avoided a few jumpscares as I could see the faint outline of enemies in the black areas, which you may not necessarily notice otherwise.

My lab testing further confirmed the X36’s wide color replication, as you can see in the table above. The X36 covers the entirety of the sRGB color spectrum and then some, and this is also true in the case of the wider DCI P3 color gamut. While the Alienware AW3423DWF does slightly better on paper, colors on the X36 still look gorgeous and won’t give you much to complain about — and it performs better than the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED ($,199) too.

The 34-inch panel makes for a thoroughly immersive experience, especially in the first-person F1 25 where I felt like I was actually in the driver’s seat. The 21:9 aspect ratio wraps around your peripheral vision, which makes games feel more realistic, and because of the increased screen real estate, you can see more of the game world without needing to pan the camera as often.

Fantastic for work, too

If you’re spending big bucks on a 34-inch monitor, chances are you’ll be using it for things other than gaming — like work. The MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is a fantastic monitor for productivity, and I used it as my daily driver for writing articles, scrolling through long message threads on Slack, navigating ginormous spreadsheets, and some photo editing too.

As I noted earlier, the X36 boasts excellent color coverage, and the accuracy is not too shabby either, as proven by my lab testing and real-world use. The Delta-E score is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ, and how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). The closer the score to zero, the better.

The table above shows that the X36 has a Delta-E score of 0.15, compared to the Alienware AW3423DWF’s score of 0.24 (worse) and the Lenovo Legion 34WD-10’s score of 0.08 (better). While the X36 doesn’t rank as well as the 34WD-10, 0.15 is still excellent. Colors on screen appeared extremely accurate to me, and the monitor made quick work of color grading photos and videos in post-production.

For photographers who print, there’s an Adobe RGB color mode too. The Adobe RGB color gamut covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers versus sRGB. This, in turn, ensures color accuracy when editing images for printed photography. It’s great to see MSI include this color mode in a gaming-first monitor, as we were surprised to see it missing from the productivity-first BenQ PD3226G ($1,099).

You also get 10-bit color depth, which means that the X36 is capable of displaying 1.07 billion individual hues. This is great for those who capture 10-bit 4:2:2 raw video with the best cameras or the best drones. Having such a large display at your disposal also means there’s plenty of room for accessing all the controls and different settings in Adobe Photoshop and other software.

Useful AI features

Located just below the MSI logo on the front of the X36, you’ll find what looks like a webcam. It is, in fact, not a webcam, but an AI Care Sensor instead, which can automatically alter the X36’s settings by detecting a human in front of it. The AI Care Sensor, basically, detects images every 0.2 seconds to identify human presence and enable auto turn-offs to conserve energy.

While this is technically a camera, MSI was keen to point out to us that there is no storage functionality — it’s a camera with on-sensor autofocus subject detection capabilities, but it doesn’t actually write (store) that data, to allay any privacy concerns. Imagine a mirrorless camera with autofocus and detection, but with no SD card inserted to save images or video.

Via the settings menu, you can enable Active Mode, Wake On Approach, Lock on Leave, and more, and adjust the timers. If you’re sitting in front of the monitor and decide to get up to stretch your legs or get a coffee, the monitor will automatically turn off. It will turn itself back on when you return to your desk. This worked smoothly in my testing, and I think it’s quite a handy feature, especially if you want to protect your privacy or sensitive documents from onlookers. It’s also something I haven’t seen before on other monitors, so the X36 is well worth the premium (more on this shortly).

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: The downs

There’s a lot to love about the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, but it’s important to note that the QD-OLED panel isn’t especially bright for use in bright conditions, and it’s quite expensive.

A little dim

There isn’t a lot wrong with the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 but if you’re someone who wants the perfect brightness stats on paper, it’s worth noting that the monitor is a little on the dim side. OLED and QD-OLED monitors just aren’t very bright especially compared to IPS panels.

To test the X36’s brightness, I measured it in the standard SDR and HDR modes. As you can see in the table above, even though the X36 doesn’t sound especially bright, it still outclasses both the Alienware AW3423DWF and the Lenovo Legion 34WD-10 with its 280.2 SDR and 278 HDR scores. But the MSI MPG 321URXW ($1,099) and the LG UltraGear 45GR75DC ($899) are both much brighter in HDR — and LG’s offering is cheaper than MSI’s too.

While those scores aren’t particularly ideal for using the monitor in extremely bright or direct sunlight, chances are you’ll be using the X36 indoors anyway. I tested the X36 in the office with big windows located right behind me. Even when sunlight crept in, I was still able to see and read everything displayed properly on the monitor. Again, keep in mind that this isn’t a problem exclusive to the X36 — it’s just a limitation of OLED panels.

Expensive

If you’re planning on buying a QD-OLED ultrawide monitor, chances are you’ll be paying a premium. That’s just the nature of these monitors because of the technology and materials used, and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is no different. MSI lists the monitor for $1,099 on its website, but you can grab it for $949 at Walmart U.S. / £999 at Currys U.K. — which saves you $150 in the States.

This is more of a pre-purchase condition and not necessarily a drawback. Many other QD-OLED monitors we’ve tested cost either the same or a little less. For instance, the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED costs $1,099 too, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED retails for $1,199. Heck, even some of MSI’s non-ultrawide monitors, like the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED, cost nearly $1,100. That’s the price of admission for a QD-OLED panel.

Since the X36, at the time of writing, came out only in the first quarter of 2026, we haven’t seen it get any major discounts yet, but it’s worth keeping an eye on Black Friday sales if you don’t want to pay full price.

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: Verdict

MSI has knocked it out of the park, once again, with the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. This monitor is nothing short of gorgeous, with bright, vivid and accurate colors. Its 34-inch QD-OLED panel makes for an immersive gaming experience, and it’s a productivity powerhouse too. 360Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and actually useful AI features make the X36 a formidable monitor.

The X36 doesn’t take up too much space on your desk either, thanks to its sleek design, and there’s plenty of room for your peripherals and trinkets. Minimal branding also helps the monitor fit right into a professional office environment. If you want to use a second monitor with the X36, you should have no trouble doing so.

Is it worth nearly $1,000, though? I believe so. Not only is the X36 exceptional in real world use, my lab testing showed that it’s just as good on paper too. At the end of the day, the X36 is the crème de la crème of curved monitors.

The Alienware AW2726DM ($349) is something that’s becoming rarer these days: a premium device that won’t break your bank account. Sure, there are similarly-priced or even cheaper gaming monitors out there, but few have all the features you’ll find here.

So what do you get for $349? For starters, a 240Hz refresh rate that helps your games run buttery-smooth, along with a super low 0.03ms response time that offers virtually no lag. The 1440p resolution ensures a clear and sharp image on the 27-inch display, and the OLED panel delivers excellent contrast levels and vivid colors.

Aside from the relatively dim HDR and lack of RGB lighting, you’re not dealing with many trade-offs. The AW2726DM is so good, I’m half tempted to tell you to stop reading here and go out and buy one now. Of course, if you want to know more, then keep reading. Suffice it to say that the AW2726DM is one of the best gaming monitors you can buy — and good enough to find a home in my personal setup.

Alienware AW2726DM review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Alienware AW2726DM is a 27-inch OLED gaming monitor featuring a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and a 1440p resolution.
• Who is it for? For anyone who wants a decent-sized and feature-rich gaming monitor that’s extremely affordable.
• What does it cost? The Alienware AW2726DM costs $349 and is available now on Dell’s website.
• What do we like? We like the affordable price, vibrant image quality, small footprint, and its host of gamer-friendly features.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like the relatively dim HDR and lack of RGB.

Alienware AW2726DM review: Specs

Alienware AW2726DM review: The ups

The Alienware AW2726DM is a spectacular gaming monitor thanks to its rich feature set and jaw-dropping low price.

Vibrant OLED panel

The OLED panel is the star of the show, especially at this price. At 27 inches, you get just enough space to see everything clearly, even small text. The sharp 2560 x 1440 resolution also helps everything appear nice and sharp, even if it’s half the pixels of a 4K monitor. Thanks to the screen size, you also have enough space to place several open windows or apps.

When I tested Cyberpunk 2077 on the AW2726DM, I was impressed by the richness of the colors and the overall sharp image quality. The holographic fish floating above Night City’s busy financial district, along with the towering buildings and bustling streets, made you feel like you were in the middle of this cyberpunk dystopia.

As you can see in the table above, the AW2726DM delivers oversaturated hues on its standard setting. Color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) is well above the target 100%, which makes the colors very rich. Color accuracy (0.24) is also quite strong. The numbers don’t lie, this monitor delivers some truly vivid colors.

The Alienware AW2726DM has 11 display modes. This includes modes dedicated to game genres like FPS, RPG, and Sports. The modes are only slightly different from one another, depending on their function. If you’re not happy with any of the preset modes, the “custom color” option allows you to create one from scratch.

Understated design

The Alienware AW2726DM has an understated all-black design that makes it look more like a standard monitor than a gaming device. While it won’t draw attention when you’re using it around others, I personally love its simple, elegant chassis.

The 27-inch monitor rests on a sturdy 8.80-inch stand that doesn’t take up much space on your desk. Since the stand is flat, you’re able to place items like a game controller or phone to keep your desk even tidier. The bearing ring on the base of the stand lets you turn the entire thing 360 degrees.

It’s easy to move the monitor up or down 5.2 inches along the shaft’s stand with minimal force. You can also rotate the display a full 90 degrees if you need it to be vertical. The display tilts 5 degrees forward and 21 degrees backward. All of this lets you achieve your desired viewing angle.

Lastly, there's the port selection, which includes a pair of HDMI ports, a lone DisplayPort, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Reaching the ports is easy since you can turn the monitor 360 degrees on its base. While the port selection isn't extensive, you get the bare basics.

Excellent performance

The AW2726DM delivers phenomenal performance thanks to its buttery-smooth 240Hz refresh rate and fast 0.03ms response time. Keep in mind, those are features you usually get with more expensive gaming monitors. Compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync also helps deliver smooth gaming performance.

For my testing, I had the AW2726DM connected to the new Razer Blade 16 gaming laptop packing an Intel Core Ultra 9 “Panther Lake” CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 mobile GPU, and 32GB of RAM. You don’t need such a powerful gaming laptop or gaming PC for Alienware’s monitor, but that type of rig can help you utilize it to its full potential.

Cyberpunk 2077 ran like a dream thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate. I also didn’t notice input lag since the response time is a low 0.03ms. Professional gamers who are used to playing on something like the Alienware AW2524H with its insane 500Hz refresh rate might notice a difference, but average gamers like myself won’t. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed by the AW2726DM’s performance.

Clean interface

The Alienware AW2726DM has the same basic interface as other Alienware gaming monitors I’ve reviewed, such as the Alienware AW3425DW.

The user interface maintains its familiar look, featuring a black-and-gray background contrasted with blue-and-white text. Despite the extensive array of options, including display modes and various lighting adjustments, the clean layout ensures that navigating the settings is straightforward.

The OSD joystick used for sorting through menus is very responsive and easy to reach. Its flat, concave top allows you to have a firm hold as you’re clicking through the menus.

Alienware AW2726DM review: The downs

You’re getting fantastic value with the Alienware AW2726DM, but some compromises were made to keep its price affordable.

Not the brightest OLED

This is an issue with virtually all OLED gaming monitors I’ve ever reviewed, but the AW2726DM doesn’t deliver overly bright HDR. In fact, SDR brightness is overall dim across its various display modes.

As you can see above, the HDR brightness is about 340 nits at 10% of the display, so you do get good contrast between dark and light elements. Still, don’t expect eye-scorching levels of brightness even in the dedicated HDR modes. SDR brightness is also lower than the competition.

While I wish the display got brighter, you won’t exactly be squinting when using the monitor. Our office is pretty well lit, but the monitor’s lighting was suitable for the environment. I imagine it would look just right in my comparatively darker apartment.

No RGB

Alienware and RGB lighting are pretty synonymous, so it’s interesting that the AW2726DM has no RGB lighting of any kind. Even the Alienware logo on the back remains dark.

The lack of RGB isn’t a big deal for me since I’m neither for nor against it. And even if there were some RGB lighting on the back, it’s not like I’d be able to see it when I’m in front of the display. However, if you do like RGB, you might be disappointed.

Alienware AW2726DM review: Verdict

On its own, the Alienware AW2726DM is a brilliant gaming monitor that ticks all the right boxes for picture quality and performance. The fact that it only costs $349 just makes it all the better, especially during a time when gaming devices are becoming so expensive.

While you’re not getting bright HDR or RGB lighting, the AW2726DM’s faults are easy to overlook given its generous asking price. If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming den with a new or extra monitor, don’t pass up on this one. Right now, it’s the best value gaming monitor out there. As I said in the headline, it's so good that I'm buying two for myself!

The Alienware AW2726DM is the gaming monitor we need right now. With RAMageddon driving up the price of electronics, a $349 device that’s so feature-rich is almost miraculous. Yes, there are similar monitors out there, but none offer this kind of bang for your buck.

I’ve been testing the new Alienware monitor for a week after first seeing it at a press event, and it’s been a revelation. You get a sharp 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED panel with a smooth 240Hz refresh rate and an ultra-low 0.03ms response time. Thanks to those specs, everything looks and runs like a dream. The fact that there are virtually no compromises for the price is wild.

I’ll have my full Alienware AW2726DM review for you soon. Right now, here’s why this affordable gaming monitor has won me over and why I’m ready to buy at least two of them for my own home setup.

Display

Naturally, the star of the show is the display.

While I’m slightly more partial to 34-inch monitors, I won’t say no to a more compact 27-inch display — especially when it looks this good. This size helps the 2560 x 1440 resolution look sharp and lets you clearly see everything on the screen. For work, you also get plenty of space to comfortably keep several windows open.

Cyberpunk 2077 ran buttery-smooth on this monitor, thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate. I also didn’t notice input lag, since the response time is a low 0.03ms. I’ve only seen that on much more expensive monitors. Unless you’re a professional gamer who needs an even higher refresh rate, you won’t be disappointed with the performance.

There are nine main display modes, and each delivers generally oversaturated colors that make games look vibrant. You can see a handful of the modes in the table above for reference.

HDR brightness isn’t all that bright, but that’s something I’ve come to expect from OLED gaming monitors. As you can see above, the brightness is about 340 nits at 10% of the display, so you do get good contrast between dark and light elements. Still, don’t expect eye-scorching levels of brightness even in the dedicated HDR modes.

Design

Since the Alienware AW2726DM is a 27-inch gaming monitor, it’s easy to find a spot for it in just about any gaming or office setup. I’ve been using it at the office, and no one has caught on that it’s a gaming monitor.

The square 8.80-inch stand provides sturdy support. Its flat design lets you easily place items like your phone or an extra controller on it, helping keep your desk tidy. You can glide the monitor 5.2 inches along the stand’s shaft, rotate it 90 degrees, and tilt it 5/21 degrees. There’s also a bearing ring on the base that lets you turn the entire thing 360 degrees.

The monitor has a simple, all-black design that I quite like. There’s an understated Alienware logo on the right side, but nothing else beyond that. One concern is that there is no RGB lighting, even for the logo. I personally don’t mind this since I’m somewhat neutral on RGB lighting, but it’s worth noting as one of the few trade-offs.

Alienware AW2726DM Outlook

I still need to test more games before rendering my final verdict, but given what you get for the price, I can already see the Alienware AW2726DM finding a spot on our best gaming monitors guide. You get a sharp, vivid display with excellent performance in an easy-to-manage design. It ticks all the right boxes.

At the risk of undermining my own review, I say just go out and buy the Alienware AW2726DM now. As I said, I’m seriously considering buying a pair for myself. That price is extremely enticing. But if you’d rather wait for my full review before pulling the trigger, keep it locked here. Stay tuned!

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I’ve tried out a lot of different multi-monitor configurations over the years, from standard dual-monitor setups to stacked displays and even a triple monitor setup that completely wrapped around my desk. However, I never thought I’d see the day that I’d have not one, but two of Apple’s Studio Displays side by side.

At $1,599 for the standard Studio Display and $3,299 for the new Studio Display XDR, Apple’s monitors are certainly an investment and are geared more towards professionals than the average person. In fact, they’re one of the most expensive options you can get, even among the best monitors.

Back when I reviewed the Mac mini M4, Apple sent over a Studio Display for me to use as my daily driver. It has served me well since, and I still find myself admiring its design and build quality. Recently though, I had a chance to review the upgraded Studio Display XDR.

Featuring a faster 120Hz refresh rate and Apple’s first-ever Mini-LED panel in a standalone display, the XDR is a sight to behold. Once that review was finished, I realized I had both monitors in my office at the same time. Naturally, I decided to put them side by side to compare them — and I simply couldn’t bring myself to break down the highest resolution (and most expensive) dual-monitor setup I’ve ever assembled.

Here’s what it’s been like using dual Studio Displays for a week, and how the stark differences between the two led to a realization that has me completely rethinking what I look for in a monitor.

Not quite a fair comparison

Although they might look identical at first glance, there are some major differences between the original Studio Display and Apple’s new Studio Display XDR. Released back in 2022, the first-generation Studio Display features a 60Hz LED panel with 600 nits of brightness. Under the hood, it’s rocking an A13 Bionic chip — the same one found in the iPhone 11 series and the iPhone SE (2nd gen) — paired with 64GB of onboard storage.

While somewhat dated now, these specs remain impressive as standard monitors aren’t powered by mobile chips, nor do they come equipped with their own internal storage. Most built-in monitor speakers are basic 5W units, but here you get a six-speaker array. While Apple keeps the exact wattage close to its chest, the total output is estimated to be in the 40W to 60W range.

Apple has given the Studio Display XDR a host of upgrades beyond its new Mini-LED panel. For starters, it’s now powered by an A19 Pro chip (the one from the iPhone 17 Pro series), and the internal storage has been doubled to 128GB. Another big change I’m particularly fond of is that the tilt- and height-adjustable stand is now the default, rather than an expensive optional add-on.

Around back is where things really get interesting. Instead of a trio of standard USB-C ports, the Studio Display XDR features a downstream Thunderbolt 5 port in addition to its upstream one. The upstream port lets you easily connect and charge one of the best MacBooks with a single cable, while the downstream port makes using multiple displays even easier.

You see, you can daisy-chain them by plugging a second monitor into that downstream Thunderbolt 5 port instead of running another cable back to your Mac. This makes getting a Studio Display-powered dual-monitor setup up and running much simpler. Much to my surprise, I was able to pull this off with the Studio Display XDR on the right and the original Studio Display on the left.

With the technical testing out of the way, curiosity got the better of me. It was time to see what running dual Studio Displays would feel like, and how working on what is effectively a 10K horizontal workspace would affect my workflow.

Living side by side

Since the original Studio Display that Apple sent over only has a tilt adjustable stand, I had to lower the height of the Studio Display XDR to match it. Then, to tie the two together and to illuminate my workspace, I put the BenQ Screenbar Halo 2 between them. It’s a fantastic monitor light bar in its own right. However, while BenQ did add a cutout at its base so you can use it with the Studio Display without blocking the monitor’s built-in webcam, I really like how I used it to close the miniscule gap between the two displays for good.

Naturally, I’m using a trackball mouse for this desk setup alongside one of the best mechanical keyboards. The premium build of the Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K felt like a natural fit — especially with a Magic Trackpad sitting next to it — to round things out. To say I was impressed with how everything turned out is an understatement; I felt a similar magic sitting at my desk as I did back when Steve Jobs pulled the first MacBook Air out of a manila envelope.

Now that I had the original Studio Display and the new Studio Display XDR next to each other without so much as a slight gap between them, it was time to put this new desk setup to the test. I’m a big multitasker as is and prefer an ultrawide monitor for maximum screen real estate but this immediately felt like overkill.

One thing I love about the Studio Display’s 5K resolution is that it provides enough room for two full-sized apps — or in my case, Chrome windows — side by side. With a Studio Display on each side, I bumped that up from two to four. To be honest, it almost felt like using Chrome’s new Split Tabs feature, albeit without any extra right-clicking.

Now if both of these Studio Displays had VESA mounting brackets around back (a paid add-on with the original but standard with the XDR), I would have used one of the best monitor arms instead. Since they didn’t, I kept the two monitors side by side and this worked out as I didn’t have to pick up another monitor light bar or choose between placing it on top of either display.

As I went about my workday responding to messages on Slack, jumping on video calls and writing stories, it wasn’t the Studio Display XDR’s Mini-LED panel that stood out to me the most. Instead, it was another optional upgrade or the lack thereof on my original Studio Display that made a massive difference.

Stuck between glare and glow

When I first had the chance to try out a Studio Display, I was so excited that Apple was sending over a Mac mini M4 that I didn’t even think to ask about the monitor's specifics. As such, I ended up with a tilt-adjustable stand instead of a height-adjustable one. This was easily rectified with a desk shelf, though.

Over the course of using and photographing the original Studio Display for my Mac mini M4 review, one thing became abundantly clear: this monitor was glossy — almost too glossy.

Now don’t get me wrong, glossy displays certainly have their place. They’re better suited for dark rooms, like a living room where you’re not constantly dealing with ambient light. This makes blacks look deeper and inkier, but it also makes colors appear more saturated so that they pop off the screen. This is one of the main reasons the best TVs tend to feature glossy panels over matte ones.

I first used the original Studio Display in my living room where there’s a lot of natural light before bringing it into my office. Now, I do sit facing the window, but since I have another desk setup on the other side of the room, the glow from that computer can often be seen on the Studio Display’s panel. I notice this most when trying to take pictures, as I consider glare on a screen a non-starter for a great photo. However, it does bother me during the workday, too.

With the Studio Display XDR, I didn’t have a say in the configuration as it arrived on my doorstep while I was technically off for the week. I have to give credit to my team on this one; they requested a review unit with Apple’s nano-texture glass as opposed to its standard — and very glossy — glass.

Now I tried out a QD-OLED display back when I reviewed the MSI MPG 321URXW but I have to admit, this was my first foray with a Mini-LED panel. Sure, it was a lot brighter and the contrast was much improved over that of a standard LED display. However, the biggest and most noticeable difference between these two monitors, at least for me, was their finish.

To give you an idea of the difference between Apple’s standard glass and its $300 extra nano-texture glass, I held up a portable LED video light and pointed it at the two displays. As you can see in the picture above, you can make out the individual LEDs on the original Studio Display on the left but you can’t see a trace of them on the Studio Display XDR on the right.

I know $300 is a lot when you’re already paying $1,599 or $3,299 for one of Apple’s monitors, but having seen both glass options side by side, I’d easily pay extra if I were buying one of my own. Yes, the glossy standard glass still looks great. However, unless you’re only working at night or have invested in some serious blackout curtains, the glare on this premium monitor is enough to take me out of my workflow.

Although I really enjoyed working at a desk with dual Studio Displays, this experiment taught me something about myself. Previously, I spent years thinking glossy was the be all and end all when it came to premium monitors. Just like having a higher resolution, it was the kind of feature I’d seek out before deciding on one monitor over another. Now though, after seeing a glossy and matte display side by side, I think I’d pick the latter every time.

A matte believer

Sometimes when it comes to picking one technology over another, things start small and then quickly escalate. That’s exactly what happened to me — first with a tablet and now with a monitor.

Last year in Taiwan, just as I was about to head home, the Tom’s Guide computing team took a trip to the biggest electronics market in Taipei. While there, I stumbled upon one of TCL’s tablets and had a chance to try out the company’s NXTPAPER tech for myself.

I pulled up the Tom’s Guide home page and, much to my surprise, when I went to take a photo of it, there wasn’t a hint of glare even though I was in a brightly lit mall with harsh overhead lighting.

Much like Apple’s nano-texture glass, the tablet had a matte display that left an impression on me instantly, and not because it had a massive 14-inch screen. Then at the end of last year, TCL sent that tablet along with its NXTPAPER 11 Plus for me to check out. As it turns out, it wasn’t a one-off. Instead, without really giving it a second thought, I had become a matte believer.

Now, after trying Apple’s Studio Display XDR with the nano-texture glass option, I’m ready to ditch all my glossy screens. Think of it like how once you get one of the best OLED TVs, that old IPS monitor has got to go. In fact, I found myself salivating over a TV with a matte display at Costco just last weekend.

The Studio Display XDR is a massive upgrade over the original thanks to its improved specs and, of course, its new Mini-LED panel. However, if you’re considering picking one up for yourself — or even a second-gen, standard Studio Display — you owe it to yourself to at least see one with nano-texture glass before deciding between the two. Who knows? You just might be as impressed with its matte display as I am.

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The Apple Studio Display XDR (starting at $3,299 / AU$5,499) is a massive upgrade over the original and is easily the best monitor the company has made yet. By merging its Pro line with its consumer-oriented Studio Display, Apple has managed to give creative professionals the best of both worlds in a familiar form factor.

Unlike the larger Pro Display XDR at 32 inches, the new Studio Display XDR is a 27-inch, 5K monitor that looks almost identical to the standard Studio Display. However, the monitor’s new Mini-LED panel is the star of the show, delivering an impressive 2,000 nits of brightness and much deeper blacks.

The other big upgrade with the refreshed Studio Display and this new XDR model is Thunderbolt 5 support. In addition to an upstream Thunderbolt 5 port, you also get a downstream port for daisy-chaining multiple Studio Display XDR monitors or connecting premium accessories like high-speed, external SSDs.

The Studio Display XDR delivers on the visual front, but its six internal speakers and 12MP webcam have also received a significant upgrade. Powered by the A19 Pro chip found in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the camera now supports native Desk View, while the redesigned speakers offer 30% deeper bass.

However, some old frustrations remain: you can still only connect one Mac at a time, and you’re paying a $1,700 premium over the standard model for that 120Hz ProMotion panel with Mini-LED backlighting. To soften the blow, Apple finally includes the tilt and height-adjustable stand — or a VESA adapter — free of charge.

My Studio Display XDR review will help you decide if this premium monitor is the right display for your needs or if you’re better off leaving Apple’s ecosystem for a cheaper option with similar specs.

Apple Studio Display XDR: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch, 5K Mini-LED monitor for creative workflows and productivity.
• Who is it for? Creators and other professionals who want Apple’s best monitor yet and are willing to pay a premium for it.
• What does it cost? The Studio Display XDR costs $3,299 / AU$5,499 for the standard glass model or $3,599 / AU$5,999 for the one with Apple’s nano-texture glass. Both come with a tilt and height-adjustable stand included.
• What do we like? The stunning Mini-LED panel with deeper blacks, the smoother 120Hz refresh rate, the Thunderbolt 5 port for daisy-chaining displays or for external storage, the wider camera and Desk View support, and how Apple now includes a height-adjustable stand with the monitor.
• What don’t we like? That the Studio Display XDR still only has one input port, its higher price, and how there’s only one size option.

Apple Studio Display XDR: Specs

Apple Studio Display XDR: The ups

The Studio Display XDR is a massive upgrade over the standard model, featuring a 120Hz Mini-LED panel and Thunderbolt 5 support. However, it’s the way these high-end internals work together that makes the monitor truly shine.

XDR but in a familiar design

At 24.5 x 18.8 x 8.4 inches with a 27-inch display and an all-aluminum design, the Studio Display XDR is almost identical to the original Studio Display at first glance. This might come as a bit of a shock to Pro Display XDR users who prefer that monitor’s larger screen, but at 27 inches, the Studio Display XDR is the ideal size for most people and will easily fit on any desk.

Around back, this new monitor still has the same hard-wired power cable since it’s too thin to accommodate a detachable one. You aren’t limited to a tilt-only stand, though, and instead, you can choose between a tilt and height-adjustable one or a VESA mount adapter at checkout. Both options are included in the price and no longer cost an extra $400 like they do with the standard Studio Display.

The only other big visual difference between the two is that the Studio Display XDR is slightly thicker with a larger grill across the top of the monitor. This helps keep the A19 Pro chip and the rest of its internals cool.

The Studio Display XDR isn’t a radical departure from the original but rather another member of the new Studio Display family. Instead, it’s what's inside that sets this monitor apart.

A more versatile Thunderbolt

Around back is where things begin to look a bit different. While Apple’s first Studio Display had a single Thunderbolt 3 port and three high-speed USB-C ports, the Studio Display XDR bumps the monitor’s lone upstream port to Thunderbolt 5.

Capable of transferring data at up to 120 Gb/s, this Thunderbolt 5 port delivers even more power. In fact, with 140W of passthrough charging (vs 96W on the original), the Studio Display XDR is powerful enough to fast-charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro.

While I would have preferred a second input around back, Apple gave us the next best thing by swapping one of those high-speed USB-C ports with a downstream Thunderbolt 5 one.

In addition to connecting external hard drives and other Thunderbolt-powered accessories, you can also use this downstream port to connect a second Studio Display XDR and drive both monitors with a single cable connected to your MacBook.

If you’re considering upgrading, it’s worth noting that the Studio Display XDR requires you to have macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 or later installed. Likewise, only the following Macs and iPads with Apple Silicon are compatible with this new display:

• 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021 and later)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021 and later)
• 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020 and later)
• 15-inch MacBook Air (2023 and later)
• 13-inch MacBook Air (M1, 2020 and later)
• Mac Studio (2022 and later)
• Mac mini (2020 and later)
• Mac Pro (2023 and later)
• 24-inch iMac (2021 and later)iPad Pro (M4 and M5)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd–6th generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st–4th generation)
• iPad Air (M2, M3, and M4)
• iPad Air (5th generation)

It’s also worth noting that Macs with M1, M2, or base M3 chips — as well as most iPads — are limited to a 60Hz refresh rate on this monitor. To use 120Hz ProMotion, you’ll need an M4 or M5 series chip or an M2/M3 Pro, Max, or Ultra chip.

Smoother, brighter, and deeper

From the instant I plugged the new Studio Display XDR into my Mac mini M4, Apple’s decision to go with a Mini-LED panel with a faster refresh rate over a standard IPS LED one made a huge difference. After turning its refresh rate up to 120Hz, my mouse cursor glided more smoothly across its screen, and scrolling up and down web pages felt and looked better, too.

You don’t have to leave the refresh rate at 120Hz, though, as the Studio Display XDR also supports an adaptive refresh rate that goes from 47 to 120Hz depending on the task at hand.

In the Displays page in the Settings menu, you also have several new color presets to pick from, including a native Adobe RGB one as well as specialized ones for HDR photography and even Medical Imaging (DICOM).

Watching videos on the Studio Display XDR is equally impressive. In the 2025 live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, Toothless with his all-black scales really stood out against the 2,304 local dimming zones. Likewise, when I watched the latest trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the colors really popped as Mario and Princess Peach looked up at the sky from Peach’s Castle.

Now, if I had a more powerful Mac, I’m sure gaming at 120Hz on the Studio Display XDR would be awesome. Given I only had a Mac mini M4 to test this new display, though, I fired up the original Bioshock and even then, the underwater city of Rapture was a sight to behold.

The same was true when I looked at pre-edited photos in Preview and touched up a few images in GIMP.

Inching closer to an all-in-one

Just like on the new MacBook Neo, the Studio Display XDR features one of Apple’s mobile chips inside. In fact, this monitor is technically faster than that new budget MacBook, as the company’s A19 Pro chip (as opposed to the A18 Pro) handles all of the image processing for its 12MP Center Stage camera.

With an A19 Pro chip under the hood, the Studio Display XDR’s built-in webcam is more capable at producing a cleaner image in low light. However, it’s also what allows you to use Apple’s Desk View feature natively, without having to mount an iPhone on top of your monitor.

At the same time, the A19 Pro serves as a dedicated audio processor. It manages the Studio Display XDR’s six-speaker array to deliver 30% deeper bass by using computational audio. In my testing, audio sounded great both while watching videos and playing games, and the built-in mics were crystal clear during our Monday morning video call.

The $3,299 price tag can certainly be a shock, but when you factor in that the Studio Display XDR essentially has the "brain" of an iPhone 17 Pro Max inside, powering its smart features, that higher price starts to make a bit more sense.

Apple Studio Display XDR: The downs

The Studio Display XDR is a big step up over the original and even beats the Pro Display XDR in some ways. However, many of the same grievances with the original remain, including the fact that you still can’t connect more than one Mac or computer at a time.

Still just a single input

Before the Studio Display XDR was announced, I hoped Apple would upgrade its connectivity and not just the monitor’s panel. While Cupertino did give us a second, downstream Thunderbolt 5 port, I was hoping it would break free from the "one cable" mentality and give us a second upstream port too. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case here.

While you can easily connect and charge one of the best MacBooks using a single cable, what if you have more than one Mac? For instance, you might use a MacBook Pro on the go and have a Mac mini or even a Mac Studio at home. In that case, instead of switching between the two on the display itself, you have to unplug the Thunderbolt 5 cable from one and plug it into the other.

If you mainly use Apple computers, you can use your MacBook wirelessly alongside a Mac Studio or Mac mini via Universal Control. However, if you have to use one of the best Windows laptops for work, you’re out of luck when it comes to seamless multitasking.

While the XDR will display a Windows signal, the lack of a second input or a built-in KVM switch means you’re stuck playing "musical cables" every time you want to switch devices.

One size might not fit all

Don’t get me wrong, a 27-inch display is perfect for most people. However, creative professionals like video editors working with lots of clips and long timelines can definitely benefit from a larger monitor.

Going from the 32-inch Pro Display XDR down to the 27-inch Studio Display XDR might be hard for pro users. Sure, you’re getting a better and brighter display, but you’re also losing five inches of screen real estate and dropping from 6K to 5K resolution at the same time.

I would have liked the Studio Display XDR to retain that larger 32-inch screen size, but I understand why Apple decided to consolidate this new monitor into the more popular 27-inch frame. At least you can easily connect two Studio Display XDRs with a single Thunderbolt 5 cable for an almost ultrawide experience using Apple’s displays — though that setup will set you back a staggering $6,598.

Priced like a Pro

At $3,299 — or $3,599 with nano-texture glass — the Studio Display XDR is certainly an investment. While it is $1,700 cheaper than the now-discontinued Pro Display XDR, the price jump from the standard $1,599 model is massive. You are essentially paying the price of a second monitor for the privilege of having Mini-LED and ProMotion.

At the same time, the Studio Display XDR’s higher price might have you considering non-Apple alternatives. The ASUS ProArt PA32QCV ($1,299) is a compelling option for those who miss the 32-inch screen size, offering 6K resolution and a built-in KVM switch for half the price. Meanwhile, the BenQ MA270S ($999) matches Apple’s 27-inch 5K resolution and even allows you to control brightness and volume directly from your MacBook keyboard.

There are some trade-offs when leaving the Apple ecosystem — you lose the 2,000-nit peak brightness, the "Edge Light" features, and the 120Hz fluidity. But if you value sheer screen real estate or budget over perfect interoperability, I’d recommend looking into these alternatives before paying over $3K for the new Studio Display XDR.

Apple Studio Display XDR: Verdict

The Apple Studio Display XDR is the upgrade we’ve been waiting for — featuring a brighter, more responsive Mini-LED panel and significantly faster Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

You also get improved speakers, a wider field of view from the built-in webcam, and, for the first time on an Apple monitor, native Desk View functionality powered by the A19 Pro chip. I also appreciate that the tilt- and height-adjustable stand is included in the base price rather than being a hidden $400 upgrade.

The Studio Display XDR isn’t perfect, though. The fact that you’re still limited to one upstream port remains a major hurdle for multi-device setups, and the 27-inch screen size may feel like a step down for those coming from the 32-inch Pro Display XDR. Then again, for creative professionals with a smaller workspace, this consolidated form factor could be a welcome change.

If you’re looking for the best monitor Apple has to offer and have a compatible Mac capable of taking full advantage of its 120Hz ProMotion panel, the Studio Display XDR is a worthwhile investment. It’s a powerhouse that will handle any creative workload you can throw at it — and look better than anything else on your desk while doing it.

Apple has continued its March event announcements by unveiling a pair of new displays designed to pair with the best MacBooks and the Mac mini. The new Studio Display is an upgrade to the Studio Display (2024), while the all-new Studio Display XDR takes the place of the Pro Display XDR as Apple's professional-grade monitor option.

First launched back in 2022, Apple’s 27-inch 5K monitor has long been one of the best monitors you can buy for the Mac mini M4. The new model, refreshed for 2026, includes a 12MP Center Stage camera with improved image quality and support for Desk View, a studio-quality three-microphone array, and an immersive six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio.

Apple has also added Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, providing more downstream connectivity for high-speed accessories or daisy-chaining displays. This new version starts at $1,599 and Apple is starting pre-orders for it tomorrow, March 4 with general availability starting on March 11.

Meet the Studio Display XDR

Alongside the revamped Studio Display, Apple has also announced the Studio Display XDR, which it calls the "world's best pro display."

The 27-inch 5K Retina XDR display features an advanced mini-LED backlight with over 2,000 local dimming zones, up to 1000 nits of SDR brightness, and 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness. Like its sibling, it includes a 12MP Center Stage camera, three-microphone, six-speaker sound system and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

Designed for workflows like HDR video editing or 3D rendering, Studio Display XDR boasts a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, P3 and Adobe RGB wide color gamuts and a 120Hz refresh rate with Adaptive Sync.

"Studio Display XDR is a huge leap forward for XDR technology, with a mini-LED backlight, 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness, advanced color accuracy, and a 120Hz refresh rate, transforming workflows like filmmaking, design and print, and 3D animation," said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. "It’s by far the world’s best pro display.”

All that power comes at a cost, and Studio Display XDR with its tilt- and height-adjustable stand starts at $3,299. Like the regular Studio Display, it is available in standard or nano-texture glass options, and can be pre-ordered starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.

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• MacBook Air M5 revealed: Price, release date and all the upgrades
• MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max announced — price, release date, specs and more
• iPad Air M4: The 3 biggest upgrades for Apple's new tablet

Instead of a full-on keynote presentation, Apple has a “big week ahead” of it starting today with three days of back-to-back product announcements.

From various leaks and rumors, we already have a good idea of what you can expect to see. From a low-cost MacBook that could launch in colorful new designs to more powerful, M5-powered MacBook Air and Pro models, there will be quite a few new Apple computers unveiled.

Likewise, on the mobile front, we’re likely getting a brand new standard iPad as well as an upgraded iPad Air with a new chipset. Not to be outdone by the long-awaited, more affordable iPad, Apple will likely also be showing off the new iPhone 17e.

All of these announcements are enough to get any Apple fan excited, but as a desktop user, I’m most looking forward to an updated Studio Display. First launched back in 2022, Apple’s 27-inch 5K monitor has long been one of the best monitors you can buy for the Mac mini M4. However, in 2026, it’s beginning to look a bit long in the tooth, especially as displays from LG, Samsung, and others keep adding new features.

While I don’t know whether or not we will see a Studio Display 2 at next week’s Apple event, here are the upgrades I want to see most as someone who’s been using the original Studio Display for over a year now.

A detachable power cable

When I first unboxed the Apple Studio Display, I almost gasped. Sure, it was a gorgeous, premium monitor that was packaged incredibly well, but I wasn’t expecting to see a hardwired power cable jutting out from the back. Instead, this is the kind of design decision I’d expect to find on one of the best budget TVs.

So why does the Studio Display have a non-detachable power cable? At just 1.2 inches at its thickest point, the standard port used by monitors with built-in power supplies is just too big. While it could have made the Studio Display slightly thicker to accommodate this port, Apple decided to just make the power cord a permanent fixture instead.

A detachable power cable on the Studio Display 2 would be an instant upgrade in my opinion. You’d have a bit more flexibility when setting up the display, and if you needed a longer cable, you could purchase one separately. How would Apple pull this off without making the Studio Display 2 thicker? Easily, by using a USB-C port and a GaN (Gallium Nitride) charger. This would solve both issues, and with a max power draw of around 170 to 180W, USB-C PD 3.1 (which supports up to 240W) would do the trick nicely.

Multiple sizes

Don’t get me wrong, 27 inches is almost the perfect size for a monitor. Neither too big nor too small, it’s really the sweet spot for most desk setups, and with a 5K resolution, you can easily have two windows open side by side while working. However, if we have a standard, Pro, and Pro Max iPhone, why can’t it be the same for Apple’s monitors?

The current Studio Display features a 27-inch panel, but with Studio Display 2, I’d love to see some more size options. Now I wouldn’t get rid of the 27-inch version as it really is the best for most people. But for those that want a slightly bigger screen — say for scrubbing through the timeline in Final Cut Pro — a 32-inch Studio Display 2 would be perfect. That way, those looking for a larger display wouldn’t have to leave the Apple ecosystem for a monitor from LG, Samsung, BenQ, or MSI.

A modular stand

With the current Studio Display, you can get either a Tilt-only stand, a Tilt-and-Height stand, or a VESA mount at the back if you’d rather use one of the best monitor arms. However, once you make this decision, you’re locked in. None of Apple’s monitor stands are user-replaceable. Instead, if you’re tired of craning your neck down to look at your monitor, you’ll need to drive to your nearest Apple Store and have one of the company’s certified technicians do the swap for you.

Given how much Apple likes to talk about health with the Apple Watch and its Apple Fitness app, you’d figure ergonomics would be at the top of its list when it comes to adding new features to its products. With the Studio Display 2, I’d love to be able to swap out its stand or be able to put it on a monitor arm all on my own. Even if the optional monitor stands were still priced at a premium, at least that would save me an awkward trip to the mall with a very expensive monitor under my arm.

More than one video input

With a premium monitor like the Studio Display, I thought I’d be able to have two computers connected at the same time, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Though I usually have it connected to my Mac mini M4, when I reviewed the Khadas Mind 2S, which has a Thunderbolt 4 port on the back, I tried plugging it into Apple’s monitor, and it worked. The problem, though, I couldn’t have both mini PCs connected at the same time, as the Studio Display only has one upstream Thunderbolt 3 port.

Since you might have a Mac mini or a Mac Studio at home and use one of the best MacBooks for work, wouldn’t it be great to be able to connect them both to your monitor at the same time? I get why Apple didn’t put any HDMI or DisplayPort connections on the back of the Studio Display, as Thunderbolt gives you that magical one cable experience to charge and for video output. However, I’d love to see a second upstream port on the Studio Display 2. That way, you could use a desktop and a laptop with the same monitor without having to unplug either.

A built-in KVM switch

Speaking of using two computers at the same time, another great feature I’d like to see on the Studio Display 2 is a KVM switch. You can find these on a lot of productivity-focused monitors today, and with one, you can use the same mouse and keyboard across multiple computers.

I know Apple is partial to Bluetooth peripherals, but even Logitech still includes 2.4 GHz USB dongles with its MX Master Series devices. The Magic Mouse and its awkward charging port aren’t for anyone, so why not give Studio Display 2 users options?

In addition to a KVM switch, I’d also like to see Windows support on the Studio Display 2. It might not be the first choice for Windows users when picking up a new monitor, but at least everything — like the built-in webcam and microphones — would work properly when connected to one of the best Windows laptops.

HDR support

In recent years, HDR has become a standard feature on the best TVs. With monitors, though, it’s still a bit of a gamble as some will have DisplayHDR 400 on the box, but this just means the display can reach 400 nits of brightness. If you want a monitor with TV-like High Dynamic Range, you’re going to want to get one with HDR 400 True Black.

The current Studio Display doesn’t have HDR, but if Apple is going to add this feature to really make the colors pop on the Studio Display 2, it should do what it does best and take things to the next level. In 2026, DisplayHDR 1000 is considered the gold standard for this tech, and by getting its next monitor up to this level, that would be a 400-nit increase over the current Studio Display’s 600 nits of brightness.

One way Apple could do this is by ditching the IPS LCD panel in the original Studio Display and going with a Mini-LED one instead. In a similar way to OLED, Mini-LED uses localized dimming for improved contrast to make blacks really pop.

Faster refresh rates

The current Studio Display has a refresh rate of just 60Hz, which pales in comparison to the 120Hz on the base iPhone 17. The best gaming monitors can go even faster, with some getting all the way up to 540Hz, though 240Hz is a lot more common. With a monitor equipped with a faster refresh rate, everything just looks clearer, especially when you’re doing things like scrolling or playing games.

With the Studio Display 2, I think 120Hz would be a big enough upgrade. Not only does this put Apple’s next monitor in line with the best iPhones, but it will also make a big difference for creative professionals editing video on a Mac. As most films are still shot at 24 fps, which you can’t divide by 60, there’s a noticeable judder when editing on a 60Hz display. With a 120 Hz one, though, the Studio Display 2 would offer perfectly smooth playback for almost every type of video content.

Likewise, as Mac gaming just keeps getting better and better, wouldn’t it be great to play a game like Cyberpunk 2077 or the newly released Resident Evil Requiem at a higher frame rate?

Studio Display 2 outlook

Whether or not we’ll see a Studio Display 2 next week is still up in the air. However, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on two new Studio Display monitors for quite some time. Four years is a long time to go between major releases, and since the original Studio Display first debuted back in 2022, now is the perfect time for a major refresh, hopefully with some compelling upgrades.

We’ll just have to wait and see, but if a new Studio Display does get announced next week, we’re definitely going to be calling one in for review to put it through the paces. Stay tuned to Tom’s Guide for all the latest Apple news, especially with all of those new product announcements set to start on March 2nd.

More from Tom's Guide

• I used Apple’s $5,000 Pro Display XDR monitor for a month — here's what happened
• I hated the Mac mini M4’s power button until I accidentally proved Apple was right
• I added this accessory to my desk setup and it fixes the biggest downside with Apple’s Studio Display

Quite frankly, my display needs an upgrade. It's had a good run, but it's starting to lag behind the standards of the best monitors today. Fortunately, Presidents' Day sales have arrived, and if you find yourself in my shoes, you'll be happy to know that screens are seeing some major discounts.

When a 24-inch Asus TUF Gaming monitor is just $109 at Best Buy, sporting a whopping 200Hz refresh rate, and a 27-inch Acer Predator QD-OLED dropped to $399, boasting 2K resolution and 280Hz speeds, it puts my daily driver to shame. And my BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U cost over $1,000 at the time!

I didn't expect Presidents' Day to be the time to upgrade my monitor, but with the monitors I've spotted at these prices, these are deals that are hard to miss out on. So, if your setup is begging for a shiny new screen, I recommend putting these displays on your radar. And yes, they're all under $1,000.

Quick Links

• Asus 24" TUF Gaming (1080p/200Hz): was $169 now $109 @ Best Buy
• Samsung 27" Odyssey G5 (1440p/180Hz): was $349 now $210 at Best Buy
• Alienware 25" AW2525HM (1080p/320Hz): was $249 now $229 @ Dell
• Acer 27" Predator QD-OLED (1440p/280Hz): was $649 now $399 @ Best Buy
• Asus 27" ROG Strix OLED (1440p/280Hz): was $699 now $549 at Best Buy
• LG 32" UltraGear OLED (4K/330Hz): was $1,299 now $752 @ Amazon
• Samsung 49" Odyssey QD-OLED G9 (5K/240Hz): was $1,699 now $999 at Best Buy

Best Presidents' Day monitor deals

Impressed by the rich colors, deep blacks and high brightness of the best monitors and best OLED TVs? Well, prepare for the next stage, as Samsung Display has unveiled its latest QD-OLED Penta Tandem tech for TVs and monitors.

Dubbed "a new premium technology" for QD-OLED panels, Penta Tandem aims to deliver sharper picture quality, better efficiency and even higher peak brightness in new-gen TVs and monitors — and it's thanks to adding an extra emitter layer.

But what is it, and how is Penta Tandem gearing up to be the "ultimate choice" for anyone after QD-OLED displays? With the tech it boasts, it's already looking to mark a new standard of visuals, so let's dive in.

What is QD-OLED Penta Tandem?

Fortunately, it's a lot simpler than it may sound. Samsung introduced QD-OLED displays a few years ago, which essentially combines quantum dots (QD) and OLED panels. So, you're getting the deep blacks and pixel-perfect contrast of OLED with the enhanced brightness and expanded color range of QD technology.

Previously, Samsung Display used a four-layer blue-emitting layer as a light source for these quantum dots to show color. But now, as the name suggests, Penta Tandem moves to a five-layer blue light-emitting structure with the latest organic materials.

As Samsung explains it, think of it like a group of people carrying a couch. Four people can handle it, but having an extra person help out means it lightens the load, allowing for greater efficiency and packing on even more weight.

What this all results in is being able to achieve improved peak brightness on higher pixel density displays, or the same brightness as what we see on monitors and TVs today, but with lower power consumption. In fact, with this new tech, it's expected to double the life span of displays.

“Multi-layer organic light-emitting structure is not simply about adding more layers," says Brad Jung, Head of Large Display Marketing Team at Samsung Display. "It requires deep expertise in selecting materials and optimizing their thickness and combinations."

Jung continues: “Penta Tandem, built on nearly five years of QD-OLED mass production experience since 2021, represents the ultimate choice for customers looking to demonstrate the premium value of QD-OLED.”

The next step in QD-OLED

As it turns out, Samsung Display has already put this tech into action, as Penta Tandem can be found in the company's gaming monitors and OLED TVs from 2025. However, the display tech has now been trademarked, so expect to see Penta Tandem in a whole range of displays going forward.

Samsung noted its 27-inch UHD (3840 x 2160) QD-OLED monitor panel, which may be its 27-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G81SF, comes with Penta Tandem, allowing it to reach 160 pixels per inch (PPI) while still keeping peak brightness. In fact, as Samsung claims, it's one of the only monitors of this size that can offer this.

So, not only can we expect peak brightness of 4,500 nits for TVs and 1,300 nits for monitors as standard with panels using Penta Tandem, but also a VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification being the norm. That means even deeper blacks, and a huge benefit in visuals in everything we watch or play.

As for what's to come, Samsung Display hints that we'll see Penta Tandem in a certain 49-inch dual QHD (5120 x 1440) monitor, which sounds a lot like the mega-sized Samsung Odyssey OLED G9. That's already one of the best gaming monitors you can get, so adding even more to this display is something to look forward to.

Monitors and TVs are only getting better, with LG Display unveiling the world's first OLED monitor with a 720Hz refresh rate, the more affordable OLED SE for TVs and Samsung delivering a wicked-fast 1,040Hz gaming monitor. Now, with its QD-OLED Penta Tandem coming to even more panels, 2026 is looking to be quite a year for displays.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget OLED TVs — this new laser projector beams a 300-inch image and gives the LG C5 a run for its money
• I’ve been testing Lenovo Legion’s 200Hz QHD monitor for a week — and it 'puts most other budget screens to shame'
• This $499 QD-OLED gaming monitor just restored my faith in Alienware

As someone who has a sedentary job, I spend up to eight hours a day, five days a week, in front of a screen, and I do a lot of photo editing and enjoy gaming in my spare time. This is why I need one of the best monitors. It must be bright, colors must be accurate and it should be able to keep up with demanding games — the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 does just that.

Succeeding the first-gen model, the R27qe Gen 2 is an excellent monitor for a number of reasons. It’s got a 200Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time, making it a great choice for FPS, RPGs and everything in between. Color accuracy and coverage, as well as brightness, don’t give you much to complain about. Plus, the monitor’s height and viewing angles are highly adjustable. But it’s far from perfect, as the lack of built-in speakers and USB ports might prove significant for some.

Should you still buy it? Find out in my full Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 review.

Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch QHD gaming monitor with a 200Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time
• Who is it for? Gamers who also need a competent monitor for photo editing and work
• How much does it cost? The Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 is available for £199
• What do we like? The bright panel, excellent color accuracy and coverage, 200Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time deliver solid gaming performance and height adjustability
• What don’t we like? There aren’t any built-in speakers or USB ports, and the assembly can prove frustrating

Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 review: Specs

Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 review: The ups

From its outstanding color coverage and accuracy to its 200Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time that delivers a lag-free gaming experience, the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 is an all-rounder.

Highly adjustable

If you want a monitor that provides various viewing angles, there are few better than the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2. First of all, the monitor sports a minimalist, low-key all-black design with no loud RGB lighting, so if you want to use it for work or in an office, it’ll fit right in. It measures 24.14 x 10.19 x 20.4 inches with the stand and base attached, and it weighs 13lbs, so there’s no need to worry about accidentally knocking it over.

Secondly, it’s highly adjustable. The R27qe Gen 2’s head has a -5° to +22° tilt, 30° left and right swivel, and a -90° to +90° pivot. This means that you don’t need to worry about placing it in a certain position on your desk to get the best viewing angle. For instance, at my office desk, I have another monitor and loads of tech and trinkets lying around. I didn’t have to clear up my desk much to accommodate the R27qe Gen 2, as I was able to simply adjust the head’s angle to my liking.

It’s worth spending on the R27qe Gen 2, especially over its stablemate, the Lenovo L27i-4B ($109), whose height can’t be adjusted at all. With that monitor, you’re limited to a -5~22° angle tilt, and that’s about it.

Vivid colors both on paper and in practice

I love the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2’s TFT LCD panel, which is bright and displays lovely, vibrant colors. This is a QHD (2560 x 1440) display, and if you’re peeved that it isn’t an OLED panel, know that OLED monitors cost a lot more. For instance, the Alienware AW2725D is almost double the price at $499, and some are even as expensive as the $1,099 MSI MPG 272URX.

As QHD monitors go, though, the R27qe Gen 2 is outstanding when it comes to color accuracy and coverage. In my objective lab testing, the R27qe Gen 2 demonstrated a Delta-E score of 0.16. Delta-E basically shows how accurate or close the color on the screen (monitor) is to the color output from the source (laptop). The closer the score to 0, the better and more color-accurate the images, and 0.16 is a strong score. It’s the exact same score as the BenQ PD3226G’s ($1,099), a dedicated photo and video editing monitor.

As you can see in the table above, the R27qe Gen 2 covers 132.2% of the sRGB color gamut, too, which means it covers the entire color spectrum and then some. This lines up with what I saw on screen during testing: colors appeared bright and true to life, and the different hues and shades looked vibrant. The sRGB coverage is similar to the similarly priced Gigabyte G27FC ($229) and better than the Dell 24 S2421HGF ($250).

The last thing I always test is DCI-P3, which is another common color space with a wider overall gamut than sRGB. It paints us a picture of lifelike color, and the R27qe Gen 2 covers 93.7% of it. Even though it’s a little under 100%, it’s still better than both the aforementioned Gigabyte and the Dell. If you want more DCI-P3 coverage, the Alienware AW2525HM ($249) is a great alternative with 105.2% DCI-P3 coverage as well as 148.5% sRGB coverage.

All of these results go to show that the R27qe Gen 2 is an excellent monitor for both gaming and light productivity — and I will discuss both aspects in detail below.

Excellent gaming performance

The Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 is, first and foremost, a gaming monitor, and what a great gaming monitor it is. Featuring a 0.5ms response time and 200Hz refresh rate, it delivers a smooth and lag-free experience. With plenty of picture modes to choose from, depending on the genre you’re playing, you can truly tailor your experience to your liking.

While it doesn’t reach 4K resolution, visuals still look stunning on its QHD panel, and the 27-inch screen is just the right size to immerse you without taking up too much space on your desk. Colors on paper, as discussed above, are one thing, and they might appear different in practice. Well, not on the R27qe Gen 2. Regardless of the game I played, I was thoroughly impressed — from dark shadows to bright street lights, each frame packed plenty of detail for me to enjoy.

I kicked things off by playing Cyberpunk 2077 and roaming around the dark streets of Dogtown at nighttime. The R27qe Gen 2 had no issues in ensuring I saw enemies lurking in the shadows, making them appear bright but not fake. Similarly, when the bright neon lights came into view once I exited Dogtown, the colors appeared vibrant but not overwhelming — they looked just right.

Thanks to the 200Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time, I didn’t experience any choppiness while riding my bike at high speeds or during fast-paced combat; there was no ghosting during the game either. Bear in mind that to make use of the 200Hz refresh rate, you’ll need to use the included DisplayPort cable.

I also hooked up my Nintendo Switch 2 just to gauge how the R27qe Gen 2 performed in an animated game like Sonic x Shadow Generations. Again, the game remained free of any motion blur, even while grinding down rails as the red-haired hedgehog, or using Shadow’s Chaos Control powers. The monitor brought all the dark and light shades to life, and honestly, the game has never looked better. The Switch 2’s refresh rate tops at 120Hz when docked, which meant that the R27qe Gen 2 had no problem handling it.

Great for productivity too

Not only is the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 awesome for gaming, it’s great for productivity and work, too, making it a near-perfect monitor for most people. As I mentioned above, color coverage and accuracy are superb, so you shouldn’t have any problems with editing photos and videos, or simply watching movies or YouTube videos in your downtime.

I review the best cameras and the best drones here at Tom’s Guide, and to analyze the image and video quality, I spend a lot of time staring at the finer details on my monitor. The R27qe Gen 2 is more than up to the challenge. I edited a few photos to test it out, and it worked very well. Whether I was looking for minute chromatic aberration around a subject’s edges or color grading, the R27qe Gen 2 didn’t let me down.

Color coverage is bolstered by 10-bit depth, which means it is capable of showing 1.07 billion individual hues. This is crucial (for me, at least) as many cameras and drones capture footage in 10-bit depth, and the R27qe Gen 2 enables me to see the colors exactly as they were captured.

So, so bright

The Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 is the brightest monitor I’ve ever had the pleasure of testing or using. As always, I measured SDR and HDR brightness individually in our testing lab, and the results were impressive across the board.

In the table above, I’ve compared the R27qe Gen 2 to other similarly priced monitors (or monitors I have also lab-tested). In the default Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) mode, the R27qe Gen 2 has a brightness of 321.2 nits. That’s very bright — even brighter than the pricier Alienware AW2725D, which tops at 253.8. At brightness turned up to 100% via the monitor’s menu, I could see the screen properly in a well-lit room. No complaints here.

I then measured the High Dynamic Range (HDR) brightness and compared it to the aforementioned monitors. I’ve left the Dell 24 S2421HGF and the Gigabyte G27FC out of the comparison as neither supports HDR. As can be inferred from the table above, the R27qe Gen 2 offers better peak brightness than the Alienware AW2525HM at 10%, 40% and 100%. It pales in comparison to the AW2725D, but that is an OLED display, so it isn’t a fair fight.

Overall, though, the R27qe Gen 2 is an outstanding and bright monitor, and you’ll be able to see everything on screen and read everything without any qualms using it, regardless of the lighting conditions.

Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 review: The downs

The Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 is great but not perfect, as it doesn’t feature built-in speakers or USB ports, and its assembly is frustrating.

Not exactly upgrade-worthy

The Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 isn't exactly a massive upgrade over its predecessor. As its name suggests, it’s the second-gen version of the R27qe. If you already own that monitor and are considering upgrading to the R27qe Gen 2, hold your horses.

The first-gen R27qe has the same 2560 x 1440 resolution, WLED backlighting, 0.5ms response time, 10-bit color depth and similar height adjustability. Is there anything different? The R27qe Gen 2 has a 200Hz refresh rate versus 180Hz on its predecessor, and that isn’t a huge difference. Design-wise, Lenovo has moved the buttons from the side to the bottom of the R27qe Gen 2, and has surprisingly chosen to remove the 3.5mm audio out jack. Oh, and the R27qe Gen 2 is available in Europe only — sorry, Americans.

As the rest of my review has shown, the R27qe Gen 2 is in no way a bad monitor. It’s excellent! But it doesn’t pack enough upgrades to justify replacing your existing R27qe — or feeling bad that it isn’t available in the U.S. On the other hand, if you’re a newbie looking for a QHD monitor or are based in Europe, I can’t recommend the R27qe Gen 2 enough, and you can pick one up for £199.

Annoying assembly

The Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 is a highly capable, competent monitor, but I’m not a big fan of the assembly process. With all other monitors I’ve tested, assembly is straightforward. The stand slots into the head, and that’s it. This isn’t the case with the Legion R27qe Gen 2. Included in the box are four bolts or screws. To attach the stand to the monitor head, you need to line it up with the holes in the back of the monitor and then screw in the four bolts.

Not only is it more time-consuming, but it’s a fairly finicky process. When I first set up the monitor for our studio photography, I locked in the base first before attaching the stand to the head. Because the base itself is angular and large, I couldn’t line up the head’s and stand’s holes, so I had to remove the base and then do it. A long and unnecessary process.

No built-in speakers

Although not a major drawback, it’s worth noting that the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 doesn’t feature built-in speakers or a 3.5mm jack. This means that you can’t play audio directly through the monitor. The reason I say this isn’t a massive con is because you’ll be using the monitor with a PC, and you can always connect speakers or a headset to your PC for great sound quality.

You are, of course, out of luck if you don’t already own a gaming headset or external speakers. It’ll also be a pain if you want to hook up your console, like a PS5 or a Nintendo Switch 2, to the monitor. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a monitor in this price range not have speakers, as the Alienware AW2525HM doesn’t either.

No USB ports

You should probably consider other monitors if you want an array of onboard I/O ports, as the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 is pretty stripped-back in this area. It features a power port (naturally), two HDMI 2.1 TMDS and one DisplayPort 1.4 ports. There are no USB-A or USB-C downstream ports for your external peripherals, and it means you’ll need to invest in a separate USB hub if you want more connectivity.

I’d recommend the Alienware AW2525HM or the Gigabyte G27FC if you’d like more connectivity. The former of these has a whopping 320Hz refresh rate, making it the better choice for gaming — although the R27qe Gen 2 is still more than capable with its 200Hz refresh rate.

Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2 review: Verdict

Few budget monitors upstage the Lenovo Legion R27qe Gen 2. This is a terrific monitor for gaming, work, productivity, photo editing and everything in between. With a 0.5ms response time and 200Hz refresh rate, it delivers an immersive, lag-free gaming experience across genres — whether that’s an FPS title, an RPG or a racing game. It boasts excellent color coverage and accuracy, too, and the extensive height and viewing angle adjustment make it a winner.

But few things in life are perfect, and the R27qe Gen 2 isn’t one of them. The assembly is frustrating, while the lack of built-in speakers and USB ports may not be for everyone. It isn’t much different from its predecessor either.

However, if you want a QHD monitor that doesn’t compromise on color rendition and gaming performance, and you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with the R27qe Gen 2. It’s bright. It’s colorful. It’s speedy. It’s an all-rounder.

I’ve had a rocky history with Dell, the owner of Alienware. Having built my own gaming PCs for over 25 years, I’ve always been skeptical (to say the least) about Dell and Alienware prebuilts — their historically proprietary hardware makes them difficult, if not impossible, to customize.

I’ve also had a tricky time with a Dell monitor in recent times, which I had to send off for replacement no less than three times, with all subsequent replacements sent to me under warranty turning up damaged.

As you can no doubt understand, I’d vowed not to use another Dell-made monitor for a while. Then the Alienware AW2725D dropped on my desk (metaphorically) for testing, and I rather quickly realized my own words needed eating.

I’ve been testing this 280Hz QD-OLED 27-inch gaming monitor for around two months now, and it’s handled everything I’ve thrown at it: work, gaming, production, you name it. I think this is one of the best gaming monitors you can buy in the mid-range price bracket. Read my full Alienware AW2725D review to find out why.

Alienware AW2725D review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A mid-range 1440p QD-OLED gaming monitor
• Who is it for? Gamers (...duh), although it’ll suit some light production too
• What does it cost? $499 / £509
• What’s good? The beautiful QD-OLED panel, speedy performance, vibrant and accurate colors, and strong contrast
• What’s not? Not a lot, although I wish it had more ports and built-in speakers

Alienware AW2725D review: Specs

Alienware AW2725D review: The ups

From its beautiful 27-inch QD-OLED panel, through to its high 280Hz refresh rate, premium design and suitability for tasks beyond gaming, this is an excellent mid-range display.

Beautiful QD-OLED panel

The Alienware AW2725D features a 1440p QD-OLED panel, which is frankly gorgeous. You can also buy the 27-inch monitor in different sizes, from 25 inches up to 34 inches; and different resolutions, from 1080p to 4K. Naturally, this affects price, as well as refresh rate, with the 27-34-inch 4K models topping out at 240Hz instead of the 1440p’s 280Hz refresh rate.

Given my desk setup and the games I play, 1440p at 27-inches is the sweet spot for me. 27-inches is wide enough for a fairly immersive experience, while also avoiding me having to turn my head to see different ends of the display. That said, if you want a truly immersive experience, an ultra-wide display like the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 ($1,199) is where you’ll want to look.

I find 1440p is plenty of resolution for 27-inches, and the panel relays plenty of fine detail and looks extremely sharp. You can also buy the 27-inch model with a 4K panel, which is the Alienware AW2725Q ($899). As I mentioned above and will cover below, you lose some performance (and more of your cash) by stepping up to 4K, but the differences aren’t huge.

Rich color, strong contrast, decent brightness

Helping that panel look so lovely, of course, are the rich colors and deep contrast from the AW2725D’s QD-OLED pixels. This is an OLED display, meaning each pixel lights itself rather than needing a backlight, resulting in true blacks as each pixel can turn itself off completely — this results in more contrast than IPS or VA (both LCD) panels which use a backlight to illuminate their pixels.

The ‘QD’ slapped on the front stands for ‘Quantum Dot’ — these little dots are essentially tiny semiconductors that produce extremely vibrant colors and also enhance brightness. So, with a QD-OLED, you’re getting better brightness than a standard OLED, and even more vivid colors.

I tested this display by playing a variety of games, three of which were Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (KCD2) and Total War: Rome II. Cyberpunk's vivid, contrasty scenes looked awesome on the AW2725D, with super inky shadows contrasting against bright neon signage. I tended to leave this game in the monitor’s standard mode, which maintains bright highlights — otherwise (in RPG mode) the game felt a little too dark.

KCD2 and Total War: Rome II also looked fantastic, with their warm, saturated palettes done full justice by the monitor’s standard color mode. I switched out the monitor’s color mode to RPG for KCD2 though, which clips the highlights a little to aid in that warmer, historical and cinematic feel. I tried the display’s warm mode, but this felt a little too yellow.

Across the board, there’s tons of contrast on offer, while colors look fantastic and nicely saturated, while still feeling fairly natural in the standard display mode.

Now for brightness. In the table above, I’ve compared the AW2725D’s lab test results against other QD-OLED rivals. The AW2725D offers better peak brightness (measured using the central 10% of its display) than its 4K stablemate the AW2725Q. It also offers comparable peak brightness to both the MSI MPG 272URX ($1,099) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10, despite being much cheaper than both. The MSI is a 4K panel, though.

OLED panel brightness rises or drops depending on how much of the screen is in use — this is for screen longevity. While we measure peak brightness at 10% screen usage (right in the center), we also measure at 100%, which gives you a real-world brightness figure. The AW2725D performs similarly to other QD-OLED rivals here, with very little in it. I had no issues using the monitor in bright sunlight, even with a window behind me, in large part thanks to the monitor’s anti-reflective coating.

Burn-in protection

It’s worth noting that the AW2725D also features burn-in protection. It’ll flag you a warning after using it for some time, before automatically turning itself off (by default) to protect the panel. It also features a panel health flag when you access the main menu — this uses a traffic light system to tell you quickly how things stand. If you’re on orange, you can perform a quick panel refresh and be back to green!

Stellar gaming performance

The Alienware AW2725D also has plenty of gaming features up its sleeve, as you’d expect from a gaming monitor. Most notably, its refresh rate tops out at 280Hz, which ensures ultra-smooth gameplay free from motion blur and input lag.

It also boasts a 0.03ms GTG response time. GTG means gray-to-gray and measures how quickly the pixels can change color. A 0.03ms response time is very good, helping to reduce motion blur and ghosting.

Smooth gameplay is, of course, beneficial in virtually all gaming, but these ultra-quick stats are most important in fast-paced titles like first person shooter (FPS) games. I played Counter Strike 2 and Isonzo, two FPS games, and suffered no noticeable input lag or ghosting. In Counter Strike 2, I was running at a consistent 270-280Hz on my hardware — buttery smooth.

The AW2725D also has some handy secondary gaming features. Within the display settings, you’ll find a black stabilizer, which allows you to boost the brightness in black areas of the screen, helping you see enemies hiding in dark areas, for example. There are three “Alienvision” modes. Two of them (Vision 1 and Vision 3) apply a central reticule to the display, with the Vision 1 mode also applying a darkened target box around the reticule. Vision 2 mode applies color peaking around contrast areas to help you detect shapes quickly. All of these will be useful for players wanting every available competitive edge possible.

Not a one-trick pony

The Alienware AW2725D isn’t only good for gaming — in fact, I can’t own or use a monitor that is so. As the cameras editor here at Tom’s Guide and a photographer in my spare time, I use my monitor for a lot of photo and video editing. The AW2725D proved itself highly capable, thanks to its high color accuracy.

As you can see in our lab test results in the table below, the AW2725D demonstrated a Delta-E figure of 0.14. This essentially measures color variance. We use calibrated color spectrometer devices to measure how much the color on screen varies from the color sent to the monitor by the computer. The lower the better and 0.14 is a fairly strong score, showing low variance and meaning the colors you see on screen are true. It isn’t as outright impressive as the 4K variant, the Alienware AW2725Q, but it’s still better than the BenQ PD3226G ($1,099) I tested in late 2025 — and that’s a monitor designed purely for design work.

More impressive is the AW2725D’s coverage of the two most common color gamuts: sRGB and DCI-P3. The monitor covered 190% of the sRGB gamut, which is the most common color space used online. Of course, more than 100% is unnecessary, but it demonstrates that this monitor has a very wide tonal range. Any color that’s in the sRGB gamut can be relayed by this display. The same is true for the DCI-P3 gamut, which is commonly used for cinematic video editing, and which the AW2725D more than covered at 135%. A splendid show.

This means the AW2725D will be a solid choice for gamers who also dabble in a spot of creative work, such as photo editing or making videos for online sharing. If you are printing images or you’re a professional video editor, naturally you’ll want a monitor with a wider array of color modes, such as Adobe RGB (for printed photography) and Rec. 2020 (used in the production of video for television). The AW2725D only has sRGB and DCI-P3 modes, but then again, it is primarily a gaming monitor.

Reasonable price

While it isn’t exactly a budget monitor, the Alienware AW2725D is priced fairly for the performance it offers. One of the gripes we had about the 4K AW2725Q variant was its steep $899 asking price. I’m glad to see the 1440p variant isn’t priced quite as highly.

Like I said, at $499 / £509, it isn’t cheap — but I think this is a reasonable asking price for the beautiful panel with its rich colors and vibrant contrast, not to mention the rapid gaming specs and high color accuracy. The AW2725D is also built very well, looking high quality and finished in a textured, matte plastic that gives a premium feel, again helping justify its price.

Alienware AW2725D review: The downs

I really can’t think of much wrong with the Alienware AW2725D. It’d be nice to have a few more I/O ports and some built-in speakers, I guess, but that’s kinda splitting hairs.

Limited onboard I/O and no speakers

As I alluded to directly above, I’m aware this is splitting hairs, but I’d have liked to see a few more onboard I/O ports on the Alienware AW2725D. I’m used to my BenQ PD3226G monitor which, with its plethora of I/O and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, serves as a USB-C hub.

The AW2725D, by contrast, features 1x USB-A and 1x USB-C downstream ports, the latter of which is rated for 15W of power delivery. That’s fine for charging a couple of devices, but it proves a little limiting when you want to hook up multiple devices for complex workflows. Again, this isn’t a huge issue, and stems partly from me being a spoilt professional tech reviewer who is accustomed to his monitors doubling up as USB hubs.

It’s also worth noting that there’s no headphone jack, nor any internal speakers built into the monitor. Again, I don’t think this is a huge deal as you’ll be hooking this thing up to, y’know, a computer, where you can plug in a headset. Still, it would’ve been nice to see built-in speakers for people who don’t have any external speakers — I know from first-hand experience that when you’re building your PC paycheck-by-paycheck, built-in monitor speakers are a welcome temporary solution.

Alienware AW2725D review: Verdict

The Alienware AW2725D is one of those products where I’ve had to scratch my head for negatives. And realistically, there just aren’t that many. The AW2725D is a lovely monitor, in large part thanks to its beautiful QD-OLED panel, rich colors, inky blacks and strong contrast. Its color accuracy and gamut coverage are excellent, while brightness is on par for a QD-OLED, if not a little better than I’d expect. There is a plethora of gaming features and some handy creative ones too, and on top of all that, the monitor is reasonably priced given the performance.

Sure, I’d have preferred some more ports, and the lack of built-in speakers will be annoying to anyone without an external set; and while it’s fairly priced, it isn’t cheap. But heck, given those are the worst things I can say about it, the AW2725D is doing pretty well. I’m happy to say that the Dell-shaped demons from my past have been well and truly exorcised.

Nvidia G-SYNC Pulsar just got announced at CES 2026, and Team Green has some lofty claims about its capabilities.

Targeting 27-inch 1440p 360Hz gaming monitors (the sweet spot for esports enthusiasts), the big number here is “1,000Hz of perceived motion clarity.” So, of course, I had to put it to the test.

That would be significantly above the 600Hz panel I tested last year, and it’s all done through looking at the entire tech stack of a monitor and making efficient choices to deliver the sharpest fast-moving picture I’ve ever seen on a screen.

What Nvidia G-SYNC Pulsar monitors are available?

Nvidia is aiming its sights on the 27-inch 1440p 360Hz monitor segment for esports — kicking off with four monitors that launched at CES.

• Acer Predator XB273U F5
• AOC Agon Pro AG276QSG2
• Asus ROG STRIX Pulsar XG27AQNGV
• MSI MPG 272QRF X36

Talking to Nvidia, the company confirmed the tech will be expanded to more monitor dimensions, resolutions and refresh rates over time.

How Nvidia G-SYNC Pulsar works

To catch you up, G-SYNC is gaming monitor tech that uses a combination of variable refresh rate (VRR) and extreme low motion blur (ELMB) to deliver the crispiest possible gameplay at buttery-smooth frame rates.

Pulsar takes this to the next level by going into the DNA of the monitor itself — in particular, the strobing of the backlight that illuminates your picture. In traditional panels, the entire backlight will strobe independently of frames being presented on screen (known as a scanout).

As that happens, the trails of previous frames will exist. Granted, it's the tiniest amount, especially at higher refresh rates. But this is still perceived by the human eye as blur.

What G-SYNC Pulsar does instead is use a rolling backlight strobe that pulses in lock step with each frame scanout. This means every pixel is given time to show a stable image before every hit of that backlight.

Next-level sharpness

For you, that means a 360Hz picture with 1,000Hz of perceived motion clarity. And to my peepers, there’s nothing else quite like it when it comes to sharpness — unlocking depth perception I never knew I had.

Take “Overwatch 2” for example. For me, I normally have to alter my depth perception to blur the background so I can see the text floating about my allies and targets. In G-SYNC Pulsar, it was much easier to just see the text float by in my vision while still focusing on the level behind it.

It’s the difference between seeing the target and not, which, in split-second shooter scenarios in an esports context like this, is significant. And ever since this demo, every other monitor I’ve tested here at CES has looked good, but the traditional blur is so noticeable.

If crispiness is essential to you, this is a generational leap in gaming monitor tech. Plus, shout-out to G-SYNC Ambient Adaptive Technology for saving people’s eyes with real-time brightness and color temperature adjustments.

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When it comes to competitive PC gaming, a buttery smooth monitor with extremely low motion blur is everything. I’ve seen all kinds of options, including a mightily impressive 600Hz display that made me a better Counter-Strike player, but Nvidia thinks this problem can be fixed with a new generation of its G-Sync technology named Pulsar.

And how it works is actually quite brilliant — being able to take a 27-inch 360Hz display and, through a combination of different features, give your eyes a perceived 1,000Hz of motion. Allow me to explain what’s going on beneath the hood of these monitors, which are launching January 7, starting at $599.

Feeling the puls-ar

Pulsar pairs variable refresh rate with synchronized backlight strobing to dramatically improve perceived motion clarity. Put simply, by keeping the variable refresh rate of a monitor and the number of times per second those pixels light up in tight lockstep, you can use these to your advantage in providing a much sharper picture.

The answer to this question is usually to just juice up the refresh rate. Offering a 360Hz rate like these monitors from MSI, Asus, Acer and AOC will go some way to resolving this blurriness, but only by so much. And that’s where Pulsar comes in, offering a 4x improvement in picture motion clarity.

And what about those long gaming sessions that turn from day to night? That’s where Ambient Adaptive Technology comes in — auto-adjusting brightness and color based on ambient lighting. Think of this like Windows dark mode, but a little more intelligent.

Outlook

Now, it’s worth me saying that this isn’t designed to be the best buy for every single gamer out there. For better fidelity, there are 4K panels, and better OLED or QLED pixel constructions can give you more immersive color and contrast.

This tech is for the esports players, and to deliver the super-low blur you see here, that’s going to be significant for ensuring any serious competitor can spot a target much easier.

But the addition of Ambient Adaptive mode does give these monitors a nice nod to actually being screens you may use on a day-to-day — not just something to improve your K/D ratio.

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I’ve been using the Apple Studio Display for over a year now with the Mac mini M4, and while it’s a fantastic monitor, it’s not without its issues. That includes the standard glossy screen and the fact that you can only connect one device at a time.

MSI always shows up in full force at CES with new laptops, graphics cards and gaming PCs, but this year, I was completely surprised when the company unveiled its new Pro Max 271UPXW12G monitor.

This all-white QD-OLED display isn’t just another gaming or business monitor. Instead, it’s designed to work perfectly with your Mac; it features M-Color Mode for seamless color synchronization and even allows you to adjust brightness and volume directly from your MacBook shortcut keys.

Here’s everything you need to know about MSI’s new Pro Max QD-OLED monitor and why you might want to consider picking it up over an Apple Studio Display, especially if you’re a power user with multiple devices.

Clear as can be

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is a 27-inch QD-OLED monitor with quite a few tricks up its sleeve. For starters, thanks to its PureBlack QD-OLED panel, it delivers deep blacks and accurate colors even in a brightly lit room like the one I saw it set up in at CES.

What surprised me most, though — and what immediately made me think of my Apple Studio Display back home — was that there wasn’t any glare whatsoever.

According to MSI, this is because the monitor has an Anti-Glare Low Reflection (AGLR) surface treatment. Likewise, it also comes equipped with upgraded 3H hardness to provide extra scratch resistance.

Since the Pro Max 271UPXW12G sports a QD-OLED display, it has an AI Care Sensor tucked into the "chin" underneath the MSI logo. Just like with the MSI MPG 321URXW I reviewed last year, this sensor allows the monitor to detect whether or not you’re currently at your desk.

When you step away, it dims the display or enables power-saving mode to protect its QD-OLED panel from burn-in as part of MSI’s OLED Care 3.0 tech. At the same time, it also adjusts the monitor’s brightness to match the ambient lighting in your room to maintain uniform luminance.

If you’ve ever tried hooking up one of the best MacBooks to a 4K monitor, then you’re likely familiar with text fringing, where text will often look fuzzy or blurry due to how macOS handles pixel density. In fact, this is one of the reasons Mac users will often pay more for the Studio Display, since it has a 5K resolution with 218 pixels per inch (PPI) and allows for perfect 2x scaling.

MSI took this into consideration when developing the Pro Max 271UPXW12G. It features a pixel density of 166 PPI, which is slightly higher than what you’ll find on standard 27-inch 4K monitors. In my brief time with the display, text looked quite crisp, though it was hooked up to a Windows laptop simultaneously—something you simply can't do on a Studio Display without unplugging cables.

For your Mac (and so much more)

On the back of the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, there are plenty of ports and a whole lot more than you’ll find on the Studio Display. First off, you get two USB-C ports that both support up to 98W Power Delivery. So instead of reaching for your charger, you can just plug your MacBook right into the display using a single cable.

Since you might also want to plug in one of the best gaming PCs, you also get an HDMI 2.1 port and a DisplayPort 1.4a, which supports 4K at 120Hz.

What really ties everything together is the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s built-in KVM switch. By plugging a keyboard and mouse directly into the monitor, you can then use them across up to three devices connected to it. Because this monitor features two USB-C ports, you can even connect two different laptops without needing an extra data cable; if you’re using the HDMI 2.1 port or the DisplayPort 1.4a to connect a desktop, then you will just need to connect the included USB-B cable.

While I love using the downstream USB-C ports on my Studio Display for connecting peripherals, I almost gasped the first time I realized it only had one input port. With the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G, not only can you connect multiple devices, but you can also seamlessly switch between them without having to use a different keyboard and mouse.

It even features M-Color Mode for color synchronization and supports MacBook shortcut keys, so you can adjust the monitor's brightness and volume directly from your keyboard just like you would on an Apple display.

MSI hasn’t released pricing info for the Pro Max 271UPXW12G yet, but given what other 4K QD-OLED monitors are going for right now, I’d say it will definitely be under $1,000 — which makes it significantly cheaper than the Apple Studio Display, which starts at $1,599.

When you add in the fact that you’re getting a glare-free display without having to pay extra for Apple’s Nano-texture glass, and it comes with a built-in KVM switch, the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G could be the perfect alternative for Mac users who also have a Windows laptop or a gaming PC.

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At CES 2026, LG Display is set to unveil several new OLED gaming monitors, including one with a blazing fast 720Hz refresh rate. At the same time, these new gaming monitors will also feature its Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 tech.

LG’s new 27-inch OLED gaming monitor features one of the fastest Gaming OLED panels currently available. By refreshing its picture 720 times per second, this new display will be ideal for competitive gaming, especially since it also has a response time of up to 0.02ms.

By combining such a high refresh rate with an ultra fast response time, LG’s new gaming monitor will completely eliminate motion blur even during high-paced scenes and rapid transitions.

Alongside this new monitor, LG will also debut the world’s first 39-inch 5K2K Gaming OLED panel at this year’s show. The company is currently the only manufacturer that makes 39-inch OLED panels and these curved displays with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 1500R curvature are quite useful for video editors and other content creators.

On the show floor, LG will also be showing off the world’s first OLED panel with a 240Hz RGB pixel stripe structure. With 160 pixels per inch, it’s able to perfectly display sharp text with excellent color representation.

Brighter and more colorful gaming monitors

In addition to all of these new OLED gaming monitors, LG Display will also be showcasing its new TANDEM WOLED tech, Primary RGB Tandem 2.0, at CES 2026.

First unveiled last year, Primary RGB Tandem is an OLED stack structure where each of the primary colors of light (red, green and blue) is formed as an independent emission layer. Now with Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 though, the pixel structure is now even more optimized with advanced algorithms.

As a result of these new innovations, LG’s Gaming OLED panels can achieve a peak brightness of up to 1,500 nits, all while delivering perfect blacks with HDR True Black 500 and reproducing 99.5% of the DIC color gamut.

All of LG’s new OLED gaming monitors will all feature Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 and we can’t wait to try them out for ourselves at CES 2026.

LG OLED gaming monitors: Outlook

We were very impressed by LG Display’s new monitors at CES last year and these new offerings have us just as excited. Given that gaming monitors just keep getting faster, I don’t think LG will have the only 720Hz one on display at this year’s show. However, thanks to all of these other advancements, it may be the best looking one.

Last year, we saw a bendable 5K2K gaming monitor from LG. While that one was 45-inches and quite expensive, hopefully this new, smaller 39-inch one won’t carry as premium of a price tag.

If you’re thinking about picking up one of the best gaming monitors, you might want to hold off as there will be plenty of new models from LG and others joining their ranks soon enough. Stay tuned to Tom’s Guide for all the latest on CES 2026 and we’ll be on the ground floor taking in everything first hand soon enough.

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Unless you’ve been chained to a radiator with only an IPS monitor to play the best PC games on for the past half decade, you should know OLED is the display tech to beat for 2026 and far beyond.

Coming in standard widescreen, ultrawide, super ultrawide and blistering 240Hz models, OLED monitors are ideal for hardcore PC gamers. Why? Mainly due to their perfect black levels, coupled with super-speedy response times.

Like anything you cherish in life, OLED screens demand care and attention. Thankfully, the tech is far less demanding in terms of TLC than it used to be. Yet there’s no denying you need to know some crucial tips to get the best out of your OLED panel.

OLED is no longer the future: it’s the here and now for both PC gamers and fans of the best Disney Plus movies. Below, we’ll guide you through five essential tips to get the very most out of the greatest display technology there’s ever been.

Tip #1: Regularly run pixel-cleaning cycles

This is the biggie when it comes to protecting your OLED display. Is OLED burn-in less of an issue than it was a few years ago? Absolutely. Still, not doing your best to protect your screen from dreaded image retention is about as sensible as covering yourself in baby seal pheromones before going for a paddle in shark-invested waters.

Thankfully, all the major OLED players now have built-in safety features to ward off the threat of burn in. Up until a year or so ago, LG Display was the only manufacturer to actually produce OLED panels — the subdivision of the South Korean AV experts has subsequently outsourced its display tech to the likes of Samsung, Sony and Philips.

Now all the major OLED brands have a version of ‘pixel-cleaning’: essentially an automated cycle that rejigs your TV’s onscreen pixels around when your set is in stand-by to help prevent burn-in.

Should you happen to have one of the best gaming PCs hooked up to an LG OLED TV, this feature can be found in the settings menu under ‘OLED Care > OLED Panel Care > Pixel Cleaning’. Other TV/monitor manufacturers will have a similar feature in their menus.

The process takes around 10 minutes to complete if you set it up manually. Yet it will also often engage overnight once your TV has been switched off for several hours — at least with LG OLEDs. The latter wee hours mode applies to most OLED brands now, meaning you no longer have to be so diligent/obsessive about manually pixel-cleaning your OLED panel.

Tip #2: Turn off energy saving

For years the only real Achilles heel of OLED as a tech — aside from the potential threat of burn-in — was a perceived lack of screen brightness next to the best LED TVs. That’s no longer the case.

The astounding LG G5 OLED can reach an eye-rubbing 2,296 nits of HDR brightness in a 10% white window; meaning ‘dim’ OLED screens are increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Crucially, though, you won’t get the full benefit of such pupil-scorching vividness unless you tweak your OLED’s settings after unboxing your panel for the first time.

This doesn’t just apply to LG OLEDs: pretty much every major manufacturer of ‘OLED Light-Emitting Diode’ displays have brightness-nixing, energy-saving features enabled by default.

If your energy bills are of real concern, by all means keep this electricity-friendly feature enabled. Yet if you want to experience the true wonder of what the best OLED TVs and OLED gaming monitors can serve up in terms of contrast, turn off energy-saving and let your corneas be beautifully singed by the screen tech's unreal contrast performance.

Tip #3: Own an OLED monitor and a Windows PC? Autohide the taskbar

Most of the best gaming monitors are now OLED, and they have been for years at this point. Unlike watching the best Netflix shows on an OLED display, gaming on the premium display technology when it comes to PC-friendly displays requires a bit more care.

By default, owning an OLED monitor inevitably raises the risk of burn-in. If you use an OLED monitor for primarily gaming purposes, you shouldn’t have much to worry about — after all, most on-screen HUD elements can be switched off should you desire.

The real area you need to worry about with OLED PC monitors is if you regularly use one as your go-to work panel. If you’re clocking a 35-40 hour week on an OLED, you really need to take measures to avoid burn-in.

Because static on-screen icons/elements are the number one cause of screen-burn, eliminating constant static images on your OLED panel needs to be a priority. Your best line of defence on a Windows 11 PC or laptop? Right click the taskbar, click on ‘taskbar settings’, go to ‘taskbar behaviors’, then enable ‘automatically hide the taskbar’. This will protect your display from the most potentially harmful on-screen element of regular desktop usage.

Tip #4: Bump up pixel brightness and contrast

OLEDs have come a long way over the past half decade when it comes to limited screen brightness. High-end OLED panels can now reach over 2,000 nits of brightness. That's pretty exceptional when you consider they absolutely dunk on LED sets when it comes to true black levels.

That said, most OLEDs don’t put their brightest foot forward out of the box. With burn-in becoming less of an issue with each passing year, it’s absolutely okay to be bold when it comes to pumping up contrast and brightness settings.

In the case of LG OLEDs — still very much the market leader — you should absolutely throw caution to the wind with your desired picture preset. By all means ramp up ‘OLED pixel brightness’ and contrast settings to 100. Thanks to automated pixel-cleaning cycles, your beloved display is under minimal threat of burn-in, and cranking up these settings will simply make the best Netflix movies and best Steam games pop in lush style.

Just don’t have a static on-screen image on your OLED panel for hours on end because you’ve fallen asleep on a Saturday night after one too many alcoholic beverages.

Tip #5: Use a microfiber cloth to clean your screen

This tip isn’t necessarily limited to OLED screens, but it’s still a crucial piece of advice if you value looking after your monitor/TV that’s hooked up to your gaming rig.

Regular screen maintenance is vital if you own one of the finest gaming monitors, be it OLED or LED. To ensure your panel doesn’t develop unsightly smears or other screen defects, it’s paramount you know the best method of taking care of your beloved panel.

To ensure your OLED display gets all the love it deserves, make sure you clean it a couple of times a month with the combination of alcohol cleaning solution and microfiber cloths. But be careful. Never apply the solution directly to the screen. Instead, rub a small amount to the microfiber cloth then run it gently in circular motions to keep your OLED screen looking its best.

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CES 2026 is just around the corner, but Samsung has just revealed its next-gen lineup of Odyssey gaming monitors — and it includes a record-breaking display that beats everyone to a 1,000Hz refresh rate.

Samsung announced its new Odyssey G6 gaming monitor with the world's first 1,040Hz refresh rate, and the 27-inch display even comes with dual-resolution support for QHD (2,560 x 1,440) with an equally impressive 600Hz refresh rate.

The Odyssey G6 (G60H) can hit its sky-high 1,040Hz refresh rate at HD (1280 x 720) resolution, which beats the 750Hz HKC monitor we saw at Computex 2025. While Acer announced its 720Hz OLED Predator gaming monitor and LG Display also unveiled its own 720Hz OLED display, both at 720p, Samsung is the first to break through 1,000Hz.

As for the rest of its specs, the Odyssey G6 comes with a 27-inch IPS panel that supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync for tear-free gameplay, along with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 ports. Plus, you can expect "HDR10+ Gaming" tech for brighter colors and darker blacks.

Not only is this the fastest refresh rate we've seen among the best gaming monitors we've tested, but even with the Odyssey G6's native QHD resolution, 600Hz offers esports-level speeds. The display is set to arrive in 2026, although Samsung has yet to reveal its price.

That's not all Samsung unveiled, as it introduced another "world first" monitor in its next-gen Odyssey lineup.

World's first 6K 3D gaming monitor (glasses free)

An update to the Samsung Odyssey 3D (G90XF), the tech giant also introduced the 32-inch Odyssey 3D (G90XH) with the first 6K (6,144 x 3,456) display with glasses-free 3D tech. The previous model topped at 4K resolution, making this a considerable jump in visuals.

The new Odyssey 3D uses the same real-time eye-tracking technology to make 2D images appear three-dimensional in games that support it, including Lies of P: Overture and Stellar Blade, but this model comes with dual resolution. At 6K, expect a 165Hz refresh rate, while 3K offers a fast 330Hz.

You can also expect a 0.1ms response time, along with HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1 ports. While we found that the 3D monitor we tested came with an inconsistent 3D effect and limited game compatibility, hopefully, the 2026 Odyssey 3D gaming monitor can fix these issues. Just prepare for a high asking price (around $1,999).

As for more updates, the Samsung Odyssey G8 has also expanded with three models, including the 32-inch G80HS model with 6K at 165Hz and 3K at 330Hz (just like the Odyssey 3D), a 27-inch G80HF with 5K (5,120 x 2,880) resolution at 180Hz and 1440p at 360Hz and finally the 32-inch G80SH with a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) QD-OLED panel offering up to 240Hz.

All of these models come with FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync support, along with HDR10+ Gaming and HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 ports.

Samsung is set to shake up the gaming monitor market in 2026, with the Odyssey lineup set to be on show at CES 2026. We'll be on the showfloor to check them out, as they already look to become contenders for the best monitors to grab.

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