Gigabyte G27QC Review, A Budget 1440p 165Hz Gaming Monitor Option

Gigabyte G27QC Review Summary

Main Features

• 27-inch curved VA monitor with a 2560 × 1440 resolution, a 1500R curve, and a refresh rate of up to 165Hz.
• Supports AMD FreeSync Premium. It can also work with Nvidia GPUs by enabling G-Sync in the control panel, though the reviewer said it was not officially G-Sync compatible at the time.
• HDR Ready, but lacks local dimming and is not considered a true HDR display.
• Connectivity includes two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4. DisplayPort is required for 165Hz; HDMI is limited to 144Hz at this resolution.
• Includes a USB hub, built-in speakers, and a feature-rich on-screen display (OSD) with game-assist tools, crosshairs, black-boosting modes, and a dashboard.
• Sturdy construction and height adjustment, though the broad, flat stand takes up considerable desk space. The build is solid for a budget monitor, but not especially premium.
• Price at the time of review: about US$320 and A$500.

Performance and User Experience

Gaming and Response Times

Input latency is excellent, with less than 0.5ms of processing delay and less than 10ms of total latency at 165Hz.

The overdrive settings involve a compromise:

• Picture Quality: Slow, averaging about 12ms, with substantial ghosting.
• Balance: Averages about 7.38ms, but is too slow to consistently keep up with 165Hz. Some smearing is apparent, and dark-level transitions average 12.7ms, with some taking 20–30ms.
• Speed: Averages about 5.20ms and comes closer to 165Hz performance, but produces noticeable inverse ghosting. The reviewer preferred it at high refresh rates despite the bright trails; 26% of transitions showed inverse ghosting.

The Speed setting is unsuitable at lower refresh rates, especially around 60–100Hz. Balance is preferable in that range, though it still produces some inverse ghosting.

Overall, the overdrive tuning is poor: no mode provides a clean experience across the full adaptive-sync range, and neither is ideal at 165Hz. Dark-level smearing is a typical VA-panel weakness. The monitor can deliver acceptable 60Hz performance apart from this dark smearing.

Image Quality

• The wide-gamut panel covers about 90% of P3. Colors look vibrant but are oversaturated by default because there is no functional sRGB clamp.
• Factory grayscale calibration is good, with an average close to 6500K. Gamma is nearly flat at 2.2, though not perfect. Average grayscale Delta E 2000 is below 2, while color-checker accuracy is less precise.
• The built-in sRGB mode is broken: it does not clamp the gamut and worsens grayscale performance. OSD adjustments do little to correct the issues.
• Full calibration can improve gamma and bring Delta E averages below 2, but the reviewer does not recommend the monitor for professional color work.
• Brightness is mediocre, at about 320 nits maximum and 73 nits minimum. The G32QC is brighter, exceeding 400 nits in the reviewer’s test.
• Contrast is a strength: it is roughly three times that of the cited mid-range IPS comparison, providing deeper blacks.
• The review unit had poor gray uniformity, especially in the lower corners, along with some backlight bleed in those corners. The reviewer notes that this is not unusual at this price level.
• Power use is around 30W, similar to competing monitors.

Comparisons

• Gigabyte G32QC: Shares similar core specs but has a 32-inch screen and is brighter. The G27QC’s different physical panel performs better in response-time and overdrive tests, though neither model has outstanding overall response performance.
• AOC CQ27G2: The reviewer found it performs slightly better overall and costs less—about US$260—though it is 144Hz rather than 165Hz. The reviewer considers the real-world refresh-rate difference small, particularly for these VA panels.
• Mid-range IPS monitors, such as the Asus VG27AQ and Pixio PX7: Offer broadly comparable response times, but with less inverse ghosting and a better overall motion experience. IPS also avoids VA dark-level smearing, though it has lower contrast.
• ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD: An IPS alternative with better response times and uniformity, but lower contrast, no height-adjustable stand, and a flat screen.

Verdict

The G27QC offers appealing specs, strong contrast, good factory grayscale performance, low input lag, and useful OSD features. Its main drawback is weak overdrive tuning: gamers using 165Hz must accept either slower response or noticeable inverse ghosting, alongside VA dark smearing.

At around US$320, the reviewer does not recommend it over better-performing, less expensive alternatives. It may be worth considering if its price drops to around US$300 or lower.

Speaker Contributions

The review is delivered by one narrator, who covers the product overview, test results, comparisons, and final recommendation.