To G-Sync or to not G-Sync. That is the everlasting query when shopping for a gaming monitor as of late, particularly when cheaper AMD FreeSync screens such because the Iiyama G-Master GB2760HSU on check as we speak can now additionally make the most of a watered down G-Sync-esque expertise because of Nvidia lastly opening up their variable refresh price customary originally of the 12 months.
Iiyama’s GB2760HSU isn’t, I ought to observe, one in every of Nvidia’s official G-Sync Compatible screens, however after testing it out for myself over the monitor’s DisplayPort 1.2 enter, the expertise was fairly first rate. There wasn’t any blanking (that’s, black frames being inserted), nor was there any pulsing or random brightness modifications, or any display tearing. The solely apparent defect was a little bit of stuttering, which isn’t ideally suited in fast-paced games corresponding to Doom, but it surely’s nonetheless completely serviceable for these after a style of what G-Sync can do with out shelling out a great deal of further money. Can the Iiyama GB2760HSU break into our best gaming monitor rankings, although? Let’s discover out.
The G-Sync stuff is all excellent news, however as you possibly can see from that specs desk over there, the GB2760HSU does include one large caveat – and that’s its decision of 1920×1080. Spread throughout a 27in panel, that is one thing that basically bucks up towards what I think about an appropriate pixel density as of late and, for me at the very least, it does detract from the monitor’s total enchantment in consequence.
Things aren’t blurry, per se, however they’re noticeably fuzzy across the edges, significantly whenever you’re coping with textual content or looking the net. It’s much less noticeable in games, to be honest, so that you’ll most likely be positive if the monitor’s foremost function goes to be a full-time gaming display. However, should you’re going to be utilizing it for normal desktop duties as properly, then I’d strongly urge you to think about spending somewhat bit extra on a monitor with a 2560×1440 decision should you really need one which’s 27in in dimension, as your eyes will thanks for it in the long term.
Fortunately, the GB2760HSU does are available a 27in, 2560×1440 mannequin (the GB2760QSU), in addition to a smaller, 24in model with the identical 1920×1080 decision (the GB2560HSU). Without having examined these fashions myself, nonetheless, it’s exhausting to say whether or not they’ll supply the same, worse and even higher G-Sync expertise when paired with an Nvidia graphics card.
Still, all three use a TN panel, so the one factor that is more likely to be comparable is the monitor’s total picture high quality. And the excellent news is that the GB2760HSU’s sRGB color gamut protection is barely a few per cent behind the easiest G-Sync TN screens I’ve examined such because the Acer Predator XB241H and Alienware AW2518H.
Whereas these screens every cowl round 95% of the sRGB gamut, my X-Rite i1 DisplayPro calibrator confirmed the GB2760HSU is able to displaying 92.3% of it on its default 6500Ok color temperature setting, which is fairly first rate contemplating TN panels very often have fairly poor color accuracy. Indeed, that’s really higher than the sRGB protection you’ll discover on the IPS panel utilized in Philips’ 276E9QJAB (one other 27in 1080p monitor), and that’s a display that touts itself as an ‘ultra wide colour’ show.
Admittedly, I used to be somewhat disillusioned to see the Iiyama’s sRGB determine fall again to 89.6% after I tried calibrating the show to carry its RGB values consistent with one another, however 92% out of the field remains to be fairly good, all issues thought-about – if solely as a result of it means you don’t need to spend ages fiddling round with Iiyama’s onboard menu system to get one of the best out of it. Its viewing angles have been fairly good, too, and even wanting on the monitor from the aspect didn’t produce a significant shift in distinction or color replica.
It additionally comes with a number of different gaming modes, corresponding to particular FPS, Strategy and Sport Game presets, however these tended to make the display look even worse whereas locking off all brightness, distinction and color controls. As a end result, these after one of the best colors ought to nonetheless with its 6500Ok color temperature possibility and depart its so-called ‘I-Style’ modes switched off.
Admittedly, the GB2760HSU’s distinction ratio of 741:1 was barely much less spectacular, and it typically meant that darker games corresponding to Little Nightmares tended to look a bit flat and washed out within the outdated shadow division. However, there wasn’t any noticeable banding happening, which might typically occur when screens with pants distinction battle to differentiate between all of the completely different shades of gray onscreen, and on the entire I’d say it nonetheless produced an honest sufficient image in these gloomier scenes to hold on enjoying with out problem.
The two USB ports are solely USB2, sadly, but it surely’s nonetheless higher than none in any respect.
The GB2760HSU might battle a bit should you occur to be utilizing it by a sunlit window, although, as its peak brightness solely reached a most of round 300cd/m2, and as a rule tended to settle across the 260cd/m2 mark – which is a far cry from Iiyama’s claimed determine of 400cd/m2. That’s nonetheless greater than sufficient for on a regular basis use beneath regular lighting circumstances, to be honest, but it surely’s all the time helpful to have that further little bit of leeway to account for significantly sunny afternoons or vibrant, overhead lighting, for instance.
Still, whenever you add in its height-adjustable stand (a whole lot of low-cost 27in 1080p screens are likely to solely include fastened ones), a two-port USB2 hub (which once more is one other rarity, even when it could have been good in the event that they have been the quicker USB3 customary as an alternative), its 144Hz refresh price and twin FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility, the Iiyama GB2760HSU provides as much as a fairly first rate bundle.
Indeed, the one different monitor you may need to think about as an alternative of the GB2760HSU is the BenQ EW277HDR, which has a better high quality 27in, 1920×1080 panel than the Iiyama (plus the flexibility to do a little bit of HDR) and prices even much less, as you possibly can at present decide it up for simply £157 within the UK proper now and $194 within the US. It doesn’t include a height-adjustable stand or any of the Iiyama’s further refresh price options, all advised, but when all you’re after is an inexpensive, great-looking 27in monitor, then the BenQ is fairly powerful to beat at that value.
However, should you do need the stand and excessive refresh price and don’t thoughts the very fact it solely has a 1920×1080 decision, the Iiyama G-Master GB2760HSU is a superb place to start out for these trying to maintain prices right down to beneath £300. If the decision’s going to hassle you, although, then you definately’d be higher off dropping down a dimension and spending only a fraction extra on the superb (and our best gaming monitor G-Sync champ) £375 / $350 Acer Predator XB241H as an alternative.
