Bright 2K Monitor – Lenovo 27 G27Q-20 Review

The Lenovo G27q-20 is a feature-packed 27-inch QHD gaming monitor that offers excellent performance and visuals at an affordable price point. With a 165Hz refresh rate and 2560 x 1440 resolution, it provides buttery smooth gameplay and sharp image quality. In this review, we’ll examine the display performance, design, features, and overall value of this gaming monitor.

Display Performance

The G27q-20 sports a 27-inch IPS panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. The 109 PPI pixel density results in detailed and crisp visuals, perfectly suited for gaming and multimedia content.

With a peak brightness of 400 nits, the monitor produces vivid and bright images. The 1000:1 contrast ratio is standard for an IPS panel and enables decent distinction between blacks and whites. Viewing angles are also strong at 178° both horizontally and vertically, with consistent color and contrast when viewing the screen off-center.

This monitor covers 99% of the sRGB color gamut and 92% of the wider DCI-P3 gamut, delivering vibrant and accurate colors. It supports 10-bit color depth (8-bit + FRC dithering) for smooth color gradients. While not officially VESA DisplayHDR certified, the G27q-20 can decode HDR10 signals for expanded contrast and color when viewing HDR content.

Gaming Performance

The G27q-20 really shines when it comes to gaming performance. The 165Hz maximum refresh rate results in smooth, tear-free visuals. Coupled with adaptive sync support for both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, it eliminates stuttering and screen tearing by matching the monitor’s refresh rate to the GPU’s frame rate output.

Input lag is also impressively low at around 3ms, providing responsive gameplay. The monitor has a 1ms response time with MPRT backlight strobing, further reducing motion blur and ghosting during fast-paced games. You can choose between three overdrive settings – Off, Normal and Extreme. While Extreme eliminates ghosting at 165Hz, it can cause overshoot at lower refresh rates. The Normal mode provides the best balance for most users.

Overall, the G27q-20 delivers an extremely fluid and responsive gaming experience with minimal artifacts, making it a great pick for competitive gaming. Do note that 10-bit is only supported up to 120Hz over DisplayPort.

Design and Connectivity

The G27q-20 features a clean, minimalist design with slim bezels on three sides for an immersive viewing experience. The rear and stand have angular styling elements and blue accents that add flair. Build quality is solid thanks to the matte black plastic construction.

For ergonomics, the stand offers 130mm of height adjustment, -5°/22° tilt, and 90° rotation to portrait orientation. However, swivel and pivot adjustments are not supported. The stand has a large footprint, so a monitor arm can help maximize desk space.

For connectivity, the G27q-20 is equipped with 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5mm audio out jack. This allows you to connect your gaming PC and secondary devices like consoles.

Features

Aside from the gaming-centric specs, the G27q-20 also offers a few additional features for convenience:

• Flicker-free backlighting helps reduce eye fatigue during long gaming sessions
• Low blue light mode is certified by TÜV Rheinland to reduce exposure to harmful blue light emissions
• The Lenovo Artery software lets you control settings like overdrive, gamma, color modes, brightness, and more
• AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync support provide variable refresh rates up to the max 165Hz

While the Artery software UI is a bit basic, it gets the job done for tweaking monitor settings without needing to navigate the OSD menu. The G27q-20 also supports VESA mounting for use with monitor arms.

Value and Conclusion

With the price of Rs 26000/ $320, the Lenovo G27q-20 provides decent value for a 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor. You get great gaming performance with a 165Hz refresh rate, FreeSync/G-Sync support, and fast response times. The IPS panel delivers vibrant colors and wide viewing angles. Extras like the height-adjustable stand, software controls, and blue light mode also add to the value proposition.

Shortcomings like the IPS Glow & lack of swivel/pivot adjustment are there. Overall, the G27q-20 hits the sweet spot of price and performance, making it easy to recommend for fast-paced QHD gaming. It delivers a responsive, immersive, and visually striking gaming experience.