Gigabyte Monitor Serial Number
Rosita Westhouse
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) is a 27-inch 1440p budget-friendly gaming monitor with extra productivity features. It has a maximum refresh rate of 170Hz and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. It also has several additional features, including a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode, a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, and a KVM switch that lets you control two devices with the same mouse and keyboard.
Gigabyte has released a second version of this monitor, the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 2.0), which replaces the original version. It uses a different panel with an RGB subpixel layout instead of the BGR subpixel layout on the first version. It's unclear which version you'll get when buying from retailers, but the second version is more available, and there are differences on the boxes of the two versions to tell them apart, which you can read more about in the variants section.
The Gigabyte M27Q is decent for PC gaming. It has a high 170Hz refresh rate for a smooth feel and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. It also has low input lag and a fast response time, but there's still motion blur with fast-moving objects. However, it has a low contrast ratio and no local dimming feature, so deep blacks appear gray in darker environments, and highlights don't pop in HDR either.
The Gigabyte M27Q is okay for console gaming. It lacks HDMI 2.0 bandwidth to take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series XS, but it still offers good gaming performance with low input lag for a responsive feel. It also has a decent response time, but fast-moving objects still have motion blur. However, it has limited picture quality with a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray, and it doesn't make highlights pop in HDR.
The Gigabyte M27Q is good for office use. Its 27-inch screen provides plenty of space for multitasking, but it has worse text clarity than other 1440p monitors due to its subpixel layout. It has great brightness and decent reflection handling and overcomes glare in most environments. It also has wide viewing angles so that images remain consistent when viewed from the sides. However, it lacks swivel adjustment, which is an issue if you need to turn the screen to show your work to others. On the plus side, it includes a KVM switch and a USB-C port for you to quickly connect a laptop, but it's limited to 10W of power.
The Gigabyte M27Q is decent for content creation. Its 27-inch screen is big enough to open two windows side by side, but it has worse text clarity than other 1440p monitors due to its subpixel layout. It has an excellent sRGB mode, so you don't need to calibrate it for accurate colors. It has wide viewing angles, so the image remains consistent from the sides, too. However, it has a low contrast ratio, and no local dimming feature, so deep blacks appear gray in darker environments, and it's disappointing if you need to edit HDR content.
We tested the 27-inch Gigabyte M27Q, which is the only size available for this monitor. Some European retailers also carry an M27Q-EK or M27Q-EEK variant. It's the same monitor but with the new energy efficiency labels.
This monitor is the original version of the M27Q, which has a BGR subpixel layout and is different than the newer Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 2.0), which has an RGB subpixel layout. It's unclear which version you'll get when buying from retailers, as they don't specify if it's Rev. 1.0 or Rev. 2.0. The two versions have slightly different designs on the boxes they come with. You can see the box we got with Rev. 1.0 here and the one with Rev. 2.0 here. The biggest difference is that Rev. 1.0 is labeled as '170Hz' on the box, while Rev. 2.0 is labeled as '165Hz,' but each has a max refresh rate of 170Hz. That said, the second version is more available with most retailers.
There are also follow-up models to this monitor: the Gigabyte M27Q X, which has a higher max refresh rate, and the Gigabyte M27Q P, which supports DisplayPort 1.4 bandwidth. You can see the differences below, but the results are only valid for the first version of the M27Q.
The Gigabyte M27Q is a good budget monitor that's well-suited to a number of uses. In addition to its great decent gaming performance, it's a good choice for work-from-home setups. The KVM switch lets you use the same keyboard and mouse with two computers with the press of a switch, but it has limited power delivery over USB-C. However, its BGR subpixel layout results in worse text clarity than other 27-inch, 1440p monitors, which may be distracting to some, but the newer Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 2.0) doesn't have this same panel type. If you don't need the office features of the Gigabyte monitor and want a budget monitor mainly for gaming, you can also consider the Dell G2724D, which has better motion handling.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) is better for gaming than the Gigabyte G27Q. It has a higher 170Hz refresh rate and a much quicker response time at 60Hz, resulting in minimal motion blur. It has a better SDR color gamut, making it a better choice for content creators, and it has a KVM feature allowing you to control two devices with the same mouse and keyboard. On the other hand, the G27Q has a bit better reflection handling and gets slightly brighter in HDR, but these are minor differences and may be hard to notice.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and the Dell G2724D are both budget-friendly 1440p gaming monitors, with a few differences. The Gigabyte has extra features like a USB hub and KVM switch, making it a great choice if you need something versatile for different computers. However, the Dell has better text clarity due to its subpixel layout, and it's the better choice for gamers, thanks to its faster response time at any refresh rate.
The Gigabyte M27Q X is a bit better than the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0). The Q X has a higher native refresh rate, resulting in a faster response time and clearer motion in general. The Q X also has a more standard RGB subpixel layout, resulting in clearer text.
The Gigabyte M27Q P is the newer version of the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and has many of the same features. The main difference is that the P version has an RGB subpixel layout for improved text clarity versus the M27Q (rev. 1.0), and the P model also supports higher DisplayPort 1.4 bandwidth. The performance between the two is similar, with the M27Q (rev. 1.0) getting a bit brighter and having a faster response time at the max refresh rate. On top of that, the M27Q (rev. 1.0) also has a lower input lag at 60Hz.
The MSI G274QPF-QD and the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) are 27-inch gaming monitors. Both have similar overall performance, though the Gigabyte is better in brighter environments, as it gets considerably brighter in SDR. The Gigabyte also has better motion handling, so fast-moving objects look more crisp, making it a better choice for fast-moving games. However, the MSI has a wider HDR color gamut, so it displays more realistic colors with HDR videos and games.
The Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx and the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) are very similar. They're both IPS monitors with a 1440p resolution and a 170Hz refresh rate. Gaming-wise, the Acer has better response times, at max refresh rate and 60Hz. It also has significantly better ergonomics because it allows for swivel adjustment and rotation to portrait mode. The Gigabyte has more features, like a USB-C input with DisplayPort Alt Mode and a Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture mode.
The Gigabyte M27U is a higher-end monitor than the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0), so it's the better choice for most gamers. This is because the M27U has a higher 4k resolution, resulting in more detailed images and sharper clarity, and it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. The M27U also has a faster response time, leading to sharper motion.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and the ASUS TUF VG27AQ perform very similarly. They're both 27-inch IPS monitors with a 1440p resolution. The Gigabyte has better response times at max refresh rate and 60Hz. Its refresh rate is slightly higher, 170Hz compared to the ASUS' 165Hz, but this isn't noticeable. Although both monitors have a black frame insertion feature, only the ASUS' can be used simultaneously with VRR, and it works over a wider frequency range than the Gigabyte. The Gigabyte has more features for productivity, including a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture, but its BGR sub-pixel layout might bother some people as it can affect text clarity in some instances.
Overall, the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) performs better than the Gigabyte G27QC. Gaming-wise, the M27Q has a slightly higher 170Hz refresh rate, and its response time is much faster with less overshoot, resulting in clearer images in fast-moving scenes. The M27Q has wider viewing angles for sharing content and playing co-op games, and it gets much brighter to combat glare in well-lit rooms. It also has a much better SDR and HDR color gamut, making it better for content creators. If you often game in the dark, the G27QC might be a better choice because it has a VA panel that can produce deep blacks. Also, while its response time isn't as good as the M27Q's, it's still great and should satisfy most gamers.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and the Dell S2721DGF are very similar overall. Gaming-wise, the Dell has faster response times. Its refresh rate is just a bit lower, 165Hz compared to the Gigabyte's 170Hz; however, this is a small difference that isn't noticeable. It also has significantly better ergonomics, making it easier to position the screen the way you want. On the other hand, the Gigabyte has more features. It includes a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, an integrated KVM switch, and a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode that lets you display two input signals simultaneously, which can be useful for streamers running on two computers.
The LG 27GN800-B and the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) are both excellent gaming monitors. Looking past the terrible ergonomics on the LG, they both perform fairly similarly. That said, the Gigabyte has an overclockable refresh rate of 170Hz, higher than the 144Hz max refresh rate of the LG. The Gigabyte also gets brighter in SDR and HDR, and it has one of the widest color gamuts on any monitor we've tested, which is great if you also do color-critical work. Even though its response time isn't quite as fast as the LG's, the Gigabyte offers more versatility thanks to its additional features, including USB 3.0 ports and a USB-C port, as well as a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode.
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