HP Omen 27qs 240 Hz Gaming Monitor: Great Value & Results
Two gaming monitor value options exist. Some low-cost displays sacrifice features. The second kind sacrifices nothing and delivers 98% of premium screen performance for 30% of the cost. That category has many 27-inch QHD panels.
HP’s Omen display series offers good gaming performance, accurate and saturated color, and sturdy build quality for the price. My test product is the 27qs, a sweet spot product. The 27-inch IPS QHD monitor has 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR, and wide gamut. Let’s look.
The Omen 27qs has a QHD (2560×1440) IPS panel. Ideal pixel density is 109ppi. It’s ideal because it produces sharp images with less processing than 4K’s 8.3 million pixels.
HP’s Adaptive-Sync and front-mounted G-Sync badge indicate Nvidia certification for premium video processing. You also get an effective backlight strobe (MPRT), that almost eliminates the phasing artifact on many other monitors. It’s a good alternative to Adaptive-Sync and works up to 240 Hz on the Omen 27qs. Multiple artifact-free options and smooth motion resolution make the overdrive well-implemented.
Very accurate color and a wide gamut mode that covers 90% of DCI-P3 ensure picture quality. VESA DisplayHDR 400 supports HDR10. My tests showed over 500 nits peak with a nice bump from 9,000:1 thanks to eight-zone edge dimming.
Standard gaming features include aiming points, timers, frame rate counters, and alignment marks. An LED ring in the back plays different colors and effects for light shows. HP’s sturdy chassis is built for long-term use.
HP Omen 27qs packaging is mostly plastic-free and foam-free. A few Teflon bits prevent scratching on molded cardboard pulp. A captive bolt connects the base and upright, and the panel snaps on. Fasteners and a 100mm VESA pattern are protected by a plastic shroud. The bundle includes high-quality USB and DisplayPort cables and IEC power for the internal supply. A metal VESA mount adapter is included.
No sharp corners or molded trim lines define the Omen 27qs’s sleek design. The white Omen logo is the only decoration on the front. An oversized version with a smooth taper is on the back. HP’s diamond motif appears on the LED ring, square base, and tiny white power LED.
The minimalist stand is sturdy enough to prevent wobbling. Ergonomics include 3.9-inch height adjustment and 5/20-degree tilt. Despite not swiveling, the base pivots as a unit on the desktop, allowing for unlimited swivel adjustment. Also included is a 90-degree portrait mode. Using a snap-on clip keeps cables tidy.
The usual up-and-under input panel has two HDMI 2.0 and one DisplayPort 1.4. The latter supports 55-240 Hz FreeSync and G-Sync. USB 3.2 has one upstream and two downstream ports. Plug headphones into the 3.5mm jack or use the three-watt internal speakers, which sound better than most. Their frequency range is wide and they play loudly without distortion.
The HP Omen 27qs uses nav pad keys with four directionals and a central selector instead of a joystick. Separate button toggles power. A quick menu opens with any key press, and the full OSD appears with a second select button press.
The Omen 27qs OSD has another diamond in the top left corner. Gaming has all video processing options. You get a five-level overdrive without trail artifacts until level four. MPRT, the backlight strobe, has five pulse widths. High settings reduce blur but reduce light output. Four was my test level. Level five is dark and best used in a dark room. Aiming point, frame rate indicator, and timer are available.
The rear LED ring can play three moving effects or be static. Variable breathing speed, and Random Color changes hue every five seconds to an hour. You can also turn off or adjust all effects’ brightness over 10 steps.
In the Image menu, you can enable dynamic contrast for SDR content that uses field dimming to reach 5,000:1. In HDR mode, the screen’s bottom backlight array dims eight vertical zones.
HP’s picture modes are unique and thoughtful. All eight Omen 27qs presets can be calibrated with RGB sliders. A gamma control is the only thing missing. Standard is the default and nearly matches the sRGB gamut, 2.2 gamma, and 6500K color temp. Native provides wide gamut SDR color. It needs calibration but looks great afterward.
The Audio menu has Voice, Music, and Video modes. Each is unique and favors different frequencies. You can assign the four directional buttons to quickly access color mode, brightness, and more in the Menu section.
To use sRGB color for SDR content, leave the Omen 27qs in Standard mode. No calibration or adjustments are needed. It matches grayscale, gamma, and color. Choose Native for SDR wide gamut color. It needs tweaking due to its slight blue tint. Auto-switching HDR signals gray out all picture controls. Its edge zone dimming and color accuracy give it over 9,000:1 contrast.
The best thing about 27-inch QHD gaming monitors is that they do everything well yet are affordable. You can increase resolution by buying a more expensive display and video card and sacrificing frame rates. Higher speed requires sacrificing pixel density and paying more for 360 or 500 Hz.
It was ideal for a single daily monitor. Though measured average color gamut volume, high accuracy made using the wide gamut for SDR enjoyable. The pixel-free image is sharp. A density of 109ppi delivers most of Ultra HD’s clarity and allows higher gaming frame rates.
Doom Eternal was hard to leave due to the Omen 27qs’ premium feel and response. Virtually no input lag and super-fast panel response. Overdrive was perfectly tuned to eliminate motion blur. We could use the backlight strobe instead of Adaptive-Sync without penalty. A GeForce RTX 4090 video card locked frame rates at 240fps, preventing tearing. MPRT works without obvious phasing. Level 3 balanced light output and motion resolution. To offset narrow pulse widths, overhead brightness is ample.
Audio quality from the Omen 27qs impressed me. This is exceptionally clear and full. Quality op-amps allowed me to crank the volume past a comfortable level without distortion
Takeaway: The Omen 27qs offers great value with premium gaming and everyday usability. Its vibrant image is perfect for work or play. It can satisfy casual and professional gamers with its excellent video processing and low input lag.
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