Cheapest Real HDR Monitors AOC Q27G3XMN vs Cooler Master GP2711 Review

LCD screens with a mini LED backlight are becoming increasingly cheaper. For example, we noted this last spring when we reviewed the AOC Agon Pro AG274QXM and the Cooler Master Tempest GP27U, which cost less than 1000 euros, while early mini LED screens could cost more than 2000 euros. Both manufacturers will return with a new model at the beginning of 2024, making a mini LED screen even more accessible for less than 500 euros. The AOC AGON Q27G3XMN is temporarily difficult to obtain but normally has a suggested retail price of 399 euros, while it has also been on sale for around 360 euros in recent months. The Cooler Master Tempest GP2711 costs 449 euros at the time of writing.

Both monitors have a 27" VA panel with WQHD resolution (2560x1440) and a refresh rate of 165 Hz (Cooler Master) or 180 Hz (AOC). The AOC monitor divides its mini LED backlight into 336 independently dimmable zones, whereas the Cooler Master Tempest GP2711 boasts 576 dimming zones. Both screens promise a peak brightness of 1000 cd/m2.

The main promise of these two affordable mini LED screens is a good HDR display. Almost all gaming screens up to 500 euros perform moderately to poorly. Not only is the brightness too limited, but on LCD screens without a mini LED backlight, the contrast is also much too low because the black levels are not good. OLED screens do have good contrast and fairly high peak brightness, but the cheapest 27" WQHD screens only start at 750 euros. Those who want a good HDR but do not have a budget for it will almost automatically end up with the Q27G3XMN and Tempest. GP2711. How do these screens work in practice?

AOC Q27G3XMN

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The AOC Q27G3XMN is generally available for less than 400 euros, making it the cheapest true HDR monitor. With a mini LED backlight divided into zones, it has sufficiently high contrast and peak brightness to do justice to HDR images. The brightness, colors, and contrast are also fine for a normal SDR image. The construction is simple with cheap-feeling buttons for the OSD, but at least AOC provides height adjustment. With its VA panel, the Q27G3XMN is not as fast as the better IPS screens in its price range, but apart from the difficult black-dark-gray transition, it is fast enough for the 180Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, at full speed, we see scanlines in the image with the Q27G3XMN, while flickering sometimes occurs at the bottom of the FreeSync range. The limited viewing angles and relatively high energy consumption are also not ideal.

Plus points

• Cheapest real HDR monitor
• High brightness and contrast
• Excellent SDR color reproduction
• Response times for VA screens are relatively fast

Negatives

• Poor viewing angles
• Scanlines at 180Hz, FreeSync flicker at lower refresh rates
• Unpleasant OSD operation

Cooler Master Tempest GP2711

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In contrast to many gaming screens under 500 euros, the Cooler Master Tempest GP2711 does offer a good HDR display. With a mini LED backlight divided into zones, it has sufficiently high contrast and peak brightness to do justice to HDR images. The brightness, colors, and contrast are also fine for a normal SDR image, with relatively good viewing angles for a VA screen. We appreciate that Cooler Master has put a wide selection of other color presets on its screen, including settings for Display P3 and Adobe RGB, but unfortunately, the adjustment for those color spaces does not appear to be optimal. The screen rests on a beautiful metal base with a handy USB-C port and KVM feature. Unfortunately, the response times are not great. The GP2711 is certainly not the slowest VA monitor, but even affordable IPS gaming screens suffer less from ghosting, with the overshoot increasing further at lower refresh rates. The motion blur reduction function appears to be ineffective.

Plus points

• Real HDR under 500 euros
• Excellent SDR color reproduction
• USB-C and KVM feature

Negatives

• Slow response times
• Disappointing