By Keyboard and mouse manufacturers have long known that people enjoy customization, and now monitor manufacturers are beginning to realize this as well. When compared to a mechanical keyboard with personalized keycaps, the charcoal shade that monitors usually employ is not that noticeable. Several new low-cost monitors aim to remedy the situation, and the Gigabyte M27QA ICE is one of them with an unusual coloring (white, in this case) and attractive design.
Specs and Features
The basic specs of the Gigabyte M27QA ICE are standard for a 27-inch monitor that costs about $300. It features an IPS display panel with a maximum refresh rate of 180Hz and a resolution of 2560 x 1440. Similar specs are available in dozens, if not hundreds, of price-effective displays.
- 27-inch widescreen 16:10 display
- Original Resolution: 2560 x 1440
- Type of panel: SS IPS
- Maximum refresh rate: 180 Hz
- AMD FreeSync provides adaptive sync.
- HDR: Certainly VESA DisplayHDR 400 has Two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, one USB Type-C port with 10 watts of power delivery and DisplayPort Alternate mode are certified ports. One USB-B 3.2 downstream, 1 headphone jack, 2 USB-A ports, and 3.2 upstream
- Mounting VESA: 100×100 mm
- Presenters: None
- Cost: MSRP $299.99
With a USB-C port, the monitor’s connectivity is a little stronger than typical, but sadly, it is only capable of 10 watts of USB Power Delivery. Along with two USB-A connections, the monitor also features a KVM switch feature.
Gigabyte M27QA ICE design
The Gigabyte M27QA ICE is white, so that is the first thing you notice. The majority of monitors still come in plain, boring black, but PC World has evaluated a few that are available in an alternate white colorway, like the Pixio PX248 Wave. Furthermore, what do you know? It looks good, the M27QA ICE. It looks great in arrangements with other white accessories or a comfortable, minimalist aesthetic. Some people will purchase this monitor primarily for its color. The Gigabyte M27QA is a simple device, except for its color. Though the monitor lacks RGB-LED illumination, the back of the panel is appealing and effectively uses texture to break up the monotony. The material quality is average, not poor but unremarkable.
A mixture is the included monitor stand. It is flat and rather wide at the base, so you can easily set notebooks or trinkets on top of it. It is robust. The stand is readily tiltable and height adjustable. It does not, however, rotate into portrait mode or swivel, a feature that many monitors at comparable prices have. Since the monitor features the standard 100x100mm VESA mount, you can use a third-party monitor arm or stand.
Connectivity and menus
Two HDMI 2.0 connectors, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and one USB-C port with DisplayPort alternative mode make up the Gigabyte M27QA ICE’s video connectivity. Four video inputs in all is a good number for a low-cost gaming display. However, only the DisplayPort and USB-C connectors can access the monitor’s maximum refresh rate because the HDMI 2.0 ports are unable to accommodate 2560 x 1440 at 180 Hz. That is only a small letdown.
A laptop cannot be charged by the USB-C connector since it only provides 10-watt power delivery when connected to two USB-A 3.2 ports. This is still another little setback because it implies that a laptop connected to the monitor via USB-C will still require a power brick. The USB-B upstream port can also be used to connect to the USB-A 3.2 ports. The display also has a KVM switch, which allows you to easily switch between devices when you have a wired keyboard and mouse connected.
GIGABYTE – M27Q Advanced ICE (SA) – 27″ SS IPS Gaming Monitor – QHD 2560×1440-180Hz – 1ms MPRT – AMD FreeSyn
A joystick on the right side of the screen is used to browse the menus that are displayed on the monitor. For right-handed users, this positioning is convenient; however, left-handed users may find it less desirable. At least the joystick responds quite well. Additionally, Gigabyte offers a useful Windows software tool for modifying display settings. Major brands of monitors are not exempt from this. But because the Gigabyte is less expensive, you might take it into consideration along with companies like Spectre and Pixio that do not offer a Windows monitor utility. Then, the M27QA ICE has an advantage in terms of usability due to Gigabyte’s software.
The on-screen menus from Gigabyte are neatly arranged, although they can be challenging to read due to the small text size and poor contrast. Numerous features related to image quality, including temperature, gamma, and color saturation, are available on the monitor. A crosshair, timer, picture-in-picture, and a dashboard showing system data, such as CPU and GPU temperatures, are among its gameplay features. The monitor also features an aim stabilizer for better motion clarity while aiming, and a black equalization to improve vision in shadows. The on-screen system information is less prevalent, although these characteristics are typical of gaming displays.
Performance
The Gigabyte M27QA ICE boasts a pixel response time of just one millisecond and a maximum refresh rate of 180Hz (although only 144Hz over HDMI 2.0). Good motion clarity is achieved using these specs, albeit it is not the greatest currently offered. Test screenshots from League of Legends and DOTA 2 scrolled smoothly, making it possible to distinguish geographical elements and character outlines. However, it was challenging to comprehend hitpoint bars and character names when they were moving. Fast-moving adversaries and items can usually be seen in shooters, but if they are far away or moving slowly, they could escape your view.
Gigabyte promotes AMD FreeSync as officially supported. This implies that, like the majority of contemporary monitors, the M27QA ICE ought to be compatible with both VESA Adaptive Sync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, however, this is not a given. I have found that utilizing Nvidia graphics cards with AMD FreeSync monitors, or vice versa, rarely causes any issues. Even if it does not improve upon a 60Hz display in terms of motion clarity, the M27QA ICE performs more than well in most scenarios and has a really impressive appearance. Price-competitive monitors with VA panels, such as the AOC 27G15, may experience a “dark smear” when switching from darker hues due to slow pixel response times. In this regard, the M27QA ICE will have an advantage over those monitors.
Conclusion
A good but unremarkable example of a mid-range gaming monitor that is also ideal for general use and content creation is the Gigabyte M27QA ICE. It has excellent motion clarity, a crisp, clear image, and superb color performance in SDR. The white color scheme of the monitor is particularly striking and goes well with any home office or comfortable gaming den.
The monitor’s contrast ratio and HDR performance, however, fall short of those of Mini-LED screens with comparable prices. Moreover, the display only offers 10 watts of electricity despite having USB-C.
You will therefore base your purchase decision primarily on pricing. The MSRP of $300 for the M27QA ICE seems a little high, but it has already dropped to $280, and I anticipate that it will fall even cheaper over the holidays. At $250 or less, it is a good deal. Above that, it remains a good monitor but can not compete with others.
