By In several categories, including refresh rate, low-cost gaming displays are increasingly improving. Despite having a refresh rate of 240 Hz, the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 usually costs less than $200. A hertz is less than a dollar!
Specs and Features
The basic specs of the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 are standard for a low-cost monitor. It features a 27-inch widescreen panel with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The monitor’s most enticing feature is its refresh rate, which can reach up to 240 Hz (or 280 Hz in overclock mode).
- 27-inch 16:9 curved widescreen display
- 1920 x 1080 native resolution
- Vertical Alignment (VA) panel type 8-bit
- Up to 240 Hz or 280 Hz (overclocked) is the refresh rate.
- AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for adaptive sync
- HDR: In agreement
- Ports: 1 3.5mm audio-out, 1 DisplayPort 1.4, and 2 HDMI 2.1
- VESA mount: 100x100mm, yes
- Two 3-watt speakers are used.
- Cost: $149.99 average, $229.99 MSRP
Lenovo’s version of the MSRP, $229.99, is the Legion R27fc-30’s “value,” yet it is now selling for $194.99 and seems to sell for less than $200 quite a bit. It is therefore among the most affordable 240Hz gaming monitors on the market.
The design of the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30
Lenovo’s Legion R27fc-30 strongly emphasizes gaming, which frequently detracts from the monitor’s usefulness. The panel appears normal from the front, with a tiny chin at the bottom and thin bezels on three sides. When you turn the monitor around, you see a flat, unimpressive expanse of matte black, smooth plastic. Although the Legion R27fc-30’s panel design is adequate for the price range, it is not as good as the Pixio PX248 Wave.
Things begin to falter at the stand. Lenovo chooses a broad stand that resembles a steel truss. Unfortunately, plastic was utilized instead of metal, which reveals the monitor’s low cost. Although the base of the stand is theoretically level, its truss-like shape makes it challenging to set anything on top of it, and it also takes up a lot of desk space.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 – Gaming Monitor – 27″ FHD Display – 240Hz–280Hz –
It is not all terrible news, though. Significant ergonomic adjustment features on the Lenovo include tilt, swivel, and height. It has the ability to turn into portrait mode as well. Since many low-cost monitors only provide tilt adjustment, these features cannot be taken for granted. Additionally, there is a standard 100x100mm VESA mount for connecting an external monitor arm or stand.
Despite having numerous ergonomic adjustments, the stand uses screws to fasten to the monitor’s display screen rather than a more practical quick-release mechanism. A screwdriver is not required to set up the monitor because it comes with thumbscrews that are at least hand-turnable. The 1500R curvature of the display is harsh. The smaller 27-inch size of the monitor makes this curvature obvious but manageable. Curved designs on a 27-inch display do not really enhance immersion, thus I personally do not like them, but it is a question of taste.
Connectivity
Regarding the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30’s connectivity, there is not much to say. With two HDMI 2.1 connectors and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, the monitor has three visual sources in total. The maximum refresh rate of 280 Hz at full resolution is supported by all video inputs on the display. The only other features on the monitor are a single 3.5mm audio connection and no USB ports. I consider this a miss because I believe that every monitor should have at least a couple of USB ports. Nevertheless, a lot of low-cost monitors lack USB ports.
HDR image quality
HDR input is technically supported by the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30. That was unexpected because Lenovo made no mention of the monitor’s HDR compatibility in its marketing. However, it was a smart move to leave off HDR because the Legion R27fc-30 performs poorly in this mode. It lacks the color spectrum and brightness needed to properly render HDR. As a result, HDR content frequently merely looks slightly different from SDR rather than being any better. This is to be expected as the majority of low-cost monitors cannot produce high-definition HDR images. The Xiaomi G Pro 27i is an affordable mini-LED display that is suitable for those who seek adequate HDR.
Performance of the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 motion
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30’s refresh rate of up to 240 Hz, which can be overclocked to 280 Hz, will be appreciated by gamers. With a few exceptions, this is a very high refresh rate for a low-cost display and results in good motion performance. Let us start with the positive news. When compared to a 60Hz or 144Hz display, a refresh rate of up to 240Hz/280Hz offers a significant improvement in motion. For seamless frame pacing, the display also supports VESA Adaptive-Sync and AMD FreeSync (Nvidia G-Sync should work as well, although it is not officially supported). A buttery gaming experience is the end product. It is a little amazing that a monitor this smooth can be purchased for significantly less than $200.
But in terms of pixel reaction speeds, the monitor’s VA panel is not the greatest. Although motion is usually sharp, it is not as good as a high-end IPS or OLED gaming monitor with the same refresh rate since longer pixel response times result in ghosting. For instance, I found that the character and moving user interface fonts in League of Legends test films were still difficult to read, even though they are frequently readable (although somewhat tough) on more costly gaming monitors. With its several overdrive modes and 280Hz overclock, the Legion R27fc-30 attempts to counteract that. This produces a noticeable shimmer around objects with strong contrast, although it can also marginally improve clarity. In my opinion, the 240Hz setting with Overdrive turned off was better.
Another strategy to enhance motion clarity is the backlight strobing mode. This option produces a visible “double image” appearance and lowers the brightness of a monitor. I can not suggest using it because it is not a very good implementation. However, these defects are rather typical in the sub-$200 monitor area, so do not let them deter you. All things considered, the Legion R27fc-30 offers excellent motion performance at a reasonable cost.
Conclusion
Often priced under $200, the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is a good option for gamers seeking a gaming monitor with good motion clarity and contrast. It has several drawbacks, such as the large stand and no image quality settings, but it also has advantages, such as a decent selection of ergonomic settings. While image quality falls a little short in terms of color performance, it excels in motion, which will be a good compromise for a lot of gamers.
