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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
The 27G15 is rated for 300 nits output and I came only a tad shy of that figure. But there’s a catch. You must select the User color temp to see its full output potential. In Standard mode, Warm color temp, my sample topped out at around 260 nits. Either figure is good enough for any indoor space. And HDR content will use the full brightness range regardless of other settings.
Black levels are very low thanks to the 27G15’s excellent VA panel and I saw 4,327.4:1 contrast as a result. When it comes to native panel contrast, it doesn’t get much better than this, certainly not for $140. This is excellent performance.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Calibration did little to change the contrast results. I still measured over 4,200:1, which is among the very best VA has to offer. Blacks are true and highlights are bright. Color saturation is vivid too, especially after changing the gamma from preset 1 to preset 3.
The 27G15 stays in second place in the ANSI test, right on the heels of the GS27FC. High intra-image contrast like this is usually only found in more expensive displays, though the Gigabyte is the next most expensive monitor of the group. It’s $150 at this writing.
Test Takeaway: If you want high contrast without the high price of a Mini LED monitor, VA panels like the 27G15 are a great choice. Their picture depth and color saturation are excellent and clearly better than what you’ll see from IPS panels. And, like the 27G15, they’re usually less expensive to boot.
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