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Brightness and Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

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ASRock PG27QFT2A — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The PG27QFT2A is on par with the brightest monitors in its class. 422 nits is more output than needed for an office or media room. That extra headroom would be useful when using the backlight strobe (MPRT) but unfortunately, the brightness slider is grayed out so you can’t take advantage.

The upside here is the PG27QFT2A’s low black level, which gives it a good deal more contrast than typical IPS monitors. While it won’t compete with a VA panel, its 1,491.7:1 score is excellent for the technology.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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Calibration raised contrast to 1,559.8:1. Usually, I lose a few points in this test. Obviously, the VA-based Lenovo has an advantage here but if you’re an IPS fan, the PG27QFT2A is a great choice.

It also takes second place in the ANSI test with a consistent 1,456.9:1 value. This is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: The PG27QFT2A is very bright, but it is a bummer that you can’t use that extra luminance along with the backlight strobe, which robs about 30% of the light output. It does have excellent contrast, though, with a greater dynamic range than almost all the IPS monitors I’ve tested. And it remains consistent with calibration and between the static and intra-image tests. The PG27QFT2A may be inexpensive, but it has the image depth of a premium screen.

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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

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