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HDR doesn’t get better than a premium OLED like the XG27AQDPG. The tech’s deep blacks and broad contrast create an image that other screens types can’t. This monitor switches modes automatically and offers four presets and some luminance adjustment options that its competitors don’t have.
The XG27AQDPG is brighter than most other OLEDs at 527 nits peak from a 25% window pattern. Most of the competition are closer to the bottom three screens at 420-450 nits but the LG and Asus at the top are brighter yet. In most content, these differences are minute with just the smallest highlights showing up a little more. But make no mistake, the XG27AQDPG looks spectacular. Remember also that the PG27AQDP and LG 27GX790A have less color volume.
There are no color adjustments available in the XG27AQDPG’s four HDR modes, but the red error seen above is barely above the visible threshold. I compared all four presets and found True Black had the best EOTF tracking. This is key to ensuring full detail rendering and the most tactile image. I noted that Gaming HDR had some edge enhancement, which ultimately made the image less sharp.
In the HDR color test you can see general and linear oversaturation in red, magenta and blue. These colors are vivid in all content and there is no clipping of detail. Green is fully covered which sets the XG27AQDPG apart from non-QD monitors that can’t render all of that primary. You can see the same performance in the BT.2020 test where it tops out at 90% red, 75% green and 95% blue. This is excellent performance.
Test Takeaway: The XG27AQDPG is a top example of the HDR format with brightly vivid colors and accurate luminance tracking. Its peaks of over 527 nits are an advantage over much of the competition as well. If you want one of the best available HDR monitors, this one is it.
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.
