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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
This comparison is a bit unfair because the BenQ and AOC screens have Mini LED backlights. The GS27U acquits itself well though with a peak SDR output level of 383 nits, more than the 350 Gigabyte claims. That’s more than enough light for any indoor space.
Black levels are a bit disappointing though which means contrast is a middling 951.5:1. It’s close to the 1,000:1 average I’ve observed for the IPS category but some newer models like Gigabyte’s own GS27QXA can top 1,300:1. The difference is small but visible.
After Calibration to 200 nits
At 200 nits, with a grayscale calibration in place, the GS27U picks up a few contrast points with a 963.7:1 score. It moves up to fourth place in this group which is a good thing. ANSI contrast is better yet, comparatively, with a 911.8:1 result good enough for third place. The BenQ and AOC have the Mini LED advantage, but you’ll pay a lot more money for a little more dynamic range.
Test Takeaway: The GS27U has slightly below average contrast when compared to other IPS panels. It’s plenty bright but black levels are slightly elevated. But since it costs just $300, I can forgive this minor flaw.
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