HP Omen 27qs 240 Hz Gaming Monitor Review: Solid Performance and Exceptional Value

27-inch QHD IPS gaming monitor with 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR and wide gamut color.

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HP Omen 27qs
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The Omen 27qs supports HDR10 signals with an automatic switch and a nice bright image. All picture controls are locked out but as you’ll soon see, they are not needed.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

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HP Omen 27qs
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The Omen 27qs just cracks 500 nits peak in HDR mode which is a lot of light. Dynamic contrast is in play in the form of eight-zone edge dimming, which improves black levels and takes contrast to 9,036.6:1. It’s about equal to the BenQ, with the AG274QG being the over-achiever of the group. I’ll save you the search: the AOC costs around $80 more. If you’re okay with 9,000:1 contrast, the Omen 27qs is a bargain, and it looks great with bright highlights and deep shadows.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

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HP Omen 27qs
(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

HDR grayscale doesn’t get better than the Omen 27qs. With no picture controls, it hits the reference level with no visible errors. Luminance tracking is a tad dark, but I could still resolve detail in shadow areas. The tone-map transition is at the correct 65%.

In the color test, the Omen 27qs is mostly over-saturated but in a linear progression, which preserves image fidelity. HDR is clearly more colorful than SDR. Hue values are right where they should be. In the Rec.2020 test, red and green go off hue at 100% to provide a little more impact for content mastered to that gamut. Inner targets show good hue tracking and the same degree of over-saturation.

Test Takeaway: The Omen 27qs delivers impactful HDR images with deep contrast and bright color. They are clearly superior to their SDR counterparts. Though its dynamic contrast won’t fool you into thinking Mini LEDs are in play, it has an image that punches well above its price class. You can buy the Omen 27qs for its HDR capability and be impressed.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

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.