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With so much attention focused on OLEDs of late, it’s a little harder to find a high-performance 27-inch LCD panel for less than $500. But if you have $450 to spend, the HP Omen 27qs G2 is a great choice that also delivers a great picture.
For gaming, the Omen 27qs G2 is at the top of its class. With 280 Hz, it’s smoother than the competition and to that, it adds a precise overdrive for near elimination of motion blur. It also has the best MPRT backlight strobe I’ve seen yet, with no trace of the phasing artifact that is often a deal-breaker. You can use the G2 with systems on middle to high performance levels and enjoy high motion resolution and quick response.
Picture quality is top-notch, like any HP monitor, with accurate color out of the box and pro-level results from calibration. Color covers more of DCI-P3 than most of its competitors, over 93% in my tests, and there’s an easy-to-reach sRGB mode for those color-specific tasks. The only thing I wished for was extra gamma presets, but the default setting is right on the 2.2. reference.
I was also impressed by the Omen 27qs G2’s audio quality. That’s not something I usually find worthy of comment, but HP has done a great job with the internal speakers. Not only is there plenty of distortion-free volume available, but quieter levels are super clear and dynamic with a wide sound stage. That makes the G2 great for any kind of gaming or entertainment.
There’s nothing to complain about here. The Omen 27qs G2 is a superb gaming and all-around display that costs less than a similarly spec’d OLED. For $450 at this writing, you’re getting a lot for the money. Those who can’t quite come up with $600 for an OLED should definitely check it out.
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