Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 27-inch 280 Hz gaming monitor review: Remarkable performance and value

The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is a 27-inch FHD VA curved gaming monitor with 280 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR and wide gamut color.

Lenovo Legion R27fc-30
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Tom's Hardware Verdict

Aside from its refresh rate switching quirk, the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is a top-notch gaming monitor with a colorful accurate picture and premium gaming performance.

Pros

  • +

    Bright and colorful image

  • +

    No calibration necessary

  • +

    Precise blur-free video processing

  • +

    Slick styling and solid build quality

Cons

  • -

    No USB ports

  • -

    Annoying switch back to 240 Hz after 30 minute

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you’ve read my latest monitor reviews, you can see that I’m addicted to OLED panels. Their gaming performance and image quality are simply on another level. However, I also understand that many users don’t want to spend $650 or more on a 27-inch display for one of the best OLED gaming monitors. So, it is fortunate that I am also addicted to finding value.

Lenovo caters to the bang-for-the-buck crowd with its products, which nearly always deliver high performance and quality at a reasonable cost. The best way to save money when building a gaming rig is to embrace FHD 1920x1080 resolution, which leads to high frame rates and low input lag.

A perfect example is the Legion R27fc-30. It’s a 27-inch VA curved panel with 280 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR and wide gamut color. Let’s take a look.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Panel Type / BacklightVA / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio27 inches / 16:9
Row 2 - Cell 0 Curve radius: 1500mm
Max Resolution and Refresh Rate1920x1080 @ 240 Hz
Row 4 - Cell 0 280 Hz w/overclock
Row 5 - Cell 0 FreeSync and G-Sync Compatible
Native Color Depth and Gamut8-bit / DCI-P3
Response Time (GTG)1ms
Brightness (mfr)350 nits
Contrast (mfr)3,000:1
Speakers2x 3w
Video Inputs1x DisplayPort 1.4
Row 12 - Cell 0 2x HDMI 2.1
Audio3.5mm headphone output
USBNone
Power Consumption23w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base20.5 x 15.2-20.5 x 10.2 inches (521 x 386-521 x 259mm)
Panel Thickness3.3 inches (83mm)
Bezel WidthTop/sides: 0.3 inch (7mm)
Row 19 - Cell 0 Bottom: 0.8 inch (21mm)
Weight13.7 pounds (6.2kg)
Warranty3 years

The qualifier here is the R27fc-30’s low price. At this writing, it sells for around $195, or about a quarter of the cost of a premium OLED. Resolution is FHD 1920x1080 and the native refresh rate is 240 Hz with a 280 Hz overclock available. It’s certified for FreeSync and runs G-Sync without issue, but it is not currently certified by Nvidia. A precise overdrive delivers smooth motion almost completely free of blur at 280fps. And that framerate won’t require a $1,500 video card to achieve.

The R27fc-30 is unusual in that it’s curved with a 1500R radius. Curved 16:9 monitors are somewhat rare, but they offer the same screen area as a flat monitor with slightly less width. I use a 32-inch curved screen and by bringing the sides closer to the center, I can see more of the desktop without moving my head or eyes’ focus point.

The panel is of the Vertical Alignment (VA) type, with a claimed 3,000:1 contrast. My R27fc-30 sample measured better, with over 4,500:1, thanks to excellent black levels, which give the image a lot of texture and depth. You also get a wide color gamut, with over 85% coverage of DCI-P3. HDR10 is supported, with peak white levels over 407 nits and decent dynamic range. Color accuracy is firmly in the calibration-not-needed category, with excellent out-of-box measurements that stick close to established standards.

The R27fc-30’s gaming experience is good, supported by an excellent overdrive and a 280 Hz overclock. The only bummer is that the overclock stays engaged for just 30 minutes before reverting back to 240 Hz. I’ve seen this on every overclocked Lenovo monitor recently, and it is annoying, to say the least. With a short black screen delay, it will switch back, right in the middle of a frag session.

Build quality and styling are not short-changed here. The stand is a solid affair with industrial styling and blue accents. There are no LED lights, but you get a decent pair of internal speakers. Another sacrifice at the altar of value is USB ports, they’re missing as well.

For less than $200, the R27fc-30 rocks the price/performance ratio. As you’ll soon see, it delivers remarkable performance in all areas important to gaming.

Assembly and Accessories

Lenovo embraces the current trend towards recyclable packaging with the R27fc-30’s contents well protected by molded pulp and a little flexible foam supporting the curved panel. You won’t need tools to assemble it, but the panel attaches to the stand with four large thumbscrews which you’ll need to fish out of the accessory bag. That bag also contains an IEC power cord and a DisplayPort cable.

Product 360

The R27fc-30 is simply styled and matches the aesthetic of other Legion series products I’ve reviewed. The panel has smooth areas unblemished by sculpting or other molded-in features. It says Lenovo on the front trim and Legion on the back in screened-on lettering. A small LED shows the power status at the lower right while the control keys and joystick are in the back.

The stand is where most of the Lenovo specific styling cues appear. There’s a honeycomb pattern on the back of the upright, and the base is a triangular lattice that looks like framing for a commercial building. A bit of blue lines the cable hole and the edges are finished in a polished black. A metal Lenovo badge appears on the base in view of the user. Ergonomics include 5/22 degrees tilt, 30 degrees swivel, and a 5.3-inch height adjustment. Unusually for a curved screen, you get a 90-degree portrait mode.

The inputs are labeled with tiny white letters and include a DisplayPort 1.4, and two HDMI 2.1 along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The internal speakers play politely while consuming three watts apiece. There are no USB ports nor is there any LED lighting.

OSD Features

Pressing the R27fc-30’s joystick brings up a well-organized OSD with five sub-menus. The joystick covers all monitor functions, but two additional keys take you straight to the input selector or Game Settings menu.

The first menu is Game Settings, and it has everything related to video processing, along with a selection of seven picture modes. Standard works well for all content and includes calibration controls which you’ll find in the Color settings menu.

Video processing options include an excellent overdrive that removes almost all motion blur on its third level. You can run level four if you engage the 280 Hz overclock. The caveat is that the R27fc-30 will revert to 240 Hz after 30 minutes to maintain stability. Given my experience with overclocked monitors, this is unnecessary. I have yet to find a single one that would not run reliably for hours at a time. If you are a fan of backlight strobing as an alternative to Adaptive-Sync, the R27fc-30 includes MPRT. It is only on or off so there are no pulse width adjustments. It cuts brightness by around 40% and has an obvious phasing artifact that in my tests rendered it useless. I much preferred G-Sync with overdrive at 240 and 280 fps. The only other gaming aid is a frame rate counter; there are no aiming points or sniper modes.

You can calibrate the R27fc-30 with a set of RGB sliders and gamma presets. Instead of power values like 2.2, it shows offsets. In my tests, Default was the best setting. If you want to select an sRGB color gamut, that option appears in the color temperatures. It is reasonably accurate but does not allow for adjustments outside of brightness.

Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 Calibration Settings

The R27fc-30 can be enjoyed without calibration, but a few tweaks to the RGB sliders make a tiny improvement. I recommend the default Standard mode for all SDR content. HDR engages when set to Auto, and it has no image adjustment options. An sRGB gamut option appears in the color temperatures, and it is fairly close to the mark with just a bit of bonus red and blue. The native gamut is very colorful and covers just over 85% of DCI-P3. My recommended SDR settings are below.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Picture ModeStandard
Brightness 200 nits75
Brightness 120 nits37
Brightness 100 nits29
Brightness 80 nits20
Brightness 50 nits7 (min. 39 nits)
Contrast75
GammaDefault
Color Temp UserRed 100, Green 100, Blue 96

Gaming and Hands-on

Most concerns about budget monitors center around resolution, and in the R27fc-30’s case, I can relieve any worries. FHD at 27 inches is 82 ppi, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but honestly, it doesn’t make as much difference as you’d think. Textured objects are well rendered with clear and fine detail, and distant elements are crisp and clean. Once the action reaches high intensity, the difference is even smaller because the R27fc-30’s motion resolution is superb.

I found the need to switch back to 280 Hz every half hour annoying, but at least I could do it without exiting Doom Eternal. A few times, while in the midst of battle, the screen went black for two seconds, which was inconvenient. But then I could hit pause and switch back to the overclock. This is a feature that Lenovo could get rid of or at least give users the choice to disable.

Aside from that, the R27fc-30’s gaming feel is superb. Motion blur is barely visible, and the overdrive has no artifacts. MPRT is less clean though with phasing and a brightness reduction that has no adjustment. Pulse width would be a nice choice to add. But the combination of 280 Hz, overdrive and Adaptive-Sync is a winner. I enjoyed precision aiming, well-managed movement and easy avoidance of incoming fire. Run and gun maneuvers were simple to achieve, and I was always able to put my targets within the game-provided reticle. I noticed the lack of aiming points and sniper aids but that wasn’t a deal-breaker.

For day-to-day work, the R27fc-30 is well-suited. 27 inches is an ideal size and is the largest screen I’d use in FHD resolution. I didn’t notice the dot structure mainly thanks to the extremely tight pixel gaps. Even when viewed closely, I had a hard time seeing individual pixels. The picture is further enhanced by excellent contrast and vivid accurate color. It was nice to have a usable sRGB mode available as well.

Takeaway: In the sub-$200 genre, the R27fc-30 among the best. It delivers superb gaming in casual and intense titles alike. Precise video processing means a smooth-moving image with almost no blur. The overclock that only lasts 30 minutes is a pain but it’s easy to reengage without exiting the game. Overall, the R27fc-30 is a supremely capable monitor that has excellent gaming performance for the money.

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.