Philips Evnia 27M2N8500 360 Hz QD-OLED review: Unmatched speed and response

The Evnia 27M2N8500 is a 27-inch QHD QD-OLED gaming monitor with 360 Hz, Ambiglow LED lighting, and HDR 400.

Philips Evnia 27M2N8500
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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The comparison group consists of the fastest OLEDs I’ve tested, ranging from 240 to 480 Hz. They are the Asus PG27AQDP, MSI’s MPG271QRX, Aorus’ FO27Q2, Alienware’s AW2725DR, and Pixio’s PX277 OLED MAX. All of them run at QHD resolution.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

Response times are in lockstep with refresh rates. 240 Hz consistently draws a white field in 4ms while 360 Hz takes 3ms and 480 Hz takes 2ms. Visually, there is no difference because any OLED running at 240 Hz or faster has zero motion blur. Higher rates won’t go beyond perfection.

The 27M2N8500’s input lag score is simply astounding. I ran the test 15 times to create a more accurate average. The raw data ranged from 8 to 11ms which shows very consistent performance. It is officially the fastest monitor I’ve ever tested, and I can’t help but wonder how long this record will last. It beats the previous champ, Aorus’ FO27Q2 and the 480 Hz Asus PG27AQDP. It also smokes the other two 360 Hz screens. Whatever is in Philips’ secret sauce, it works.

Test Takeaway: As a competition monitor, the 27M2N8500 has no equal. I’ve tested 480, 500 and 540 Hz monitors, and none have input lag this low. If you’re looking for perfect video processing and a display that will give you an edge, the 27M2N8500 is it.

Viewing Angles

Philips Evnia 27M2N8500

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

After the speed tests, the rest of my results may seem boring by comparison, but everything about image quality matters, including viewing angles. The 27M2N8500 looks like a typical QD-OLED, with near-perfect rendering of the grayscale step pattern at 45 degrees off-axis. There is a subtle red tint, which is no different from any other QD-OLED I’ve photographed. Brightness and gamma are consistent. The top view is similar, with a slightly more apparent red tint and a tiny reduction in gamma. This is excellent performance.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

Philips Evnia 27M2N8500

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The issues of bleed and glow we saw in LCDs of the past seem to be non-existent in today’s premium OLED screens. I have yet to find a bad example and the 27M2N8500 is one of the best I’ve measured. With just 2.06% deviation from the center zone, there are no visible issues whatsoever, just smooth tones at all brightness levels and in all colors.

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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.

  • oofdragon
    What's exactly "response time"? Like, how can it be faster than a also OLED but 480hz?
    Reply
  • deesider
    oofdragon said:
    What's exactly "response time"? Like, how can it be faster than a also OLED but 480hz?
    It's the total time from when the video signal changes at it's source, to when the image changes - so it includes any processing time the monitor needs.

    Their testing methods are explained further here: https://www.tomshardware.com/reference/how-we-test-pc-monitors-benchmarking/4
    Reply