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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.
Good HDR requires broad contrast, and the 27R94 delivers that with its 2,304-zone Mini LED backlight. HDR10 signals activate an automatic switch where you still have access to Local Dimming, brightness, color temp and color saturation adjustments.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
The 27R94 is certified for VESA DisplayHDR 1400, and it blows past that number with 1,765 nits peak when measuring a 25% window. This is a seriously bright monitor, one of the brightest I’ve ever tested. It smokes the competition, which are doing well to crack 500 nits in the same test. This makes a huge visual impact, especially when viewing HDR content in a bright room.
I tried the three Local Dimming settings to see which one delivered the best luminance tracking (EOTF). Medium was the winner, but it prevented me from measuring the HDR black level. When I tried LD Standard, the contrast ratio was around 5,000:1, still solid. While the Acer and Samsung up their game in the HDR contrast test, they don’t hold a candle to the 27R94.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
The 27R94 shows similar grayscale performance for HDR as it did for SDR. Brightness steps from 30-50% are a tad warm, while the rest are neutral. The best EOTF tracking comes when Local Dimming is on Medium. Standard made the low end much too bright, which considerably reduced the image's impact. I noted that brightness remained adjustable, which is handy for playing HDR games in a dark room. When the monitor is cranking out 1,700-nit highlights, it gets a bit fatiguing unless there is some ambient light.
In the color test, the 27R94 tracks close to both saturation and hue targets. DCI-P3 is fully covered, with only slight hue errors in red, blue, and magenta. BT.2020 is covered until color runs out at 90% red, 75% green, and 90% blue.
Test Takeaway: The 27R94 is one of the brightest 27-inch monitors you can buy, regardless of type. It tops 1,700 nits peak for HDR content and has black levels low enough to make contrast unmeasurable. It comes within striking distance of an OLED for overall contrast, depth and impact. It also has very accurate HDR color with full coverage of DCI-P3. For $550, you’re unlikely to find a better HDR-capable LCD.
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