TCL 27R944K 165 Hz gaming monitor review: Mini LED with high brightness and high performance

Great picture, smooth and responsive gaming

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TCL 27R94
(Image credit: © Tom's Hardware)

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When shopping for a premium gaming monitor, it’s hard to look past all the OLEDs currently vying for attention to see that there are still high-performance LCDs that can do most of the same things for less money. And there are Mini LED screens that outshine all OLEDs in peak brightness.

TCL 27R94

(Image credit: TCL)

The TCL 27R94 is one of those and in many ways, it’s a class leader. I’ve reviewed other Mini LED panels that can top 1,000 nits but this one measured over 1,700. And few deliver black levels this low with effective local dimming and 2,304 zones, double the count of most others. The HDR image is a cut above all but the best and brightest OLEDs. And there’s also plenty of color, thanks to those Quantum Dots. 100% coverage of DCI-P3? Sign me up.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The only negative I encountered was grayscale tracking, which was a tad too warm in the darker parts of the image. That’s a nit-pick for sure, and one that could be solved with a two-point adjustment. In the end, calibration improved the image and that’s a win.

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With a great picture, smooth and responsive gaming and plenty of features, the TCL 27R94 runs with the best gaming monitors I’ve reviewed. If you have $550 burning a hole in your pocket, and you want extreme brightness, definitely check it out.

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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.