Lenovo Legion R25f-30 280 Hz gaming monitor review: Premium speed and response at a low price

The Lenovo Legion R25f-30 is a 25-inch FHD VA monitor with 280 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR and wide gamut color.

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Lenovo R25f-30
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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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.

The R25f-30 supports HDR10 signals with an automatic switch to HDR mode. Set the HDR option to Auto to ensure this. There are no picture adjustments available.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

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Lenovo R25f-30
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The R25f-30’s HDR peak output is slightly lower than I measured for SDR. It’s still high enough to bring out specular highlights like metallic reflections or lens flare. Unfortunately, there’s no zone or field dimming to increase dynamics. The black levels and contrast are therefore the same as what I saw for SDR. In fairness, none of these monitors have dimming options so the Lenovo is on equal footing. And it benefits from its VA panel and high native contrast. You can see that when comparing it to the IPS panels in fifth and sixth place.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

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Lenovo R25f-30
(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

Viewing a grayscale step pattern in the R25f-30’s HDR mode shows a red tint which is supported by the test result. Red errors are visible above 40% brightness. It isn’t a huge negative because it’s less visible than blue or green issues would be. But it would be nice to have some color temp options here. The EOTF tracks under the reference line which means it’s a little too dark. The linearity is there so detail remains visible. And the lowered black levels add a bit more punch to the image. At this price point, I can’t complain too loudly.

In the HDR color test, there is general over-saturation in the primary colors which is what I see from most wide gamut displays. This also adds impact to where the HDR image is a little livelier than the SDR one. The highest green points are a little under-saturated, but that is barely a factor in actual content. The R25f-30 makes a good attempt at Rec.2020 with over-saturation of the inner points. It runs out of color at 85% red, 65% green and 90% blue. This is also typical of the wide gamut displays I’ve tested.

Test Takeaway: The R25f-30 does a good job with HDR content in the context of displays that have no dimming feature. Contrast is the same for SDR and HDR but since the R25f-30 is a VA monitor, it outperforms its IPS competitors. Color is reasonably accurate so your HDR games will get a small boost in quality. This is as good as it gets for value-priced monitors.

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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.