HP EliteDisplay E271i Review: Solid Performance From A 27" Screen

Is HP’s New EliteDisplay E271i All Business?

Performance-oriented PC enthusiasts have a lot of choices when it comes to monitors. With more and more screens touting features like wide color gamuts, high refresh rates, and factory calibration, you don't have to look very far to find a model that matches your specific set of needs. Naturally, we don't like to leave any stone unturned, so we often look at business-class products in the hope of finding something that satisfies our desire for performance and our quest for value.

The reality of economics is that manufacturers put their resources into the products that make them the most money. While it's nice to get have resolutions like 2560x1440 in a model line, most bread-and-butter displays are still FHD, or 1920x1080. With that said, it’s increasingly common to see 27" screens sitting on desks, and sometimes even two (Ed.: I run three!). Could they be slowing taking the place of 24" panels?

HP tends to deliver products, in all categories, that are very functional and well-made tools of the trade. Its monitors aren't always mentioned first in conversations about specialized applications, but the company's displays are well-suited for enthusiasts, as well as productivity-oriented business users. The screens we've tested from HP show up in the top tier of pretty much every benchmark category. They are responsive enough for gamers, accurate enough for both graphics pros and movie fans, and they deliver solid image quality, regardless of the content.

The business-grade E271i is HP's latest addition. This monitor employs a Full HD panel, translating to a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. While most enthusiasts are looking for QHD’s 2560x1440 (or even higher, given the 4K monitors hitting the streets), business users who need a solid basic display that costs less than $350 are still buying FHD in both 24- and 27-inch sizes. Beyond that, a 27" screen at 1920x1080 strikes a pretty good balance between pixel density, screen size, and value.

The E271i utilizes an AH-IPS panel from LG, along with a white LED backlight rated for 250 nits of maximum brightness. Other goods in the package include HP’s Display Assistant software, which lets you manage document windows in multiple screen regions, adjust and calibrate the monitor, manage power-saving settings, and more. We'll give you a more complete rundown of HP's utility shortly.

At $349, the E271i falls roughly where we'd expect, given the competition at this screen size and resolution. Most QHD screens are still selling for more than $600 (except for Korean gray-market products, like the Auria EQ276W we reviewed back in April).