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The G27QC automatically switches over when an HDR10 signal is detected. It applies the proper luminance curve and locks out all image controls except for brightness. Adaptive sync and 165Hz remain in play. There is no dynamic contrast option available, but Gigabyte’s high-contrast VA screen does a reasonable job with HDR content.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
Maximum output in HDR mode is a tad higher than SDR, just over 333 nits. In our comparison group, that puts the G27QC at the bottom. The Cooler Master is blank because it doesn’t have HDR. The top four screens exceed the VESA DisplayHDR 400 standard. The G27QC is saved by its very-low black levels. It’s the best of the screens that lack dynamic contrast. The Asus and ViewSonic panels manipulate their backlights on a frame-by-frame basis to provide the widest possible dynamic range. That is apparent in the third chart with the contrast results. Though the G27QC is respectable among value-oriented monitors, it pales in comparison with the top two screens. Overall though, HDR looks OK with a little more impact than SDR due to accurate rendering of the EOTF luminance curve.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
Our HDR grayscale test shows a visible green tint in the G27QC’s result. It’s unfortunate that the RGB sliders aren’t available. You can adjust brightness if you wish though we recommend maxing it for the best possible HDR image. The EOTF chart looks good with a slightly-too dark rendering in the lowest steps. The tone-mapping transition point is above 60% which is solid performance.
Considering the gamut chart, we can see a little over-saturation in red and blue, but most targets are fairly close to the mark. Green tracks well until it runs out at around 90%. Hue values are accurate which makes overall HDR color quality quite good.
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