HP Omen 27k 144 Hz Gaming Monitor Review: 4K For Less Coin

27-inch IPS UHD gaming monitor with 144 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR400 and wide gamut color

Reviews
By
published
HP Omen 27k
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

Image 1 of 3
HP Omen 27k
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

If you want a bright monitor, the Omen 27k delivers over 450 nits in SDR mode. That’s more than enough output for any indoor and some outdoor environments, like the video tent at a location shoot. The minimum level is 67 nits, which is a tad bright for dark room play, but I could spend some quality frag time at night. The brightness slider has 100 clicks, so the steps are a bit coarse at 2-4 nits per click.

The black level is average-for-IPS at 0.4534 nit, so contrast comes in just under 1,000:1, also average. The Samsung G8 slays this test because its dynamic contrast feature can’t be turned off. Using the Omen 27k’s dynamic contrast in SDR mode increases the ratio to around 5,000:1.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Image 1 of 3
HP Omen 27k
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Calibration doesn’t change the results much. The Omen 27k is still a tad under 1,000:1 and that’s in both Standard and Native modes. You’ll see the same contrast with both color gamuts. ANSI contrast is relatively consistent at 907.6:1 and is a good indicator of HP’s solid quality control.

Test Takeaway: The Omen 27k delivers the same image depth as other rank-and-file IPS panels. The bright and clear image has good color saturation and excellent detail. High maximum brightness makes it suitable for any usage environment, indoors or out.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

MORE: How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor

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.