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Though 4K gaming is now common thanks to consoles and inexpensive televisions, it’s still a difficult ask of your video hardware to support frame rates above 120fps. That’s needed for a realistic gaming experience. 120 is fine, but 144 is better. It’s all about motion resolution, and to achieve that, you need not only a fast video card but a monitor with precise overdrive and the option of a usable backlight strobe.
Budget 4K screens are usually weak in this area and sacrifice HDR quality to keep prices down. HP has bucked this trend with the Omen 27k. Not only does it have exceptional video processing, but it also excels in color accuracy and HDR contrast.
(Image credit: HP)
For $399 at this writing, you’re getting a lot of gaming monitor. You could easily spend the same money on an office-grade screen that runs at 60 Hz and has average picture quality. The Omen 27k makes good on its promise of 144 Hz and HDR400 while delivering a super smooth overdrive that works with Adaptive-Sync or backlight strobe. And that operates without phasing artifacts, which is a rarity at any price point.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Though it doesn’t have a full-array local dimming backlight, it does use an eight-zone edge array to achieve over 7,300:1 HDR contrast. That’s well above other budget screens, which might hit 3,000:1 if they’re VA. Build quality is premium all the way and you even get speakers, KVM and LED lighting. HP hasn’t cut corners here. The only thing I noted was a bit less color volume than other 4K monitors, but all of them cost more.
There is no perfect display, but honestly, for the money, I can’t fault the HP Omen 27k. It’s a great way for users on a budget to put an 4K monitor on their desk. Of course, you’ll need an expensive video card to run it at full resolution and speed, but there’s no avoiding that at this point in time. The Omen 27k is one of the best 4K monitors I’ve reviewed, and it certainly takes the top prize for value.
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.
