Early Verdict
The EA275UHD isn’t perfect; no monitor is, but we think any user outside a hardcore gamer would be happy to own one. It sports a bright sharp image with excellent contrast, good color saturation and pixel density to spare. Build quality is second-to-none and even though it’s not the cheapest 27-inch Ultra HD monitor out there, it isn’t over-priced either. We’d be happy to have one of these displays on our desks.
Pros
- +
Carved-from-stone build quality
- +
bright sharp picture
- +
complete OSD
- +
software calibration tools available
Cons
- -
Inaccurate gamma without SpectraView
Why you can trust Tom's Hardware
Introduction & Specifications
The mainstay of NEC’s consumer display offerings are the EA and PA-series screens. PA encompasses professional models with factory-certified calibrations, precise color accuracy, a comprehensive OSD that includes color management, and top-of-the-line build quality. And as you’d expect, they come at a premium price.
If you don’t need that final one-percent in the performance department, substantial money can be saved by going with an EA-series monitor. Color accuracy, contrast and picture quality are more than adequate for business use and in some cases sufficient for pro-graphics and color-critical applications. And you get the very same carved-from-stone look and feel that NEC is famous for.
Today we’re checking out the latest Ultra HD entry in the 27-inch IPS category. It’s the newest size option in a field already crowded with 24, 28 and 32-inch monitors. 27-inches represents a sweet spot for both pixel density and desktop footprint. Introducing the NEC EA275UHD.
Specifications
NEC is not a company to rush to market with every emerging trend in monitor technology. It usually waits a bit to make sure everything is right before releasing a new category of product. When we started reviewing Ultra HD monitors in early 2014, all you could get was a very expensive 32-inch display that cost around $3000. Today those same screens are under $2000 and there are plenty of smaller options that are a better fit for both the desktop and your wallet.
Recently we got our hands on the first 27-inch UHD example from ViewSonic, the VP2780-4K. It’s a little more expensive than the popular 28-inch TN screens but with fresh new panel parts from LG, these AH-IPS displays offer a sharp bright picture and excellent off-axis image quality. At $700-$800 they’re not the cheapest way to go but they aren’t the most expensive either.
If there’s one thing we can say for sure it’s that NEC offers the best build quality in the business. Plenty of other brands offer metal stands and solid chassis but there’s something extra in the overall package offered by NEC. The quality of materials, the movement of the stand, the way OSD buttons respond; it’s all in the details.
Specifically regarding the EA275UHD we’re looking at a 163ppi pixel density, a super-bright AH-IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, 10-bit native color and an sRGB gamut. The backlight uses pulse-width modulation at a rate of 23kHz. It’s pretty unlikely anyone will perceive flicker with a number that high.
With a comprehensive feature set and a reputation for excellent performance, the EA275UHD appears to be a winning package. Let’s take a look.
MORE: Best Computer MonitorsMORE: Display Calibration 101
MORE: The Science Behind Tuning Your Monitor
MORE: All Monitor Content
Current page: Introduction & Specifications
Next Page Packaging, Physical Layout & AccessoriesChristian 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.
Alarming amount of Texas Instrument chips found in Russian-based weapons in Ukraine — Russian military using third parties to purchase U.S-made chips
Aoostar AG02 eGPU dock with OCuLink support and 500W PSU announced for $219
China levels anti-trust charges against Nvidia – country accuses chipmaker of violating anti-monopoly regulations, examining the $7 billion Mellanox acquisition
-
deuce_23 This might be the one for me tho i would like a 32inch for gaming but 4k and HDMI cant really complain. It will nicely with my gtx 980ti. Now time to save! Whats that in Australian dollars?Reply -
oyoy Nice, nothing special, no serious news really to lighting up 2016. Good sRGB and great uniformity but RGB and color gamut are just faulty, that's a deal breaker ..maybe at $599. Will skip this one, waiting for better performance + price wise (Design + Little gaming here and there).Reply
Thanks for the review Christian Eberle -
thundervore NEC monitors are always great. Beats Dell and HP by a mile when it comes to their quality and performance to price. Even a nice height adjustable stand.Reply -
picture_perfect OK for photography & surfing. I don't think they are marketing it as a gaming monitor. Just as well unless you have a $1000 SLI set up to drive this excessive resolution. Low frame rates add persistence blur, stutter and lag,Reply -
epobirs I ordered one of these from Newegg today:Reply
http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-27MU67-B-4k-uhd-led-monitor
It has Freesync, though the user doesn't go in for the games where the difference would make itself known. It's mainly to fill a gap in a household that has several devices that can drive 4K but no 4K displays on hand. I'm trying not to get my hopes overly high but it seems like a good unit for the price. -
erickw I’ve been the proud owner of an Eizo Flexscan 24”HD monitor for over 8 years (another monitor that was not really intended for gaming). Nonetheless, I’ve done a ton of gaming on this workhorse of a monitor (though not much in the way of fast paced shooters), along with many other applications. It has been an absolutely superlative gaming monitor, and I’ve long maintained that it makes virtually every other HD monitor I’ve seen pale in comparison. Depending on one’s specific needs (and pocketbook), monitors like this NEC can be excellent choices; even for gaming. I’m seriously looking at replacing my dearly loved (and hard to part wth) Eizo with this 4k beauty!Reply -
TwoMetreBill Keep in mind that for photo/video use, it is a QUADRO and not a GeForce that is needed for highest image quality. The GeForce is for gaming and not photo editing. For AMD I think the equivalent is the Pro series.Reply
In order to deliver a higher frame rate for gaming, the GeForce cuts off the rendering before it is complete.