Razer Raptor 27 165 Hz Gaming Monitor Review: Saturated With Quality And Performance

A premium display with unique stying and features

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Razer Raptor 27 165 Hz
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Razer)

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There is no shortage of fast 27-inch gaming monitors available today. It's easily the most popular category, and it’s no wonder why. A 27-inch screen fits most workspaces easily, doesn’t cost a lot and provides great performance for the money. QHD resolution means you can have a sharp picture and high frame rates without the need for a mega-bucks PC.

But some users want a little more than just performance. If you’re looking for high style and vault-like build quality, Razer’s Raptor 27 is just the thing.

Razer Raptor 27

(Image credit: Razer)

The Raptor 27, in its new 2021 version, delivers a reliable 165 Hz, Adaptive-Sync for G-Sync and FreeSync platforms, best-in-class video processing and a gorgeous picture for SDR and HDR content alike. Though it has average IPS contrast, it sports one of the widest color gamuts available, bested only by a handful of screens. It also has pro-level accuracy in all its gamut modes and is the only monitor we’ve ever seen with THX certification. Whether we were playing games, watching video, or pushing through the workday, it looked fantastic.

Some of that premium price tag goes into build quality. With a real fabric back cover, forged aluminum stand, custom cabling and slick LED lighting, the Raptor 27 handily wins the style contest. There are lots of monitors available with a gaming look, but this one is on another level. It will enhance the cachet of any desktop--and its accuracy means it can also do double duty and a content creation screen.

Razer only makes one monitor, but the Raptor 27 is a top-of-the-line display. It isn’t cheap, but if you buy one, you will understand the mantra, “You never regret buying the best.” It delivers a premium gaming experience and is a pleasure to use. It comes Highly Recommended.

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.

16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • herrwizo
    Interesting to see both favourable (here) and completely unfavourable reviews (on other sites) for this monitor. This alone makes it a very questionable choice, despite the great design.
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    Wasn't this monitor the one they didn't like in Hardware Unboxed?

    For the price, this thing was underwhelming, if I remember correctly?

    Regards.
    Reply
  • cknobman
    THX stopped meaning squat years ago when it just turned into a "pay to play" game. They just diluted their brand and standards in order to make a "tier" for even junk to have their sticker applied to it.

    Today THX just means the company wasted money on a useless cert and I dont wanna pay extra for it.
    Reply
  • coloradoblah
    cknobman said:
    THX stopped meaning squat years ago when it just turned into a "pay to play" game. They just diluted their brand and standards in order to make a "tier" for even junk to have their sticker applied to it.

    Today THX just means the company wasted money on a useless cert and I dont wanna pay extra for it.
    Razer bought THX lol, but yes it means nothing these days, it’s too bad, used to be great stuff
    Reply
  • saunupe1911
    The lack of HDMI 2.1 is unacceptable.

    I'm not buying any laptop, monitor, or video input/output device that doesn't include HDMI 2.1 unless I'm certain all I want to do is 4k 60hz 10 bit HDR
    Reply
  • sizzling
    £899 they are having a laugh for this spec, it would be expensive with £400 knocked off. I have the ASUS PG279QM on order for just over a £100 less than this and that is 240Hz, G-Sync (not G-Sync Compatible) and has NVidia Reflex.
    Reply
  • coloradoblah
    saunupe1911 said:
    The lack of HDMI 2.1 is unacceptable.

    I'm not buying any laptop, monitor, or video input/output device that doesn't include HDMI 2.1 unless I'm certain all I want to do is 4k 60hz 10 bit HDR
    Isnt this a 1440p monitor?
    Reply
  • SkyBill40
    coloradoblah said:
    Isnt this a 1440p monitor?

    Sure is.

    On a note about this monitor, Hardware Unboxed blasted it somewhat fiercely and deservedly so. What Razer is providing in this monitor doesn't come close to matching up with the price. Far better can be had for cheaper. I say this as a Razer fan, too. In no way, shape, or form would I consider buying this monitor for anything above $500 (if even that). This is just... shameful.
    Reply
  • Hellbound
    I'm actually amazed at the oversimplified review of this monitor. This monitor is very much overpriced crap.. Want a real review? Watch this one from Hardware Unboxed.
    XQvPf4ZM7IcView: https://youtu.be/XQvPf4ZM7Ic
    Reply
  • coloradoblah
    SkyBill40 said:
    Sure is.

    On a note about this monitor, Hardware Unboxed blasted it somewhat fiercely and deservedly so. What Razer is providing in this monitor doesn't come close to matching up with the price. Far better can be had for cheaper. I say this as a Razer fan, too. In no way, shape, or form would I consider buying this monitor for anything above $500 (if even that). This is just... shameful.

    Ok I missed you mentioned output, I’m not surprised by the price, Razer always charged a premium like Apple but without their quality control or customer service.
    Reply