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.
Conclusion
A few budget gaming monitors we’ve reviewed of late have impressed, including Acer’s XF251Q and MSI’s Optix MAG24C, which both deliver good performance for well under $300. But the Acer RG270 competes favorably with those monitors by offering a larger 27-inch screen with IPS, rather than TN, technology. With superior off-axis image quality, it’s better equipped than those other two monitors to deliver a solid image with accurate, saturated color a-angle.
Any refresh rate above 60Hz is good for gamers, and though 75Hz doesn’t seem like a huge leap, it makes a significant difference in both screen response and input lag. Our testing shows the RG270 was engineered for speed and smoothness. However, we missed overdrive in FreeSync mode. There was occasional motion blur when the action got intense, but for the most part, we didn’t see any artifacts. Meanwhile, the VRB feature did little to improve our experience.
But for $250 (£189.99), there aren’t any other 27-inch gaming monitors we can think of that perform this well. The RG270’s most impressive attribute is its color accuracy. Few displays we’ve reviewed come out of the box so close to standard. It easily makes our No Calibration Needed list.
The RG270 is a winner in our book. Its flaws are easily outpaced by its strengths, and if you’re on a budget, it deserves to be on your short list.
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test Monitors
MORE: All Monitor Content
