Auria EQ276W 27" IPS Monitor Review: QHD For $400

Features
By Christian Eberle
published

Although QHD screens are nothing new, they remain atop the desktop monitor price ladder. Auria broke the $400 barrier with its new EQ276W 27” IPS panel. Today, we run it through our display benchmarks to see how it compares to far pricier competition.

Measurement And Calibration Methodology

To measure and calibrate monitors, we use an i1Pro spectrophotometer and the latest version of SpectraCal CalMAN software (v5.0.3).

For patterns, we employ an AccuPel DVG-5000 video signal generator. This approach removes video cards and drivers from the signal chain, allowing the display to receive true reference patterns. Connections are made via HDMI.

The AccuPel DVG-5000 is capable of generating all types of video signals at any resolution and refresh rate up to 1920x1080 at 60 Hz. It can also display motion patterns to evaluate a monitor's video processing capabilities, with 3D patterns available in every format. This allows us to measure color and grayscale performance, crosstalk, and ghosting in 3D content via the 3D glasses.

The EQ276W has four picture modes (called Eco), but only Standard allows adjustment of brightness and contrast. Similarly, of the four color temp modes available, only User has the necessary RGB sliders to dial in the white balance. There is no gamma control. While there is a dynamic contrast feature, we don’t recommend using it on this, or any other monitor. When on-screen content changes, the dynamic variations in contrast will destroy all accuracy in color, gamma, and grayscale. Furthermore, detail in the highest and lowest brightness ranges also gets crushed.

Here are the settings we recommend based on our tests. The Contrast control can be turned up as high as 56 (the stock setting is 50) before any information is clipped. The Brightness control doesn’t do much until the value drops below 50. Our Brightness setting of 23 corresponds to just over 200 nits of peak light output.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Auria EQ276W Settings
EcoStandard
Brightness23
Contrast50
Color TempUser
Red100
Green87
Blue65
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.

62 Comments Comment from the forums
  • patrick47018
    I'm planning on picking one up very soon
    Reply
  • techbaddie
    I love My Auria, I also did buy a another stand for it. It was $29.99 on Amazon, and once I got everything set up, IT IS AMAZING!!!!! If you want a great product for the right price, DO IT!
    Reply
  • BigMack70One important thing to mention that you guys didn't that I believe still holds true (haven't checked the competition in a couple months - someone correct me if I'm wrong here): this is the only model of this panel (as opposed to the Catleaps/Crossovers/Overloards/Achievas/etc) to have HDCP support. If you want one of these panels and you want to use HDCP protected content (a games console or a Blu-ray player, for example), you NEED to purchase this Auria and not one of the other versions of the panel.I have the Achieva Shimian that was purchased three months ago. I checked on Nvidia Settings and it states that "This display supports HDCP."

    Happy that this article was posted and I been very happy with my purchase.

    As for lag, i heard from "razetheworld" that when the monitor has one connector (usually DVI) the input lag can be as low as 6ms on these IPS screens. When there are multiple connectors like the monitor being reviewed here, higher lags are expected because the monitor takes time to process which connection is in use. I may be wrong, so correct me if i am wrong.
    Reply
  • chumly
    There are 3 models available from an American company based in California called Overlord Computer, one of these models can be overclocked to 120 Hz. I would like to see these monitors tested. One of them is priced under $400.
    Reply
  • patrick47018
    chumlyThere are 3 models available from an American company based in California called Overlord Computer, one of these models can be overclocked to 120 Hz. I would like to see these monitors tested. One of them is priced under $400.
    While this is true, MicroCenter has a great return policy, I'm not sure about Overlord, but I do know the one that is under 400, its 384, only has DVI, while this has HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, headphon jack, and VGA. So if you just want DVI, getting an Achieva Shimian is cheaper off of ebay, but then also you have to deal with possible shoddy return system. Good luck to all and I will comment once I have my Auria, I'm going from my 40" Auria 1080P HDTV to a Auria 27" 1440P IPS monitor, good trade I think.
    Reply
  • chumly
    patrick47018While this is true, MicroCenter has a great return policy, I'm not sure about Overlord, but I do know the one that is under 400, its 384, only has DVI, while this has HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, headphon jack, and VGA. So if you just want DVI, getting an Achieva Shimian is cheaper off of ebay, but then also you have to deal with possible shoddy return system. Good luck to all and I will comment once I have my Auria, I'm going from my 40" Auria 1080P HDTV to a Auria 27" 1440P IPS monitor, good trade I think.
    Most video cards have Dual link DVI so this isn't really an issue unless yours does not. I use a Catleap Q270 monitor right now (let me tell you, there is NO going back for me after getting one of these, 1080p monitors are as good as yesterday's trash to me). This was a B grade panel and it ended up having no visable defects or bad pixels (I only paid $245 for it off of ebay new from Korea, they've gone up $100 since). The reason I ended up going with the panel I did was from a quite extensive post on hardforum detailing how the DVI-only monitors were having incredibly low input lag compared to any of the other 1440p IPS panels available. I'm getting incredible framerates with my 670 and my games are streak/ghost/stutter/tearing free.

    Maybe this Auria monitor just can't hack it vs. its' Korean counterparts.

    Also it's good to know you can always take apart these monitors and replace the PCB so that you can overclock them to 120Hz, but Overlord is the only place selling the part and it's $200 :(
    Reply
  • slomo4sho
    WTB thinner bezle...
    Reply
  • sanilmahambre
    Is there any IPS monitor without frame?
    Reply
  • cats_Paw
    Minimum contrast ratio in samsung 4003.3. Maximum Contrast Ratio in Samsung 1483.83.

    Is it me or thats not normal?
    Reply
  • ceberle
    10608531 said:
    Minimum contrast ratio in samsung 4003.3. Maximum Contrast Ratio in Samsung 1483.83.

    Is it me or thats not normal?

    Minimum and maximum refer to the brightness setting. It's not unusual for the contrast ratio to go up when the brightness is lowered. In the case of the Samsung S27B970D, the black level dropped by a greater percentage than the peak white level; hence the higher contrast ratio.

    Christian
    Reply