Razer Raptor 27 Review: Best-Looking Gaming Monitor

The Raptor 27 is a stunning first effort gaming monitor for Razer, combining high style and excellent performance in a solidly built package that’ll be the envy of fellow gamers.

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(Image: © Razer)

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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

To see how the Raptor 27 stacks up against the competition, we’ve brought in four DisplayHDR 400-certified monitors: the Aorus CV27F, Aorus CV27Q, Acer Nitro XV273K and Acer Predator XB273K. We’ve also included the ViewSonic Elite XG350R-C ultra-wide with HDR10.

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(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

According to our testing, the Raptor 27 won’t quite hit 400 nits in SDR mode. But that’s not a problem unless you plan to use it outdoors or in an extremely sunlit room; 371.9 nits is plenty of output. The monitor gives you a narrow range of control over the backlight, however. With brightness set to 0, it still put out 100 nits. In a totally dark room, that’s fatiguing. We’d prefer a minimum brightness closer to 50 nits.

The Raptor 27 has the best black level among the other IPS panels here, and it manages just nearly 1,042:1 contrast, which is respectable. As usual, the contrast awards go the monitors with VA panels, which typically have much deeper blacks.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

After calibration (see our recommended settings), the IPS screens are visually indistinguishable. While the image still paled in comparison to VA monitors, the Raptor achieved a contrast ratio of 1,027.5:1, and anything over 1,000:1 is a good result. Remember, this is strictly an SDR test (HDR results are on page 4).

The Razer’s ANSI result is about average when compared to other IPS monitors. Our sample showed slight hotspots in the upper-left and lower-right corners, which lowered the score a little. Overall, though, the image was solid with good depth and dimension. Color was vibrant too, thanks to that huge color gamut.

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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.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Brad1
    Why any monitor above bottom tier would be lacking a VESA mount is beyond me. Pass.
    Reply
  • Ninjawithagun
    HDR400 is a joke and shouldn't even exist. For a true HDR experience, HDR1000 is the milestone for which all HDR monitors should be measured.
    Reply
  • BrushyBill
    What panel does this Monitor actually use?
    Reply
  • sizzling
    BrushyBill said:
    What panel does this Monitor actually use?
    IPS
    Reply
  • sizzling
    Barely any better than monitors selling for £200 less. That’s Razer branding.
    Reply
  • BrushyBill
    sizzling said:
    Barely any better than monitors selling for £200 less. That’s Razer branding.
    Yeah I get that. I'm personally not a fan of Razer. I just wanted to know if anyone knew the specific Panel they used for this thing.
    Reply