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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Many gaming monitors sport extra style and panache to make their intentions clear. But the Razer Raptor 27 outdoes them all. Not only are its capabilities on full display, it exudes a premium feel and elegance that’s simply unmatched. From its understated shapes and angles to the textures of its forged aluminum base and fabric-covered back, it looks like an expensive piece of hardware. Even the feel of its movements suggests high-end. It’s like pressing buttons and moving levers in a Honda Civic versus an Infiniti Q60. You know without looking that you’re interacting with something special.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Fortunately, the Raptor 27 couples performance cred with its styling homerun. Running at a reliable 144Hz, the Raptor 27 keeps up with competing 144Hz and even 165Hz monitors. Then, it adds some of the best HDR we’ve seen in an edge-lit panel, along with a huge color gamut that enhances all content. Our only complaint is there’s no sRGB gamut mode for SDR accuracy. But many won’t have an issue with the oversaturated color.
Out-of-box grayscale accuracy is merely average, but with a few small adjustments to the RGB sliders (see our recommended settings), the Raptor 27 hits a standard that qualifies it for professional use. If you need a DCI-P3 reference monitor, this one hits the marks with a super-low average color error of 0.83dE. Meanwhile, the sRGB error is an acceptable 2.44dE. When we fired up our favorite and familiar games, we enjoyed the extra color saturation and excellent HDR contrast. And turning on HDR with SDR material brightened the environment and increased dynamic range without harming highlight or shadow detail.
The Raptor Razer 27 delivers high style and performance and premium build quality. Unless you spend a lot more money for a bleeding-edge tech screen, like the Acer Predator X27, Asus ROG PG27UQ or Alienware AW5520QF OLED monitor, you won’t find a better image than this. In the mid-priced gaming monitor category, it appears to have no equal.
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.
