When gaming, a good gaming monitor is just as important as the system you have it hooked up to. Higher resolutions offer clearer game graphics while higher refresh rates offer smoother gameplay.
Our HP OMEN 27i review looks at a Nano IPS monitor with a 2560×1440 resolution and 165Hz refresh rate for smooth, crisp gaming. Read on for our full review!
Specifications
The HP OMEN 27i we reviewed has the following features and specifications:
| Display type | Nano IPS Anti-glare Panel |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1440 @ 165Hz (Display Port or HDMI), 16:9 |
| Response time | 1ms GtG with overdrive |
| Contrast ratio | Typical: 1000:1; Dynamic: 10M:1 |
| Brightness | 350 nits |
| Pixel pitch | 0.2331 mm x 0.2331 mm; 109 PPI |
| Color space | 98% DCI-P3 |
| Ports | 1x DisplayPort 1.2 1x HDMI 2.0 3x USB 3.0 (2 upstream, 1 downstream) 1x audio output (headphone) |
| Backlighting | Mercury-free LED backlighting |
| Viewing angles | 178° |
| Adjustable features | Height: 0 to 130mm Tilt: -5 to +20° |
| Onscreen controls | Gaming, Image, Color, Input, Power, Menu, Management, Language, Information, Exit |
| Warranty | 1 year limited |
| Dimensions | 24.13 x 10.12 x 20.55″ |
| Weight | 17.09lb |
What’s in the box
- HP OMEN 27i Nano IPS gaming monitor
- DisplayPort cable
- USB cable
- Power adapter
- Product Information
- HP OMEN sticker
Design
When it comes to design, gaming monitors run the gamut. Some are flashier, while others are more non-descript. The HP OMEN 27i gaming monitor has a more minimalistic design, and that’s just fine. It looks great sitting on a desk and would be fine in any environment, to be honest.
Just over 24-inches wide and 14 1/2-inches in height, the display is just under an inch thick. The total desktop footprint, however, is about 24-inches wide and 10-inches deep. Fully raised, the top of the monitor sits about 21-inches from your desk. At its lowest, about 15 1/2-inches.
The back of the monitor is where you’ll find all your ports. Rather than a rectangular port housing like most monitors, the OMEN 27i has a 1 1/2-inch diamond-shaped one about 9-inches on each edge. Vent grilles are located where it attaches to the monitor. Just behind this is an LED light ring that goes around all four sides. This design makes for a nice even glow when you have the LEDs enabled. When looking at the back, you’ll find the 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI and DisplayPort ports, and the power port on the bottom left edge. On the bottom right edge are your USB-B port, two USB-A SuperSpeed ports, and a lock slot. Each port is labelled in white text or icon for easy identification.
To the left of the port housing is the OMEN wordmark in reflective silver. The nub style menu button and separate power button are on the lower left of the back (lower right when looking at the display).
The stand is solid as well, constructed of metal. It has a 7-inch square base, oriented in a diamond-shape to match the OMEN icon. At the front of the base is a recessed diamond in which the included sticker fits perfectly. While the monitor looks nice with that touch of red on the base, if you don’t want to place the sticker there, you will be left with a slightly recessed diamond there.
The stand part has two triangular prisms running up the left and right sides. Roughly 3 1/2-inches up from the base is a rectangular slot for cable management. Above this, the stand is solid. At the very top is a plate with raised front and back edges and a headphone icon on it. This allows the monitor stand to double as a headphone holder as well. The stand allows you to raise or lower the monitor, and it also tilts but does not swivel.
From the front, the monitor has very thin physical top and side bezels, about 1/16-inch thick. The bottom bezel is larger, just under an inch thick. The OMEN logo is centered in the middle with an NVIDIA G-SYNC sticker on the far left and a power LED on the far right. While you can’t see it, there is an LED light facing down under the OMEN logo, which is great for adding some extra desk lighting.
Like most newer monitors, the OMEN 27i has a proprietary plug with an external power brick.
Display
With a “three-sided micro-edge,” the physical bezel is practically non-existent on the top and sides of the monitor. There is still a 1/4-inch bezel on the actual display itself.
The HP OMEN 27i gaming monitor has a Nano IPS panel. The panel boasts a 165Hz refresh rate, is G-Sync compatible, QHD resolution, and 98% DCI-P3 coverage. The monitor was crisp and clear with fantastic colours for gaming out of the box. With its high refresh rate and low response time, gaming was smooth, whether it was faster-paced games like Gears 5 and Heroes of the Storm or more laid back games like Forza Horizon 4 and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
As with most monitors, there are a number of things you can adjust using the onscreen menu.
- Gaming: Adaptive Sync, Response Time, Frame Rate, Message Timers, Crosshair, External Lighting, Multi-monitor Align
- Image: Brightness, Contrast, Dynamic Contrast, Sharpness, Image Scaling
- Color: Standard, Gaming, Movie, Warm, Cool, Native, Low Blue Light, HP Enhance+, RGB Gain Control
- Input: DisplayPort/HDMI, Auto-Switch Input, DP Hot-Plug Detection, DisplayPort Mode
- Power: Auto-Sleep Mode, Power-On Recall, Sleep Timer, Power-Off Timer, Power LED
- Menu: Language, Menu Transparency, Menu Timeout, OSD Messages, Assign Buttons
- Management: Factory Reset, DDC/CI Support
- Information: Current Mode, Optimal Mode, Color Setting, Display Mode, Backlight Hours, Firmware Version, Serial Number
In addition to gaming, the monitor worked great for photo and video editing, as well as watching movies.
One thing the monitor is missing that some other gaming monitors are implementing is HDR. At this point, HDR is a take it or leave it as it isn’t very good in Windows 10. It is, however, nice to have for games that support it.
Assembly
The HP OMEN 27i does require a bit of assembly, namely attaching the monitor stand to the monitor. HP even includes the Allen key required to complete the stand installation. Attaching the monitor stand is a simple process and takes but a minute. All you have to do is loosen the two bolts on the back of the monitor, slide the top of the monitor stand into the housing on the monitor, and tighten the bolts from the bottom.
Software
While software isn’t required to use the HP OMEN 27i gaming monitor, you can adjust a few things using the HP OMEN Gaming Hub. With the application, you can adjust Picture Mode between Standard, Gaming, Movie, Warm, Cool, Native, Low Blue Light, and HP Enhance.
There are also two lighting zones that you can adjust: the back diamond behind the mount/ports, and the down-facing front LED above the stand base. You can even sync these with your other HP OMEN devices for a more cohesive lighting look.
Finally, you can adjust some display options. You can toggle an FPS counter and set it to any of the four corners. For those who frequent first person shooters, there is also a crosshair overlay option with five different styles and eight colours to choose from. Last, you can adjust the response time by using a slider that starts at normal and ends at fastest with two stops in between.
Performance
We tested the monitor with the HP OMEN 30L, with pretty maxed out specs. As mentioned in the display section, the monitor performed as one would expect when gaming. The action in Gears 5 was smooth while I had no hiccups or screen tearing in any game I played. Racing in Forza Motorsport 7 or Forza Horizon 4 was smooth as well, as was in MOBAs like Heroes of the Storm. In most cases, I was able to easily hit 165 fps, matching the 165Hz refresh rate of the monitor, when capped or higher when uncapped.
The monitor also performed well for other tasks like office work, photo and video editing, and watching movies.
Price/Value
With an MSRP of US$499.99, the HP OMEN 27i gaming monitor is more than fairly priced. While it may seem pricey for a monitor, it is a higher resolution and has a higher refresh rate with a great response time. Even better, it is currently $449.99 on Amazon, saving you $50.
Wrap-up
The HP OMEN 27i is a fantastic 27-inch gaming monitor with its fast response time, QHD resolution, and 165MHz refresh rate. While it is pricier than other options, it is worth the price for its performance.
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Last Updated on February 10, 2021.
