ASUS MS27UC

The ASUS ZenScreen MS27UC is a 27-inch 4K IPS monitor with Google TV built in, so you can work and stream without extra devices. The display quality is excellent for creative work, and the Harman Kardon speakers are a real step up. Just don't expect to game on it, the 60Hz refresh rate is a letdown, and despite the name, it's not portable at all. If you can find it around $400 to $500, it's a solid all-in-one desk upgrade.

Let's be real about the performance numbers here. A 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time are perfectly fine for office work, photo editing, and watching movies, but they're a letdown if you were hoping to do any serious gaming. Our database puts this monitor in the 23rd percentile for performance, which means it's slower than the vast majority of displays we test. The 350 nits of brightness is adequate for most indoor setups, but HDR content won't exactly pop the way it does on a brighter OLED or a mini-LED panel. You're getting HDR support on paper, but without the peak brightness or local dimming to really sell the effect.

Where the MS27UC does shine is in pure image quality for static content. The 4K resolution on a 27-inch panel gives you a pixel density that makes text look razor-sharp and photos incredibly detailed. The IPS panel means viewing angles are wide and colors stay consistent even if you're not sitting dead center. For productivity and creative work, this display is a standout, landing in the 90th percentile for overall display quality. Just don't expect it to keep up with a 240Hz gaming monitor when you fire up Call of Duty. The 30W power consumption is also refreshingly low for a display with this many features, so your electricity bill won't take a hit.

The elephant in the room is that most of the MS27UC's top competitors are gaming-focused OLEDs like the MSI MAG 271QPX and the Samsung Odyssey G60SD. Those monitors run circles around the ASUS in refresh rate and response time, with 240Hz or higher panels that make 60Hz look like a slideshow. But they also lack Google TV, have weaker built-in speakers, and typically cost more. If you're a gamer first and a streamer second, those OLEDs are the obvious choice. The ASUS is for a completely different person, someone who wants a high-quality 4K workspace that doubles as an entertainment hub.

The LG UltraGear 27GX790A-B and Gigabyte M Series OLED MO27U2 SA are also in the mix, and they similarly prioritize gaming performance over smart features. Where the ASUS carves out its niche is in the all-in-one convenience. No other monitor in this comparison group has a full smart TV OS built in, and the Harman Kardon speakers are genuinely better than the tinny afterthoughts you get on most displays. You're trading gaming speed for living room functionality, and for a lot of people working from home, that's a trade worth making.

Pricing on the MS27UC is all over the map, and I mean that literally. We're seeing a spread from $325 to a frankly absurd $80,649 across different vendors, which tells me some retailers are either listing placeholder prices or bundling this thing with a gold-plated HDMI cable. The realistic price seems to hover around the $400 to $500 mark based on the lower end of that range, and at that price, you're getting a lot of functionality for your dollar. A decent 27-inch 4K monitor alone would run you $300 to $400, and adding a separate streaming device and a set of speakers would push you past $500 easily.

Compared to buying a standalone monitor and a Chromecast, the MS27UC actually makes a strong value argument if you can snag it at the lower end of that price spread. You're getting a cleaner setup with fewer cables, better integrated speakers, and a single remote to rule them all. Just make sure you're shopping around and not accidentally paying someone's mortgage for a monitor. The 1-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription is a nice little bonus for creatives, but it's not a reason to buy the monitor on its own.

ASUS is trying something genuinely different with the ZenScreen MS27UC, and honestly, it's about time. This isn't just another 27-inch 4K monitor for your desk. It's a full-on smart display with Google TV baked right in, meaning you can flip from your work laptop to Netflix without touching your computer. The idea is simple: one screen that handles your spreadsheets by day and your streaming binges by night, all with a clean 4K IPS panel and a pair of surprisingly serious Harman Kardon speakers. For anyone living in a small apartment, a dorm room, or just tired of having a separate TV on their desk, this thing makes a lot of sense on paper.

But here's the thing about being a jack of all trades. The MS27UC is clearly aimed at creative and professional users, scoring 72.9 and 71.6 in our database respectively, but it absolutely faceplants as a portable monitor with a 14.8 score. That's not a surprise when it weighs nearly 6kg and lacks a battery, but the 'ZenScreen' name might confuse some folks expecting a lightweight travel companion. This is a desktop monitor through and through, one that just happens to have a smart TV brain. The 99% sRGB coverage and 10-bit color put it in the 88th percentile for color performance, so your photo edits and design work will look accurate and vibrant.

Connectivity is where this monitor really tries to earn its keep. You get a USB-C port with 90W power delivery, so a single cable can charge your laptop and drive the display. There's also HDMI, DisplayPort, a USB hub, and wireless casting via Miracast and Chromecast. It's a clean setup for a modern desk, and the built-in Google TV means you don't need a dongle hanging off the back. Just keep in mind that the 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time land it in the 23rd percentile for performance, so competitive gamers should look elsewhere. This is a screen for getting things done and kicking back, not for chasing frames.

Gamers should skip this one without a second thought. The 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time are simply not built for anything beyond casual gaming, and you can get a much smoother experience from any of the competitors in this price range, like the MSI MAG 271QPX or the Samsung Odyssey G60SD, both of which offer OLED panels and high refresh rates. If your primary use case involves a mouse and keyboard in a fast-paced game, the MS27UC will feel sluggish and unresponsive compared to what you could be using.

Also, if you actually need a portable monitor, the ZenScreen name is going to mislead you. This thing weighs nearly 6kg and has no internal battery, so it's not leaving your desk. For travel or a second screen on the go, look at ASUS's actual portable ZenScreen lineup, the ones that weigh under a kilogram and run off USB-C power alone. This is a desktop monitor with a smart TV inside, not a travel companion.

If you're a creative professional or a remote worker who wants a single screen that can handle both color-accurate work and after-hours streaming, the ZenScreen MS27UC is a genuinely smart buy. The 4K IPS panel is sharp and color-accurate, the USB-C connectivity keeps your desk clean, and the Google TV integration means you can ditch the separate streaming stick. The Harman Kardon speakers are a pleasant surprise and easily beat what you'd get from a typical monitor. Just make sure you're paying a reasonable price for it, somewhere in that $400 to $500 sweet spot.

But if you're a gamer, even a casual one, the 60Hz cap is going to feel limiting. And if you actually need a portable monitor, the ZenScreen name is misleading, this thing is a desktop anchor. For those use cases, you'd be better off with a high-refresh-rate gaming monitor or an actual portable display. The MS27UC knows exactly what it is: a hybrid work-and-play screen for your desk. If that matches your life, you'll probably love it.