HP OMEN 27 27" Black 2023

The HP OMEN 27 is a budget 165Hz gaming monitor with genuinely impressive color coverage and a fully adjustable stand, but the 1920 x 1080 resolution at 27 inches is a real compromise. At USD 135 from Newegg, it's a great deal for competitive gamers who prioritize frame rates over pixel density. At the higher end of its USD 339 price range, you're better off looking at 1440p alternatives. Buy it for esports, skip it for everything else.

The performance story here is solid, if not spectacular. The 165Hz refresh rate puts this panel in the well above average category for gaming monitors, and the 1ms GtG response time with Overdrive does real work in fast scenes. You won't see ghosting or smearing in most titles, and the FreeSync Premium certification means adaptive sync works down to low frame rates without flicker. In our database, the overall performance score lands at the 77th percentile, which is respectable but not chart-topping. The display itself sits at the 54th percentile, dragged down by that FHD resolution more than anything else.

The color story is where this monitor overperforms for its class. The 99% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 coverage puts it at the 87th percentile for color, which is genuinely impressive for a budget gaming panel. Combined with 400 nits of peak brightness and HDR support, games with vibrant art styles look punchy and saturated. Just don't expect true HDR performance. 400 nits without local dimming is entry-level HDR at best, and you'll get a brighter image but not the deep blacks or specular highlights that make HDR genuinely transformative. For SDR gaming and content, though, the colors are a real strength.

The most direct comparison is the LG UltraGear 27G810A-B, which also targets the 27-inch gaming space but typically ships with a 1440p panel. If you're running a mid-range GPU and want sharper text and more desktop real estate, the LG is the better pick, though you'll pay more for it. The ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B goes ultrawide at 34 inches with a VA panel, which gives you more immersion but sacrifices the color accuracy and viewing angles of this IPS screen. Different tools for different jobs.

The Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx is probably the most dangerous competitor here. It's a 27-inch 1440p IPS panel with a high refresh rate, and it often lands within striking distance of the OMEN 27's higher price points. If you can find the Acer for under USD 300, the resolution bump alone makes it worth the extra cash for most people. The MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED is in a completely different league with its OLED panel, but it costs several times more. The OMEN 27 wins on pure budget appeal, but the moment you can stretch to 1440p, the competition gets very compelling.

Value is where this monitor gets interesting, because the price spread is wild. In the US, we're seeing listings from USD 135 to USD 339 across four different sellers. That's a USD 204 gap for what appears to be the same panel, and it completely changes the value equation. At USD 135, this is a steal for a 165Hz IPS monitor with this color coverage and a fully adjustable stand. At USD 339, you're dangerously close to 1440p 165Hz territory, and that's a much harder sell.

Newegg has the best deal right now with refurbished units at the low end of that range. If you're comfortable with refurbished hardware, that's the move. The CAD 719 listing in Canada and JPY 43,170 in Japan are harder to evaluate without local market context, but the US pricing suggests this monitor's sweet spot is firmly in the budget tier. The 4.7 out of 5 star rating across 38 reviews backs up the idea that most buyers feel good about what they paid, even if the resolution complaints are real.

The HP OMEN 27 is one of those monitors that makes you do a double take when you see the spec sheet. A 27-inch IPS panel with 165Hz, 1ms response time, FreeSync Premium, and a color gamut that covers 99% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3. On paper, that's a lot of monitor for the money, especially when you spot it floating around the USD 135 to USD 339 range depending on where you look. But there's a catch hiding in plain sight, and it's the resolution. This is a 1920 x 1080 panel stretched across 27 inches, and that single decision shapes everything about who should buy this thing and who should run the other way.

For competitive gamers and anyone on a tight budget, the OMEN 27 makes a strong case. The 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms GtG response time with Overdrive mean motion stays crisp when things get chaotic on screen. FreeSync Premium keeps tearing at bay, and the color performance is genuinely impressive for a gaming monitor at this price. HP didn't skimp on the ergonomics either. Height adjust, tilt, swivel, pivot, and VESA 100x100 mounting are all here, which puts it ahead of plenty of pricier options in the comfort department.

But that FHD resolution at 27 inches is the elephant in the room. Pixel density works out to roughly 81 pixels per inch, which is noticeably lower than the 109 PPI you'd get from a 27-inch 1440p panel. For fast-paced shooters and esports titles, that trade-off can be worth it since lower resolution means higher frame rates on mid-range GPUs. For everything else, text looks soft, UI elements feel chunky, and you'll notice the pixel grid if you sit close. This monitor is for a specific kind of buyer, and we'll get into exactly who that is.

If you do any meaningful amount of reading, writing, coding, or spreadsheet work on your monitor, skip this one. The 1080p resolution at 27 inches means text is soft and pixelated compared to a 1440p panel, and that gets old fast when you're staring at documents all day. The user sentiment data confirms this is the biggest pain point, with the overall sentiment score landing in the bottom quarter of monitors we track. Buyers who expected a sharp 27-inch display felt misled.

You should also skip this if you're a content creator or photo editor who needs accurate color at high resolutions. While the color gamut coverage is impressive, the low pixel density limits how much detail you can actually see and work with. For creative work, look at a 27-inch 1440p IPS panel like the Acer Nitro XV272U or a 4K option like the Dell S2725QC. If you're a console gamer who wants to take advantage of 4K output from a PS5 or Xbox Series X, this monitor caps you at 1080p, so you'd be leaving a lot of visual fidelity on the table.

If you're a competitive gamer on a strict budget, the OMEN 27 is an easy recommendation at the low end of its price range. The 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and FreeSync Premium are exactly what you want for esports titles like Valorant, CS2, or Overwatch. The FHD resolution actually works in your favor here, since it's easier to push high frame rates on modest hardware. And the color coverage means your games won't look washed out while you're fragging.

For everyone else, think carefully about that resolution. If you do any reading, coding, spreadsheet work, or content creation on this monitor, the low pixel density will bug you daily. Text looks soft, UI elements feel oversized, and you'll notice the pixel grid if you sit closer than arm's length. The user sentiment data backs this up. The overall sentiment score sits at just the 21st percentile, and the most common complaint is exactly this resolution mismatch. Buyers who expected a sharp 27-inch display felt burned. If you're not primarily a competitive gamer, save up a bit more and get a 1440p panel instead.