HP Series 5 Pro B28F5UT#ABA 27" Black

The HP Series 5 Pro 27" is a 1080p 120Hz office monitor with a good stand and decent brightness. It's fine for spreadsheets and email, but the 1080p resolution on a 27" panel looks soft and the feature set is thin. At $170, you can find better value elsewhere.

The 120Hz refresh rate is the headline feature here, and it's a genuine step up from the 60Hz panels most offices still use. Scrolling feels smoother, and the 5ms response time is fine for casual gaming. The 350 nits of brightness means you won't squint in a sunny room. Color accuracy lands at the 58th percentile in our database, which is solid but not exciting. The 1080p resolution on a 27" screen means text can look a little soft if you sit close. For spreadsheets and email, it's fine. For photo editing or dense code, you'll notice the pixel density.

Stacked against the MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED or the LG UltraGear 27G810A-B, the HP looks like it's playing a different sport. Those monitors offer QD-OLED panels, higher resolutions, and faster refresh rates. The HP's only real advantage is price, and even that isn't a huge gap. The BenQ MA270U and Alienware AW2725D also outclass it in nearly every category. If you're shopping in this size range, the HP is the budget pick, but it's not the value pick.

At $170 USD, this monitor is priced like a budget option but doesn't deliver budget-beating performance. The 120Hz panel is nice, but you're paying for the HP name and the ergonomic stand more than the display itself. If you can find it on sale for under $150, it becomes a more reasonable office upgrade. At full price, you're better off hunting for a 1440p panel or a higher refresh 1080p gaming monitor.

The HP Series 5 Pro 27" is a 1080p IPS panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 350 nits of brightness. It's aimed at office workers who want a smooth, flicker-free experience without paying for 1440p or 4K. The stand is decent too, with height, tilt, swivel, and pivot all included.

But here's the thing. At around $170 USD, this monitor sits in a weird spot. You can find 1440p panels or higher refresh 1080p gaming monitors for similar money. The HP is fine, but it doesn't do anything that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Skip this if you need sharp text for coding, photo editing, or dense spreadsheets. The 1080p resolution on a 27" panel just doesn't hold up for detail work. Also skip it if you want multiple inputs or USB ports, the connectivity is limited to one HDMI and one DisplayPort. And if you're a gamer, look for a 1440p or higher refresh panel instead.

This monitor is for office workers who want a smoother 120Hz experience and a decent stand without spending much. It's not for gamers, not for creatives, and not for anyone who cares about pixel density. If your IT department is buying these in bulk, you could do worse. But if you're spending your own money, there are better options at this price.