GIGABYTE MO27Q2A Gaming Monitor Review: 1440p, 280Hz, and QD-OLED is a winning combination

TweakTown Rating: 96%

Our Verdict

The MO27Q2A has near-instantaneous response times, exceptional color performance, and a fantastic combination of 1440p and 280Hz strikes an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. All of that for $400 makes the MO27Q2A hard to beat.

Pros

• Price
• 280Hz refresh rate
• Color
• Aimed at competitive gamers
• Simple, subtle physical design

Cons

• Brightness
• 18W USB-C charging

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Amazon for $399.99 USD

Also at Newegg $399.99 USD

Buy at Newegg for $649.98 CAD

Also at Amazon $889.42 CAD

Out of stock at Amazon

Buy at PC Case Gear for $659

Also at Amazon

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

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In the lab, we have the MO27Q2A, a 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED gaming monitor that rocks at a 280Hz refresh rate and has been paired with a 0.03ms (GtG) response time. For competitive gamers, these specifications are the sweet spot for the best 27-inch gaming monitor you can buy: an OLED panel, 0.03ms (GtG) for snappy responses to inputs, and a 1440p resolution, as a decent PC will be able to top out the 280Hz refresh rate at 1440p in most competitive titles.

The step up from the 280Hz refresh rate is the 360Hz models, which I would argue are more aimed toward the super competitive titles where refresh rate is essentially all that matters. The first that comes to mind in this category would be Counter-Strike. However, these 360Hz panels are considerably more expensive, and after using many 240Hz and 360Hz panels, I can tell you the difference is likely not worth the price hike, especially if you are playing games that can't even reach that 360Hz ceiling.

On paper, the MO27Q2A looks like an extremely well-rounded OLED gaming monitor, and judging by its price of $399.99 on Newegg, down from the listed $599.99 price tag, GIGABYTE has positioned the MO27Q2A very competitively.

Specifications

Close-up

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$399.99 USD

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$649.98 CAD

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$889.42 CAD

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Design

GIGABYTE has kept things relatively simple with the physical design of the MO27Q2A, which I think works quite well for a monitor of this size, and in a market where many gaming monitor companies are launching displays with excessive RGB lighting, or a general "gamer" aesthetic. Instead of taking that route, GIGABYTE has opted for a simple all-black finish, slim bezels around the panel's edges, and quite a compact stand that has a small footprint, meaning it doesn't take up much desktop real estate.

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All of the aforementioned points are big positives in my book, especially the stand, as many gamers don't have very big desks, and monitors with wide forked feet are prone to becoming obstacles for gamers who like to play their competitive titles with low mouse sensitivity. Having a single-foot stand solves this problem, and it's great to see that GIGABYTE is aware of that. Furthermore, the stand supports 130mm of height adjustment, with -5 to +21 degrees of tilt, 15 degrees of swivel in either direction, and the ability to rotate the display 90 degrees into portrait orientation.

For those who want to get rid of the stand entirely, which is something I recommend any competitive gamer do, GIGABYTE has included 100x100mm VESA mounting support for desk arms and wall mounts. Additionally, since the MO27Q2A is an OLED panel, it's very light, coming in without the stand at 4.59kg or about 10lbs. With the stand, it bumps up to 6.09kg or 13.4lbs.

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Moving to the back, GIGABYTE has included an array of connectivity options, but one of which I have a slight issue with. Before we get to that, the MO27Q2A sports the following ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, and 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode and an unfortunate 18W of power delivery. It's now expected that gaming monitor companies include a USB-C port with Power Delivery charging on their middle-range, particularly OLED gaming monitors. But many middle-range and high-end OLED gaming monitors are rocking 65W to even 90W, making the 18W a cute inclusion but pale in comparison to the competition.

Additionally, GIGABYTE has included 2x 5W speakers, which sound tinny and are generally only usable for basic media watching. If I were to make a suggestion, I would have dropped the speakers entirely, as this is a competitive gaming monitor and any gamer that considers themselves a competitive gamer already has a headset or headphones. Drop the speakers and put that now freed-up cost of materials into improving the USB-C port, which, if it were 65W, would make it ideal for laptop charging. A measly 18W can't even charge my iPhone 17 Pro Max at its maximum speed (36W).

Frequently Asked Questions

TweakBot answers common questions about this review using TweakTown's own coverage from this page and related content from our archive. All answers are generated from TweakTown content and not outside sources. Tap a question to reveal the answer, or type your own below related to this content.

Question #1

What are the MO27Q2A's exact display specs (size, resolution, refresh rate, response time, panel type)?

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Question #2

How does the MO27Q2A's HDR capability perform and what does its VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification mean for real-world HDR brightness?

HDR on the MO27Q2A is described as a little lackluster for its price point, with the review calling brightness the least impressive part of the monitor. The panel carries a VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification and GIGABYTE includes an HDR Peak 1000 mode that the company says can hit 1,000 nits at a 3% APL, meaning only 3 percent of the screen can reach that peak while the rest of the screen remains much dimmer. Overall typical screen brightness is 250 nits, so real-world HDR scenes will have limited overall brightness except for very small highlights.

Answered

Question #3

How adjustable is the MO27Q2A stand and does it support VESA mounting for desk arms?

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Question #4

How well does the MO27Q2A handle competitive FPS titles compared to slower single-player games?

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In general, the MO27Q2A has a very straightforward design that is clearly focused around one aspect of the monitor - the gorgeous OLED panel.

Panel Breakdown

The centerpiece of the GIGABYTE MO27Q2A is the 27-inch QD-OLED panel, which sports a 2560 x 1440p resolution, a maximum refresh rate of 280Hz, a 0.03ms (GtG), and an intense 1.5 million:1 contrast ratio.

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At a 27-inch size and a 1440p resolution, the MO27Q2A sports 108 Pixels Per Inch (PPI), making the MO27Q2A ideal for gaming, general media consumption, word processing tasks, and spreadsheet work. The general rule of thumb when purchasing any display is to aim for more than 90 PPI, as anything below that number is going to make the image appear quite blocky and generally lose image clarity.

As for the MO27Q2A, this panel produces an incredible image, and since it's OLED, each pixel is self-emissive, meaning pixels can individually turn on and off, enabling the previously mentioned incredible contrast ratio. With pixels being able to turn off, black levels are incredible on the MO27Q2A, which has been paired with 10-bit color, 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut, and factory calibration targeting a Delta E of less than 2.

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Colors are milky on the MO27Q2A, which is exactly what you want to see in a QD-OLED panel, as it makes games and media pop. HDR performance is a little lackluster, but that is expected at this price point, as the MO27Q2A has received a VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. GIGABYTE has included an HDR Peak 1000 mode, which the company claims to be 1,000 nits at a 3% APL, which means only 3% of the screen can reach the 1,000-nit total.

The remainder of the screen has a far lower brightness, and this is probably the least impressive part of the MO27Q2A. General screen brightness on the MO27Q2A is 250 nits, meaning the MO27Q2A isn't ideal for any well-lit rooms or rooms that are exposed to uncontrollable lighting, such as if your setup gets hit with direct sunlight that you cannot mitigate.

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Despite the brightness issue, gaming is really where the MO27Q2A shines. The 280Hz refresh rate paired with the 0.03ms (GtG) response time makes for extremely clean motion performance, with zero smearing and tearing. However, I wouldn't say the jump from a 240Hz OLED panel to a 280Hz panel is revolutionary, and while I can notice the difference in the games I play the most, I would say the average competitive gamer probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference at all.

Overall, the performance of the panel within the MO27Q2A falls in line with what I expect from an OLED gaming monitor at this price point.

Performance

So, how does the MO27Q2A fare in what matters most - games? Firstly, with every monitor I test, I like to include several different genres of games to see where the monitor performs best and to hopefully give a gamer an idea of what their experience will be like if they play their favorite type of game on the display under the spotlight.

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For the MO27Q2A, I tested the following games: League of Legends, Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, God of War Ragnarok, Valorant, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Age of Mythology: Retold, Borderlands 4, Counter-Strike, Battlefield 6, and Forza Horizon 6.

With its 280Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms (GtG) response time, and 1440p resolution, it's no surprise the MO27Q2A shined the most in first-person shooter competitive titles, such as Valorant, Overwatch, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Counter-Strike, and Battlefield 6. In each of these games, motion performance was stellar, and I believe it would be more than satisfactory for the majority of competitive gamers.

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Colors looked fantastic in these titles, particularly Overwatch with its bright and vibrant color profile, and Battlefield 6 with its distinct variation in maps, terrain, and in-game mechanics. League of Legends was also extremely enjoyable on the MO27Q2A.

While I had the most enjoyment in competitive FPS titles, the MO27Q2A still kicked ass in all of the slower, more RPG-esque games, such as God of War Ragnarok, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, and Forza Horizon 6. In each of these games, I was able to appreciate the color reproduction on the MO27Q2A more, as you have more time to "stop and smell the roses," compared to the high-octane, competitive nature of FPS titles.

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In general, I think the MO27Q2A is an extremely well-rounded gaming monitor that leans more toward competitive gaming than traditional gaming, but is still more than capable of creating an awesome experience outside of competitive titles.

Final Thoughts

So, should you buy the MO27Q2A? If you want a gaming monitor that is arguably the best well-rounded OLED display on the market, the MO27Q2A is a real contender.

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For its $400 price, the MO27Q2A makes an extremely compelling case to be the best mid-range gaming monitor currently available, especially considering the competition; currently, Samsung's 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 is also priced at $400, but is a 240Hz panel. Another option is the AOC 27-inch OLED for $349 and MSI's variant at $349, but with that route you will be dropping the additional gaming features GIGABYTE has included in the MO27Q2A, and the 40Hz refresh rate.

Ultimately, if the $400 price tag holds for the MO27Q2A, you will be deciding between the 240Hz refresh rate on the competitors' displays or the 280Hz refresh rate on the MO27Q2A. For $50, I would probably go with the MO27Q2A, but if you are on quite a tight budget, the 240Hz is the more reasonable option.