HP's Omen X 27: A 240Hz QHD Monitor with FreeSync 2 HDR
by Anton Shilov on August 23, 2019 3:00 PM EST
Among the monitor announcements to come out this week, HP has introduced a new display aimed at hardcore gamers and esports professionals. With a 240 Hz max refresh rate, FreeSync 2 support, and HDR, the Omen X 27 is designed to be a jack of all trades for gaming monitors.
HP's new gaming monitor is based around a high-performance QHD TN panel, sporting a 240 Hz refresh rate, 300/400 nits brightness (SDR/HDR), and a 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. Seeing a TN panel show up in a (marginally) HDR-capable monitor like the Omen is a relatively recent advancement; for years, TN displays have lagged IPS monitors when it comes to the color space that could be represented. However, recently developed TN panels and new types of backlighting have significantly improved the ability of such LCDs to cover wide color gamuts, a core requirement for HDR support.
The Omen X 27 is also an AMD FreeSync 2-certified monitor, which means that it not only supports a variable refresh rate technology, but also features Low Framerate Compensation (LFC), HDR, and allows select games to tone map directly to the monitor's native dynamic range. In accordance with its HDR support, the monitor also features zoned backlighting, with 16 edge-lit zones across the monitor.
Being aimed at hardcore PC gamers and esports professionals, the HP Omen X 27 has only two display inputs: a DisplayPort 1.4 input and an HDMI 2.0 port. The monitor also features a headphone output, which is common for gaming monitors these days, but it does not have built-in speakers. In addition, the Omen X 27 has a dual-port USB 3.0 hub and an adjustable stand with a headset rest, and a red ambient light.
The combination of a variable refresh rate of up to 240 Hz, HDR, and wide color gamut support will naturally be the key selling point of the monitor. Unfortunately, since HP has not disclosed all the specs of the display, we do not know whether it actually supports the HDR10 transport format, which is important for many. That said, while the monitor is full of interesting features, the whole picture is something that remains to be seen.
| The HP Omen X 27 | |
| General Specifications | |
| Panel | 27-inch 8-bit TN |
| Native Resolution | 2560 × 1440 |
| Maximum Refresh Rate | 240 Hz |
| Response Time | 1 ms GtG with Overdrive 3 ms GtG |
| Brightness | SDR: 300 cd/m² HDR: 400 cd/m² |
| Contrast | 1000:1 |
| Backlighting | 16-zone bottom edge lit |
| Viewing Angles | 170°/160° horizontal/vertical |
| Curvature | none |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Color Gamut | 90% DCI-P3 sRGB |
| DisplayHDR Tier | N/A |
| Dynamic Refresh Rate Tech | AMD FreeSync 2 |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.2335 mm² |
| Pixel Density | 109 PPI |
| Inputs | 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 1 × HDMI 2.0 |
| Audio | Headphone output |
| USB Hub | 2 × USB 3.0 Type-A connectors 1 × USB 3.0 input |
| Adjustments | Height: 0-130 mm Tilt: -5 to +23 degrees |
| MSRP | $649 |
HP’s Omen X 27 will be available starting from September in the US at $649 and starting from November in the UK for $£579.99.
Related Reading:
- Acer Launches Predator XN253QX Monitor with 240 Hz & 0.4 ms G2G Response Time
- AOC’s Agon Monitors with 0.5ms Response Time & 240 Hz Refresh Now Available
- IO Data Launches GigaCrysta 24-inch 1080p Monitors at 240 Hz with HDR10 Support
- Acer Unveils KG1 Displays with Sub-1ms Response Time
- BenQ Announces ZOWIE XL2546 ‘eSports’ Display: 24'', FHD, 240 Hz, DyAc ULMB Tech
- Smooth As 240 Hz Butter: LG's 27GK750F-B, a 27-inch eSports Monitor with FreeSync, Launched for $550
Source: HP
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Hul8 - Saturday, August 24, 2019 - link
"Faking it" is allowed in HDR specs: You can output in 8-bit+FRC, as long as the processing is at least 10-bit.Oxford Guy - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - link
The processing isn't the issue. The main issue is the backlight's gamut.Processing mainly is an issue with banding, not overall gamut.
WinterCharm - Saturday, August 24, 2019 - link
Like anything else in tech, it's a tradeoff.TN has faster refresh rates, but worse color accuracy, and color space. So if you can live with 90% DCIP3 and only "fake" HDR 400, it's fine.
If you want 99% DCI-P3 color coverage, and (fake) HDR 600 or (real) HDR1000, then you need to go with an IPS panel. But you will lose the 240Hz refresh rate.
It's up to you to decide which one you prefer. If you really care about 240Hz more than colors and off angle viewing, that's fine. Different technologies with different trade-offs give you choice.
Alistair - Saturday, August 24, 2019 - link
Yeah IPS can't really handle 240hz yet, but 165hz is fine for the best ones.eek2121 - Monday, August 26, 2019 - link
People need to wake up and realize 4K gaming is a thing.MarcusMo - Monday, August 26, 2019 - link
Interfaces driving 4k@240hz is not a thing yet though. Nor are graphics cards capable of sustaining that kind of framerate consistently in 4k.Oxford Guy - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - link
I seriously doubt that anything inherent to TN pixels is responsible for the 90%. The backlight's gamut is what is responsible.Take the same backlight and pair it with IPS pixels and you will most likely have the same 90%.
bunnyfubbles - Sunday, August 25, 2019 - link
for speed and cost, yesif you want better color/contrast/viewing angles, etc, you have to pay more and also give up some speed
people looking for the perfect monitor, you can stop, it doesn't exist, and certainly not for an affordable price. Even the newest $2500 Gsync Ultimate monitors have to compromise
yetanotherhuman - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - link
noedzieba - Friday, August 23, 2019 - link
So, two issues here: first, this is simply not HDR. It does not have a high dynamic range, so regardless of format support it falls the most basic requirements. Second, TN has nothing to do with available colourspace, but instead has issues with colour uniformity across the panel. Shifting the backlight primaries will not change this.