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.

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Source: HP

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  • flyingpants265 - Sunday, August 25, 2019 - link

    Once you go 40"+, you don't go back. All these monitors are an utter waste of time for someone like me.
  • samal90 - Monday, August 26, 2019 - link

    contrast ratios are still very bad on PC monitors. THey really need to have those higher at around at least 3000:1
  • Golgatha777 - Monday, August 26, 2019 - link

    For backlit HDR TVs, the Standard is about 1000 cd/m2 peak brightness and a 20,000:1 contrast ratio to be considered "real" HDR.

    Source - https://www.cnet.com/news/what-is-uhd-alliance-pre...
  • samal90 - Monday, August 26, 2019 - link

    I would cut it at least in half on monitors because nobody wants 1000 nits of brightness 2 feet away from their eyes.
  • Oxford Guy - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - link

    Commercials.

    HDR is a clever invention of the advertising industry, disguised as an improvement for consumers.

    Retina burn-in is part of the fun. You'll see afterglows of their logos forever!
  • Wardrop - Tuesday, August 27, 2019 - link

    Could you make a case for false advertising when the marketing images for these monitors show full and perfect colour when showing the monitor at an angle. TN viewing angles are awful as we all know, so wonder if you could make that case.
  • Oxford Guy - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - link

    Companies rely on people not being able to afford attorneys.

    False advertising happens constantly as a result.
  • Oxford Guy - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - link

    There is also the "standing" evasion. You would have to buy the product in order to claim you've suffered damage, most likely. This is a further impediment to getting things fixed. Not only is there the legal cost, there is the cost of buying all of the products that are being sold under false pretenses.

    Toothless consumer advocacy groups/agencies and pure nonsense like the on-the-take BBB are the alternative.

    Even when you have an open-and-shut case, as with those who sued Sony over taking away Linux on PS3 (after Sony openly used that as a feature selling point in at least one ad) you can face an endless ordeal, complete with a huge corporation saying you're a bad person (as Sony did) and a nobody (as Sony did when it claimed that "no one" wants Linux on PS3).

    The system is still staunchly on the side of caveat emptor, and that includes the ecological impact of products being inadequately factored into their price tag.
  • Oxford Guy - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - link

    Funny how input lag is missing from the chart.

    Is this really 2019?

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