Today we have the GIGABYTE GS27FC for review – a monitor that promises to deliver a decent gaming experience without making your wallet cry in horror. 27 inches, a curved screen, 180 Hz and a pretty reasonable price tag – sounds good, right? Let’s figure out what to expect from this monitor, and let’s start, as always, with the appearance.
Design
There are no fancy elements in the appearance of this monitor, and the overall design is extremely minimalistic. The GIGABYTE GS27FC does not scream about its gaming purpose with RGB lighting or any extravagant design elements that would affect the price of the monitor exclusively.
Matte surface, dark tone, thin frames and neat stand – everything is simple and stylish. In terms of ergonomics, the only adjustment is the tilt angle of the display, and for wall mounting there is a platform for a VESA 100×100 bracket. A compact plastic loop can be attached to the stand for more attractive cable management. On the table, the base of the monitor stand takes up very little space, and the bonus is that its surface is flat, which makes it possible to use it as an additional place to place, say, a smartphone.
The monitor is stable, does not shake when typing or playing games, when the keyboard is actively used, and that’s all that is needed.
The screen is curved, with a curvature radius of 1500R, which enhances the effect of immersion in the atmosphere of games, but without fanaticism, and unlike some ultra-wide monsters. Let everyone answer the question of the need for a curve for a screen with a diagonal of 27 inches, I do not see any problems with such a solution as a monitor.
The connectors include one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and a headphone jack. For a monitor with a resolution of 1080p at 180 Hz vertical scanning, more modern ports are not needed, the available ports have enough bandwidth. With a PC, of course, it is more logical to use DisplayPort, but there are no restrictions in this regard.
The monitor has an internal power supply, so there won’t be an extra plastic block in the way, but if there are any problems with the monitor’s power supply, repairs will be a little more problematic.
Screen
The heart of the monitor is a 27-inch VA panel with a Full HD resolution (1920×1080). Such characteristics give the monitor a pixel density of 81 PPI, and if you are used to the clarity of 1440p or 4K, you may notice a slight graininess. However, for gamers with not the most powerful video cards and a desire to get more screen space, such a solution will definitely be an extremely reasonable purchase. The curvature of the screen makes the picture a little more voluminous, and the VA matrix provides an increased contrast ratio, compared to IPS – about 3000: 1, according to the manufacturer. Black is much more like black than in the aforementioned IPS, but, of course, this is not the level of OLED or monitors with Mini LED backlighting. Color rendering is also good, there are no complaints about it, and the viewing angles are excellent, but the picture loses a little in contrast when looking at the monitor from the side, which is typical for VA matrices.
The 180 Hz refresh rate is a pass to the world of smooth gaming. Of course, you will need a corresponding video card, but, for example, in the system, smoothness can be felt even with graphics built into the processor. Support for adaptive synchronization technologies (AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible) eliminates image tearing, and the 1 ms response time (MPRT method) makes the picture clear even in the most dynamic scenes. Of course, VA panels are not as fast as OLED, IPS or TN, and in fast shooters like CS2 or Valorant you can notice a small amount of ghosting of dark elements, but for most games from RPG to racing, this is not critical, but the increased contrast relative to IPS and good viewing angles when compared to TN are just very pleasant bonuses for gaming content, and it is more pleasant to watch a movie with objectively black <black color>. In general, the choice between IPS and VA in this price segment is purely a matter of user priorities.
Control
The monitor is easy to control thanks to the joystick under the screen – no awkward buttons, everything is intuitive. The menu has all the necessary settings, as well as a number of options for gamers, in particular, Black Equalizer for highlighting dark areas, crosshair options on the screen, a timer and other useful functions for users.
Let’s sum it up as usual
The GIGABYTE GS27FC is a good and, most importantly, extremely affordable monitor for those who want a larger screen but don’t want to spend money on a powerful graphics card for 2K/4K gaming. For its money, it provides everything you need – smooth images, high contrast, a nice design, and, in fact, 27 inches of screen space. The need for a curve for this diagonal is probably a subject for discussion, but this is 100% a matter of user preference. Thus, it is definitely worth considering the feasibility of purchasing a GIGABYTE monitor, but the final decision, as always, is yours.
