Ben Madilynn
We really like ASRock gaming monitors, and not just because they’re cheap. No, they often manage to combine two factors rarely seen together in one monitor: cheap and good.
You can often find offers on them from several major retailers, including Amazon. So you’d be forgiven for thinking that, what with it being Amazon’s October Prime Day (called Big Deals Day this year, for reasons), it’d be the mega-giant giving you the best prices on gaming monitor deals.
But lo and behold, it’s Newegg that has this 27-inch 1440p 165 Hz little beastie up for a mere $157. I can think of gaming mice that retail for more than that, but here you’re getting a genuinely speedy little panel for the sort of cash you might spend on a fancy dinner for two. Ok, a very fancy dinner for two, but still.
So, headline specs—I’ve given the game away already, haven’t I? It’s 27-inches large, it’s got a 1440p resolution, and a 165 Hz refresh rate. But think about that combination for a second. Is it not beautifully balanced, as all great things should be?
That’s not the largest panel size in the world, but then you don’t need something huge for a great gaming experience. It’s not 4K, but 1440p is a darn sight better than 1080p. And while 165 Hz won’t be bothering 240 Hz and up mega-esports monitors, its still more than fast enough for most gamers.
Plus you even get a built in Wi-Fi antenna. That’s a pretty handy extra feature as extra features go, as a lot of the time gaming monitors give you something useless, like a downward facing logo projector or a cable wrap that’s worse than the ones you already own.
Connectivity-wise, you get two HDMI 2.0 ports, and one DisplayPort 1.4. More than some, not as many as others, and probably just the right amount for most people. And FreeSync Premium support should keep things nice and smooth with that 165 Hz refresh rate.
So, what’s the catch? Well, DisplayHDR 400 is, err, not really HDR in the way in which you might imagine it, and of course this is a VA panel, so there’s always the possibility of a bit of contrast smearing when it comes to fast-paced action.
But for the money? I really don’t think there’s much to complain about here. It’s a killer little monitor with great specs for less than the price of a good keyboard, and I reckon that means it should grace the desks of anyone looking for a great gaming monitor for not much cash. We’re hunting down the best Prime Day monitor deals as we speak, but even among that hallowed group, this little monitor really does stand out.
