Gigabyte recently brought its latest QD-OLED gaming monitor to India. The company currently sells FO32U2P and FO27Q3 variants in the country. Since QD-OLED is a relatively new technology, not many gaming monitors in India use it. We got the FO27Q3 from Gigabyte for review, which sports a 27-inch panel and comes with impressive features like a 360Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. The monitor is priced at Rs. The domestic price is $86,999, which is certainly much higher than the price of a fast IPS gaming monitor.
While OLED panels do offer many improvements over traditional IPS panels and are great for gaming, are they worth the hefty price tag? Should you upgrade to OLED? Read on to find out.
Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q3 design
- Dimensions (with stand) – 610.3 x 532.5 x 158.6 mm
- Dimensions (without stand) – 610.3 x 356.4 x 57.2 mm
Gaming monitors have to have some flair, that’s the norm. The Aorus FO27Q3 definitely has something going for it, thanks to its sloping edges, glossy trim, a bit of RGB lighting, and good build quality. The monitor is easy to assemble, and although most parts are plastic, everything feels premium.
The back of the monitor is equipped with RGB lighting and dual 5W speakers
At the front, you’ll see a somewhat glossy panel with a thick chin and minimal top and side bezels, although the side bezels are much thicker than the top. There is the Aorus logo in the center of the chin. The buttons are located on the underside of the logo, and you can also use the multi-directional joystick to easily navigate the OSD menu.
The joystick is multi-directional
Below, there’s another holographic Aorus bird logo at the base of the stand. The base is wide and can take up some desk space. The stand offers multiple adjustment options including tilt, swivel, height, and 90-degree pivot. There’s a slit in the stand for cable management, but the power cord doesn’t pass through it.
Although there is a cable trough, you cannot thread the power cord through the gap
On the back, you’ll find more angular design elements and two upward-firing speakers. There’s also an RGB Aorus logo on the back, but it’s not very bright. A 100x100mm VESA mount is also provided on the rear. With the stand included, the monitor weighs approximately 11.3 kg.
Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q3 display and performance
- 26.5-inch QD-OLED
- QHD (2560×1440) resolution
- 360Hz refresh rate
The QD-OLED panel on the Aorus FO27Q3 is manufactured by Samsung. It offers 2K resolution and a rated brightness of 250 nits in SDR mode. The panel offers a 360Hz refresh rate and a claimed response time of 0.03ms. It comes with certifications like DisplayHDR True Black 400, ClearMR 13000, and Eyesafe 2.0. It also supports DCI-P3 99% color gamut and 10-bit depth.
The display gets brighter indoors, but the coating is glossy
During my usage, the panel delivered vivid color reproduction and deep blacks in most situations. Contrast is also very good, especially in darker scenes. I can see more detail in the shadows than on my regular IPS monitor. This is great for gaming, but is also great for consuming content and video/photo editing. Text is clear, but you’ll notice some pixelation in some of the smaller fonts.
In terms of brightness, the panel does get quite bright in dim lighting conditions, especially in HDR mode. HDR output is good enough, but lacks detail or better quality in bright scenes. If your room is well lit, you will notice a lot of reflections on the screen and it may not be bright enough.
This monitor offers AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
Playing games on the monitor is a lot of fun thanks to the high 360 Hz refresh rate. There is almost no ghosting and everything feels very responsive, especially when playing FPS or racing games. Motion effects are also better and smoother than standard IPS or VA panel displays.
You also get support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Adaptive Sync. Although you don’t specifically get Nvidia G-Sync support, it should work just fine thanks to the adaptive sync feature. Viewing angles of the display are very good, and I didn’t notice a major difference in color reproduction when viewed from a certain angle.
Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q3 connectivity and features
- USB Type-C support
- AI-powered OLED care
- Gigabyte Control Center
When it comes to connectivity, the Aorus FO27Q3 offers a variety of options. All ports are hidden on the back, beneath the rear display hump. You get dual HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4, a USB Type-C port with DisplayPort support and 18W power delivery, a USB Type-B port, dual USB Type-A 3.2 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a separate 3.5mm microphone port. Although the USB Type-C port supports PD, it cannot charge laptops.
Monitor supports video output via USB Type-C
The multi-directional joystick on the monitor displays a feature-rich OSD menu, and you can use buttons to select options. There are many options available on the monitor. You’ll find most image quality options, color customization, color temperature, gamma presets, picture-in-picture mode, and more in the menu. There’s also a separate Game Assist option that lets you set black equalizer, super-resolution, change display modes, set timers and crosshairs, and enable/disable AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
The display comes with AI-powered OLED care features
A resolution switching feature lets you set the visible area of the screen to 24 inches and 1080p, which can be useful when gaming. The display also features AI-powered OLED Care, which is said to reduce screen burn-in issues common in OLED panels. The monitor also has KVM capabilities, allowing you to control multiple devices using a single keyboard, monitor, and mouse.
Overall, the Aorus FO27Q3 offers a ton of connectivity options and features, making it a great gaming monitor.
Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q3 Verdict
Okay, now it’s verdict time. The Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q3 is an excellent QD-OLED monitor that is perfect for gaming enthusiasts. If you own a powerful gaming PC, then you should probably consider investing in an OLED monitor, as the visual effects and fast refresh rate will make your gaming experience better.
The monitor offers good viewing angles
The monitor offers vivid color output, fast 360Hz refresh rate, and excellent contrast ratio. It also has a well-thought-out design and looks well-made, despite not having enough RGB. It’s primarily aimed at gamers, but can also be used by creative professionals. However, the pricing is a bit high, so I would only recommend it to those who are serious about gaming or have a lot of cash.
advantage:
- Stylish design
- Tons of connectivity options
- Bright colors
- 360Hz refresh rate
- 0.03ms fast response time
shortcoming:
Rating (out of 10)
- Design-8
- Display – 8
- Performance – 8
- Connectivity – 9
- Value for money – 7
- Overall – 8
