Gigabyte's M27Q is a fast 1440p FreeSync Premium monitor and it's on sale for $290

Gigabyte's M27Q is a fast 1440p FreeSync Premium monitor and it's on sale for $290
Save $70 on Gigabyte's M27Q with a 170Hz refresh rate and score a free copy of Outriders to boot. (Image credit: Gigabyte)

Kudos to you if you've managed to get your hands on a graphics card in this climate. Fortunately, pairing it with a gaming monitor is a far easier proposition. There are plenty of options out there, and one that deserves attention is Gigabyte's M27Q, a 27-inch FreeSync Premium display.

It's on sale at Newegg for $289.99 (down from $359.99) without any coupon codes to enter, or mail-in-rebate hoops to jump through—just a straight-up discount. You can also claim a free digital copy of Outriders. We weren't particularly thrilled with the game (see our Outriders review), but hey, if Newegg and Gigabyte want to give it away, more power to 'em.

Gigabyte M27Q Gaming Monitor | 1440p | FreeSync Premium | 170Hz | $359.99$289.99 at Newegg (save $70)
Fast FreeSync Moni...

Gigabyte M27Q Gaming Monitor | 1440p | FreeSync Premium | 170Hz | <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=kXQk6%2AivFEQ&mid=44583&u1=hawk-custom-tracking&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newegg.com%2Fp%2FN82E16824012018" data-link-merchant="newegg.com"" target="_blank">$359.99 $289.99 at Newegg (save $70)
This is an awesome gaming monitor with a high refresh rate, low response time, and even a built-in KVM switch, if that's something you can utilize.

The real deal here is the discounted monitor, though. Gigabyte's M27Q is essentially a slightly better version of the excellent G27Q that occupies a spot in our roundup of the best gaming monitors. The specifications are nearly the same, except the M27Q bumps the refresh up on the IPS panel to 170Hz (compared to 144Hz on the G27Q).

We haven't reviewed the M27Q, but the reliable folks at Rtings concluded it is even "better for gaming" than the G27Q, due to the higher refresh rate, quicker response time (0.5ms versus 1ms MPRT), and better SDR color gamut.

Other specs include a 2560x1440 resolution, 350 nits brightness (typical), 1,000:1 contrast ratio (100,000,000:1 dynamic), 178-degrees viewing angles (horizontal and vertical), and FreeSync support. It's not listed as being G-Sync Compatible, but according to Rtings, it works just fine.

Gigabyte doesn't list the peak brightness, but being DisplayHDR 400 certified, it has to hit at least 400 nits, which is a little bit higher than its typical brightness rating.

One interesting side note—Gigabyte pitches the M27Q as the "world's first KVM gaming monitor." This means it has a built-in KVM switch to control multiple PCs and devices with a single set of peripherals (mouse and keyboard), a potentially handy feature for some people.

Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).