You ’ll find mickle of 4 K displays among thebest gaming monitors , but for the past several years , you ’d have to give up to get one . HP ’s telling Omen 27k is a alteration of pace . Clocking in at $ 400 , and even less on sales agreement , you ’re get a 4 green show with a high-pitched 144Hz refresh rate that somehow offers premium features like USB - C and a KVM switch .
It ’s a remarkable vitrine of how far gaming monitoring machine have come in the past few years . Although this monitor does n’t top the charts with its luminance and the HDR experience is far from pure , there ’s enough to love about the Omen 27k considering its affordable monetary value .
HP Omen 27k specs
Design
The design of the Omen 27k is passably pedestrian . It ’s a black plastic shell , not different from a varan like theGigabyte M32U. HP goes a bit further than other varan with some preconception lighting positioned around the back of the exhibit , which you may control through the card . It ’s surprisingly burnished for such a modest amount of luminance , especially if the monitor is pressed up closely against a wall .
HP does n’t go for over - the - top branding on the Omen 27k , rather opting for an Omen logo on the bottom bezel of the show and the signature Omen triangle on the base . The base is a pocket-size metal square toes that ’s sturdy enough to suffer the proctor without taking up too much desk space .
The stand itself is seemly , with joust and pivot , as well as height adjustment . regrettably , there ’s no swivel , but you may expend the included 100 millimeter x 100 mm VESA mount to connect the varan to a monitor arm .
Everything here is fairly received , but I have one grownup gripe with the excogitation . There ’s no cablegram management whatsoever . Your cables gazump into the bottom of the reminder , and they ’ll ride dangling from the front of the exhibit . Even something as minor as a hook like we go out on theSamsung Odyssey Neo G8would go a long way to clean house up the look .
Worse , the ports are down fairly low , mean they ’ll stick out even if you handle to marry everything back . It does n’t bear on the performance of the admonisher , but the lack of any cable management is a clear blemish on what is otherwise a solid display .
Features
For a budget 4 thousand gambling monitor , the Omen 27k has a shocking figure of feature . At this price — you may commonly find the Omen 27k for around $ 380 , despite its lean Mary Leontyne Price — you await a 4 K resolution and a high refresh charge per unit without much more . HP gratefully pack in the features here , making the monitor stand up out from the bunch .
The features all focus around the USB - C port . You get a USB - nose candy input signal with DisplayPort Alt mode , allowing you to connect a laptop or another equipment with a USB - C output , such as the Steam Deck . The only downside here is that there ’s no power pitch . You ca n’t link up your Steam Deck with a unmarried cable , for instance , which limit the port ’s usability .
However , HP hooks the USB - hundred input into the monitor’sbuilt - in KVM switch . you could share your peripherals across multiple sources on the display through the KVM switch , which is a huge bonus if you have multiple devices sneak up to the monitor lizard . Although KVMs are more common than they used to be , it ’s surprising to see the feature article in such a budget - focused design .
Outside of the USB - C port , the Omen 27k also amount with build - in loudspeaker . They do n’t voice very good , with flat bass and not much mass , but it ’s nice to see them no matter . Most monitors skip the speakers entirely , but it ’s secure to have something to fall back on when your headset pall .
At this price and with these specs , you do n’t expect much more than a seemly effigy out of a monitor . The fact that HP packs in feature like speaker unit , USB - C , and a KVM speaks to the attention to detail here . HP could have easily skipped all of these features and still come out with a skillful ware , so the fact that they ’re here is a big asset .
Ports and menu
The other porthole uses HDMI 2.0 , which will either limit the refresh rate to 60Hz at 4 K , or the resolution to 1440p at the full refresh pace . I ’m really not sure why HP admit only one HDMI 2.1 port . There might be some monetary value - savings in manufacture or licensing , but I ca n’t imagine it ’s enough to justify . If you want to get the most out of the monitor , you ’re special to one HDMI interface and one DisplayPort connection .
For controlling the monitor , you ’ll see buttons on the back around the correct side . HP does n’t apply a joystick , or else opting for single directing buttons along with a power button and KVM toggle . The on - covert display ( OSD ) is serviceable , though frightful and low closure .
Still , you have a mint of options , including eight built - in colour profiles . HP include amplification adjustment for the reddish , gullible , and blue primaries , so you have some options for calibrating the exhibit through the monitor itself , too .
Image quality
The Omen 27k performs surprisingly well considering its price . Despite some deceptive specs due to the dynamic direct contrast — I ’ll moil into that in a mo — this a top - notch IPS panel with great brightness , as - advertised dividing line , and olympian color truth .
For some ready number , I quantify peak brightness of 436 nits out of the box , as well as a direct contrast of 1,080:1 . Most IPS panels shoot for 400 nit and a 1,000:1 line ratio , so the Omen 27k is come out somewhat in the lead . Color accuracy was grotesque as well , with the Omen 27k time a color error of 0.93 . That ’s good than what we see with some manufactory - calibrated monitors like theLG UltraGear OLED 27 .
The mental image tone here is fantastic if you amaze in SDR . HDR has some problems , and that ’s chiefly because of the DisplayHDR 400 corroboration . This is the low tier of credentials , and although the Omen 27k gets fairly bright view its cost , the monitor lizard still is n’t the best choice for HDR . That ’s despite HP ’s rather egregious call that the monitor is adequate to of a 10,000,000:1 contrast proportion with its dynamic contrast characteristic .
With dynamic contrast , the Omen 27k has local dimming , but with a rather small zona count . You get eight vertical dim zones , so you should n’t expect the utmost line you find out of a mini - LED display like theCooler Master GP27Q. You for certain are n’t have the 10,000,000:1 demarcation ratio HP claim with the local dimming .
Still , it ’s nice to see local dimming on a monitor under $ 400 , and one that ’s 4 K no less . Just a few years ago , you would spend upwards of $ 600 for the same feature on a monitor with a blue firmness . You ’re not getting particular HDR performance , but at this monetary value , you do n’t necessitate it .
Gaming
With a 144Hz refresh charge per unit , FreeSync Premium certification , and a G - Sync Compatible badge , the Omen 27k sure enough has the chop for good gaming carrying into action . It ’s even better that you ’re getting a 4 K settlement on a 27 - inch cover , leading to especial pixel tightness and sharpness . You just involve to be careful with the IPS gore .
Like most IPS play monitors , the Omen 27k admit an overdrive mode to amend response times . You have five degree , and the quoted 1ms response is based on the highest level . I would n’t go the monitor at the highest overdrive grade , though . There ’s an intense stage of ghosting at the highest overdrive level and by and large poor question limpidity .
Thankfully , you do n’t have to scarper at the highest overdrive level . Even the second stage is plenty libertine and with minimum ghosting . You ’re not getting the fastest response meter , but you should n’t expect that out of an IPS instrument panel .
The gambling experience is solid , though the Omen 27k is well suited for players looking for cinematic experiences . you’re able to get faster refresh rates at crushed resolutions if you ’re more concerned in militant titles . On top of that , you ’ll need a rather strapping PC to persist the Omen 27k in its full glory — 4 K is still call for in 2024 , after all .
Should you buy the HP Omen 27k?
There ’s not much more you could ask for with the Omen 27k . At around $ 400 , and even less on cut-rate sale , you ’re get a high resolution , great colouration truth , and upstanding luminousness , which is a trio that was unheard of at this damage a few year ago . I ’d urge it at list cost , and if you may score the Omen 27k on sale , you ’re get a rank deal .
Still , you should know what you ’re puzzle into . The dynamical contrast lineament is n’t great , with distracting local dimming zones that cover enceinte area of the the screen . Even with a DisplayHDR 400 authentication , this is a admonisher you want to hightail it in SDR . The overdrive is very aggressive as well , so you should n’t consort it at the mellow level .
Even with those caution , you ’re getting enough here to justify the price . The Omen 27k is a rare example of how far gaming monitors have come over the past few long time by offering the coveted 4 K resolving and unanimous range timber at an low-priced price .
