Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 evaluation: “Trades 4K for fast OLED gaming monitor brilliance”

The Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 is perhaps costly for a 1440p show in 2023, however I’m right here to inform you that you must contemplate it over 4K options? Why? Nicely, its LG OLED panel and speedy 240Hz refresh price are considerably of an ideal match, notably in case you’re on the lookout for clean visuals that pop. To not point out Corsair has packed LG’s display screen tech right into a placing but delicate 27-inch monitor setup, even when I’ve bought beef with the OSD buttons. 

Priced at $999, the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 is firmly a member of the premium panel social gathering, and its MSRP is a kicker. I really needed to have phrases with myself going into this evaluation, as I used to be decided to not let the value level put a whole damper on issues. Fortunately, the OLED panel places on a present that takes the sting off the associated fee, one that gives it with a spot at the very best gaming monitor desk. 

Sure, it’s small, prices a grand, and isn’t UHD, however the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 trades 4K for fast OLED gaming monitor brilliance. Whereas 240Hz goes to matter extra to FPS sport followers on the lookout for a efficiency edge, I reckon I’d select hertz over decision now that I’ve tried this display screen for myself, particularly when paired with natural LED loveliness. 

Specs

I’ve already spilled the beans on Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 specs, however let’s formally go over what the monitor options. On the core of this show is the aforementioned 26.5-inch LG QHD 240Hz panel, armed with an anti-glare coating and options like NVIDIA G-Sync Compatibility. It additionally boasts a charcuterie board of ports, together with two HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4, and a Sort-C connector with DisplayPort Alt-Mode. 

If you happen to’re contemplating a 240Hz monitor, you’re probably considering of pairing it with a gaming PC, however each HDMI 2.1 help and 4K enter help ought to appeal to console gamers. Not that I’d recommend dropping this kind of cash on a PS5 monitor, particularly since 120Hz is the present output restrict.  

Design and options

The monitor’s stand pivots, swings, and is peak adjustable, and transferring the display screen is definitely achieved with one hand. I can’t think about many individuals on the market will choose this display screen up as a vertical spreadsheet portal, however in case you’re into retro video games like me, it’s a chance to hook up an outdated Nintendo Gamecube and play the arcade shooter Ikaruga in portrait tate mode. 

The display screen itself is extremely skinny, with many of the bulk being contained to a lump on the again. Similar to many different screens on the market now, the Xeneon 27QHD240 additionally barely has a bezel, with a black border being the one factor stopping the panel from being really edge-to-edge. Nevertheless, that reality doesn’t distract from its slick aesthetic, and it backs up the concept much less is extra relating to desktop panel designs. 

If you happen to’ve heard OLED display screen burn horror tales, you’ll be happy to know that Corsair has that lined. Within the OSD setting menu, you’ll discover an ‘Picture Retention Refresh’ possibility, which ought to shift any non permanent ghosting ought to it happen. Whether or not or not correct display screen burn will turn into a problem with long run use stays to be seen, however a reminder will pop up after eight hours telling you to make use of the characteristic, and it’s in all probability value sticking to to keep away from static photographs haunting your expertise. 

That is the half the place I begin grumbling concerning the Xeneon 27QHD240’s OSD buttons, however I need to add some context earlier than I moan a bit of. For starters, I hate discrete buttons at the very best of instances, and I’m a little bit of an advocate for monitor’s coming with remotes. I’m maybe already a bit of spoiled, because the Ben Q Mobiuz display screen I usually use comes with a wi-fi clicker (flipper, doofer, no matter you need to name it) and is a blessing relating to navigating menus.  

 Reasonably than borrowing gaming TV options, the Xeneon 27QHD240 opts for a joystick method, accompanied by two extraordinarily flat buttons. The 2 left toggles are solely for energy and enter, and a useful sensor will present you which of them is which whenever you put your hand beneath. That’s high-quality and nicely, however utilizing the nub to really enter the principle OSD menu and navigate round is a ache, and I ended up by chance urgent instructions when attempting to click on the centre. Once more, possibly I’m spoiled, however it’s wonderful how a lot time wrestling with controls can add to altering easy settings like brightness.

Efficiency

As you’d possibly count on with a monitor that prices a grand, the Xeneon 27QHD240 places on fairly the efficiency, however this show’s OLED talents are a sight to behold. Admittedly, I’ve been utilizing an IPS show for some time now, so the display screen sort change change up is maybe impressing my eyes greater than it could a seasoned OLED consumer. However, I feel this panel packs a hell of a visible punch, and video games I frequently go to look more energizing than ever. 

I evaluation all the newest graphics playing cards, so I discover myself taking a fleeting journey to Night time Metropolis to run some Cyberpunk 2077 benchmarks pretty typically. The character of my go to means I’m not a lot of a vacationer about it, however I couldn’t assist however wander via CD Projekt Purple’s neon soaked streets whereas utilizing the Xeneon 27QHD240. The wonderful distinction and brightness that the OLED offers virtually transforms the display screen into an oblong portal, with glowing lights and shimmering reflections that appear to be they’re really within reach. 

I would obtain some flack for this, however I’m not all the time a fan of the expertise HDR screens present. I perceive the attraction, however I typically discover that colours generally look a bit of muted, and really favor the emulated HDR characteristic included with my standard BenQ Mobiuz show. Fortunately, the Xeneon 27QHD240 has managed to persuade me that enabling the tech in video games is value it, and HDR10 help pairs completely with this OLED panel. 

Don’t get me improper, the Xeneon 27QHD240 doesn’t want HDR to look nice, and it makes colours pop with out the characteristic. Nevertheless, with it switched on within the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, the streets obtain a sensible glow up. Every dingy alleyway and illuminated sidewalk look virtually like my residence metropolis of Glasgow, with the visuals registering in my mind as one thing I’d witness with my very own eyes. I do assume the colours finish look wanting barely much less saturated consequently, and I’m a fan of the best way neon lights look with out HDR, however I feel it’s a tradeoff I’m pleased with.

I additionally instantly seen the distinction between my standard display screen and the Xeneon’s 240Hz refresh price. This really caught me off guard, as I figured there wasn’t that a lot of a distinction between 144Hz and 240Hz, and now I really feel a bit of foolish. That mentioned, we’re additionally speaking a couple of panel with a 0.03ms GtG response time, an additional benefit of constructing the soar to OLED. 

To correctly put the monitor’s loft refresh price to the take a look at, I left the nice and cozy glow of Night time Metropolis and jumped into the chaos of Overwatch 2. Conveniently, I simply completed up our Origin Chronos V3 evaluation, so I used to be capable of hit 240fps at 1440p within the hero shooter with out compromising on visuals utilizing the rig. The outcome? Nicely, the sport appeared improbable and darting across the sky as Farah felt tremendous responsive, extra so than whereas enjoying at 144Hz. 

Earlier than we transfer onto my ultimate ideas, I need to pay tribute to this monitor’s anti-reflective coating. My desk is positioned close to a very glairy window, and whereas sunny days are a rarity in Scotland, I typically want to achieve for my blinds when issues are on the brighter aspect. With the Xeneon 27QHD240, I really forgot this was a problem fully, and the display screen does a improbable job of holding distracting reflections at bay.  

Do you have to purchase the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240? 

Its worth is a sore spot, however in case you’re on the lookout for a display screen that’ll wow your eyes with vivid colours and snappy motion, the Xeneon 27QHD240 will ship. If you happen to’re rocking an RTX 4080 graphics card, selecting up a 1440p show in 2023 may really feel like an odd determination, however as somebody who makes use of a 4K 144Hz panel, OLED and 240Hz will distract you from the caveats of decrease resolutions. To not point out you’ll be capable to take pleasure in ridiculously excessive body charges in case you’re rocking top-of-the-line graphics playing cards, relatively than attempting to spice up fps to go well with the calls for of UHD. 

It’s not precisely a con, however in case you’re used to utilizing a bigger show, you may really feel just like the 27-inch Corsair Xeneon is on the small dimension. I miss the scale of my 34-inch every day driver much less when engrossed with gameplay, however relating to finishing up daily work duties, I do really feel like issues are a bit of cramped. So, in case you’re not into dinky shows, you may need to search for one thing larger with related specs, however I think Corsair’s chosen dimensions are a part of the display screen’s successful method. 

How we examined the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 

I changed my standard monitor with the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240, utilizing it for a month for work and gaming. Throughout my time with the display screen, I used the show to check an RTX 4080 gaming PC construct, which in flip concerned benchmarking Cyberpunk 2077 and a collection of different take a look at video games. 

Exterior of managed testing, I used the Xeneon 27QHD240 to play some Overwatch 2, and I additionally used a Steam Deck Dock to play some lighter video games utilizing Valve’s handheld PC. If you happen to’d prefer to know extra about how we deal with all of our evaluation, swing by our {Hardware} Coverage for extra particulars.

In search of extra premium panels? Take a look at our Finest excessive refresh price monitor picks for a spread of speedy screens. Alternatively, check out the greatest 4K gaming screens for prime spec UHD shows.