HP 27xi - Subjective Review

euskalzabe

euskalzabe

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
May 9, 2009
Messages
1,478
Hey all,

If you've followed my recent threads you know that I have been agonizing about what monitor setup would be better for me. After months of over-obsessing about details, just this week I ordered an HP 27xi 1080p 27" IPS display. I had read it uses the same AH-IPS panel as the Dell S2740L but instead of tempered edge-to-edge glass that brings crazy amounts of reflections (thanks for the tip, NCX!) this monitor comes in a regular glossy finish. I have the panel setup to 10% brightness as I spend full days writing on Word and the lower brightness helps my eyes not get tired (and since I game at night, it's bright enough for a dark room, specially with the bias light I have behind the monitor to improve subjective perception of contrast exponentially).

As of today 2013/11/24, this monitor just went down to a miserly $220 in Amazon. I've enjoyed the 27xi this week SO MUCH that I just purchased 2 more today to create the triple monitor setup I've been wanting to have for a while now. For this price, this display is unbeatable value (unless you're an enthusiast gamer). You can look at the many, many full resolution pictures I took today in this online album - I took most pictures with bounce flash to light up the room so you can see the reflections in, basically, worst case scenarios. Some of the shots I re-took without flash to expose what I see in the room lighting I have. During the day, I have yet to be bothered by reflections. Yes, the panel is glossy and yes, there are some reflections, but they're faint enough to not be bothersome (they were sometimes in the Dell ST2220T, I could notice them).

Keep in mind I'm not super tech-savvy when it comes to analyzing an LCD display. I can't speak for everyone but I can tell you what is reasonably good or bad about it. For example, I have read about many people close to vomiting at the sight of 1080p in a 27" panel: turns out it does not bother ME at all. Yes, it's not as crips as it could be, but frankly it's fine for 99% of the population with the exception of photographers and enthusiast gamers.

If you've had an IPS you know what to expect here... sort of. I've had a Dell ST2220T for a couple years (I reviewed it when I got it) and I have loved it to death, but this panel is much better in terms of color reproduction. Again, I don't have fancy colorimeters and such, but I can tell you images look more pleasing, there seems to be more colors coming through the monitor and gradations look softer - to my eyes at least.

As for overshoot, there is a bit of a trail now that I have overdrive on, which I guess would bother enthusiast gamers but for most people, it's fine, it's not bad at all for a normal person. In fact, I don't even see it, I only noticed it once I fired up Pixperan, but in the - significant - hours playing AC4 Black Flag this week, I have yet to notice anything bothersome from the monitor.

The design is obviously something subjective - I have seen people hate it, but I love this thing to pieces. They're obviously going after the Apple style - which I usually dislike - but I'm very much loving the 27xi. The extremely thin borders make it look thinner and larger than it actually is and I'm pretty sure it will look amazing when I add the other two displays to this setup (I'll update with pictures at that time). The stand isn't rock solid but also not flimsy, it hold the monitor in place fine (it's a weird material that I'm assuming it's plastic but it doesn't feel like cheapo plastic, it's certainly not metal, but it's sturdier than crappy plastic, probably just higher quality than the lowest common denominator... it's fine, nothing to write home about).

I'll see if I can game a bit later today (I'm extremely busy revising my doctoral dissertation and applying for jobs...) and take a few pictures in a variety of games. If you're a "normal" person (meaning, non-enthusiast gamer or photographer who wants a bigger screen with great colors) you will be very happy with this monitor, specially considering it just went down to $220 (I should have bought all 3 NOW, the one I bought last week cost me $250 :mad: and those $30 would buy me a nice burger+beer somewhere).

If there's any questions or requests I'll be happy to answer them, but keep in mind I'm not super technical with this stuff. I just know a decent monitor when I see one, as long as you don't have super high enthusiast standards.
 
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I just bought the 27XI as well. I first bought the DELL S2740L but I returned it a few days later when I noticed a defect in the glass. It also did not help that it suffered from IPS glow in the corners. The glossy display did not bother me.

My last monitor that I used for any length of time was a TN matte screen and the difference between that and the 27XI is huge where colors are concerned. Colors just 'pop' on this display in a very pleasing way. On certain web pages, I can see things that were completely lost on my old monitor! I wasn't expecting that at all.

My one gripe against this display is the IPS glow. It is very similar to the glow on the S2740L. I have an ugly white splotch in the lower left hand corner and an ugly brownish spot on the lower right. I can only see it if those areas are very dark to black. I was debating exchanging it for another, hoping the glow would be less pronounced, but I was told here that due to the high brightness settings I like to use, I am going to have to just deal with the glow. I can definitely understand why some look for alternatives to IPS due to this 'feature' alone, but if I am not mistaken, VA screens are not going to produce color like this.

I am going to take you up on your offer for requests. :)

Are you willing to run a test on your display and let me know how the glow is on yours? If so, you need an all black screen which you can get to with this youtube link I will provide at the bottom. Just pause the youtube video and make it full screen. Then just check the corners of your screen when looking at your monitor straight on. If you could also test with your brightness set to 100, that would be great. I'd like to get some idea how much difference there is in this glow effect from one unit to the next in the same model number.

Youtube link --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WexJRnud32U
 
Here you go:

10% brightness
http://imageshack.us/a/img19/4651/cs7i.jpg

and

100% brightness
http://imageshack.us/a/img5/4739/3py4.jpg

As you probably know the bleed is exponentially exaggerated by the picture, it looks nowhere as brutal as it does in the pictures. Also, it is unreasonable to expect no glow from IPS, specially at %100 where you're pushing the backlight like a little sun inside the monitor. Best - most accurate - colors usually happen at around %35 brightness for most displays, though I like %10 because I stare at a big white expanse in word all day, so it helps with my eyesight.

I'll try to do the same test when I get my 2 other 27xi!
 
euskalzabe said:
Here you go:
I'll try to do the same test when I get my 2 other 27xi!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the pictures. If you decide to take more pics of the other monitors, I will certainly have a look. I don't know what you really see of course, but based on those pictures, my glow is worse at the bottom but better then yours at the top. This might just be because I sit higher then you do. I notice that if I lower my head, the bottom glow gets better but then I start to see it at the top corners. Even at 10 percent brightness I can see the white and brown patch. Though only if my room is dark.

And if you are still taking requests, I have one more. :) Even if you don't intend to use them that way, if you could just put your second monitor up right next to your first one when you get it, I would like to know if there is a gap between them. I heard that the silver bezel along the bottom is slighter longer then the screen and so it gets in the way of two of these monitors sitting completely flush with each other.

Thank you again!!
 
No problem! I'll try to snap some more pics when I get the other two, they should arrive by Wednesday. Meanwile, here's a closeup of the edge... It seems the grey border is a fraction longer than the bezel, but we'll see for sure when I put all three together.

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8268/lnsj.jpg
 
euskalzabe said:
No problem! I'll try to snap some more pics when I get the other two, they should arrive by Wednesday. Meanwile, here's a closeup of the edge... It seems the grey border is a fraction longer than the bezel, but we'll see for sure when I put all three together.
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8268/lnsj.jpg
Click to expand...

Interesting. The bezel definitely looks slightly longer. Add that extra length to the slighter longer length of the second monitor's bezel and I do think there will be a small gap between displays.

Looking forward to pictures of the glow and now this. I hope you find the time to snap and post them!
 
Just to add some info, I picked one of these up from Costco. Their return policies are unmatched, and it was local so I could see it in person.

I'm using it for regular day-to-day use. Not a fan of the 16x9 for productivity, but it's nice for games and OK for average stuff. It's far more responsive than my old 2405 in games. Still have the 2405 for CAD work and such, but will hopefully replace it eventually with a 1440p or larger display.

Image quality seems pretty good, and backlight bleed is fairly minimal. The outside looks nice, as well. No VESA mount, but I actually got parts to build a riser stand for my monitors at my desk so no big deal.
 
Bought one about two months ago and love it. Went from a 24" 1900x1200 16:10 monitor and it did not bother me. My biggest worry was that it might not run games as well but gaming on it is great. NO input lag from any game I have played and the colors are great.

Also the monitor itself looks very elegant. Shiny and very thin. I thought the shiny screen would bother me coming from a matte screen but I got over it real fast.

Been looking all over though for the settings of someone that has calibrated it. It looks good but but the brightness throws me off as it looks its best at about 55-65 but I not sure that is a healthy setting for the eye.

Please share your calibrated settings if you have done so.
 
I just picked up one of these monitors at Costco and am loving it. I'm interested what setting you all are using with yours. Right now I have a tweaked version of the gaming setting with higher brightness and sharpness.
 
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