The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 makes curved screens fashionable again while costing as little as possible. It’s a 280Hz overclocked variant, combining immersive qualities with E-Sports grade speeds and capabilities. Let’s take a closer look to see if this should be at the top of your shopping list for the coming holidays.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Full HD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz
- Response Time: 0.5ms MPRST
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 350 cd/m2
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 3 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.1 x 2, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 24.03” x 20.5” x 10.9”
- Weight: 13.7 lbs
Design and Features
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 has a simpler design, but it has that distinct Legion gaming monitor look because of its accents and stand. The monitor has a matte black finish, so it looks clean and sophisticated despite it coming from a gaming line up. It has a bezel-free design, but it does have inner borders like most modern monitors.
The package for this model is simple, but we know that the unfancy and smaller boxes help with keeping waste to a minimum. The monitor comes disassembled, so the base, stand, and cables are what you will first see when unboxing it. Unboxing and assembly is a breeze since everything is toolless and the designers did an excellent job at keeping it simple.
The stand doesn’t have a QD mechanism to go into the main chassis, so you will need to use mounting screws. Fortunately, they have thumb grips, so you can simply use your hands to lock them in. They hold up well even when attached this way, so there is no need to pull out your tools while setting this up.
The only accessories included in the box aside from the screws are a DisplayPort and power cable. We didn’t expect extras, so the straightforward package is acceptable, considering how low the price is. You will need HDMI cables for consoles, but products like the PS5, which can utilize this monitor’s HDMI 2.1 port, already include them.
This monitor is larger than most 1080p displays, but its not oversized by today’s standards. Its only two feed wide, but its extra depth due to the overdesigned base might be an issue for some who have shallow desktops. Its lightweight at 13.7 pounds, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to move it around if needed.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 has an OSD joystick with dedicated buttons for easy access to its settings. The power button is shaped like a pill, so it is very easy to recognize and avoid if you’re not trying to power down the device. Other models may have remotes or more sophisticated buy complex layouts, but this is all you will need.
Its connectivity layout is also simplified to help with lowering its price. You get DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 slots for PCs and the latest gaming consoles. There are no USB ports, so the only slot for a peripheral is a 3.5mm jack for headphones.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 has a pair of 3-watt speakers to complete its gaming monitor spec sheet. However, 3 watts is limited if you want that oomph for explosions and effects. We recommend using headsets to match this display so you can focus and enjoy the immersion while playing your favorite titles.
Display and Performance
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 boasts a 27-inch curved VA panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 280Hz overclocked refresh rate, and a 0.5ms MPRT response time. The backlight has a 350 cd/m2 output, while the contrast is listed at 3000:1, like most VA monitors. This monitor doesn’t have HDR certification, but that’s understandable since it’s a budget model.
Some may think that the 1080p is a letdown for a new model, but it still has its merits for the product’s primary audience. The resolution is so easy for most GPUs to run, so framerates can become CPU bound after a certain threshold. Its perfect for achieving maximum display speed, but its also very affordable so building a system will be easier for most.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 worked flawlessly with our custom gaming PC and USB-C equipped gaming laptop. However, it didn’t default to its 280Hz mode, so you have to find the overclock setting in the OSD and activate it manually. There is a warning about it regarding damage, but it is safe to activate it and retain the 280Hz output permanently.
It also has HDMI 2.1 connectivity, so performance modes on consoles are supported. Most budget gaming monitors need a few tricks to get 120Hz to work, but it’s smoother with this model. That adds more to its overall value since you only need one display for multi-platform gaming.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 covers 98% of sRGB and 86% of DCI-P3 for decent color depth in games and movies. Its default accuracy had a deltaE average of 2.0, so it’s balanced or neutral and out of the box. Most users won’t need to do anything with it after the initial setup.
Calibrating it with our Calibrite Display Plus reduced the dE average to 0.7, making it comparable with most prosumer models. However, the gadget itself is more expensive the monitor, so the question of its practicality for typical applications is there. We can only recommend the extra purchase if you are into color-critical work, but its not worth it otherwise.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 reached 291cd/m2 at 100%, so it misses the company’s claims by a bit. Its contrast reached 4331:1 at 40% brightness, enabling it to produce very deep blacks and compelling night scenes. It doesn’t have special HDR features to take advantage of this, but it is HDR10 compatible according to Lenovo.
The only massive flaw of the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 sample was its dismal uniformity due to backlight leaks on the lower edge of the display. The huge delta in variance makes the backlight spread noticeable, especially in dark scenes. Note that this can vary with every monitor made due to tolerances, so there are better units out there.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30’s pixel response time is fantastic thanks to its excellent tuning and high pixel response time. You can leave the overdrive at its default to avoid blurring, but this is under the condition that you are running at max refresh rate. Its great for E-Sports games unlike so many curved VA monitors who try to market themselves as such.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is also compatible with FreeSync and G-Sync for tearing and stutter-free gaming. This is handy for those who want to save money since you don’t have to by another monitor when you switch to another GPU brand and want VRR. Its input lag sits at 3ms at 280Hz, making it one of the fastest in its category.
Thoughts on the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is a fantastic gaming monitor if we compare what it offers versus the low price. You get a flexible stand and modern connectors normally unavailable on other budget models. Its performance isn’t short of impressive, especially if we consider its high contrast and responsiveness.
It has some major flaws, like poor uniformity, but that’s not a permanent issue for every unit, so we can’t treat it as a deal-breaker. Its lack of USB ports and other extras is also solvable, so it’s not a big problem either. Overall, it’s a fantastic buy, but there is some room for refining details and improvements.
Pros:
- Fantastic Colors and Responsiveness
- Excellent Build Quality
- HDMI 2.1
- Very Affordable
Cons:
- Poor Uniformity
- Not a Lot of Features
About the Author: Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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