The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W combines E-Sports-level performance with immersive features in a reasonably-priced package. It’s quite affordable for a 240Hz QHD monitor, but it lacks some notable features from the brand since it is their entry-level Evnia offering. Let’s take a closer look if it’s a worthy upgrade in 2023.
Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Response Time: 1ms MPRT
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1
- Brightness: 400 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: Yes None
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot– No
- VESA Compatibility: Yes 100 x 100
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 3.2 x 5, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions With Stand(WxHxD): 23.85″ x 20.75″ x 9.06″
- Weight: 13.78 lbs
Design and Features
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W doesn’t look as attractive as its Evnia siblings and it doesn’t have the brand’s Ambilight LEDs. The monitor has a matte black finish which makes it more discrete and suitable for any themed setup. The display isn’t completely bezel-free, but its borders are reasonable so they won’t be distracting.
It’s a curved display, but Philips managed to keep its proportions minimal compared to some of its gaudy competitors. The device only needs 9 inches of depth from your desk while its base takes up less space since it has thin feet. It only weighs 13.78 pounds when fully assembled, so you can easily move it around if needed.
Its build quality is decent even if it sits at the base of the new Evnia series of gaming monitors. The plastics used are thick and sturdy, plus we didn’t see any cosmetic defects on any of its parts. The included stand is firm and stable, so the screen won’t wobble or sag by itself.
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W is controlled by a single joystick on its back near the right side edge when facing it. Its positioned a bit too deep, so you might have to reach in to use it. However, its still massively better than OSD buttons which are time consuming and often confusing to use.
The stand included in the package offers tilt, swivel, and height adjustments for your comfort and convenience. You can’t pivot the screen, but that’s okay since curved displays were not meant to be used in portrait mode. Its still compatible with VESA mounts, so you can add more flexibility or save space.
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W doesn’t have USB-C, but it includes two DisplayPort 1.4 slots, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and five USB 3.2 Gen1 slots for your accessories and peripherals. It also has a 3.5mm jack port, but there are no built-in speakers with it to help lower its price.
Display and Performance
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W sports a 27-inch curved VA panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms boosted response time. The backlight has a 400 cd/m2 output while its contrast is listed at 3000:1 like most VA panels. This model is HDR 400-certified, but we all know that it’s not enough to produce true HDR effects.
27-inch 1440p monitors are great for any use since they offer the best balance between sharpness and legibility. Games will look clean and crisp, but most will still be able to read off it or see small objects at a distance. However, we think that curved screens belong to larger variants since they can maximize their immersive capabilities.
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W covered 99% sRGB and 84% of the DCI-P3 color space. That’s not bad for gaming and daily use, but we’ve seen better coverage from its rivals. Its default accuracy had a deltaE average of 1.51, making it one of the best budget gaming displays in this regard.
Calibrating the monitor reduced its dE average to 1.02, making it suitable for color-critical work. The downside is that you will need a colorimeter for this since copying ICC profiles or settings will not guarantee. However, we only recommend that purchase for users who are into color-critical work since the gadget isn’t exactly cheap and practical if you are only gaming.
The monitor’s backlight peaked at 405 cd/m2 at 100%, so it can fight off glare in a well-lit room. The contrast ratio reached 2877:1 at 50% brightness, so it’s capable of deep blacks unlike many IPS alternatives out there. However, these are not enough to create true HDR effects, especially since it doesn’t have any local dimming.
Its panel uniformity, on the other hand, didn’t do so well since there were light leaks on the screen’s edges. Full color-images are not badly affected, but you will see the glow in dark scenes or full-black images. Note that this can change with every monitor made due to tolerances, so there are better units out there.
Its pixel response time is great thanks to its naturally high 240Hz refresh rate. It still shows some persistence during contrasting transitions, but that’s a known limitation of VA panels. It’s great for fast-paced games, but IPS and TN will always be a better pick if you play games like CSGO or Valorant.
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W is compatible with both FreeSync and G-Sync for tearing and stutter-free gaming. It’s important to have VRR with both GPU brands so you can freely choose your next GPU without having to buy another monitor. Input lag sits at a little under 4ms at 240Hz, so it is great for competitive play.
Thoughts on the Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5500W is an excellent choice if you want a robust gaming monitor that performs quite well in any task. Its image quality is decent for business use, but its raw gaming performance doesn’t get left behind. It may have some omitted features like USB-C or Ambiglow LEDs, but those are reasonable cuts if the price is low enough.
It’s not perfect, but most of its cons are not deal breakers, in our humble opinion VA panels haven’t truly gotten over their slower pixel response time, and its HDR performance doesn’t add any real value to its price-to-performance ratio. It’s a decent pick, but there are cheaper 240Hz IPS variants out there that are simply better when it comes to some key aspects like pixel response time.
Pros:
- Great Colors and Contrast
- Decent Price
- Plenty of Ports
Cons:
- Poor HDR Performance
- No USB-C
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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