The Pixio PX275H offers a peculiar 95Hz refresh rate which you will instantly find attractive if you consider its very low price for an IPS gaming monitor. This model is the closest offering to the brand’s roots of providing displays with unconventional specs at a price that is tough to beat. Let’s check out if saving the extra cash by buying the Pixio PX275H is a practical and worthwhile upgrade.
Pixio PX275H Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: IPS (In-Plane Switching)
- Refresh Rate: 95Hz
- Response Time: 4ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 350 cd/m²
- Speakers: Yes (2 x 3 Watts)
- Stand: Height -No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Stand: Pivot – No
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: HDMI 2.0 x 1, DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, HDMI 1.4 x 1, USB 2.0 x 1, 3.5mm Jack
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 24.20” x 17.93” x 6.21”
- Weight: 9.83 lbs
Design and Features
The Pixio PX275H is advertised as both for productivity and gaming, so its dressed accordingly in an aesthetic that has subtle design features. The chassis has a matte black finish that will not go out of style while helping you keep it free from dust and smudges. The display is bezel-free on three sides, but you will still see inner borders when the display is in use.
The Pixio PX275H is larger than the usual monitor, but the brand managed to keep its proportions in check. The display has the usual width and height of a 27-inch monitor, but what’s great about it is its total depth which only requires a little over six inches. This form will go well with users who have a lot of peripherals on deck.
Build quality on the Pixio PX275H is decent since the plastics feel sufficiently durable while the stand is made of metal. The device doesn’t wobble with minimal force, and there is no creaking or unwanted flexing on the Pixio PX275H. The plastics are a bit rough around the edges, but it’s not bad or noticeable enough to warrant a return.
One of the things we dislike about the Pixio PX275H and Pixio’s monitors, in general, is most of them still use OSD buttons. Joysticks are now preferable since they are easier to use, especially when trying to adjust a setting in the dark. The keys are tactile and responsive, but it is easy to press the wrong button since you can’t see the layout.
We like the stand included with the Pixio PX275H due to its minimalist design that manages to be attractive while being durable. You don’t get a lot of adjustments with it since it only offers tilt, but it does a good job at keeping the display upright. However, we recommend swapping it out with a VESA stand since the display sits quite low compared to other 27-inch monitors.
One of the aspects that took a hit from cost-cutting is the Pixio PX275H’s I/O layout which is limited if you compare to some of the QHD monitors in the market. The panel includes DisplayPort 1.2, HDM1 2.0, and HDMI 1.4, along with a USB 2.0 slot which is dedicated to firmware updates and nothing more. There is also a 3.5mm jack which can be used for your headphones or speakers to help keep cables neat and organized.
The Pixio PX275H even manages to include a 3-watt pair of speakers in its slim chassis and price tag. The pair can get decently loud, but they lack the bass and clarity of dedicated sets or headphones that are more ideal for gaming. You can use them for background music or conference calls, but that’s about it as far as their output is concerned.
Display and Performance
The Pixio PX275H sports a 27-inch IPS panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, a peculiar 95Hz refresh rate, and a 4ms response time. The backlight sits at 350 cd/m2, while the contrast ratio is listed at 1000:1 like most IPS variants. 95Hz is a few steps above 60Hz and 75Hz when it comes to smoothness, and it’s also close to the sweet spot where the perceivable benefits of extended refresh rates are most noticeable.
You don’t get top of the line speed with this model, but an improved visual experience is pretty much guaranteed, and for a very low price. It’s also worth noting that the Pixio PX275H has an excellent balance between sharpness and visibility which many gamers prefer over 4K and its demand on your GPU. You get an increase in sharpness and detail, but its also easier to reach the max refresh with midrange to top-end GPUs.
The Pixio PX275H is indeed a wide gamut monitor thanks to its color coverage which exceeds 100% sRGB and sits around 92% of DCI-P3. However, color accuracy is dismal with the deltaE average reaching 4.85 which creates clipping and oversaturation in some shades. Color temperature is exceedingly warm, so tweaking the monitor is a must if you want to lessen the yellowing.
What’s fantastic about the Pixio PX275H is it’s easy to correct the errors mentioned above with a few key adjustments. You can get a deltaE average of around 2.4 with a few simple tweaks along with more balanced color temperature. You can use a colorimeter to further reduce the deviances, but its only worth the cost if you are planning to use this monitor for professional endeavors.
The Pixio PX275H’s gamma was at an offset from 2.2 in both default and tweaked states, but the 2.1 setting provided by the latter is a much better choice. This, along with a contrast ratio of 1020:1 at 50% brightness helped give the screen a more acceptable look, although it can still look grayish in the dark. It’s also mentioned that the Pixio PX275H is capable of HDR, but its 390 cd/m2 backlight with no local dimming is a massive limitation.
Uniformity for the Pixio PX275H sample was great since there were no considerable backlight leaks or clouding on the screen. Some quadrants are dimmer than the center, but the flaws are only noticeable when viewing an all-black image. However, this model is an IPS variant, so be sure to buy from a seller that will exchange your unit with no questions asked if it has issues.
The Pixio PX275H’s pixel responsiveness is decent with blurs kept to a minimum when its running at 95Hz. The extra headroom helps in this regard, but you have to activate the overdrive’s middle setting to clean the noticeable trails and smudges in fast-paced transitions. We don’t recommend using the maximum level since it will induce overshoot which is more distracting than ghosting.
The Pixio PX275H is a FreeSync gaming monitor with LFC, but it also works with Nvidia GPUs which rely on G-Sync instead. This duality extends the product’s value beyond its price range since it will not lock you to one GPU brand during an upgrade cycle. Input lag is slightly higher at 9ms, but the monitor isn’t sluggish while enjoying games.
Thoughts on the Pixio PX275H
The Pixio PX275H is another value champion that offers capabilities that are well beyond its price tag. The monitor almost competes with some 144Hz 1080p models in the market in cost, but it brings a higher resolution and gamut coverage to the table. The IPS panel doesn’t look like it was pre-calibrated, but putting in a bit of work will give you fantastic imaging results.
Gaming performance is superb for the price since the extra refresh rate already hits the sweet spot of making visuals smoother. FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility is the icing to the cake, making the Pixio PX275H a formidable budget option for gamers and professionals who are willing to tweak the monitor. Overall, the Pixio PX275H is an excellent buy as long as you are willing to calibrate the display manually.
Pros:
- Affordable QHD IPS Gaming Monitor with High Refresh Rate
- Wide Color Coverage
- Great Results Post Calibration
- FreeSync/G-Sync Compatible
Cons:
- Poor Factory Calibration
- Limited Stand
- Limited HDR Capability
About the Author:
Paolo is a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since his junior high years. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations and he believes that it’s 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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