Pros:
- Lower Price
- 165Hz Refresh Rate
- Attractive Design
- Excellent Motion Handling
Cons:
- Needs Calibration
- Panel Uniformity Needs Improvement
The Pixio PX7 Prime is a reasonably-priced QHD gaming monitor with an upgraded design, advanced features, and higher performance capabilities than its predecessors. Pixio’s development from a budget Korean monitor brand to an up-and-coming competitor in the US market is exciting since we get more monitors! The Pixio PX7 Prime is competing against the best in its category, so let’s see if it has what it takes the elevate the brand into elite status.
Pixio PX7 Prime Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 165Hz
- Response Time: 4ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 400 cd/m²
- Speakers: No
- Stand: Height -Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: HDMI 0x 1, DisplayPort 1.4 x 2, USB 3.0 x 1, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 24.05” x 199” x 1.65”
- Weight: 12 lbs
Design and Features
The Pixio PX7 Prime’s aesthetic is a stark contrast of what its older offerings such as the PX277 look thanks to a more streamlined aesthetic. The monitor has a subdued matte black finish with blacked-out lettering for the brand logos for that stealth fighter look. The display is bezel-free on three sides, but you will still see reasonably thin panel borders when the device is switched on.
The design of the Pixio PX7 Prime also makes it lightweight with modest proportions, so carrying it to LAN parties or finding a spot for it shouldn’t be difficult. It does, however, add a worrying feeling that the monitor will topple over from a gust of wind. Don’t worry since it can stand its ground, but there is a noticeable wobble if you nudge the screen accidentally or try to adjust it.
Build quality for the Pixio PX7 Prime could better since the device doesn’t feel as durable as offerings from brands like Acer. The plastic panels can flex if you squeeze too hard, making us think that they are less resistant to breakage. But on a positive note, there are no sharp or uncut edges on the device while every seam matches its opposite perfectly.
The Pixio PX7 Prime includes a fully-flexible stand that includes tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments. It’s a bit more wobbly than most we’ve encountered, but it provides excellent usability for users who prefer custom view angles. The height adjustment range is also shorter, but you can swap this out with a VESA mount if necessary.
It’s worth mentioning that removing the stand on the Pixio PX7 Prime is quite tricky since there is no quick-detach mechanism. Buying a new armature if you don’t have one ready will also add to the cost of the monitor, possibly pointing you to more premium alternatives like the Asus VG27AQ.
Another notable feature we like on the Pixio PX7 Prime is its OSD joystick which is so much easier to use than pesky buttons. The gadget is tactile and responsive, but what’s best about it is you don’t need to struggle with wrong presses in the dark.
Another unique characteristic of the Pixio PX7 Prime is its connectivity layout which doesn’t have a lot of options but is peculiar in a way. The I/O panel includes two DisplayPort 1.4 connectors and one each for HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0. Other monitors typically only have one DP, two HDMIs, and another two to four USB receptacles for comparison.
There are no speakers on the Pixio PX7 Prime which is understandable since its quite thin and reasonably more affordable. The primary audience of the product will rarely miss them anyway since headsets or even surround-sound home theaters are preferred by the majority.
Design and Features
The Pixio PX7 Prime sports a 27-inch IPS panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, and 5ms response time. The backlight sits at a maximum of 400 cd/m2, while contrast is still limited to 1000:1 like most iPS monitors. This model is advertised as HDR compatible, but it doesn’t have the hardware necessary to produce the vastly dynamic ranges of the visual standard.
QHD monitors are better experienced in a 27-inch format due to the perfect balance between visibility and sharpness. The pixel density in monitors like this variant offers a noticeable jump in crispness, but small objects such as text won’t need scaling to be legible. Some users prefer 4K for this size, but we think the benefits diminish the higher you go.
The Pixio PX7 Prime covers 100% of the sRGB gamut which is vibrant enough for everyday use. Accuracy out of the box sides at Delta E 2.9 which isn’t the most accurate, but many will be hard-pressed to see the deviances at this point. Color temperature exceeds the 6500K point, which makes whites less warm or yellowish.
You can calibrate the monitor for a more balanced temperature with noticeable improvements in color accuracy which will result in a much lower DE average of 1.1. Gamma, on the other hand, doesn’t move a lot, but it’s perfectly good at both the default and calibrated states of the display.
The Pixio PX7 Prime’s backlight cannot provide the pulses necessary for HDR performance since it can only pump out up to 390 cd/m2. The contrast is decent at 1050:1 compared to older IPS monitors we’ve tested, but it isn’t substantial enough to cure the grayish look of the panel in the dark. Color definition isn’t as affected, but there are times when some VA monitors look punchier.
But the worst aspect of all for the Pixio PX7 Prime is its panel uniformity which suffered due to backlight leaks at the bottom area. The screen shows clouding in dark scenes due to the inconsistency, but colored or warmer images look mostly unaffected. This aspect, of course, varies between unit to unit, so being able to return and exchange it for another is a must from your chosen retailer.
The Pixio PX7 Prime makes up for its uniformity woes with a stunning performance in handling motion and reducing blurs. The IPS module in this device has an agile pixel response time, so you don’t need to max out the monitor’s overdrive feature. Leaving it at the Middle setting is best for the majority since the High level induces a bit overshoot with very little benefits in reducing ghosting.
The Pixio PX7 Prime is a FreeSync gaming monitor, but it also works with G-Sync if you enable it manually. However, this model isn’t tested and guaranteed to work flawlessly by Nvidia, so some users might run into issues we didn’t experience or foresee. Input lag sits at 6ms, so there will be no delays or de-synced instances during game time.
Thoughts on the Pixio PX7 Prime
The Pixio PX7 Prime offers the brand a fighting chance against its established competition thanks to the massive improvements. We dig the product’s aesthetic design, while the performance only needs a bit of tweaking to get a desirable output. The monitor is also very responsive, so most gamers will not have any issues with delays or blurring for competitive play.
With that being said, the Pixio PX7 Prime could still use a few tweaks or improvements to make it a truly competitive option in the market. The chassis could use a bump in material quality, and a level of pre-calibration would be beneficial for novice users. The Pixio PX7 Prime presents good value, but it’s not that cheaper compared to more popular options in the market.
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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