Performance: 37 out of 40.
With their new EDG27X Nixeus has a real winner on their hands. For not much more than a decent FreeSync Premium certified 144Hz 1440P monitor PC gaming enthusiasts can get one that is also certified, but certified for 30-165Hz. Yes, that will take a nice bit of GPU horsepower, but more… is always better when it comes to refresh rates. Because of its high refresh rate abilities image quality is extremely impressive for a such a relatively inexpensive 27inch monitor. Not perfect, but darn good.
Equally impressive, is for those interested in more ‘serious’ endeavors such as photography or even video editing the new panel combined with KSF backlighting means budget constrained buyers will get more Adobe RGB color gamut coverage than ever before. Possibly ‘close enough’ that 10bit monitors that cost 2-3-4-5 times as much are no longer ‘worth it’.
Technological Innovation: 18 out of 20
Much like the EDG274K before it, the EDG27X is stuffed to the brim with innovation. Innovation that for the most part makes for a better end-user experienced. 165Hz of butter smooth frame rates combined with a wider color gamut place the EDG27X in an entirely different league from its predecessor the EDG27 v2. All for just a couple dollars extra. Color us impressed. Now if they had only included sRGB emulation mode and we would be truly happy.
Build Quality & Warranty: 18 out of 20
In both categories, Nixeus has always epitomized the phrase ‘good enough’. While no one will ever mistake the EDG27X for an NEC (or similarly priced ‘professional’) monitor, the build quality is indeed good enough… and arguably better than just good enough. For a lot less cost, buyers get a good stand that offers a nice range of movement. They get a decently thin bezel. They just do not get a card reader, fast USB hub, or beefy overbuilt internals. Still more than adequate, but this is always the one area buyers have to be willing to compromise on. The same is true on the warranty coverage. With three years of coverage the EDG27X is just as good as what more expensive monitors come with. Thus, while there is always room for improvement both are at the very least… good enough.
Value: 19 out of 20
Yes, KSF backlighting technology still has some growing pains that will take a couple generations to solve. Yes, these growing pains result in sometimes odd artifacts. No, this issue is not big enough with the EDG27X to warrant excluding it from your short list. Instead, its abilities are overall better but different than its predecessor. Most will find it noticeably better, (nearly) all will find it at the very least better. Better enough that the EDG27X not only justifies its slightly higher asking price…but makes the EDG27 v2 seem overpriced by comparison. That is a pretty decent definition of ‘value’ in our books.
Final Score: 92 out of 100
With its combination of improved refresh rate with noticeably wider color gamut the Nixeus EDG27X is an excellent upgrade over its predecessor the EDG27v2. It is a monitor that can indeed offer extremely good gaming abilities while at the same time offering extremely good color fidelity. Mix in a good stand with a decent warranty and Nixeus has once again shown why they are a company that cannot be overlooked. We strongly encourage you to take a close look at what the EDG27X has to offer. It may not be perfect but it is about as good as you are going to find in this price range.
