Nixeus EDG27X Review

Final Score: 92 out of 100

With the EDG27X there is no need to sugar coat things or talk about ‘lowered expectations’ when judging its abilities. Simply stated, Nixeus has an amazing monitor on their hands. For less than $450 buyers get a monitor that can go toe to toe with much more expense options in the gaming arena and yet can also be used for more ‘serious’ work like photography or video editing. That is a potent one-two combination. One that is well worth spending the extra $50 extra over more typical 1440P+144Hz monitors.

The reason this monitor is so good is simple – the panel it uses. This newer approach to backlighting AHVA/IPS is a game changer as it allows even relatively inexpensive monitors like the EDG27X to blow past sRGB and nearly hit full aRGB coverage. Put simply, when done properly KSF / red-phosphor based backlighting is going to be the new standard upon which all non-professional monitors must be judged… and good old W-LED with its piddly sRGB coverage is no longer ‘good enough’.

The operative word to the above statement is properly. These early gen KSF LEDs react a bit differently than highly refined W-LEDs. As such this new generation of “Nano IPS” panel does not act like older gen AVHA/IPS… and treating them like they are the same can result in rather less than optimal image quality. The monitor hardware driving them needs to either know how to handle their quirks or at least allow you to fine tune its motion artifact reduction abilities without resorting to backlight strobing. Nixeus has done the latter and the end results are indeed noteworthy when you take the time to adjust things to your eyes.

That is the ‘secret’ to the EDG27X. When you combine newer backlighting technology with 165Hz internal hardware that is also capable of ultra-fine grain motion blur adjustment… the resulting monitor is all but going to be (pardon the pun) a game changer. When you then do all that and only charge an extra $50 bucks over the typical W-LED based 1440P monitor, the end result is an incredible blend of value and performance.

With all said, the Nixeus EDG27X is not perfect. You are still going to get a random minor to moderate amount of backlight bleed (it is a IPS panel after all). Most games are not color managed, so the increased color gamut is at best going to be wasted and at worst result in oversaturated colors. You also are not going to get 6-axis color adjustments like you would with true ‘professional’ monitors. You also are not going to get 0bit color abilities. This is a true 8-bit monitor… just one that can do way, way more accurate color reproduction than what is expected from a typical 8-bit monitor. Lastly, you are not going to get an ‘out of the box’ / factory calibrated (and certified) monitor. You will have to spend a bit of time adjusting the colors.

For most people, with that pesky thing called a ‘budget’, none of those should be deal breakers. Outside of professional editors no one really needs (or even uses) 6-way/6-axis color adjustment… as it is a bit of a PITA to do right. Outside of professional editors no one needs 10-bit color reproduction. Hell, even many professionals (including ourselves) do not use full Adobe RGB outside of some niche scenarios… as colors will appear ‘wrong’ when reproduced on 8-bit panels. True 10-bit monitors are also not only more expensive (~2-5X or more the cost of the EDG27X) but typically are slower. Thus, gaming on them is a bit sub-optimal unless you are willing to sell an arm, a leg, and a kidney to get one that can offer (relatively) high frame rates with 10-bit color reproduction. On the color front, we do wish they had included an sRGB emulation mode. Since they do not, this is probably the biggest compromise you will have to make over more expensive monitors with similar(ish) overall abilities.

Even with the imperfections taken into account the combination of price, rather good color reproduction (potential), with excellent refresh rates is what the Nixeus EDG27X offers buyers. That is pretty much a textbook definition for the phrase ‘overall value’. As long as you understand the minor to moderate compromises you will have to make in order to stay in your $450 budget, the Nixeus EDG27X demands to be on your short list. Overlooking it will mean you are overlooking one of the better value orientated 1440P monitors available today.