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INNOCN 27in GA27W1Q: 30-second review
The InnoCN 27in GA27W1Q QD-OLED monitor offers an outstanding 240Hz refresh rate for a 4K monitor. While this is impressive, it does mean you'll need quite a hefty GPU to handle the data and really make the most of what's on offer.
The monitor is primarily designed for high-end gaming and content creation, and that high refresh rate reflects its intended user group. The OSD is slightly gamer or creator-oriented rather than professional, reflecting the gamer genre. For the most part, things are kept sleek and minimalistic. There is an LED ring positioned at the back, which can, of course, be switched on or off in the menu system. There is a bit of a conflict as the monitor attempts to bridge the two genres while keeping the price acceptable. For the gaming market, this monitor sits at the top of the price range, while for creatives, this is an entry-level offering.
The first thing that strikes you about this monitor is the specifications: 240Hz refresh rate, 4K, and OLED, which instantly lend themselves to content creation as well as high-end gaming. There's a good volume of connectivity on the back with USB, HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4, giving you plenty of connection options. The brightness is well balanced, with HDR options and various colour profiles accessible through the menu system.
The surround for the display is incredibly discreet, giving you an almost full display view. However, from the outset, something doesn't quite balance with the screen quality. Through testing, most results came back extremely high, such as gamut, colour uniformity, colour accuracy, and luminance uniformity, the type of results that usually indicate an exceptional monitor. But when it came to tone response, the monitor didn't live up to expectations.
Out of the box, the monitor was reasonably calibrated; however, there was a slight blue tinge that had never come once a full calibration was carried out. Even once I'd balanced it with my MacBook Pro, something about the colour tones still didn't quite feel right.
Using a Spyder X2 to test the display, most results were exceptionally good. However, the tone response value was lower than most other monitors I've tested, highlighting that when it comes to critical tonal graduation, this monitor isn't as good as it should be compared to many alternative professional-level creative-focused monitors.
That said, the uniformity makes it exceptionally good as a high-resolution work monitor for browsing, gaming, and generic content creation, where high-end quality isn't as important.
The monitor has a lot going for it, but the limited tone response does limit its use. If you need the best 4K monitor for office work, this is a great option. If you work on generic content creation for social media, again, this is a good fit – although I wouldn't rank it the best photo editing monitor out there. But if you work professionally in video production or photography, the tone response is a real issue; it's probably best to look elsewhere.
INNOCN 27in GA27W1Q: Price & availability
- How much does it cost? $799
- When is it out? Now
- Where can you get it? Widely available
As soon as you take this monitor out of the box, you know it's not going to be cheap. With a US price of $799, it can be purchased directly from the InnoCN website. It's available in the US and should be available in other territories soon.
INNOCN 27in GA27W1Q: Design
Specifications
Ports: 2 × HDMI 2.1, 2 × DP 1.4, 1 × USB‑C (65W), 2 × USB‑A, 1 × USB‑B/upstream
Audio: 1 × Audio out
Size: 27″, 3840 × 2160, 16:9 aspect ratio
Accessories: Standard cables (HDMI, DisplayPort, USB‑C), stand with height/tilt adjust Panel Type / Refresh / Response: QD‑OLED, 240 Hz refresh, 0.03 ms response time Colour Gamut / HDR: 99% DCI‑P3 colour gamut, HDR400 support
Brightness (typical): 250 cd/m²
Out of the box, this is one of the best-looking and designed monitors I've come across recently. The flat, heavy metal base feels like just a piece of cut metal, but it's well-machined and finished with a matte white surface. The stand upright is also beautifully finished and well-made, offering plenty of adjustment for tilt and positioning. I'd go as far as to say this is one of the most beautifully designed stands I've seen. Its minimalistic design enables items like my Lexar Workflow to slot neatly underneath.
The stand supports height adjustment to 4.7 inches, a tilt of between 5° and 20°, a pivot of 90°, and a swivel of 45° each way.
The front is dominated by the 27-inch display. For the most part, it looks exceptionally good with a very thin bezel all the way around, meaning most of what you see, bar a small strip at the bottom, is display, helping to give quite an immersive feel.
However, while the monitor feels solid for the most part, that strip along the bottom of the monitor again looks a little cheap, not fitting perfectly in place, with small hairline gaps around the fit, something I just wouldn't expect from the build quality of a monitor at this price.
On the back, the ports are neatly laid out in a row: 2 × USB-A 3.0, USB-B 3.0, HDMI 2.1 (supporting 240Hz), DP 1.4 (also supporting 240Hz), USB-C with 65W output, 3.5mm audio out, and DC power in.
Aside from that, the monitor is very minimalistic, a great option if you want a large monitor in a limited desktop space.
INNOCN 27in GA27W1Q: Features
Checking through the features, this monitor is really interesting. Hardware highlights include the QD-OLED panel, which promises better colour than standard OLED or IPS monitors, with a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time, which is exceptionally quick.
On the back, the array of ports enables HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, or USB-C display connectivity, offering plenty of flexibility for how you connect your computer.
One of the standout features for me was colour accuracy. It supports 99% DCI-P3 colour gamut, making it an exceptional option for content creators and gamers. The specs say it's VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified and supports 99% sRGB and 95% Adobe RGB, greater than many monitors at this price.
When it comes to colour, it offers 10-bit depth, which should mean it can display HDR content better than most.
I also like the inclusion of built-in speakers in the discreet body. Gaming features include G-Sync compatibility and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which promise to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering for smoother gameplay.
It also comes with all the usual certifications: 4K UHD, QD-OLED, 240Hz, 0.03ms, VESA Certified HDR400, and Adaptive Sync.
INNOCN 27in GA27W1Q: Performance
Display quality:
Tested with the Datacolor Spyder X2
Gamut: 5.0
Tone Response: 2.5
White Point: 2.5
Luminance Uniformity: 4.5
Colour Uniformity: 4.5
Colour Accuracy: 4.0
Overall Rating: 3.5
Setting up the monitor is as easy as with any other. The solid metal base has a decent weight behind it, yet remains exceptionally thin, with small rubber pads that provide good grip on the desktop. A single screw bolts the base to the upright, and there's no need for any tools; it all screws together quickly and tightly. The monitor then clicks onto the stand, and once mounted, it's easy to rotate between landscape and portrait orientation to suit your needs.
On the back, there's a decent array of ports, all positioned along the base, making it quick and easy to plug into. My only consideration, as with many monitors, is that when rotating from landscape to portrait, there's no good way to secure the cables in place, so they may eventually work loose. Likewise, the stand doesn't offer any real cable tidy; it's all very slim and minimalistic.
However, the amount of adjustment supported by the stand is exceptional. With height, angular tilt and swivel, you can always position the monitor at a comfortable viewing angle.
Powering on is simple, just a single button on the back. If your PC is set to boot with display sync, the monitor will power on alongside the system. The settings are easily accessible through the OSD with a small joystick on the back, enabling you to navigate all the settings, and there are plenty.
What I liked here is the wide range of adjustments; if you don't have a calibrator, you can still manually tweak the settings quite effectively. From the outset, the QD-OLED screen looks crisp and bright.
One of the key features is the 4K resolution on a 27-inch display. That's a really nice balance, especially paired with the 240Hz refresh rate, probably overkill for content creation, but ideal for gaming.
A quick visual check of the colours showed them to be bright and vibrant, very similar to my more expensive calibrated displays. However, something seemed slightly off with the image content. It wasn't until I began benchmarking that I realised what the issue was.
Brightness at 250 cd/m² is decent enough for this type of monitor. It's not an ultra-bright TV or HDR panel, so this level is sufficient for most creative work or office use, where maximum brightness isn't required.
I tested the monitor with both an ASUS desktop PC and a MacBook Pro. It worked equally well with both, simply plug and play. Connecting the MacBook via USB-C provided 65W power delivery, which also charged the laptop.
There are a few features I haven't explored here, as they're less relevant to creative or office use, for instance, VRR support. When I did test a few games, I didn't notice major differences switching between modes.
For general office work, the 27-inch 4K resolution gives you plenty of space to work with multiple windows and palettes. Combined with the thin bezel, it offers a professional aesthetic. I also liked how easy it was to adjust brightness through the menu during the day, before I hooked it up to the Spyder X2 to adapt the brightness automatically throughout the day.
Moving onto content creation, the video looked exceptionally good, with bright colours and sharp detail. Images in Photoshop appeared clear and vibrant, but zooming into finer details, particularly tonal gradations in skies, revealed that things didn't look quite as accurate as they should compared with my EIZO Adobe RGB studio monitors.
Let's be clear: compared to a standard monitor, colours here are superb. Tonal gradation looked pretty good. But compared with a true Adobe RGB display, it just wasn't quite up to par, especially given the claimed 98% DCI-P3 and 95% Adobe RGB coverage.
To confirm this, I ran a full analysis using the Datacolor Spyder X2. My initial impressions were confirmed: colour gamut rated 5.0, uniformity for both colour and luminance scored 4.5, and colour accuracy came in at 4.0, excellent results for this type of monitor. But on the MacBook Pro, the tone response initially came in at just 1.0, exceptionally low, and this rose to 2.5 on the PC, and matched what I was seeing when zooming into images. The monitor just wasn't resolving full tonal gradation as expected.
Switching to the Adobe RGB display mode helped slightly, but not completely. After a full calibration, I settled on 99% sRGB, 91% Adobe RGB, and 97% P3, very high values. So, while tone response was slightly lacking, the colour accuracy overall was excellent, making it a good monitor for Photoshop and video work at an enthusiast to entry-level professional level.
The main issue: while colour accuracy is excellent, tone response is a touch lower than expected, and noticeable when compared to higher-end monitors.
That said, at $799, while not cheap, it's still exceptionally affordable for a high-end creative display. An EIZO ColorEdge monitor will set you back around £$1500, so while this is expensive for a gaming monitor, it's relatively cheap for a creative one.. So even with a lower tone response, the colour results make this a worthwhile option.
In video editing, the P3 and Rec. 2020 coverage make it a good choice for digital cinema grading. Colour accuracy and uniformity are solid, giving a good impression of how visuals will appear across different displays. The only issue, once again, is tonal gradation in highlights or shadows, but it handles all other aspects of video production well. Essentially, for enthusiasts and small businesses, this will be fine; however, if you step up to broadcast, film or professional video production, this will be an issue.
For photography, the 91% Adobe RGB coverage is far better than standard monitors, offering much better colour representation for print previews. Tone response is again a concern, but for hobbyist to semi-pro use, this remains a good choice. For critical colour work, you may want to spend more for a display with stronger tonal handling.
As for gaming, this is where this monitor is obviously most efficient; the colour accuracy and fast refresh rate make it a superb choice. I tested titles like Hogwarts Legacy, Tekken 8, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and they all ran beautifully.
If you're just looking for a general-use office monitor, this is overkill; many cheaper 27-inch options are available. But if you need productivity features and plan to use it for content creation as well, it's an excellent fit. Likewise, photography and video enthusiasts have an affordable monitor option; however, for professionals, you will need to spend more.
So, while the tone response isn't the best among 27-inch 4K monitors, in fact, it's very middle-of-the-road, the excellent colour accuracy and consistent uniformity are rare even at this price. Overall, it's a well-balanced option.
INNOCN 27in GA27W1Q: Final verdict
Look at the specs, and it seems like an outstanding monitor for the price: 4K, 240Hz refresh rate, and a QD-OLED screen place it in the upper enthusiast range. It's a logical option if you're a gamer seeking a stylish, minimalist display.
What sets this apart from standard gaming monitors is the investment in display technology. It appeals to creatives too, with 91% Adobe RGB coverage, suitable for photo and P3 or Rec. 2020 video editing at a semi-pro level.
There are a few flaws: while the general build quality feels solid, there are small inconsistencies, such as gaps in the lower panel between the bezel and the screen, and that lower tone response means you may miss subtle gradations in shadows or highlights.
That said, at this price point, while not cheap, it remains well-priced for what's on offer.
One final note: this is a high-spec monitor and demands a high-spec GPU to support that refresh rate and feed the display adequately. If you're running a lower-end system, this may be overkill, potentially even a poorer experience than a cheaper alternative.
However, if you're using a capable machine and value colour accuracy, this isn't a bad option at all.
Should I buy a INNOCN 27in GA27W1Q?
|
Value |
A well-balanced monitor; relatively affordable given the specs |
4.5 |
|
Design |
Generally excellent quality, but minor design gaps reduce the premium feel |
4 |
|
Features |
As feature-packed as any at this price, with plenty of adjustment |
4.5 |
|
Performance |
Great colour accuracy and uniformity, but let down slightly by tone response |
4.5 |
|
Overall |
A good monitor for creatives and gamers that just falls short of excellence |
4.5 |
Buy it if…
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