Knowledgeable’s Ranking
Professionals
- Big selection of ergonomic changes
- Nice distinction ratio gives immersive picture
- 240Hz delivers good movement readability
Cons
- Stand is just too giant, doesn’t use clip-in mount
- Restricted picture high quality customization
- Movement readability isn’t pretty much as good as dearer 240Hz displays
Our Verdict
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is an efficient finances gaming monitor with a concentrate on movement readability.
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing Right now
Finest Costs Right now: Lenovo Legion R27fc-30
Price range gaming displays simply preserve getting higher, and refresh price is one among a number of areas the place they’re pushing ahead. The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 has a refresh price of 240Hz, but usually retails for lower than $200. That’s lower than a buck a hertz!
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 specs and options
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30’s fundamental specs are typical for a finances monitor. It has a 27-inch widescreen show panel with a decision of 1920×1080. Refresh price is the monitor’s most alluring specification, as it may attain as much as 240Hz (or 280Hz within the overclock mode).
- Show measurement: 27-inch 16:9 curved widescreen
- Native decision: 1920×1080
- Panel sort: Vertical Alignment (VA) 8-bit
- Refresh price: As much as 240Hz, as much as 280Hz (overclocked)
- Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Professional
- HDR: Sure
- Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm audio-out
- VESA mount: Sure, 100x100mm
- Audio system: 2x 3-watt audio system
- Worth: $229.99 MSRP / $149.99 typical
The Legion R27fc-30 has a “value” of $229.99 (Lenovo’s model of MSRP) however is at present bought for $194.99 and seems to promote under $200 regularly. That makes it one of many cheaper 240Hz gaming displays accessible.
Additional studying: See our roundup of the perfect gaming displays to study competing merchandise.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 design
Lenovo’s Legion R27fc-30 leans closely right into a gaming-centric design, which frequently works to the monitor’s detriment. From the entrance, the panel is customary, that includes slim bezels on three sides and a small chin on the backside. Turning the monitor round reveals a plain expanse of easy, matte black plastic that feels unremarkable. It’s no Pixio PX248 Wave, however the Legion R27fc-30’s panel design is okay for the worth level.
The stand is the place issues begin to falter. Lenovo opts for a large stand with a design paying homage to a metal truss. Sadly, the supplies used are clearly plastic reasonably than metallic, which supplies away the monitor’s finances pricing. The stand additionally takes up numerous desk house, and whereas the bottom is technically flat, its truss-like design makes it troublesome to position objects on high of it.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
Nevertheless it’s not all unhealthy information. The Lenovo has important ergonomic adjustment which incorporates top, tilt, and swivel. It may possibly even pivot into portrait orientation. These options can’t be taken as a right in a finances monitor, as many are restricted to tilt adjustment. A typical 100x100mm VESA mount is accessible, too, for attaching a third-party monitor stand or arm.
Whereas the stand has many ergonomic changes, it attaches to the monitor’s show panel with screws as an alternative of using a extra handy quick-release mechanism. The monitor ships with thumbscrews that may be turned by hand, not less than, so a screwdriver isn’t essential to arrange the monitor.
The show has an aggressive 1500R curvature. This curvature is noticeable however doesn’t really feel overwhelming as a result of monitor’s smaller 27-inch measurement. Personally, I’m not a fan of curved designs on a 27-inch monitor, as I don’t discover it provides a lot to immersion—but it surely’s a matter of style.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 connectivity
There isn’t a lot to debate with regards to connectivity on the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30. The monitor ships with two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4, offering a complete of three video inputs. All video inputs assist the monitor’s most refresh price of 280Hz at its full decision.
Past that, the monitor features a single 3.5mm audio jack, and that’s it—there are not any USB ports. I feel all displays ought to have not less than a pair USB ports, I take into account this a miss. Nonetheless, many finances displays omit USB ports.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 menu and options
Like most displays, the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 includes a joystick for controlling the on-screen menu, positioned discreetly on the right-hand aspect of the monitor. The joystick is responsive, and the menus are logically organized, making navigation simple. That is notable, as many finances displays have clunky, hard-to-use menu programs. That’s very true of displays from budget-oriented manufacturers like Spectre, Innocn, and KTC.
In relation to choices, although, the Legion is barebones. The monitor presents fundamental controls for refresh price and pixel response time, which permit for fine-tuning movement readability. When it comes to picture high quality changes, you’ll discover settings for presets, brightness, distinction, and colour saturation. The monitor lacks extra superior changes, akin to fine-grained controls for colour temperature, gamma, and full colour calibration.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
A pair of three-watt audio system present built-in audio. They’re moderately loud and clear (traits that make them higher than common for this worth level) however lack the low-end required to deal with music and video games effectively. Most house owners will wish to use a headset or exterior audio system.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 picture high quality
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 has a Vertical Alignment (VA panel), a kind of panel expertise that’s particularly widespread amongst finances and mid-range displays. VA panels aren’t at all times the perfect by way of colour efficiency, however they do effectively in distinction, which is nice information for the Legion’s SDR efficiency.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
First up, although, is brightness. Right here the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 performs effectively, because it hit a most sustained SDR brightness of 353 nits. That’s in direction of the excessive finish for a finances monitor and positively vibrant sufficient to make use of in most rooms.
There’s one caveat right here. The monitor’s curve can focus the sunshine from lamps or home windows that sit reverse the monitor (or, in different phrases, behind the viewer). That might be an issue in case you plan to make use of the monitor in a room with mild sources that may’t be moved.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
Distinction is the large power of a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel, and the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 capitalizes on it with a measured distinction ratio of 6030:1 at 50 p.c brightness. That’s an amazing end result for any finances or mid-range monitor and it results in a extra immersive, alluring picture with respectable shadow element.
It is a main distinction between the Legion and opponents that use IPS panels, such because the Gigabyte M27QA ICE and Pixio PX248 Wave. IPS panels have a tendency to point out a distracting “IPS glow” in darkish scenes, which is the results of mild from the monitor’s backlight leaking by means of the show panel. VA panels don’t completely conquer this, however they’re significantly better and don’t seem to have a glow except utilized in a room that’s almost pitch black.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
Whereas VA panels do effectively in distinction, they’ll stumble in colour gamut, and this journeys up the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30.
It achieved 99 p.c of sRGB, 86 p.c of DCI-P3, and 81 p.c of AdobeRGB. These aren’t unhealthy outcomes however, because the graph reveals, they’re a bit behind most finances and mid-range displays we’ve not too long ago examined. Solely the Pixio PX248 Wave was much less spectacular.
Whether or not this issues will depend on your use. The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 nonetheless appears to be like colourful in SDR video games and flicks. Nonetheless, content material creators may discover the restricted colour gamut an impediment. The monitor just isn’t capable of show as many colours as some friends, and that may result in points when enhancing images, movies, or digital artwork.
Matthew Smith / Foundry
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is technically the least colour correct of the finances displays we’ve not too long ago examined. Nonetheless, finances IPS and VA panel displays have turn out to be shockingly correct in recent times, so this isn’t a serious difficulty—particularly not at this worth level.
I measured a default gamma of two.1, which is simply a tad off our most well-liked goal of two.2 and signifies the picture appears to be like a bit brighter than it ought to. This error isn’t unhealthy for a finances monitor. It’s the identical story with colour temperature, as we measured a default colour temperature of 6400K, simply off the goal of 6500K. Meaning the picture may be very barely hotter than it must be and, once more, it’s a great end result for the worth. Nonetheless, the monitor lacks good gamma and colour temperature controls, so house owners who wish to drastically alter the monitor’s efficiency in these areas might want to depend on colour calibration software program.
Sharpness, in the meantime, is mediocre. The monitor’s 1920×1080 decision works out to about 81 pixels per inch, which is in direction of the low finish of a contemporary laptop monitor. Pixelation and aliasing could be reasonably distracting round small fonts and in video games that lack a great built-in anti-aliasing resolution. Video, in the meantime, can appear a bit tender.
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 delivers combined however respectable SDR picture high quality for the worth. It delivers a vibrant, high-contrast picture that appears alluring and life like, however fails to face out in colour efficiency or sharpness. Nonetheless, on condition that this monitor often sells for effectively under $200, its total SDR picture high quality is aggressive.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 HDR picture high quality
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 technically helps HDR enter. That got here as a shock, as nothing in Lenovo’s advertising and marketing indicated the monitor has HDR assist.
Omitting point out of HDR was a clever choice, although, because the Legion R27fc-30’s HDR efficiency is reasonably unhealthy. It lacks each brightness and colour gamut required to do HDR justice. Due to that, HDR content material usually fails to look any higher than SDR—as an alternative, it simply appears to be like a bit completely different.
That’s to be anticipated, as most finances displays are incapable of fine HDR picture high quality. Those that need satisfactory HDR on a finances ought to take into account an entry-level Mini-LED monitor just like the Xiaomi G Professional 27i.
Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 movement efficiency
Avid gamers will admire the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30’s refresh price of as much as 240Hz, which could be overclocked to 280Hz. That is a particularly excessive refresh price for a finances monitor, and it results in good movement efficiency—other than a pair caveats.
First, the excellent news. A refresh price of as much as 240Hz/280Hz gives an enormous enhance in movement as in comparison with a 60Hz or 144Hz monitor. The monitor additionally helps AMD FreeSync and VESA Adaptive Sync for easy body pacing (Nvidia G-Sync also needs to perform however just isn’t formally supported). The result’s a buttery gaming expertise. The actual fact it’s doable to purchase a monitor this easy for effectively underneath $200 is a bit astounding.
Nonetheless, the monitor’s VA panel just isn’t the perfect with regards to pixel response instances. Longer pixel response instances trigger ghosting, so whereas movement is usually crisp, it’s not so good as a high-end IPS or OLED gaming monitor with the identical refresh price. When viewing check clips of League of Legends, for instance, I observed that character and transferring UI fonts had been nonetheless onerous to learn, whereas they’re usually legible (with a little bit of problem) on dearer gaming displays.
The Legion R27fc-30 tries to mitigate that with its 280Hz overclock and several other overdrive modes. This may barely enhance readability, but it surely additionally creates seen shimmer round high-contrast objects. Personally, I most well-liked the 240Hz mode with Overdrive off.
There’s additionally a backlight strobing mode, which is one other tactic to enhance movement readability. This mode reduces a monitor’s brightness and creates a noticeable “double image” impact. It’s not an amazing implementation and I can’t suggest utilizing it.
However don’t let these flaws flip you off, as they’re fairly frequent within the sub-$200 monitor class. Taken as a complete, the Legion R27fc-30 gives nice movement efficiency for the worth.
Do you have to purchase the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30?
The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is a stable selection for players who need good movement readability and distinction in a gaming monitor usually accessible for lower than $200. It has some flaws, just like the outsized stand and lack of picture high quality changes, but additionally some perks, like a great vary of ergonomic changes. Picture high quality, in the meantime, comes up a bit quick in colour efficiency however delivers on movement—which, for a lot of players, shall be a great compromise.