In 2024, thanks to price adjustments and technological advancements by upstream panel manufacturers, the prices of 2K resolution, 160-180Hz refresh rate monitors have continued to drop, nearing the thousand-dollar mark, a decrease of about 50%-60% compared to two years ago. This price shift has sparked a wave of monitor upgrades among consumers.
Amidst this fierce market competition, HKC has emerged as one of the biggest winners in this wave of upgrades, standing out with outstanding value for money, excellent product quality, and comprehensive after-sales service. Its Falcon series monitors have received high praise, achieving both high sales volume and excellent reputation.
Today, we will conduct a comprehensive review of the latest HKC Falcon 2nd Generation G27H2. As the newest masterpiece in the Falcon series, this monitor continues the series' consistent high cost-performance ratio and excellent quality, aiming to challenge the sales champion position of HKC's new products in the market with a price point of around a thousand yuan, competing against mainstream 2K high refresh rate monitors.
The Appearance of HKC Falcon II Generation G27H2
As an updated product in the Falcon series, the G27H2 continues the design of its predecessor, featuring the Falcon's wing design on the back of the monitor. With sharp lines and geometric shapes, it creates a strong sense of technology, enhancing the visual impact.
At the same time, the use of a black base with red accents creates a classic esports-style color scheme. This color scheme is highly appealing to young consumers and gamers, while also enhancing brand recognition.
The monitor features a front with moderately sized bezels, which present a high-end and sophisticated visual effect when the screen is off, showcasing the product's excellent design aesthetics. When the screen is turned on, the moderate bezel width ensures a good screen-to-body ratio, providing users with a comfortable and natural viewing experience.
In terms of base and stand design, the Falcon 2nd Gen G27H2 has been significantly upgraded to meet the increasing user demands. Most monitors in the current market priced between 1000-1500 RMB use traditional claw-shaped bases, which have certain limitations in terms of desktop space and functionality.
On the other hand, the G27H2 features HKC's latest hexagonal base design, which not only provides complete monitor adjustment functions but also further reduces desktop footprint. This design will offer greater advantages in scenarios with limited desktop space, such as dormitories and small offices.
The bracket design of the Falcon 2nd Gen G27H2 provides a wide range of adjustments to meet users' personalized needs in different scenarios. It supports a 110mm height adjustment, -5° to 15° tilt angle adjustment, and ±90° vertical rotation function, allowing users to find the most comfortable viewing position and screen orientation based on personal preferences and usage environment. The actual adjustment feel is good, with moderate damping and locking sensations, allowing for complete operation with just one hand.
In terms of interfaces, the Falcon 2nd Gen G27H2 is equipped with 2 HDMI 2.0 ports and 1 DP 1.4 port, allowing you to connect three different devices simultaneously, such as desktop computers, laptops, and gaming consoles. This design is particularly practical in scenarios with multiple devices, like dormitories, where users can easily switch between different devices without the need for frequent cable plugging and unplugging, making it very convenient.
HKC Falcon II G27H2 Panel Display Performance
After getting familiar with the "skin" of the product, let's delve into whether the new G27H2 has an improved "soul."
The G27H2 features a Fast IPS panel from AU Optronics, with the specific model being M270DAN08.B. According to the specifications on ScreenDB, this is a native 2K resolution panel with a 180Hz refresh rate, belonging to the 8.x series. Now, let's take a look at the actual test data.
In the past year or two, Fast IPS panels have gradually become our familiar old friends. Compared to traditional IPS panels, Fast IPS panels not only retain excellent color performance and wide viewing angle advantages but also further enhance dynamic display performance, with further improvements in response time and motion blur performance.
Through electron microscopy observation, the Fast IPS panel utilizes a conventional vertical sub-pixel arrangement, ensuring the accuracy and delicacy of the displayed images.
The next step is to conduct actual display testing in a dimly lit room. The monitor has been powered on for 2 hours in advance. We are using the Spider X2 Professional Colorimeter, connecting the monitor to the host using a DP1.4 cable. The monitor has been reset to factory default settings, set to standard mode, and utilizing an NVIDIA graphics card. In the NVIDIA control panel, we have enabled 2K resolution and a 180Hz refresh rate, while outputting in 10bpc-Full RGB color depth.
In terms of color gamut, the G27H2 achieves 100% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3, and 95% Adobe RGB coverage. This performance is particularly impressive in the sub-thousand-dollar price range. In 2024, as major manufacturers compete fiercely in color gamut performance for displays, HKC has taken the lead in introducing up to 95% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage in the sub-thousand-dollar price range, allowing more users to enjoy the premium visual experience brought by vibrant colors.
Facing an increasing number of editing studios and filming teams using unified Mac OS devices, the high coverage P3 color gamut ensures color consistency across different devices and mediums. This not only enhances work efficiency but also guarantees the quality of the work. In team collaborations, all members see consistent colors, avoiding color deviations between devices.
In terms of color tones and grayscale performance, the test results of the G27H2 show that it closely aligns with the standard Gamma 2.2 curve. This ensures the accuracy of screen grayscale display, providing a solid foundation for natural color accuracy and contrast representation. Additionally, the default color temperature of the G27H2 is around 6500K, which aligns with the color temperature preferences of Chinese users and also meets the D65 standard.
In terms of brightness uniformity, the G27H2 has a maximum brightness deviation of 18% at common brightness settings. Apart from the center of the screen, the brightness deviation around the edges exceeds 10%. While such deviations may not be very noticeable in everyday use, they could become apparent in low-light environments or when displaying large areas of solid colors.
In terms of color uniformity, there has been a significant improvement, with the maximum deviation value being only Delta E 1.5. This performance indicates that the colors displayed in different areas of the screen have almost no differences. For tasks that require high-precision colors, such as image editing and video production, this can provide a more consistent and accurate color performance.
Although the G27H2 exhibits some deviations in brightness uniformity, its outstanding performance in color uniformity compensates for this shortcoming, making it a standout monitor in terms of color accuracy suitable for various professional and everyday use scenarios.
In terms of brightness and contrast measurements, the G27H2 achieves a maximum global brightness of 361 nits, with a contrast ratio of 1240:1, placing both brightness and contrast at an upper-mid level for an IPS panel.
The highest global brightness of over 350 nits ensures normal use of the monitor in bright environments, but it is recommended to maintain the brightness around 200 nits for daily use to balance display quality and eye health. Additionally, the G27H2 is HDR400 certified, further enhancing its performance in displaying high dynamic range content.
The HDR400 certification means that the monitor can provide brighter highlights and deeper shadows when displaying HDR content, enhancing the overall depth and detail of the image. This is beneficial for watching HDR movies, playing HDR games, and working with HDR photos and videos.
In terms of color accuracy, the G27H2 also performs exceptionally well. It has an average color difference value (Delta E) of 0.75, with a maximum color difference value of 1.80. These data indicate that this monitor excels in color reproduction, making it fully capable of meeting the demands of professional work. Whether it's intricate image processing or design work that requires high color accuracy, the G27H2 can deliver precise color performance.
The HKC G27H2 is equipped with an innovative proprietary technology called DIC (Dynamic Image Clarity Technology). The official claim is that this technology enhances image clarity by capturing motion in the image and inserting black frames to eliminate motion blur and ghosting.
After activation, the UFO's shadowing and overshoot phenomenon following the test flying saucer were significantly reduced.
HKC Falcon II G27H2 Real Gaming and Viewing Experience
Since we're talking about an esports little powerhouse, why not jump online for a few rounds? First off, we chose the recently revitalized "CS2." After the latest update, CS2 has seen noticeable improvements in both graphics and action performance. While there are differing opinions among veteran players, it's undeniable that the game has seen significant enhancements in flame, smoke effects, and gunplay animations.
In the game test, we enabled the FPS mode and ultra-fast response setting of the G27H2. The monitor delivered an outstanding gaming experience, with very low latency and almost no ghosting when the screen moved quickly. The delicate visual performance brought by the 180Hz refresh rate is unmatched by most common 120Hz laptop displays.
It is worth mentioning that the G27H2 also features a reticle function, which is undoubtedly a great weapon for sniper players. With the reticle function activated, players can achieve precise kills even at close range without aiming down sights. Amidst the surprised exclamations of teammates and opponents saying, "Huh? Is that even possible?" one can fully enjoy the pleasure of hidden prowess. The steps to activate this function are also very simple and can be easily accessed in the game, making it convenient and practical.
In another popular FPS game, "Fearless Covenant," the Falcon 2nd Gen G27H2 also performs exceptionally well. Unlike "CS2," the visuals in "Fearless Covenant" lean towards a colorful and vibrant style, which complements the G27H2's high color gamut coverage and excellent color accuracy. The monitor's outstanding color performance allows the game's scenes, characters, and effects to display vivid and stunning visual effects, providing a more immersive and dazzling experience.
In addition to FPS games, we also tested games like "Eternal Return," "Diablo 3," and "Horizon 5" that have higher demands on graphics card performance. In these types of games, the Adaptive Sync technology built into the Falcon 2nd Gen G27H2 can be enabled. When this feature is turned on, the monitor can dynamically synchronize its refresh rate with the output of the graphics card, effectively optimizing the potential tearing and stuttering issues in the visuals, providing a smoother and more stable gaming experience.
Adaptive Sync technology is compatible with both NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, providing gamers with greater compatibility and flexibility.
In terms of movie-watching, the G27H2 also performs well. When the system's HDR mode is activated, the monitor automatically switches to HDR working mode. With HDR400 certification, the G27H2 can effectively handle the dark details and atmosphere in HDR videos.
Whether it's dark scenes or shots with strong light and shadow contrast, the monitor can accurately reproduce every detail, preserving more visual information. Especially when playing animated films with HDR effects, the advantages of the G27H2 are even more pronounced. The vibrant colors, exaggerated lighting effects, and rich detail expressions in animated films can all be fully displayed on the G27H2.
Introduction to OSD of HKC Eagle II Generation G27H2
The OSD menu of G27H2 continues the latest generation OSD style of HKC, with a black and red UI color scheme that highlights the esports atmosphere. The multi-level progressive menu layout is in line with more professional monitors, and the rear five-way joystick further facilitates user operation.
In addition to the usual adjustments for color mode, brightness, and contrast, the menu also offers various preset display modes for customization.
Within the gaming mode, apart from the typical crosshair and timer features, there is also a dark enhancement effect that can be adjusted. By reducing the contrast on the monitor and altering the Gamma value, this enhancement boosts dark details, providing users with a "safer" experience when playing dark and eerie games.
Summary of HKC Falcon II G27H2
After the recent trend of upgrading monitors, many users have likely switched to 2K+ high refresh rate solutions. However, for those just entering college or upgrading their desktop, a high cost-performance ratio monitor with excellent display quality is needed. The G27H2, with its relatively affordable price, offers outstanding display performance and rich features.
The combination of 2K resolution and 180Hz refresh rate delivers clear and detailed visuals, providing a smooth and immersive viewing experience. This monitor meets users' demands for high-quality displays. For users with limited budgets who do not want to compromise too much on display quality, the G27H2 is undoubtedly a very worthwhile option.
