Samsung S27E370DS: Charge Your Phone Wirelessly With This New 27″ Monitor

Samsung S27E370DS 27 inch monitor

The “coming soon” Samsung S27E370DS (or SE370 if you prefer brevity) will make history by being the first ever 27-inch monitor, or monitor period, to provide wireless mobile charging using Qi wireless charging tech.



Samsung S27E370DS 27 inch monitor
Samsung S27E370DS

Samsung S27E370DS – a Fresh Approach

The monitor game these days is all about who can add the coolest features and provide the clearest picture. In this department the Samsung S27E370 doesn’t look like it will disappoint. Though the resolution isn’t as high as it should be there are enough features in this bad boy to make it worth considering.

So if you’re in the market for a new 27 inch PC monitor, read our breakdown of this monitor below and see if it might just be the right one for you.

Mobile Wireless Charging

Before we get into specs let’s talk about wireless mobile charging

Qi tech is really the go-to tech for wireless charging these days. As long as your phone is 1.6 inches or closer it’ll charge. The SE370 has Qi tech built right into the monitor stand. It’s simply a matter of laying your phone on the wireless charging pad and letting it do its thing.

Now of course the fairly new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are QI-enabled making it a perfect match for the Samsung monitor. Unfortunately, the iPhone isn’t Qi-enabled though there have been rumors that Apple has been toying around with the idea.

But don’t fret, there are plenty of other mobile phones that can take advantage of this great feature. Phones such as the LG Spectrum 2, HTC Droid DNA, Google Nexus 7 and the newly announced Lumia 950 and 950 XL by Microsoft.

Let’s take a look at the specs to see how it holds up in other areas.

Specs

  • 27-inch screen from corner to corner
  • Resolution is 1,920 x 1,080
  • The screen display is backlit by LED
  • Response time is 4ms which is superb
  • Refresh Rate is 60 Hz

It’s a PLS panel which stands for Plane-to-Line Switching. Basically this is Samsung’s IPS panel. They can’t call it IPS because LG has that trademarked. The PLS panel offers great viewing angles which comes in handy if you have several people huddled around the monitor.

The connectivity on the back looks like this:



S24E370DL 27" monitor ports
S24E370DL-ports

  • 1 Display port 1.2
  • 1 HDMI 1.4
  • 1 VGA port

So the connectivity isn’t fantastic but it’ll get you where you need to go. It’s missing at least one more HDMI port and a USB port would be nice as we definitely haven’t outgrown that technology yet. But this seems to be typical with Samsung monitors.

Let’s talk about FreeSync

Gamers have a particularly big problem on their hands when it comes to refresh rate (first world problems, I know). Basically they are faced with the tough choice of choosing to allow image frames to be sent to their monitors the second they are rendered resulting in tearing when the monitor hasn’t refreshed yet or waiting for everything to be ready resulting in input lag.

It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation. What AMD FreeSync tech does is get rid of screen tearing without causing input lag. I won’t bore you with the details of how this works technically but since monitors started shipping with FreeSync back in March 2015 they’ve been very popular, especially with gamers.

What’s the SE370 going to be good for?

While the Samsung SE370 hasn’t been released yet it’s safe to isolate the types of things it’ll work well with based off the specs that have been announced.

First the PLS is a great feature and so will allow for a rich color experience as well as good viewing angles. As we mentioned FreeSync makes it a gamer’s dream.

Here’s what it will work well with:

  • Gaming
  • Video editing
  • Photo editing
  • Video watching
  • General office or home use

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • FreeSync for a fluid gaming experience
  • Qi wireless charging pad for ease of charging your phone with one less wire

Cons:

  • 1080p resolution? It just doesn’t make sense why in 2015 anyone would go for the absolute minimum acceptable quality in such a competitive market.
  • The wireless charging pad doesn’t work with the iPhone but that’s more a knock on Apple than on Samsung.

Price

There’s no news on price or release date just yet. Though the S24E370DL, which is the 24-inch version, will be released on November 13th. It’ll fetch for $249.99 so don’t expect the S27E370DS to go for too much more.

Summary

While the SE370 isn’t available yet to be scrutinized and raked over the coals, we have enough information to make an educated guess at its quality. It looks like it’ll work pretty well for gaming despite the low resolution. But hey that Qi wireless charging pad ain’t nothing to shake a stick at, offering something unique that no other monitor has.

NEC EA275UHD – A Superb High Quality Graphics 27 Inch Monitor

NEC-EA275UHD

If you’re looking for a 27-inch monitor that delivers high-graphic images, then you should definitely be looking at the NEC EA275UHD-BK-SV 4K monitor. Boy, that’s a mouthful. That’s a summation of the actual title. You ready? The NEC EA275UHD-BK-SV 27” 4K UHD sRGB IPS Monitor with SpectraViewII.

NEC EA275UHD for Photo Editing or Graphic Design

This 27-inch monitor is geared towards those in photo editing or graphic design who need their monitors to deliver high-caliber imagery employing high resolution and high PPI.

Now, if you’re only looking for a decent graphics experience and an ok response time then you don’t need to to consider the NEC EA275UHD. It might just be too much machinery for you. I don’t mean that as a challenge but why spend the extra money on something that delivers more than you actually need?



NEC-EA275UHD
NEC-EA275UHD

Let’s take a look at the specs on the NEC EA275UHD and see if it works for you.

Specs

  • 27-inch screen from corner to corner
  • 13.7 pounds without stand and 20.1 pounds with stand
  • Resolution is 3,840 x 2,160 (that’s nothing to sneeze at)
  • The screen display is backlit by LED
  • Response time is 6ms which is not too shabby
  • 163 PPI (Pixels Per Inch)
  • Color Gamut = 78.1% Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB
  • IPS (In-Plane Switching) Panel for great viewing angles, up to 178 degrees

The connectivity situation on the back looks like this:



NEC-EA275UHD-ports
NEC-EA275UHD-ports

  • 1 Display port 1.2
  • 1 HDMI 2.0
  • 1 DVI-D Dual Link
  • 1 upstream USB 3.0
  • 3 downstream USB 3.0

Additional features

There are a number of additional features that add to the quality of this monitor and makes it stand out amongst other 27-inch monitors. Additional features include a sensor which detects light and human presence to automatically brighten or dim the screen according to what it detects, ECO Mode which allows you to conserve up to 56% more power and thus saving you on energy costs and even ControlSync which allows you to run up to 6 connected monitors in a multi-monitor set-up.

Additionally, as indicated in the full title above it comes with SpectraViewII software which dramatically adds to the the ability to use the color scheme. It basically measures and calibrates the color on the screen and adjusts for accuracy. This is extremely useful in color-dependent tasks.

A version of this monitor is available without SpectraViewII software which will save you a pretty penny. But if you’re going for this monitor then there’s a good chance you are looking for something robust in the graphics department so I wouldn’t suggest doing without SpectraViewII.

What’s the NEC EA275UHD going to be good for?

The NEC EA275UHD is a high PPI (hey that rhymes), high resolution, color-robust monitor that is well suited for anyone working professionally in a high-graphics field. Photo editing and video editing obviously fall into this category but also for those who print banners and posters where color is a real issue.

Here’s what it will work well with:

  • Video editing
  • Photo editing
  • Gaming
  • Video watching
  • Any other graphic-heavy application
  • General office or home use
  • Professionals in these fields usually go for big monitors which is why this 27-inch monitor is great but if you’re looking for something even bigger with a similar set of color-rich and high-resolution imagery then you should definitely check out the 32-inch NEC PA322UHD-BK. The PA322UHD also comes with SpectraViewII.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • High resolution and color-rich graphics. Need I say more?

Cons:

  • The price is higher than most other 27-inch monitors but you get what you pay for with this guy.

Price

The NEC EA275UHD with SpectraViewII goes for $949 while without SpectraViewII it goes for $799. You can get either one from .

Summary

The NEC EA275UHD with SpectraViewII stands out as one of the better 27-inch monitors that handles heavy graphics applications. It’s perfect for the professional in any field that needs to see the red reds and the green greens if you know what I mean?

Samsung SE591C: One of the Best Curved Monitors Out There

Samsung-SE790C 27 Inch Curved Monitor

When it comes to 27-inch monitors you can either go with a normal flat-screened one or you can go with the more unique curved PC monitor like the Samsung SE591C. While purists might write this off as a gimmick, there are some real advantages to owning a curved 27-inch PC monitor.

Starting with TVs, curved screens introduced us to a new way to view moving images. Curved screens aim to reduce eye strain and fatigue that can accompany staring at a monitor for hours on end but there’s more to it than that.

What’s the Advantage of Curved Screens?



Samsung-SE591C
Samsung-SE591C

Curved screens offer a more immersive experience by, in a way, replicating the way you see with your rounded eyeballs. We don’t just see things flat in front of us. We have peripheral vision and so perceive things to the side. Curved screens thus give a wider field of view.

Ok so there are some strong arguments as to why curved TV screens are a fad but these arguments don’t really hold up against curved monitor screens. Mainly the argument is that in order for you to properly view a curved TV you’ll have to be seated directly in front of it, properly centered. Surprise! That’s how we use our PC monitors.

Awesome curved screen multi-monitor setups

In fact, the curved monitor works beautifully in a multi-monitor set-up as they all curve towards you for the best view of each one.



Samsung SE591C Multi-Monitor Setup
Samsung SE591C Multi-Monitor Setup

So that’s my argument on curved 27-inch PC monitors. Now, let’s get into what’s the best curved 27-inch monitor for your needs.

The answer of course is the Samsung SE591C

Delivering a crisp angled display is the job of a curved monitor and the 27-inch SE591C delivers exactly that.

While the resolution is not the highest you would hope for it does a decent job. I do wish it was at least 2560 x 1440 but unfortunately it’s not.

Samsung SE591C Specs

Let’s take a look at the specs to get a full view of what this bad boy can do.

  • Weight is 12.3 pounds making it significantly lighter than most other monitors this size.
  • 27-inch screen from corner to corner
  • Resolution is 1,920 x 1,080
  • The screen display is backlit by LED
  • Response time is 4ms which is fantastic
  • Refresh Rate is 60 Hz which is ok but not incredible
  • Built in speakers

The connectivity on the back looks like this:

  • 1 Display port
  • 1 HDMI
  • 1 VGA port

So the connectivity isn’t fantastic but it’ll get you where you need to go. It’s missing at least one more HDMI port and some sort of USB port would be nice.

What is the SE591C good for?

So being a curved monitor there are certain activities that the SE591C works best for. First would be gaming. With the curved screen you will feel more immersed while running and gunning or whatever type of game you play.

The resolution will work fine for gaming as well as video editing and photo editing although it’s not the best out there by far. With it’s response time of 4 ms you’ll be doing pretty good as a gamer, though the refresh rate of 60 Hz is also not the most optimum.

I keep making this point of “it may not be the best out there” because it’s honestly not. In terms of a monitor if you stack it up against another 27-inch monitor like the Dell UltraSharp U2715H or the Apple Thunderbolt Display it’ll lose on straight graphics and feature capabilities. BUT it is a curved monitor and that’s why you would be buying it. It is one of, if not the best curved monitors on the market.

Here’s what it will work well with:

  • Gaming
  • Video editing
  • Photo editing
  • General office or home use

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Crisp images that will work fine for any graphics heavy applications
  • Curved screen reduces eye strain and fatigue
  • More immersive gameplay and movie watching experience
  • Not too pricey compared to other monitors

Cons:

  • The resolution and refresh rate could be better and falls a bit short compared to other monitors.
  • The curved feature may take some getting used to.
  • Connectivity situation in the back is a bit light

Price

As I said the price really isn’t too bad. You can pick it up for $322.55 on Amazon.

Summary

All in all, the Samsung SE591C is a pretty decent monitor though may take some getting used to due to the curved screen. It’s recommended if you have a multiple monitor set up on your desk. And if you’re a gamer you might want to consider checking it out as it might just give you that extra edge in your gameplay.

Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB LCD Monitor with Nvidia G-Sync: A Great Gaming Monitor

Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB

If you’re a gamer, especially a PC gamer, then it’s a safe bet you’re on the eternal quest for the perfect gaming set-up. You’ve invested in graphics cards, a gaming mouse or two, the best computer you can find. Now you’ve arrived here, looking for the best 27-inch gaming monitor.

Now, I can’t promise the Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB LCD Monitor with Nvidia G-Sync is the greatest 27-inch monitor for gaming on the market but it’s sure one of the best. It better be as it was released as a gaming monitor. That’s how it’s been marketed.



Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB
Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB In Action

Key Points

When it comes to gaming you’re looking for a few important factors, elements if you will. You’re looking for a high resolution, good refresh rate, good response time, a big enough screen (27 inch should do) and at least a decent set of connection ports. There are of course other nice perks that don’t hurt like anti-glare and IPS Panel.

If you’re not looking for a gaming monitor, then I may have lost you already. Let me attempt to reel you back in. If a 27-inch monitor is good for gaming, then it’s a very safe assumption that it’s great for almost anything else. But we’ll cover more on what kind of applications it’s good with later on in this review.

Let’s cover what the specs are in the Phillips Brilliance (or 272G5DYEB as Phillips has decided to designate it).

Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB LCD Monitor Specs

The specs are really where you’ll find out if this is the right monitor for you.

  • 27-inch viewable screen
  • Resolution is 1,920 x 1,080
  • The screen display is backlit by LED
  • 144 hz Refresh Rate
  • 1 ms Response Time
  • Brightness is 300 cd/m2
  • TN Panel (Twisted Nematic)
  • Weight is 17 pounds
  • Includes bases that rotates, tilts, swivels and is height-adjustable

Connectivity

The connectivity on the back looks like this:

  • DisplayPort 1.2
  • 4 USB 3.0 ports



Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB Ports
Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB Ports

And obviously as the title suggests it has Nvidia G-Sync technology as well as Nvidia 3D Vision for 3D gaming and movies.

That brings us to our next question to answer:

What is Nvidia G-Sync Technology?

Nvidia G-Sync technology (try saying that ten times fast) is a fairly new display that provides a smooth and fast gaming experience. The way it does this per Phillips is by, “synchronizing display refresh rates to the GPU in your GeForce GTX-powered PC.” Say what?!

Basically what it does is it gets rid of screen tearing which is an issue with a lot of monitors for gamers whereby two or several frames are shown at the exact same time. Needless to say it’s less than ideal but Nvidia G-Sync handles that. It also dramatically reduces input lag and display stutter.

This results in a sharp, highly responsive gameplay that allows you to attain a competitive edge in online gaming as well as offline gaming. Again this also creates a better experience with any heavy-graphic applications like viewing HD movies.

What’s it good for?

It’s great for gaming as that’s what it was designed for. But I always say that if it’s good for PC video games which are high-activity, high-graphic applications then it’ll work for just about anything.

You can use the Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB LCD Monitor for any of the following:

  • Gaming
  • Video editing
  • Photo editing
  • General home and office use
  • Watching movies, including HD

Pros/Cons

Pros:

  • Nvidia G-Sync which dramatically increases smoothness in gaming
  • 144 hz which is a fantastic refresh rate
  • 1 ms, again a fantastic response time
  • Fully adjustable base

Cons:

  • Its resolution is only 1080p. Not that this is horrible but it’s just not as great as a lot of other monitors out there and won’t display comparable image detail. And if you’re going from a 1,440p monitor you’ll notice the difference.
  • It’s not an IPS Panel, it’s a TN Panel which just isn’t as good. You won’t get as wide a viewing angle as an IPS Panel will give you and so images will suffer if you’re not looking at it straight on. Though gamers mostly all play head-on so for this purpose it’s fine.

What kind of price are you looking at?

The Phillips Brilliance 272G5DYEB LCD Monitor with Nvidia G-Sync (it’s getting tiring saying that full title over and over) will cost you $549.99 on Amazon.

So this 27-inch monitor holds up for gaming and other purposes though it suffers from lower resolution compared to its competition. You may notice the difference when playing but the positives definitely beat out the negatives with this one. If you have some extra coin, I also reccommend checking out the ASIS rog swift pg278q

ViewSonic VP2780-4K 27 Inch Monitor: Is it Worth Buying?

VP2780-4K 27 Inch Monitor

You may or may not have heard of the ViewSonic VP2780-4K because it doesn’t have the words “Dell” or “Apple” attached to it but I assure you it’s one of the good ones and is worth mentioning amongst the giants. Ok who are we kidding, ViewSonic doesn’t need our sympathy. They do about $1 billion in sales annually.

That’s neither here nor there. Your attention is probably on which 27-inch monitor you want to buy. There are so many 27-inch monitors out there that it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out which one to buy without immediately doubting whether or not you made the right decision.

What we try to do with these reviews is give you the full gamut of information regarding the 27-inch monitor we’re taking a look at. That way you can see if it fits your needs.

So let’s get into telling you all about the ViewSonic VP2780-4K.

ViewSonic VP2780-4K Specs

This monitor is known as a Professional Ultra HD LED monitor. That’s a lot of adjectives that basically means it delivers a wicked sharp picture or at least is supposed to. Other 27-inch monitors have slapped those titles on their products when they were unworthy.

Let’s look at the specs of the ViewSonic VP2780-4K to see if it lives up to that description.

  • Weight is 25.8 Pounds
  • The screen is 27 inches from corner to corner
  • Resolution is 3,840 x 2,160 which is a fairly high resolution
  • The screen display is backlit by LED
  • IPS panel (In-Plane Switching). See our 27-inch monitor guide for an explanation of IPS.
  • The screen has an anti-glare coating
  • 5 ms (milliseconds) response time
  • It swivels, tilts, pivots and is height-adjustable. Perfect for the contortionist in you.



ViewSonic VP2780-4K rear ports
Viewsonic VP2780 rear ports

Here’s what the port situation looks like in the back:

  • 2 HDMI ports
  • 4 USB 3.0 ports
  • DisplayPort 1.2
  • Mini DisplayPort



ViewSonic VP2780-4K under ports
Viewsonic VP2780 under ports

What’s it good for?

The ViewSonic VP2780-4K is built to handle high-def videos and graphic-heavy applications. That’s what it was born to do. Straight out of the box this fact is clear. The image comes through ultra-sharp with vivid detail smacking you in the face.

Response times comes in at 5 ms which is excellent for gaming. I’ve seen an article or two ragging on this response time but this is totally fine for any gamer. Anything better and I swear you won’t be able to tell the difference. You’ll just be spending more money.

You can use the ViewSonic VP2780-4K for the following:

  • Gaming
  • Video editing
  • Photo editing
  • Graphic design
  • General home and office use

Pros/Cons

Pros:

  • High resolution imaging on a truly 4K display
  • 5 ms response time is pretty good especially compared to some other similarly promoted monitors that come in at 20 ms
  • Reportedly one of the first 4K monitors that supports HDMI 2.0. This fact should go over really well with gamers.
  • IPS Panel allows for solid viewing from any angle

Cons:

  • It’s on the pricier side but honestly isn’t the most expensive monitor out there (it’s cheaper than the Apple Thunderbolt Display).
  • The actual physical make-up of the monitor isn’t really top-notch. It seems to be a bit flimsy with parts of it stuck on with adhesive.
  • There have been some complaints by users about a lack of sensitivity in the on-screen touch display.
  • No internal speakers



VP2780-4K 27 Inch Monitor
VP2780-4K 27 Inch Monitor

What kind of price are we looking at?

The ViewSonic VP2780-4K goes for $889.99 on viewsonic.com but can be picked up for even cheaper at amazon for $793.46.

If you’ve got some money saved up and are looking to invest in a robust 4K monitor, I highly recommend ViewSonic VP2780-4K due to it’s performance and ability to deliver high-quality imaging. Sureyou could save up several hundred more dollarsto buy something more expensive but “expensive” doesn’t always mean “better.”

Best 27 Inch Monitor