What’s all the fuss about the HP Pavilion 27xw? The #1 new release on Amazon has piqued my interest enough that I had to try this 27 inch gaming monitor out for myself though I did have to borrow it from a friend. A great comparison article to complement this post is our graphics card comparison: AMD FX vs Ryzen.

Exceptionally large at 27″ diagonally (although 25-inch or 23-inch models are available), this monitor provides some of the best visuals I’ve ever seen on a gaming display and is LED backlit with in-plane switching (IPS).

During my HP Pavilion 27 XW review, I found that crystal clear clarity is simply unmatched (with other comparable 27-inch monitors), especially when HP’s Enhance+ technology is used.

HP Pavilion 27XW Review:

Aesthetics and Design

The 27 XW has a silver frame that is ultra-slim at just a ½” thick. For anyone who likes thin displays, this is one of the thinnest ones available. Unfortunately, with a monitor this skinny, speakers are not included, but that can be okay if you were intending to buy a separate set or wanted to use an older one. Normally, built-in speakers lack the true sound quality needed to enjoy movies or games anyway.

There is no bezel, so the monitor’s edges are thin and are black, which provides a nice accent. All-in-all, the gaming monitor’s exterior looks pretty sharp.

Energy Star-rated, the monitor attempts to use as little power as possible and is LED backlit.

What’s important about LED backlighting? Well, without going too in-depth, older monitors would use cold-cathode florescent lamps (CCFL). With CCFL, a lot more energy is needed to power the monitor, and mercury is included, which was a major hazard if the monitor broke. LED is also far superior and allows for better overall color while keeping energy usage down and allowing for a slimmer display.

LED is also known to last a lot longer and won’t burn out on you in a few years.

In general, you want an LED monitor simply because the technology is superior and the longevity is unmatched.

There is also plasma, but these are best used in dark rooms and don’t have the same level of brightness as LED. However, plasma-based monitors do produce the best blacks.

The monitor doesn’t have a height adjustment, but it does have a tilt adjustment, so you can move the monitor forward or backward to your preferred angle.

As far as connectivity is concerned, there is one VGA port and 2 HDMI ports available.

Viewing Experience

Nothing is as important as the viewing experience, and that is why the Pavilion 27xw is rated so highly. The 27″ digital screen is superb in every aspect. Crisp in color, the 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio really illuminates the brightest whites and darkest darks for true color contrast. Shadows and shading is extremely detailed whether you’re watching a movie on Netflix or playing games like Dark Souls II, you’ll notice a big difference in visual effects with the 27xw.

HP includes a new technology called HP Enhance+ that is meant to improve the quality of the image and reduce noise for an enhanced picture. The standard IPS technology is incorporated to overcome the old flaws seen in LED monitors.

Worried about haze? There is a low haze enhancement that reduces reflections without causing a loss in clarity or contrast. This is a must-have for any gamer who wants to view the highest quality visuals with little reflection or distortion.

The monitor has a 16:9 ratio so movies and games look beautiful. It also has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (other monitors like the AOC i2757FH also have a 1080p resolution, but ultimately offer much less for a steeper price than this Pavilion). The response rate is a low 8ms, so the display is presented as quickly as possible. The brightness can go up to 250 nits. The viewing angle is 178 degree horizontal and vertical with vivid colors.

It’s one of the best gaming monitors on the market with the only real drawback being that you can’t adjust the height. It definitely should not shunt your decision one way or the other, and isn’t much of a concern for me, but a lot of people nitpick features, so it is very much worth mentioning in a review.

I should note that you can hook up 3 total displays with the HDMI and VGA output, and switch between them. This is great if you have two computers or a laptop and you want to hook in the monitor to switch between systems.

HP Pavilion 27XW Specs and Features

• 27 inch digital screen
• Open WEDGE stand design
• VGA Port
• 2 HDMI ports
• Full HD at 1920 x 1080 resolution
• 10,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio
• 16:9 aspect ratio
• 8ms response time
• LED backlit
• Tilt angle
• Energy Star certified
• ½” thickness

There is a lot to like with this 27″ gaming monitor and two small cons that I found. Sure, I was being a little picky during my review, but this monitor is near perfect.

HP Pavilion 27XW Review: Pros

• Crystal clear and high quality visual display
• Ultra-thin at a ½” of thickness; virtually bezel-less design
• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• 27 inches of beautiful, well-made technology; gives a pleasing viewing experience

HP Pavilion 27XW Review: Cons

• No built-in monitor speakers
• No height adjustment
• No HDMI cable included – this is not a requirement, but with so many other monitors packaging it in, it felt unusual not to have the connector cable for your monitor to your computer/console

The HP Pavilion 27xw provides a high-end monitor at a price that is unmatched. There is a reason why this is Amazon’s #1 new release (at the time of this writing): it exceeds customer expectations. There is no HDMI cable included, so make sure you have one ready when you buy this monitor for the clearest possible visuals. A VGA cord is included, however, but I highly encourage you to pick up an HDMI from Amazon or Walmart for a few bucks if you are going to shell out a few hundred on a well-built gaming monitor like the Pavilion.

The HP Pavilion 27 xw gaming monitor is available for purchase here. It is currently rated 4.7 stars out of 5.0 on Amazon.

Read the customer reviews, buy it (or check out the 25-inch version).