Are you looking for a full HD monitor for SoHo (Small Office Home Office) use? A monitor that gets the job done, may it be for work, watching movies and casual gaming?
The Lenovo L27M-28 27-Inch FHD LED Backlit LCD Monitor is an inexpensive monitor that you may want to consider.
The 27-inch monitor is IPS (in-plane switching) LCD monitor and while TN monitors are what is more popular among the gaming crowd, IPS is known for having a higher contrast ratio which provides better black levels, high color accuracy (so images are not soft) and also have less color shift when looking at the monitor in different angles.
But with this technology,one caveat is slower response times and lower refresh rates.
With that being said, there are people who just want a solid HD 1080p monitor that is great enough for work, want better color production, watching videos and casual gaming, then you have those who are gamers that want quick response times and high refresh rates that their more expensive video card can handle and then you have those who want a 4K monitor and are willing to pay for the best technology. There is also PLS and VA monitors as well.
This Lenovo monitor is for those who want a straightforward monitor where work is the priority but allows for watching of movies on it and also playing video games (which I will get into in my review).
The monitor offers a 3-sided borderless thin bezel. Also, provides a VGA, HDMI and USB-C (so one can connect and charge peripheral devices directly through the monitor) and audio out ports. In addition, the monitor includes AMD Free Sync technology so every detail can be seen clearing, eliminating stuttering and image tearing.
First, let’s talk about work. I was very pleased with how the colors really pop with this monitor. Color is important for me because I utilize Pantone color swatches where certain colors are important for design. Also, with video editing, I want to make sure that certain elements are not missed when I export the video to use on other devices.
And also for photo editing, where my HDR images, I want to make sure things look good for its final completion after post-production.
Movies look fantastic on this monitor and watchng films and anime, I love the overall picture quality of films and how they look on this monitor. Watching Blu-rays on this monitor is magnificent!
In addition, the monitor offers TUV Eye Comfort certification so the feature allows you to control blue light emission and features an anti-glare display. This is important for me as my eyes have been damaged due to blue light and have to use eye glasses that protect my eyes from blue light.
As for gaming, for the most part, gaming should be fine for most casual gamers. But hardcore gamers, they will not want this monitor. The Lenovo L27M-28 is a 75Hz, 4ms monitor and never claims to be a gaming monitor, so that’s important to note. Most gaming monitors will offer 144-165Hz and 1ms and are either 1080p-1440p. They are also much more expensive, the better features the monitor offers.
But I wanted to test this out for the casual gamer.
I notice the differences between this and my gaming monitor on games that are fast on action. One example is “Overwatch”, the action is not as smooth than I would have liked but did it impede my playing of the game? Not at all. It’s noticeable but it’s not detrimental for me. I know for hardcore gamers, not having that smooth playing experience is not good and off-putting.
So, I will say that for those who prioritize gaming, then a gaming monitor is the way to go.
For those who want to use it for work, watching movies and casual gaming, this monitor will suit your needs.
I also was able to mount this on my adjustable desk monitor arm with no problems. VESA mount is not included but if purchase a monitor arm that is VESA compatible, the mount will work on this monitor. But it does come with the basic monitor stand that is easy to install.
I do wish the monitor allowed for a display port in addition to the VGA and HDMI. So, if you are using a new PC or laptop that has DisplayPorts and no HDMI, you will need to purchase a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter or purchase a different monitor which offers a DisplayPort input. But if your PC or laptop comes has an HDMI or a VGA input, I recommend HDMI over VGA and I recommend to purchase an HDMI cable (as the monitor comes with a 6 ft. USB-C cable and a VGA cable, but no HDMI cable which was surprising. Most monitors include the HDMI cables.).
I do want to mention that Lenovo offers a 27″ monitor L27q-20 which is 2560×1440 QHD (Quad HD) ie. 2K monitors for $45 more and it offers both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs.
Other than that, as mentioned, the Lenovo L27M-28 27-Inch FHD LED Backlit LCD Monitor is a very good, inexpensive 27″ IPS monitor for SoHo use and for anyone who just needs a really good 1080p HD 27″ monitor that works great for work, watching films and for casual gaming.
