Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 Review: OLED Gaming Monitor

The Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 monitor boasts impressive specifications: a 27-inch panel 1440p QHD resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and, of course an OLED panel. The Corsair Xenon 27q HD 240 utilizes an LG OLED panel, which is widely known for its exceptional display quality. In this review, we’ll explore the features, design, performance, and overall verdict of the Corsair Xenon 27q HD 240.

Read Also: ASUS ROG Swift PG27AQDM Gaming Monitor Review

Introduction

The Corsair Xenon 27q HD 240 is a high-end OLED gaming monitor that offers impressive gaming performance and stunning visuals. With its 27-inch panel and QHD resolution, it provides a sharp and detailed display. OLED technology provides deep blacks, vibrant colors, and excellent contrast, making it a popular choice among gamers and content creators.

Design and Features

One of the standout features of the Corsair Xenon 27q HD 240 is its sleek and minimalist design. Unlike many high-end products, this monitor doesn’t rely on RGB LED lighting gimmicks. Instead, it focuses on delivering a clean and elegant look. The rear of the monitor features easily accessible ports, which are conveniently positioned for easy connectivity. The port selection includes one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and a USB hub with four Taipei ports. Additionally, the monitor’s stand offers excellent adjustability, including height, tilt, pivot, and swivel options.

Anti-Glare Coating

The Corsair model uses a matte anti-glare coating. This choice is reasonably controversial among OLED enthusiasts, some of whom prefer a glossy experience. However, in my review of the original LG model, I mentioned that I believe this is one of the better matte screen coatings. It is on the heavier side, so those who dislike any visible grain from the coating may not be huge fans. Nevertheless, it does an excellent job of eliminating reflections, reducing diffuse light, and preserving OLED blacks. In general, here are my thoughts on matte versus glossy:

• If you are using this display in a brightly lit room, if there are light sources directly in front of the display, or if you can’t control room lighting well with blinds, a matte coating for an OLED is preferable. The 27QHD240 looks great in these conditions.
• In a dimly lit room with ambient light or if you can optimize the lighting in the room by placing light sources behind the display or using blinds, a glossy finish is preferable, as it will look richer and clearer.
• In a dark room, such as gaming with the lights off, there is almost no difference between glossy and matte, with a slight advantage to glossy as it will have no grain related to the coating.

Subpixel and Burn-In

The W OLED subpixel array is not ideal for desktop use. I believe this is a more noticeable issue than with past W OLED displays due to the size and resolution of this panel. Previously, we had larger 42-inch panels at 4K, which weren’t typically viewed up close and may have used resolution scaling. However, with this panel being 27 inches and 1440p, I suspect people will be sitting closer and using 100% scaling, which exposes the issues with W OLED more significantly.

The main concern here is the use of an RWBG layout instead of the traditional RGB layout that operating systems expect when rendering text using modern subpixel rendering techniques. W OLED uses an additional white subpixel, which changes the way each color is rendered. For fine elements like text, this can cause blurriness and almost shadowing compared to a normal RGB subpixel LCD. Personally, I don’t think it looks very good, and it’s a noticeable downgrade in text quality compared to an LCD. As a result, I don’t think this monitor is well suited for desktop use or productivity work. This is further exacerbated by the risk of permanent burn-in when using an OLED for desktop use, which often involves static elements. While you shouldn’t be concerned about burning in with all subpixel layouts when using an OLED for content consumption like watching videos or playing games, if you have the same elements on the screen for a long period of time, such as the toolbar in an application, it will likely burn in over time. That’s why I don’t recommend OLED as a productivity monitor.

However, what helps to some degree is Corsair’s best-in-class warranty for their OLED monitor, which covers three years and includes burn-in coverage for the entire period. According to Corsair, both the LG and Asus monitors only have two-year warranties and don’t cover burn-in.

Performance

Response Time Performance

The Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 delivers exceptional motion performance, thanks to its OLED panel. With an average response time of 0.28 milliseconds and minimal overshoot, it provides smooth and blur-free gaming experiences. The monitor maintains excellent performance across different refresh rates, making it an ideal choice for both competitive multiplayer gaming and immersive single-player experiences.

Color Performance

The color performance of the Corsair Xenon 27q HD 240 is impressive, as expected from an OLED panel. It offers 97% DCI-P3 coverage, resulting in vibrant and accurate colors. Xenon 27q monitor’s factory calibration is commendable, especially in the sRGB mode, where it outperforms its competitors, such as the LG and Asus variants. However, it’s worth noting that there are some saturation and luminance issues in the HDR mode, leading to weaker color accuracy.

Brightness, Contrast, and Uniformity

One aspect where the Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 falls slightly behind its competitors is brightness. While it provides decent brightness for HDR content, its SDR brightness is noticeably lower compared to other OLED monitors using the same panel. This might impact the viewing experience in brightly lit environments. The monitor’s black levels are excellent, thanks to its OLED technology, which allows for true blacks by turning off individual pixels.

HDR Performance

The Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 delivers a great HDR experience, leveraging the inherent capabilities of OLED technology. OLED panels can individually control each pixel’s brightness, resulting in deep blacks and precise highlight details. Compared to LCD monitors with local dimming, OLEDs have an advantage in displaying clean HDR content with minimal blooming or haloing. However, the monitor’s HDR accuracy falls behind its competitors, with issues in eotf tracking and color performance.

HUB Essentials Checklist

The Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 checks several essential features on the HUB checklist. It offers HDMI 2.1 support, ensuring compatibility with the latest gaming consoles and high-bandwidth devices. The monitor also provides good factory calibration, surpassing the performance of the LG and Asus variants. However, the color space coverage is slightly lower than advertised. The monitor’s brightness reaches 450 nits, but it’s important to note that this applies to HDR and not SDR content.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Corsair Xenon 27QHD240 is a solid OLED gaming monitor with impressive motion performance and excellent gaming capabilities. It delivers stunning visuals and deep blacks thanks to its OLED panel. However, it falls short in terms of brightness, especially in SDR mode, compared to its competitors like the Asus variant. HDR accuracy and color performance could also benefit from improvements through firmware updates. Pricing plays a significant role in the purchase decision, and Corsair should aim to offer a competitive price point below the Asus model to attract buyers.

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