Driven largely by the growing popularity of esports, many universities are looking for a gaming monitor to meet the unique requirements of gamers, multitaskers and graphic design students. The Lenovo Legion Y27gq-20 fits the bill, with high refresh rates and fast response times. This 27-inch monitor with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology delivers blazingly fast performance and design features that could provide a competitive edge.
At 109 pixels per inch, the Legion touts sharp images without scaling. The NearEdgeless QHD anti-glare screen is easily viewable from virtually any angle. When the monitor is in landscape mode, the viewing angle is a generous 170 degrees, thanks in part to active-matrix technology. Because of its large viewable screen, instructors can help students while maintaining healthy social distancing protocols when in-person instruction resumes more widely across the country.
An Esports Interface That Is Easy to Control
Users can control the interface with six buttons on the lower right front of the monitor — the power button and five others that provide shortcuts to game settings (such as profiles, overdrive and on-screen frame rate), input toggle, on-screen refresh rate options, brightness and color settings, and the main on-screen display menu.
These convenient controls allow schools to accommodate each student’s needs. For example, while a student in a video game design class might prefer her screen brightness set to high and require extreme frame rates when testing a video game, a student in a 3D modeling and animation class might prefer the lowest brightness level.
MORE ON EDTECH: Here's 3 factors to consider when developing a college esports program.
A Gaming Screen With Plenty of Inputs
There are three USB ports: one under the monitor and two on the left side. There is a 3.5-mm audio input on the left, which can connect to headphones and headsets for TRS and TRRS output, respectively, providing headsets with 24-bit/48-kilohertz microphone input.
I plugged in a gaming headset during testing, and once I mixed the sounds, the audio was wonderful. A 2.5-inch retractable headphone hook is hidden on the left side of the monitor.
Adjustable Monitor For Maximum Gaming Comfort
The monitor’s stand has a metal base that looks stylish and tough. When it comes to setup and placement options, the Legion offers a lot of flexibility. The monitor attaches to a cylindrical post that is 13 inches tall and about 2 inches in diameter. The monitor can be raised and lowered to the user’s preferred height. It can also tilt up to 30 degrees, swivel and rotate 180 degrees.
For Video Gameplay, 1 Millisecond Matters
There are several notable features about Lenovo’s Legion Y27gq-20 gaming monitor. It leaves a relatively small footprint on the desk, allowing users to simply push their keyboards forward and guide them onto the base. Unless I’m doing some heavy keyboarding, I tend to leave my keyboard on the base because it neatly frees up desktop space in front of me. The monitor itself can even be turned 90 degrees for portrait mode, which would be ideal for designing or testing mobile applications, working on standard-size documents or displaying digital signage in the front office.
In computer monitors with active-matrix technology, such as the Legion Y27gq-20, each pixel is controlled by one to four transistors, producing a brighter and more colorful screen capable of 16.7 million colors. Active-matrix technology also updates the screen faster. In fact, the Legion clocks in at a blazing 1 millisecond in extreme mode with a 165-hertz refresh rate. In situations where even 1 ms can mean the difference between victory and defeat, this feature greatly benefits gaming clubs and esports teams.
With anything above a 120Hz refresh rate, one would struggle to notice a difference — so with a 165Hz refresh rate, gameplay on the Legion is smooth to say the least. (In fact, gameplay on Call of Duty: Warzone was uniquely smooth.) Keep in mind that one will only see the benefits of high refresh rates if the PC is fast enough to push the game past 60 frames per second.
SPECIFICATIONS
SCREEN: 27 inches (diagonal)
RESOLUTION: 2560x1440
IMAGE BRIGHTNESS: 350 candela per square meter
REFRESH RATE: 165Hz (max resolution)
CONNECTIVITY: DisplayPort, HDMI
