If you haven’t had the opportunity to game on a good G-sync or FreeSync monitor, I highly recommend the experience. That being said the barrier to entry of getting one of these monitors can be pretty substantial. Enter the Pixio PX277 a budget FreeSync monitor available with 1440p, 144Hz, 4ms response time, and an IPS panel.
All of this for under $400 seems like a steal when compared to the rest of the market, but how does it stack up? We’ll be taking a look at the Pixio PX277 FreeSync monitor to let you know whether it’s a value buy or something you should avoid.
Pixio PX277 FreeSync Monitor IPS Panel and Testing
Right off the bat, I thought I’d mention that the Pixio PX277 uses the same panel as the Acer XB271HU and the Asus PG279Q Monitor which cost several hundred dollars more. I also tested for frame skipping, white uniformity, and gradient color banding with this monitor. This monitor passed with flying colors.
I also tested for ghosting and didn’t notice any issue. While the pixel response time was advertised at 4ms my panel did come in more like 8ms.
Backlight Glow
Like any IPS panel, a little bit of backlight glow is to be expected. On the model I was sent I did notice a little bit on the bottom right corner of the screen. This glow wasn’t visible during regular gaming sessions unless I had the lights turned completely off with an all black screen.
Factory Settings
Out of the box, this monitor needed some tuning. It looked a bit dark and the colors weren’t that amazing. With the AMD onscreen display I was able to improve this easily and as I put this monitor up to my other displays I don’t really notice any difference.
FreeSync Range and Gaming
This monitor is advertised as being 55Hz to 144Hz. Low Framerate compensation support is available on this monitor so no stuttering issues were found with V-Sync.
What is it like to game on a FreeSync monitor? Using FreeSync is really a lot like G-Sync. We tested on Rise of the TombRaider on DX11 and DX12 and didn’t notice any screen tearing even with frame rates in the 30’s. All of this was done using DisplayPort 1.2.
Stand
The monitor is one area that I didn’t love for this monitor. With only tilt and a slight wobble, it certainly wasn’t my favorite. In addition, it wasn’t completely level with that stand. Getting an aftermarket one like the Nixius one or simply a VESA mount would improve the experience of this monitor overall. An aftermarket stand, will give you additional options for pivot as well as other adjustments.
Additional Specifications
Final Thoughts on the Pixio PX277 FreeSync Monitor
Overall, the stand was the only major issue I had with this monitor. For that reason, it’s one of the easier recommendations I can make. You won’t find any other similar monitors in the under $400 price range. If you’re wondering how Pixio keeps the price it’s so low, it comes down to a few reasons. First is that they used third-party sourcing for the stand and shroud. In addition, they don’t use any middle man. If you’re wondering, no B-graded panels or circuitry were used in its production.
That’s all we have on this monitor. Again, I highly recommend it for the price. Let me know your thoughts about it below.