Iiyama ProLite XUB2792QSU-B1
Aside from its lack of USB-C, this is very nearly the perfect 27in monitor
SCORE
PRICE £215 (£258 inc VAT) from scan.co.uk
On the face of it, it might seem odd that we’re recommending this 1440p screen when Iiyama is selling a 4K monitor for almost exactly the same price. While the XU2792UHSU-B1 has its undoubted attractions, we think this more rounded monitor is a better choice.
For one, while you do notice a lift in sharpness when you move from a 1440p to a 4K 27in screen, the difference isn’t as big as you might expect. At standard viewing distances, 2,560 x 1,440 pixels don’t have any obvious fuzz.
If you’re willing to accept this argument, this monitor’s advantages start multiplying. For a start, it comes with a far superior stand than its sibling. There’s 130mm of height adjustment, support for portrait mode and 90° of swivel. Plus, it simply feels higher quality.
That extends to the all-round design, with slim bezels on three sides and a stylish “brushed metal” effect on the bottom bezel. Once you remove the marketing stickers from the front, you’ll like what you see. One of those stickers proclaims support for AMD’s FreeSync technology, and while both a 75Hz peak refresh rate and 5ms response time would make pro gamers snicker in amusement, they’re fine for casual use.
It’s as a workday monitor that this Iiyama excels, though, particularly if you head to Iiyama’s i-Style Standard colour profile. This locks brightness to 335cd/m2 and makes the most of the natural whites of the IPS panel; it covered 99.3% of the sRGB profile with an average Delta E of 0.28. While we would recommend wider gamut panels to anyone doing coloursensitive work, this is a great panel for the daily grind.
It helps that Iiyama comes close to hitting the sRGB target 6500K colour temperature while offering a fine contrast ratio (for an IPS screen) of 1,227:1. Colours pop.
We mourn the absence of USB-C and wish the speakers had a little more quality, but when you marry the image quality on offer with the low price, it becomes obvious why the XUB2792QSU-B1 steals the award away from its 4K rival.