Lenovo Q27H-10
USB Type-C connectivity for a reasonable price
EXPERIENCED the sweet simplicity of single-cable USB Type-C? Then you won’t want to go back to the rats’ nest of cables running between your laptop and monitor that is conventional display-andperipheral connectivity. It’s a pity, then, that USB-C tends to add a lot to the price.
Until recently, that is. The new Lenovo Q27H-10 is one of a new breed of more affordable USB Type-C enabled screens. On paper, it ticks an awful lot of boxes. There’s a quality IPS panel, quad-HD 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution, slim-bezel design, and the reassurance of one of the best brands in computing.
Indeed, with pricing that’s been as low as $259, the Lenovo Q27H-10 looks good value even without USB-C docking. As we write, the price has jumped up to $299, which probably reflects supply line shortages blighting the whole tech sector.
Inevitably, however, that affordability comes with certain limitations. For starters, this is not a monitor aimed at serious content creators who need extensive color coverage. Lenovo doesn’t even quote coverage of either Adobe RGB or DCI-P3, only indicating that the Q27H-10 is good for 99 percent of the sRGB gamut. Indeed, sRGB is the only standardized gamut preset offered by the OSD menu.
Similarly, you don’t get any kind of HDR support. Of course, most monitors that claim HDR capability don’t live up to that. There are few PC monitors with proper local dimming capability. So we prefer this monitor’s straightforward honestly.
What you might not appreciate quite so much is the tilt-only stand. It’s a slightly odd limitation given that the super-slim bezels and slick chassis look and feel like a big bucket of bitcoin. This monitor has the desk presence of something twice the price, and it doesn’t give the impression of corner-cutting in any other regard.
The rest of the detail specifications include 350cd/m2 of claimed brightness, 1,000:1 contrast, and 4ms response performance. As for refresh rate, at this price point, and given the unambiguous productivity remit, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that we’re talking 60Hz.
Rounding out the speed and feeds, the aforementioned USB Type-C interface supports up to 65 watts of charging power for your laptop, which is adequate but won’t be able to keep a really powerful desktop replacement fully juiced under heavy load. Conventional DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity is also provided.
But what of image quality? This is unapologetically an SDR panel with limited color coverage, and thus it comes with relatively modest expectations. Even then, it slightly undershoots in terms of pure punch and vibrancy. Subjectively, the experience is not quite what you would expect from a 350cd/m2 panel. It is, however, a pretty well-calibrated screen, with natural tones and a neutral color temperature. The only obvious exception is a little compression in darker tones where some detail can be lost. But that’s being very critical in the context of this panel’s remit. Only serious content creators will likely be bothered by that limitation.
Elsewhere, you get excellent viewing angles and good if not outstanding contrast. Then there’s pixel density. At this price point, you could have a cheap 4K panel without USB-C connectivity. That would make for sharper text and more detail, but worse connectivity and desk ergonomics. Ultimately, you make your choice with that. If you want 4K and USB-C in a single screen, you’ll pay far more.
As an all-round proposition, then, the Lenovo Q27H-10 has plenty of appeal. If you’re happy with QHD, this is a nice monitor for the money.