HyperX Armada 27 Gaming Monitor Review

HyperX Armada 27 Review – All gaming and non-gaming monitors come with a desk stand, but most of them are bulky and take a lot of space on the desk. My ACER XB271HU, for example, comes with a stand that has big, wide legs. While many have replaced these bulky desk stands with monitor arms, there are still those who haven’t

This is because it can be daunting to pick the right monitor arm: What brand should I go for? Will it support my monitor? Is it easy to set up? Is it really necessary? And many other reasons.

If you are searching for a new 27″ gaming monitor and want to declutter your desk at the same time with the right monitor arm, you’ll be pleased with the HyperX Armada 27. It is the first gaming monitor to include a monitor arm inside its packaging.

HyperX Armada 27 Gaming Monitor Review – Packaging

The product is very well-packaged. In fact, I’m sending this monitor overseas because I’m very confident in its packaging protection. Every component is properly protected, and there is extra padding for the monitor screen itself at the bottom of the box.

HyperX Armada 27 Gaming Monitor Review – Installation / Setup

Setting up the monitor with the included arm is fairly simple and straightforward. I especially like the clip-on mechanism to attach the monitor to the mount, without the need for screws.

HyperX Armada 27 Technical Specifications

Display Specifications

• Panel Size,: 27”
• Panel Type,: IPS
• Viewing Angle,: 178°
• Aspect Ratio,: 16:9
• Native Resolution,: QHD (2560 x 1440)
• Variable Refresh Rate Range,: 48 – 165Hz
• Contrast Ratio,: 1000:1
• Brightness,: 400 nits
• Max Response Time,: 1ms GtG (with overdrive)
• Color Gamut,: 95% DCI-P3
• Color Depth,: 8 bit
• Inputs,: 2 HDMI 2.0; 1 DisplayPort™ 1.4

Mount and Arm Physical Specifications

• Hinge Tilt Range,: 25° ~ +60°
• Hinge Rotate Range,: ±90°
• Hinge Swivel Range,: ±90°
• Column Height Range,: 25.5cm (10.0in)
• Compatible Display Sizes,: ≤ 32”
• Monitor Weight Capacity,: ≤9.1kg (20lbs) per arm
• Mount and Arm (Assembled) Dimensions,: 21.54 x 17.60 x 5.12in
• Mount and Arm Weight,: 4.8kg (10.6lbs)
• Accessories,: Gaming Monitor, Monitor Arm, Quick Start Guide, 1x HyperX red DisplayPort 1.4 cable, 1x black HDMI 2.0 cable, 1x power cable, 1x VESA mounting bracket, 4x VESA mounting bracket screws, 4x VESA monitor thumb screws, 2x grommet mounting plates, 1x grommet mounting screw, 2x hex keys

HyperX Armada 27 Gaming Monitor Review – Design and Features

HyperX Armada 27 is a QHD 27-inch IPS monitor with a 2560×1440 resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and DisplayHDR 400. It is also NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible, and I’ve been using the monitor with my RTX 3080 to work and play games without any issues.

While setting the monitor up on the arm, you’ll also appreciate the included cable management alongside the arm to tuck your cables neatly.

The arm that’s visible from your eyes is pretty slim, and the table mount only requires a bit of square space on your desk. Mounted this way, you get plenty of workspace so you can place a desktop microphone or other desk accessories comfortably.

I can definitely have a neater setup than the photo you see above, but unfortunately my desktop PC sits on the other end of the table so I have that DisplayPort cable dangling around a bit. If your PC sits on the floor or not too far from the monitor, you can definitely achieve that perfect, clutter-free setup.

For input, the monitor has two HDMI 2.0 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4 – which I find more than enough for my needs. I use the DisplayPort for my Gaming Desktop PC but I also have two spare HDMI ports to plug my work laptop in. Note that these HDMI ports are not HDMI 2.1 though, which supports up to 4K at 240Hz refresh rate so you might not actually want to plug your PS5 into this monitor if you want higher refresh rates.

To change the monitor settings, you can fiddle with the little joystick at the back of the monitor. The menu will be displayed on-screen, where you can easily navigate and make selections visually.

The monitor has 400 nits of brightness in standard mode, but you can obviously get higher brightness in HDR (which I’m somewhat never a fan of).

HyperX Armada 27 Review – Gaming Experience

For me, a 27″ monitor with a 2560×1440 resolution hits the sweet spot. The size is not too large that my eyes would feel overwhelmed, and the 1440p resolution means that the graphics card does not need to work too hard on delivering higher-quality graphics.

The Armada 27, sadly, only has a 165Hz refresh rate compared to its smaller sibling, the Armada 25, which has a 240Hz refresh rate. I came from a 144Hz refresh rate gaming monitor, so I have no complaints with a slight upgrade to 165Hz. However, you may want to consider that modern gaming monitors out there already surpass the Armada 27 by a mile. For casual gaming (I play Overwatch 2 most of the time), 144Hz or 165Hz is good enough, in my opinion. But if you are gaming competitively, you might want to browse for gaming monitors with higher refresh rates.

In terms of image quality, sharpness of texture, colour, and brightness, the Armada 27 doesn’t disappoint. Colours are vibrant, and I never felt any latency while playing fast-paced, online first-person shooter games like Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty.

HyperX Armada 27 Review Conclusion

Okay, so here is the thing. I really love the HyperX Armada 27, which has now become my primary gaming monitor. It’s clearly an upgrade from my ACER XB271HU, which only has a 144Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time. The Armada 27 supports a 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, and it also comes with a really nice, sturdy monitor arm with cable management. It has slim bezels and vibrant, sharp image quality.

Sure, its included stand doesn’t come with a USB Hub, and the monitor has no built-in speakers like the BenQ EX2780EQ, but for gaming performance and image quality, it is a really good gaming monitor – unless you want higher refresh rates, resolutions, and extra features.

The HyperX Armada 27 retails at A$779, so if you are looking for a new gaming monitor, do weigh your options – especially if you already have a monitor stand or arm of your own (as you can definitely get a gaming monitor with better specs at that price).

Disclosure: HyperX Armada 27 review sample was supplied for reviewing