Cooler Master GM27-CF 165Hz Monitor Review: High Performance, High Value

High refresh and great contrast for only $300

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When considering the purchase of a budget gaming monitor, it’s important to prioritize the features that impact gameplay the most. Invariably, some things must be sacrificed to keep price down. What you’re willing to sacrifice determines the experience you’ll ultimately have. Adaptive-Sync and fast refresh have the most obvious effect on first-person shooters and sports games. And closely behind that is contrast and color accuracy. 

(Image credit: Cooler Master)

However, to get the most out of the GM27-CF, you’ll need to apply a few tweaks (see our recommended calibration settings on page 1). At minimum, the gamma should be changed from 2.2 to 2.0. And dialing in our recommended RGB and Contrast values will further improve the picture.

This is a budget monitor and will likely be paired with a budget system running a mid-priced video card, making its 1080p resolution appropriate. The 1500R curvature, meanwhile, didn't do much for the experience. This monitor is all about performance. The curve is just a little bonus.

Cooler Master is new to the monitor game, and we’re impressed with its first effort. For the price, the GM27-CF delivers excellent gaming performance, solid image quality and a good build. Shoppers looking to finish a budget gaming rig will certainly want to check it out.

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Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor