I have been impressed by recent Hisense TVs. But the Chinese firm is also moving into premium gaming monitors. Its latest G7H Mini-LED Gaming Monitor is a fine example of Hisense tapping its Mini-LED expertise in a different, albeit related product segment. It checks the boxes for picture quality, and has the gaming specs to satisfy its target audience. There's room for improvement, of course, but the G7H is a solid contender, especially with its attractive pricing.
Quick specs
- 2,560 x 1,440 pixels resolution
- 165Hz refresh rate (170Hz when overclocked)
- 27-inch IPS panel, up to 600 nits brightness
- Connectivity: 2x HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, audio jack
Mini-LED screens are generally better at blacks than a standard LED monitor. The G7H has 576 local dimming zones, which is comparable to the number offered by the Acer Predator X32 FP, a 32-inch Mini-LED monitor. Unsurprisingly, the G7H performs better than the Acer when it comes to blooming and halo effects. Subtitles are clean. Black levels look good — deep and inky, almost like an OLED. Colours, too, are vibrant, thanks to the use of quantum dot technology. The 1,440p resolution is good enough for the 27-inch screen size. It's also VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified, and HDR videos on Netflix certainly look better with brighter highlights than the average monitor. Just don't expect it to eclipse a good HDR TV, though.
For gamers, the G7H's 165Hz refresh rate is good, if not quite as fast as the 240Hz and faster monitors that's out in the market. Personally, I think 165Hz (or 170Hz when you enable the overclocking setting) is more than adequate for most users. AMD FreeSync Premium is available to reduce screen tearing. The monitor's matte finish keeps reflections to a minimum, and viewing angles are great due to its IPS nature. You can enable a crosshair overlay in the settings, but this unnecessary (in my opinion) feature is about the extent of the gaming settings available. Oh, and you can turn on the ambient lighting feature (see photo below, five lighting schemes are available) to get you in the mood. I have no complaints about the build quality. It's plastic but sturdy enough. And there's tilt, swivel, and height adjustment. You can also rotate the screen to portrait orientation.
However, Hisense could do better on the connectivity front. Yes, the G7H is advertised as a gaming monitor, and it satisfies that criteria with two HDMI 2.1 ports (up to 144Hz), and a DisplayPort. But there are no USB ports of any sort. Since most users would probably use the G7H as a monitor for work or school, I feel it's a glaring omission. A USB-C port with power delivery would have been nice for those using the monitor with a modern laptop. The G7H also doesn't have any built-in speakers, which isn't a big loss as such speakers usually sound mediocre. Instead, you'll find a 3.5mm audio output.
The Hisense G7H is now selling at S$829 in Singapore. This may seem expensive compared with other 27-inch gaming monitors. Acer, for example, has a 27-inch, 170Hz IPS gaming monitor for S$600. But while the Acer is competitive with the G7H for gaming, the Hisense's Mini-LED technology means it should surpass the Acer in picture quality. In fact, Mini-LED monitors, which often come in 32-inch 4K variants such as the Acer Predator X32 FP, generally cost over a thousand dollars. It just means that the Hisense G7H offers great value, especially if you don't mind its lack of USB ports. Get it now at Lazada and Shopee.
Note: Review unit provided by Hisense.
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