Iiyama G-Master G2730HSU-B1 Review

Item: Iiyama G-Master G2730HSU-B1 Review
Author: Matthew Lambert

Written by Matthew Lambert

September 15, 2017 | 17:00

Tags: #1080p #freesync #gaming-monitor #monitor

Companies: #amd #iiyama

Manufacturer: Iiyama
UK price (as reviewed): £189.98 (inc. VAT)
US price (as reviewed): Currently unavailable

We've already reviewed this monitor's smaller brother, the G2530HSU-B1, and found it to be a competent, great value screen. The latter description already seems to apply to the £190 G2730HSU-B1, as there are few if any 27” 1080p displays out there that also have FreeSync and come in at under £200. Let's see how it fares on the competency front, then.

Some people may find 27” to be a poor match for a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution; for us, the low pixel density puts it just at the edge of acceptable sharpness. With static images and even things like desktop icons, you will notice it more, but it's less of a problem with moving images and games, and in those scenarios it's actually quite satisfying looking at such a large area. Beyond these specifications, the TN panel offers a claimed 1ms response time and 1,000:1 static contrast ratio.

The refresh rate caps out at a slightly higher than usual 75Hz, with AMD FreeSync supported between 48Hz and 75Hz. This is a rather narrow range, and not large enough to enable Low Framerate Compensation (LFC), so if your games dip below 48 fps, you're at risk of seeing tear and stutter. Regardless, FreeSync is a great feature to have; as we've said before, investment for a G-Sync screen is far higher (i.e. £350 or above).

The G2730HSU-B1 comes in three pieces: the base, the stand, and the display. The assembly is very simple and uses just two pre-attached screws. However, the simplicity carries over into the range of physical adjustments, as this monitor only support tilt (22° up, 5° down). Like its smaller sibling, this is made worse by the screen sitting so close to the base. Your only options for height adjustment are a separate monitor stand (or books) or to make use of the VESA 100 x 100 mount on the back.

While it's predominantly a plastic affair, the screen is still quite smart looking and keeps bezels around the top three sides to an absolute minimum, although there is a thin, black in-plane border around the display edge too. There's a subtle brushed metal effect on the base and lower bezel as well.

You get one apiece of HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA for display connectivity, with FreeSync and the 75Hz refresh rate supported only over the first two. There's also an integrated USB hub, but the ports face downwards at the back and are limited to USB 2.0 speeds, which reduces their utility. Finally, you have both line-in and line-out connectors allowing you to play sounds through the terrible in-built speakers or, more importantly, hijack the audio connection from the HDMI/DisplayPort inputs and use it with a better speaker system. USB, audio, and HDMI cables are provided; a DisplayPort one is not.

The menu is navigated with six buttons along the bottom; these feel a little tacky, but they function fine. Front-facing symbols tell you what you're pressing, although they're not always clear. As well as the power and main menu buttons, you have shortcuts to i-Style modes (specific colour settings for different game types that are best left disabled), Eco modes for energy saving, volume, and display input.

The menu itself is relatively easy to navigate. Other display options include overdrive control to limit ghosting, with settings ranging from -2 to 2 and the default being 0. There's a Blue Light Reducer as well as a Black Tuner to help bring details out of shadows. Colour settings include Cool, Normal, and Warm, though the default is the User mode where all RGB values are set to 100 percent. Lastly, there are three gamma presets – 1.8, 2.2 (default), and 2.6.