1.Pricing and specs2.Setup and design quality3.Picture quality4.Competition5.Scorecard6.Should you buy it?

The thing is, the more features a gaming monitor has, the more expensive it tends to be.

For those of us watching our wallets, getting a great gaming monitor can be a complication.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor backside.

The Monoprice Dark Matter has a very simple design that looks good in any room.

It’s not perfect, but it is a fantastic option to choose from.

Disclaimer: This review was made possible thanks to a review unit provided by Monoprice.

The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.

27-inch | IPS |QHD | 165Hz | 2ms (OD)

So, having a starting price of half, that really makes this a good budget buy.

So, it offers a good range of features for the price.

It has an MSRP of $199.99, but can often be found on sale for less.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor buttons.

There are five buttons on the bottom right side of the monitor.

you might buy it directly from Monoprice.

This monitor does require some assembly after opening the box, but the process was incredibly simple.

Then you’re all ready to start plugging in cables before turning the monitor on.

Diablo 4 on ultrawide monitor.

That being the case, the monitor can wobble a bit.

Typically, the more connections and features a display has, the more it costs.

This minimalist look once more helps maintain the simple design that makes the monitor look so good.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor screw base.

Dark Matter gaming monitor assembly requires screwing the base to the stand.(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

It will look at home in any office, gaming space, or room.

The picture quality got even better after toggling VRR on from the OSD, unsurprisingly.

These are far from the best results, but they are still respectable.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor stand screws.

The Dark Matter stand must be secured to the monitor via two included screws.(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

So, I was surprised to find that the Dark Matter has a 2W speaker built into it.

This speaker is decently clear, but it cannot get very loud at all.

If that’s you, then you should check out our list of thebest budget gaming monitors.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor base rubber pads.

There are rubber nubs on the bottom of the base to prevent the Dark Matter from sliding around.(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

It offers 4K resolution up to a 160Hz refresh rate, and a fast 1ms response time.

Plus, they tend to have fast response times and high refresh rates.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch: Scorecard

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch: Should you buy?

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor base.

The Dark Matter doesn’t have the sturdiest stand, but it should work as long as you don’t put pressure on the display.(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

Plus, the screws and screwdriver are included, so you don’t have to supply anything yourself.

It only takes a few minutes to get everything set up.

It will look right at home in a gaming den, office, or any other room.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor ports.

There are two HDMI 2.0 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4.

Because of this, details can easily get lost when playing your games.

If adjusting your gaming monitor stand is important for you, then you might need to find another option.

The Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch is the budget answer to your gaming monitor needs.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor playing Hogwarts Legacy.

It was hard to see some details in darker scenes while playing games like Hogwarts Legacy. My camera picked up more detail than I could see in real life.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor colorimeter results.

In SpyderX color gamut test, the Monoprice Dark Matter produced 99% of sRGB, 79% of AdobeRGB, 84% of P3.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor playing Cyberpunk 2077.

It was likewise hard to see details in darker scenes while playing Cyberpunk 2077.

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Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor on table.

The Monoprice Dark Matter is a decent gaming monitor for the low price.

Monoprice Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor.

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