HyperX, a manufacturer of gaming accessories, introduces a novelty for gaming monitors: monitors packaged with an arm rather than a conventional stand. It’s not a novel concept; some business monitors have long offered a comparable option but it’s new for gaming, and PC gamers frequently mount their monitors on arms, so on that level it makes sense. The new HyperX Armada 27, however, doesn’t make a compelling case for itself over purchasing them separately unless you really like the convenience of having everything in one box and possibly a tool-free setup. Although the monitor and arm are both excellent, the price of the set seems excessive.
Pricing and Availability
In September, everything is expected to arrive. The price difference between the 25-inch Armada 25 and the 27-inch Armada 27 is $500. The Armada Single Gaming Mount costs $110, and the Armada Addon Gaming Mount (for dual 27-inch or quad 25-inch monitor setups) costs $80. You can also purchase the mounts separately. Prices specific to the UK or Australia are not yet available.
Nearly all monitors with similar specifications to the Armada 27 cost less than $350. These specifications include 165Hz, 2,560×1,440 pixels, a 95% P3 or greater colour gamut, and support for at least 400-nit HDR. And that’s with extras like speakers occasionally and USB hubs, both of which this one lacks. It’s also puzzling that the monitor doesn’t even have a speaker jack, especially given that HyperX is known for its gaming headsets.
Design
The Armada 27 has a very simple overall design, much like the NZXT Canvas 27 we recently reviewed. On the back is a HyperX logo with some glossy plastic channels that resemble the HyperX logo; there is no RGB, no crazy plastic shrouds, and it has relatively thin bezels and chin.
The included monitor arm, which makes it incredibly simple to mount the monitor in a gaming or productivity setup, is by far one of the standout features. The Armada 27 costs $499 for the monitor and included arm, which is more expensive than some competitors.
Ins and Outs
The variety of ins and outs behind the panel distinguishes the NZXT Canvas 27 from the HyperX Armada 27 in a significant way. The monitors in the HyperX Armada lineup have two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port. Just those three inputs, no USB ports or audio outputs.
Monitor Arm
While I liked the stand on the NZXT Canvas 27, the HyperX Armada 27’s built-in monitor arm is a welcome addition. Monitor arms are a great option for positioning multiple displays precisely where they need to be when setting up a multiple display setup. A desk mount and an arm that slides over the top of the mount are both provided with the Armada arm. This makes it simple to use the same desk mount with a second monitor arm for a different display.
Display
The HyperX Armada 27 is a fantastic choice for mid-tier gaming with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 1 ms response time, and 165 Hz refresh rate. The display showed 97% sRGB when checked with the Datacolor Spyer X checker. The NZXT Canvas 27 achieved 100% sRGB, in contrast. I was also taken aback by the fact that the calibrated image from the Spyder X was a little bit more saturated than the typical colour profile, indicating that the colour was initially a little flatter than usual. The gaming colour profile is definitely oversaturated, as are gaming monitors in general, but the standard was surprisingly flat.
One of the Armada 27’s standout features may be its maximum brightness of 400 nits, which is a full 100 nits brighter than the NZXT Canvas 27.
Performance
The Armada has a surprising vibrant colour. It typically covers about 92% of the P3 gamut, striking its 95% spec with HDR turned on, as long as you’re not in the default Standard mode. The majority of the modes have gamma values close to 2.2, contrast in the range of 1,000:1, and colour temperatures close enough to 6,500K (anything within 200K is acceptable for all but the most colour-critical work). Its brightness is within the DisplayHDR 400 target range, and it displays excellent uniformity with no noticeable backlight artefacts.
However, the modes are a little strange. For instance, the majority of consumer monitors automatically select the sharpest image. Although I could understand it if the Armada’s colour performance wasn’t as good in P3 as it is in sRGB, it is actually quite good. If you reduce the brightness from 90 to somewhere around 70, Vivid, which is typically one of the least accurate settings on monitors, is probably the best option.
Is it good for gaming?
The Armada 27 is a fantastic mid-range display for gaming. I almost never go higher than 1440p, and the 165Hz mix is perfect for the games I play.
The Armada 27 did well to keep motion very smooth using the UFO monitor test to visualise refresh rate and test image ghosting and blurring. The response time can be changed from 1 to 5 from the menu, which, in theory, should sharpen the motion from the UFO test. In actual use, I only noticed a slight improvement in the brightness of the image between 1 and 5.
Verdict
Comparing the HyperX Armada 27 to rival NZXT and other, significantly less expensive monitors, $500 seems a bit excessive. It’s challenging to suggest it over something more cost-effective. Nevertheless, everything functions flawlessly on the Armada 27. The colour was more pleasing out of the box than on most oversaturated gaming monitors, and the image is clear, bright, and crisp. In my opinion, the included monitor arm is a significant improvement over a typical monitor stand. It can also get brighter than most other monitors in this class, reaching 400 nits.
