When picking a monitor for the perfect gaming set-up, there are myriad available options. Smaller desk monitors and large-scale televisions can both be used to display PC and console output, so any brand looking to attract new customers needs a strong selling point. For the HyperX Armada 27 Gaming Monitor, convenience in how owners want to establish their gaming space is a key component.
HyperX began life as a gaming subsidiary for Kingston Technology Company before HP announced it would purchase the brand for $425 million in February 2021. As with other peripheral developers, HyperX creates a suite of products including headsets, keyboards, mice, and charging stations, but the Armada lineup announced on August 24 represents its first foray into the monitor market. The $499.99 HyperX Armada 27 is bigger and more powerful than the Armada 25 model, which is priced $50 lower. Yet both are advertised on the inclusion of a desk mount that's the star of the show, letting users adjust their free-floating Armada monitors - and similar devices - however they please.
HyperX Armada Gaming Monitor
- Screen Size
- 27 inches
- Resolution
- 2560x1440 QHD
- Max. Refresh Rate
- 165 hz
- Brand
- HyperX
Technically, the capabilities of the HyperX Armada 27 are as strong as one might expect from a new peripheral released in 2022. It has a native 2560x1440 QHD resolution, adding fidelity over the 1920x1080 FHD resolution of the Armada 25 (consequently the Armada 27 has a lower maximum refresh rate at 165 Hz compared to its lower-end cousin's 240 Hz). It's hard to say casual observers would be able to tell the difference, though both monitors also boast compatibility with Nvidia's G-Sync technology to boost performance.
One thing users will notice is how well the Armada 27 displays color. Its standard settings are vibrant, and particularly effective when playing games that thrive on their colorful environments like Epic Games' Fortnite. As with most modern devices, users have easy access to a menu via a knob on the back-right side of the monitor. Here they can adjust finite settings, be it switching between a few color presets like "warm," "cool," "gaming," and "cinema," or inputting RGB levels and details like brightness or contrast.
These impressive visuals complement how much screen real estate users receive. The HyperX Armada 27 can easily fit four windows without losing access to text details, and this 16:9 display portrays the large, impressive landscapes in a game like Santa Monica Studio's God of War (2018) beautifully. With a display port and two HDMI ports available, users can swap between inputs from their PC and consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch through the menu knob. HyperX's technical specs also boast a 1 ms GtG response time with OD active, which should benefit any active device.
One of the few problems a user might have with the Armada 27 is adjusting to its shape. Monitors like the Acer Nitro XZ322QU are curved, presenting a concave screen that is meant to wrap around the user's eyes for greater immersion. The HyperX Armada 27 is flat with a 178-degree viewing angle, but its screen is large enough that it gives the illusion of being convex. Users can get used to this over time, but one may find themselves sliding a window from the right to the left side of the screen to make it easier for outside observers to read a document.
Luckily, the benefits of HyperX's Armada Gaming Mount help mitigate this issue. The Armada 27 comes packaged with a single mount that can fit two of its ergonomic arms at a time. Each arm protrudes relatively far from the mount, which could make it difficult for some to find a comfortable space if their desk is full of devices and other knick-knacks. Yet it also has a 180-degree swivel range, can lift up to around 31.2 cm, and can rotate on its hinge 90 degrees, so there's room to experiment. Altogether the Armada Mount and a single Armada 27 monitor weigh less than 20 pounds, making it fairly portable too.
Users who are looking to really invest in their gaming space can also purchase the Armada Gaming Mount add-on, allowing upwards of four 25-inch monitors to be displayed at once (though each mount only supports about 20 pounds of weight, according to HyperX). The single mount will be available separate from HyperX's monitors for $109.99, with the add-on being $79.99. While the collective package boasts a "quick-release system" to detach a HyperX monitor, the arm is compatible with "most displays with VESA 75 mm and 100 mm patterns."
The benefits of this system should be clear, giving users the choice between a single hanging display or a multi-device wall with malleable screen placement - the option to align multiple devices is even included under the "Gaming" menu tab that first appears when messing with the back knob. Because of the arm's adjustable nature, users could even keep their gaming display separate while the HyperX Armada 27 is flipped to present a vertical screen. Streamers in particular may be interested in an Armada 27 just to keep their Twitch or Discord chat logs on a large and colorful canvas.
Whether the free nature of HyperX's Armada Gaming Mount will be worth a $499.99 investment in a company's first major monitor will be up to each prospective buyer. However, the higher-end Armada 27 certainly seems to provide technical specs that are up-to-snuff with modern sensibilities, and its ease of use with the brand's associated mount will do wonders for those who just want to set it and forget it. It appears HyperX is preparing to make a splash, despite the crowded market it's entering.
The HyperX Armada 27 Gaming Monitor releases in September 2022 for $499.99. Game Rant was provided a unit for this review.