Hi everybody, SpookyFairy here. In this video, I’m sharing my first impressions of the TCL 27G64. This is a 27-inch, QHD (1440p), 180Hz QD-Mini LED monitor.
As always, I’m not a professional expert, just a gamer sharing my thoughts. What I see might be different for you, and I’m just basing this on my own experience.
Prefer watching a video, here you go..
Key Specs & Features
First, the important stuff. This is a “Fast HVA” panel. It’s 8-bit + FRC, not native 10-bit and has HDR 600.
A huge plus for console gamers: it has two HDMI 2.1 ports. It also has a DisplayPort and a headphone jack, but no USB ports, which means probably no firmware updates.
I also really like the stand. It’s flat and doesn’t take up a lot of space, unlike those V-shaped “gamer” legs. You can actually put stuff on it. It also has great ergonomics—height, tilt, and vertical rotation.
PS5 Compatibility Test
I hooked up my PlayStation 5, and the news is great. The PS5 immediately detected it and asked to test 1440p output. I ran through all the tests, and it supports everything: 1440p at 120Hz, with HDR, and with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) all working. So, for a PS5 monitor, it’s fully compatible.
The Big One: Black Smearing & Response Time
Okay, this is what everyone wants to know about with a VA panel. How bad is the black smearing?
I ran the tests, and here’s the deal:
- On the “Fastest” response time setting, it’s weird. In the UFO test, I didn’t see traditional black smearing, but a strange whitish trail. In games, I could definitely notice something. And in the Windows UI at 180Hz, you can still see black smearing on this setting.
- I would not use the “Fastest” setting. If you’re a competitive gamer who needs pixel-perfect precision, this isn’t the monitor for you. An IPS will be a better choice.
- BUT… as soon as I switched to the “Fast” setting, the black smearing was gone. I mean, I couldn’t notice any smearing at all in games.
Conclusion: For general and single-player gaming, just put it on “Fast” and you’re good to go. It’s great. For competitive esports, I’d skip this.
Black Levels & Blooming (This Surprised Me!)
This is a VA panel, so the blacks are already deeper than an IPS. Compared to my LG IPS, the TCL shows a very dark gray while the IPS is just light gray. It’s a huge difference.
Now, this monitor only has 180 local dimming zones, which is low. I was worried about this. But honestly? I think I prefer it.
I used to have the Xiaomi 27-inch monitor, which had way more zones (over 1100), and it annoyed me to hell. With the Xiaomi, my cursor would have a bright halo around it on a dark background, and it was super distracting. On this TCL, that problem is gone. Because it has fewer zones, it doesn’t try to be “OLED-like” and fail. You get very good, deep blacks without the annoying blooming artifacts. I’ll take that trade-off.
Final First Impressions
After testing it, I’m really happy.
- The Good: The uniformity is amazing—no dead pixels, no vertical banding. The colors really pop, especially on the “Standard” setting (I prefer it over sRGB). The matte finish is great at handling reflections. And the black levels are a massive step up from any IPS.
- The Bad: The “Fastest” response time is a no-go for me. The HDR 600 is just “good,” not amazing. And the lack of a USB port for updates is a bummer.
Verdict: For the price, this is a very good screen. If you’re a single-player or general gamer and want blacks that are way better than an IPS, this is a great choice. You just have to accept that you can’t use the “Fastest” response time.