My Once-Proud 1440p Monitor Just Got Dethroned by a Budget Rival: KTC H27T22C-3
▼ Summary
– The author reflects on the progression of monitor refresh rates, from once being satisfied with 60 Hz to now using a 144 Hz model.
– A new budget 1440p gaming monitor, the KTC H27T22C-3, has been named the best in its category, replacing the previous 165 Hz Pixio PXC277 Advanced.
– The KTC monitor offers a significantly higher refresh rate of 210 Hz, which is 46% faster than the author’s current 144 Hz display.
– Despite KTC not being a well-known brand, the monitor performs well in fundamentals, with great colors, decent HDR, and effective overdrive modes.
– The main drawback of the KTC H27T22C-3 is a limited selection of ports, though it includes essential HDMI and DisplayPort connections.
Remember when a high refresh rate monitor felt like a luxury reserved for elite gamers with deep pockets? Those days are long gone. The landscape of gaming displays has shifted dramatically, making premium performance accessible without breaking the bank. What was once considered cutting-edge can now feel outdated almost overnight, especially when budget-friendly alternatives emerge with specs that rival, or even surpass, more expensive models.
For years, my trusty 1440p IPS panel running at 144 Hz felt like the pinnacle of smooth, immersive gameplay. It was a solid step up from the 1080p TN monitor I used before, and I told myself it was all the speed anyone could reasonably need. Then came the wave of extreme refresh rates, 540 Hz OLEDs, 610 Hz TNs, showcased at events like Gamescom, making my setup seem almost quaint by comparison.
But the real blow came from an unexpected direction: the budget category. The newly crowned best budget 1440p gaming monitor, the KTC H27T22C-3, delivers a blistering 210 Hz refresh rate. That’s nearly 50% faster than what I’ve been using, all at a price point that doesn’t require a second mortgage. Suddenly, my once-proud display feels like it’s stuck in the past.
KTC might not be a household name, but the performance speaks for itself. In testing, the monitor proved to excel where it counts: color accuracy, responsive gameplay, and solid HDR support. It comes equipped with both HDMI and DisplayPort, covering the essentials most gamers care about. While it may lack some extra ports, that’s a minor trade-off for such capable performance at this price.
So where does that leave those of us still clinging to older hardware? Maybe it’s time to acknowledge that “good enough” isn’t really enough anymore, not when affordable options like this exist. The temptation to upgrade is real, and honestly, it might be justified. After all, why settle for yesterday’s technology when today’s bargains offer so much more?
(Source: pcgamer)
