Lenovo Legion Pro 27UD Monitor Review - An Enticing Way To Get Into 4K
There are a lot of good monitors out there right now, but as things progress technology-wise, there seems to be this split of functionality, a divergence in purpose, if you will. Monitors are increasingly becoming more specialised, focusing on specific areas of computing as opposed to trying to do everything well. I can understand this approach, after all, it is often better to be the master of your speciality as opposed to a jack-of-all-trades, but at the same time, it often leaves home users who like a good all-rounder to cover a wide range of needs a little left out. They often have to compromise in one or two areas in order for their monitor to shine in another. Well, I feel like Lenovo has noticed that and, in response, has created the Legion Pro 27UD monitor, a 26.5″ gaming monitor that doesn’t sacrifice other areas for the sake of reaching gaming perfection, and I have to say, it is wonderful to see.
First things first, the Legion Pro 27UD is a nice-looking, solidly built monitor that is neither obnoxiously gamer nor boring office appliance. It rides a nice line between style and substance, creating a look that wouldn’t be out of place in an office, yet still has those little LED touches that a lot of gamers are looking for. If you are looking for something that screams “I AM GAMER”, well, this isn’t it, but for most of us, that is more than ok. The monitor itself is sturdy beyond what is expected. Most monitors I have reviewed recently have been put together with simple clip systems, and maybe a single base screw, a system that is a-ok until it isn’t, and the clips wear out. Here it is, old-school screws all the way. Four in the base, four in the back of the monitor itself. Sure, that is a pain if you have to pack it up and get it out often, but for most people who set their monitor up once, the act of getting the old Phillips head out is not much of a sacrifice for durability. Call me a cranky old bugger, but I like the security of screws. I trust them more than some plastic clips.
If there is one issue with the design, it is the monitor’s built-in menu. Man, I found it fiddly, with my fat fingers often selecting the wrong thing using the four-way button on the monitor. It just felt too sensitive for my liking and led me to swear on more than one occasion as I searched the monitor for the appropriate setting. Speaking of settings, there is a host of built-in presets that are tailored for different types of games, be it action, sport or racing, or users can set up their own and save them for later use. This is a common thing in gaming monitors these days, but the 27UD’s presets seemed to be particularly on point, allowing me to notice the difference they made instantly.
Being a gaming monitor, the 27UD comes with all the bells and whistles that gamers expect. It supports 4K, HDR, AMD FreeSync and has a 240Hz Refresh Rate with 0.03ms response time. What’s even more important in my mind is that the monitor is an OLED Display. Now that is a lot of numbers and words that don’t mean an awful lot to most folks, but let me tell you, it all translates into great-looking games. There was no ghosting, clear colours, beautiful lighting and low glare for every game I tried. It really sang with the super-fast-paced titles like Doom Eternal, highlighting the beauty of the game despite its breakneck pace. I think it is also worth mentioning that it handles blacks better than just about any other monitor I have used, making it easier for horror titles like Resident Evil 8 to utilise darkness to heighten the scares effectively.
Often, where these monitors can fall down is with console performance, but here the 27UD held its own. All three systems (The PS5, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch 2) had no worries recognising the monitor and running without issues. I did have a little HDR problem with the Switch 2 that seemed to resolve itself with a reset, but apart from that, it was seemlessly plug-and-play. One thing that did annoy me, and that is perhaps because I am one of the few people left who still prefer speakers to headphones, is that the monitor doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio plug, which means if you are using speakers with your monitor, eARC is the only way to get audio out. It won’t be a problem for some, but for those like me, who have a really nice set of computer speakers, it is a frustrating thing to be missing. Surely there are enough of us out there who play this way to include this little jack? Or maybe I really am the oldest person still gaming, and it is time I moved on. Either way, it is something to consider if it means anything to you.
As for the rest of the monitor’s performance, with more mundane and day-to-day tasks, it was equally impressive. Working on the monitor in Windows was great, with the notoriously dodgy Windows HDR implementation seemingly working perfectly with the 27UD. It also provided a wonderfully clear, perfectly contrasted workspace for typing, spreadsheeting, or just surfing the web. Add to this the wonderfully flexible arm that allows for a huge range of positioning and movement, and the ability to put the monitor in portrait mode, and you have a fantastic work monitor that can adapt to just about any task. It isn’t the best work monitor I’ve used, but it is close enough that most won’t notice the difference. The 27UD also works beautifully with media, letting movies, TV shows and other 4K video shine in their native resolution. If video playback is important to you, know that this bad boy won’t let you down.
Overall, the Lenovo Legion Pro 27UD really stands out as a fantastic all-rounder that excels when it comes to games. Obviously, its focus is getting the most out of your PC game collection, but it doesn’t sacrifice any other area of personal computing to achieve that goal. If there is one concern, it is price, and with an RRP of about $1500, it isn’t the cheapest thing you can buy. But I have seen it around the $1000 mark on sale, and at that price, it is certainly more appealing. That said, if you are willing to part with the dollars, know that the 27UD won’t let you down, regardless of the situation you put it in.
