The first thing to establish with the Philips Evnia 27M2N3501PA is that, despite all of its positive points, it is not a perfect monitor.
Corners have been cut to meet the aggressive price point, including the lack of any USB ports or modern connectivity options, while the two HDMI ports are limited to 144Hz at 1440p due to their 2.0 spec, rather than being HDMI 2.1. The lack of variable overdrive also isn't ideal, while there is a small gamma spike resulting in some lost dark shadow detail.
However, and this is quite a resounding however, those negative points are completely overlooked when we factor in both how good this monitor is for gaming, and the fact that it's currently retailing for just £150. It's really quite a bargain, to get a 1440p 260Hz display that offers this kind of speed along with the impressive factory calibration. Yes, our testing did suggest that the ‘real world' refresh rate is closer to 220Hz than it is 260Hz, but the difference is marginal and our BlurBusters UFO images speak for themselves – motion clarity is very good, indeed.
On the topic of pricing, we have based a lot of this review on the £150 price which is currently shown on OCUK and other retailers. Yes, this is a temporary deal that, according to Evnia, is in place to the 31st October – but I'd argue this monitor is a bargain even the full price of £200. The fact that the 27M2N3501PA is already on sale at £150 suggests to me it will likely hit that price again in the future, possibly around Black Friday or in the Boxing Day sales, so it's worth keeping an eye out if you miss this month's deal.
Whatever the case, it's hard not to be impressed by the sheer bang-for-buck offered by the Evnia 27M2N3501PA. Yes, it does lack some features and some areas could be better executed, but if you're in the market for a fast IPS panel at a great price, look no further.
Pros
- Already great value at £200, let alone the £150 deal price.
- Impressive motion clarity for gaming.
- Low latency.
- Generally solid factory calibration.
- Decently wide gamut.
- Capable sRGB mode.
- Included stand can do height adjust, swivel, tilt and pivot.
- White design helps it stand out from the crowd (but may not be for everyone).
Cons
- Lacks any kind of USB passthrough, Type-C charging or KVM functionality.
- HDMI ports are HDMI 2.0, therefore limited to 144Hz at 1440p.
- Small gamma spike for dark shades.
- No variable overdrive.
KitGuru says: It's easily the best value screen I've reviewed all year.