Gaming monitors have gotten increasingly more affordable over the years, but budget-friendly options are not usually very good or feature-packed. However, there are a couple of exceptions, like this gaming monitor right here: the Armaggeddon Pixxel+ XC27HD Super.
Yes, Armaggeddon offers gaming monitors now. Even though the name is a mouthful, the XC27HD is a legitimately good gaming monitor. It sports a blazing fast 165Hz refresh rate, a curved display, and even support for AMD FreeSync.
What’s the best part? It doesn’t cost all that much either, retailing at only RM736. If you want a reasonably good sub-RM1,000 monitor, you should really consider the XC27HD.
What It Is
As its name suggests, the Pixxel+ XC27HD Super is a 27-inch gaming monitor with a 1920 x 1080 curved (1800R) AHVA panel. On top of that, it also has a native refresh rate of 165Hz, making it ideal for any fast-paced games that need good motion clarity.
Besides that, it also has a relatively good 2ms response time, along with support for AMD FreeSync and G-Sync. That being said, do note that this is only a G-Sync Compatible monitor; It doesn’t have the specific “scaler” module from Nvidia for it to be a full-fledged G-Sync monitor. But can it eliminate screen tearing? Definitely.
As for connectivity, the XC27HD features a DisplayPort connection, an HDMI input, and even a DVI port. Not a very elaborate selection of ports, but these should be sufficient for most users.
The Good Stuff
What makes the Pixxel+ XC27HD particularly interesting is its high 165Hz refresh rate. This makes every single motion on this monitor look extremely smooth. From the most simple of actions like moving the cursor to playing highly competitive games like Fortnite, you will definitely appreciate the 165Hz refresh rate.
Besides that, the XC27HD has decent colour reproduction too. It may not have an IPS panel, but this AHVA screen is not bad at all. Sure, it does look washed out when compared to an IPS display, but it is far better than, say, a cheaper TN panel. I’m also quite surprised at how good the viewing angles are – there’s barely any colour shifting when looking at the screen from an angle.
But how well does the XC27HD handle screen tearing? Very well, actually. I hooked up this gaming monitor to the Alienware Aurora R9 with an RTX 2080 Super GPU, and it exceeded my expectations. It could be the high refresh rate masking any possible screen tearing, but I honestly cannot tell if there was any tearing. All in all, I’m thoroughly impressed.
Beyond that, I really quite like the design of the XC27HD. It has a slim side profile, the stand is minimalist, the bezels surrounding the display are tiny, and the curved nature of the monitor gives it a…premium vibe, even if it doesn’t particularly impact the usage or gaming experience. The curvature isn’t very noticeable on this 16:9 monitor.
The Bad Stuff
Since the XC27HD is such an affordable gaming monitor, it’s no surprise that it has several niggling issues here and there. For one, this monitor has absolutely no height adjustment, not to mention the fact that it cannot be swiveled either. The only adjustment that’s possible is tilting it ever so slightly.
Another pain point are the unintuitive controls positioned on the back of the monitor at the right side. Navigating through the on-screen display (OSD) is a pain with the four-button combination, and more often than not, I would accidentally change a setting, or close the menu altogether.
Last but definitely not least is the sheer difficulty of installing the XC27HD’s stand. It’s not an easy task to screw in the stand to the display, and I actually dropped one of the screws into the back of the monitor. Thankfully enough, I managed to recover the screw.
But overall, these are just minor issues with the XC27HD. After all, for only RM736, what more can you ask for?
Is It Worth It?
If you want a 27-inch curved gaming monitor with a fast 165Hz refresh rate, the Armaggeddon Pixxel+ XC27HD Super is a great buy. Not only does it offer good value for money, it also comes with a three-year warranty. If anything were to happen to it in this time period, you will get a one-to-one replacement. Not many companies can offer this kind of warranty.
That being said, if you don’t care for the curved panel of the XC27HD, there is one very good alternative: the Acer Nitro XV270. Just like Armaggeddon’s offering, the Nitro XV270 is a 27-inch 1080p gaming monitor, but it doesn’t sport a curved display, and it is slightly costlier at RM879. Its native refresh rate also maxes out at “only” 144Hz, though it can be overclocked to 165Hz.
So why would you consider the Nitro XV270 over the Pixxel+ XC27HD? Well, it boils down to one hardware: Acer’s offering features an IPS panel instead of the XC27HD’s AHVA screen. In short, you’ll get better colour reproduction, viewing angles, and (generally) a more pleasant screen to look at with the XV270. You’ll lose out on the curved panel, of course, but this may not matter to certain consumers.
Nonetheless, there’s no denying the appeal of the Armaggeddon Pixxel+ XC27HD gaming monitor. It’s affordable, it has a fast 165Hz refresh rate, its panel quality is perfectly fine, and it looks sleek too. For only RM736, it’s an excellent monitor for budget-conscious gamers.