Review: Gigabyte MO27Q28G WOLED image-editing monitor

OLED monitors have long tempted photographers with their promise of rich contrast and perfect blacks, yet concerns around brightness, reflections, and longevity have held many of us back.

The new Gigabyte MO27Q28G WOLED pushes hard to overcome those hurdles with a bright, wide-gamut panel in a sleek, borderless design.

On paper it’s a compelling proposition for photo editors, but in real-world use, it’s not without its frustrations.

Design and build

The minimalist aesthetic of the MO27Q28G stands out immediately. The 4-sided borderless design and the impressively slim 2mm metal base create a clean, modern working environment while freeing valuable desk space. Ergonomics are solid, and the stand is stable despite its small footprint.

Colour, contrast and brightness

Gigabyte’s 4th-gen “Primary RGB Tandem” WOLED technology is the monitor’s headline feature, delivering 1500-nit HDR peak brightness, 99.5% DCI-P3, and 84% BT.2020 coverage.

For photographers who want deep blacks without sacrificing punch in brighter studios, the technical performance is impressive. But despite these strong specifications, real-world calibration proved more complicated than expected.

Compared to a Retina 5K, 27-inch iMac, which offers a naturally balanced and consistent image, the MO27Q28G initially felt too dark and contrast-heavy, even in SDR mode. After considerable tweaking of brightness, black level, and colour temp, I was able to reach an acceptable baseline, but it never quite matched the neutrality and luminosity I’m accustomed to.

If you’re coming from a high-end IPS display, be prepared to spend time fine-tuning.

Anti-reflection

One feature that genuinely improves the editing experience is the 99% anti-reflection coating. The matte WOLED surface virtually eliminates distracting reflections, making it one of the best OLED panels I’ve used in daylight conditions.

For editors who work near windows or in bright rooms, this alone is a significant benefit.

HDR, blacks and tone handling

The combination of Perfect Black performance (verified to 500 lux) and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 delivers beautiful tonal separation. Shadow detail remains stable even under bright ambient lighting, and high-contrast scenes, such as mid-day bushland, or night street photography show excellent depth.

The trade-off is that OLED’s inherent contrast can make mid-tones feel denser than expected. While cinematic and striking for viewing, it occasionally required additional care to ensure grading decisions weren’t overly influenced by the panel’s natural “pop.”

Connectivity and stability issues

Unfortunately, connectivity was a weak point in my testing. USB-C refused to negotiate a stable connection, meaning I couldn’t use the monitor in the streamlined single-cable setup that many photographers expect today. HDMI worked, but I experienced intermittent signal dropouts making my experience frustrating while processing in Adobe Lightroom.

Each dropout required pressing the physical power button to refresh the signal, interrupting the editing process and breaking flow. This may be an isolated hardware or firmware issue, but it undermines what should be a seamless, modern editing experience.

Burn-in protection

Gigabyte’s AI OLED Care is one of the more reassuring approaches to burn-in protection, working quietly in the background and running pixel maintenance when the monitor is idle. The inclusion of a 3-year warranty with burn-in coverage is excellent, especially for professionals concerned about longevity.

The KVM, decent port selection, and OSD Sidekick software are welcome additions, making it easier to integrate the monitor into a multi-device setup assuming connectivity behaves.

What about video?

While the 280Hz refresh rate is primarily gamer-focused, the benefits of this extend to video shooters. The 0.03 ms response time, VRR anti-flicker optimisation, and Ultra Clear motion handling make fast-moving footage and sports sequences look exceptionally sharp.

It’s a genuinely smooth panel for hybrid photographers who also shoot video.

The wrap-up

The Gigabyte MO27Q28G is an ambitious WOLED monitor that delivers standout anti-reflection performance, excellent colour coverage, strong HDR capability, and one of the brightest OLED implementations available. For photographers working in bright studios or mixed lighting, its visibility and glare handling are among the best in its class.

However, it’s not without compromises. The image out-of-the-box can feel too contrasty for precise photographic editing, requiring user intervention to reach a neutral baseline and even then, some may prefer the more natural rendering of a high-quality IPS display.

Connectivity issues, particularly with USB-C and unexpected HDMI dropouts, were the most frustrating aspect of using the monitor day-to-day.

If you’re comfortable spending time tuning the image and your workflow doesn’t rely heavily on USB-C reliability, the MO27Q28G offers excellent OLED benefits at a competitive price. But photographers who value absolute consistency and plug-and-play stability, especially those accustomed to iMac-class displays may find it a little more temperamental than expected.

Results

Set up and handling ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Sleek and stylish design with lovely anti-reflection coating, but my setup was let down by USB-C not working and HDMI dropouts interrupting editing sessions.

Features ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

AI OLED Care, KVM, and OSD Sidekick add strong usability performance combined with VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 and Perfect Black, it offers decent contrast and blacks.

Image quality ★ ★ ★ 

While WOLED delivers deep blacks and wide gamut, the panel felt overly dark and contrasty compared to IPS reference displays, requiring significant tweaking to look balanced.

Value for money ★ ★ ★ ★ 

With a solid warranty, a generous feature set, and a competitive AUD $899 price tag, the MO27Q28G represents good value particularly for those wanting OLED contrast without the premium of pro-grade panels.

That said, its strengths still lean toward gaming first, with photographers benefiting from some features but working around others. At this price, though, it’s an accessible option that’s certainly worth considering.