HP Series 5 27-inch Monitor Review UK (2026) – Tested & Calibrated

Look, I’ve seen enough “100Hz gaming monitors” to know the spec sheet rarely tells the whole story. Sure, the numbers look decent on paper, but does the HP Series 5 27-inch Monitor actually deliver smooth motion in practice? After three weeks of proper testing – not just running UFO Test for five minutes – I can tell you exactly what this 1080p panel brings to your desk. And honestly, it’s a bit more interesting than I expected for something in this price bracket.

Compared to something like the AOC 27-inch 1080p 100Hz, you’re getting similar core performance but HP’s typically better build quality and warranty support. Against 24-inch alternatives like the Z-Edge 24-inch, you sacrifice pixel density for screen size. It’s all about what matters more to you.

But here’s the thing – not everyone needs or wants ultra-sharp text. If you’re primarily gaming or watching media, the larger screen size can be more immersive than the pixel density loss. And your GPU will thank you for only pushing 2.07 million pixels instead of 3.68 million (1440p) or 8.29 million (4K).

I measured the actual contrast at around 1100:1 in my testing, which is typical for standard IPS. HP claims 1500:1, but I’ve yet to see a standard IPS panel actually hit that in practice. What this means for you: blacks look grey rather than black in dark rooms, and you’ll notice some backlight glow in the corners when watching dark content. It’s the IPS tax.

Colour accuracy out of the box was surprisingly decent. The 99% sRGB coverage claim is legitimate – I measured 98.7% coverage with 102% volume, meaning colours are slightly oversaturated but in a way most people find pleasing. For professional colour work? You’ll want to calibrate. For everything else, it’s fine as-is.

The slight oversaturation in Standard mode actually looks quite nice for gaming and media. If you need accurate sRGB, there’s no sRGB clamp mode, so you’ll need to calibrate manually or accept the punchier colours. Delta E of 2.8 average is perfectly acceptable – anything under 3 is generally considered good enough for non-professional work.

This is standard IPS response time territory. You’ll see some trailing in fast motion, particularly in dark-to-dark transitions which can hit 15ms. For competitive FPS gaming, it’s not ideal. For everything else – RPGs, strategy games, general use – it’s perfectly adequate. The lack of overdrive control is actually fine here because HP hasn’t overdone the pixel acceleration.

The 100Hz refresh is genuinely useful, though. Coming from 60Hz, the difference is immediately noticeable in Windows cursor movement, scrolling, and game camera panning. It’s not the transformative leap you get going from 60Hz to 144Hz+, but it’s a meaningful improvement that costs you very little in GPU performance.

If you need HDR, you’re looking at a significant price jump. Something like the Philips Evnia 27-inch 4K gets you into proper HDR territory, but you’re talking about a completely different price bracket and GPU requirements.

The 1080p resolution at 27 inches is actually brilliant for gaming if your GPU is mid-range. An RTX 4060 or RX 7600 can push 100+ fps in most games at 1080p High settings, keeping you in that sweet VRR range. Try that at 1440p and you’re dropping settings or missing the refresh rate target.

For console gaming, this is spot on for PS4/Xbox One – they target 1080p anyway, and the 100Hz panel accepts their 60Hz output without issue. PS5 and Series X/S work fine too, though you’re not getting 1440p or 4K120 support obviously. The HDMI 1.4 ports limit you to 1080p100 anyway.

Build quality feels better than the price suggests. The bezels are properly thin – about 7mm on three sides with a slightly thicker bottom bezel. The back panel is mostly recycled plastic (85% post-consumer recycled plus 5% ocean-bound plastics, if you care about that), and whilst it’s obviously plastic, it doesn’t feel cheap or creaky.

No DisplayPort is mildly annoying if you have an Nvidia card, as you’ll need an HDMI cable (most modern GPUs have HDMI 2.1 ports anyway). No USB hub means no convenient ports for peripherals. You’re purely getting video connectivity here.

Against the AOC alternative, you’re choosing between IPS colours/viewing angles (HP) versus VA contrast (AOC). The AOC will have deeper blacks but slower response times and narrower viewing angles. If you watch a lot of dark content, the AOC might appeal more.

The Dell equivalent is probably the closest competitor. Slightly better panel quality, more height adjustment, similar IPS performance. You’re paying a bit more for Dell’s excellent warranty support and typically better quality control. If you’ve had good experiences with Dell monitors before, the extra money might be worth it.

If you want to step up to 1440p, you’re looking at a significant price jump to something like the AOC Q32V4, but you’ll need a beefier GPU to drive it properly. For 24-inch alternatives with higher pixel density, the Z-Edge 24-inch gives you sharper text at the cost of screen size.

At this price point, the HP Series 5 represents sensible value rather than exceptional value. You’re paying for HP’s brand reputation, the three-year warranty, and build quality that won’t fall apart. The panel performance is adequate but not exciting. The feature set is functional but not generous.

Where it excels is reliability and consistency. HP’s quality control is generally better than no-name brands, so you’re less likely to get a dud panel or a stand that wobbles. The warranty support is straightforward. It’s the safe choice, which has value in itself.

But if you sit close to your monitor and do a lot of reading or detailed work, the 82 PPI will frustrate you. And if you’re serious about competitive gaming, the 8-12ms response time will hold you back compared to faster panels. Know what you need before you buy.