Philips has announced the release of three new affordable 1080p monitors
These new Momentum 3000 series monitors are designed to be affordable, but Philips hasn’t cut back on the most important part – the display. All three of these monitors are 1080p, with a 165 Hz refresh rate, 27″ screen and almost identical styling, but with a few key differences.
First up, the 27M1N3200ZA is fitted with a 250 cd/m² IPS display with impressive colour gamut coverage (NTSC 107%, sRGB 122%, Adobe RGB 90.4%). Contrast is expected to be in the 1100:1 range, which isn’t earth-shattering but is still above average for an IPS panel.
Following on, we have two VA panels, the 27M1N3200VS and 27M1N3200VA. From the specs it seems that these both share the same screen; the key difference is that the VA has an ergonomically adjustable stand, whilst the VS only has tilt functionality. Like the ZA, colour gamut coverage is very good for a lower mid-range spec monitor (NTSC 101.5%, sRGB 121.9%, Adobe RGB 89.9%), and we can expect decent black levels from the 250 cd/m² VA panel with its 3000:1 stated contrast ratio.
| Model | 27M1N3200ZA | 27M1N3200VA | 27M1N3200VS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh Rate | 165 Hz | 165 Hz | 165 Hz |
| Panel Type | IPS | VA | VA |
| Response Time | 1 ms MPRT | 1 ms MPRT | 1 ms MPRT |
| GPU Synchronisation | AdaptiveSync | AdaptiveSync | AdaptiveSync |
| Stand Adjustments | Height, Tilt, Swivel, Pivot | Height, Tilt, Swivel, Pivot | Tilt |
Unlike the Momentum “Designed for Xbox” 279M1RV and 329M1RV, which are crammed full of bonus features like USB hubs, Ambilight, HDR and HDMI 2.1 connectivity, the Momentum 3000 is a pared-down no-frills monitor.
Visually they have a simple design – the bezels are relatively slim, with the exception of the slightly larger lower bezel, and at the rear of the monitor all you’ll find is an expanse of matte black plastic. The stand gives the Momentum 3000 a bit of character, with its pincer shaped design, but on the whole, it’s a very modest aesthetic that could be ideal for anyone who prefers refrained style to gamer flair.
This simplicity extends to the connectivity, too. There are 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, a DP 1.2 port and a single 3.5mm audio out, as well as a pair of 5W in-built speakers. Nothing fancy, but enough to get the job done.
There are monitors pushing 360Hz these days, but unless you are a serious competitive player you probably don’t need to push that many frames. The 165Hz on offer here is ample for most users and can be maxed out by a fairly modest or older GPU, which is very handy considering the difficulty in obtaining the latest GPUs.
We haven’t been given the pricing for these displays in the UK yet, but based on European prices it looks like they will be in the £250-300 range. Whilst you can get monitors with more features for this price, the key feature of these monitors is the extended gamut coverage. What you lose out on in frills, you should more than get back in image quality.
We have the 27M1N3200ZA headed to our offices for review, so check back for our detailed review soon!
