Japanese firm iiyama often acts as a herald for the budget segment, marrying ever-higher refresh rates to more affordable price tags. G-Master GB2795HSU is no exception, originally launching in October 2024 and lowering the barrier to entry for 280Hz by putting the 27in monitor below the £170 mark.
It feels like just yesterday I was praising the 100Hz G-Master G2755HSU-B1 for its £1.15 per frame, but a strong blink and you’ll see it’s actually been well over a year. In that time, iiyama has managed to crank the refresh rate up by 180% on a similar FHD resolution VA panel, all while nearly doubling its value at a rather enticing £0.60 per hertz.
iiyama G-Master GB2795HSU
£169
Pros
- Best contrast on an LCD
- High 280Hz refresh rate
- Impeccable colour accuracy
- Low power consumption
- x4 USB hub
Cons
- Narrower colour gamut
- Low pixels per inch
- Uniformity wavers in corners
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However, for all its progress, it still faces tough competition. AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE regularly undercuts it with swift discounts and Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM1A matches the price tag with a Fast IPS panel instead of VA. You can’t count G-Master GB2795HSU out, though, as the display has a few tricks up its sleeve to stand out from the crowd.
Specifications
| iiyama G-Master GB2795HSU specs | |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 27in |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Refresh rate | 280Hz |
| Response time | 0.2ms (MPRT) |
| Panel technology | VA (vertical alignment) |
| Variable refresh rate | AMD FreeSync Premium |
| HDR | HDR10 |
| Ports | 3.5mm headphone output (x1) DisplayPort 1.4 (x1) HDMI 2.0 (x1) USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (x4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-B upstream (x1) |
| Speakers | 2W (x2) |
| Price | £169 |
Design
Right out the box, iiyama G-Master GB2795HSU makes a fantastic first impression with a design that punches above its price. The flat screen hugs the thinnest of bezels, wrapped in a matte black chassis built to a standard you’d expect from much more expensive models. Its surprisingly slender approach emphasises the comparatively large 20mm chin, but you’ll barely notice once you see it in action.
Much of this is possible because it borrows iiyama’s tried-and-tested design, as seen on more affordable G-Master G2755HSU-B1 all the way through to the premium ProLite XUB3293UHSN-B5. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Where G-Master GB2795HSU differs is in its two-pronged stand, although this is only surface level. Assembly is still entirely toolless, fixing the stem to the base and monitor via two thumbscrews. That said, you will need to whip a screwdriver out if you intend to use the 100×100 VESA mount, as you’ll first need to remove the backplate.
Stick with the stand, and you’ll benefit from a wide range of movement. You can adjust height up to 150mm, helping you keep the top bezel to its ergonomically-advised eye-level. Tilt ranges from 23° up and 5° down, you can swivel left 90° and right 45°, and pivot to a portrait setup left or right by 90°. It’ll practically bend to your will.
Cable management relies solely on a rear-mounted guide to keep your display and power cables neat. You’ll use a regular kettle lead to keep the internal PSU fed, while a single HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 provide visuals. You’ll want to stick with the latter, as only DisplayPort is capable of supporting the entire 280Hz refresh rate with HDMI 2.0 capping out at 240Hz. No doubt part and parcel with keeping costs low.
I’d have liked a keyhole in the stand and underpass to route wires considering G-Master GB2795HSU features a robust USB hub, but this is something even models twice the price often forgo. Still, I have plenty of praise for the Type-B upstream powering four Type-A downstream ports, each rated at 5Gb/s owing to their 3.2 Gen 1 certification. This is plenty of bandwidth to operate hungry peripherals like webcams, and half of them rest on the side of the monitor for easy access.
As usual, there’s a 3.5mm audio out to connect headphones, alongside dual rear-mounted 2W speakers. Much like all other built-in audio solutions, it doesn’t compete with dedicated soundbars or studio monitors but is nice to have just in case. To my ear, they lack bass and crank up the treble, but it’s important to temper expectations with any display in this regard.
Curiously, the G-Master on-screen display (OSD) requires a bit of menu hopping. Pressing the 4D joystick in reveals a quick selection littered with icons you need to decipher. Some are more obvious than others depending on your familiarity but no matter which you click, it inevitably guides you into a more robust menu with proper explanations anyway. It begs the question why the initial menu is there in the first place rather than getting straight into the action.
There are shortcuts to avoid entering the menu by flicking the joystick in different directions. Unfortunately, you can’t customise them. Right enables Blue Light Reader, left lets you switch I-Style Colour profiles, and both up and down don’t do anything. Thankfully, the joystick is responsive enough to make perusing otherwise painless, but it’s still a missed opportunity. Otherwise, I have high praise for the logical button placement, especially siloing the power switch so you can’t accidently knock it.
Performance
First thing’s first; you’ll want to head into your Windows display settings to activate that blistering 280Hz refresh rate. Only then can you bask in the impeccable smoothness G-Master GB2795HSU has to offer. I’m already a big fan of how silky the cursor movements become, but you won’t see the full effect until you boot a game.
It’s easy to see why iiyama bills this monitor for esports enthusiasts first and foremost, as you’re better off hitting the lofty ceiling in competitive games like Rainbow Six Siege and CS2. Using the highest settings in the latest triple-A offerings, on the other hand, proves more taxing on even the almighty Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition, which manages 238fps in Assassin’s Creed Mirage at FHD.
Of course, there’s no reason you can’t simply bump the settings down in certain games to get the most out of your graphics card, you just need to adjust your expectations accordingly. Plus, there are plenty of classics out there that’ll race to the full allocation with nary a speedbump.
G-Master GB2795HSU is about more than just its refresh rate, enticing gamers with a superb 0.2ms moving picture response time (MPRT). Keeping ghosting to a minimum, this metric outperforms most VA and IPS panels, only outdone by the venerable OLED – exactly what you need for that competitive edge.
I believe 27in form factors make for the single most-balanced screens in any setup, however it might be a touch large for a FHD model at just short of 82 PPI (pixels per inch). It’s the natural trade-off for a manageable refresh rate, but comes with less clarity than a 24in or 1440p alternative, particularly with pixelated edges on text. Ultimately, it doesn’t bear thought when you’re dominating the enemy team in Marvel Rivals.
When switching to single-player games, HDR10 is on hand to aid VA’s already wonderful contrast with inky blacks designed to immerse you in whichever world you’re trudging around in. It only goes so far without local dimming, which is to be expected in this price range, but I found it pleasantly surprising when spelunking in Avowed’s many dungeons.
Colour accuracy and gamut
Sans any preset profiles, all my benchmarks run using the stock settings. There are three I-Style Colour options that don’t seem to change much at a glance, alongside the ability to alter the warmth of your tones and save your own adjustments to a custom profile. None of this is necessary, given G-Master GB2795HSU’s quality out the box, but you have the option if you so choose.
VA panels tend not to have the widest gamut coverage, as their priorities lie elsewhere, such as contrast and black levels. Covering 84% of the AdobeRGB colour spectrum and 88% of DCI-P3 shows just how far the technology has come over the years, showing perfectly capable performance for gaming and general viewing, but you’ll want to turn your attention to IPS for intensive work such as colour grading.
Breadth might not impress, but its depth certainly does, as iiyama knocks colour accuracy out of the park. G-Master GB2795HSU’s average 0.59 Delta-E far exceeds the 2.00 limit we set and 1.00 ideal by a considerable margin. Max Delta-E creeps up to 3.91, but this is solely due to a single outlier among the blues, meaning you shouldn’t see it waver.
Brightness and contrast
Blessed with the aid of a backlight, this VA panel glows with up to 309nits at its brightest. That doesn’t hold a candle to the IPS displays we’ve tested over the years, but it’s enough to combat the rays of sunshine in the morning without blinding you in the process. Lows of 51nits leaves plenty to scale back if you’re gaming in the dark or switch Eco mode on to save power.
G-Master GB2795HSU offers as close to perfect black levels as possible without switching pixels off, which is an astounding feat for a display with a panel-wide backlight. Combined with the widest-ranging contrast ratio I’ve seen on a standard LED, the only way to get better is to pay more than double the price for an OLED.
Screen uniformity
Colours spread evenly from end to end despite minor inconsistencies in the bottom-right. No panel is perfect, but this sits comfortably away from our double-digit threshold.
Luminance is a little shakier, with the bottom corners both fluctuating above a less-than-ideal 10%. Use the display head-on and you’re not likely to notice, but tighter viewing angles draw attention to it whenever you move from dead centre. Keep in mind that even the slightest variable on the manufacturing line can change these results, though.
Power consumption
It always amazes me just how frugal iiyama monitors are. Asking for anywhere between 10W and 24W, G-Master GB2795HSU is the second-most efficient display to pass through our halls, only losing out to G-Master G2755HSU. In fact, its peak power usage undercuts most minimums.
I do wonder just how much brighter the screen could get with more wattage under its belt, but those kinds of ifs and buts tend to turn into a monkey’s paw.
Conclusion
Every panel type comes with its own concessions, but iiyama G-Master GB2795HSU does a good job of making its VA monitor the best all-rounder it can possibly be. Compromises still crop up in the form of luminance uniformity and relative detail through its lower PPI, but it otherwise offers a truckload of value in a small £169 price tag.
Alongside fantastic contrast ratios and inky blacks that give premium OLEDs a run for their money, the screen exceeds colour accuracy expectations, standing on-par with IPS alternatives. Pair that with an ultra-low 0.2ms response time, and you’ll stay in the action without any ghosting in sight.
As I mentioned, there are cheaper alternatives out there that run mostly the same specs for £30 less, but they’re not entirely identical. None feature a USB hub, let alone iiyama’s comprehensive four 5Gb/s ports. This seals the deal in my eyes, making G-Master GB2795HSU one of the best high-refresh rate monitors on a budget.
