Element Electronics - Element 27" IPS LED 1080p Full HD Frameless Monitor - Black

The Element 27” class frameless monitor, technically named the EM2FPAB27B, is an entry level 27” 1080p monitor boasting an IPS panel and 75Hz refresh rate. For 2021, the monitor is about as inspired as its name, suffering from a low DPI, poor cable management, poor controls, screen door effect, washed out blacks, and just ok colors for IPS. However, at its budget price is it worth living with? The first thing you’ll notice is that this monitor is definitely thin. The box itself is quite thin, and yet the panel is quite protected. Inside the box you’ll find a two part powder coated cast aluminum stand. It’s heavy and wide enough to keep the monitor stable, and connects to the monitor with 4 screws and gives 20 degrees of tilt. The base connects with a single screw, so unlike some of the upper level competition, you’ll need to bring a screwdriver to set up this monitor. Further, there is a 100x100 VESA mount found on the lower half of the monitor which is a plus at this price point. Bringing your own stand could be quite helpful given the limited adjustability of the included one. Once set up, the panel sports both HDMI and VGA inputs. You’d be forgiven if you were born in the past 15 years if you didn’t know what VGA was. The lack of an included VGA cable won’t help its use. Ostensibly years ago the VGA and HDMI combo could be justified for a PC and game console to share a monitor. Of course if you have a recent vintage computer, it most likely doesn’t have a VGA output. Analogue video is so 90’s, but I suppose it’s better than a sharp stick in the eye. Dual HDMI really should be standard these days. The only other port on this monitor is for DC power input. Yes, the thinness of the design doesn’t afford an internal DC converter, so you’ll be stuck with a barrel jack and arbitrarily short power cord with a brick on the other end. This may be a concern to you if you’re looking at VESA mounting. Furthermore the cables plug in less than an inch from the bottom of the monitor, facing straight down. While normally straight down is an excellent way to hide connectors, here the cables themselves are directly visible below the monitor. Even the DC barrel jack sticks out below the monitor making clean cable management impossible. There is a small plastic clip that helps with cable management, but it’s position and height are inconsequential to the actual issues: cables are front and center sticking out of the bottom of the display. There is no audio processing over HDMI here, so you can’t hook speakers up to the monitor. It’s just as well given the single HDMI port. The rest of the physical design is pretty basic. The frameless design is simple but handsome, with only a very small chin at the bottom. Bezel's are under a centimeter (0.9cm). A 5 way switch sits behind the right side that toggles the menu. Small red grills flank the VESA mounting holes and a stylized Element logo appear to give this monitor a very slight ‘gaming’ edge. Speaking of the 5 way switch, it’s obvious whoever designed this monitor adapted it from flat buttons. While the switch is a common design, most un-intuitively pushing the center button toggles power, and pushing right does absolutely nothing. Pushing down starts to adjust the aspect ratio forcibly, and up will adjust brightness. Finally pushing left will open the menu, but god help you if you think following the direction of the on screen menu with the dial will work, in fact it is the opposite. Bring the menu up and pressing right to dig into a menu will close the entire menu. You need to keep hitting left to drop into a menu and up and down to adjust values. Right backs out of a menu. This is the WORST setup ever because it goes against the general usage of the 5 way button setup on every other monitor I’ve ever owned. It’s really just a small annoyance with this monitor, but definitely a symptom of the overall issue with this monitor. So on to the actual display. In a word ‘basic’ comes to mind. This isn’t entirely all bad, as budget panels that are ‘good enough’ make perfect productivity monitors or even entry level gaming monitors depending on the genre. In fact, while a basic IPS, setting the monitor’s overdrive setting to ‘Weak’ produced relatively good motion handling at 75Hz. Very little inverse ghosting was present and ghosting was minimal. The default setting of ‘Medium’ produces some inverse ghosting I found distracting. Overall colors were fine, if a bit muted for IPS. sRGB color preset hits the gamma spot on, while “User” defaults to a decent 2.2 gamma. Viewing angles are ‘meh’ for IPS, with some shifting present in as little as 30 degrees. Colors and gradients are what they are - as this is an 8-bit monitor with SDR. Still on the plus side, text is clear, sub-pixel arrangement seems standard RGB, so no weird artifacts. Output in both Windows and MacOS were clear and pleasing. Sitting at least 2.5ft away meant that any screen door effect or other negative effects from the DPI weren’t as noticeable. Closer, and the DPI really starts to become a problem. One thing I liked about this monitor a lot was the uniformity of grays, perceived brightness, low IPS backlight bleed. Also if the monitor uses PWM for brightness control, it isn’t noticeable. If you’re using this in an office environment, I’d suggest moving to QHD at 27” to get the most out of your investment. Still as an entry level gaming panel, extra small conference room display, or other tertiary concern, this isn’t a bad panel. Good color reproduction, and uniformity are highlights for me. 75Hz does make a difference in smoothing, but don’t think it makes it a gaming monitor. Sadly there is no freesync or other VRR technology here. Overall it’s a worthwhile display that is frustrating to use and sports a middling physical design. It’s attractive, but little details like cable management, and control layout really make it a compromise to live with.

With the specs on this Element Monitor, I am using it as one of my WFH monitors and it fills in all my needs for it. Super basic but really nice looking. 27inch IPS screen looks great and the super thin bezel-less is perfect for multi monitor set ups. In the box is all you need to get set up. Monitor, stand, screws, paperwork and even an HDMI cable. Stand is 2 parts that needs 1 screw to complete the attachment. All metal and pretty sturdy so far. Once fully assembled, it doesn't take up a lot of real estate. If you have one, I highly recommend using a 100x100 VESA mount as the monitor can tilt forward and backwards, but that's it. No height or swivel adjustments at all. Screen is FHD (1080) @ 75mhz and 6.5ms. Using it for work applications and the occasional video is just fine, but I would not use it for gaming. You get 2 inputs only, VGA and HDMI. Luckily, they included an HDMI cable to get you connected as I doubt this day in age, your device still even supports VGA. Color accuracy out of the box surprisingly was really great and required very minimal adjustments from my end. Everyone is different, but using the OSD will get you where you want to be in no time. As I am using this monitor as strictly a WFH only monitor, it is perfect. It's even better on a VESA mount. The only drawbacks are no Height Adjustments nor Swivel (which is why I recommend the VESA mount) and the slow 6.5ms refresh.

Element Electronics isn’t necessarily a brand name that many look to or are aware of when they are looking for a new computer monitor, but they do make them as well as TVs! I tried the 27 inch Element IPS LED monitor and it’s worth considering for those who maybe want to save a few dollars compared to some other bigger name brands. This model is pretty sleek in appearance with a thin profile and an attractive, thin, sloped stand that tilts (but unfortunately doesn’t adjust in height or rotate). The stand assembly could be better with a larger one-screw type of system some use, as opposed to the tiny 4-screw system for this (pay attention to the screws as they’re easy to lose!). There’s a plastic cable organizer attached to the stand in a translucent Red color. It’s a 1080p resolution monitor at 60-75Hz with 3,000-to-1 contract (good) and a fairly standard 16:9 aspect ratio, so good for everyday tasks like surfing, emailing, office type work, etc. Brightness is about average but again, good for most daily tasks. Gamers or those into serious photo/video editing may want something of a higher resolution and deeper specs, but this is again, good for the basics. It has a VGA and HDMI port on the back to handle two common connection types (a basic HDMI cable is included in the box). The monitor’s adjustment controls are done via a knob on the back you can tilt and swivel to find your desired settings, and pressing it in turns the monitor on and off; this takes some practice and is a bit fiddly but eventually your brain wraps around it. The Elements 27 bezels are very thin on the sides and top – very thin, adding to the sleekness. On the bottom the bezel is just a little thicker but not distracting. Since this is an IPS monitor, viewing angles are pretty good with it, so you don’t have to be exactly in front of It to get a good view – those sitting on the side will have a good view as well. I tried this out on my computer as well as a security system DVR and it was a perfectly competent monitor to use for daily uses for both applications. Colors are good and saturated and of course you can adjust them manually or with several preset looks in the menu settings. Text details stood up fine for normal emails and letter writing, but if I were on a text-oriented program for hours a day every day, I’d want something higher res to help reduce eye strain, as there is SOME pixelation visible in text with the Element. Getting a decent n 1080p monitor for under $190 is good, so the value is here for the Element. Again, depending on your needs, 1080p may or may not be a high enough resolution for you, but for many it will suffice for many more casual users while not breaking the budget. I again found the stand assembly a lot more cumbersome than it needs to be, and it’s not rock-solid, but still ok. I’d like to see a better power adapter as well, as the included one isn’t a “brick” type but more of a shorter standard electronics type where the transformer plugs directly into your outlet. As I always say, “Look for sales and compare!”, but I’d still recommend the Element monitor as not perfect, but very good.

I am using this monitor for my home office. I wanted the larger size, because I already had one 27" and I wanted them to match. If you have the desk space, the 27" makes everything easier to read. I mostly use this monitor to display spreadsheets, search websites and for teleconferencing. It works perfectly for my setup, performing as good or better than my other (more expensive) 27" monitor that I got in a rush last year. Pros - Good brightness/contrast - Stylish solid metal stand w/tilt. - Value/size - Blue light reduction setting - HDMI Cable included - VGA port - Thin bezel, sleek design - VESA mount option (considering this next to free up desk space) Things to Consider - The stand very nice looking, doesn't shake or take up much desk space, but due to its triangular shape I could not push it back as far on my desk as my other monitor with a square base and it is not height adjustable. - There is a removable cable management clip on the back of the stand, but the cables connect on the bottom of the monitor and it is too high unless you bend the cables. - The placement (on back) and function of the button/directional pad to adjust settings is odd. It is usable, but not intuitive or easy to get to. Thankfully I don't need to change the settings too often. The biggest change was setting dynamic contrast ratio (DCR) to ON - the default brightness was set too high and this seemed to even it out. - The power supply is built-in to the plug, which makes it bigger than a normal plug.

The Element 27" Frameless monitor is a great addition to my desktop for my gaming and working at home needs. The size, brightness, and resolution is perfect for my older eyes. Unboxing and Setup The monitor is securely packed in Styrofoam and easy to remove from the box. The base and vertical stand has to be attached with a single Philips screw then the anchor plate on the vertical stand attaches to the back of the monitor with 4 Philips screws. A rubber pad attaches to the bottom of the base and a cover plate fits over the anchor plate. There are holes for VESA mounting, if desired. The stand allows for tilting, but not for height adjustment. The weight is very light and can easily be moved around. I appreciate that the base of the stand does not extend past the front of the monitor when I have it slightly tilted up. I hate to give up desk space to a huge monitor stand. The HDMI and power cable ports are easy to access and a red clip for holding the cables together attaches to the vertical stand. Monitor Use My Windows 10 computer easily recognized the monitor without any special configuration. The monitor on-screen menu is controlled via a rear facing joystick on the right bottom corner of the monitor. The use of the joystick took some getting used to, but once I have the settings I want, I really don't need to touch it again. I am very pleased with the brightness, the resolution, and the size of the monitor. While not designed as a gaming monitor, it still performs nicely with Microsoft's Flight Simulator and No Man's Sky. As a writer and web developer, the monitor is perfect for my work needs as well. Features - Very thin bezel for a frameless full screen view - HDMI, VGA ports - VESA mount compatible - 1920 x 1080 resolution, DLED display - IPS LCD with LED backlight - Brightness: 250 cd/m2 - 6.5ms response time with OD function - Rear mounted joystick menu controller - Predefined modes for Standard, Gaming, Movie, and Internet - Overdrive (OD) option (Weak/Medium/Strong) for pixel response time. Strong has the fastest response time. - Color Temp settings - On Screen menu position can be changed - Adjustable image ratio - Adjustable refresh rates from 50Hz to 75Hz Overall I am very pleased with the Element Frameless monitor. The quality feel and performance perfect for my needs at a very decent price.

We received this new Element Electronics monitor at the perfect time, I had just gotten home from the hospital after spending 7 days from dealing with COVID and was staying in our guest room as I was still possibly contagious and having a bad cough my wife needed all the sleep she could use. The 27” size works perfectly for where I want to put it “where 32 just wouldn’t fit” and is very light weight, “amazing light”. Unboxing: The monitor came in a very nice “Element” logoed glossy box and was very well protected inside a Styrofoam casing. Along with the monitor was the power supply “very small”, a HDMI Cable, stand, cable management clip, some screws for attaching the stand and a manual. Setting up: You have to attach the stand to the back of the monitor “unless you are using a wall mount and there are 4 holes for a VESA mount”, with 4 included screws. The stand is in two pieces and you have to use one screw “in a bag by itself” to put those two pieces together, then be sure not to lose the little triangular rubber foot that goes over that screw hole as it’s also a foot for the base. There’s also a small rectangular plastic piece that you have/should place over the back of the monitor to cover up the mounting plate, then attach the red plastic cable management bracket to the stand and you are finished. Use: Now instead of using this as a computer monitor “for the time being” we are using this attached to a Roku so I can have a TV in the spare bedroom. There aren’t any speakers built into this model but I’m using the Roku remote that has the headphone jack for sound and so I don’t wake anyone up, “trouble sleeping at night due to cough, an 02 tube that kept getting pulled and just flat not feeling well”. The image is crisp and clear as far as movie viewing goes, there isn’t any ghosting during action scenes and colors seem very accurate and bright. It does support 75hz refresh rate so that’s a plus, it’s enough over 60hz to notice, and for this price I wasn’t expecting it to be higher like my 165hz gaming monitor. The one gripe I do have is the power / control joystick on the back, you press in on it to turn the monitor on/off and then you have to use the directional part to open up the menu, select items and set them all by using left and up/down. I accidentally hit the power many times trying to get the settings adjusted to my liking, and I really wish they kept the power button separate. The manual isn’t much help either so I had to figure out the menus by myself. Conclusion: Overall this is a decent monitor especially for the price. The bezels on the top, right and left are super thin and you could easily mount these side by side and have a very thin bezel in between. There’s only one HDMI and one VGA port, that’s it, so if you want something with more inputs then this wouldn’t be the monitor for you. But if you need a basic monitor that has a very good image “and has a 75hz refresh rate” this one would be a nice one to grab.

PROS: - Large display (great for split screen) - SUPER narrow bezels - IPS panel - 75Hz refresh rate - 6.5ms response time - HDMI cable included - Compact stand with cable management clip CONS: - No adjustable height == SETUP == Setting up the monitor is super easy, even with its large display size. You have the option to use the included stand or you can use a wall/arm mount, since the monitor is VESA mount capable. If you use the included stand, you'll just need a Phillips head screwdriver for assembly (one screw to attach the stand base and stand together, and four screws to secure the stand to the monitor). There's even a little plastic clip to attach to the monitor stand to help with cable management. For connecting to a computer/laptop, you have a choice between HDMI and VGA. Element does include an HDMI cable in the box, so there's no need to buy an additional cable if your laptop/desktop has an HDMI port. == DAILY USAGE == Out of the box, Windows has the monitor at a default setting of 60Hz. If you want to take advantage of the higher refresh rate, you'll need to go into your display settings to manually set it to 75Hz (see screenshot). Color accuracy looks great and the display is bright enough for my needs, but if you are working near a window, the 250 nits of brightness might be an issue on a very sunny day. I don't have a color calibration tool, but colors look bright and crisp to me. This isn't advertised at a gaming monitor, but you can certainly use it for an older gaming system (or budget gaming laptop) that won't be limited by 75Hz. This is an excellent display for a home office (what I'm using it for). The large display is great when multitasking and using split screen when going back and forth between two apps. If you want to go with a dual-display setup, the IPS panel is great to help ensure everything looks great at any viewing angle. My only complaint about this monitor is that there's no adjustable height with the stand. This means that depending on your height+desk+chair, you'll want to place this on a riser at your desk. If you're using a wall or desk arm mount, this isn't an issue. == BOTTOM LINE == If you're setting up a home office, or want to add an external display to your laptop, this is a great option to consider. The large display is great for split screen multitasking and the bezels are almost non-existent.

Great Monitors. Slim profile. HDMI & VGA Ports for video out.