Customer Ratings & Reviews

The TCL 27R94 is a premium QD-MiniLED gaming monitor that uses technology whose main competition is OLED. It combines Quantum Dot technology with Mini-LED backlighting to enhance color accuracy and brightness. This technology’s main claim to fame is that it offers best-in-class brightness levels, a high contrast ratio, and a wide range of colors with OLED-like deep-black levels but without the fear of burn-in. I was really excited to test out the TCL 27R94 monitor because I am a big fan of TCL HDTVs and wanted to see what their first foray into computer monitors would bring to the table. The package came with the following items: The TCL 27R94 monitor itself A futuristic looking monitor stand with RGB lighting A large 260W power adapter 1x Type-C cable 1x USB-A to USB-B cable 1x DisplayPort cable 1x HDMI cable A setup guide Setup Setup was very easy and required no tools. The bottom part attaches to the neck of the stand and is secured with two attached screws, and the complete stand just snaps into the back of the monitor. The stand is tiltable and height adjustable. You can also use any standard VESA 100mmx100mm stand or wall mount if that is your preference. Finally, there is a pull-out hook on the right side of the monitor to hold your headphone. Quick Specifications 27-inch 4K UHD 3840x2160 QLED display using a Fast-HVA panel 165Hz refresh rate 1600nits peak brightness 2304 Local Dimming Zones VESA Display HDR1400 4000:1 Native Contrast Ratio 16,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio 1 ms response time (GTG) 2x HDMI 2.1 port 1x DisplayPort 1.4 port 1x Headphone Jack 2x USB-A 3.0 port 1x USB-B 3.0 port 1x USB-C port with support for 90W PD Supports Picture-In-Picture/Picture-By-Picture Supports AMD Freesync Premium Supports KVM features Supports TUV Low Blue Light Test Configuration For testing, I am using an Alienware m17 R5 laptop connected to the USB-C port on the monitor. I have also connected a mouse and keyboard to the two USB-A ports on the monitor to test some of the KVM features. First Impressions I really like the overall aesthetics of the TCL 27R94. The design language used makes the monitor look like it could have come from a Star Trek or Mass Effect movie set. The included stand is very sturdy and solid but also takes up a lot of table space (it’s actually wider than the monitor itself). There are plenty of ports for connecting multiple devices to the monitor and everything is controlled by a 4-way toggle button that brings up an OSD with many options for tailoring the configuration of the display settings. Some of the menu options (such Scenario Mode and Gamma adjustments) were dimmed out probably because I was connected using the USB-C port. The KVM worked well except I couldn’t wake up my laptop using the externally connected mouse or keyboard. I had to press the trackpad or the laptop’s keyboard to wake up the computer. The KVM looks like you can also connect another computer (such as a desktop) using the USB-B port and it will automatically switch to the device that is powered on. So, you can have a laptop connected to the USB-C port and a desktop connected using the USB-B port and automatically switch between them while using the same external keyboard and mouse. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to test this feature. I also didn’t have time to test the picture-in-picture feature of the monitor. Picture Quality Impressions One of the first things I noticed was that the TCL 27R94 was easily viewable in my bright spare bedroom during the day. I tried playing a game on both the TCL 27R94 and my laptop’s screen and all the game’s elements were easily seen on the TCL but these same elements were hard to discern on my laptop’s screen. This is a fantastic monitor for brightly lit rooms. The text is super sharp and clear and readability is easily the best of all the monitors I have used. This monitor is great for productivity work and software development where working with text is very important. Colors are very vibrant and natural looking. Because it uses a matte screen instead of a glossy screen, there are instances where an image doesn’t “pop” out as much compared to some other monitors or HDTVs that use a glossy screen. When I viewed Dolby Vision HDR demo videos on YouTube on this monitor, I thought the images did have that “pop” that many people love. However, I actually prefer a matte screen for their more natural and accurate colors for a computer monitor. Glossy screens can be really bad in a brightly lit room where reflection can be a problem. The TCL 27R94 also came with a personalized Color Calibration Factory Report which is a first for me. I think this would be a fantastic monitor for content creators where color accuracy is important. VA panels typically do not have wide viewing angles but I usually sit right in front of my monitor so this doesn’t really bother me. And when I did view the monitor from the side, I didn’t really notice any color distortion. Modern HVA panels are much better than the VA panels of the old days where color distortion was very noticeable. The TCL 27R94 is also a fantastic monitor for media consumption. I watched videos, TV shows, and movies on YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video and the experience was very pleasurable. The image quality was superb with vibrant natural colors, great contrast and rich deep blacks. The built-in speakers sounded okay. They are very clear but like most TV speakers they lack bass. They do a good job for games (the soundstage is really good) but are just okay for movies. Gaming Impressions I enabled AMD Freesync Premium on the monitor for testing with games. The games that I tested were Baldur’s Gate, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. When panning the screen, I didn’t experience any tearing. Everything was super-smooth and the image quality was superb. I am not a competitive FPS gamer so I can’t really test how well it will do for those types of games but for the games that I play, I am extremely happy with the TCL 27R94. Summary Overall, I think TCL’s foray into computer gaming monitors is a smashing success. The TCL 27R94 offers exceptional image quality with vibrant natural colors and deep blacks. It is a fantastic monitor for viewing videos and movies. It performs extremely well in brightly lit rooms. It also offers super-sharp text so it’s great for software development and other productivity tasks. With support for AMD Freesync Premium and high refresh rates, the TCL is also a good monitor for gaming. I can easily recommend the TCL 27R94 to anyone looking for a new gaming monitor.

TCL 27" R94 Series 4K UHD HDR QD-Mini LED Gaming Monitor: You may need to reconsider what you’ve heard about computer monitors. Whether it’s the preferred technology or the go-to brand, TCL has entered the field of high performance and gaming monitors with this impressive challenge to the status quo. The value in this beautiful monitor was not achieved by cutting corners or leaving anything out. Every feature, adjustment, end-user control, or useful input is here. Above all else, TCL has built in seriously impressive performance specifications. And, they even included the calibration report achieved with these monitors. Check out the rear panel light display for the fun side of the TCL, and you’ll be convinced. What a great monitor. SETUP: I plugged in the heavy power brick, used the HDMI cable (one of 3 connection types included), and the screen lit up with my Apple Mini M4 display output. I prefer to mount my screens on a mobile monitor stand, so that’s what is in my accompanying photos. The TCL monitor stand included is supportive and allows for screen height and tilt. Simple and attractive. TCL is ready for whatever PC you have, or whether it uses HDMI, Display Port, or USB-C, with all of them able to deliver a 165Hz refresh, 3840 x 2160 resolution, FreeSync premium, and 1400 Nits, HDR10, and near-perfect color gamut across every standard. Connectivity is complete. One (1) Display Port 1.4, 2 HDMI, 4 USB ports (2 USB-A, 1 USB-B, 1 USB-C), a headphone jack, and the 100mm x 100mm VESA Wall Mount pattern. The stand is adjustable by height and it tilts. There are built-in speakers. SETTINGS: TCL provides a convenient, accessible menu toggle (bottom center of screen frame) that reveals layers of options and choices that give the serious gamer, professional photographer, amateurs and anyone in between the ability to modify the complete suite of image parameters or even the sound. The toggle is so convenient and predictable that you will use it. I discovered I can quickly change settings to reflect my preferred photography parameters, video watching, or gaming performance. You may want to have the monitor calibrated for your purposes or simply adjust it to your liking. I can predict this monitor will become very desirable and attract forums where end users will share their ideal settings. PERFORMANCE: My first comment will be confusing. It is my observation that the very best audio and video equipment is often boring. Perfection is matter-of-fact. It is rarely attention-grabbing because it is so very natural. On this TCL 27R94, viewing an image is like looking through a glass. The TCL 27R94 MiniLED gets out of the way of the image, colors are richly saturated, with contrast that is wide with deep blacks and sparkling bright whites (up to 1600 nits). Flesh tones are naturally variable, and strands of hair and fur are subtly detailed. I couldn’t see blooming, and object edges were just clean. SD programming, right out of the box, was perfectly calibrated for my Mac Mini M4. Those 2304 dimming zones contribute to a great image, easily mimicking OLED, but potentially brighter. Text was so easy to discern at the smallest font sizes. I need to test some more, but for me, with everyday use, brightness at 25 and contrast at 50 worked well; local dimming off, while in the OFFICE MODE. The image retains color accuracy until you shift off axis too far. But my computer use is a one-person activity and it doesn’t bother me. A general comment about the anti-glare coating is that I like it, mostly. While the benefit of a gloss finish for purity of color and contrast is valid, the persistent problems with reflections in all but full dark room viewing is not worth the trouble for me. The MOVIE Mode invited Brightness at 50, medium or high local dimming. I watched several UltraHD movies, being sure to switch to the default resolution and both my wife and I were struck by how brilliant, and cinematic, very life-like, the richly natural images were on selected movies. My fairly new, highly regarded OLED Tv playing the same feature on a larger screen in the background could not match the slightly brighter more saturated picture on the TLC. Size is a difference maker but the picture on the TLC viewed from a couple of feet away was beautiful. GAMES played on my Mac Mini M1 or connected to my gaming PC laptop were wonderful to view. I saw no screen tearing, and like the movies I viewed, colors were spectacular, blooming was not apparent, and game action moved at expected speeds without trailing. There are GAME MENU (and mode) choices for FPS, RCG, and RPG games. TCL even has an adjustment for crosshair changes in shooting scenarios. There is Dark Field Control that identifies and brightens deep shadows. I can turn on Frame Rate readouts so I know how or why screen and computer is performing as they are. MINOR ISSUES: Speakers were just OK, as expected, but at least they were available. As long as I didn’t make extreme movie demands on them, they were perfectly suitable for watching informational or instructional videos. Get a soundbar or external speakers or use earbuds for serious sound quality. That wonderful toggle-controlled menu is great. But who decided to shut it off automatically at approximately 7 seconds? Too short for me to assess the settings I’m fussing with. Maybe I just haven’t found how to vary that. SUMMARY: The TCL 27" R94 Series 4K UHD HDR QD-Mini LED Gaming Monitor can fulfill the needs of many photographers and video media creators, serve as a versatile workstation that you won’t feel uneasy about having on all day, and then become a media delivery station for TV, movie, or game programming. This is premium-tier video quality that competes with the best monitors I’ve been able to survey. This TCL monitor should be on any computer gamer’s shopping list, but for more reasons than you might first consider.

In terms of gaming monitors, it’s tough to match the inky blacks and near infinite contrast you get from OLED, but as an LCD alternative the 27R94 performs well in both SDR and HDR with its many dimming zones, high brightness, and good value. You also do not need to worry about static images or panel care routines either, so it’s also a good candidate for a mixture of gaming and productivity. The package includes the monitor and its stand, a power adapter, and USB/display cables. The stand comes in to pieces and the base attaches to the main column via a thumbscrew. The power adapter is a large 260W external brick, which provides power for the monitor itself as well as up to 90W PD charging via the USB-C port. Speaking of ports, there are 2 HDMI 2.1, 1 DisplayPort 1.4, 2 USB-A 3.0, and USB-B 3.0 upstream, and the aforementioned USB-C port that supports display and Power Delivery for compatible devices. The stand has the full range of movement and supports height, swivel, and tilt adjustments. It also has a cable channel built in that does a good job of hiding the cables behind the stand. The monitor can be tilted 90 degrees with the included stand for a portrait orientation. I like the stand, though it is quite wide. I’m not a huge fan of the black/white color scheme on the back and I think the ‘Inspire Greatness’ text on the stand is a bit gaudy, though none of that really gets seen when viewing the monitor from the front. There’s also a plastic piece on the right side of the monitor that pulls out - I assume this is meant to be a hanger for headphones, but I didn’t find it mentioned anywhere in the documentation. I used this monitor with my PC through the DisplayPort connection, had the resolution set at the native 3840x2160, 165Hz refresh rate, G-Sync enabled, and I alternated between SDR and HDR depending on the content. The 165Hz refresh rate is technically overclocked from 144Hz native, though 165Hz is enabled by default and I didn’t notice any issues running with this refresh rate. I set the local dimming to the highest possible setting. This is the first LCD monitor with HDR that I’ve used where the HDR feels like true HDR. So many other monitors advertise HDR, but don’t really deliver on due to either a lack of brightness, lack of local dimming, or both. This monitor struggles in neither of those departments. Using the Windows HDR calibration app, I was able to hit the stated 1400 nits at full screen. The 2304 dimming zones packed into this 27” display made it hard to spot any halo-ing effects or transitions and I had to pull up a test video to see it. It still doesn’t match OLED and the overall black levels are a little raised by comparison, but overall it looks great for an LCD. Gaming is smooth and the screen is responsive. Windows is still not well optimized for HDR, so I tended to keep that disabled unless the game/video explicitly supported it. The OSD can be accessed via the single button/joystick and is easy to navigate, though the settings adjustments are minimal and it’s a bit laggy. I also connected my laptop to the USB-C PD port and it worked as expected. Overall, I think this is a great LCD gaming monitor that actually supports real HDR. It’s also a good value for what it offers.

I’ve been using TCL's 27" R94 Series QD-Mini LED monitor for a little over a week now, mostly for gaming and some light work stuff, and so far it's been pretty solid experience. The first thing that stood out to me was the brightness and contrast. I was messing around in Call of Duty, and I could actually notice better detail in the darker indoor spots without everything looking gray or washed out. The color is just plain great — vibrant without being over the top. As far as motion goes, everything looks real smooth. I haven’t noticed any blur or lag, but to be fair, I’m more of a patient camper than someone who’s running around all wild. I’ll test it with some racing games soon, but so far, so good. The build quality feels solid. It’s not cheap or flimsy. That said, the stand has some pretty big feet — way bigger than I expected. I actually had to change where I was gonna put it because it just took up more space than I planned for. Not ugly or anything, just… a lot. On the bright side, the cable management is great. Everything tucks in really clean behind the monitor. The tilt is a bit stiff, but the swivel works smooth — only thing missing is that little “click” when it hits center. I like having that, but it’s not a big deal. One thing I really love is the USB-C. Being able to plug in my laptop or tablet and get video and power from one cable? That’s a game changer. I honestly wouldn’t want to go back to anything without it. The built-in speakers are okay — not super loud or full, but clear enough if you’re not trying to fill a room with sound. Mostly likely you're betting off listening with external speakers or your headphones anyway. As for extras — the crosshair thing is kind of a gimmick. It’s easy to turn off, so no harm there, but I probably won’t be using it. A remote would’ve been nice to have, though. Would’ve made it easier to flip through settings without having to use the joystick under the screen. All in all, I think TCL did a good job. It looks great, runs smooth, and has some really useful features — especially that USB-C port. If you’re looking for a 4K monitor for gaming that checks a lot of boxes, this one’s worth a look.

For the last week, I’ve been testing the TCL 27" R94 Series 4K UHD HDR QD-Mini LED Gaming Monitor. Overall, this is a fantastic monitor that delivers all the best features I would expect from a flagship display. My only dislike is the wide-legged base. Assembling the monitor is convenient. It comprises three parts, requires no tools, and takes less than five minutes to complete. The stand is nice and sturdy and allows for multiple points of adjustment: it can be raised, lowered, swiveled, and tilted. However, due to the wide-legged stand, the proportions of the monitor look unbalanced and bottom-heavy. The wide stand also prevents me from placing my gaming laptop completely under the screen and interferes with rotating the monitor into portrait mode. To end on a positive note, the wing-shaped RGB lighting on the back of the monitor and stand looks really cool—especially when the back is visible and not placed against a wall. The R94 has excellent IO. Usually, I use DisplayPort to ensure I have the best picture, but this monitor also features two HDMI 2.1 ports and USB-C. All of these inputs are able to provide 165Hz at 4K resolution. While on the topic of USB-C, I love that it provides my laptop with up to 90 watts of power, which is more than enough to ensure full performance and keep the battery charged for most laptops. The built-in speakers are also a welcome feature. Albeit the sound is not the best, it is good enough to get by without needing external speakers. I prefer having built-in speakers over having none at all. As for the display performance, the QD-Mini LED looks gorgeous. The colors are bright and vivid. The contrast levels are excellent, and when local dimming is set to medium or high, the display can easily be mistaken for OLED. Blooming or halo effects are minimal; I had to try really hard to see them. Also, the matte coating on the display does an excellent job of preventing any reflections. While gaming, the monitor performed excellently—I noticed no tearing, artifacts, or ghosting. With all that said, I really like this monitor and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Great job TCL.

I was looking for a mid-market gaming monitor that would also suit using for productivity work too. It needed to be fast and detailed, but also usable in bright lighting. While TCL is not a brand I would have considered in the past, it’s rise in the TV sector boosted my confidence. It’s 27” R94 (R94) model looked to offer excellent color and contrast in any lighting condition so I gave it a try. My early take is its versatility and visual appeal are excellent, but as a product trying to compete with well-established monitor brands, I’m disappointed it’s missing some convenience bells and whistles. Technically it’s a fantastic monitor and I’m overall happy with it, but its missing extras and other personal nitpicks prevent it from being the 5-star monitor it could be. I’ll explain. I use gaming for short breaks to clear my head rather than as a time-consuming hobby. Twenty minutes will do me and then back to work. That’s my mindset so you’ll understand how I’m judging the R94. Hardcore gamers, like audiophiles, are much pickier about their gear than I am. I want high quality, but practicality reins over state-of-the-art. And that’s where the R94 figures in. It’s QD mini-LED rather than OLED, which is rarer in gaming monitors. Sure, OLED is more popular for gaming with its stunning appearance in dark rooms. But mini-LED performs better in normal and brighter room light, like when I need to be productive. And for my needs, that is why the R94 attracted my attention. USE WITH CONSOLES & STREAMERS Out of the box I was confident the R94’s panel was going to be crisp, lively and accurate, not oversaturated. I’ll get to picture quality, but the first thing I wanted to discover was the R94’s versatility with non-PCs. That is, was it just a PC monitor with gaming specs or could it serve as a DIY TV too for gaming consoles and streaming TV boxes. To test this out I connected an Apple TV, a Nintendo Switch 2, and my trusty ASUS Vivo laptop. The R94 recognized all of these and automatically switched between HDMI inputs too. My hope was HDMI-CEC was silently included for easier volume control with game consoles and steamers, but it’s not. While this functionality is rare in gaming monitors, there are a few major manufactures with models that include it. This is one of those missing “extras” I mentioned. However, since the monitor does sleep or wake when it when the video signal goes off or on, respectively, there is that. You just can’t adjust the monitor volume remotely. This leads me to the other not included “extra” I would appreciate, a remote control. Toggling to get to volume when using a console or streaming stick is painful. But even configuring a monitor’s settings with a single 4-way button on the monitor is exasperating. I’ve seen other gaming monitors that include a remote so this as a “miss” for me. My conclusion regarding use of streamers and consoles is, while the picture quality is great, the overall experience is less so. The R94, at its heart is a PC monitor. AUDIO QUALITY Speaking of speakers, the R94’s are not bad for monitor speakers. They are true stereo and clear at higher volumes. Boring, but practical, which is all I expect from a monitor. PANEL PERFORMANCE Now to the panel. It’s VA, but not your dad’s VA panel. TCL reengineered it and came up with its own HVA, or high-speed VA. These are in their TVs too. HVA is vastly improved from VA by my eyes. Most notable is that the screen maintains good color and detail at an angle. There is color shifting, but it’s in shades, not complete hues. Traditional VA panels are usually unviewable at angle. I’ve attached a photo of the monitor at a position a 3rd or 4th player might be at and how the screen would look to them. A picture of looking direct at the monitor is also included for comparison. Where this panel truly stands out is its insane brightness. It’s VESA HDR 1400 certification is more than marketing. In the well-lit and many windowed room the R94 sits its colors and details are well pronounced whether I’m inches or many feet away. And its contrast/HDR abilities keep the black areas black rather than going gray. The R94 sports a matte screen that minimizes glare and reflections, which I prefer for using as a productivity monitor too. But this also reduces the immersive color “pop” that a glossy screen has, so, this is an important consideration. Games played on a glossy screen, in a dark room where glare and reflection aren’t an issue, can look life like. But when the lights are on the glossy screen becomes mirror-like. The R94’s colors are rich and appealing whether the lights are on or off, but the image quality is less eye catching compared to similar quality level IPS or OLED screen. That is the tradeoff here. The “H” in HVA, as mentioned, is for high speed. The R94 can refresh as fast as 165hz, which is such a fast competitive gaming speed most people don’t have a computer capable of reaching it. 120hz support in a recent computer is more common which means the R94 provides plenty of headroom and a bit of “future proofing” too. To witness the R94’s gaming prowess I played the racing game Forza Horizon 5 on my 4K/120 capable Asus laptop for its fast-paced action, and then moved to the Switch 2 where I played Cyberpunk 2077 for its detailed graphics, and Madden 26 for target accuracy. Of course, the Switch 2 is limited to 4K/60. I started off with Forza Horizon 5. My eyes first focused on finding blur or artifacts, especially during curves or when hitting objects at high speed. I could see none. It was buttery smooth. There wasn’t any blooming that caught my attention here either, but this is just one title, so while hardly conclusive it’s a good start. Cyberpunk 2077, even at a much slower 60hz, looked great on the R94. The screen lighting was even and crisp even in the highest contrast scenes and, again, nothing negative caught my eye. And finally, a few quarters of Madden 26 to assess both how the ball looks in air and throwing accuracy, apart from user error. In kicks and passes the ball naturally floated though the air without any unrealistic blurring. A properly executed passes reached the target bull’s eye and the ensuing run was snappy. Bottomline, 4K game play on the R94 is engaging and enjoyable if you don’t expect OLED-like dazzle. If you buy the R94 for its room light performance and versatility, you’ll be thrilled with its cheerful look. SET UP AND CONNECTIVITY The R94 comes with everything needed to get it up and running out of the box, but with an asterisk attached. There’s room for improvement. Included is a stand, 5ft HDMI 2.1, USB-C with 90w PD, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-B cables, and power supply and cord. I appreciate all this was included, but the video cables, especially if you want to guide them through the cable management hole in the stand, are only useful if you put your computer. Also, of note, the power supply is on the large side a nearly 8” long. The stand is beefy and easy to attach. It “clicks” in into the monitor’s back and then secured by twisting a bottom screw. Alternatively, there are four VESA 100x100 holes for your own mount. The shell is plastic but attractive and the stand is superbly functional. It tilts, swivels, moves up and down from about 3” off the table to 6.75”, measured at the bottom edge, and can be turned to a vertical position. The feet ruin the experience for me though as they spread out just past the monitor’s footprint and interrupt usable desk space. I prefer mounts with the foot at the center of the monitor. The rear connectivity ports are configured so that the cables slide up into them. This makes it easier to press up against a wall, and prevents accidental disconnections, but it’s also less convenient when connecting new peripherals. The R94 offers a nice set of inputs. For video there’s two HDMI 2.1 (both capable of 4K/165), USB-C with video and 90w PD for charging, and DP 1.4. Then for peripherals there’s two USB-A, USB-B to A, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. With all these connectivity options, one “extra” the R94 does have is a built-in KVM switch which is configured in the menu. And from a gamer’s perspective, there’s also several ambient lighting color options in the menu. The lights are on the back and can be turned off. The R94’s menu is accessed by a toggle below the bottom bezel. Using the menu is intuitive but toggling though the options is annoying. As previously noted, a remote control would be nice here. IN SUM The R94 is a stunning and versatile PC monitor for use in bright or dark rooms for both work and play. Overall performance is top notch in this use case and it’s a model that should be considered. It works fine with gaming consoles, but lacks CEC, something some competitors offer. Additionally, while the menu system is simple, the lack of a remote makes it tedious to use.

If I could put 4.4 stars that would be my rating for this monitor. This is TCLs first round of gaming monitors and they came out swinging in my opinion. Out of the box the Monitors color tone is very warm I made some changes and I liked my semi calibrated image much better than It came from the factory. That being said I do like the Inclusion of a calibration sheet from the factory TCL included. What I do like This monitor shines in any room its brightness in SDR gaming is second to none colors are very accurate and the black levels are extremely good for an HVA panel. 2300 zones on a 4k screen does a great job though in extreme tests there is still blooming but just barely. The 90W usb c port is cool to have as well as the built in headphone holder. The design is nice though the stand could be a little large for some desks the RGB on the back is a very nice touch. What I don't like No matter what I do HDR support on Windows still leaves much to be desired even with a calibration SDR content is extremely washed out and color accuracy is much worse than it is in SDR. The built in speakers are.. They are there and they put out some sort of sound but nothing great. And last but not least the viewing angles are terrible as expected for an HVA panel any off axis viewing is extremely distorted. What I think TCL can to to improve Have an option for a glossy WHVA panel TCL is capable of making stunning glossy displays with better viewing angles than that of normal HVA. A glossy display would bring this monitor to life. This is a great first flagship 4k Mini LED monitor and impressive for TCLs first generation of gaming displays here in North America. I hope TCL can bring IJP OLED panels to the market soon as they have demonstrated with their CSOT line at CES 2025

TCL introduced 27R94, a new 27" gaming monitor, featuring an incredibly bright 4K UHD HDR 10 QD-Mini LED display. I have been using an OLED monitor for gaming, and looked forward to comparing this new Mini-LED monitor to OLED. TCL 27R94 is a gaming showpiece with 165Hz refresh rate, 3840 x 2160 maximum resolution, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, & 1 millisecond response time. I love the RGB lighting on the back of the monitor & on the stand. The display is anti-glare & anti-reflective. TCL 27R94 competes head-to-head with OLED gaming monitors. Ghosting is barely visible & only at the top. Colors are richer than OLED, while OLED shows slightly deeper blacks. This 17" 16:9 monitor features one DisplayPort 1.4 Input, two HDMI 2.1 Inputs, two USB-A, one USB-B & one USB-C Port. Integrated stereo speakers are convenient, with basic audio quality to be expected in a monitor. The power adaptor is a generous 260W external supply. This is a huge plus, as it provides up to 90W power to your laptop through the USB-C Port. CONCLUSION: TCL 27R94 quickly became my preferred monitor for gaming with stunning colors & contrast! It earns my highest recommendation.

TCL has put out a bright and capable 165Hz 4K UHD. With 2,304 dimming zones you get a very capable HDR 1400 rated display with QD-MiniLED technology, that gets up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness. You can run through the spec sheet and see the details, I’ll fill you in on what it’s like and how it compares to an OLED. My first observation was just how much brighter it was than the other monitors I use today. I use my setup for both office and gaming. I really prefer to have brighter monitors during the day. Placing this next to my other two made me realize what I’m missing out on during the day by using an OLED. At night however, when directly comparing it, you can see the difference between the two technologies, OLED, with the ability to power down the pixel, just has deeper blacks. Now, what I will say, is I’m splitting hairs comparing the two. I have to look hard to see the difference. A more trained eye might be bothered, but honestly, the TCL 27R94 has a fantastic picture. Honestly, I just find that the vibrant colors and contrast distracts me from caring that it isn’t “perfect black”. As for gaming, I fired up battlefield 6, made sure everything was turned up on the graphics, and went to town on putting my medics to work. Response time was great and I didn’t notice any lag or delay. The 4k resolution made everything sharp and detailed and visually it was a great experience. I did try the built in speakers and they’re nothing special. Flat sound with just ok volume levels. I think if you didn’t have desktop speakers or a headset, it checks the box of just having sound, but you’re going to want to get something better for gaming. There are several built in features for gaming. The OSD can show frame rate, there’s AMD’s FreeSync Premium, crosshair for FPS games, and of course for gaming: RGB lighting on the back side of the monitor. I almost forgot to mention the 165Hz refresh rate. Once you move past 120Hz, it’s hard to go back to anything less. At 165Hz motion is silky smooth. I didn’t notice any tearing or stuttering while playing. Physically I found that the monitor was built well. It comes with a stand that has RGB built into the neck, thanks to a few contacts on the base and pins in the monitor. The stand uses a wide “V” shape for stability. I like these as they allow for some room on the desk. The neck also had a channel for cable management. I did also use the VESA mount on the back. The one issue I found was because the mounting screws are recessed into the back of the monitor, I did have to loosen the bracket quite a bit to get the bracket to slide down in on the mount. It wasn’t difficult, but something to be mindful of depending on what type of VESA bracket you have. As for the KVM features, it seemed to work well. I initially had 2 wireless dongles for my mouse and keyboard attached, but only my keyboard responded well to being nestled behind the monitor. My mouse struggled to keep good signal but keyboard is going strong. It’s also worth noting, I am patched from my gaming laptop, to a thunderbolt dock, to the USB-B KVM. Everything is working well. Just a few final thoughts. I was helping a friend troubleshoot a PC and couldn’t tell if it was POSTing or not. Tried to hit the menu button on the monitor and it seems as if you need to have a display signal to see the menu. I really wish more manufactures would not do this. I struggled to see why you wouldn’t allow access to the menu’s to be able to adjust brightness, input, or other features that may aid in troubleshooting display output. The power brick is another area where I’d love to see manufacturers improve. I don’t mind of the wall to brick cable is a bit shorter, chances are, this is easily replaceable if you want a longer one, BUT, make the cable from the brick to the monitor stupid long. I’d much rather have a tray or caddy with my monitors power adapters and manage the cable to the monitor than having to string the brick up because the cable was too short. TCL could improve here as well, or simply build the PSU into the monitor.

Packaging Minimalist packaging, I love it. Easy to open and take out the monitor. It comes with the usual monitor cables, a power brick and paper work. Device The power supply is huge. Laptop brick huge. I do appreciate that the power plug itself is a normal size but it attaches to a huge heavy brick. I’ll take that over a oversized plug. The monitor itself is heavy, it feels solid and doesn’t feel like it is going to topple over. The monitor stand takes up a bit of space but is solid as well. The monitor color scheme is gorgeous. The speakers. The fact that there are speakers on it is a huge win in my book. The sound from the speaker sounds good but and are faced out of the back of the monitor, it would have been great if the fired back to ward the person in front of it but it’s still a win. There’s still a headphone port in the back. The volume control is buried in the settings menu. I wish it was earlier in the menu or dedicated buttons to control the volume. The picture quality without any adjustments is great! It has a warm tone and crisp picture . There’s a ton of options to adjust the look and hone it in on what works if you want a crisper or sharper image. But out of the box picture quality is great as is. It’s really bright and looks amazing and is very responsive. The blacks aren’t to deep. I’m visually impaired and tend to have issues with dark scenes being to hard to see, but on here it works really well for me. There’s plenty of input output options to connect your consoles/pc’s with 2 hdmi 2.1 ports, display port and usb c. Along with rgb lighting on the back of the monitor. I’m not an rgb fan. One button Powering off the device can be a bit of a chore with the one button it’s not very responsive and takes several attempts. Navigating the menu with the button is easier. Just finding what you are looking for takes awhile. I wish manufacturers would make it quicker to navigate their Summary I’ve been playing mainly RPGs, beatem ups and racing games. They look great on here and are super smooth. The monitor works out of the box. My only downside is the button navigation but I’m glad it’s not a nub but a mini joystick. I wish it was actual buttons but other than that it’s a great monitor.

A few suprises when unboxing. The stand has a large footprint and dimentional meaning it seems to fit better at the corner of my desk. Alltogether weighing in at around 16 lbs feels very heavy. Feels very sturdy when manuvering the screen with ease. The charging brick is very large, possibly the largest I have ever seen for a monitor. Another thing to consider is this unit is mostly plastic. so, going throught the paces, found my self making adjustments already. I needed to turn HDR off to adjust gamma. I set display to standard, I set response to medium and was much better but noticed curser moving across screen faded in and out so I turned off the dimming function which also improved the blacks. Also noticed brights looked much better. I also connected a laptop and desktop and found seemless mouse and keyboard functions with the dual HDMI ports and KVM. The viewing angle seem to wash out at about 45 degrees but not terrible. I did not notice any scan lines. The Blacks are like midnight, very good for a LCD vs OLED! This monitor includes all the needed ports to accomodate most any connection needs. This will work pretty good for gaming and general use, but I am not too crazy about the local dimming function. Maybe in time there will be some updates to smooth this out.