Iiyama G-Master GB2870UHSU is another offer of a monitor dedicated to gamers. Fast IPS screen with 1s response time, 4K resolution and screen refreshing up to 150 Hz. How does all of this work in practice? Read the review.
First impressions
The monitor has 28 inches and an IPS LED screen with a resolution of 4K 3840×2160 pixels. It offers a 1 ms MPRT response time and a 150 Hz refresh rate. The Iiyama used a slightly different mount here than in the monitors from this manufacturer that I reviewed previously. It consists of three elements – a V-shaped leg, which is screwed to a solid, vertical beam.
There is a mechanism for raising and lowering the screen inside. It has a lock on it for transport. Be careful when disassembling it, as the mount will move instantly. Another movable element secures the mount to the screen.
It is responsible for the pivot function – that is, the possibility of placing the monitor vertically. However, if we do not want to use a standard solution – the device uses the VESA standard for mounting on any bracket or arm, e.g. attached to the wall.
So we can adjust the monitor up and down, turn it 90 degrees. It is surprising, however, that there was no side adjustment.
Iiyama G-Master GB2870UHSU in practice
The first thing I noticed is the screen brightness. Unfortunately, the screen seems dark despite setting the backlight to the maximum and turning off all eco modes. It is so strange that by placing the Iiyama next to my Dell U2720Q 27 4K, Dell is clearly brighter, despite the fact that on paper it is almost comparable (400 vs 450 cd / m2). However, browsing through various test measurements available on the network, it turned out that at maximum backlight the screen can boast only 300 nits of brightness. This is quite important, especially when we work or play on a sunny day. If the room is bright enough, we need to strain our eyesight more, especially in the darker parts of the picture. It is tiring in the long run.
The monitor has built-in speakers and a power of 2x2W. It is worth considering it as a curiosity, because they are terrible. You are able to get cleaner sound from your smartphone speaker than from this monitor.
OSD main menu
In this model, the way of using the menu has also changed. Instead of classic buttons on the side of the housing, there are buttons embedded in the lower frame on the right. A small joystick would be much better here, because operating the touch buttons requires getting used to and navigating through the menu options is sometimes not very intuitive. As a result, instead of selecting or switching an option, we change the mode or exit the menu entirely. Menu is just as extensive as in the monitor I am describing in this review: IIyama G-master G4380UHSU.
Screen refresh rate and additional functions
GB2870UHSU is able to display an image at a frequency of 150 Hz, but I achieved the best results using the classic 144 Hz. It is worth adding that Iiyama supports FreeSync Premium, but also works without problems with G-Sync. When using additional monitor settings, it is worth leaving most of them in the default mode or even turning them off. Activating overdrive mode causes already visible motion blur and the higher its level, the more visible it is. In turn, wanting to use the strobe mode to make the movement even smoother – we lose the brightness of the screen, which, as I mentioned earlier, is not one of the advantages of the GB2870UHSU.
Monitor for work and play
However, what distinguishes this monitor the most is its versatility. Until now, we have been forced between choosing a gaming device or typically for work. Super-fast gaming screens have poor contrasts, viewing angles and brightness. In turn, IPS screens mostly offered 60 Hz and a delay of up to 7ms. If you wanted to combine the speed of VA or TN with the quality of IPS, you had to have a lot of cash. Meanwhile, the Iiyama G-Master GB2870UHSU offers a bit of everything while maintaining a fairly good price. Perfect for both games and office work.
