You’ve probably heard TCL’s name associated with jumbo TVs sold in big-box stores, but it also makes a line of gaming monitors that offer excellent performance for the money. It’s also one of the few companies putting effort into Mini LED panels where others have gone all-in with OLED. Mini LED delivers the brightest imagery you can buy among the best gaming monitors, with HDR peaks of 2,000 nits or more.TCL’s 27C2A Pro is such a panel, with an honest 2,000 nits from a 3% window in HDR mode and 650 nits full field for SDR. It also sports a full-array local dimming (FALD) backlight with 2,304 zones, which delivers tremendous contrast. A Quantum Dot layer pushes the color gamut past 100% of DCI-P3. And a set of accurate picture modes promise precise color rendering. It’s speedy too, with 160 Hz in 4K and 320 Hz in FHD resolution, with available overdrive and MPRT backlight strobing. This fully loaded package can be yours for $600 as I write this. Let’s take a look.TCL 27C2A Pro SpecsPanel Type / BacklightQuantum Dot IPS / Mini LED2,304 dimming zonesScreen Size / Aspect Ratio27 inches / 16:9Max Resolution and Refresh Rate3840x2160 @ 160 Hz1920x1080 @ 320 HzFreeSync and G-Sync CompatibleNative Color Depth and Gamut10-bit (8-bit+FRC) / DCI-P3+Response Time (GTG)0.2msBrightness (mfr)600 nits full field2,000 nits 3% windowContrast (mfr)1,000:1Speakers2x 5wVideo Inputs1x DisplayPort 1.42x HDMI 2.1, 1x Type CAudio3.5mm headphone outputUSB 3.01x up, 2x downPower Consumption36.1w, brightness @ 200 nitsPanel Dimensions WxHxD w/base24.2 x 15.7-20.5 x 9 inches (615 x 399-521 x 229mm)Panel Thickness3.27 inches (83mm)Bezel WidthTop/sides: 0.35 inch (9mm)Bottom: 0.59 inches (15mm)Weight14.6 pounds (6.64kg)Warranty3 yearsThe 27C2A Pro’s core tech is an IPS variant TCL calls HFS Shoot. It combines an ultra-bright FALD backlight with Quantum Dot color and very quick response. Native resolution is 4K 3840x2160 pixels for a density of 163ppi. This is about as fine as it gets unless you move up to 5K or more. And those panels are still quite rare and expensive.Brightness is honestly reported here, with my tests matching TCL’s claims. I saw almost 650 nits from a full white field pattern in SDR mode with the dimming turned off. HDR ran that up to almost 1,700 nits when I measured a 25% window with dimming on High. At that setting, I couldn’t measure the black levels at all. With 2,304 dimming zones, you won’t see any halo artifacts like panels with just a few hundred zones.The Quantum Dot layer delivers just over 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut. You also get accurate picture modes with presets for DCI-P3, sRGB, Rec.709, and Adobe RGB, which is something rarely found outside the professional realm. Accuracy is superb with little to no need for calibration. I found similarly good performance in HDR mode, where you can adjust grayscale tracking and brightness if you wish.The 27C2A Pro offers premium gaming too, with 160 Hz in 4K and 320 Hz in FHD resolution with a dual-mode switch. And there’s precise overdrive, Adaptive-Sync, and MPRT backlight strobing. This is one of the few monitors that lets you use all its video processing options at the same time. You can have MPRT, Adaptive-Sync, and overdrive all active at once.Styling is outside the norm as well, with a white aesthetic for the stand and panel’s backside. LED lighting shines in the back with two large bracket shapes that show an array of colors and effects. There are gaming aids like reticles, timers, and a frame rate indicator. And you get a full complement of I/O ports with HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and a USB-C, plus USB for your peripherals.Assembly and AccessoriesThe 27C2A Pro ships in blocks of crumbly foam in its three main parts: base, upright, and panel. They assemble without tools. Under the snap-on fulcrum is a 100mm VESA mount with fasteners included if you'd rather use an arm, and you might want to after you read the next section of this review. The power supply is an external brick, and you get cables for DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-A/B, and USB-C.Product 360TCLTCLTCLTCLI said the 27C2A Pro is a white monitor, but from the front, everything is black except the base. This is good for distraction-free use, especially in low-light situations where you want to stay focused on the image. There’s plenty of white plastic in the back, though, on the stand and on the panel.The back features ventilation across the top and two large LED banks shaped like reversed parentheses. The shapes are angular with soft corners and no sharp edges. The screen has a flush bezel 9mm thick on the top and sides with a 15mm strip across the bottom. All you see there is a tiny TCL logo. The control joystick is underneath the center and is backlit.The stand offers full ergonomics with 5/15 degrees tilt, 20 degrees swivel, and a 90-degree portrait mode. The height range is 4.8 inches. This was my only complaint about the 27C2A Pro. Though the base and upright are solid together, the panel’s fulcrum point is very small and wobbly, which makes positioning it difficult. If you game intensely and have your keyboard on the desk, it will jiggle a bit.Up and under the center is a well-stocked I/O panel with one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1, and a USB-C with 90 watts of power. You also get one upstream and two downstream USB 3.0 ports. There is a pair of five-watt internal speakers, and you get a 3.5mm headphone jack.OSD FeaturesIn 4K resolution, the 27C2A Pro’s OSD is very small. It was hard to read the tiny text unless I got up close. The FHD version is larger, of course. Press the joystick and click left to summon it.Tom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwarePlayer mode refers to the nine picture modes you see in the first photo above. All you need is the default one, Standard, and I’ll tell you why in a moment.Moving on to Game Settings, the 27C2A Pro has every video processing option currently available for an LCD panel. The overdrive has three speeds, with fast being the best. MPRT-Plus (backlight strobe) has two levels, which correspond to pulse width. The higher one cuts brightness by around 50%, but you can easily compensate with the brightness slider because there’s more than enough luminance headroom. You can use both with Adaptive-Sync if you wish, which is something very few monitors can do. I found the best motion quality with overdrive on Fast and Adaptive-Sync engaged. MPRT reduces motion blur to almost nothing but introduces a slight phasing artifact, so I didn’t use it for my gaming tests. Also in this menu are a set of aiming points, timers, and controls for the LED lighting.The Display menu starts with Local Dimming and its three levels. Standard barely does anything, only increasing contrast to around 1,800:1. Medium and High are more aggressive, and they shut off the backlight completely at light level zero for theoretically infinite contrast. Dimming is available for both SDR and HDR content.In the Color menu, you’ll find color temp presets and a gamut selector. It offers sRGB, Rec.709, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB. All are very accurate, more so than the Original option, in fact. You’ll see how this works in my tests on page four. The 27C2A Pro is a very accurate monitor when set up correctly.The remainder of the OSD is focused on conveniences like PIP/PBP, KVM options, OSD controls, and the like. If you want to reset everything to factory defaults, that option is in the Settings menu.TCL 27C2A Pro Calibration SettingsI was initially disappointed with the 27C2A Pro during my first round of tests. It comes set to Standard mode, Original color space, warm color temp, and gamma 1. Gamma and grayscale measured well, but color tracking was a bit wonky. Luckily, you can select any of the available gamuts, sRGB, Rec.709, DCI-P3, or Adobe RGB, and get much better accuracy with near-perfect gamma and grayscale. I made small tweaks to the RGB sliders, and that was it. My settings are below.In HDR mode, you get two presets, Display and Cinema. Their color is the same, but the EOTF curves are slightly different. My pick was Display, and with that, you get RGB sliders and a brightness control. You can also change the local dimming, though I recommend High for the deepest blacks and best contrast.Picture ModeStandardBrightness 200 nits43Brightness 120 nits21Brightness 100 nits17Brightness 80 nits11Brightness 50 nits4 (min. 39 nits)Contrast50Gamma1Color SpaceDCI-P3, Rec.709, sRGB, Adobe RGBColor Temp UserRed 49, Green 49, Blue 51Gaming and Hands-onGaming on the 27C2A Pro was a treat. I’m spoiled by premium OLEDs, but TCL has found a great combination of brightness, color, speed, and smoothness that mostly replicates that experience with an LCD panel. The only thing you won’t get is those infinite blacks, but the 27C2A Pro comes close with its 2,304 dimming zones and extremely bright highlights.You’ll see later in the test notes just how bright it can get, and that capability is used to full effect. I always set up review displays to 200 nits, and that was only a third of the 27C2A Pro’s SDR brightness range. I found that I could use its local dimming for both SDR and HDR content, which was nice. Often, there is only dimming for HDR.Color was also a strength, with vivid hues and excellent accuracy. I found some unusual behavior during initial tests, but once I discovered the secret, it was pro-level color all the way. Just pick the gamut you want and avoid the Original option in the OSD’s color space menu.My GeForce RTX 4090-equipped PC had no problem maintaining 160fps in 4K. I tried the FHD/320 Hz option and found that it worked fine and delivered that frame rate. Since the downscale is an exact multiple, the picture wasn’t as soft as you might expect. The dual-mode feature is a viable option for users with consoles or less stout video cards.I also noted that I could use overdrive and MPRT backlight strobing in concert with Adaptive-Sync. That’s something only a few high-end monitors offer, so it was nice to see from a $600 display. If you’re relegated to frame rates below 144 Hz, MPRT is a good option for eliminating motion blur. The overdrive on its own is also very effective at its middle setting, Fast.Lag was low enough that I didn’t perceive any delay in control response. Backgrounds and moving objects stayed sharp, and my inputs were instantly translated to action. The 27C2A Pro has that addictive quality that all fast and smooth monitors have.For productivity, the 27C2A Pro shines as a photo and graphics display. Its color modes include sRGB, Rec.709, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB. That last one is a rarity outside the professional realm. They are spot-on, as you’ll see in my test results; no calibration needed. If you need a print reference monitor, this one qualifies.I also noted that the 27C2A Pro is a complete package with LED lighting, internal speakers, USB ports with KVM, and a slick white aesthetic. My only complaint is that the stand is too wobbly. The base and upright are solid, but the panel’s attachment point has some jiggle. I would probably spend some of the money I saved over an OLED on an arm.Takeaway: The 27C2A Pro is a complete package for gaming and productivity. It’s fast and smooth with excellent video processing and the ability to run Adaptive-Sync along with overdrive and backlight strobing. It’s colorful and sharp and has deep contrast thanks to 2,304 local dimming zones. It’s also much brighter than any OLED. It delivers tremendous bang for the buck.MORE: Best Gaming MonitorsMORE: How We Test PC MonitorsMORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)27-inch 4K LCDs like the 27C2A Pro are not as common in my database as OLEDs, so I had to go back further in time to come up with five screens. They are TCL’s 27R94, AOC’s U27G4XM, ViewSonic’s VX2730D-4K, Acer’s XB273K V5, and Titan Army’s P2712V.Pixel Response and Input LagClick here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.Tom's HardwareTom's HardwareThe P2712V and XB273K V5 weren’t tested with the Nvidia LDAT, so their results are omitted from the response chart. The remaining panels are close in performance, with the 27R94 being a bit slower than the rest. This manifests in moving test patterns where you can see more blur from the slower monitor. The 27C2A Pro is a tad quicker at 320 Hz than it is at 160 Hz, but not by a visible amount. It isn’t a particularly fast panel, but it delivers good motion resolution thanks to its precise overdrive. You can have even less blur by turning on MPRT, but that has a slight phasing artifact.In the lag test, the 27C2A Pro was about average at 160 Hz and took the top spot at 320 Hz. In practice, you’ll barely notice the difference. The dual mode feature is best used when you can’t maintain 160fps in 4K. Either way, it’s a fast monitor that’s quick enough for gamers of all skill levels.Test Takeaway: The 27C2A Pro is a competition-worthy display with speed comparable to other 27-inch 4K LCDs. It gains a little performance with its dual-mode switch to FHD and 320 Hz. Though it doesn’t have quicker panel response than its competitors, it has an excellent overdrive that eliminates most motion blur. And you can use the backlight strobe along with Adaptive-Sync, which is a standout feature.Viewing Angles(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)The 27C2A Pro has the off-axis image quality of a premium IPS display. The horizontal color shift is slightly green in tone with no visible loss of brightness or gamma. The top view goes cool with a reduction in brightness and gamma. It is a very shareable monitor.Screen UniformityTo learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)My 27C2A Pro showed exceptional screen uniformity with an average deviation of just 3.75% from the center zone. It’s one of the best LCDs I’ve reviewed in this test. There was no bleed or glow visible in any test pattern regardless of brightness or color. It doesn’t get much better than this.MORE: Best Gaming MonitorsMORE: How We Test PC MonitorsMORE: How to Buy a PC MonitorTo read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight LevelTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareThe 27C2A Pro has many strengths, but peak brightness is its greatest one. It hit nearly 650 nits in my SDR test when measuring a full white field pattern with local dimming turned off. You can use dimming in SDR mode if you wish. On the High setting, a 25% window was around 1,600 nits, and black levels could not be measured. On Standard, the contrast ratio is around 1,800:1. The native contrast result of 1,204.1:1 is above the IPS average.After Calibration to 200 nitsTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareMy calibration was a simple one. I set brightness to 200 nits, selected the DCI-P3 color space, and tweaked the RGB sliders. That gained me a few contrast points, which is awesome. This is still with local dimming turned off. In the ANSI test, I saw an even better score of 1,270.3:1. It’s rare that any monitor’s intra-image number is higher than its static one. This is exceptional performance.Test Takeaway: The 27C2A Pro has excellent native contrast that’s broadened with local dimming, which is available for both SDR and HDR. The two top settings have black levels so low, they can’t be measured. Peak brightness is extremely high at almost 650 nits for a full-field pattern and 25% windows topping 1,500 nits. With 2,304 dimming zones from the FALD backlight, it can render images almost as deep, sharp, and textural as a premium OLED.MORE: Best Gaming MonitorsMORE: How We Test PC MonitorsMORE: How to Buy a PC MonitorThe 27C2A Pro comes set to its Standard picture mode, which has both good and bad attributes. Color isn’t great out of the box, but there’s an easy fix that delivers pro-level accuracy.Grayscale and Gamma TrackingOur grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.Portrait Displays CalmanPortrait Displays CalmanPortrait Displays CalmanPortrait Displays CalmanThe 27C2A Pro’s first chart looks a little blue out of the box but has visually perfect gamma tracking. Normally, I’d say tweak the RGB sliders and call it a day. But wait, there’s more to the story.In sRGB mode, grayscale has no visible errors and just a slight dip in its gamma tracking at the 10% brightness step. This is typical performance for the gaming monitors I’ve tested. Since the 27C2A Pro has an Adobe RGB mode, I tested it too and found excellent grayscale and gamma tracking. You won’t need this mode for gaming, but users creating content for print will appreciate its inclusion.After calibration, grayscale is excellent, and gamma is only a tad lighter. How I achieved this is detailed in the next section. I couldn’t take the usual approach.ComparisonsTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareThe 27C2A Pro’s grayscale starts at 3.67dE, not too bad but a little blue in tone. Calibration fixes that issue to where it’s on par with the other screens at 0.74dE. Gamma tracking is exemplary whether you calibrate or not. The range of values is super tight at 0.04 from lowest to highest, and the average deviation is 1.82% with an actual value of 2.16. It doesn’t get much better than that.Color Gamut AccuracyOur color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.Portrait Displays CalmanPortrait Displays CalmanPortrait Displays CalmanPortrait Displays CalmanThe color gamut test is where the 27C2A Pro gets interesting. Out of the box, gamut tracking is wonky with obvious hue errors, undersaturation in some colors and oversaturation in others. After the solid grayscale results, I was a bit flummoxed.Relief came when I tried the different color space options. Normally, I’d just pick sRGB as an alternative, but the 27C2A Pro also has DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB on offer. All of them let you calibrate grayscale. The only control grayed out is gamma, and that’s OK because it measured perfectly in my tests. So, to get accurate DCI-P3 color, choose the DCI-P3 gamut option and adjust the RGB sliders the way I specified earlier. You can see that the sRGB and Adobe RGB choices are very accurate as well. Only Adobe comes up a tad short in green, which is typical of LCDs with LED backlights.ComparisonsTom's HardwareTom's HardwareAny monitor that can average below 1dE in the gamut test is qualified for color-critical applications. The 27C2A Pro is in that club for sure. And it beats the other excellent screens. Just be sure to use the color space option for the gamut you want and avoid the Original mode.In the volume test, the 27C2A Pro is charted in its most accurate mode, DCI-P3, post-calibration. It’s a little less colorful in the blue part of the gamut than the AOC, which is also a Quantum Dot display. But at 101.38%, it’s still very colorful and easily beats non-QD monitors. The sRGB volume is a nice 97.02%, though it comes up a tad short in red.Test Takeaway: The 27C2A Pro has pro-level color accuracy if you use its gamut modes. Avoid the Original option for the best gamut tracking. Grayscale and gamma are visually perfect as well. Aside from the gamut selection, calibration is unnecessary. It is unusual in that it offers a usable Adobe RGB mode, which is great when creating content for print.MORE: Best Gaming MonitorsMORE: How We Test PC MonitorsMORE: How to Buy a PC MonitorOur HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.The 27C2A Pro supports HDR10 content with two similar picture modes. You can calibrate grayscale and adjust brightness. Also, the local dimming remains available so you can control contrast. The mode switch is automatic.HDR Brightness and ContrastTom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's HardwareThe 27C2A Pro’s peak of 1,663 nits demonstrates why one buys a Mini LED monitor. No OLED can touch this number for a 25% window. TCL’s claim of 2,000 nits for a 3% window is completely valid. For my test, I left local dimming on high, which shuts off the backlight under zero signal conditions. That means black levels and contrast cannot be measured, just like an OLED. In practice, the 27C2A Pro won’t quite match an OLED, but it comes closer than any other LCD technology thanks to its 2,304 dimming zones and well-engineered dynamic contrast feature. It doesn’t get much better than this.Grayscale, EOTF and ColorPortrait Displays CalmanPortrait Displays CalmanIn the HDR grayscale test, I noted that the RGB sliders were adjustable, so I applied the same settings from SDR to HDR. The result was visually perfect grayscale with almost all errors below 2dE. I measured both Display and Cinema modes and found slightly different EOTF tracking between them. Display was my preference. Cinema looked a tad lighter and less textured, but the difference was small.In the color test, the 27C2A Pro is slightly off hue in magenta, green, and yellow, but not too far. The triangle is generally oversaturated, but no more than the other HDR monitors I’ve tested. This is a typical response in my experience. The DCI-P3 gamut is fully rendered with a little bonus blue and magenta. In the BT.2020 test, the 27C2A Pro runs out of color at 88% red and 75% green but has a little more than 100% blue.Test Takeaway: The 27C2A Pro is a stellar HDR monitor with deep contrast, accurate color, and very bright highlights. It stands out with adjustable color temperature and brightness. And you can change the local dimming as well. Most monitors have no HDR options other than picture mode. It isn’t quite as deeply textured as an OLED, but it is much brighter.MORE: Best Gaming MonitorsMORE: How We Test PC MonitorsMORE: How to Buy a PC MonitorFor gaming in a small space, there’s nothing sharper than a 27-inch 4K monitor. Its 163ppi pixel density is the finest structure you can buy outside of 5K, 6K, or 8K screens, which are still in the realm of the rare and exotic. The TCL 27C2A Pro brings that sharpness along with high brightness, accurate color, and premium video processing.(Image credit: TCL)Once I cracked the code of its color modes, I found extreme accuracy with extras like Adobe RGB and Rec.709. You don’t find these outside the professional realm too often. And brightness? The 27C2A Pro has lots of that. TCL claims 2,000 nits for a 3% window, and since I measured almost 1,700 from a 25% window, there is no reason for doubt. The local dimming is very effective with 2,304 zones and very deep black levels. It was nice to have for both SDR and HDR content.(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Gaming had that addictive quality that every OLED delivers, but only a few LCDs do. TCL lets you run the overdrive, Adaptive-Sync, and the backlight strobe all together if you wish, which is something very few monitors allow. I enjoyed smooth motion resolution and quick control response with the 4K refresh rate maxed at 160 Hz. Users with consoles or mid-priced video cards will find flexibility in the dual-mode switch, which runs the 27C2A Pro at 320 Hz in FHD resolution.My one complaint was about the stand. Though it is stable, the panel wobbles a bit. I would likely invest in an arm if I were going to use the 27C2A Pro every day. I appreciated the inclusion of LED lights, internal speakers, and USB ports, though. This is a fully loaded display.If you want OLED-level gaming performance, deep contrast, and vivid color, but don’t want an OLED, the TCL 27C2A Pro is a good alternative. It’s definitely worth checking out.MORE: Best Gaming MonitorsMORE: How We Test PC MonitorsMORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor