NZXT's First Monitors Cater To Gamers With A Blistering Refresh Rate But There's A Catch
NZXT might be best known for its extensive lineup of computer cases, but it also offers a range of PC components and peripherals, including all-in-one liquid coolers, power supplies, motherboards, keyboards, mice, and more. It even sells pre-built systems and kits. Now it has officially added gaming monitors to the fray with the release its first displays under the Canvas banner.
"Monitors are a window into any game world; they take you to far-off places and bring the action directly to you. Whether you’re into competitive PVP action or a chill walking simulator, Canvas is the bridge to those worlds," NZXT says.
The idea behind Canvas is to blend "fast with vast," which is really a fancy way of saying these monitors have both gaming and content creation chops. There are two models that are up for grabs initially: a flat screen 27-inch display and a 32-inch curved monitor, both available in black or white trim.
Minus the physical size and curvature (or lack thereof), the core specifications are identical. Both monitors are built around an IPS panel and offer up a 2560x1440 native resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, 300 nits brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and HDR10 support.
We'd be wary of getting our hopes up over HDR10 performance at just 300 nits, but otherwise the specs appear pretty decent. NZXT is also claiming 99 percent coverage of the sRGB color space, and both monitors are FreeSync Premium displays that are also certified as G-Sync Compatible.
As for connectivity options, you're looking at a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.2 input, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a single USB-C/DP Alt port, a USB-B 3.0 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. This all comes wrapped in a "bezel-free design" and they play nice with NZXT's CAM software to adjust various settings and create custom profiles.
So what's the caveat we referenced in the headline? Take a page from Apple's old way of doing things, the stand costs extra. The Canvas 27Q costs $319.99 while the optional stand adds another $40 to the tally. You can also buy a monitor arm for $99.99 or a dual monitor arm for $169.99. Meanwhile, the Canvas 32Q Curved costs $379.99, plus $50 if you want it to come with a stand.
