Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi: You might need it too and not even know it

This April, we informed you about the arrival of a new Xiaomi monitor on the Czech market. The model designated A27Qi clearly indicates its target audience – this time, the Chinese manufacturer did not focus primarily on demanding video game players, but rather on normal users. The embodiment of the ideal owner will therefore be someone who performs regular office work or amateur graphic activities on the computer and wants to relax for a while with multimedia content. 

While previously, as an avid gamer who wasn’t afraid to spend half the weekend gaming, I would have preferred a curved panel with a brutal refresh rate and ideally some extravagant design, today I dare say that a regular office monitor will be of greater use to me. Although I typically spend half the day at the computer, I either work on it or use it for studying. 

This was also the reason why, over the past few years, I hadn’t upgraded from a very basic 24” FullHD monitor with 75 Hz to anything better. I simply thought I didn’t need it. However, the Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi quickly convinced me that a quality panel can significantly improve my PC work experience – and it might convince you too.

Minimalist and Utterly Simple Design

The Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi doesn’t need to prove anything, as its design already suggests. No eccentricities or unnecessary extra elements, just a simple 27” panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio and thin bezels. The number of ports also corresponds to the target audience: the monitor only has one DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI (a double-sided HDMI cable is included), a 3.5mm jack for connecting headphones, and of course, a power port. Due to the absence of USB-A or USB-C, you won’t be able to charge your phone from the monitor or use it to connect peripherals, but honestly, I don’t see that as a major problem. On the contrary, I appreciate the good accessibility of the ports – when they are located on the back, cables connect to them better than if they were facing downwards.

You’ll also search in vain for complexities on the stand. I had it assembled in a minute, even with a trip to get a screwdriver, as you only need two screws to attach the monitor bracket to the metal base. The monitor itself then simply snaps onto the bracket. While the stand doesn’t allow for side-to-side rotation or height adjustment, you can adjust its angle. When DJing, standing with a mixer connected above the monitor, my back finally doesn’t hurt. For even greater flexibility, the monitor can be mounted on an arm thanks to the VESA mounting system.

The Shift in Refresh Rate Surprised Me

Upgrading from an older 24” monitor to the Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi was a leap for me in several ways. The model from the well-known phone manufacturer is, for one, larger with its 27” diagonal, which honestly gave me a slight headache at first, but I managed to adapt within a few hours.

The shift in resolution is visible, but it didn’t blow me away. This isn’t actually that surprising, given that due to the longer diagonal, the pixel density of the Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi is only about 20% higher than my old model. 

Where I immediately noticed a difference, however, was the refresh rate. Before connecting the monitor, I thought that the jump from 75 Hz to 100 Hz couldn’t be that significant, but I was wrong. Almost all system animations appear smoother, and I even have a better feeling when simply typing text. When playing Counter-Strike 2, the upgrade is, of course, also noticeable and very welcome, as it is a competitive shooter for which panels with higher refresh rates are more suitable. However, it’s worth mentioning here that the monitor does not support technologies like AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync, which combat screen tearing by synchronizing the monitor’s and graphics card’s refresh rates.

Accurate Color Reproduction

In connection with the display, Xiaomi also mentions color calibration – according to the manufacturer, each monitor was checked before leaving the factory, and the deviation is ΔE < 2 (which indicates that the panel displays colors very accurately). The monitor covers 95% of the DCI-P3 space and 100% of the sRGB gamut.

The Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi supports HDR, but you have to enable it yourself in the settings. You can access the monitor’s control center by pressing the power button, which can then be used to navigate in four directions.

Verdict: An Upgrade That Came at the Right Time

The Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi arrived on my desk at the right time. I had been considering an upgrade to a larger 27” diagonal and QuadHD resolution for a while. If you are still using a FullHD monitor with a 75Hz, or even 60Hz refresh rate, perhaps you should also consider a change. 

From my perspective, the Xiaomi monitor is ideal for this. At a price of 3 559 Kč, it is an affordable model that, with the features described above, meets everything I would expect from a primarily work monitor. With a 100 Hz refresh rate, the image is smooth, the QuadHD resolution doesn’t give you the impression that you’re stuck in time, and the minimalist stand providing at least partial flexibility is a nice cherry on top. On the other hand, some might miss the USB ports. Overall, however, the Xiaomi 2K Monitor A27Qi is a piece you can’t go wrong with, and after testing, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

What monitor do you use?