Our Verdict
Evnia has done well as Philips/AOC's "Lexus" brand in the last couple of years, with more refined (and often a bit more expensive) monitors impressing us on Creative Bloq. With the 27M2N3800A, however, Evnia blows the doors off the budget space and marches in. Offering 4K resolution at 160Hz refresh rate for under $300, it's a versatile 27‑inch panel aimed at gamers who also do creative work, and it’s hard to fault the value proposition. It isn’t a studio reference monitor, but it isn’t trying to be. It’s fast, colourful and practical, and for most users it will be more than sufficient. It's immensely competent, with a couple of honest limitations that don’t overshadow its many strengths.
For
- Bright and sharp
- Sub-£500 (most of the time)
- Premium design
Against
- Is 280Hz really needed?
- Not 4K
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The Philips Evnia 27M2N3800A is billed as a gaming monitor, much like most other models from Philips' "fancier" sub-brand. We've reviewed several Evnia models here on Creative Bloq, most costing well over $500 (and some approaching $1,500), but what's united most of them is a refined design mixed with great screen specs, whether you're buying the display for gaming or creative work. Some have even graced our list of the best monitors for graphic artists.
So when I saw that Evnia was releasing a sub-$300 monitor with 4K resolution at 160Hz or FHD at 320Hz, I thought: "4K? And dual-mode? At this price? In this economy?!"
Philips Evnia 27M2N3800A: Key specifications
Screen size: | 27in |
Screen type: | Fast IPS |
Resolution: | 3840 x 2160 |
Refresh rate: | 160Hz (320Hz in FHD) |
Contrast ratio: | 1000:1 |
Colour gamut (measured): | 89.4% Adobe RGB, 93.8% DCI-P3, 126% sRGB |
Inputs: | 2x HDMI 2.1, |
HDR: | HDR 400 |
Webcam: | No |
Response time: | 1ms GTG |
Adjustments: | Height adjustment: 130 mm |
Dimensions: | 614 x 519 x 261mm with stand |
Weight: | 5.6kg with stand |
Philips Evnia 27M2N3800A: Design and build
• Solid if unspectacular design
• Sparse on ports
The Evnia 27M2N3800A is part of Evnia's 'entry-level' 3000 Series of gaming monitors.
Philips has dressed the 27M2N3800A (please, monitor makers, come up with better names, I'm begging you) in a concise, gaming-first silhouette that remarkably resembles the recently reviewed Dell Alienware AW2725D in terms of the front bezels. The 27-inch Fast IPS panel sits behind an anti‑glare, 3H coating with a subtle 25% haze, delivering a crisp 4K image at 3840 x 2160 for visual fidelity, while a clever Dual Mode lets you toggle down to 1920 x 1080 to hit a blistering 320 Hz, or stay in 4K at up to 160 Hz depending on whether you want creative polish or raw gaming speed.
The ergonomics and materials deserve a nod: the chassis uses 85% post-consumer recycled plastic, and the stand’s feet, as well as the headphone holder, are made with 35% recycled plastic. These are tidy touches that don’t scream eco-preach but do suggest considered construction. Connectivity is rather simple: two HDMI 2.1 ports and DisplayPort 1.4, plus built‑in stereo speakers (which are best left to emergency use only) and a audio out for quick setups. Philips packs in gamer‑centric extras too — DisplayHDR 400, 0.5 ms Smart MBR, NVIDIA G‑SYNC compatibility, Stark ShadowBoost, Smart Crosshair and an Evnia Precision Centre app for on‑the-fly tweaks, so it ticks a lot of gaming boxes.
For creative uses, would have loved a USB-C connection option at the very least (if not Thunderbolt 4), but therein lies the secret to the saving: the bulk of the cost of making this thing lies in the big flat bit on the front you look at the most, while the rest of the chassis has clearly been, erm, borrowed from sibling AOC and simply rebadged. Hey, if it works, etc.
Design score: 3/5
Features and performance
Philips’ Evnia 27M2N3800A feels like a sensible, all-rounder gaming monitor that moonlights as a compact creative workstation. In daily use, such as working with Premiere Pro timelines, Photoshop layers and the usual tab chaos, it held up with quiet confidence; the 27‑inch footprint is just right for smaller desks without vanishing on a larger one.
Colour reproduction was impressive in my tests: 89.4% Adobe RGB, 93.8% DCI‑P3 and a generous 126% sRGB, with peak brightness around 389 nits. Those numbers give images a lively, usable punch for editing and colour-critical work, and colour shifts were minor enough that I didn’t constantly reach for colour‑management gymnastics.
Gaming performance felt suitably sprightly. Cyberpunk 2077 delivered immersive, neon-soaked vistas where motion felt controlled and detail stayed crisp; EA FC 25 was smooth, responsive and satisfying in quick transitions. Where the Evnia shows its compromises is contrast; the rated 1000:1 leaves blacks decent but not cinematic; for dark-room video grading, you’ll notice a lack of the deepest, inky blacks. The monitor also comes without a webcam, which is perfectly understandable at this price and keeps the design clean and focused.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Price
The Philips Evnia 27M2N3800A is aggressively priced, at £278.99 in the UK and $309.99 in the US at the time of writing. With HDR, a quick-switch Dual Mode via KVM, a max resolution of 4K (or max refresh rate of an entirely too many 320Hz) and an impressive colour gamut to boot, I'm awfully tempted to slap the 'Bargain' tag on this one.
Fine, I'm doing it.
This is a flippin' bargain. There. I did it.
Value score: 5/5
Who is it for?
• Gamers who like to create
• Creatives who like to game
Scorecard
Design: | Basic but solid. And there's a lil' headphone hook. Oooh. | 3/5 |
Performance: | Great colour coverage, 4K rez but sub-stellar contrast. | 4.5/5 |
Value: | Bargain at under £/$300 | 5/5 |
Buy it if:
- You like a bargain (that's three times I've said it now)
- You want a nice, big, but not TOO big, screen you can game and create on
- You want sturdy build quality without the flash
Don't buy it if
- You need film-grade video quality
- You want something WITH the flash
out of 10
Evnia has done well as Philips/AOC's "Lexus" brand in the last couple of years, with more refined (and often a bit more expensive) monitors impressing us on Creative Bloq. With the 27M2N3800A, however, Evnia blows the doors off the budget space and marches in. Offering 4K resolution at 160Hz refresh rate for under $300, it's a versatile 27‑inch panel aimed at gamers who also do creative work, and it’s hard to fault the value proposition. It isn’t a studio reference monitor, but it isn’t trying to be. It’s fast, colourful and practical, and for most users it will be more than sufficient. It's immensely competent, with a couple of honest limitations that don’t overshadow its many strengths.
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