Unlike Dell, MSI, or BenQ, Auzai isn’t a common name in the world of gaming – and you’d be forgiven if you’ve never even heard of the company. Its official website doesn’t do much to instill confidence in would-be customers, either, as its pages are void of any worthwhile information, containing only a generic ‘About Us’ section and an empty blog.

The monitor comes with a solid list of specs – along with the usual marketing jargon to upsell its pixels. Here’s a quick look at the hardware:

  • Screen Size: 27-inches Resolution: 2560 x 1440 Response Time: 1ms (MPRT) Refresh Rate: 144Hz (HDMI), 165Hz (DP) Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Color Gamut: 100%sRGB, 72% NTSC

Despite the oversold features, the monitor quality itself took me by surprise. I spent a bit longer than I would have liked fumbling through all the display options – using clunky menu buttons on the back of the panel – but I eventually settled on various brightness and contrast settings that worked for me.

Regardless of what I happened to be playing, the Auzai monitor returned a surprisingly good picture. I experienced no motion blur during my time with fast-paced shooters such as Apex Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offense, Black Desert Online looked remarkable in 2K, and Old School RuneScape – well, looked like a game from 2007.

My biggest complaint with the display quality is the viewing angle – move just a few inches away from the center and the edges of the screen will immediately take on a yellow hue. It’s not very noticeable if you happen to be playing a game that fills the screen with vibrant colors, but it becomes a problem if the majority of your screen is white. That makes it most noticeable when doing non-gaming-related tasks such as surfing the web or working in Microsoft Word.

The other issue relates to Auzai’s anti-glare coating, which results in noticeable distortion when viewing white images. At first glance you might think it’s a giant, oily fingerprint but – no matter how feverishly you try to wipe it away – it’s always there. The image noise isn’t a dealbreaker, however, and is virtually invisible while in-game.

Beyond serviceable image quality, Auzai tries to upsell its monitor with a flashy “uber-gamer” design. The monitor rests on a massive black and red stand, with RGB lights augmenting the back – when gaming in a dark room, you can see the colors lightly projected on the wall behind it. I’m one of the few people left on the planet who still enjoys flashy RGB designs, so I found them to be a nice touch. The same goes for its attention-grabbing base. I doubt it’ll be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s well designed for what it is.

Auzai also gives you a variety of ways to adjust the screen. You can adjust the height by 15cm, tilt it forward 5 degrees and back 15 degrees, and you can even pivot the entire monitor into portrait mode if you so desire. And while I thought all these joints would result in a wobbly monitor, the entire setup is more stable than my old one from HP.

The 27-inch monitor from Auzai isn’t likely to win any awards, but it’s a remarkably frugal choice if you’re looking to upgrade to a 2K resolution without breaking the bank. Its viewing angle and anti-glare distortion are a bit of an annoyance, but nothing that truly detracts from its impressive image while in-game. Your money might be better served if you can save up to buy a monitor from a more mainstream brand, but if stretching your budget isn’t an option, you won’t be disappointed with this mid-range product.

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