Gigabyte M28U 144Hz 4K IPS with HDMI 2.1

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With graphical capabilities increasing, a combination of high resolution and refresh rate becomes increasingly practical and attractive. The Gigabyte M28U is one such offering, combining a ‘4K’ UHD resolution with 144Hz refresh rate. And offering HDMI 2.1 to leverage the full capabilities of games consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The styling is in-keeping with other ‘basic’ (i.e. non-AORUS) Gigabyte models. Lots of matte black plastic and a low-profile angled stand base. Dual-stage bezels with a slim panel border flush with the rest of the screen plus a slender hard plastic outer component. The OSD (On Screen Display) is controlled by a joystick at the rear of the monitor, towards the right side as viewed from the front. A dedicated KVM button is also found above the joystick. Another alternative is to use the brand’s popular OSD Sidekick software, which also allows creation of custom crosshairs and firmware updates to be applied to the monitor.

Simple styling

The monitor uses a 28″ 3840 x 2160 (‘4K’ UHD) IPS-type panel, more specifically the Innolux M280DCA-E7B AAS panel. A 1000:1 static contrast is specified alongside 178° horizontal and vertical viewing angles and true 8-bit colour with a matte anti-glare screen surface. A 144Hz refresh rate is supported with Adaptive-Sync, including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro with a 48 – 144Hz VRR range plus LFC. A flicker-free WLED backlight is used, offering a colour gamut of 94% DCI-P3 (120% sRGB) for a dose of extra vibrancy and a 300 cd/m² typical maximum luminance. A brightness of ~400 cd/m² is supported for HDR purposes, with the monitor responding to HDR10 content with VESA DisplayHDR 400 compliance. Enough for it to provide a basic HDR experience, with 10-bit colour supported and a the fairly generous colour gamut put to good use. It doesn’t necessitate particularly high brightness levels or any local dimming, for contrast enhancement. Although this model includes an edge-lit dimming solution with 8 zones for situational contrast enhancement, as seen on the XV282K KV that shares the same panel.

The monitor is certified as ‘Eyesafe’ by TÜV Rheinland, so the blue light peak is shifted to a less energetic wavelength to enhance viewing comfort. A 1ms grey to grey response time (caution advised) is specified alongside 2ms MPRT using the included Aim Stabilizer Sync strobe backlight setting. This can be used at the same time as Adaptive-Sync. The included stand attaches centrally with a quick-release mechanism and can be removed to reveal 100 x 100mm VESA holes for alternative mounting. It offers tilt and height (130mm or 5.12 inches) adjustment. The ports face downwards and include; AC power input (internal power converter), a 3.5mm headphone jack, 2 HDMI 2.1 ports, DP 1.4 (with DSC), USB-C (18W PD, DP Alt Mode and upstream data) and 3 USB 3.0 ports (plus upstream). KVM functionality is included, allowing USB peripherals to be shared between multiple systems. 2 x 3W speakers are also included.

Dedicated KVM button

Further details can be found on the manufacturer’s website. The monitor is listed for ~$600 USD.

Gigabyte M28U