INNONC 27G1S - Very Fast VA
Posted: 18 Dec 2025, 08:11
INNOCN 27G1S is 27" 1440p 240Hz VA monitor that uses TCL CSOT fast HVA or PSVA (Polymer Stabilized Vertical Alignment) panel. On average this liquid crystal technology is faster than typical fast IPS. I picked up a refurbished (like-new) unit for just €83.
Interestingly dark level transitions are quite a bit faster in sRGB vs Standard color mode. Black levels remain the same in both. I'll share pursuit shots of both modes.
Standard Mode, 240 Hz fps, OD OFF, 1920 px/sec
sRGB Mode, 240 Hz fps, OD OFF, 1920 px/sec
Best overdrive is "OFF" which is not actually OFF (not gain 0). From charts we can see the boost on most of transition is spot on. 27G1S even has Variable Overdrive but it is not particularly great. It's a 3-zone overdrive, 240-180, 180-85 and <85 hz fps. The <85 fps zone reduces the overdrive gain smoothly, but at ~180 fps display is trying to transition between 2 very different gains so there is a noticeable overdrive flicker at around 170-190 fps. So best performance is always at stable 240, 165, and 60 fps. I guess this kind of variable overdrive can work if done correctly. But the difference between the gains is obviously too big and "zone" count is too small. Many more zones are needed so that the gain difference becomes smaller. We had a similar/same situation in 2021 with Gigabyte's M32Q Smart OD.
This leaves me with a message: For reviewers reading, who test variable overdrive/VRR range incrementally eg. 240, 165, 120, 60 fps, make sure to quick check if transitions between those frames are actually smooth, or when frames are erratic! A program I can recommend for that is Smooth Frog.
GtG performance can be improved further by raising the black levels with Shadow Balance setting. Default is 50, at 60 there is little to no ghosting, at times almost OLED-like. Make sure to warm up the panel for 30 mins minimum before any kind of tests because it is a lot slower otherwise. I should mention, even though it's fast, there is still some text smearing, definitely not as significant as on standard slow VA. White text on black background don't smear/disappear but turn green-ish/yellow-ish instead.
Interestingly dark level transitions are quite a bit faster in sRGB vs Standard color mode. Black levels remain the same in both. I'll share pursuit shots of both modes.
Standard Mode, 240 Hz fps, OD OFF, 1920 px/sec
sRGB Mode, 240 Hz fps, OD OFF, 1920 px/sec
Best overdrive is "OFF" which is not actually OFF (not gain 0). From charts we can see the boost on most of transition is spot on. 27G1S even has Variable Overdrive but it is not particularly great. It's a 3-zone overdrive, 240-180, 180-85 and <85 hz fps. The <85 fps zone reduces the overdrive gain smoothly, but at ~180 fps display is trying to transition between 2 very different gains so there is a noticeable overdrive flicker at around 170-190 fps. So best performance is always at stable 240, 165, and 60 fps. I guess this kind of variable overdrive can work if done correctly. But the difference between the gains is obviously too big and "zone" count is too small. Many more zones are needed so that the gain difference becomes smaller. We had a similar/same situation in 2021 with Gigabyte's M32Q Smart OD.
This leaves me with a message: For reviewers reading, who test variable overdrive/VRR range incrementally eg. 240, 165, 120, 60 fps, make sure to quick check if transitions between those frames are actually smooth, or when frames are erratic! A program I can recommend for that is Smooth Frog.
GtG performance can be improved further by raising the black levels with Shadow Balance setting. Default is 50, at 60 there is little to no ghosting, at times almost OLED-like. Make sure to warm up the panel for 30 mins minimum before any kind of tests because it is a lot slower otherwise. I should mention, even though it's fast, there is still some text smearing, definitely not as significant as on standard slow VA. White text on black background don't smear/disappear but turn green-ish/yellow-ish instead.
