It all started when I upgraded my wife’s monitor to a Lenovo 27Q-10, a 27-inch gaming monitor. After seeing the crisp 27-inch QHD screen, the FHD resolution on my old Dell monitor started to bother me. This eventually led me to purchase the Lenovo L27-4A.
My previous monitor was a Dell P2417H, a 24-inch FHD display with a built-in USB hub. I bought it back in 2016, and it’s still in perfect working condition. However, its maximum brightness is only 250cd, which meant I had to keep it at 100% brightness all the time.
Initially, I wanted to buy the same Lenovo 27Q-10 that my wife uses. However, the discount coupons on AliExpress were no longer available, and I wasn’t keen on paying the full retail price. Also, considering my PC specs, a high-refresh-rate gaming monitor seemed like overkill. I decided to look for a high-quality office monitor instead.
That’s when I found the Lenovo L27-4A. It features a 27-inch QHD resolution, a 100Hz refresh rate, and—most importantly for me—a USB hub. I found it on Coupang at a discounted price of approximately 220,000 KRW.
The monitor arrived the very next day. Interestingly, the box design is different from the 27Q-10.
The box opens from the top, which makes it much easier to unpack. Also, the internal packaging uses molded paper instead of Styrofoam. I really appreciated not having Styrofoam dust flying everywhere.
Aside from the panel itself, the contents include the base, the stand, a power cable, a USB-C cable, and manuals.
I do think they should have included a DP (DisplayPort) cable. Not many graphics cards support USB-C output yet, so if you’re buying this monitor, you should check if you have a spare DP cable lying around.
Once you lift the top tray containing the accessories, the monitor body is revealed underneath.
This is the bottom of the base. Unlike the 27Q-10, which has an extra cover, this model seems to be positioned slightly lower in the lineup.
Here is the stand. It has a hole for cable management, but it’s not very wide. If you have an HDMI cable with a thick noise filter, it might not fit through.
The front of the unit looks great. It has a slight bottom bezel, but the top and sides are extremely thin. The design is quite sleek.
This is the back of the monitor. The design and layout are quite different from the 27Q-10. I expected them to be similar since they are both Lenovo, but they are distinct.
The OSD (On-Screen Display) is controlled by a joystick, which I prefer over traditional buttons. However, since you can control settings via an app, I probably won’t use the joystick much.
The port configuration is as follows:
- 1x DP
- 2x HDMI
- 1x USB-C (Uplink, 75W Charging, DP 1.4 support)
- 1x Audio out
- 4x USB-A (Downlink and charging)
The USB-C port is a “do-it-all” port—it handles the USB hub connection, charges your laptop (up to 75W), and transmits video.
This is where the stand connects. It’s a tool-less design, which is very convenient. However, if you plan to use a monitor arm, you’ll need to make sure the VESA mount area fits your specific arm’s design.
The back view after assembly.
Since this stand supports pivot, height adjustment, tilt, and swivel, I’ve decided not to use a monitor arm for now.
And here is the view from the front.
Lenovo L27-4A Usage Review
To get straight to the point: I am very satisfied. Here is a summary of the pros and cons.
1. The Display
The 350cd brightness is a noticeable upgrade. Being 50cd brighter than the standard 300cd monitor makes a big difference. Other specs like HDR10, 1500:1 contrast ratio, and 90% DCI-P3 are more than sufficient for my needs. It also features an anti-glare coating and eye-care certifications.
While the 100Hz refresh rate is a bit of a compromise (I would have loved 120Hz), it’s still much smoother than 60Hz. Note: It doesn’t officially support G-Sync, but G-Sync Compatible mode can be enabled and works fine.
2. OSD Convenience
While the joystick is nice, the Lenovo Accessories and Display Manager app (available on the Microsoft Store) is the real winner. Being able to adjust monitor settings directly from Windows is incredibly convenient.
3. Surprisingly Good Speakers
I honestly had zero expectations for the built-in speakers, despite the “MaxxAudio by Waves” branding. However, they were good enough that I actually threw away my old Britz 2.1 channel speakers that I’ve had since the early 2000s. The 3W + 3W output is plenty for daily use. Clearing the speakers off my desk has freed up so much space!
4. The USB Hub
Once you get used to a monitor with a USB hub, there’s no going back. It keeps everything tidy.
Initially, I was disappointed because my monitor light bar (Philips Edison) turned off whenever the computer was shut down. However, I fixed this by enabling the “USB Charging” option in the OSD settings, which keeps the ports powered.
The downside? There are no USB ports on the sides or bottom of the monitor. Because of the slim design, all ports are on the back. Plugging in a USB thumb drive or an external hard drive is a bit of a struggle compared to my old Dell, which had ports on the side.
5. Lenovo’s 3-Year Warranty
The 3-year warranty was a major selling point for my Dell, and Lenovo offers the same here. Knowing they provide 3 years of on-site service gives me great peace of mind.