Note that the HDMI 2.1 ports of the monitor are limited to 24 Gbps and use DSC (Display Stream Compression) for 4K 144Hz 10-bit color 4:4:4. Then there's the stand. There had to be some cost-cutting with a monitor at this price point, and the stand has taken the brunt of it. It's sturdy, and so it's practically all it needs to be, though it's limited in its movement to just height and tilt adjustments. It's also a little bit cheap looking, and the underside relies on pads that are glued on for grip to the desk. On my review sample these pads have already started to peel away with the small adjustments I've made over time, and may end up having to be replaced just to keep the screen steady. There was one thing that surprised me though - the spec sheet for this monitor (and online listings) do advertise it as having KVM functionality, and as such it has a USB Type C port. However, its listed signal input support is listed as being 1xDP1.4 with DSC and 2xHDMI2.1 (and a note for anyone buying, there are big asterisks around "HDMI 2.1" - it doesn't actually support 4K@144Hz 4:4:4; while I haven't tested myself, it will apparently have chroma subsampling over the HDMI ports!). Further, the Gigabyte M28U HDMI 2.1 monitor has the new Eyesafe certification which guarantees reduced harmful low-blue light emission even when a dedicated low-blue filter mode is not applied. This scaling issue is largely mitigated when gaming, at least. In those terms, the M28U is a superb size for pixel density and detail to shine through without overpowering the desktop, and next to my 32-inch monitor it feels far less imposing. If a little less immersive for it.

The Gigabyte M28U monitor is based on an IPS panel by Innolux. It boasts 178° wide viewing angles for flawless image quality regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen, as well as a wide 94% DCI-P3 color gamut. Since screen tearing is a lot less noticeable at 144Hz than it is at 60Hz, you might want to consider disabling VRR at low FPS if pixel overshoot bothers you.

The M28U delivers swift 4K gaming in an affordable package.

This KVM switch allows you to switch keyboard and mouse input between devices connected over USB Type-C. (Image credit: Future)

This also means that if you’re using VRR (variable refresh rate) technology, such as FreeSync, and you’re getting around 60FPS (and therefore 60Hz), some overshoot will be noticeable too. The Gigabyte M28U also supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) and has VESA’s DisplayHDR 400 certification. When playing HDR content, the monitor gets a boost in peak brightness to ~400-nits for more vivid highlights.

When I got the monitor though, I noticed the OSD has a 'Type C' input - and sure enough, I was able to connect my work machine and use it for video in addition to peripherals, so despite the fact it doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere officially, this actually supports DP alt mode! There are five response time overdrive modes: Off, Smart OD, Picture Quality, Balance, and Speed. All five modes are rather aggressive as they can cause some overshoot, so we recommend using the ‘Off’ mode for the best results. I was recently made aware that the Gigabyte M28U 4K@144Hz monitor was 1) out now, 2) actually available (at least in Australia) and 3) a little over half the price of its competitors (e.g. the LG GN950), which you can't actually buy anyway because we live in the end times.

The screen has a matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy. FreeSync and HDMI 2.1 VRR are supported up to 144Hz (48-144Hz range) for tear-free gameplay. While the monitor is not certified as G-SYNC Compatible by NVIDIA, you can use VRR with compatible GeForce cards without issues.

The Gigabyte M28U is one of the most affordable 4K 144Hz IPS gaming monitors with HDMI 2.1! Image Quality In short, you’re not getting the true HDR viewing experience (as expected from a 4K 144Hz monitor at this price range), but some scenes will look a bit better thanks to the display’s wide color gamut, a small boost in brightness, and at least some form of local dimming.