A 27-inch, 1440p, 144Hz gaming monitor is the standard infantry rifle for PC gamers. It’s effective, reasonably priced, and works well no matter the game you throw at it. First-person shooters? Yep!

I'm a senior analyst charged with testing and reviewing VPNs and other security apps for PCMag. I grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley and have been involved with technology since the 1990s.

Once in a while, a gaming monitor comes along that truly does it all. Until now, the holder of that title in the 27-inch 1440p category had been the stellar $649 Razer Raptor 27, but this year the ...