4 Years Later: Sceptre 27-inch Curved Monitor (C278W-1920R) Review

Back in 2018, I purchased a unit of Sceptre 27-inch curved monitor from Amazon. It was the C278W-1920R model with a LED display and a resolution of 1080p.

Before purchasing the monitor, I wasn’t even familiar with the Sceptre brand. I came across it randomly on Amazon, checked out the product, and saw positive reviews about that particular monitor. Also, I was on a tight budget, and it looked like a good deal. I mean, I couldn’t find a monitor at that price with similar specifications from manufacturers like Samsung back then. Ultimately, the deciding factor was how much I was willing to spend. A 27-inch curved-screen monitor for only $160 was a steal!

However, with most cheap products, there are always trade-offs whether you choose to overlook them or not. In the original review I published on YouTube four years ago, I did mention these.

Display

Of course, the most important part of a monitor is the display. Sceptre C278W-1920R comes with a display quality worthy of a $160 price tag. I personally don’t think a reasonable person would buy a cheap monitor and expect it to ship with the highest quality display available on the market. No matter how sweet a deal seems, you still will not get more than your money’s worth.

This unit comes with a 1080p display. While this is enough for regular folks who just want to use it as a computer display, it may be lacking in certain cases. A 1920x1080p resolution on a 27-inch display will often result in low pixel density. At a closer look, the display does not look sharp enough. Well, this is to be expected. Fitting 1080p pixels on a 27-inch display will not look as good as fitting 1440p on the same screen size.

The refresh rate is capped at 75Hz on Sceptre C278W-1920R, which is more or less the baseline value in gaming. For a gaming monitor, this is the barest minimum. The response time is also set at 5ms. Again, this is the minimum for a gaming monitor. As it is, my ping alone is more than enough to mess up my gaming experience– my present location (Nigeria) is thousands of miles away from the nearest European server as far as every online game I play is concerned. This means the refresh rate and response time of my display unit is the least of my concern.

If this is your first gaming monitor and you are on a budget, this model meets the minimum requirement you should be looking for. Keep in mind that meeting the minimum requirement does not imply you are going to have the optimal gaming experience. However, for the price, Sceptre C278W-1920R delivers.

One thing worth mentioning about this monitor is the light bleed that becomes more pronounced when viewing dark images or videos. The light around the edge of the screen can be a bit annoying, and the truth is, not everyone is going to be able to ignore it. Well, I’ve been ignoring it for four whole years since I already know it is common with cheap LED monitors. It’s not peculiar to this model alone.

The color accuracy, too, isn’t perfect.

Speakers

It comes with inbuilt speakers around the back but these are not worth using. The sound quality is horrible, and the volume is rather lower than expected. As far as this monitor is concerned, getting external speakers is a necessity.

Build quality

One of the things I first noticed when I unboxed this monitor 4 years ago was the build quality. For the price, I wasn’t expecting much. The stand is pretty solid, and it still is. Unfortunately, the fixed stand does not support tilting. As far as the build goes, the quality is quite good. The buttons all still work.

Ports

Apart from the power input port, there are five other ports on the Sceptre C278W-1920R:

• HDMI (x1)
• Display port (x1)
• VGA (x1)
• Audio in (x1)
• Audio out (x1)

With just one HDMI input available, I’m using an HDMI splitter from Gana that allows me to plug in my PlayStation 4 console, Apple TV, and Chromecast into the monitor at the same time. All that is needed is the press of a switch instead of swapping out HDMI cables every now and then. This has been working great for years now.

4 years later

So, how has it been holding up? Has it stood the test of time? Yes, this monitor has stood the test of time. Apart from the issues I had with it at the beginning, it still works quite alright. Of course, I plan to replace it with a better display with the same screen size but higher resolution. And if you’re wondering, I might still get it from Spectre.

I will not recommend this monitor if you are a professional who takes color accuracy seriously. A graphic designer will not appreciate this kind of display.  However, if you’re in the market looking for a decent, entry-level gaming monitor without breaking the bank, Spectre C278W-1920R checks the minimum requirements boxes. Also, if all you need is a stylish, modern monitor to sit in your workspace to view documents and web pages, you can’t go wrong with this.

Just to be clear, there are newer models from this same manufacturer with similar specifications. Sceptre C275W-1920RN is an updated and improved model with similar technical specifications that supports a tiltable display, two HDMI ports, a blue light shift feature, and more. Also, Sceptre C275B-QWD168 offers QHD resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, and an overall better display at twice the price.

Ultimately, when buying a monitor, your budget determines what you get.