The two new gaming monitors from HyperX each come with an arm but no stand.
Sony introduced its first range of gaming monitors earlier this summer under the Inzone moniker, and now HyperX is entering the game with two of its own screens. However, with the launch of the Armada series, HyperX is putting its own unique twist on the market since, rather than include a standard stand, the business has developed an all-in-one setup with a movable display arm.
The brand has been gradually expanding into new markets since HP bought HyperX last year, including wireless headphones and now monitors. The Armada range will initially include two gaming displays with marginally different target markets: For more competitive gamers, there is the Armada 25, which has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. The bigger Armada 27 has 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, a 165HZ refresh rate, and VESA HDR 400 certification for those who like richer, more detailed visuals.
Both monitors have three inputs—one DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports—but what really sets them apart from competitors with comparable prices is that the Armada was created from the ground up to work with HyperX’s ergonomic arm and desk mount rather than being shipped with a standard monitor stand. The objective of HyperX is to support and give gamers a straightforward solution that frees up desk space for items like extra-large mousepads, wireless charging pads, or any other devices you want to have nearby.
The trend toward using monitor arms has gained traction among PC gamers, and HyperX is so certain of the advantages of ergonomic arms that it doesn’t even provide a regular monitor stand separately. (You may, however, purchase extra arms or monitor attachments separately.) And now that I’ve seen the Armada 25, even though I’ve never really had a display that was placed on an arm (though I’ve always wanted one), I can kind of understand why. Nevertheless, despite all the benefits, there are some clear downsides as well.
Along with very helpful and simple-to-follow setup instructions, the Armada 25’s package has everything you need to get started. The first step is to locate the base and use the included clamp to fix it to an acceptable surface. The other parts of the arm are then put together before the HyperX mount is snapped onto the monitor’s back and everything is set in position. It took me less than 10 minutes to complete the procedure from beginning to end since it is so simple. After that, all that’s left to do is adjust the arm’s tension and range of motion with the Allen wrench that comes with it.
The transition to an ergonomic arm has a surprisingly large impact, provided your cords are securely put away. Simply said, everything seems a little neater. You not only gain immediate more freedom to organise peripherals like stand microphones, cameras, and others, but you also gain further freedom to position your display at the ideal height and angle for your posture.
As someone who spends much too much time at a computer, I’ve recently discovered that I’m always seeking for methods to prevent the pains and aches that come with craning your neck to gaze at displays. In most cases, this required raising screens using books or stacks of paper so that I could look straight ahead rather than downward, which is particularly dangerous while using a laptop. That’s never a problem, though, with an arm. And, I might add, compared to some of the less expensive options I’ve previously thought about, the whole seems really solid.
Only providing an arm has the drawback of limiting where you may position your monitor. As I’ve previously mentioned, because of the epidemic, I’ve had to improvise a distant working station built around a desk that trades some functionality for style. Unfortunately, because of the thickness of my desk, the two-inch clamp on HyperX’s arm does not fit. As a result, I was forced to test the Armada 25 in a different location than where I had intended—next to my PC.
On the plus side, the display itself looks excellent for the price. Wide viewing angles, a non-reflective matte surface, and an IPS screen with 1ms reaction times (grey to grey) are all included. A 240Hz refresh rate on a monitor with an arm for $450 is a fairly decent value, even though the panel isn’t the most vivid and only covers 99 per cent of the sRGB colour gamut. Additionally, AMD FreeSync is supported in addition to G-Sync, which is how HyperX is selling both Armadas. Unfortunately, you won’t get complete 120Hz compatibility on consoles like the Xbox Series X because they only have HDMI 2.0 instead of 2.1.
The ease with which more screens may be added to your system in the future is possibly the Armada line’s most exciting feature. Its ergo arm supports both common VESA plates and HyperX’s own bracket. Additional monitors may be mounted to the same arm using add-on mounts, which are sold separately. With a maximum weight capacity of 20 pounds, each arm is capable of supporting two or four Armada 27s. Additionally, you may place the arms on desks with pre-drilled cable holes (up to 2.4 inches if you’re using the accompanying grommets) or wall mount them, but I wasn’t able to personally test either option.
So even with the issues I had with my furniture, the Armada series is still rather adaptable. Despite this, I still would have preferred some sort of backup solution for folks like myself who reside in locations where a monitor arm doesn’t exactly fit. However, if you’ve been considering modernising your work or gaming station with a more organised gadget arrangement, HyperX’s new monitor line makes it quite simple to do away with the conventional stand in favour of something more stylish.
Later this fall, around September, the Armada line will be accessible. The Armada 25 and Armada 27 are priced at $450 and $500, respectively, while the Single Gaming Mount and Gaming Mount Addon may be purchased separately for $110 and $80.
