Review: The Philips Creator Series is a splurge-worthy 4K monitor

If you asked me a year ago if I was picky about external monitors, I probably would’ve laughed. My pre-owned 27-inch iMac served me well for nearly a decade, and I was satisfied with my desk setup. That is, until my new job sent me a 34-inch curved ultra-wide monitor along with my company laptop. It was an absolute behemoth, laughably large in the tiny home office I share with my partner, but — after leaving that job and replacing my iMac with a new Macbook Air — it left a gaping hole on my desk that I knew I needed to fill.

The lads at the Best Buy return counter can tell you that I started with a huge mistake: a 31-inch full HD monitor that I thought would be perfectly fine, only to discover that once you go 4K, you can’t go back. My next step was a 32-inch Samsung M7 Smart Monitor, which offered a 4K UHD resolution and a host of smart features that transform this external monitor into a television. But as much as I love my Samsung, when I was asked to test the Philips Creator Series 27-inch 4K UHD Monitor, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Philips Creator Series 27E2F7901 price and specs

The Philips Creator Series monitor has an MSRP of $499.99, but we've seen it drop between $329 and $399 on sale.

Some notable specs:

• 27-inch 4K UHD display

• USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort

• 400 nits brightness

First impressions of the Philips Creator Series 27-inch 4K UHD Monitor

I’ve unboxed four monitors in the past eight months, and the Philips’ Creator Series Monitor is firmly tied for first with my Samsung M7 in terms of first impressions. The packaging was sleek and convenient, the instructions were easy to follow, and I had my new monitor up and running within minutes. The monitor itself is gorgeous, with a sleek silver frame mounted on a sturdy metal base, and it boasts multiple connection options, including USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort.

Even more impressive, the Philips Creator Series includes a built-in KVM switch, meaning you can see and interact with content from two computers at the same time with a single monitor, keyboard, and mouse. This 4K monitor also has a DisplayPort that supports daisy chaining. Translation? If your computer also supports daisy chaining, you can plug it directly into this monitor and use the DisplayPort to seamlessly extend your display onto additional monitors.

What I love about this monitor: Adjustable orientation

One of my favorite features about this monitor took my by surprise: The ergonomic, adjustable base that offers height adjustment, tilt, and swivel. It might not sound like much, but the ability to adjust the monitor with a single touch was an incredible feature that I used more than I thought I would — especially the ability to rotate the monitor completely into a portrait orientation.

Once I figured out how to rotate the monitor’s screen within my MacBook’s settings, I was surprised to discover that I preferred this orientation. I had inadvertently created the perfect second screen to hold more of my “static” programs like my daily to-do list, calendar, Spotify, and Discord. Especially with my multi-screen setup, I loved having the option to rotate the Philips to act as either a functional main display or a secondary vertical monitor. Along with the brightness and crisp 4K display, the Creator Series feels futuristic and cool. 

What I didn't like about this monitor: Daisy chaining multiple monitors

Truthfully, with a monitor like this, there isn’t a lot to dislike. It is quite a bit pricier than your standard 27-inch monitor, even when comparing it with other 4K UHD models. It also retails for $100 more than my 32-inch Samsung M7 Smart Monitor. The refresh rate is also a little low at only 60 Hz, so it’s not going to be the best gaming monitor when speed is on the line. It should work for casual gamers, but it really depends on your personal preference.

The only other issue I had with this monitor was the DisplayPort out functionality to daisy chain multiple monitors together. While this monitor is fantastic for Mac users, my M2 MacBook Air doesn’t support daisy chaining, which means I wasn’t able to test this functionality fully. After a quick search through Reddit, I was able to find a workaround involving a DisplayLink port, but — as a casual user — I didn’t really want to spend an extra $150 on an additional adapter.

Instead, I stuck with using my MacBook Air as my main display, extending to the Philips via USB-C and extending to my Samsung monitor via Apple Play. It wasn’t the greatest solution, considering there was a significant lag and quality drop when casting from my MacBook to the Samsung monitor, but it was able to give me a taste of what it would be like to daisy chain the two monitors together.

Is the Philips Creator Series 27-Inch 4K UHD Monitor worth it?

It depends on how you plan to use it. For the casual user, I’d probably recommend going for a cheaper option — you can get a similar size 4K UHD monitor for a couple hundred dollars less than this one, especially if you wait for a decent sale. However, for creative professionals who need a higher level of brightness and impressive color accuracy for their work, the Creator Series is a smart investment. And if you like the idea of a swivel screen that can support portrait orientation, or you want to utilize the DisplayPort technology to extend your monitors, then it’s definitely worth the splurge.

After testing it out on my own desktop, I can tell you that this 4K monitor delivers a truly gorgeous display that definitely stands out in a crowded market.