Connectivity

The RCA Evolution M27PG135F is equipped with a pair of HDMI 2.0 inputs and a single DisplayPort 1.4 input. The HDMI ports are limited to a 144 Hz refresh rate at 2560x1440, meaning you have to use DisplayPort to get maximum performance from the RCA Evolution M27PG135F. The fourth video input is a USB-C DP Alt Mode port. The latter supports 90 W Power Delivery, so that's the amount of power it can deliver to a connected device, such as a laptop. This is a very useful addition to the monitor, especially when combined with the integrated KVM switch, which I'll get to in a moment.


Next to the aforementioned USB Type-C port, the RCA Evolution M27PG135F also has a pair of USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 downstream ports, as well as a USB Type-B 3.2 Gen 1 upstream port. All four USB ports are connected through a KVM switch, which lets you operate two different connected systems with a single set of peripherals. There's no picture-in-picture or picture-by-picture mode, so the KVM switch implementation is quite simple. You must visit the KVM section of the OSD (Advanced Settings > KVM) and choose if you want to use the peripherals, which you've previously connected to two of the monitor's USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, on the device connected through the USB Type-B upstream port, or the USB-C interface. The former will usually be your PC, and the latter your laptop or a mobile device. Digging through the OSD can be cumbersome, so RCA implemented a quick menu with both KVM switch options (USB UP and Type-C). It is activated by pulling the four-way joystick, located behind the panel, down. The KVM switching works flawlessly, but it requires a bit of manual labor, in the sense that the USB inputs don't automatically switch after changing the video input. In other words, first, you'll have to open the input quick menu to pick the desired video input, and then go to the KVM switch quick menu to transfer the peripherals to the appropriate device. While this isn't ideal, it's still multitudes more practical than manually reconnecting the peripherals between devices.

The USB Type-C port with DP Alt Mode and 90 W Power Delivery has yet another benefit for anyone using a modern laptop with a USB-C interface. You can use a single connection to the monitor to extend your desktop and charge the laptop's battery. 90 W of power is sufficient for most "normal" laptops, even when under load. Gaming laptops will need more power not to lose battery percentage when under heavy load, but as soon as your gaming session ends, the monitor will top them up.

JACK
The RCA Evolution M27PG135F also has a 3.5-millimeter audio output.

Power Consumption

The RCA Evolution M27PG135F gets its power from an external 168 W (24 V/7 A) power brick. I've used the Meross MSS315 Matter Smart Wi-Fi Plug and the accompanying mobile app to determine the monitor's power consumption at various brightness levels, as well as in Power Saving mode, which it enters as soon as the PC goes to sleep. My power consumption measurements are summed up in the chart below. They were made after resetting the monitor to factory defaults.



For a 27-inch gaming monitor, the measured power consumption of the RCA Evolution M27PG135F is fairly high, reaching up to 51.6 W at 355 cd/m². Using it at a 240 Hz refresh rate sucks up around 5 W of extra power, compared to 60 Hz. The measurements above also show us that there are no crazy jumps in actual picture brightness when adjusting the brightness setting in the OSD, which is always nice to see.