GIGABYTE M27X Gaming Monitor OSD Sidekick Guide

Copyright and Disclaimer

© 2020 GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned in this manual are legally registered to their respective owners.

Information in this manual is protected by copyright laws and is the property of GIGABYTE. Changes to the specifications and features in this manual may be made by GIGABYTE without prior notice. No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, translated, transmitted, or published in any form or by any means without GIGABYTE's prior written permission.

For more information, check on our website at: https://www.gigabyte.com

Software Installation

Preparation

1. Connect one end of a USB (A-Male to B-Male) cable to the USB port of the LCD monitor and the other end to the USB port of your computer.
2. Connect any of the following:
   • One end of an HDMI cable to the HDMI port of the LCD monitor and the other end to the HDMI port of your computer.
   • One end of a DisplayPort cable to the DP port of the LCD monitor and the other end to the DP port of your computer.
3. Plug the power adapter to the DC port on the monitor. Then plug the power cables of your computer and the LCD monitor into a power outlet.
4. Turn on your computer and the LCD monitor.

[Diagram showing monitor connections: HDMI-1, HDMI-2, DP, USB-B, DC power port, connected to a computer via HDMI/DP and USB-B.]

Installing the Software

IMPORTANT! If you have installed an older version of the software on your computer, you have to remove the previously installed software first before proceeding with the following installation process. To uninstall the software, refer to the "Uninstalling the Software" section.

1. Open the web browser and enter https://www.gigabyte.com/Monitor/All-Series to the address bar.
2. Click on your gaming monitor name and download the software to your computer.
3. Double-click UpdPack.exe. The extracting wizard appears. [Screenshot of an extraction wizard showing 21% extracting]
4. Wait until the installation is complete and click OK when prompted. [Screenshot of a finish dialog box with an OK button]

Uninstalling the Software

1. From the Windows desktop, click the Start menu ? and select GIGABYTE.
2. Right-click on OSD_Sidekick. Then select Uninstall. [Screenshot showing right-click menu with Uninstall option]
3. The Programs and Features page appears on the screen. Select OSDSidekick from the list.
4. Right-click on OSDSidekick and select Uninstall. Then follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the software. [Screenshot of Programs and Features window highlighting OSDSidekick]

Using the Software

Launching the Software

IMPORTANT! Before launching the software, make sure your computer is connected to the LCD monitor through a USB cable as described in step 1 in "Preparation" on page 4.

After the driver installation is complete, the OSD Sidekick software shortcut icon appears on the desktop. [Icon for OSD Sidekick]

Double-click the OSD Sidekick icon to launch the software.

Note: The first time you open the OSD Sidekick software, you need to run it as an administrator. To do so, right-click OSD_Sidekick in the GIGABYTE folder, and select More > Run as administrator. Then launch the software. [Screenshot showing right-click options including 'Run as administrator']

Configuring the Settings

Using the OSD Sidekick software, you can configure the advanced settings for the monitor.

[Screenshot of the OSD Sidekick software interface with various tabs like DISPLAY SETTING, HOT KEY, GENERAL SETTING, KVM, ABOUT. The DISPLAY SETTING tab is active, showing options like BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST, GAMMA, etc.]

DISPLAY SETTING

Configure the game, image, multi-picture, Dashboard, and Game Assist related settings.

[Detailed view of the DISPLAY SETTING section of the OSD Sidekick software, highlighting sections for Gaming & Picture, Picture Mode, Crosshair, Link AP, Game Assist.]

Configuring the Picture Mode Profiles

By default, there are 6 preset Picture Mode profiles. These profiles cannot be deleted.

Note: Hover the cursor over the preset Picture Mode name and click the mouse wheel ?️ to reset the preset Picture Mode profile to its default settings.

You can also add or import profiles:

• Click E-sports Customize > ➕ to add an additional profile or import other profile.
• To add an additional profile, select Add profile. [Button labeled 'Add profile']
• Note: Make sure to configure the necessary Gaming & Picture settings before creating a new profile.
• To import other profile from the specified folder, select Import profile. [Button labeled 'Import profile']

Browse the location and select the profile file to import. Then click OK to import the file. [Screenshot of a file selection dialog]

Note: The default Profile folder is located at the OSDsidekick installation path.

Click ? to export a profile to the specified folder. Browse the location and enter the file name. Then click OK to export the file. [Screenshot of a file saving dialog]

Click ✏️ and do any of the following to customize the profile:

• Rename the profile.
• Click ?️ to modify the profile picture. Browse for the picture, and click OK to upload. [Screenshot of a file selection dialog for profile picture]

• Click ✔️ to confirm the modifications.
• Click ❌ to reject the modifications.
• Click ?️ to delete the customized profile.
• Click ↩️ to close the E-sports Customize menu.

Note: The user defined Picture Mode applies to the monitor Custom 3.

Customizing the Crosshair Cursor

Set the CROSSHAIR setting to ON to activate the function. Then select one of the rectangular grids (marked in the illustration below) and click the pencil icon ✏️. [Screenshot showing the CROSSHAIR ON/OFF toggle and grid selection]

Select the desired color and line thickness. Then draw a new crosshair cursor. [Screenshot of the crosshair customization tool with color palette and drawing area]

Left button: draw ▶️ Right button: erase ❌

Once complete, click Save. The new crosshair cursor will appear on the screen.

Exporting/Importing the Crosshair Cursor

Click Export ? to export the Crosshair file to the specified folder. Browse the location and enter the file name. Then click OK to export the file. [Screenshot of a file saving dialog for crosshair]

Note: The default Crosshair folder is located at the OSDsidekick installation path.

Click Import ? to import the Crosshair file from the specified folder. Browse the location and select the Crosshair file to import. Then click OK to import the file. [Screenshot of a file selection dialog for crosshair]

Note: The default Crosshair folder is located at the OSDsidekick installation path.

Customizing the PIP/PBP Settings

Set the Picture-in-Picture (PIP)/ Picture-by-Picture (PBP) setting to ON to activate the function. Select any of the following items to configure the PIP/PBP settings:

[Screenshot of PIP/PBP settings in OSD Sidekick]

• Click PBP to display the screen image from two sources side by side.
• Click PIP to display the screen image from the main source on the full screen and the second source in a sub window.
• In PBP/PIP SOURCE, click the dropdown arrow ? icon to select the main source.
• If you have selected the PIP layout, in PIP SIZE, click the dropdown arrow ? icon to set the sub window size to Large, Medium, or Small.
• If you have selected the PIP layout, in PIP LOCATION, click the dropdown arrow ? icon to set the sub window location to Left-Top, Right-Top, Left-Bottom, or Right-Bottom.
• Click DISPLAY SWITCH to switch the main source and sub source, regardless the screen layout.
• Click AUDIO SWITCH to switch the audio source, regardless the screen layout.

Linking Apps to the Profile

Click ? to link the profile with an application. [Screenshot showing a link application dialog]

Then select the application (*.exe) you want to link and click OK. [Screenshot of file selection dialog for linking an application]

When you open that application, the display setting will automatically change to the profile you linked. [Image showing 'Link AP' with chrome.exe selected]

Customizing the Dashboard Information

Set the DASHBOARD setting to ON to activate the function. Then configure the following settings:

[Screenshot of DASHBOARD settings]

• In LOCATION, click the dropdown arrow ? icon to set the location of the options on the screen to Up or Down.
• Note: The DASHBOARD location on the right side or on the left side of the screen depends on the Game Assist location setting. For example, if the Game Assist items are on the left side of the screen, then the DASHBOARD items are on the right side of the screen and vice versa.

Click SETTINGS and check the desired option(s) to be shown on the screen. [Screenshot of settings checkboxes for CPU frequency, temperature, etc.]

Note: Uncheck the option to hide it from the screen.

Customizing the Game Assist Settings

Configure the following Game Assist settings:

[Screenshot of Game Assist settings: REFRESH RATE, GAMING TIMER, GAMING COUNTER]

• Set the REFRESH RATE setting to ON to enable displaying the refresh rate.
• Set the GAMING TIMER setting to ON to enable displaying the gaming timer.
• Select either COUNT UP or COUNT DOWN the timer.
• Click the dropdown arrow ? icon to set the countdown time.
• Set the GAMING COUNTER setting to ON to enable displaying the gaming counter.
• In LOCATION, click the dropdown arrow ? icon to set the gaming counter location on the screen to Left Top, Left Center, Left Bottom, Right Top, Right Center, or Right Bottom.

Hot Key

Manage the keyboard shortcut to access a particular function which you are using frequently.

[Screenshot of the HOT KEY tab in OSD Sidekick, showing FUNCTION and HOT KEYS columns]

Note: By default, the assigned hot keys appears on the HOT KEYS panel.

Assigning a Hot Key

1. On the FUNCTION panel, scroll down to select the function you want to assign a hot key to. [Screenshot of the FUNCTION panel with scrollable list]
2. Click +ADD to add the function to the HOT KEYS panel.
3. To assign a hot key to the function, do as follows:
   • Click on one or more modifier key(s): ALT, SHIFT, and/or CTRL.
   • Click on the symbol field and enter any desired symbol.
   • Click ✔️ to save the settings.

[Image illustrating Modifier keys and Symbol field for hotkey assignment]

Note: A function hot key consists of one or more modifier keys (Alt, Shift, Ctrl) plus a symbol.

Editing a Hot Key

To edit a hot key, do as follows:

1. Select the function on the HOT KEYS panel and click ✏️.
2. To assign a new hot key, do as follows:
   • Click on one or more modifier key(s): ALT, SHIFT, and/or CTRL.
   • Click on the symbol field and enter any desired symbol.
   • Click ✔️ to save the settings.

[Image illustrating editing a hotkey with Modifier keys and Symbol field]

Deleting a Hot Key

On the HOT KEYS panel, select the hot key you want to delete and click ?️.

[Image showing a hotkey selected for deletion]

General Setting

Configure the display screen, system, and hot keys (for the Control button) related settings.

[Screenshot of the GENERAL SETTING tab in OSD Sidekick, showing OSD TRANSPARENCY, OSD DISPLAY TIME, LED INDICATOR, RGB CONTROLLER, and QUICK SWITCH sections.]

[Diagram illustrating Display & System settings and Hot Keys for Control button.]

Changing the Hot Key for the Control Button

On the QUICK SWITCH panel, you can change the preset hot key function for the Control button.

Select the key position (e.g., ⬆️, ⬇️, ⬅️, ➡️) and click the dropdown arrow ? icon. Then select the desired option. [Screenshot of the QUICK SWITCH panel with options like VOLUME, BLACK EQUALIZER, PICTURE MODE, etc.]

KVM

Configure the KVM related settings.

[Diagram illustrating KVM setup with USB-B and Type-C connections to a monitor and PC.]

KVM Switch: Switch the input source that has been assigned to USB-B or Type-C connection in the KVM Wizard settings.

Display Select: Set the input source to be bound with USB Type-B and USB Type-C connections.

Press the KVM button behind the monitor to switch device. [Illustration showing the location of the KVM button on the monitor]

About

View the current firmware and software version and give you options to update the latest version.

IMPORTANT! During the firmware updating process, do not turn off the monitor. Any interruption may cause the device to malfunction.

[Screenshot of the ABOUT tab in OSD Sidekick, showing OSD SIDEKICK and MONITOR FIRMWARE details.]

Updating the Software Automatically

Click LIVE UPDATE to check and automatically update software when a new version is available. [Button labeled 'LIVE UPDATE']

Set the AUTO UPDATE setting to ON to allow the system to check for software updates and display a message when a new update is available every time you open the app.

Note: Checking and updating software automatically requires Internet connection.

Updating the Firmware Manually

Note: Updating firmware manually does not require Internet connection.

1. Click DOWNLOAD. Then download the latest firmware from GIGABYTE web site and save the file on your computer. [Button labeled 'DOWNLOAD']
2. Click BROWSE. Then select for the firmware file (*.bin) and click OK. [Screenshot of a file selection dialog for firmware]
3. The firmware file is displayed on the field. Click UPDATE to update the firmware to the latest version. [Screenshot showing firmware version and an UPDATE button]
4. Wait until the updating process is complete. Once the process is complete, a "Success" message appears on the screen. Then click OK to close the message window. [Screenshot of a success message]