Product: Acer Predator X27 4K HDR 144 Hz G-Sync Gaming Monitor
Type: Gaming Monitor (27”)
Price: TBC
Availability: US Only
Link: acer.com/ac/en/AU/content/predator-series/predatorx27

The new Acer Predator X27 is without a doubt the holy grail of gaming monitors, thanks in part to its 144Hz refresh rate with Nvidia G-SYNC HDR and impressive 4K resolution. But for a monitor that carries a $1,999 USD price tag, there’s more to the story then that already impressive technical description. It’s also one of a handful of displays to be DisplayHDR 1000 certified - which although mostly a label, means it’s peak brightness results in a reference quality image with colour depth worthy of a professional studio. The Predator X27 also utilises Quantum dots to light each pixel in the same way a high-end Samsung QLED TV does – with impressive contrast and more impressive black-levels than any IPS panel we’ve ever seen.

The result is a screen that excels in clarity, sharpness, brightness, colour depth – with the bonus of 4K output with 144 Hz G-Sync HDR goodness. A technology that took its sweet time getting here, but the wait has been worth it. In a time when the PC space is still playing catch-up in relation to the 4K HDR support found across console games and TV screens, the Predator X27 not only ticks all the right boxes - but it creates a few of its own too.

Looking Good

As a monitor in Acer’s Predator line, the look, feel, and overall functionality of the Predator X27 is all gaming. Even though, as per above it doubles as a fantastic media, productivity, and studio display thanks to its cutting-edge IPS technology. Build quality is as rugged as its looks, taking full advantage of the angular design associated with the Predator range – with the addition of subtle RGB lighting. And we say subtle because it’s something we’ve noticed with a few Acer Predator products of late – RGB implementation, although fully customisable and able to be switched off, is uniformly treated as an accent or flourish without ever overshadowing the overall ‘dark’ Predator-look.

It also comes packed with those monitor visors we’ve seen pop-up lately, which clip on the top and left and right side of the display to provide a more uniform image from edge to edge by blocking out any outside light influence. Or, as a competitive or esports display to create a little distraction-free bubble for gaming. Not that you’d ever lug the Predator X27 around – its place is firmly on a desk or table accompanied by a powerful rig featuring up to date hardware.

Screen Story

Maximum Resolution: 4K (3840x2160)

Refresh Rate: 120Hz (144Hz NVIDIA G-Sync)

Response Time: 4ms (GTG)

Brightness: 1,000 nits (peak)

Backlight: 384 local dimming LED backlights

As 4K televisions took the better part of the past couple of years to become the standard for any screen over, say, 40-inches – PC gaming monitors have mostly been stuck in the Full-HD (1080p), QHD (1440p), and for those lucky few UltraWide resolution range. One of the key differences or challenges for makers of both GPUs (Nvidia and AMD) and displays designed for gaming was adopting 4K, HDR lighting, without losing the response time and high-refresh rate that gaming displays are known for. On that front your typical 4K HDR televisions, used by many alongside consoles like the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X, max out at a 60 Hz refresh rate (or frames-per-second) and often with response times a lot higher than PC monitors.

Which is also a problem born from the current HDMI standards.

So then, it may have taken a year longer than expected but we’re finally beginning to see just what 4K HDR gaming with a high refresh rate looks like. And the results are spectacular. The Predator X27 takes things to the next level, especially with its colour performance – which again, is reference quality offering accuracy rarely - if ever - seen in a pure gaming display. It’s one of two monitors, the other being the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ, that strives for best-in-class. That is, 4K HDR with a high-refresh rate, the best picture quality, HDR brightness, and black levels possible. The core IPS design also means that from a pure productivity and everyday use perspective you also get that sharpness and viewing angle required for general browsing, documenting, and photo-editing.

A View to Remember

Which brings us perhaps to the only downside that we can see with the Predator X27, for gaming, is that at 27-inches it feels a tad small. We would have loved to see this technology in a 32-inch or even 29-inch display. Now, for those that believe that 4K on anything smaller than a big-screen TV isn’t worth it, that’s not the case. When it comes to PC gaming, even on a screen this size 4K is a huge leap over 1080p or even 1440p. The only problem which we touched on earlier is that you’ll need a beefy rig to get the most out of a display like the Predator X27. And when coupled with the fact that there are still not that many PC releases that offer full HDR support, you’re limited to titles like Assassin’s Creed Origins from Ubisoft to really showcase just how brilliant and vibrant and smooth games can look.

In our own testing of non-HDR titles like Doom and Overwatch though, the results were spectacular. Being able to sustain a high-refresh rate with G-Sync smoothness at the 4K level is, well, next level. Even the factory calibration across the various default modes is exceptional, thanks in part to the near perfect RGB colour. And when it comes to the rich colours and impressive contrast, something like Doom 2016 looked different somehow – more impressive, and better than ever. And so we come full circle with a closing statement that’s, well, the same as our opening one. The new Acer Predator X27 is without a doubt the holy grail of gaming monitors.