Acer Predator X27
- Here, HDR truly shines
- The colors are vibrant
- The combination of 144Hz and 4K is a dream come true
- To play the game, you’ll need some significant hardware
- The price is absurd
- The pixel density is on the verge of becoming too low
- A 32-inch screen would be preferable
What are you prepared to sacrifice in order to play at the highest level possible? When you’re looking at the Acer Predator X27, you’ll be asking yourself that question.
The Acer Predator X27, relegated to the realms of fantasy PCs and lottery winners, doesn’t hold back when it comes to its amazing spec list. A complete 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR 10 standard, 10-bit quantum dot IPS panel, 384-zone local dimming, and a lightning-quick 4 ms G2G reaction time are all on the menu.
We should state right away that this display is clearly not for individuals who play competitive first-person shooter games. 4MS reaction time on an IPS panel? Get out of here, pfft.
The Acer Predator X27 is designed for gamers who are serious about their AAA games. It’s a panel that aims to break down barriers.
the cost and the availability
Then there’s the cost, and she’s a hefty one. We’re talking about $2000, £2200, and $2800 Australian dollars. Ouch. It’s a steep price to pay, and we’d call it an early adopters tax. But, if we’re being honest, these panels have been in the works for a long time and have only recently become available. So, why is the price so high?
It’s all up to the panel, after all. You’ll undoubtedly notice that numerous major screen makers have items that are similar right now.
The ROG Swift PG27UQ from Asus, the Predator X27 from Acer, and the AG273UG from AOC are all available now. The panel found at the heart of both the Asus and Acer versions is made by AU Optronics and then sent on to the two partners to incorporate into their own screens.
AU Optronics put a lot of effort and money into developing the original 27-inch panel in the first place, since having over 8.3 million pixels refresh 144 times per second is no small feat.
When you add in integrated G-Sync, a low 4-ms reaction time, and the ability to handle HDR 10, you’re looking at some serious lab development time. Due to the fact that AU Optronics is now the sole manufacturer of a panel of this class, the price has been increased. As a result, both the Acer and the Asus screens have exorbitant price tags.
However, AOC is Philips’ gaming brand, and they manufacture their own panels, therefore the one in the AG273UG will be brand new. Despite being late to the game, after Philips has recouped their development expenditures, this should bring competition to the market.
For the time being, if you want a screen with this rap-sheet, you’ll have to put up with the exorbitant price.
Design
Let us now turn our attention to the Predator X27’s design. Finally, it’s breathtaking. It’s quite clean, and the aluminum base, combined with the pretty intuitively constructed rotation mechanism, really suits it, but you’d expect that given the price tag of nearly $2000.
At that amount, the frame must be in perfect condition. Of course, if you have monitor arms, you can skip this and go for something a little more serious instead, owing to the VESA 100×100 support, but it looks great otherwise.
Although there is a bezel (both here and on the Asus, due to the panel used), it isn’t distracting, and Acer has included deflecting light panels as standard, which are typically found on designer screens, to ensure you get the absolute perfect color temperature that is unaffected by any unnatural or natural sources of light.
You also get a 3.5mm jack, three USB 3.0 ports, and a USB 3.0 input, so you can use this as a decent hub to connect all your gadgets to.
One DisplayPort 1.4 and one HDMI 2.0 are available for video. There isn’t a lot of connectivity here, but the truth is that there isn’t much that can genuinely drive the display. Console gamers beware: this is only for the PC gaming elite.
Graphics processing power
This eventually takes us to what you’ll require to power it. The harsh reality is that if you want to reach anywhere near that 144 Hz frame rate at 4K, you’ll have to spend at least the same amount on your GPU solution, and even then, you could struggle.
Yes, even with an RTX 2080 Ti, getting 144 frames per second in AAA games is a challenge.
It’s a panel built for the future, for early adopters who can’t wait for Nvidia and AMD to make 4K gaming a reality for everyone. Is it then a waste of money? Not totally, at least. The desktop experience is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and with just a single RTX 2080 Ti, you can easily get 100 frames per second in less graphically demanding games (we’re looking at you, World of Warcraft).
Performance
The screen operates admirably in general. The ghosting is low (as one would expect), the response speed is quick, and the overall color representation is superb. Even in standard definition mode, the blacks are deep (which is impressive for an IPS panel), and the color is vibrant. The main one, though, is HDR, and boy, is it impressive.
Although there aren’t many games that take advantage of that larger color spectrum right now, the ones that do look fantastic. Furthermore, watching videos on YouTube and Netflix is a pleasurable experience.
Nothing comes close to it, with the exception of high-end OLED TVs. When compared to a Viewsonic 32-inch IPS 4K display of comparable quality, the AU Optronics panel’s HDR mode outperforms it. Everything appears to be more alive, and it has a weird 3D sense to it, as if you could reach out and touch it. The distinction between pixel and man is becoming increasingly blurred.
Verdict
So, how can you rationalize a panel like this? We’re not sure, to be honest. It’s a monster.
If you have to have the absolute finest of the best, the Acer Predator X27 is without a doubt pushing the boundaries of PC entertainment right now.
However, the overall investment is simply ridiculous. Keep in mind that most AAA games will require two $1400 GPUs to max it out properly, and that costs may decrease drastically in the coming years. As a result, recommending it is a bit of a stretch.
Isn’t it better to pay for it now and enjoy it later? Yes, that’s something you could do. Wait a year or two, and both GPUs and displays like these will have dropped in value by about 50%. The latter may be well worth the wait.
Acer Predator X27
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