Acer Predator X27: 4K, 144Hz G-Sync HDR Is The Holy Grail Of Gaming Monitors, With Quirks

The Acer Predator X27 is one of the first G-Sync HDR displays and checks every box you could ask for despite some bleeding-edge quirks and a sky-high price.

- Brad Chacos

Nvidia’s groundbreaking G-Sync HDR monitors aim for the sun, but unlike Icarus, these dazzlingly bright displays never fall back to earth. On paper, the Acer Predator X27 ($2,000 on Newegg [go. pcworld.com/x277]) and its G-Sync HDR cousin, the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ (also $2,000 on Newegg [go.pcworld.com/ pg27]) are the Holy Grail of PC monitors. These are among the first monitors to support 4K resolution at refresh rates higher (significantly higher) than 60Hz, and two of only three monitors certified to achieve Display HDR 1000 certification (go.pcworld. com/dhdr). They’re the first displays ever to support both 4K/120Hz and Display HDR 1000, with Nvidia’s gameplay-smoothing G-Sync technology as the cherry on top. They have quantum dots.

No other monitors push as hard or tick as many checkboxes as the first round of G-Sync HDR displays, full stop—which may explain why they suffered from a year-long delay before finally hitting the streets this summer.

Good news! The Acer Predator X27 was well worth the wait. This is easily—easily— the most stunning display I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s vibrant, fast, and utterly gorgeous. It’s like staring into the future…complete with a few bleeding-edge quirks. Is a monitor that costs more than most people’s entire gaming rigs worthwhile? Let’s dig into the Acer Predator X27.

SPECS AND FEATURES

Here’s an overview of the Acer Predator X27’s specifications for the tl;dr crowd:

Screen size: 27 inches

Maximum resolution: 4K (3840x2160)

Panel technology: IPS 8-bit + FRC non-glare screen with quantum dots

Viewing angles: 178 degrees

Aspect ratio: 16:9