Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K

Acer is one of the leaders in the 4K 144Hz gaming display market this year. This new Nitro XV3 model is their latest way to compete.

This product has an expensive MSRP. It is more affordable for gamers than competing products that have much higher rates. Acer was required to cut a few corners on this product, so it may not be the best option for those who want a high-end display with all of the latest bells and whistles.

The article below outlines the features of this Acer Aspire 7 multimedia laptop, with its strong and weak points.

Specification

Design & Feature

Acer designed this gaming display with an edgy, almost entirely black aesthetic. The display’s appearance is further accented by removable glare blockers that help to improve picture quality. These are helpful to block out external light sources when you plan to use the Nitro XV3 in a multi-monitor configuration, but it needs clear vision on the other end. The IPS panel inside this monitor offers an ultra-high resolution of 3840×2160, 144Hz refresh rate, and G-Sync and FreeSync technology for smooth, tear-free display performance.

The Nitro XV3 allows for HDR compatibility and covers 90 percent of the DCI-P3 color spectrum. As tested by our sister site PCMag, the display is able to hit this mark right on the head, covering 90.8 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum. It’s also able to replicate 85.7 percent of the AdobeRGB color gamut. For a gaming display, these results are excellent, and although the Nitro XV3’s color support isn’t quite good enough for professional-level image editing, it would still work well for that task on a consumer level.

Some of the features included in the menu are the black frame insertion mode for increased clarity, which I personally never use but some people find it useful. There’s also a low blue light mode, a mode that uses the ambient light sensor to automatically adjust settings, a few cheat crosshairs, plus some other goodies.

Thus far, the combination of 4K resolution (aka UHD), a 144Hz refresh rate, HDR, and adaptive sync in a gaming monitor has proven to be an expensive proposition. 

The Nitro offers a 27-inch IPS panel that supports AMD FreeSync 2 HDR down to 40Hz, but it is also included on Nvidia’s G-Sync Compatible list. We’ll show you how to pair your monitor with multiple monitor technologies and play some games to compare the performance of these competing technologies.

ASUS ROG isn’t the only display with a simple design, and you’ll discover this after reading our AOC Ultra slim I2757FH 27in HD display preview.

Performance

In the performance section, Acer’s Nitro XV273K 4K monitor has several oddities that effectively make it more of a 120Hz monitor. While this panel can easily render 144 Hz to the screen, doing so is done through an in-depth menu that is buried within the monitor app.

If you wish to use a 144 Hz refresh rate, you need to run dual DisplayPort cables. But the biggest problem with FreeSync is that enabling it disables a 144 Hz refresh rate. It is not ideal for gamers that benefit greatly from adaptive sync with such a high refresh rate.

Some buyers found that there are some workarounds available, but they are complicated doing it. The difference between 120 Hz and 144 Hz isn’t great enough due to the effort required.

It is frustrating that something marketed as supporting 144 Hz would either require a lot of effort to get working properly or end up being compromised. However, at least it’s quite easy to get 120 Hz working through a single cable.

Acer has taken notice of how the Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate monitors can sometimes not produce a clear image without chroma subsampling. So, it’s created a monitor capable of running at 144 Hz with 10-bit color and no chroma subsampling.

Many modern monitors can run at 120 Hz, but they will be limited to a single HDMI cable. Some 4K HDR monitors now support SDR over a single HDMI connection and the native RGB range, which is fine for standard HD content and gaming. Others offer a limited 98 Hz mode that still falls below the optimal 120 Hz HDR mode.

When considering all these, we recommend running your monitor at 120Hz over a single DisplayPort cable.

The monitor’s adaptive sync is nice and simple, you’ll most likely be able to maintain a refresh rate of 120Hz and there won’t be much difference between this monitor’s HDR mode and the fluffing around with chroma subsampling.

One of the caveats to that is, of course, the fact that you will need some very serious graphics hardware to drive this monitor at native resolution and high refresh rates. Indeed, even with the most powerful graphics cards, it’s not possible to make the most of the 300+Hz refresh rate capability in certain games when running at full detail.

Finally, and for the record, the Nitro XV3’s hood is not very effective. It takes a little time to attach and does not work as well at reducing glare as many other helmets.

Wrap Up

It is one of those monitors that are in a unique position because there aren’t many like it on the market. You have the expensive G-Sync HDR panels that cost $2,000, but if you don’t care about HDR and just want a high-refresh 4K monitor, the Acer Nitro XV273K is basically what you want to buy.

There is also the XB273K which is also a G-Sync variant. If you are looking for a 27-inch 4K monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and HDR support, the XV273K is definitely worth your attention. It offers most of what the Predator X27 does that costs $750 more.

Acer is offering a great high-end gaming experience. The quality of the XV273K includes an IPS panel that delivers good performance numbers. There is also a true 120 Hz refresh rate and sRGB mode for the best standard gaming. Choose from G-Sync Compatible or FreeSync support.

We think the 144 Hz top-end refresh rate is less than perfect. We think that 120 Hz is the best number for buyers, and still a smooth experience.