Acer Predator XB273K 4K 144Hz Monitor

acer predator xb273k review

The Acer XB273K is an incredible monitor for gaming. It has a variety of features to provide gamers with the ultimate playing experience.

The specifications of the X27 closely match those of the Acer Predator. The similarities are so close, that it is hard to tell them apart from appearance and specs. However, given the reputation of Acer’s Predator series, there’s a good reason to be optimistic about this purchase.

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

 Specifications

Panel Type & BacklightIPS with Advanced Hyper Viewing Angle (AHVA), Quantum Dot LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio27 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate3840×2160 @ 144Hz; G-Sync: 24-144Hz
Native Color Depth & Gamut10-bit (8-bit+FRC) / DCI-P3, HDR10, DisplayHDR 400
Response Time (GTG)4ms
BrightnessSDR – 350 nits; HDR – 400 nits
ContrastSDR: 1,000:1; HDR: 4,000:1
Speakers2x 4w
Video Inputs1x DisplayPort 1.4; 1x HDMI 2.0
Audio3.5mm headphone output
USB3.0: 1x up, 4x down
Power Consumption43w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions(WxHxD with base)24.8 x 17.4-21.3 x 12.1 inches / 630 x 442-541 x 307mm
Panel Thickness3.4 inches / 86mm
Bezel WidthTop/sides: 0.6 inches / 15mm; Bottom: 0.9 inches / 23mm
Weight15.9 pounds / 7.3kg
ExtraRemovable light-blocking hood
Warranty3 years

Design and Features

The Acer Predator XB3 isn’t a big, glossy, or mostly-transparent PC that has speakers that go up to 24-bit/192 kHz. For pure aesthetics, the Acer Predator XB3 isn’t going to wow you from the moment of unboxing. The height, tilt, and swivel-adjustable stand are decent enough. In spite of the low price point, it’s disappointing that the chassis is unremittingly anonymous black plastic.

The Acer XB3 was given with fully customizable LED mood lights on the bottom bezel. They can be manually set to reflect the color being shown by the panel itself. Those are fun features, but they can’t make up for the dull design of the computer from its older bezels.

That depends if you fit the XB3s three-sided anti-glare hood. If you do, it is easy to install and stays secure. But it does not change the look of the XB3 very much.

The 27-inch panel uses IPS technology and delivers the full 3,840 by 2,160 4K native resolution. You also get 144Hz refresh support and full Nvidia G-Sync hardware that is supported by your graphics card rather than mere G-Sync compatibility. You will need some very serious graphics hardware to keep up with this screen, so be mindful of that fact.

The Acer Predator X27 and Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ are more expensive 4K 27-inch gaming monitors that feature HDR 1000 support. The XB3 has HDR 400 support.

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The XB3 offers 400 nits of peak brightness, compared to 1000 nits for the pricier panels. However, the XB3 does not offer “local dimming” like some of those pricier panels with full-array color and a single backlight. Instead, the XB3 has an improved version of quantum dot technology.

There are no USB Type-C ports on the XB3. This is disappointing for laptop-based gamers, even if the core target market of the XB3 is desktop gaming rigs rather than portable PCs.

Performance

The Acer XB273K input lag performance is excellent, with only a few milliseconds delay. The response speed of 4ms (GtG – gray to gray) is an important factor in making sure that gamers experience a fluid and smooth gaming experience.

For the best color output, the monitor needs to be overclocked from 120Hz to 144Hz. To do this on your computer, open the OSD menu from Windows and adjust the refresh rate. Compression makes text and certain elements on the desktop appear somewhat blurry, but it’s not noticeable in video games unless there is a lot of text involved.

Since most games are limited to 8-bit color anyway and since there isn’t a big difference between 8-bit color and 10-bit color, we recommend going with 4K at 120Hz.

The monitors with Adaptive-Sync feature two DisplayPort inputs, which allows them to refresh at 144Hz without color compression. However, they also have their downsides: if you want to use VRR or HDR, you can’t use both ports.

On the Acer Predator XB273K, you can use G-SYNC all the way up to 144Hz. You also get a wider VRR range of 30-144Hz vs. 48-120Hz of the Adaptive-Sync models.

The models range in price, but you can use G-SYNC and HDR at the same time on all of them without having to choose between features.

Price and availability

If you’re looking for a monitor that has been upgraded, check out the Acer XB273KS. It goes for $1,000 while the other monitors go for $600. The newer model features 4K 144Hz technology and is more up-to-date However, availability and pricing in Australia have yet to materialize. 

This is the most significant discount of those two brands. The Acer 27-inch 4K Predator X27 costs $1,650, while the Asus’s PG27UQ costs $1,789. They are more expensive than the next rung down which is the Acer Nitro XV3 which costs $797.

These monitors offer a 4K resolution on 27-inch models with a 144Hz refresh rate and HDR support. But as we’ll see, the details can get complicated.

Wrap Up

The Acer XB273K is an excellent gaming monitor, but there are better alternatives for the money available nowadays.

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