The PC monitor from Acer has an LCD panel with full array local dimming, with peak brightness of up to 1000 nits. It also comes equipped with 4K resolution, 144Hz, and G-Sync. But it costs $2000.
Ignore the rest
While game consoles are racing ahead at full speed, HDR – High Dynamic Range – hasn’t really materialized in the PC space. The new video standard enables displays to reproduce far wider luminance and color range for more impactful and realistic pictures. Your games will also need to support HDR.
Part of the reason why HDR adoption has been slow in the PC space is that manufacturers have tried to pass off poor edge-lit LCD panels as HDR displays, helped by VESA’s weak ‘DisplayHDR’ certification program. These monitors should simply be ignored if you are concerned with HDR.
Together with Acer and Asus, Nvidia has therefore set out to help get HDR going with ‘G-Sync HDR’. The monitors were first announced at CES 2018 and what sets them apart is the fact that they use full array local dimming with 384 zones. It is the same technology employed in high-end LCD TVs such as the Sony Z9D or Samsung Q9FN.
Acer has now confirmed that its Predator X27 monitor wlll cost a cool $2000. That is steep but it is the price you have to pay if you want the PC gaming experience in HDR. The monitor also comes equipped with a 10-bit LCD panel, 4K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 1000 nits peaks brightness, and close to full coverage of the DCI-P3.
For $2000 you can easily get a 55-inch OLED TV that delivers even better HDR picture quality but you will not be getting Nvidia adaptive refresh rate system (G-Sync) and 144Hz. The first TVs with adaptive refresh rate in the form of AMD FreeSync and HDMI VRR have arrived this year and will be a lot more common next year once HDMI 2.1 is ready.
More information on the Acer Predator X27 is available on acer.com. It will start shipping in June.
Specifications
| World’s first 4K (3840 x 2160), 144Hz, G-SYNC HDR gaming monitor |
| Acer Predator XB272-HDR |
| Monitor certified by NVIDIA and fully integrated into GeForce Platform for the best end-to-end gaming experience |
| Hallmark G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology for tear-free, smooth and responsive gameplay |
| Unrivaled HDR image quality with vivid intensity, color and contrast |
| 1000 nits peak brightness |
| 384 zone full-array dynamically controlled direct LED backlight |
| DCI-P3 cinema grade color gamut with Quantum Dot technology |
| DP 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 inputs |
| HDR10 support |
| Virtually zero input latency from pixel arrival at monitor to photon emission from LCD (HDR TVs introduce 22-41ms latency). |
