Physical Design

The XB270HU is an identical stand and layout to the Acer 27" 1080P TN G-Sync display and the Acer 28" 4K TN G-Sync displays. Here's a quick run through:

Let's start at the rear:

Power switch and standard power connector. It's nice to see a standard power connection on the back here as it means you don't have to worry about placing an external power brick on your desk. It does mean though that the length of the included power cord can be a bit limited.

DisplayPort and a 4-port USB 3.0 Hub. As with all current G-Sync displays, all you get is that single DP link. Of all the complaints about G-Sync, this is still the most valid and frequently seen. Current FreeSync panels offer multiple input methods but the G-Sync module itself only allows for this single option. Users that want to move their monitor to a different temporary location and require a VGA/DVI input will be simply out of luck.

If you look closely at the USB port labels, the upper side port has a battery logo. This port supports USB charging with the display off (must be enabled in OSD settings – more on that later).

Looking at the bottom of the pedestal reveals something that is not obvious in the other photos. The display, when rotated, pivots about the center of the *stand* – not the center of the red ring. The entire black circular assembly at the base of the pedestal is what rotates.

Here's a shot of the panel at its lowest height. At this height there is only about 1/8" clearance between the bottom bezel and the stand.

The panel rises ~6" to the position seen here. This is a prerequisite to rotating into portrait mode.

Portrait mode is very usable as this is an IPS panel (more on that in viewing angles – covered on the next page). A word of caution on getting this style display into portrait mode. If you do not tilt the panel upward prior to rotating, a corner of the bezel will make contact with the base of the pedestal stand:

This wouldn't be much of an issue, but due to the glossy plastic finish of the bezel and pedestal, permanent scratch marks are easily made and highly visible:

Among only a couple of larger scratch marks due to bezel contact during rotation, smaller scratch marks can be seen. These were caused by simply wiping the base with a microfiber cloth to remove dust prior to taking the photo.

The same situation exists with the bezel. Above you can see a fingerprint left from simply handling the display to rotate it back to landscape for this photo. The below photo demonstrates the reflections of the display contents off of the interior rim of the bezel:

These highly reflective and easily marked qualities of the bezel and pedestal base are our biggest gripes with this display design. That said, the construction is adequate. The adjustable height and rotation only happens when you want it to, but there is a slight bit of slop / movement when the desk is nudged, mainly due to compliance in the swivel.

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