Introduction and Specifications
IPS G-Sync gaming at 144Hz!
Displays have been a hot item as of late here at PC Perspective. Today we are looking at the new Acer XB270HU. In short, this is an IPS version of the ASUS ROG Swift. For the long version, it is a 1440P, 144Hz, G-Sync enabled 27 inch display. This is the first G-Sync display released with an IPS panel, which is what makes this release such a big deal. Acer has been pushing hard on the display front, with recent releases of the following variable refresh capable displays:
- XB270H 27in 1080P 144Hz G-Sync
- XB280HK 28in 4K 60Hz G-SYnc
- XG270HU 27in 1440P 40-144Hz FreeSync
- XB270HU 27in 1440P 144Hz G-Sync < you are here
The last entry in that list is the subject of todays review, and it should look familiar to those who have been tracking Acer's previous G-Sync display releases:
Here's our video overview of this new display. I encourage you to flip through the review as there are more comparison pictures and information to go along.
Continue reading our review of the Acer XB270HU 1440P 144Hz IPS G-Sync Monitor!!
Specifications
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One aberration we noted in the specs was a lack of included USB 3.0 cable. Many competing displays (even Acer's previous G-Sync panels) incldued this cable, so beware of that point when purchasing.
G-Sync
Ryan did a deep dive on G-Sync in his original ASUS PG278Q Review. Those unaware of what G-Sync is or would like to be educated further should read that linked review. Here's an excerpt:
The idea of G-Sync is pretty easy to understand, though the implementation method can get a bit more hairy. G-Sync introduces a variable refresh rate to a monitor, allowing the display to refresh at wide range of rates rather than at fixed intervals. More importantly, rather than the monitor dictating what rate this refresh occurs at to the PC, the graphics now tells the monitor when to refresh in a properly configured G-Sync setup. This allows a monitor to match the refresh rate of the screen to the draw rate of the game being played (frames per second) and that simple change drastically improves the gaming experience for several reasons.
If you would like some more reading on G-Sync technology, here are a few prior articles on the matter (in chronological order):
- Ryan's first G-Sync technology article
- PCPer Live! G-Sync Q&A w/ Tom Petersen
- G-Sync Surround Impressions (SLI + 3x ROG Swift)
- ASUS ROG Swift Review (has a good summary of the tech)
- Dissecting G-Sync and FreeSync (analysis of refresh rates at low FPS)
Acer rates the panel at a 350 nit maximum brightness, a 4ms GTG response time and a 1000:1 contrast ratio that lines up with our testing. We will not be going as in-depth as the excellent TFTCentral review of this same display, but we will be pointing out some issues not covered in their review. This monitor stand and shell is physically identical to the XB270H 27-in 1080P 144Hz G-Sync panel, and also appears very similar to the XB280HK 28-in 4K G-Sync panel (minus an inch off of its diagonal).
I got mine this week, and it
I got mine this week, and it has been amazing, luckily it doesn’t comes with dead pixels. It does come with a little bit of light bleed on the right bottom corner, but it’s not noticeable while playing. It also has IPS glow in the left side.
The monitor is amazing, if you get one without problems you are going to love it.
There seems to be a lot of
There seems to be a lot of quality control issues reported in the Amazon reviews, such as bad pixels, or backlight bleed. That is the only thing holding me back on this monitor, other than the price.
From what I’ve gathered, the
From what I've gathered, the first shipment had some QC issues / shipping damage. Acer was exchanging them but ran out of stock. I'd imagine things are sorted out by now, but I would suggest ordering direct from Acer (same price as Amazon currently) so you can be assured you are getting fresh stock.
I know this is months later
I know this is months later but absolutely don’t do that. Acer has a reputation recently for impossible customer service while Amazon has the best in the business.
So 144Hz IPS GSync IS
So 144Hz IPS GSync IS possible.. .hey ASUS…care too comment..?
Agreed. Had an IPS version of
Agreed. Had an IPS version of the Swift launched first, I would have been all over it. Acer beat them to it.
Hah. This article is all the
Hah. This article is all the proof we needed. Paid Nvidia shills!!1
No doubt.
G-Sync panel issues
No doubt.
G-Sync panel issues = Blame TCon and Panel
FreeSync panel issues = Blame AMD at all cost
Still don’t get how they call this a review when its all EYEBALLING. No real testing.
Freesync issues are FREESYNC
Freesync issues are FREESYNC ISSUES. Don’t blame Nvidia for spending the time to do the Job RIGHT where as AMD half assed the job to get a panel out to compete with no real effort to make it work as well. G-sync using same panel as freesync have less issues cause like I said Nvidia put THE TIME AND EFFORT in to making it work right. When you push crap via standards with almost no documentation to for making it all work properly, On top of it all you got AMD on your ass pushing you to get damn things out ASAP Welcome to end result. The Scaler chips that were needed, YES NEW HARDWARE that AMD claimed wouldn’t been needed were only out 2 months before the monitors were out so they had really No time to properly test them.
Tip for the day, Don’t buy first gen freesync monitors, wait for 2nd and 3rd gen’s.
Another contradicting
Another contradicting Nvidiot.
How can it be a freesync issue if your saying the scalers weren’t properly tested. Now we are to believe AMD has the pull to rush a company like Asus who produce these monitors that they are willing to bypass quality control.
You related to Chizow ?
Freesync is poorly engineered
Freesync is poorly engineered garbage, once put to the test, it fails miserably as pointed out by many websites.
Stop trying to troll on websites that report the bitter truth.
Did you REALLY just call
Did you REALLY just call somebody an “Nvidiot”?
People take hardware WAY too seriously. Focus that blind rage on sex traffickers or something.
Wrong. PCPer are absolutely
Wrong. PCPer are absolutely proven paid AMD shills! 😀
You are a paid Nvidia shill.
You are a paid Nvidia shill. Everyone knows that G-sync NEVER EXISTED! FREESYNC IS FREE AND ETERNAL!
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EYEBALLING – you mean the way
EYEBALLING – you mean the way people actually use a display – with their eyeballs? Perhaps you're right, next time we'll just have Josh judge how well hot dogs bounce off of it :).
The TCON issues I pointed out were common to both G-Sync *and* FreeSync panels. The other issues we've pointed out in the past (overdrive not functioning in VRR, behavior at low refresh rates, etc) were specific to FreeSync *only*. Calling it like we see it hurts AMD at present because their tech (as implemented currently) is currently (and obviously) falling behind. We, as enthusiasts, naturally want to see them catch up just as much as the AMD fans, but for now it is what it is.
lol that reminds me of those
lol that reminds me of those old JeffK reviews.
People do “use” monitors with
People do “use” monitors with their eyes but that doesn’t mean it’s a reliable way to test them. I might listen to audio with my ears but I’d trust the testing of a DAC to scientific equipment that is orders of magnitude more sensitive than my ears and not subject to the same cognitive biases I am.
Not to say there is no place for subjective analysis but I’d prefer more.
Came here after reading your
Came here after reading your post on overclock.net directing me here, Allyn. Fantastic work in highlighting that alternate banding lines clearly. I sold the swift to someone who didn’t mind the issues. As for me, I had a terrible time playing bf4 on the swift as all the orange spot triangles would shimmer and phase in and out with the banding making it tough to target bad guys. I called it quits after that.
I never noticed it during
I never noticed it during gameplay as I was not playing games that highlighted the effect, but I did notice it on the desktop as I usually use a black background and the white mouse cursor was going 'plaid' when moving across the screen. Either way, glad to report the issue is not present in the XB270HU.
It was noticeable in brightly
It was noticeable in brightly colored games like Assassin’s creed IV and Far Cry 3. And in games with lots of bright hud elements. Thanks for confirmation. I’ll be getting the Acer XB270HU soon. However, the dream scenario would be ASUS taking up the same panel and refreshing the swift. The ID of the asus is definitely far superior from what I see in your review.
Looks like Acer (or Amazon)
Looks like Acer (or Amazon) is being aggressive – the price has already dropped to $770 with free shipping.
Last night it was $738.
Last night it was $738.
free shipping is if you join
free shipping is if you join prime
I share your obsession of
I share your obsession of monitors, Allyn.
And i`m patiently waiting for the 21:9 version of this. Then its pure Nirvana.
21:9 of this may not happen,
21:9 of this may not happen, at least not at 1440P and 144Hz. Here's why: Cinema 4K60 (4096×2160) is the same *exact* maximum bitrate as 2560×1440 @ 144Hz. I believe that's why they settled at 144Hz for this resolution. This also means that anything wider would have to compromise either in vertical resolution or refresh rate. The alternative is higher bitrates, but I think we'll be stuck at this one for at least a little while.
This IPS Acer and the Swift
This IPS Acer and the Swift have terrible newegg reviews, so i’m going to stick with my original option and go with the 1080p 24″ BenQ which got absolutely stellar reviews on newegg. I’m only running a single GTX 970 so 1080 is probably better for me anyhow.
Still a great review Allyn. You and Ryan are my favs.
would be 100% better if it
would be 100% better if it was glossy
Its a AHVA panel not
Its a AHVA panel not IPS
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/acer_xb270hu.htm
Panel Technology
AU Optronics AHVA
It should be in between TN
It should be in between TN and IPSPLS much like AMVA
Has better RT then IPS & PLS, better angles then TN but not as good color as a IPS or PLS screens.
They don’t want to market it as a AHVA screen because that sounds inferior to IPS or PLS and the regular folk and reviewers wouldnt know the differance as we have come to learn from here.
AHVA is IPS.
AHVA is IPS.
The word IPS appears in the
The word IPS appears in the TFTCentral review 84 times. I'd say it is safe to refer to it as IPS, even if it is really just IPS-type.
IPS has become a genericised
IPS has become a genericised brand, referring to all panels that use in-plane switching (e.g. PLS, AHVA).
I have one and its nice,
I have one and its nice, except there is color uniformity issues with this display. I am on my second one and both had the issue. Whites, grays and light colors are uneven across the display with dark areas and light areas.
I think the best way to describe this display is to say, “It has potential”.
1000:1 contrast ratio is
1000:1 contrast ratio is unacceptable in such an expensive display. Even my 15 year old CRT puts that to shame. VRR is interesting but it will remain irrelevant as long as the underlying panel technology is rubbish.
It seems like Acer really
It seems like Acer really nailed it with this display. I’m looking forward to this quality of display coming down in price as more manufacturers reach feature parity with it. I’m not holding my breath on prices dropping significantly in the next year though.
I have a 1080p 144 Hz TN G-Sync panel from AOC for my desktop and my laptop has a 1080p 14″ AHVA panel. The TN panel doesn’t look bad. The AHVA panel in the laptop does have that extra “pop” to the colors and contrast. Being able to get both in the same display sounds excellent.
Factory color calibration would be an excellent addition to these high end variable refresh rate gaming monitors. I use a Spyder Express colorimeter with my AOC monitor. The calibrated colors look much much better. Once you’ve used a calibrated display, going back is kinda painful. The problem is G-Sync requires full screen and full screen removes the calibrated color profile. I think the games that really showcase G-Sync are slower paced single player games like Dragon Age: Inquisition because you have more time to pan around enjoying the environments. Screen tearing is really obvious in slow pans. Having properly calibrated colors would be awesome with the beautiful environments of DA:I. Do you think there’s any chance we’ll see factory color calibration as an option on any of these high end displays in the future?
The TFTCentral recommended
The TFTCentral recommended settings and profile worked great for this panel. We have color calibration hardware at the office but that seemed to get it at least really close.
That’s a good idea. I guess
That’s a good idea. I guess I’ve been skeptical of using the manually settings to adjust monitors since the panel to panel variance can be an issue (theoretically). Copying TFTCentral’s recommended settings and profile probably is the obvious choice though. Then even if you use a colorimeter the difference between in game and out wont be as large.
It wouldn’t make a difference
It wouldn’t make a difference for games. You can calibrate the monitor all you want once you launch a game it will ignore it.
The game engine and graphics driver would have to recognize your windows profile in order for it to work and that’s not happening.
Does it have the splash
Does it have the splash screen when you turn it on? I can’t stand that 🙂
It does, for 5 seconds, but
It does, for 5 seconds, but only after you had it turned off by pressing the power button. If it comes out of standby it goes straight to the desktop. I had to specifically turn this one off just to see if there was a splash screen, because I had not noticed it before.
Thanks Allyn
Thanks Allyn
I might be blind but I didn’t
I might be blind but I didn’t notice any info about minimum refresh rate.
G-Sync doesn’t have a minimum
G-Sync doesn’t have a minimum refresh rate for VRR.
Of course it does. Every LCD
Of course it does. Every LCD monitor has a minimum refresh rate.
There is effectively no
There is effectively no minimum with G-Sync tech. Required reading.
awesome review. thanks
awesome review. thanks
Are your thoughts on the
Are your thoughts on the image quality based upon the default settings, or did you calibrate it first/choose a different preset?
I found TFTCentral’s
I found TFTCentral's recommended settings and ICC profile to be reasonably accurate – to the point where I felt it did not need further calibration.
Games doesn’t recognize ICC
Games doesn’t recognize ICC profiles and will ignore it once you run a game.
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Just a heads up, but recent
Just a heads up, but recent batches still have quality control issues. I recently was sent one from Amazon that was shipped 3-days ago and immediately on power-on you can see a group of 50-60 pixels (about size of eraser head) that are stuck partially on in a white to light-green color near the middle of the screen. It is very apparent on black background, but still visible as off-shade/incorrect colored area when displaying normal images. Combine this with another 5-10 actually dead pixels scattered around the reset of the monitor. I am going to get a replacement (eta 3-5 weeks), but don’t think I will bother again if I see such poor QC on the next one.
I actually left a 1-star review on Amazon with an image of defective area, but Amazon rejected my review for some reason.
My Amazon Review: Very poor Quality Control from Acer. Four distinct areas of 2+ dead pixel groupings, plus a large group of ~40-60 pixel in the center that are partially stuck on at all times (visible from power-on). [IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/rjgq46.jpg[/IMG]
It is hard to claim this is a rare event if you just look at the reviews on Newegg.com or Amazon.com. Even some of the 4-star review note dead pixels or back light issues. Guess some people are less picky on their $800 investments, but I put this through the same paces I did with any of my other sub $700 24-27″ IPS displays.
How does the color compare to
How does the color compare to that of say, a glossy Korean 27 inch 1440p display?