Acer has announced a trio of Predator gaming monitors, beginning with the 30-inch Predator Z301CT display, which is "the world’s first 21:9 curved monitor with eye-tracking functionality". In addition to Tobii Eye Tracking this ultra-wide gaming monitor offers a curved 21:9 VA panel with a 200 Hz refresh rate, NVIDIA G-Sync variable refresh-rate support, and is equipped with Acer's "ErgoStand" full-motion stand (height, swivel, tilt).
Predator Z301CT Specifications:
- Size: 30-inch 21:9 Gaming Monitor
- Curvature: 1800R
- Panel Type: VA (8-bit)
- Maximum Resolution: 2560×1080 @ 200Hz
- Refresh Rate: 200Hz
- Response Time: 4ms
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2
- Contrast Ratio: 3,000:1 (Native)
- Color: 100% sRGB
- Colors: 16.7 Million
- Support: Tobii Eye Tracking, NVIDIA G-Sync, Acer DarkBoost, BlueLightShield and Flicker-less Technologies
- Other Key Features: GameView OSD Navigation Key, Cable Management
- Viewing Angles: 178 Degrees (H) 178 Degrees (V)
- Input signal: DisplayPort v1.2a, HDMI v 1.4, USB Hub 3.0 x 4 (1 Up, 4 Down), Audio Out
- ErgoStand: Tilt -5 ~25 Degrees; Swivel +25 Degrees, Height Adjustment Up to 4.7 Inches
- Audio: Powerful DTS Sound, Two 3W Speakers
- VESA Wall Mounting: 100x100mm
The Predator Z301CT carries an MSRP of $899 and will be available in February.
Next we have the Predator XB2 Series, which includes the 24.5-inch Predator XB252Q and 27-inch Predator XB272.
These 1920×1080 monitors offer NVIDIA G-Sync with NVIDIA's ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur) technology, 1 ms response time, and a 240 Hz refresh rate. Both displays feature Acer's "ZeroFrame" design with minimal bezels for multi-monitor setups and the same "ErgoStand" as the larger Z301CT above.
The two Predator XB2 Series displays have identical specs other than display size, including:
- Design: ZeroFrame
- Maximum resolution: 1920×1080 @ 240Hz
- Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Response time: 1ms
- Color: 100% sRGB
- Panel Type: TN (8-bit)
- Brightness: 400 cd/m2
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Support: NVIDIA G-Sync, NVIDIA ULMB, Acer Dark Boost, BlueLightShield and Flicker-less Technologies
- Other Key Features: GameView OSD Navigation Key, Cable Clip
- Viewing angles: 170 Degrees (H) 170 Degrees (V)
- Input signal: DisplayPort v1.2, HDMI v 1.4, USB Hub 3.0 x 4 (1 up, 4 down), Audio Out
- ErgoStand: Tilt -5 -20 Degrees; Swivel +45 Degrees, Height Adjustment 4.5 Inches, Pivot 90 Degrees Clockwise
- Audio: Powerful DTS Sound, Two 2W Speakers
- VESA Wall Mounting: 100x100mm
The XB2 Series displays will start at $549 (presumably for the 24.5-inch model) and will be available in February.
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Man, really wish that Z301CT
Man, really wish that Z301CT was 1440p, even if they had to drop the refresh rate down.
Agreed, 1440p would make it
Agreed, 1440p would make it more tempting.
I’m greedy so I’d love to see 1440p with HDR @ 144Hz and up or 4k @120Hz and up.
Leaning more towards 4k @120Hz minimum to make me upgrade from my xb270hu. Gaming since the vic20 so I’ve earned the right to splurge lol that’s my excuse and I’m stocking to it.
The issue at present is that
The issue at present is that typical pixel clock rates max out at cinema 4k60. You can go lower resolution and higher refresh easily, but doing high res *and* high refresh is still trickly / expensive to implement, mainly due to single channel bandwidth.
Define “High Res” and “High
Define “High Res” and “High Refresh” though. I would love to see someone do a 1440p and 120Hz monitor – even a 100Hz @ 1440 would be awesome. I don’t understand what the love is for 21:9 though. I want immersive gaming, not an arrow slit. They made curved monitors for your peripheral vision but seem to have forgotten peripheral is more than just the X axis….
I’m aware of the current
I’m aware of the current technical challenges and you’re absolutely correct. Display/hdmi etc. bandwidth limitation and finding a solution that both AMD and Nvidia would agree to support. I’ve read articles about display port 1.4 being able to do 4k @120Hz and possibly with HDR. That’s all good but, we’ll need the video cards that can keep the frame rate a that refresh rate and resolution with hdr. 1440p seems to be the sweet spot for high rez & high refresh rate while maintaining fps high.
Oh, there was also talk of using cat 6 cables but, maybe that was just speculation/theory.
Agree, 1440p 140Hz DP 1.4
Agree, 1440p 140Hz DP 1.4 G-Sync HDR tobii. That’s what I’d like to see. I don’t want 4K couse it’ll cost much more for less FPS. I don’t think it’s a good decision.
Forgot about *VA panel
Forgot about *VA panel
I wonder how noticeable the
I wonder how noticeable the jump from 144hz to 240hz would be. Seems like there might be some diminishing return there.
Yeah, i’d like to see it
Yeah, i’d like to see it live. According to the few review’s i’ve read, the diff using the IPS asus rog 1440p @ 165Hz was noticeable vs my xb270hu. I’m no expert but, I think that you would need keep the frames per second really high to see the benefits. For example, bf4 at 144 fps on the xb120hu (IPS 1440p gsync – 144Hz) looks and feels so much better than @ 100 fps. I was skeptical of Gsync then I splurged and got one, no turning back ever for me.
Ideally freesync would be the standard, just because of the business model but, we would’ve needed parity on the performance side for that to even be contemplated by nvidia (before freesync/gsync even existed that is).
Ridiculous pricing, I got a
Ridiculous pricing, I got a UN40KU6290 4K tv with virtually no input lag for $350. No one should be paying these prices and enabling this behavior, ever wonder why even most random companies are making gaming monitor? MASSIVE MARGINS.
Considering the diff in
Considering the diff in markets, of course the margins are going to be very high. The TV market eclipses the gaming monitor market. The key question would be what do these monitor offer vs TVs such as yours.
I’ve seen an identical TV (in appearance) samsung etc. and was blown away, that being said, i’d never trade my 1440p 144Hz Gsync IPS screen for my friend’s TV.
No resolution bump can offer what I got from gsync. I was a doubter but,now that I have one, lets just say that it made a bigger diff than going from 2 680s to 2 980ti. I had to see it live to fully appreciate the tech.
That’s just me though. You may prefer the higher rez.
Interesting 240Hz TN Monitor
Interesting 240Hz TN Monitor with GS, but I am not really interested in G-Sync since it adds additional input lag. So I am definitely going to buy BenQ XL2540 that doesn’t come with either GS/FS. In fact, vast majority of enthusiasts and competitive PC gamers play V-Sync Off in order to get low input lag as possible.
You have no idea what Gsync
You have no idea what Gsync or freesync does do you?….
seems not…
seems not…
He’s not wrong though, is
He’s not wrong though, is he>
My understanding was that G-Sync minimises input lag, but it’s never going to be as low as a non-synced game running at a uncapped framerate going well, well over your monitor’s maximum refresh rate.
Think about it. 300+ fps without sync vs 230ish (lest we fall out of variable refresh range/trigger V-Sync). Which one is going to have less input lag/more responsive feel?
See
See http://i.imgur.com/5aY3uxZ.jpg This graph was constructed for another purpose, but you can compare unsynced latency to g-sync latency and see there is almost no difference.
Wrong! I have personally
Wrong! I have personally tested PG248Q and VG248QE (G-Sync DIY Kit). As a result, input lag was noticeably high as frame rate increases. So I really don’t like Adaptive-Sync Technology and they’re utterly useless. Thus, I strongly prefer V-Sync Off over V-Sync On and/or Adaptive-Sync. If you’re just a casual gamer, of course you wouldn’t tell a difference. But when it comes down to competitive gaming, vast majority of competitive gamers including e-sport players tend to play V-Sync Off to get low latency as possible.
http://www.blurbusters.com/gsync/preview2/
Believe it or not, Richard
Believe it or not, Richard Huddy from AMD explains how G-Sync works. No matter how old or new G-Sync technology was made, it’s always going to deliver smoothness, but significantly adds more latency! Watch at 1:03:24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uoD8YKwtww&list=PL4g5uiTTG0iuRpJOIjwNUJ93y2oEqfcA9&t=3935s&index=
Sure an AMD employee knows
Sure an AMD employee knows better than NVIDIA how GSYNC works… When NV themselves explained how it works and why it has no extra input lag.
Clearly, you have not tried
Clearly, you have not tried GS in-person. Besides, GS monitor is always going to be very expensive, even though it has no benefit when going 144hz or even 240hz refresh rate. Plus, some games may or may not work with GS. So I suggest you do your research.
Ugh, another set of new
Ugh, another set of new gaming monitors that don’t do anything for me!
Why is the choice for 1440p IPS gaming monitors so abysmal? 1080P at 240hz with crap TN colors? Who is spending this kind of money on this garbage? Did the extra 40hz really turn you from the CSGO scrub you are to some kind of pro?
120-144hz 1440p IPS Gsync theres like 2 models and they both have a lot of issues and cost a fortune.
I have the older Acer 144hz
I have the older Acer 144hz monitor like this. Being an 8-bit TN (like these) the colors are fine and I can’t really notice a difference between it and my older Dell IPS Monitor. I think 1080p at high HZ is great, it looks fine and you get butter smooth fps from a single GPU.
If you do not like TN, go buy
If you do not like TN, go buy PG27UQ, even though it is going to cost $1200. Besides, it is going tobe extremely difficult to maintain 144fps. Titan XP SLI may work, but incredibly expensive and some games may scale poorly in SLI. Nevertheless, it’s all about risk versus reward.