Michael Crider
Acer makes some of the best gaming monitors out there, and it’s refreshing its offerings at CES. Three new Predator monitors include three high-speed IPS panels, in QHD or 4K resolution, depending on the size and speed you want. The fastest goes up to 275Hz, which is going to take a monster gaming machine to hit in anything besides Minecraft.
The 27-inch Predator XB273U NX (above right) uses a 2560×1440 IPS panel with built-in G-SYNC, and overclocked, it can hit 275Hz. That combination of features puts it on the high end of the market, even if its size won’t astonish. Acer claims it hits 95% of the DCI-P3 color range.
On top of the super-fast monitor, there’s a pair of 4K options, the 28-inch Nitro XV282K KV (below) and 31.5-inch Predator XB323QK NV (above left). The Nitro is the more budget of the two, going with the cheaper FreeSync tech and making do with “just” 90% DCI-P3 coverage. Its refresh rate is an impressive 144Hz. The Predator bumps up the panel with the same speed and color accuracy, but adds in G-sync technology on top. All three monitors support HDMI 2.1 to push all those fast pixels.
The trio of new screens is scheduled to drop in February in China and in May in most other markets. The 28-inch Nitro will cost 949 Euro ($1165), the 31.5-inch Predator will cost 1179 Euro ($1445), and the 27-inch 275Hz Predator will cost a whopping 1199 Euro ($1470). Start saving up now, I suppose.
