Acer XB272, the first 27-inch Full HD monitor at 240 Hz

Presentation

The monitors Acer Predator XB252Q, BenQ Zowie XL2540 and AOC Agon AG251FZ inaugurated the refresh rate of 240 Hz by exploiting a TN Full HD panel (1920 x 1080 px). The Acer Predator XB272 inaugurates the first 27-inch panel supporting this same frequency of 240 Hz. This panel is always in TN technology to ensure the best response time and also displays a Full HD definition. This monitor incorporates most of the elements of the Acer XB252Q, in particular G-Sync compatibility which avoids the problems inherent in vertical synchronization, such as tearing of the image (tearing) and micro-slowdowns, but available only when uses a GeForce graphics card from Nvidia.

The Acer Predator XB272 monitor is sold for around € 700, which is € 100 more than the Acer Predator XB252Q, and even € 200 more than the BenQ Zowie XL2540 and AOC Agon AG251FZ sold for around € 500.

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Ergonomics

The Acer Predator XB272 monitor is completely black, except for a small touch of red on the Predator logo at the base of the panel. The foot is ultimately the only element whose aggressive design suggests gaming orientation.

The TN panel has a matt treatment which eliminates almost all of the reflections.

The rear is even more sober and is closer to that of a classic office monitor than that of a gaming monitor. There are no LEDs or small accessories for players, such as a removable lug for hanging a helmet found at AOC and BenQ, for example.

The stand ensures good stability of the monitor and also allows rotation through ± 45 °. The amplitude is good, but as on the XB252, the finish of the foot leaves something to be desired: it is entirely made of plastic, with a metal insert to make everything heavier.

The monitor is adjustable in height by 15 cm and in inclination from -5 ° to + 20 °. The pivot allows the transition to portrait orientation and is also useful for easier access to connectors.

As with all G-Sync monitors on the market, connectivity is limited. You have to settle for an HDMI input and a DisplayPort input. There is also a USB 3.0 hub with two ports behind the screen and two others on the side. At the audio level, this monitor has a headphone output - which we would have preferred on the side - and built-in speakers. These are sufficient for watching videos on YouTube, but they do not replace a dedicated speaker kit. Finally, the power supply is integrated into the monitor.

For access to the screen settings, Acer opted for a joystick and four additional buttons, including one for turning on the power. In practice, the joystick provides access to the most complex settings while the other three buttons are used to access the presets and change the source. It is not always practical to juggle between the two and we would have preferred that Acer focused only on the use with the joystick.

With a white set at 150 cd / m² on our test pattern, the Acer Predator XB252Q consumes 24 watts, a relative consumption of 119 W / m², much higher than the average consumption of the monitors tested (100 W / m²). At a minimum, the monitor consumes 20 watts (80 cd / m²) and reaches a maximum of 38 watts (421 cd / m²).

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Colors and contrast

Default: average temperature at 6.760 K

Default: gamma curve at 2.2

Default: Delta E medium at 3.5

Leaving the factory, the Acer Predator XB272 monitor is a little less well calibrated than its cousin the XB252. The temperature is fairly stable over the entire spectrum and the average (6,760 K) is relatively close to the reference value (6,500 K). For its part, the gamma curve lacks a bit of stability, even if the average remains at 2.2. Finally, colors are not a model of loyalty. Delta E of 3.5 is greater than 3 - a threshold below which the human eye can no longer differentiate between displayed colors and ideal colors.

Manual adjustment: average temperature at 6.710 K

Manual adjustment: gamma curve at 2.2

Manual adjustment: Delta E medium to 3.5

In order to obtain a white close to 150 cd / m², we lowered the brightness to 17. The gamma curve does not vary and the color reproduction is identical. Only the temperature drops slightly (6.710 K). The rendering is generally good, especially for a monitor intended primarily for players.

Default: average temperature at 6,500 K

Default: gamma curve at 2.2

Default: Delta E average at 3.2

Starting from the previous settings, we calibrated the screen using a calibration probe and suitable software. This smooths the temperature and gamma curves. The temperature and the gamma are then perfect (6,500 K). The colors are slightly more faithful, with a delta E at 3.2, but always above the target value of 3. Our calibration profile is available on this link.

In absolute terms, the contrast is quite low, but for a TN panel, it does quite well. We measured it at 990: 1, which is exactly the same rate as on the 25-inch model. Blacks therefore appear gray. In comparison, the best models manage to exceed 4,000: 1 (Eizo Foris FG2421 or even Philips BDM4037UW).

The average difference in white is only 6% on the entire screen, a good value for a 27-inch screen. TN technology requires, the viewing angles are very reduced. Even when facing the screen, you can observe a gradient from top to bottom over an area that should be uniform. We also noticed some slight light leaks at the top and bottom of the slab.

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Reactivity

The Acer Predator XB272 screen does not use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to vary its brightness. This will prevent the flicker associated with the decrease in light which causes headaches and eye strain in some people who are sensitive to it. So there is no problem with this monitor.

This monitor is compatible with G-Sync technology between 48 and 240 Hz and it therefore works optimally when the graphics card sends between 48 and 240 images per second. In this case, the fluidity is there and the image does not suffer from tearing problems or jerks (micro-stuttering). The Ultra Low Motion Blur mode improves the sharpness of moving objects by scanning the backlight, but it is not compatible with G-Sync: it is one or the other. In addition, the ULMB only operates at a frequency of 120 Hz.

The TN panel is very reactive with an average remanence time of 3.5 ms. By default, the overdrive is set to the medium setting which gives good results; ghosting is very weak. However, switching to the extreme setting results in a rather annoying reverse ghosting phenomenon. The remanence time of 3.5 ms allows the pixels to change state more than 280 times per second and the monitor is therefore able to display the 240 images per second.

Finally, the delay in the display measured at 16.2 ms makes the difference between the image generated by the graphics card and that displayed on the screen almost imperceptible, especially on a 240 Hz model.

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Conclusion

First 27 inch screen supporting a frequency of 240 Hz, the Acer Predator XB272 is an excellent monitor for competition enthusiasts. Its performance is intended primarily for very nervous FPS players while its G-Sync compatibility will delight owners of GeForce graphics cards. As on the Acer XB252, we can simply blame it for its reduced viewing angles (TN panel) and its limited connectivity, common to all G-Sync monitors.

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