Acer Predator XB273K 144Hz 4K IPS Monitor Review – it has a fan!

Rating: 8.0.

The arrival of the all-singing, all-dancing Acer X27 came with lots of fanfare thanks to its inclusion of both a 144Hz 4K panel and a clever backlighting system that allowed it to produce truly stunning HDR pictures. The problem? Its astronomical price, around £1800. Enter the XB273K, which retains the high-resolution gaming delights of 4K at 144Hz but, thanks to its use of a standard fixed backlight, it demands a much more sensible price, relatively speaking. At £1200, it’s still a very expensive monitor so will need to seriously impress to justify a recommendation.

Along with its 4K 144Hz IPS panel, this display includes G-Sync HDR support for smooth, tear- and stutter-free gaming. It can also produce the extended colour range of HDR, though doesn’t have the high contrast rating required for true HDR. Instead it supports the more basic DisplayHDR 400 standard.

You also get an almost fully adjustable stand, several USB ports, a headphone/headset stand and the same anti-glare hood as the X27, which helps to reduce screen glare and keep your screen private.

A tidy, though not particularly slim, design with nice RGB underlighting means it looks smart as well as delivering what we expect to be excellent performance too.

Specifications:

• Screen size: 27-inch, 16:9 aspect
• Native resolution: 3,840 x 2,160
• Refresh rate: 120Hz (overclockable to 144Hz)
• Panel type: IPS
• Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 native
• Brightness: 350cd/m2
• Response time: 4ms grey-to-grey
• Adaptive sync: No
• Display inputs: DisplayPort, HDMI
• USB hub: USB 2.0, two ports
• Audio: No speakers, 3.5mm headphone port
• Tilt: Yes
• Raise: Yes
• Swivel: Yes
• Pivot: No
• VESA: Yes
• Warranty: 3 years

Retail Price: £1,200 (inc. VAT)

Become a Patron!