Many gamers had doubts that the first 4K 144Hz monitors from Acer and Asus would be accessible for years when they were announced at CES 2017. Well, up until the introduction of the 27” Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K, every 4K 144Hz gaming display available in 2019 still cost you at least $1,200. With a starting price of $899.99, it overcomes a financial barrier that has prevented the average gamer from owning a 4K 144Hz monitor. However, it makes a number of concessions in the process. Although the monitor functions as it should, our sample had issues with light bleed and a sluggish onscreen display (OSD). Additionally, despite running at 4K resolution and 144Hz, this 27-inch monitor is unable to support essential features like HDR and G-Sync, which prevents it from achieving the breakthrough we had hoped for.
What gamers want in 27 Acer Nitro XV3 XB273K
The Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K is clearly designed with gaming in mind from the moment you first glance at the cabinet. It might not be the best option for any programmers or writers out there who double as gamers because you won’t find productivity-centric features like the ability to turn the display vertically.
Many of the aesthetic details found on Acer’s Predator gaming monitors are present on the display itself. The aggressively designed stand rises to a maximum of 21 inches from the top of the screen to the desk surface. Other features include brushed-plastic molding, a curved matte-black casing, and a matte-black finish.
If you want to keep any extra shine off your screen, Acer has provided glare guards with the Nitro XV3 that you can install using a standard screwdriver. However, even with the guards off, I didn’t find that too much light in our labs was a problem.
On this panel, the bezels are sufficiently small, but they don’t leave room for speakers. However, the panel does have a set. Gamers can use the two onboard 4-watt speakers that vent behind the monitor if they have no other options. Only if all of your headphones are missing and you don’t mind listening to music with only treble and no bass should you take this route, in my opinion.
One thing to remember for gamers: In my opinion, the Nitro XV3, like all Acer gaming monitors, keeps a crucial feature: a large range of swivel for your keyboard underneath the display. Like many professional gamers (though I wouldn’t call myself one!) when I play first-person shooter (FPS) games, I keep my keyboard rotated within a 45- to 60-degree range on the desk with respect to the plane of the screen. This makes it simpler for me to reach all the important keys on the keyboard, including the WASD cluster, Shift, Control, and the spacebar, without having to strain my hand.
Why is that relevant? The open, angled base of the Nitro XV3 enables you to slide your keyboard into a comfortable position beneath the monitor at any angle you choose without having to move closer to the screen. Acer gets extra points for this. The business clearly understands how gamers behave, and it has created a display base to reflect that.
27 Acer Nitro XV3 XB273K Features and Specifications
A gaming monitor with 4K resolution (also known as UHD), a 144Hz refresh rate, HDR, and adaptive sync has so far proven to be an expensive investment. Both the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ and the Acer Predator X27 will cost you at least $1,800. For about $1,200, Acer also sells the Predator XB273K. But the Nitro XV273K offers 4K and 144Hz for under a grand ($900 / £900) if you’re willing to accept AMD FreeSync (the aforementioned three offer Nvidia G-Sync) and a little less HDR contrast.
Even though the Nitro is still a high-end gaming monitor with a high price tag, it has a lot to offer owners of expensive gaming setups. It is a 27-inch IPS panel with AMD FreeSync 2 HDR down to 40Hz capabilities, and it has made it onto Nvidia’s list of G-Sync Compatible displays. We’ll demonstrate how to accomplish this and run a few games to assess how well the monitor performs against the two rival technologies.
| Panel Type & Backlight | IPS / W-LED, edge array |
| Screen Size / Aspect Ratio | 27 inches / 16:9, HDR10, DisplayHDR 400 |
| Max Resolution & Refresh Rate | 3840×2160 @ 144Hz, FreeSync 2 HDR: 40-120Hz, G-Sync Compatible, Density: 163 ppi |
| Native Color Depth & Gamut | 10-bit (8-bit+FRC) / DCI-P3 |
| Response Time (GTG) | 4ms |
| Brightness | SDR – 350 nits, HDR – 400 nits |
| Contrast | 1,000:1 |
| Speakers | 2x 4w |
| Video Inputs | 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0 |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone output |
| USB | 3.0: 1x up, 4x down |
| Power Consumption | 29.5w, brightness @ 200 nits |
| Panel Dimensions(WxHxD with base) | 24.7 x 17.4-21.3 x 12.1 inches /627 x 442-541 x 307mm |
| Panel Thickness | 3.4 inches / 86mm |
| Bezel Width | Top/sides: 0.6 inches / 15mm, Bottom: 0.9 inches / 22mm |
| Weight | 14.5 pounds / 6.6kg |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Up until recently, 60Hz refresh rates were the limit for 4K gaming. All of that changed when the ROG Swift PG27UQ and Predator X27 from Asus were released. Both of those monitors, as well as the Acer Predator XB273K, can operate at a steady 144Hz while supplying a razor-sharp 163 ppi at 4K resolution. It’s difficult to imagine clearer detail, and with sufficient graphics power (a GeForce GTX 1080 should be considered the minimum), you can play games at the highest resolution currently available at over 100 frames per second (fps).
Depending on their choice of graphics card, gamers will also be able to use either FreeSync or G-Sync with the Nitro XV273K. In order to be listed on Nvidia’s list of G-Sync Compatible monitors, which is for monitors that Nvidia certified to support G-Sync after being released, the monitor had to pass Nvidia’s tests.
Without DCI-P3 color and HDR, all this goodness wouldn’t amount to much, and the Nitro XV273K provides both. The panel is also VESA-certified to DisplayHDR 400, which results in vivid color that exceeds sRGB and HDR mode’s bright highlights and deep blacks.
27 Acer Nitro XV3 XB273K Unpacking and Accessories
Despite being more expensive than the Predator X27 and Predator XB273K, the 27 Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K still comes with the same excellent light hood and a factory calibration with data sheet.
Along with the external power brick, the accessory package also includes two DisplayPort cables and one USB 3.0 cable. The base and upright of the monitor are already bolted together when it is shipped. Lift it out, connect your devices, and leave.
Product 360
The upright, a nicely finished piece of solid aluminum, has a small red addition where it joins the base. By today’s standards, the bezel is fairly wide and extends beyond the front layer of the panel. Anti-glare is efficient and free of artifacts.
The back right corner houses the on-screen display (OSD) controls, which are a power switch, three buttons, and a joystick. The menus are simple to navigate, but using the select function of the joystick requires a deliberate press.
It is completely rigid. It is superior to many of the hoods that come with pricey professional monitors in the past. You cannot use it on any other display because it only supports Acer’s lug pattern.
A desk lamp with an LED bulb also illuminates the area from the monitor’s base. At the base of the panel, it emits a gentle glow. In the System menu of the monitor, you can manage it.
A little under four inches of height adjustment, 20 degrees of side to side swivel, 25 degrees of back tilt, and five degrees of forward tilt are all ergonomic features. The movements are consistent with a high-end display and are free of extra play or wobble. It will remain in place once you’ve got it how you like it. A sturdy metal adapter with a 100mm VESA mount is provided by Acer if you’d rather use your own bracket or monitor arm.
There are two USB ports on the left. Two more appear on the input panel that faces downward and match them. Additionally, they include two DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 inputs.
Why use two DisplayPorts?
Because doing so will enable you to use a graphics card that supports 3840×2160 resolution at 144Hz and its full 10-bit signal depth. The maximum refresh rate for a single cable is 120Hz. The Predator 27 Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K, two rival monitors, get by with a single DisplayPort connection and reduce bandwidth to operate at full resolution at 144Hz.
Two built-in speakers powered by 4-watt amplifiers are available if you’d prefer to leave your ears open instead of using the 3.5mm headphone jack on the input panel. Low distortion and a good volume characterize the sound. Although there isn’t much bass, the detail is respectable.
OSD Features
Similar to other Acer monitors, the OSD is comparatively simple to use.Iit is divided into six sections, beginning with fundamental image controls,. Particularly noteworthy is the HDR selection. The Nitro XV273K enters an HDR simulation mode when SDR signals are not turned off. This might be effective for certain content, but it generally changed the color and contrast in an unacceptable way.
A setting for HDR400 in the HDR option increases output to more than 500 nits. In our testing, we made use of that. The “Super Sharpness” checkbox is an additional choice. Some picture modes will automatically enable that, and it results in glaring ringing that only weakens clarity. By pressing the control key, you can access picture modes. You are given eight presets, one of which is the HDR simulation mentioned earlier.
The XV273K automatically enters user mode when any change is made, just like every other Acer monitor. You can find all the tools you need to calibrate SDR signals in the Color menu. Five gamma presets, four color temperature presets, a user adjustment with gain and bias sliders, and more are available there.
You can choose a different picture mode and a color space on a separate screen. You can access the sRGB gamut from there. Otherwise, all signals will be displayed in DCI-P3 color. The only limitation of the sRGB mode is that only brightness can be changed; neither gamma nor color temperature can.
Additionally, hue and saturation can be adjusted on a six-axis basis. The two-level overdrive setting, aiming points, FreeSync toggle, frame rate counter, and VRB option are all found in the Gaming menu. Its abbreviation, VRB, stands for “Visual Response Boost,” and it strobes the backlight to reduce blur.
The maximum refresh rate is 144 Hz; but you must disable FreeSync and reduce the brightness to around 200 nits. Connect two DisplayPort cables before turning on the option in the second screen of the System menu if you want to enable a 144Hz refresh rate. You can also save the settings to one of three memories when the 27 Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K is configured to your preferences. The signal info screen has a button to return to factory default settings.
Setup and Calibration
Grayscale and color accuracy are somewhat compromised when calibrating the 27 Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K. The sRGB color mode should be used for SDR signals: sadly it has subpar grayscale tracking and cannot be calibrated.
In the User mode, you can achieve a perfect white point; but you’ll have to use the entire DCI-P3 color gamut for all signals, including SDR and HDR. The choice ultimately depends on user preference. All adjustments are disabled in HDR mode, but this is fine because accuracy is so good. In fact, as you’ll see on page four, it’s among the top HDR monitors we’ve tested so far.
Gaming and Hands-on
We first connected the Nitro 27 Acer Nitro XV3 XV273K to our outdated gaming PC, which is equipped with an AMD Radeon R9 285 GPU. For a 4K monitor, that graphics card is appallingly underpowered. Aside from HDR and high bitrates, it can only play unplayable 25–30 frames per second (fps) games like Call of Duty: WWII and Tomb Raider. But now you can use some FreeSync monitors with an Nvidia graphics card; like our Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Thanks to Nvidia’s new software implementation of G-Sync.
You also need the Nvidia Game Ready driver, version 417.71 (January 5, 2019) or better in addition to an Nvidia 10-series card or better. 2019-03-05 419.35 was downloaded. Once this was set up, we simply activated the G-Sync option in the Nvidia control panel by turning on the FreeSync option in the Gaming menu. And it does; we successfully used Nvidia’s G-Sync pendulum demo.
The warning is that this won’t function in HDR mode. Activating HDR in the Windows control panel makes the FreeSync and G-Sync options in the OSD grayed out if the monitor is connected to an Nvidia graphics card.
On this monitor, FreeSync and a powerful AMD graphics card are the only ways to run adaptive sync and HDR simultaneously. Be aware that using the dual-cable connection for 144Hz will prevent FreeSync from functioning. With FreeSync, you can get a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.
We had the chance to draw some comparisons while we were playing Tomb Raider. G-Sync is best used when playing video games. We weren’t sacrificing image quality because the game doesn’t support HDR in any case. In fact, the clarity and level of detail in the surroundings astounded us. High pixel density has many advantages, which cannot be overstated. A 4K, 27-inch panel has 163 ppi. That is extremely dense, as is evident. It also didn’t hurt that its DCI-P3 gamut added more color. The monitor’s image depth was excellent despite its average contrast ratio.
Games designed specifically for HDR, like Call of Duty: WWII, produce the best images.
To increase realism, this game makes extensive use of shadow and highlight detail and a wide range of colors. Both felt and seen textures included rusty metal, brick, and sand. The high brightness of the Nitro almost caused us to squint from the glistening sweat. The impact was greater than using SDR mode; even though it wasn’t as dramatic as using a monitor with a full-array local dimming backlight, like the Predator X27.
As with the Predator 27 Acer Nitro XV3 XB273K, we do wish there were some kind of dynamic contrast or backlight dimming option. In HDR mode, that monitor’s contrast reaches over 4,000:1. The HDR mode on the Nitro XV273K is still better than SDR, though. Additionally, it is one of the least expensive ways to play games in 4K at frame rates higher than 60, which our G-Sync PC easily managed.
The HDR effect is beneficial for Windows as well. Color and brightness improved nicely after being enabled in the Control Panel. Particularly when viewing tiny fonts and icons, the desktop appeared sharper and more detailed. Photos appeared vivid and saturated, and text-based applications such as word processors and spreadsheets were a little easier to read. With the refresh rate set to 144Hz, performance appeared to be unaffected as windows opened, closed, and moved around without any issues.
The cost of compromise
With the release of the Nitro XV3 4K/144Hz display, Acer accomplished an admirable objective: to lower the cost of these opulent panels, which, at the time of this writing, didn’t drop below $1,199 in any other model, so that more gamers could afford them.
However, Acer cut some corners in the process, which resulted in serious backlight bleed issues: a lack of HDR support, and G-Sync/FreeSync support at 144 Hz. On a PC with an appropriate graphics card, neither of these improve what would otherwise be a fantastic gaming experience.
Spending $899.99 might be worthwhile if you don’t intend to play in total darkness and don’t mind making some moderate refresh-rate sacrifices at the higher end of the scale when playing in 4K. If not, however, we advise holding off on purchasing it until you can afford the $1,199 Predator XB3 (Opens in a new window) monitor instead.
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