Acer Predator X32 X3 240 Hz OLED gaming monitor review: All the bells and whistles

The Acer Predator X32 X3 is a 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor with 240 Hz, 480 Hz at FHD resolution, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and wide gamut color.

Acer Predator X32 X3
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

I talk frequently about OLEDs and variable brightness. The feature is more common in the newest panels, but since I reached back in time a bit for this group of screens, you can see that three of them don’t have it. They run constant brightness all the time. That means you’ll see the same output level from a full field pattern and a 25% window. The X32 X3 however does have the toggle so it hits 439 nits in SDR mode. The two Asus screens have the feature also but don’t drive quite as hard.

Since black levels and contrast are infinite regardless, the visual difference is small. But turning the X32 X3’s Constant Brightness off gives the picture a little more verve.

After Calibration to 200 nits

For indoor use, 200 is the highest nit level my eyes can tolerate for more than a few minutes. It’s a good field leveler for testing as well. Like any OLED, this makes no difference to the X32 X3’s black levels or contrast. And it doesn’t affect the ANSI checkerboard pattern either, intra-image contrast is infinite as well.

Test Takeaway: The range of OLED monitor brightness levels isn’t that wide. The principal difference is whether there is a constant brightness option, which makes the picture pop a bit more when turned off. The X32 X3 has this, whereas some other OLEDs don’t. That may be a factor in some user’s purchase decisions.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

Read more
Asus XG27ACDNG
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACDNG 360 Hz OLED gaming monitor review: Lighting-fast with pro-level color accuracy
Aorus FO27Q2
Aorus FO27Q2 240 Hz QHD QD-OLED review: Blinding speed and stunning color
AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2
AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2 240 Hz OLED gaming monitor review: A faster and more colorful revision
HP Omen 32 OLED
HP Omen 32 OLED 4K 240 Hz gaming monitor review: Speedy, colorful, precise, and flexible
AOC Agon Pro AG346UCD
AOC Agon Pro AG346UCD Ultra-wide OLED gaming monitor review: Maximum color and solid value
Philips Evnia 27M2N8500
Philips Evnia 27M2N8500 360 Hz QD-OLED review: Unmatched speed and response
Latest in Monitors
Odyssey OLED G9
Samsung's 49-inch OLED Odyssey G9 monitor drops to just $949 during Amazon's Spring Sale
Perovskite facilitates 'nano-PeLED' pixels
New LED displays packing 90nm 'virus-sized' pixels can deliver 127,000 PPI visuals
Samsung 3D monitor
Samsung launches its glasses-free Odyssey 3D monitor — 27-inch 4K OLED G8 and 144 Hz G9 variant now also available
KYY X90D Triple Portable Monitor
KYY X90D Triple Portable Monitor Review: A screaming dual-screen bargain at $250
Asus Monitor
You can snag this 24-inch Asus TUF gaming monitor for $99 at Amazon – its lowest price to date
Gigabyte G34WQCP
Gigabyte G34WQCP WQHD VA 190 Hz curved gaming monitor review: Faster than ever
Latest in Reviews
Bambu Lab H2D
Bambu Lab H2D Review: For Elite Crafters
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD Review: Samsung’s Capable Answer to Phison’s Storage Gauntlet
Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 V2 Plus
Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 V2 Plus review: Essential cooling, with a reverse fan
Corsair E400U
Corsair EX400U review: Game-changing USB4 speed in a magnetic, phone-friendly form factor
KYY X90D Triple Portable Monitor
KYY X90D Triple Portable Monitor Review: A screaming dual-screen bargain at $250
Amazon Eero 7 Pro
Amazon Eero 7 Pro Wi-Fi 7 mesh router review: Middle child with middling performance
  • cyrusfox
    Beautiful monitor, can't wait to see the Acer Predator XB323QX, dual mode 5k/1440p come to market(I heard Q3), hope you get to review that one as well. Drop down to 288hz/144hz also IPS instead of OLED (another downgrade). But I much prefer the 5k and 1440p space compared to the cramped 4k/1080p, its all about the vertical real estate for me.

    Great review and looks to be a great monitory, especially for those that game at 1080p or 4k(perfect for consoles).
    Reply
  • truerock
    No DP 2.1? That is very strange. I wonder why.

    Well, at least it has speakers built inside - so, at least it is unnecessarily thick and vibrates the screen with its built-in speakers. I mean it is a big plus when a monitor has crappy speakers stuck inside of it - because who doesn't want to pay extra to have super low-quality sound stuck inside their monitor?
    Reply
  • pravda
    Display port only 1.4? Why it has only standard from 2016 when it is unable to run 240Hz/4k without image compression because this is lacking newer DP?
    Reply