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)

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The concept of dual refresh mode gaming monitors is relatively new and something that OLED technology has inspired. Its best use is for users with mid-level systems who want an upgrade path that doesn’t include a new monitor. Perhaps your video card can only manage 80 or 90fps at 4K resolution. Switching to 480 Hz mode means you can bump that up to 160 to 180fps, which will eliminate motion blur and give you lower input lag in the process. And when you upgrade the graphics board, you’ll have a monitor that can keep up.

Acer Predator X32 X3

(Image credit: Acer)

The X32 X3’s nearest rival is Asus’ PG32UCDP. Comparisons between the two are tight. They are close in color volume, but the Acer covers about 3% more. They are also close in my input lag test, but the Acer is quicker at 240 Hz while the Asus is quicker at 480 Hz.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

We’re talking about 2-4ms so that is something few people will perceive. The Asus offers brighter HDR with around 250 nits greater peak output. But it also costs around $200 more. Given the close test results, the Asus PG32UCDP is not offering $200 worth of advantages over the X32 X3. But both are phenomenal monitors so again I say, you won’t regret buying the best.

The Acer Predator X32 X3 delivers superb gaming performance, a stunning OLED image, and near-perfect color accuracy with no need for calibration. It’s built like a tank with every feature one expects from a premium display. And it’s $200 less expensive than its nearest rival which is hard to ignore if you’re looking for a top-shelf 4K OLED display.

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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.

  • 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