Acer is kicking off Computex early by announcing three new gaming monitors aimed at enthusiasts. The industry is increasingly moving toward OLED panels for high-end gaming monitors, and Acer is no exception with the Predator X27U F3, X32 X3, and X34 X5.
The headline-grabbing monitor is the Predator X27U F3, which features a 26.5-inch WQHD OLED panel. What makes it special is its 480 Hz refresh rate — which is incredible for an OLED panel, and is nipping at the heels of the fastest IPS panels. You can reach that 480 Hz maximum using HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C. With a pixel response time of 0.03 ms (GTG), this is bound to feature a winning combination of smoothness and responsiveness for gamers with itchy trigger fingers in first-person shooters.
Given that this is an OLED monitor, the contrast ratio is 1,500,000:1, meaning that black levels are immeasurable with our tools. The Predator X27U F3 supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and is Nvidia G-Sync compatible. Acer lists typical brightness at 275 nits, which is about average for an OLED panel (IPS panels are typically much brighter), although peak HDR brightness can reach 1300 nits.
If you need a larger panel, there's the new Predator X32 X3, which gives you another 5 inches on the diagonal (31.5 inches). This is a 4K OLED monitor with a 240 Hz refresh rate — but Acer has a trick up its sleeve, as the Predator X32 X3 can also boast a refresh rate of 480 Hz, if you drop down to Full HD resolution. Acer hopes this monitor will be a jack of all trades, simultaneously appealing to those who want high resolution and ultra-fast response. We'll have to wait until we get a review unit in our lab to see how it fares in the real world, but we have the sneaking suspicion that this is the same 32-inch panel used in the LG 32GS95UE.
Like the Predator X27U F3, the Predator X32 X3 can reach its maximum refresh rates (at Full HD or 4K) over HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C. Typical brightness is rated at 275 nits, while peak HDR brightness is listed at 1000 nits.
Finally, there's the Predator X34 X5. This is the largest of the newly announced monitors, coming in at 34 inches. It has an OLED panel like the other monitors, but it differs due to its 1800R curvature. The panel features a UWQHD (3440x1440) resolution, supporting a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz.
All three monitors feature an integrated KVM switch, allowing you to share a mouse and keyboard between two systems, and dual 5-watt speakers, and all support 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage along with 10-bit panels.
Of the three monitors, the Predator X27U F3 will arrive first, landing in Q3 with a price tag of $1,199. The Predator X32 X3 and X34 X5 will come in later, in Q4, and will cost $1,199 and $1,099, respectively.
