Acer ProDesigner PE320QXT professional monitor review: Touchscreen functionality with a 6K resolution

Acer takes a unique approach to professional displays with its ProDesigner PE320QXT.

Acer ProDesigner PE320QXT
(Image credit: © Tom's Hardware)

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Maximum Backlight Level

· Maximum White Luminance General Mode – 346.3619 nits

· Maximum Black Luminance General Mode – 0.2194 nit

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· Maximum Contrast Ratio General Mode – 1,578.4:1

· Calibrated White Luminance General Mode – 206.9276

· Calibrated Black Luminance General Mode – 0.2125 nit

· Calibrated Contrast Ratio General Mode – 1,621.4:1

· ANSI Contrast General Mode – 1,542.8:1

The PE320QXT doesn’t have local or zone dimming, so measurements of full field and window patterns are the same. SDR brightness tops out at 346 nits, which is plenty of light for any indoor environment. Given the shiny screen, I would recommend using higher brightness settings to keep the image from being affected by reflections. Black levels are respectable for an IPS screen, resulting in an above-average contrast ratio of 1,578.4:1. This is excellent performance.

When I calibrated the General mode, I had to reduce the contrast slider to solve a clipping issue, but the ratio actually increased to 1,621.4:1, a nice gain. ANSI contrast (intra-image) is also solid at 1,542.8:1. The picture has a nice depth and texture, and though it won’t match an OLED, it is visibly superior to most IPS monitors.

Test Takeaway: The PE320QXT has plenty of light output and excellent black levels and contrast for an IPS screen with above-average scores in all areas. My only complaint is that there’s no dimming available to increase dynamic range. Adding a full-array Mini LED backlight would take it to another level.

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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.

  • reghir
    Now at Best Buy: $1,588.50

    https://www.bestbuy.com/product/acer-pe320qxt-32-class-6k-led-monitor-169-31-5-viewable-in-plane-switching-ips-technology-led-black/JJ8V8HL42V
    Reply
  • voyteck
    6016 x 3384 is an in-between resolution that is not supported by video content. You won’t find 6K video anywhere. But it is useful for photography and CAD. It’s also great for presentation and conceptual graphics.

    ...and simple writing, reading, or copy editing. It's not about being able (or not) to spot individual pixels; it's about text distortion, which is clearly visible even on Ultra HD---whether on a 27-inch desktop display or a 14-inch laptop. An underline can even disappear completely. Try italicized Times New Roman across different zoom levels, for example. It doesn't happen every time, but at least you can clearly see how differently the underline can be displayed between adjacent zoom levels.
    Reply