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

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

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

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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The PE320QXT supports HDR10 content with two modes. I noted that it would not switch automatically to HDR mode when a signal was applied.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

· HDR White Luminance – 424.9390 nits

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· HDR Black Level – 0.2125 nit

· HDR Sequential Contrast – 2,000.2:1

The PE320QXT is rated for VESA DisplayHDR 600, but I could not get my sample brighter than 425 nits. There is no local dimming available, but since contrast is higher than SDR at 2,000:1, it is logical to conclude that some field dimming is taking place. Measuring window patterns returns the same result as full fields. The result is that HDR is only slightly more impactful than SDR. The PE320QXT would really benefit from a full array Mini LED backlight.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

The BT.2020 grayscale errors I observed in the SDR tests are also present for HDR. There is a very warm tone here that cannot be corrected in the OSD. The EOTF tracks close to the reference with slight darkness from 10% brightness up to the tone map transition at 65%. This is the correct value given the measured black and white levels. The only issue I noted was lightness between zero and 10%. Shadow detail is well rendered but not at black as it should be.

The PE320QXT’s color tests show much better results with linear oversaturation and hue points that are close to their targets. The DCI-P3 gamut is used fully while BT.2020 covers more than other professional monitors I’ve tested. The PE320QXT runs out of color at 90% red, 80% green, and 98% blue. With over 81% coverage of 2020, it’s one of the most colorful monitors you can buy.

Test Takeaway: The PE320QXT does a decent job with HDR thanks to solid luminance tracking. But it leaves dynamic range under the table with its edge backlight. It also has a warm grayscale, which means neutral tones aren’t quite neutral. Color is the best part with vivid hues and accurate gamut tracking. It also fills more of the BT.2020 gamut than just about any other monitor.

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Christian Eberle
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.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • 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