Last month Acer released the XG270HU, one of the first monitors to feature AMD's new FreeSync technology. Its arrival complemented its G-Sync variant, the XB270HU, which came out in January. Obviously, these will not be the only two monitors supporting the rivaling technologies in Acer's lineup, and Acer revealed today another G-Sync model, the XR341CK, which the company claimed is the world's first curved G-Sync supported monitor.
The 34-inch, 21:9 ratio monitor has a resolution of 3440 x 1440, a refresh rate of 75 Hz, and a response time of 4 ms. As is the case with the XB270HU, the G-Sync monitor comes with an IPS panel. It also has two 7W speakers for audio and features an HDMI 1.4 port, one DisplayPort, and four USB 3.0 ports.
This wasn't the only curved display with G-Sync Acer had on display, however, as the company also revealed a slightly larger version called the Z35 for its brand new Predator gaming series.
Just like the XG and XB monitors, one thing to expect after a curved G-Sync monitor is a curved FreeSync monitor. Acer told us that the curved FreeSync monitor will come out a month or two after the release of the XR monitor. Other than the FreeSync technology, the specs on the FreeSync monitor will be exactly the same. The XG FreeSync model was $300 cheaper than the XB at $499.99, so you can expect a cheaper price for the FreeSync variation of the XR, but it will still be a costly purchase.
FreeSync-supported monitors are slightly cheaper for a variety of reasons. Mainly, this is due to how both companies created their stutter and tear-reducing technologies. Unlike Nvidia, AMD used open standards contained in the DisplayPort spec to create FreeSync. AMD said this brings down development costs, yet FreeSync is able to perform just as well as G-Sync. Regardless, both G-Sync and FreeSync are still fairly new to the display scene.
If you thought the the XB's $799.99 price tag was steep, think again. The new XR model will cost you $1,299 when it comes out in September. Paying a premium price for a curved display is one thing, but throw G-Sync into the mix and the cost only rises.
For now, Acer seems to be capitalizing on the lack of options for monitors supporting both products by coming up with a few more of its own. Curved displays are also a hot new trend, so if you absolutely need one, and require G-Sync, Acer seems to be the only company that can make you happy for now.
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