Acer Nitro XV282K 4K Monitor Review: Pixel Density Meets 144 Hz

A 28-incher with a high level of detail at gaming-ready speeds

Acer Nitro XV282K 4K
(Image: © Acer)

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It’s easy to get lost in specifications when comparing gaming displays. Resolution, pixel density, screen size and refresh rate all play a role in the gaming experience. Logic says that more resolution and a large screen are better, but as screens get bigger, pixel density goes down. And refresh rate determines how smooth a moving image will be. You can have a lot of pixels, but if they’re refreshing slowly, games will look blurry and soft as the action ramps up in intensity.

If you’re looking for the sharpest static image, 4K offers the highest possible resolution in the consumer category (8K displays are on the horizon but for the desktop). A 43-inch 4K monitor packs 102ppi, while a 28-inch screen has 157ppi. That’s a difference you can see clearly.

(Image credit: Acer)

The Acer Nitro XV282K brings a good balance of features, image quality and gaming performance. Its 28-inch panel makes it a desktop-only proposition, but when sitting just 2 or 3 feet away, the super sharp picture fills your view with vivid and accurate color. Though its contrast is merely average, bold color saturation makes up for a lack of extra dynamic range. HDR offers almost triple the contrast of SDR, but compared to its class, the XV282K’s HDR is also just average. monitors available. There are faster monitors out there, but not at this resolution. 144 Hz is still the upper limit for this genre.

Pricewise, the Acer Nitro XV282K sits between premium and budget. It’s a good value but doesn’t undercut the competition. It also performs on par with other 27 and 32-inch UHD screens. If you can’t quite afford one of the premium full-array local dimming (FALD) backlight 1,000-nit 27-inchers, this is a great alternative.

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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.

  • Joseph_138
    Holy crap, that price! This is obviously not a monitor for the masses. Just having a PC that can run games at 4k144 is going to cost you many thousands of dollars. This is a rich kids toy.
    Reply
  • Kridian
    $1,059.99!?They can f*#@ right off.
    Reply
  • zodiacfml
    at $900, definitely a price improvement vs getting a 4K120 OLED TV. Still a long way to go
    Reply
  • wifiburger
    all these 4k high refresh panels are worthless at these price points.
    In no way I'm paying 4x the cost vs a good 4k 60hz panel !

    I think I'll step down to 1440p panel in the future if I need high refresh rate.
    Reply