Acer Nitro XV273K Gaming Monitor Review: 4K at 144Hz Gets Cheaper

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HDR Performance

HDR Brightness and Contrast

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The Nitro XV273K really shines in its HDR color and grayscale accuracy, but not so much in the contrast department. There is no variable backlight option, so dynamic range is the same as in SDR mode, around 1,000:1. This means HDR only looks a little better than SDR. The difference is visible but not dramatic.

On the upside, HDR brightness greatly exceeds the DisplayHDR 400 spec with a reading over 510 nits. To achieve this, select HDR400 in the OSD, rather than Auto. The extra brightness helps with highlight detail, but black levels just aren’t as impressive.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

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Acer has really done its homework with HDR color accuracy. Not only does grayscale tracking and EOTF closely match the standard, color tracking is some of the best we’ve seen yet. This is something many companies still struggle with, but the Nitro XV273K nailed its saturation and hue targets. There are no image adjustments available for HDR signals, but with performance this good, it’s not an issue.

Image Credits: Tom’s Hardware

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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.

4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dbrees
    Honestly, why do people even go for monitors with HDR 400, the spec does not have zone brightness, only HDR 600 and up do. Without zone brightness what is the point? The only thing I've heard about HDR 400 is that it is better than nothing, but is that worth this kind of premium?
    Reply
  • bigpinkdragon286
    While this may be a beautiful screen for gaming, the setups that can even power it at rates exceeding what lower cost screens can achieve are barely measured in single digit percentages. I suspect the market for these things is horrendously small, as in a minuscule percent of an already tiny percent of gamers.
    Reply
  • shemsureshot
    I bought this monitor a few weeks ago directly from acer thanks to a promotion where I managed to get a decent discount. It is probably the best monitor I have ever owned and the HDR effect seems pretty decent, while standard range looks phenomenal and gsync works brilliantly. I can’t really fault it. I’ve read a few complaints online about 400 nit HDR, all I can say to them is this is a 27 inch monitor, designed to be used at close range than say a 60 inch tv made to be viewed from a distance, in that case I would agree 400 nits is too low.
    Reply
  • Ninjawithagun
    IMHO, 27-inch 4K gaming monitors are pointless due to the pixel density and normal viewing distance of 2-3 feet. I've seen 27-inch 4K and 27-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) monitors side-by-side, and there really isn't much of a difference. As an owner of a 32-inch 4K gaming monitor, I know that's the sweet spot for the pixel density and viewing distance. I'm just have to wait for the 32-inch version of these monitors to be released later.
    Reply