Acer PE320QK 32" Ultra HD HDR Monitor Review: A Strong FreeSync Value

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Conclusion

It seems that computer monitors are being asked to do more and more things these days. Gone are the times when a 60Hz screen with high resolution was considered good enough. Gamers need speed, professionals need accurate color, and business users need a display that does everything well and reliably.

Ultra HD in the computer world started out as just 3840x2160 pixels and nothing else. But since the advent of Ultra HD Blu-ray with extended color and HDR, there is now a need for more capable displays. Simply adding Adobe RGB color to a panel used to qualify it as a pro-grade screen; that is no more. Now content creators need DCI-P3 and are still clamoring for Rec.2020. And HDR is clearly now a thing. That’s where manufacturers are being truly tested.

The PE320QK strikes an excellent balance between performance and value. Obviously, HDR performance is about native contrast, and the more, the better. Dell’s UP2718Q will be a benchmark for some time to come thanks to its full-array backlight and 17,000:1 contrast in HDR mode. But it costs nearly $1500 at this writing. Users with smaller budgets will have to settle for edge backlighting, and that’s where this Acer shines. Though it uses an IPS panel, its HDR implementation is quite good, thanks to some fancy software programming in its dynamic contrast feature.

The other major decider is color accuracy. The PE320QK covers that base amply, like many other professional monitors. But its DCI-P3 performance is among the best we’ve seen so far. Not only does it top 90% coverage, it manages to track Rec.709 and DCI perfectly within a Rec.2020 container. Couple that with accurate grayscale and EOTF tracking in HDR mode, and you have an ideal tool for content creators working in the latest formats.

If the well-implemented features stopped there, this monitor would be a good choice. But Acer takes it a step further with FreeSync. Gaming at 3840x2160 pixels is still a difficult proposition, due to the 60Hz limit imposed by DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4. Some newer screens are going beyond that and soon we expect to see new displays that can break the barrier. But by taking the FreeSync range down to 24Hz, Low Framerate Compensation comes into play. That’s unusual in the Ultra HD category, and it makes the PE320QK into a decent gaming monitor. We were surprised at its playability down to 30fps.

Most pro displays just do accuracy well and leave the other features to other categories. Acer has managed to pack a high level of value into the PE320QK with FreeSync and HDR that makes it well worth its premium price. For that reason, we’re giving it a thumbs-up.

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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.

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Ninjawithagun
    Only 60Hz? No G-Sync? No Dolby Vision (only HDR 10 Plus)? No 12-bit color? Pass.
    Reply
  • mickdk2010
    I stopped at IPS and 1400:1 contrast. Pass. Wake me up when OLED monitors arrive.
    Reply
  • sephirotic
    8 bit frc? No 75hz? 1k usd? Nope.
    Reply
  • cryoburner
    20849446 said:
    Only 60Hz? No G-Sync? No Dolby Vision (only HDR 10 Plus)? No 12-bit color? Pass.

    It's a 4K monitor. The last I checked, high-refresh rate 4K screens aren't really a thing yet, and if we're talking about gaming (which this screen isn't really targeted toward) even a 1080 Ti will struggle to get 60 fps at max settings in many games. As for Dolby Vision and G-Sync, they are proprietary technologies that would drive up the cost of the display and be of limited use to the professional market that it's targeted toward, and the screen does support the open standard equivalent technologies to both.
    Reply
  • JonDol
    20850771 said:
    20849446 said:
    Only 60Hz? No G-Sync? No Dolby Vision (only HDR 10 Plus)? No 12-bit color? Pass.

    It's a 4K monitor. The last I checked, high-refresh rate 4K screens aren't really a thing yet, and if we're talking about gaming (which this screen isn't really targeted toward) even a 1080 Ti will struggle to get 60 fps at max settings in many games. As for Dolby Vision and G-Sync, they are proprietary technologies that would drive up the cost of the display and be of limited use to the professional market that it's targeted toward, and the screen does support the open standard equivalent technologies to both.

    There are lots of peoples who don't care about the extra cost of those proprietary technologies but just want that such a monitor exists and that, sadly, isn't the case yet. And they care even less if a today 1080 Ti will agonize displaying those games because such a monitor is a future proof investment. Just as a reminder, the same was the case over a decade ago when the first FHD monitors came to market: the best video cards were also struggling with the max settings at that resolution...

    Cheers
    Reply
  • sephirotic
    20852386 said:
    20850771 said:
    20849446 said:
    Only 60Hz? No G-Sync? No Dolby Vision (only HDR 10 Plus)? No 12-bit color? Pass.

    It's a 4K monitor. The last I checked, high-refresh rate 4K screens aren't really a thing yet, and if we're talking about gaming (which this screen isn't really targeted toward) even a 1080 Ti will struggle to get 60 fps at max settings in many games. As for Dolby Vision and G-Sync, they are proprietary technologies that would drive up the cost of the display and be of limited use to the professional market that it's targeted toward, and the screen does support the open standard equivalent technologies to both.

    There are lots of peoples who don't care about the extra cost of those proprietary technologies but just want that such a monitor exists and that, sadly, isn't the case yet. And they care even less if a today 1080 Ti will agonize displaying those games because such a monitor is a future proof investment. Just as a reminder, the same was the case over a decade ago when the first FHD monitors came to market: the best video cards were also struggling with the max settings at that resolution...

    Cheers

    144hz is dumb gaming gimmick.

    However 60hz in this day and age is unnaceptable even for professional use. I'm tired of editing 24fps content with judderr or at lower 48hz. 75/72hz should have been the new standard for a long time now. Modern ips is perfect capable of refreshing at 12ms, even half of that full g2g without overdrive.

    Monitor makers are completing neglecting their profissional and prosumer customers.
    Reply
  • drajitsh
    I print using a photo printer. That means adobeRGB is still very very important. Also, 8 bit native means it is a enthusiast rather than pro monitor.
    Reply