Acer Predator CG437K 43” Monitor Review: Perfectly Sized 4K Gaming

This high-end display offers some of the best contrast, and therefore image quality, available.

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By Christian Eberle
last updated
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(Image: © Acer)

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Viewing Angles

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The CG437K 'svisibility from different angles is better than that of most of the VA panels we’ve reviewed. Brightness only drops by about 20% when viewing from the sides, and there's also a color shift to red. The top-down view shows greater brightness reduction and some loss of detail, but all the steps are still visible. This monitor is very shareable; if you want to engage in split-screen gaming, both players will get a quality image.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

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Screen uniformity is slightly over our 10% benchmark ideal. That's due to a slight hotspot at the center. However, all other zones are very close to one another, so you'll be hard-pressed to see a problem when viewing real-world content.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

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We measured the CG437K’s panel response and input lag at 144Hz, which meant that G-Sync Compatibility and HDR were not available. 

To use those features you have to go down to 120Hz, and in our testing that added an additional millisecond to draw time (8ms total) and four additional milliseconds to the total lag score (30ms). These are acceptable sacrifices to experience the enhancements of Adaptive-Sync and HDR. With those numbers, the Predator performs as well as any other 120Hz monitor we’ve reviewed and provides quick enough response for the most-skilled gamers.

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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.

12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • derekullo
    I have been waiting to buy a 40"ish monitor for a while.

    I am glad I waited :)

    This deserves a

    Reply
  • maximiza
    my bdm4065 had a led strip burn out, I ordered this. 2nd week still waiting. I suspect a long back order. worth the wait as I stare at my dark band across my current monitor.
    Reply
  • mlee 2500
    Finally some progress in this area....real 4K + Gsync at more than 60Hz on a screen larger than 27" without going T.V. size.


    I just don't see myself going VA panel again, especially on a screen that's larger than my field of vision by default. But Acer's first 4K panels were VA before they started producing comparable IPS products, so maybe just need to wait a little longer.
    Reply
  • cfbcfb
    Well, was the price mentioned anywhere in the article. Plenty of pricing on other monitors on the first page. Didn't want to read 6 more long pages to find out.
    Reply
  • fredg3
    Has anyone confirmed whether the subpixel layout is RGB or BGR?

    Has anyone used it for spreadsheets? Are all the characters clear?
    Reply
  • Jennifer W
    Meh, I’ve been using an LG 43UD79-B for a couple years now.
    it’s kinda too big for gaming IMO, seriously... it’s HUGE
    it only cost $600...
    So yeah, just gonna stick with what I have.
    Reply
  • Jennifer W
    cfbcfb said:
    Well, was the price mentioned anywhere in the article. Plenty of pricing on other monitors on the first page. Didn't want to read 6 more long pages to find out.
    $1500
    Pass
    Reply
  • Bamda
    I will be getting one when it comes on sale. :)
    Reply
  • Kridian
    I just can't bring myself to spend as much money as I would for an entire PC on a display like this.
    Absolutely absurd pricing. Those idiots.
    Reply
  • maximiza
    if you get it make sure to download the display widget software. it is very nice . the default is in eco display mode. I really do not know what to do with the rgb led strips though.
    Reply