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There are many factors to consider when shopping for a premium gaming monitor. The most important element is the system being used to drive it. If you want the ultimate in picture quality, you’ll need a lot of power in the tower. And if you can drive an 4K image at 160fps, there is some truly stunning imagery available.
4K computer monitors represent the top of the high end and among them, the competition becomes one of color gamut volume and contrast. To be called reference, a display must excel in those areas and be accurate as well. Acer’s Predator X32 earns that title.
With 576 dimming zones and nearly 1,200 nits measured peak output, the X32 delivers a level of HDR that other monitors makers only aspire to. There's also a massive color gamut that covers over 80% of Rec.2020, which means beautifully saturated hues. It’s colorful to say the least. My only wish is for a more accurate out-of-box mode. Though you can select one of the fixed gamut modes to achieve high fidelity, the best picture comes after a few adjustments.
Gaming performance is also class-leading. I noted slight ghosting from the overdrive, which is fixed in Adaptive-Sync mode but in no way detracted from the play experience. With the lowest input lag of any 4K monitor I’ve tested, the X32 becomes an extension of the mouse and keyboard. Pro gamers with high-end systems will want to add this monitor to their arsenal. Add in its super solid build quality and you have a serious display. And even though it’s not a small purchase at $1,200, it delivers more for the money than its predecessor, the X27, did almost five years ago.
If you have the budget and the high-end system components to drive a speedy 4K panel, the Acer Predator X32 has no equal at this point in time. Gamers looking for a reference display should definitely check it out.
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