Acer announced the development of new gaming displays in its Predator series of products. Both the curved Predator Z35 and the flat-panel Predator XB1 series of displays feature support for Nvidia's G-Sync technology.
As part of Acer's Predator product line, all of these displays take advantage of Acer's proprietary GameView technology. This allows users to quickly and easily adjust settings on the fly. This feature can also be used to overclock the display at any time, increasing the monitor's refresh rate.
The Predator Z35 is designed as an ultra-wide curved display. The 35-inch monitor supports a max resolution of 2560 x 1080 with a curvature of 2000R, attempting to create a more immersive experience when gaming. Although the default refresh rate wasn't stated, the display supports overclocking up to 200 Hz. Currently, there are no displays on the market featuring a refresh rate higher than 144 Hz and lack official overclocking support. As a result, the Predator Z35 may be the fastest G-Sync display on the market when it is released.
The Predator Z35 also supports Nvidia's Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) technology to reduce motion blur. In addition to the display features, the monitor is equipped with two 9 W speakers with DTS Sound and Acer's TrueHarmony technology.
Although they aren't curved, the Predator XB1 series still packs some impressive features. There will be two 27-inch models, one featuring a max resolution of 3840 x 2160, while the other tops out at 2560 x 1440. Although they have IPS panels, these displays have a fast refresh rate of 144 Hz and feature Nvidia's ULMB technology.
There will also be a 28-inch 4k display in the Predator XB1 series, but the exact resolution of this monitor has not been announced yet. Acer stated that this display will have a 1ms response time, however.
| Acer Predator Displays | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Predator Z35 | Predator XB1 XB271HK | Predator XB1 XB271HU | Predator XB1 XB281HK |
| Panel | Curved VA Panel | IPS Flat Panel | IPS Flat Panel | TN Flat Panel |
| Screen Size | 35" | 27" | 27" | 28" |
| Resolution | 2560x1080 | 3840x2160 | 2560x1440 | 3840x2160 |
| Refresh Rate | 144 Hz | 60 Hz | 144 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Response Time | 4ms | 4ms | 4ms | 1ms |
| Price | Starting at $1,199.99 | Starting At $799.99 | Starting At $799.99 | Starting At $799.99 |
As the G-Sync technology is still relatively new, there are only a handful of displays on the market that support it. Of those displays, only two currently support 4K resolutions, and both of these are limited to 60 Hz refresh rates.
There are three G-Sync capable monitors that currently support 2K resolutions. Judging only by the specs alone, the Asus ROG PG278Q currently offers the best performance out of all of the G-Sync monitors currently available overall. Its resolution tops out at 2560 x 1440, but it has a fast 144 Hz refresh rate and the lowest response time of the 2K G-Sync compatible displays.
Comparing Acer's new Predator Z35 against Asus's ROG PG278Q, however, we see that the Predator Z35 has a clear advantage in overall refresh rate at a similar resolution. Although this is purely an analysis of their technical specifications, and we are unable to test and confirm it at this time, the Predator Z35 looks to have the highest-performing G-Sync display upon its release. The Predator XB1 series of displays also surpasses Asus's G-Sync monitor, as they offer the same refresh rate, but with a higher resolution. Asus does have one advantage over all of these displays, however, in that it currently sells for only $669.99 -- more than $100 less than the cheapest Predator XB1 display.
As to which is superior between the Predator XB1 displays and the Predator Z35, that is likely a question that cannot definitively be answered. Some users will likely prefer the higher refresh rate and curved display, while others prefer a flat screen and higher resolution. As a result, which is better between these displays will ultimately be subjective.
The Predator XB1 series of displays are expected to be released in November, while the Predator Z35 won't see the light of day until December.
Update, 9/02/15, 9:00am PT: We received some additional info from Acer, and have updated the table accordingly. It should also be noted that the Predator XB1 displays also include two 2 W speakers.
Update, 9/03/15, 1:00pm PT: We asked Acer for exact refresh rate information on these displays, and have updated the table accordingly. The previously listed "Up To 144 Hz" on the Predator XB1 displays was the max refresh rate for the product line.
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