Introduction and Specifications

IPS G-Sync gaming at 144Hz!

Displays have been a hot item as of late here at PC Perspective. Today we are looking at the new Acer XB270HU. In short, this is an IPS version of the ASUS ROG Swift. For the long version, it is a 1440P, 144Hz, G-Sync enabled 27 inch display. This is the first G-Sync display released with an IPS panel, which is what makes this release such a big deal. Acer has been pushing hard on the display front, with recent releases of the following variable refresh capable displays:

  • XB270H 27in 1080P 144Hz G-Sync
  • XB280HK 28in 4K 60Hz G-SYnc
  • XG270HU 27in 1440P 40-144Hz FreeSync
  • XB270HU 27in 1440P 144Hz G-Sync < you are here

The last entry in that list is the subject of todays review, and it should look familiar to those who have been tracking Acer's previous G-Sync display releases:

Here's our video overview of this new display. I encourage you to flip through the review as there are more comparison pictures and information to go along.

Continue reading our review of the Acer XB270HU 1440P 144Hz IPS G-Sync Monitor!!

Specifications

Technical Information
Screen Size 27"
Screen Mode WQHD
Response Time 4 ms
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Backlight Technology LED
Panel Technology In-Plane Switching (IPS) Technology
Tilt Angle -5° to 35°
Video
Maximum Resolution 2560 x 1440
Maximum Refresh Rate 144 Hz
Color Supported 16.7 Million Colors
Contrast Ratio 1,000:1
Brightness 350 Nit
Physical Characteristics
Color Black
Height 15"
Width 25.2"
Depth 2.4"
Height with Stand 21.97"
Width with Stand 25.20"
Depth with Stand 9.72"
Miscellaneous
Package Contents
  • XB270HU Widescreen LCD Monitor
  • 1 x DisplayPort Cable
  • Power Cord
Green Compliance Certificate/Authority EPEAT Gold
TCO Certified Displays 6.0

One aberration we noted in the specs was a lack of included USB 3.0 cable. Many competing displays (even Acer's previous G-Sync panels) incldued this cable, so beware of that point when purchasing.

G-Sync

Ryan did a deep dive on G-Sync in his original ASUS PG278Q Review. Those unaware of what G-Sync is or would like to be educated further should read that linked review. Here's an excerpt:

The idea of G-Sync is pretty easy to understand, though the implementation method can get a bit more hairy. G-Sync introduces a variable refresh rate to a monitor, allowing the display to refresh at wide range of rates rather than at fixed intervals. More importantly, rather than the monitor dictating what rate this refresh occurs at to the PC, the graphics now tells the monitor when to refresh in a properly configured G-Sync setup. This allows a monitor to match the refresh rate of the screen to the draw rate of the game being played (frames per second) and that simple change drastically improves the gaming experience for several reasons.

If you would like some more reading on G-Sync technology, here are a few prior articles on the matter (in chronological order):

Acer rates the panel at a 350 nit maximum brightness, a 4ms GTG response time and a 1000:1 contrast ratio that lines up with our testing. We will not be going as in-depth as the excellent TFTCentral review of this same display, but we will be pointing out some issues not covered in their review. This monitor stand and shell is physically identical to the XB270H 27-in 1080P 144Hz G-Sync panel, and also appears very similar to the XB280HK 28-in 4K G-Sync panel (minus an inch off of its diagonal).

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