This is a review for the black 27" Curved 144 Hz FreeSync variant when priced at $255.
This monitor is an amazing value for the money. Please take any negative reviews about it with a grain of salt. In the following review I'll attempt to be as thorough as possible without giving potential costumers an exceedingly long read.
I've been using it for a little more than a week at the time of writing this review. I read other user reviews, and they seem to complain about aspects like the lackluster speakers. This is a monitor, most don't include speakers at all. Users are somewhat expected to use their own set of desktop speakers or headphones, even more since this monitor is marketed for gaming. The included headphone jack is not amazing, but it will drive most low impedance headphones just fine. It's a nice addition that Acer could have easily omitted.
The curve is subtle and easy to get used to at this size. Mine had no dead pixels upon arrival. I did have to do quite a bit of color tweaking though. The image temperature was set to a warm preset out of the box, and even after setting it to the "Normal" profile, the image displayed was still a bit warm. I have included color correction settings used for my particular display in the pictures included with this review. Take into consideration that all panels are different, and my settings will probably differ from what you'll have to use for proper color reproduction. I did not use a hardware calibrator, but after having owned plenty of factory calibrated monitors, I have gotten pretty good at eyeballing it. Regardless, this is a VA display, and I wouldn't recommend doing any color sensitive work on it. The speakers really are quite bad, but at least they're there for any emergency.
The contrast is stellar. It beat a 49" IPS LG TV handily. Now I want to replace the TV since its contrast is unsatisfactory in comparison to this monitor. I did not notice much backlight bleeding except when in a completely dark room and very dark scenes (black loading screens, etc). I have also included a picture as an example of the amount of backlight bleed. The picture was taken with an exposure time of 1 second, aperture of 1.8, and ISO of 800 in a VERY dark room, So the backlight bleed effect is exaggerated. In person, the effect is minimal and non detrimental to the experience.
Now, regarding the high refresh rate; the monitor includes an HDMI 2.0 cable and a DP cable in the box. It doesn't include or need any drivers. When connecting it to my RX 580, the display was automatically recognized and properly configured for 144 Hz use. I did have to restart my whole computer for FreeSync to be recognized and enabled, but I have not run into any other obstacles as of yet (Remember to enable FreeSync in the AMD Control Panel, and go to every game's settings and tweak the monitor refresh rate and max FPS!). As you would expect from a 144 Hz panel, the movement is buttery smooth and fluid. Input lag is around 10-20 ms, using some DIY tools I built, so it's within acceptable range. My calculation can be wrong, so please excuse any inaccurate readings. However, there was no input lag that I felt hindered my experience. Pixel response times are as advertised; with motion blur being minimal and basically a non-issue. FreeSync works at its range of 48 to 144 FPS, for which I capped all of my games using MSI Afterburner for system monitoring and Rivatuner for the OSD and capping the framerate to 144 to stay within the FreeSync range.
The On Screen Display is average for monitors these days, but still far better than most at this price range. I did find the control stick to be a little stiff and hard to press, but once you setup your monitor your interaction with it should be minimal.
All around it's an amazing monitor and probably quite the upgrade for many people. I absolutely recommend it for anyone who's not yet experienced 144 Hz gaming. (Warning, you get used to it very quickly, and then even 60 FPS will look like crap). The ONLY problem I've had with the monitor is intermittent turning on and off of the display when waking up the PC after sleep or turning it on. I've found a workaround, which is turning off the monitor completely when not in use, making sure AutoSource is turned OFF in the monitor settings, or holding the power button to turn it off and turning it back on when you encounter the problem.
Lastly, the aesthetics are very pleasing and elegant. It does not scream "GAMER!" at everyone who sees it, and that might be a positive thing for many users (it certainly was for me). Sadly, Acer decided to use glossy plastic for the rear of the monitor instead of a matte finish, so that might be a negative if the monitor won't be facing a wall. The monitor stand is plastic with a metal base, which makes it rather sturdy and holds the weight properly with minimal screen wobble. Unfortunately the stand only supports backwards and forwards tilt, with no support for left and right swivel, rotation or height adjustment. This can be forgiven, considering the price. It DOES, however, include VESA mount compatibility. The bezels are nice and thin, with only about 8 millimeters from pixel to edge, with an elegant chin and a chrome Acer logo. The power indicator is a non-intrusive blue LED placed in the lower right corner. The screen is coated matte which prevents reflections and glare, but hurts color accuracy and vibrancy a little bit.
In conclusion, this monitor is a very good sweet spot for performance and features vs. price. I'm actually considering purchasing another two of them, since the curve is nice and the bezels thin. The included pictures for this review were taken with an LG V20 in manual mode, with varying settings to accommodate what was trying to be shown. The wide shot of the desk is to give an idea of the size it takes up in a desk. The second is to represent color and contrast. The third and fourth pictures are references to other parts of the review. All pictures were taken with the monitor at 50% brightness in a somewhat dark room unless stated that it was completely dark (backlight bleed example). I truly hope this review has been helpful, and happy gaming!
Although it wasn't clear when I first ordered it, it does have VESA mounting capability.
Forgive my poor spelling and grammer, im lazy.
This is a day one review. So bare that in mind that I dont yet know what the longevity is like.
Do keep in mind this review is for the Acer ED273 ------>"Abidpx"<------ (Black, 144hz refresh rate).
NOT the Acer ED273 ------>"Wmidx"<------ (White, 75/60hz refresh rate)
Yes they are two different models with different refresh rates, but are commonly mixed up.
So far its perfect.
-Compared to my old monitor, its huge. 27' is plenty big for a desktop monitor.
-144hz refresh is so butter smooth that its strange.
-1080p is still crystal clear. Yes you can see the pixels if you sqiunt at the screen from 6 inches away, but only then.
-Im not a "videophile" so i dont really make a big fuss about colors being perfect. That said, the color, contrast, and vibrance on this monitor is amazing to my plebian eyes.
-The curve is very nice. not so extreme to make things feel awkward or "not right", but enough to really feel the difference, and its a cool thing to experience.
The mount is a sturdy, simple, mono themed, and yet stylish design.
The thin bezzle makes it feel modern and sleek.
the monitor controls for brightness, and what not, is simple and intuative.
DISCLAIMER: I have not messed with the internal speakers yet. I use external speakers for my audio, so i cant comment on how good or bad they sound. So this review is effectivly reviewing a nice, cheap, stylish, and capable monitor. NOT A TV.
Bonus: The monitor comes with a nice HDMI2.0 Cable as well as a Display Port Cable (no idea what revision, but will work for 1080p@144Hz).
IF anything worth noting changes with this unit down the road, (like it up and dying one day or something), I will come back and update this review. So if this never changes, then the monitor is still perfect.
We did a lot of research when we decided to upgrade our monitors. So many things to consider and trying to do your research all online can kind of make your head spin! This model didn't have a lot of reviews yet, but really seemed to hit the sweet spot between features and price so we went ahead and took and chance and couldn't be happier!
The screen is HUGE (coming from a 24-inch) and the color settings out of the box are workable to start, although you can tweak them to your liking. No speakers but I almost consider that a plus, since I've never had a monitor with speakers that sounded better than a kid's walkie-talkie. Cannot comment on the Freesync because we don't have the right graphic cards for it.
You can do a quick search to find and install Acer's display widget, which is very nice in that it allows you to change settings on the desktop and includes the option to have different display settings for different programs or games. It also has a built-in split screen setup with several layouts to choose from. That's very handy and with a monitor this size, I use it a lot to multitask.
But even if you don't get the widget, this is probably the first monitor I've owned where the controls do not want to make me pull my hair out. There is a little joystick on the back and it works just as you'd expect it to work. You push in to activate it or select, and you push up, left or right and the option selection moves the same. It's a simple thing but it's really nice to have controls that are intuitive.
I've never had a curved screen, but it's very nice. Between the size, higher refresh rate and the curve, games are VERY immersive and we are enjoying the games we've been playing more than ever because we're seeing a higher level of detail and you really feel like you're in the game as opposed to watching the game on a screen.
The only design complaint was the way the cables go in when you set up is very awkward. This is, however, a one-time frustration and not a daily issue, so it's easy enough to overlook.
I would not hesitate to recommend this monitor to anyone. We love ours!!
27" 144Hz ED273
Have had this monitor a few days and I do like it but it is a pain to setup color wise. I had to turn "Black Boost off" set it to movie go to Radeon settings and set contrast to 96 Saturation to 110.
Power draw: 60 to 120 Hz GPU idle draw is 7 to 8w. The moment you use 144Hz it goes to 22 - 23w. That is a driver issue and does the same thing when VSR is on. Get a little flicker when not gaming but that too is a driver issue and AMD knows.
Monitor seems to improve as you use it, from my experience. May need a few days of burn in time or something.
Feature Product
- 27" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Curved Widescreen VA G-SYNC Compatible Display
- 144Hz Refresh Rate- Using Display Port
- Response Time: 4ms, Pixel Pitch: 0. 3114mm. Brightness: 250 nit
- Ports: 1 x Display Port, 1 x HDMI & 1 x DVI (w/HDCP)
- Display Port & HDMI Cables Included
Description
Acer's ED273 27" curved panel monitor with Full HD 1080p resolution delivers the incredible. This G-SYNC Compatible monitor gives you more of what you want in a gaming experience. Smooth, tear-free gameplay! Unleash gaming's maximum potential to provide richer colors far beyond what has been previously possible. Crisp, true-to-life colors come alive with the amazing 1920 x 1080 resolution, allowing you to enjoy High-Definition entertainment in the comfort of your home. The wide view angle technology lets you share what's on your screen with friends and family as colors stay true no matter what angle you're viewing from. Incredible 100, 000, 000: 1 contrast ratio and rapid response time ensure your games, work and movies are smooth and look as epic as possible. (UM. HE3AA. A01).
Couldn't find reviews online or specs on Acer website, but decided to take a chance. 144hz on displayport with an RX580. Some flickering was occuring w/freesync enabled. Set freesync to the "AMD Optimized" setting and connecting to the second DP port resolved the issue. No skipped frames on UFO test. Colors, brightness, and blacks better than any other monitors in my house. Stand has a small range of tilt adjustments. Menu is driven by a small joystick/button on right rear of monitor. The curve is perfect at this size for desktop use and the screen fills my field of view which is quite nice. Scaling under Win10 at native resolution is fine for me. Worth the $400 overall.
Pros:
Best quality for its price
HUGE 31.5" display @ 1440p resolution
144hz makes the biggest difference coming from a 60hz screen
The 1800R curve dimension makes it more forgiving to the neck as everything is in your face and reduce the need to turn your head where you needed to
Matte screen is decent quality
Gaming experience is GREATLY improved over a 1080p @ 60hz (NOTE: You'll need a system w/graphics card that can get you 144 FPS @ 1440p to utilize the full potential of the monitor)
NO MORE SCREEN TEARINGS!!! The monitor made the videos considerably smoother and less tearing.
Cons:
Poorly designed cords display port gives little room for the cord to maneuver around tight spaces
Screen is FAR too bright for the eyes and even at lowest settings, it's still too bright
Colors are poorly calibrated from factory settings and needs fine tuning to get right and similar to that of a Samsung screen
There's no border but there IS a noticeable large bezel on all edges so don't be fooled
Overall, this is a monitor I would definitely recommend because of the price to quality ratio. Very happy with the purchase.
Great picture, no dead pixels. The stand is bare bones, yet stable. I ended up putting this on a wall-mount arm. Freesync is great, I have pushed it with a r9 290x, and I am currently using a Red Dragon Vega 56 which has been a sweet spot at 1440p. Over all very happy with the monitor.
When I originally added this monitor to my cart, it was listed for $259. At the time, I was looking for a replacement monitor for my wife's ancient Asus VE278H, which still works fine but utilizes a TN panel so the colors and viewing angles are not great by any means. Then a couple of days ago, I saw that this monitor was going for $159 and I didn't hesitate to buy it. Once I received it, I mounted it to my wife's desk and used my Datacolor Spyder5Pro monitor calibrator to perfect the color representation. I am more than satisfied with the purchase and my wife loves the curved screen and rich colors. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for an awesome value in a gaming/photo editing monitor.
I had been shopping and comparing features and qualities for a gaming monitor for about 6 months – I wanted: 27” to 32”, curved, 4K and hi-refresh rate – there are a few to compare and size up at those specs – once I understood the panel types (IPS, VA and TN), free-sync and all that, I knew what to look for and at what price –
The monitors amazon carried, that I liked, are: a couple of MSI models, Acer, Sceptre, BenQ just to name a few – since this is my first BIG, late model gaming monitor, refresh rate was important – also quality and resolution – then price – here’s what I found: a lot of comparable features from known brands – and varied pricing –
I decided not to go with 4K since refresh was nominal 60 hz and any faster was way expensive – so, I decided to go with 2K and 144 hz – once I carefully considered my space and proximity, 27” would be excellent (it’s actually huge) – so with that, I narrowed the field to Acer, Sceptre and MSI (specs and price) -
Having read the reviews, all 3 were rated 4 stars by hundreds of buyers - The MSI models were not sold thru amazon prime and would take over a week to arrive, and they’re kinda pricy (rgb and other fancies) – the Sceptre was over $70 more than the Acer, with all the same specs – so, I chose the Acer ED273 – the most recent reviews said the Acer was a very good choice and I agreed that this has the best features and value – I was right! This is a great monitor, it was ready to play right out of the box and, overall, it has exceeded my expectations –
Here’s a few things of interest: build quality, excellent - overall aesthetics: thin bezel, slim design (no big bulges), nice finish, flat matt screen, just right curve, excellent picture quality – the stand is heavy with a metal base and reinforced vertical post and mount (vesa 100) –
My only gripe would be the separate power brick – but for the price, I’m OK with it – the port sockets are located center-back facing down – this makes it difficult to find and insert the video and power connectors – you’ll also get an HDMI and DP cable each – tried as I might, I couldn’t find any info on cable length (my desktop setup requires a longer cable, at least 6’), so instead of ordering a longer cable, I’d wait and see if the shipped cables would work – they didn’t – they are about 4’ long – a little short for me – so I used a 6’ HDMI cable I had laying around until I received an ordered 6’ DP cable from prime (about $10) – on HDMI the refresh is capped at 120 hz – with the DP cable I’m now using, refresh is the full 144 hz –
So, overall, I’m very happy with the Acer ED273 – quality, features and price combine to make this an excellent buy – it comes packaged double boxed and incapsulated in foam, plastic film and protective cloth - 5 stars!
0 comments:
Post a Comment