{"id":180,"date":"2021-10-09T14:54:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-09T14:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/engadget.vip\/?p=180"},"modified":"2021-10-09T14:54:19","modified_gmt":"2021-10-09T14:54:19","slug":"acer-predator-xb271hu-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/?p=180","title":{"rendered":"Acer Predator XB271HU Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='booster-block booster-read-block'><\/div><\/p>\n<h2>Pros<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Superb overall image quality<\/li>\n<li>G-Sync eliminates tearing and stutter<\/li>\n<li>165Hz IPS panel is fantastic for gaming<\/li>\n<li>Good design and build quality<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Cons<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Expensive<\/li>\n<li>Only two inputs<\/li>\n<li>Speakers are weak<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"review-key-specifications\">Key Specifications<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Review Price: \u00a3599.99<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia G-Sync<\/li>\n<li>27in IPS panel with 2,560 x 1,440p resolution<\/li>\n<li>165Hz refresh rate<\/li>\n<li>1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI<\/li>\n<li>4 x USB 3.0 hub<\/li>\n<li>Fully adjustable stand with VESA mount<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-acer-predator-xb271hu\">What is the Acer Predator XB271HU?<\/h2>\n<p>The Acer Predator XB271HU is one of a new breed of gaming monitors that not only features the high refresh rate you expect of a gaming display but has the great image quality you&#8217;d associate with an IPS panel too. <\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, it includes Nvidia\u2019s G-Sync technology for eliminating image tear and stutter, sports a high-end design and a fully adjustable stand as well. Along with the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q, on paper it\u2019s as good as you could possibly hope for from a gaming monitor right now. So does it justify it\u2019s near-\u00a3600 asking price?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"acer-predator-xb271hu\">Acer Predator XB271HU \u2013 Design and Features<\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s no mistaking the XB271HU is a gaming-orientated unit. Featuring splashes of red on its feet, a Transformers-esque logo on the bezel and an angular stand design, it has all the hallmarks. Those red metal feet are a touch over the top for my liking, but otherwise, the finish is fairly muted with matte-black plastic used throughout. <\/p>\n<p>The Acer Predator XB271HU is well-built too. Everything from the base to the back of the panel feels reassuringly sturdy, while the movements for the various ergonomic adjustments are smooth and effortless. <\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, there are none of the usual cost-cutting tricks evident: such as having the stand rotate simply by having a flimsy bit of plastic on the underside, which in turn makes the whole display rather wobbly. Instead, the Predator features a proper rotating joint between the stand and the base.<br \/><strong><br \/>Related: Best monitor 2016<\/strong><br \/><\/img><\/p>\n<p>Those adjustments consist of 120mm height adjustment, -5 to 35 degrees of tilt, 90 degrees of pivot (for portrait mode) and 60 degrees of rotation in the base. That\u2019s plenty to ensure this monitor can be manoeuvred into a comfortable position for just about anyone. For those requiring a greater degree of versatility, there\u2019s also a 100 x 100mm VESA mount on the rear so you can use a third-party monitor mount.<\/p>\n<p>Another feather in this monitor\u2019s cap is the inclusion of a borderless panel. This is where some of the already narrow bezel of the monitor sits below the front panel of plastic that makes up the display, with only a tiny 2mm bezel protecting the very edge. <\/p>\n<p>The result is that when the monitor is turned off, it looks like there&#8217;s an incredibly slim bezel, which in turn gives the whole unit a more sleek, compact look. <\/p>\n<p><\/img><\/p>\n<p>One area where the XB271HU falls behind, however, is connectivity. Thanks to the limitations of Nvidia\u2019s G-Sync image processor, this display has only two inputs: one DisplayPort and one HDMI. The former supports fast refresh rates and G-Sync, while the latter will allow up to 2,560 x 1,440 resolution at 60Hz.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, similar monitors that use AMD\u2019s rival FreeSync technology tend to have four or more inputs \u2013 although notably, none have more than one DisplayPort. <\/p>\n<p>You do get a four-port USB 3.0 hub, with two ports on the rear and two on the left side. There\u2019s also a headphone output and a pair of speakers that do a passable job. <\/p>\n<p><\/img><\/p>\n<p>The 27-inch panel packs in 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, which means this isn\u2019t a super-high-pixel density display. However, at the monitor&#8217;s size, that resolution does provide an ideal 110ppi, which in my opinion offers the perfect balance; it&#8217;s high enough to not look pixellated, but low enough that everything isn\u2019t too small. <\/p>\n<p>Until manufacturers can offer exactly double the pixel count at this size, I wouldn\u2019t be tempted to upgrade to a more densely packed panel. <\/p>\n<p>Plus, of course, this is an IPS panel and so benefits from the superb viewing angles for which such panels are known. Normal TN-based gaming monitors tend to suffer poor viewing angles, which can be problematic for a number of reasons. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: Asus ROG Swift PG27AQ review<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, if you move your head, colours and contrast can shift and change, which is distracting. Second, on large monitors there\u2019s a significant difference in the angle between your eyes and the centre of the screen and the far corners; that can mean the whole panel looks slightly uneven. Third, poor viewing angles aren&#8217;t ideal if you&#8217;re gaming with friends and they want to watch too. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>IPS panels solve all the above issues. They can be slightly lower contrast than some panel technologies, but are still great for everyday use.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, G-Sync is Nvidia\u2019s technology for eliminating image tearing and stutter in games. I won\u2019t go into details here but, suffice to say it, it&#8217;s must-have tech for gamers. To read more about the tech, here\u2019s an explanation of AMD\u2019s FreeSync, which works in the same way. The key point to note is that G-Sync functions only if you have an Nvidia graphics card, and although AMD\u2019s FreeSync tech is an open standard, the reality is that it\u2019s available only with AMD graphics cards.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"acer-predator-xb271hu1\">Acer Predator XB271HU \u2013 Setup and OSD<br \/><\/h2>\n<p>One of the worst aspects of this monitor is how awkward it is to attach the base to the stand. It uses a hex bolt to pull the two pieces together, and not only is that less convenient than the bolts that have a little flip-up handle with which to tighten them, it\u2019s also tricky to locate the bolt in the threaded hole.<\/p>\n<p>That aside, physical setup is easy thanks to the effortless ergonomic adjustments; the panel just clips into place on the stand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: How to build a gaming PC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/img><\/p>\n<p>Rather more work is navigating the OSD, which uses a row of physical buttons on the bottom-right bezel. The unmarked buttons are physically fine, but the way they\u2019re used with the menus is clunky; as far as which button does what, it never feels particularly intuitive. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a far cry from the menu system on this monitor\u2019s main rival, the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q, which uses a little joystick that\u2019s absolutely effortless. <\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, there isn\u2019t too much cause to jump into the menus since the monitor arrives in a very good default setting, so aside from dropping the brightness down, you\u2019re pretty much good to go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pros Superb overall image quality G-Sync eliminates tearing and stutter 165Hz IPS panel is fantastic for gaming Good design and build quality Cons Expensive Only two inputs Speakers are weak Key Specifications Review Price: \u00a3599.99 Nvidia G-Sync 27in IPS panel with 2,560 x 1,440p resolution 165Hz refresh rate 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI 4 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[295,13,14,15,16,12],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}