The Acer Predator XB273K V5 offers brilliant imagery and lightning-fast speed for avid gamers who want the best performance. It’s a dual-resolution monitor, meaning it lends you more flexibility for the scenario at hand. Let’s take a closer look to see if it’s a worthy investment.
Acer Predator XB273K V5 Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution:3840 x 2160 UHD/1920 x 1080 FHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 160Hz/320Hz
- Response Time: 0.5ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Brightness: 400 cd/m2
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 2 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot– Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4a x 1, HDMI 2.1 x 2, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions With Stand (WxHxD): 24.2″ x 22.5″ x 9.6″
- Weight: 12.76 lb
Design and Features
The Acer Predator XB273K V5 has a distinct aesthetic from the Predator branding, but it’s more discreet compared to the original models. The monitor has a matte black chassis that’s easy to clean and maintain with a gentle wipe. The screen has a bezel-free design, but it still has inner borders like most regular monitors.
This model comes from a premium lineup, so its build and material quality are both excellent. The plastics used are well reinforced, and there were no cosmetic defects on any of the parts. The included stand is firm and stable, so it will only wobble if you nudge it accidentally.
It’s a 27-inch model, so most wouldn’t consider it gigantic compared to the other modern variants. It needs almost ten inches of depth from your desk, so it shouldn’t be too intrusive on a regular table. You can use VESA mounts if you want to exponentially reduce the space it needs.
The Acer Predator XB273K V5 has a mini OSD joystick flanked by dedicated buttons for its features. It’s located at the back near the right-hand edge, so they are easy to locate even if you can’t see them. Other models have remotes, but they are not necessary for daily use.
The included stand offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments for your comfort and convenience. Getting a comfortable viewing angle is doable with the default setup, so you won’t have to change much. You can still use VESA mounts, but the purchase of one is only necessary for special setups or if your desk space is very tight.
Its connectivity layout includes DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 slots for video inputs. The only other extra in there is a 3.5mm jack, so there are no USB ports or even a USB-C slot for better flexibility. Manufacturers often do this to help lower pricing, but it’s not a deal-breaker in our eyes.
The monitor has speakers, but they only have 2 watts of output per channel. They are tinny and they easily distort, so most will probably not use them for gaming or media consumption.
Display and Performance
The Acer Predator XB273K V5 sports a 27-inch IPS panel with a 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 160Hz refresh rate, and a 0.5ms minimum response time. The monitor has a second mode where it drops the resolution to 1920 x 1080 but raises the refresh rate to 320Hz. The backlight is listed at 400 cd/m2 while its contrast is at 1000:1.
27-inch 4K displays are great for gaming, but can sometimes be too sharp for productivity. Thankfully, the dual-resolution output takes care of this, so you won’t need a secondary display for reading and browsing. You can do this easily, but switching resolutions while in-game can destabilize them and make them crash.
The Acer Predator XB273K V5 covered 100% sRGB and 92% of DCI-P3 for great colors in games and movies. Its default accuracy had a deltaE average of 1.95, so it’s decently balanced from the factory. Most users won’t need to calibrate it apart from adjusting the brightness to a comfortable level.
Using a colorimeter reduced the dE average to 1.08, making it suitable for some editing and color-critical work. The downside is that you will need a colorimeter to achieve the same results. We can only recommend that expensive purchase if you will use the monitor for color-critical work.
The Acer Predator XB273K V5’s backlight reached 461 cd/m2, so it has plenty of brightness for your needs. Its contrast reached 1153:1 at 40% brightness, but it’s still incapable of deep blacks like OLEDs or VA panels. This model is HDR compatible, but it’s very limited in producing HDR effects since it’s not equipped for it.
Panel uniformity for the test sample had some minor issues due to backlight leaks on the sides of the screen. They showed up as clouding in dark scenes, but are mostly unnoticeable against lighter backgrounds. Note that this can vary with every monitor made due to tolerances, so there are worse units out there.
The Acer Predator XB273K V5’s pixel response time is excellent due to the capabilities of Fast IPS technology. Setting it to its 320Hz mode is even better, since it cleans up the screen further from persistence. It’s great for fast-paced games, and it’s also nice to have a secondary mode that can enhance its output for E-Sports titles.
The Acer Predator XB273K V5 is compatible with FreeSync and G-Sync, for tearing and stuttering. Dual compatibility is a must-have, so you don’t get left without VRR if you switch to the other GPU brand. Its input lag sits at 4ms at 160Hz, making it as fast as the gaming monitors out there.
Thoughts on the Acer Predator XB273K V5
The Acer Predator XB273K V5 is a fantastic choice for gamers who want an inexpensive but flexible option for their build. The dual-output screen is a feature that should be standardized in our eyes, especially for expensive monitors. Its build quality is great, so it should last a while, like many Predator monitors we’ve seen in the wild.
There are very few issues with this model out of the box, such as its limited connectivity layout or the poor HDR performance. However, this is a very affordable 4K gaming monitor at its current price. Most of the omissions are understandable, so gamers who buy it will not regret buying it.
Pros:
- Great Color Accuracy
- Affordable
- Dual Refresh and Resolution
Cons:
- Limited Contrast and HDR Performance
- Higher Price than Competitors
About the Author: 
Paolo is a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations, and he believes that it’s every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom-explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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