The Acer Predator X27U is the latest competitor for the crown of the best OLED gaming monitor in 2023. It sports the same 240Hz panel found on the LG 27GR95QE and similar models, but it’s tweaked and designed to reflect the Predator branding. Let’s take a closer look to see how it compares to its very established alternatives.
Acer Predator X27U Specs
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: OLED
- Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Response Time: 0.01ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1500000:1
- Brightness: 150 cd/m2 (1000 cd/m2 Peak)
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 5 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, x 1, USB-C PD90W x 1, USB 3.2 x 3, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions with Stand (WxHxD): 24.02” x 14.37” x 7.88”
- Weight: 13.45 lbs
Design and Features
The Acer Predator X27U is anatomically the same as the PG27AQDM, but it is styled to be more discrete and a bit more sophisticated. The monitor has a combination of matte black and gunmetal finishes, so the aesthetics won’t overpower the gorgeous screen. The panel is virtually borderless, although it still has minimal inner bezels if you look close enough.
One of the appeals of this monitor and its siblings is the reasonable size which makes it more manageable than the QD ultrawides. The redesigned base reduced its footprint, so it only needs 7.88 inches of depth from your desk. Its also lighter at 13.45 pounds since the panel is so thin, and it lacks the doodads the Asus equivalent has.
Its build quality is excellent, just like most of Acer’s high-end Predator gaming monitors. Every piece looks like they were precisely manufactured, and there were no signs of structural weakness. The stand is firm and stable, so you won’t have to replace it for any reason other than to save desk space.
The Acer Predator X27U has an OSD joystick in the middle of the bottom bezel for easy access. You don’t have to lean in to get to it, so that’s a bonus for users who want to calibrate often. Some high-end displays have remotes which we’d love to get, but the product is fine without it.
The included stand offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments for your comfort and convenience. It’s easy to get a great viewing angle with the default setup, so you won’t have to change much. It’s also compatible with VESA mounts, but that only becomes essential for select instances.
The Acer Predator X27U’s connectivity layout includes DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 slots, and a 90-watt USB-C port with DP Alt Mode. It also has three USB 3.2 slots for your accessories and a 3.5mm jack for headphones. We think that it should include HDMI 2.1 at this point since HDMI 2.0 is limited to 144Hz at 1440p
We also like that Acer upgraded the built-in speakers with a more powerful 5-watt pair. The older sets with only 2 watts sound tinny, so we think it’s cool that it now has something that’s more usable. You will still prefer headsets, but it’s always nice to have a backup for more basic usage, such as watching YouTube.
Display and Performance
The Acer Predator X27U boasts a 27-inch OLED panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 0.01ms response time. The panel’s brightness is listed at 150 cd/m2 with a 1000 cd/m2 peak, while the contrast is at 1500000:1. This model isn’t certified for HDR other than HDR10 compatibility, but we all know that it will beat any HDR1000 mini-LED alternative in that regard.
27-inch screens and the 1440p resolution are a perfect match, so it’s no wonder why it’s popular, especially in the gaming segment. It is not as demanding as 4K, but you still get an upgrade in sharpness, clarity, and level of detail. Reading, browsing, and processing documents is a breeze since the letters do not become too small to need scaling.
The Acer Predator X27U covered 100% sRGB and 97% of the DCI-P3 for stunning color in games and movies. It’s not the most accurate in the bunch, with a deltaE average of 2.97 due to the higher saturation levels. Most users won’t notice that as a flaw, and the extra eye-popping colors will most likely be a welcome treat.
Calibrating the monitor reduced its dE average to 0.95, which places it close to some of the best creator monitors out there. The downside is that you will need a colorimeter to achieve something similar. It does have an sRGB mode with a 1.03 dE average, so we’d use that for work instead of spending more on the colorimeter.
The Acer Predator X27U’s brightness reached 134 cd/m2 in SDR and around 644 cd/m2 when HDR is active. Its contrast is infinite, and its black luminance is at 0.0, making it one of the best at producing compelling dark scenes or truly inky blacks. It is not as bright as a mini-LED alternative, but it will still come out on top when it comes to HDR performance.
Panel uniformity for the test sample was excellent since there were no clouding issues. You can thank the individually dimming pixels and its lack of a backlight for this. These also make it superior to IPS and VA alternatives, although it will need extra care to prevent burn-in.
It’s also considerably better when it comes to pixel response time, making it excellent for competitive games. There are no delays between transitions since the panel takes care of motion handling without relying on a backlight. The X27U is great for games like Valorant or CSGO, although it’s more expensive than what would normally work for most users.
The Acer Predator X27U is compatible with FreeSync and G-Sync for tear and stutter-free gaming. This is handy since you don’t have to ditch this expensive investment if you switch to the other GPU brand. Its input lag sits at 3ms at 240Hz, making it one of the fastest 1440p monitors around.
Thoughts on the Acer Predator X27U
The Acer Predator X27U is another prime example of what high-end gaming deserves. Its OLED panel offers unrivaled contrast, response time, and HDR performance which all high-end mini-LED monitors can’t beat. It’s not as premium-looking, but its quality is great and comparable with the other OLEDs in the market.
However, we’re disappointed that it still doesn’t have HDMI 2.1 and is not as accurate out of the box as the best monitors we’ve handled. These are minor since the focus here is its fast OLED panel, but it is something to consider before spending big bucks on it. It is an excellent buy, but it is not the best 240Hz OLED right now.
Pros:
- Excellent Color and HDR Performance
- Incredible OLED Benefits
- USB-C with 90 Watts
- Premium Build Quality
Cons:
- No HDMI 2.1
- Dismal Default Accuracy
- Prone to Burn-in
About the Author: 
Paolo has been 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; he believes that 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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