The Acer Predator X28 offers a faster and premium experience with its 4K 152Hz screen and full G-Sync functionality. Predator models are more expensive than their Nitro counterparts, but you do get better aesthetics and more add-ons. Let’s check out the Acer Predator X28’s merits over its lower-priced competition to know if it’s a must-have 4K 144Hz gaming monitor.
Acer Predator X28 Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 4K UHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz (152Hz OC)
- Response Time: 1ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Brightness: 400 cd/m2
- 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 1.4 DSC x 1, HDMI 2.0b x 2, USB 2.0 x 1, USB 3.0 x 4, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 25.06” x 20.98” x 12.06”
- Weight: 16.30 lbs
Design and Features
The Acer Predator X28 has aesthetic similarities with its Nitro series counterparts, but it looks more refined with its premium details. The monitor has a matte black chassis that’s enhanced with a gunmetal base and the Predator logo on the bottom bezel. Acer’s Zero Bezel design looks really good, resulting in some of the thinnest bezels we’ve seen to date.
It’s not the biggest and heaviest monitor we’ve seen, but it has a large base that looks good but is too intrusive on tight spaces. It needs a little over a foot of depth, so those with narrow desks and deep keyboards might need to adjust a bit. It’s not too heavy at 16.30 pounds, so it is reasonably portable.
Its build quality is great even if it uses a lot of plastics on the chassis and its stand. The materials used feel durable so they won’t flex or crack easily with a modest amount of force. The included stand is firm and stable, so the screen won’t sag or shake while you are gaming.
The Acer Predator X28 has an OSD joystick with hotkey s to make accessing its equipped OSD easy and quicker. The layout is located at the back close to the right-hand side edge, so you won’t have to strain while reaching for it. Other premium offerings sometimes come with remotes, but frankly, this design is enough for us.
The stand included with the package offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments for your convenience. It is easy to get a comfortable angle and the mechanism is firm enough to hold your setting almost permanently. You can use VESA mounts, but they only become necessary if space is limited or if you have multiple screens.
The Acer Predator X28’s connectivity layout offers DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.0b slots, and a total of four USB 3.0 slots for accessories. Two of those are in a hub on the left side for easy access, while most are at the back panel next to the video inputs. There is also a USB 2.0 port for firmware updates or future accessories and a 3.5mm jack for headphones.
What’s interesting here is that the product does mention that 4K 120Hz will work on the HDMI 2.0b slots. However, you still need an HDMI 2.1 slot if you want 4K 120Hz on the latest consoles since HDMI 2.0b at that rate isn’t supported. This is a deal-breaker for multiplatform gamers, but those who play on PC full time will not mind since there’s DP 1.4.
The Acer Predator X28 even has speakers, but it is disappointing that it still has the usual 2-watt pair. They sound tinny and are incapable of bass so they are not suited for gaming or entertainment purposes. We were expecting an upgraded set since this is an upper-tier model and it’s not particularly cheap as well.
Display and Performance
The Acer Predator X28 boasts a 28-inch IPS panel with a 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 152Hz overclocked refresh rate, and a 1ms boosted response time. the backlight has a 400 cd/m2 maximum while the contrast is listed at 1000:1 like most IPS panels. This model is HDR 400 certified, but that’s only a bonus since it is not truly effective at producing HDR effects.
28-inch 4K monitors are extra sharp so they are great for games and movies due to the extra details and cleanliness of objects in the image. However, some may find it difficult to read or browse without using scaling due to the tight pixel density. It is also worth noting that you will need a powerful GPU if you want to reach close to the maximum refresh rate.
The Acer Predator X28 renders 100% sRGB and around 88% DCI-P3 which is decent for gaming and close to the company’s advertising claims. What’s great about it is its default accuracy since the deltaE average is only at 1.08. It already looks great for daily use and even some editing, so gamers won’t need to calibrate it to get a good image setting.
Using a colorimeter improved that dE average result to 0.67 which is excellent for a gaming display. That’s a score that you would normally see on high-end prosumer displays with extreme factory calibration. The downside is you will need a colorimeter which isn’t cheap to get this kind of improvement, so it’s not going to be worth it if you are only gaming.
Its backlight reached 405 cd/m2 at 100%, so the screen is bright enough to fight off glare in well-lit rooms. Its contrast ratio on the other hand is unimpressive since it tops out at 967:1 at 50% brightness. The monitor isn’t capable of true HDR performance and deep black levels, but that’s expected from IPS panels that don’t have FALD units.
Panel uniformity for the Acer Predator X28 sample was great since there were no considerable backlight leaks or clouding issues. There is a slight variance in the backlight’s spread, but it was only visible when the screen was scanned with a colorimeter. Note that this isn’t guaranteed on all X28s out there due to the limitations of IPS technology and some tolerances, so there will be worse units.
Responsiveness isn’t an issue with the Acer Predator X28 since it’s practically blur-free if framerates are high enough. You can use its overdrive to clean it up further, but we don’t recommend the maximum level since it will induce overshoot. The monitor works great for competitive titles, unlike the older 4K monitors we had to live with.
Another important feature of the Acer Predator X28 is its full G-Sync functionality that comes with the built-in controller. You also get Nvidia Reflex Analyzer with that, along with a G-Sync E-Sports mode to make it even quicker. That feature drops the monitor’s other processes to boost its response times but at the expense of some of its eye candy.
That G-Sync unit doesn’t mean that VRR is exclusive to Nvidia GPUs like it was before, so you can still use AMD cards and run FreeSync. This duality is a must-have now since new GPUs are scarce and overpriced, so you might not get a card from one brand at a given time. Input lag sits at 4ms at 152Hz, so there is no need to worry about delays while gaming.
Thoughts on the Acer Predator X28
The Acer Predator X28 is a great choice if you want to play at 4K 120Hz smoothly and with a bit of a competitive edge. The monitor looks great and has excellent functionality and is durable, so it should be around for a while. The IPS panel’s image quality isn’t the most vibrant or rich, but the default accuracy is what sweetens the deal.
However, we have a few disappointments with the Acer Predator X28 such as its lack of HDMI 2.1 which enables 4K 120Hz for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The cheaper Acer XV82K KV has it, so it provides better value if you are a multi-platform gamer. It’s a fantastic gaming monitor, but it is not the most practical choice out there.
Pros:
- Full G-Sync Features
- Accurate Out of the Box
- Fast and Responsive
- 152Hz OC
Cons:
- No HDMI 2.1
- Expensive
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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