Acer Predator XB241H Review
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Review of Acer XB241H
With the gaming industry now at its peak, high performing monitors have become as important as having a blazing fast graphics card. Having a perfectly working match of these two improves the gaming experience by eliminating issues such as screen tearing. Acer has produced such a monitor in the Acer Predator XB241H. With its 1920×1080 24 inch Twisted Nematic Film panel (TN film), it delivers a smooth gaming picture further enhanced by its built in G-Sync technology, 1ms response time and of course it’s 144hz refresh rate which can also be overclocked to 180hz. Together with its aggressive design, this monitor evidently shares the predator pedigree with the other monitors in Acer’s Predator line.
Technical Specifications of Acer XB241H
-24″ Full HD Widescreen with 1920 x 1080 resolution
-Aspect Ratio: 16:9
-Panel Type: Twisted Nematic Film (TN)
-Refresh Rate: 144Hz (Overclock to 180Hz) Using Display Port
-Response Time: 1ms
-G-Sync Enabled
-Color Supported: 16.7 Million Colors
-Brightness: 350 Nit
-Signal Inputs: 1 x Display Port & 1 x HDMI
-tilts from -5°- 35°, vertically adjust up to 5 inches and rotate up to 90°.
-LED Backlighting
-Power Consumption: 28W operational (Energy Star)
-Color: Black
-Dimensions: (Screen) 13.2” height x 22.3” width x 2.4” depth (With Stand) 21.34” height x 22.3” width x 10.55” depth
-Weight: (Screen) 8.66lbs (With Stand): 13.91lbs
Design and Features
The XB241H is a sleek looking but aggressively themed gaming monitor. The 24-inch panel has a matte finish. It is encased in a matte black frame with a very minimal bezel with the predator logo embossed on the bottom trim. What I really like about this product is its V-shaped base with a red accent. It’s very sturdy, and the design emphasizes on its Predator moniker. Attached to it is a heavy duty mount that can raise the screen up to 5.91” and swivel up to 30°. You can also tilt the screen 90° for portrait mode of viewing in case you might want to use this monitor in a triple monitor portrait configuration. Assembly is easy and requires minimal effort and minimal tool usage.
The XB241H comes with two video ports: one for HDMI and one for DisplayPort. It also comes with a built-in speaker and a port for a 2.5mm headphone jack. The speakers are not amazing, but their inclusion adds to the value nonetheless. Unfortunately, there are no USB ports for upstream and downstream or additional peripherals.
The five function buttons and the power button is on the lower right side of the bezel for toggling the monitor’s functions. From there you can access the usual settings such as color, brightness, and contrast. It’s also where you can set some of the XB241H’s most important features such as overclocking the 144hz refresh rate to 180hz, setting and saving your game presets and setting other gaming features such as the crosshair pinpoint feature.
Performance
Besides the beauty of the XB241H, the monitor’s performance does not disappoint. The monitor’s 144hz to 180hz refresh rate feature coupled with its 1ms response rate produces vibrant and smooth pictures no matter how fast or intense the action is. The G-Sync feature also further enhances the monitor’s amazingly fast refresh rate. It ensures that the high-speed monitor is well in sync with your GPU in your GeForce-powered PC. This guarantees you do not come across annoying issues such as screen tearing or smudging.
Although IPS panels today are much more ideal for better picture reproduction, the XB241H’s TN panel still doesn’t disappoint. It still produces better color quality than most monitors while keeping the response time down to 1ms. As long as you do not view from an awkward angle, the picture will be fine. The TN panel also helps keep the price affordable for a gaming monitor. At this point, speed is much more important compared to additional eye candy.
This monitor is a good choice for gamers because of its ability to reduce strain on your eyes for extended periods of time. The XB241H comes with EyeProtect flicker-less technology to help keep your eyes safe and less strained during extended use. These features together with the speed of the monitor will give you a smooth gaming experience without worry for your eye safety.
Finally, since the monitor is mainly focused for gamers who are going to use this for hours, the monitor is Energy Star certified and RoHS compliant. That means the monitor consumes low power and is mercury free. The LED backlighting helps in its low operating consumption of 28 watts. That is amazing for a high-performance monitor and will make this product friendlier on your electric bill and the environment.
Conclusion
If you are serious about gaming and looking for a good budget friendly full HD monitor, the Acer XB241H is definitely recommended. It comes packed with amazing features such as an amazing refresh rate that can be overclocked to 180hz, G-Sync technology, and its 1ms response rate. Not to mention it has a sleek but aggressive design fitted with enough features to earn it the Predator name and lineage. The monitor is so good for its price; it has been used for several different E-sports events such as ESL and League of Legends world championships. For an affordable model, the Acer XB241H comes packed with features found in higher end models. This surely will not disappoint the hardcore gamer in you.
John says
I have a Asus Laptop that I am using and I used hdmi to plug it into the monitor and I messed around with settings and its not letting me get about 60 hz for some reason if someone can get back to me on how to fix it that would be cool, Thank you.
John says
Above 60 Hz*
Paolo Reva says
Hi, John! The limitations you are experiencing could be due to the HDMI version of your laptop. For it to put out 120Hz and above to a monitor, it needs to be a version 1.4b or higher. If your laptop has a mini DP or a DisplayPort, try using that to be able to use the Acer XB241’s full speed.
Luna says
you need a display port to achieve mover 60hz
Dave says
How would you say this compares in quality to the aoc 2460pg? Is it worth an extra 50$?
Paolo Reva says
Hi Dave! The Acer Predator XB241H’s additional cost over the AOC G2460pg is because of the newer G-Sync module which has an added HDMI port plus the ability to overclock to 188Hz. If you ask us, it is worth the extra money plus it is a newer model.
Todd says
Having tested other 144hz monitors around the same price point, can you recommend this monitor in terms of colour accuracy and colour uniformity? Are there any other monitors you’d recommend? I’m ready to pull the trigger on this build but I’m stuck on choosing a monitor with these same characteristics; 144hz, 1080p
Paolo Reva says
Hi Todd, the Acer XB241H is one of the best in color performance much like its competitors. But most, if not all of the 24″ 144Hz 1080p models out there all use TN panels, so another option would be to check out IPS-equipped models. But the latter have 27-inch 1440p form factors, bringing you out of your selection range. You can’t go wrong with the XB241H for its price, looking for something marginally better will lead you towards the 240Hz models like the Asus PG258Q which does have a slight advantage, but is much more expensive.
Robert says
What is the Input Lag on the XB241H monitor? I really need to know before buying it! Thanks.
Paolo Reva says
Hi Robert, the Acer Predator XB241H has an input lag rating which sits in between 2.5 to 3.5ms which is next to zero, so you won’t feel delays even when G-Sync is active.
Janusz says
So this monitor is good for csgo? I Heard that for csgo monitors without G/Sync is better is that true or nah? The input lag on monitors without g/sync is 2,3 or lower and here is input lag 3,5ms?please respond.
Paolo Reva says
Hey, Janusz! Which monitor were you comparing to the Acer Predator XB241H? If your PC can produce stable refresh rates that never dip or dive, then you can opt to go with non-G-Sync monitors since tearing won’t be an issue. As for input lag, the less than 2ms difference won’t be felt during gaming.