The Acer VG270UP fits nicely into any kind of use with its gorgeous and fast IPS panel at a very wallet-friendly price point. It’s one of the older models in the market, but it’s proven to be very capable despite a few limitations in features that helped it reach a lower price bracket. Let’s check how the Acer VG270UP stacks up against brilliant models like the Asus VG27AQL1A which is considerably more expensive and better equipped.
Acer VG270UP Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
- Response Time: 1ms MPRT
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 350 cd/m²
- Speakers: Yes (2 x 2 Watts)
- Stand: Height -No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Stand: Pivot – No
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: HDMI 2.0 x 1, HDMI 1.4 x 1, DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 24.08” x 17.84” x 9.45”
- Weight: 12.35 lbs
Design and Features
The Acer VG270UP adopts a simpler design than its cousins in the Predator lineup, but it will still satisfy gamers with its overall good looks. The chassis has a matte black finish all over except for the turquoise blue streak on the base of the stand. The display is bezel-free on three sides, but you still see thin panel borders when its in use.
It isn’t a gigantic monitor by today’s standards, but the Acer VG270UP is definitely bigger than most displays you will see at work. The device needs almost ten inches of depth, but it isn’t as obstructive since its base isn’t oversized beyond what is necessary. The monitor is also lightweight at a little over 12 pounds, so most desk types will be able to handle it.
Build quality for the Acer VG270UP’s is great since there are no cosmetic defects or signs of weakness from its plastic housing. The stand, however, is another story since its quite flimsy and wobbly which can be bothersome during a heavy gaming session. The part is completely made of plastic and its probably why the monitor is so lightweight as well.
The Acer VG270UP uses a joystick that’s accompanied by some shortcut keys to make it easier for gamers to access its OSD. The layout is grouped together at the lower corner of the rear, and it is easily reachable or accessible from the right side when facing the display. Buttons are dated and more difficult to use since the multiple presses needed can sometimes lead to errors which can make the process of adjusting longer.
The stand included with the Acer VG270UP only offers tilt, so it severely limits your options in setting up the desired view angle. We also think that the monitor rides a bit short on it, so you might want to remove it and swap to a VESA stand. Buying the latter will add to the total cost of your upgrade, but we think its worth it since there are a lot of affordable options from retailers.
The Acer VG270UP doesn’t have a lot of connectivity options, but it can handle a multi-platform gaming setup easily. The layout at the rear includes a port each for DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, and HDMI 1.4 which can accommodate your PC and up to two gaming consoles. The device doesn’t have USB slots, but that’s forgivable for a budget option.
There is also a 3.5mm jack on the Acer VG270UP for external speakers, but it also has a pair built into the chassis. The latter only offers 2 watts of power, so they aren’t ideal for the product’s main purpose. Built-in speakers, however, become useful for work from home setups especially when you are in listen mode during conference calls.
Display and Performance
The Acer VG270UP sports a 27-inch IPS panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms VRB response time. The backlight has a 350 cd/m2 brightness rating, while the contrast ratio sits at 1000:1 like most IPS panels. This model doesn’t cost a lot of cash, but it already offers high-end gaming with its specifications.
A 27-inch screen with a QHD resolution is a perfect upgrade for both gaming and productivity coming from the usual 1080p displays. The extra pixel density gives an aggressive improvement in sharpness and detail, while the extra space comes in handy for productivity. Visibility is great even if you don’t use scaling, so reading long documents or processing a massive spreadsheet won’t be difficult for your eyes.
The Acer VG270UP offers excellent image quality starting with its 105% coverage of the sRGB gamut which exceeded its marketing claims. Default accuracy is excellent since the deltaE average sat at 1.45, so there is little need to calibrate the monitor. The color temperature is slightly warmer than what we’d normally want, but it is easy to fix using the RGB settings.
You can calibrate the Acer VG270UP to further improve its accuracy score to a dE average of only 0.78, but it’s not necessary in most cases. The cost of the colorimeter offsets the savings you get by going with this model, plus its already great by default. Most will be able to get away with minor tweaks such as backlight adjustments to get a good setting for daily use.
The Acer VG270UP’s backlight only managed 340 cd/m2 at 100%, but its within margin of error and acceptable for a gaming monitor. The screen’s contrast ratio sits at a 1124:1 at 60% brightness, but the screen still cannot produce deep blacks especially when it is used at nighttime. Only VA monitors are better in this regard, so again, it’s a forgivable and known limitation of IPS technology.
One thing that ruined the Acer VG270UP’s excellent performance is its panel uniformity which was affected by backlight leaks on all of its corners. Clouding can become noticeable in dark scenes, and there is a slight loss of vibrance on the affected quadrants when a full-color image is on display. However, this aspect varies between every unit due to the nature of IPS panels, so there are better samples out there.
The Acer VG270UP isn’t the fastest when it comes to pixel density, so some blurs and persistence can become visible in contrasting or fast-paced transitions. Setting the overdrive to its middle setting is optimal since the Extreme level adds noticeable overshoot. One solution is to use the monitor’s VRB strobing mode, but you have to adjust the backlight according since it dims the screen when it is active.
The Acer VG270UP is a FreeSync gaming monitor but it’s works with Nvidia’s G-Sync Compatible Mode. This duality further extends its value since you don’t have to change it if you switch GPU brands and would still want to enjoy VRR. Input lag sits at 5ms, so there are no delays or “de-synced” instances while gaming.
Thoughts on the Acer VG270UP
The Acer VG270UP is a great choice if you want a high-resolution gaming monitor with great image quality. The screen’s color output and accuracy are comparable to high-end models, so there is little need to calibrate it out of the box. It doesn’t have a lot of extra features, but all the essential add-ons such as G-Sync Compatibility are present.
However, the Acer VG270UP needs some improvements in crucial areas, such as its stand’s quality and the effectivity of its overdrive feature. These issues are easy to alleviate, but they can also be deal-breakers for the more meticulous users. The Acer VG270UP is an excellent value monitor that offers great gaming performance, but there are some limitations you have to live with.
Pros:
- Excellent Default Accuracy
- Great Contrast for IPS
- FreeSync/G-Sync Compatible
- Affordable
- Low Input Lag
Cons:
- Flimsy Tilt Stand
- Uniformity Needs Improvement
- Pixel Response Time Not the Best
-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 his junior high years. 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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