The Acer XG270HU is a 27” 1440p 144Hz TN FreeSync monitor with a dynamic refresh range of 40-144Hz. It features a very minimal bezel around the top and side edges, and a red bezel along the bottom. It comes with a stand that is tilt but not height adjustable. It has integrated speakers and comes with a DisplayPort cable. FreeSync with this monitor works only over DisplayPort and using a compatible graphics chip. Compatible AMD graphics chips here: (not allowed to post link, look for "FreeSync" on Wikipedia).
The main reason to buy this monitor is for FreeSync. I won’t cover FreeSync in much detail here. However, if you don’t know what FreeSync does and why it is so amazing, I highly recommend reading this article by AnandTech: (not allowed this link either, look for "The AMD FreeSync Review" on AnandTech.com).
FreeSync is an amazing technology that completely eliminates screen tearing and stuttering from your gaming experience. I can’t remember the last time I saw any screen tearing, and it’s truly a blessing. In short, FreeSync synchronizes the refresh rate of your monitor with the frame rate of your game, so long as your frame rate is within the dynamic refresh range of the monitor (40-144Hz here, so 40-144 FPS).
FreeSync completely eliminates all screen tearing and stuttering within that frame rate range, resulting in a much smoother gameplay experience. It also alters my perception of frame rates below 60FPS, making frame rates down to 40 seem much smoother, though not quite as smooth as 60FPS. This results in me using higher settings as I don’t notice the slightly-lower frame rates nearly as much. Previously I chose my settings so that gameplay never dropped below 60FPS, however it’s not as important when using FreeSync.
So FreeSync only works within the dynamic refresh range – what happens outside of it? Something new since the linked AnandTech article was written is Low Framerate Compensation (LFC). This means that below 40FPS you will get repeating frames to bring the frame rate back up into the dynamic refresh range so that FreeSync still works. Above the dynamic refresh range, I personally enable VSync to avoid tearing. LFC will be enabled automatically once you install the latest graphics drivers. LFC is only compatible with FreeSync monitors whose max refresh rate is >= 2.5x the minimum refresh rate (this one is compatible).
That’s FreeSync covered – so onto the rest of the monitor. It’s a TN panel – these don’t look as good as some other panels, and some other panels have better viewing angles (IPS panels). A TN panel is used here because they are cheaper to produce, and you can get 144Hz TN panels for a lot less than a 144Hz IPS. TN also tends to have lower latency, which is good for gaming. All this said, I find the monitor is ok to look at. I use my Surface Pro 4 regularly for working, which uses a high-end Samsung IPS, and though it does look better, I don’t have any issues with my Acer monitor – it’s great for gaming.
The integrated speakers are nothing to boast about – In fact, they’re pretty bad. If you desperately need them, they’re there, but I don’t recommend using them. If you’re looking at this monitor, make sure you have some headphones or speakers to use with it.
The first thing to do when you connect this monitor to your Windows system is right click the desktop and open Display Settings. Select the new display and go to Advanced Display Settings – check that the resolution is 2560x1440 (1440p). Then click Display Adapter Properties, go to the Monitor tab, and check that the Screen refresh rate is set to 144Hz. Apply these new settings if you made any changes. After this, go to AMD.com, Drivers + Support, and get the latest drivers appropriate for your system. This is important as if your drivers are not up to date, FreeSync may not work. Install the drivers, and open AMD Radeon Settings by right clicking the desktop, go to Display, and enable FreeSync. Congratulations, your monitor is set up!
FreeSync or G-Sync is one of the very best upgrades for a PC. For me, FreeSync is like getting a new graphics card on steroids. As I mentioned before, it makes frame rates below 60 seem smoother, and down to about 48FPS I actually can’t tell the difference now. This allows me to set higher graphics settings, but on the flip side, this is a 144Hz monitor so you can lower your settings to get an uber-smooth gameplay experience at 144 FPS. I’ve played some games at above 90FPS and I did notice an improvement in the smoothness of the experience when compared to 60FPS, but personally I didn’t find it to be significant enough to sacrifice visuals. I think people playing highly competitive games will appreciate this option, however.
To sum things up, this is a good gaming monitor with bad speakers and a mediocre stand. If I had to suggest improvements, I think the stand needs height adjustment and the monitor should have VESA mounting (it does not!). I feel like this is an oversight, though personally I’m ok with it. Make sure you have your own speakers or headphones and you should do fine with this monitor. I recommend it to any PC gamers looking to smooth out their gameplay with FreeSync. It works great as a monitor; it just has poor speakers and a mediocre stand.
This review can also be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2R74WCYDJOX32/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Back to Blog