Acer XF270HU – Image Quality and Performance

Straight out of the box, the Acer XF270HU offers very good image quality. The IPS panel has the great viewing angles you’d expect, and its matte finish successfully keeps reflections at bay. It also displays good contrast (1,217:1) and colours looks natural. This is in stark contrast to the MG279Q, Asus’ direct equivalent to this monitor, which has awful image quality out of the box.

As ever, brightness is too high (282 nits when set to 75/100), but this is a quick and easy fix. Otherwise, with an impressive Delta E of 0.78 you’re getting decent fine gradation of colour, and gamma was measured as 2.15 – plenty close enough to the ideal of 2.2.

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To get the best out of this display I reduced the brightness to 25/100 (123 nits) and switched to the user colour mode (but didn’t have to actually change any of the RGB values). I ran a full calibration with DisplayCAL and an X-Rite i1Display, which resulted in a perfect colour temperature of 6,525K, black level of 0.11, contrast of 1,127:1, gamma of 2.21, sRGB coverage of 100% (which it was to begin with) and Delta E of 0.78.

The upshot is that this display ever so slightly trails its G-Sync-equipped sibling, the XB271HU, when it comes to Delta E. The latter is capable of displaying fine differences in colour, but in almost every other way this display is its equal.

This is equally true when it comes to gaming. The difference between 144Hz and 165Hz is undetectable, while FreeSync performs just as well as G-Sync. You simply get a fantastic-looking, tear-free, stutter-free image delivered as fast as your graphics card will allow – assuming it’s an AMD card, of course.

As for the resolution here, it’s what I consider ideal for 27-inch monitors – 110ppi strikes the perfect balance between being high enough resolution to avoid looking pixellated, while not being so high that everything looks too small. Super-high-resolution displays are great but they have their downside. For the best image quality, you ideally want a resolution that’s fully double that of what you’d normally use.

The speakers are fairly typical, rather weak monitor speakers. They’re fine for occasional listening, but headphones or external speakers will be a better option for more regular use.

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Should I buy the Acer XF270HU?

Yes. This really is the monitor bargain of the year, assuming you’re happy using an AMD graphics card. The XF270HU offers excellent image quality and fantastic gaming, while hugely undercutting its key G-Sync rivals. While it may not be quite as good technically, the vast majority of uses are unlikely to notice this in use.

The rather lacklustre styling and build quality are a bit of a letdown. It looks fine and will no doubt stand up to any day-to-day abuse, but it lacks the sleeker look and feel of pricier alternatives.

Verdict

AMD gamers rejoice. FreeSync, IPS and 144Hz combine to make this a superb monitor – and it’s a bargain, too.

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