Updated at: 23-06-2022 - By: Leo Hall

You cannot have your cake and eat it, too, according to the old adage. That’s not the case when it comes to various PC components and peripherals, especially when it comes to high-end products.

Predator XB271HU appears to be a high-end gaming monitor from Acer’s established and highly popular line-up of high-end displays. This display combines stunning images with impressive performance in a stylish but pricey packaging.

The Design

Let’s see what the monitor’s first impression is like.

The Predator XB271HU is precisely what you’d expect a gaming monitor to look like – or what you’d expect nearly any high-end gaming monitor to look like – between the dark grey frame, the almost non-existent bezels, and the detailed stand.

The XB271HU has an obvious aura of quality about it, and it’s a monitor you’d be happy to put on show on your desk. However, the crimson accents on the stand detract from the “luxury” impression of the product. There are gamers that enjoy these kinds of highlights while there are those who don’t.

However, the stand isn’t just there to look pretty — it is a solid, stable, and highly adjustable VESA stand that will satisfy any gamer’s need for stability. The monitor is as adaptable as you might want it to be, with options for height, tilt, swivel, and pivot.

Any 100×100 VESA mount is suitable, so if you wish to install it on the wall or replace the stand, you won’t have any trouble finding the right one.

The Display

The display of a monitor is, of course, the most important consideration.

Acer’s Predator XB271HU is a 27-inch IPS monitor with a 1440p resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate, making it an excellent choice for gamers. As a result, it provides a clear, high-definition image with a rapid frame rate.

Since this monitor has an IPS screen instead of TN, the response time will be slower than on a TN monitor. It’s also worth noting that the XB271HU’s motion blur is quite low, so you’re unlikely to notice any noticeable effects unless your previous experience with a high-quality TN panel.

However, the IPS screen provides accurate color reproduction, however the monitor will need to be calibrated due to the default settings. The contrast and viewing angles are about what you’d expect from this type of screen.

The XB271HU’s display has two major flaws: a lack of HDR support and inconsistent black uniformity.

While it’s unlikely to be noticeable in a well-lit room due to backlight bleed, it can still be seen in dark scenes. More importantly, it’s likely to be highly unnerving at all hours of the day. Then there’s HDR support, or lack thereof. Many people consider this a must-have feature in an IPS monitor at this price point.

Image Quality

With its 350-nit maximum brightness, 1,000:1 static contrast ratio, 4ms reaction time, and 10-bit dithered color support with 100 percent coverage of sRGB, the Acer XB271HU uses AHVA (IPS) panel technology from AU Optronics.

It is unfortunate that the Acer Predator XB271HU monitor is not factory-calibrated, so you will have to do your own color adjustments in order to get the best results. It’s possible to adjust RGB and 6-axis color through the OSD menus (On-Screen Display).

There are many gamers that prefer the combo of a 27-inch screen and a 1440p resolution. An ideal pixel density can be achieved with a monitor that’s neither too large nor too small.

There is no need for any UI scaling when using a pixel density of 108.79 pixels per inch.

A 1440p at 144Hz display will demand nearly twice the bandwidth of a 1080p display. So, if you want to play at 1440p/144Hz at low/minimal settings, you’ll need at least a GTX 1070.

Performance

The Acer Predator XB271HU 27-inch IPS display has a lot of complaints concerning its IPS glow and backlight leaking. The light seeping around the screen’s corners and edges is a sign of both of these display faults.

Our unit had no noticeable backlight leaking or dead pixels. IPS panels, on the other hand, are known for their ‘glow’ effect.

It’s intended to happen if you turn the brightness all the way up on your screen and turn out all the lights in your room, and you should either lower the screen brightness or let some light into your room.

Input lag is quite low on the Acer Predator XB271HU at less than 5ms. Moreover, the response time is also remarkably rapid, since it effectively removes practically all ghosting and motion blur in high-paced games.

Although the response time is slower than that of TN panel displays with 1ms, and the contrast is lower than that of VA panel monitors, these panels have their own shortcomings, which are more noticeable.

In addition, the blacks won’t be as deep as they are on VA displays, but at this price point, you won’t have to deal with the black smearing you get with VA monitors.

NVIDIA G-SYNC & ULMB

As a result of NVIDIA’s G-SYNC technology, the Acer Predator XB271HU’s refresh rate can be varied depending on the graphics card it is attached to.

Display tearing and stuttering will be a thing of the past thanks to the display’s ability to modify its refresh rate dynamically and in sync with the GPU.

Acer’s Predator gaming laptop has a 1ms longer input lag when using G-SYNC than when using VSync.

Another option is to employ ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur), which uses backlight strobing to eliminate all motion blur and ghosting in video games.

It is impossible to use ULMB and G-SYNC simultaneously since ULMB can only operate at a set refresh rate of 85Hz, 100Hz, or 120Hz.

It’s still hardly noticeable when ULMB is enabled because the screen goes dimmer and the input lag increases to 10ms, which is still barely noticeable.

It is possible to utilize the Acer XB271HU with an AMD card, but you won’t be able to take advantage of the variable refresh rate or ULMB features.

Instead of paying more for G-SYNC, acquire a 27-inch 1440p 144Hz IPS display with FreeSync if you have an AMD graphics card.

Additional Features

G-Sync

Adaptive sync is required for any monitor with a high refresh rate, and the XB271HU is no exception. Nvidia’s G-Sync has some advantages over AMD’s FreeSync, but it is not without its drawbacks.

Because Nvidia is involved in the manufacturing process of all G-Sync monitors, each one must meet the company’s high standards for performance and reliability. Although this is a major benefit, it also has some drawbacks that need to be taken into consideration.

Because G-Sync is an Nvidia-only technology, the OEM must pay a licensing fee to Nvidia in order to use it in their displays. G-Sync monitors employ exclusively Nvidia’s G-Sync scaling components, therefore there is no competition in that department. Consequently, G-Sync monitors are substantially more expensive to produce than FreeSync monitors, which has an impact on the price.

There are various advantages to using G-Sync over FreeSync, including motion blur reduction and reduced input lag. With that said, it is assured to run without a hitch.

For the record, G-Sync only works with Nvidia graphics cards. You must have an Nvidia G-Sync-enabled GPU in order to get the most out of this display.

Speakers

The XB271HU has two built-in 2-watt speakers like most monitors in this price range. As with most other monitors, the built-in speakers serve mostly as an annoyance, as they fall far short of providing a satisfying audio experience.

The thin frames of modern monitors can’t accommodate huge drivers, thus this is understandable. Considering how much less expensive desktop speakers are and how much easier it is to get a good sound from them, OEMs don’t need to put as much stock on monitor speakers as previously thought.

FAQS:

Is the Acer Predator XB271HU still good?

Input lag is kept to an absolute minimum with the Acer Predator XB271HU’s G-SYNC and ULMB technologies. Calibration is required, however the image quality is superb. In addition, the design is flexible and there are additional functions for gaming.

Is the Acer Predator XB271HU 4K?

WQHD (2,560-by-1,440) is the resolution of the XB271HU’s 27-inch IPS screen, while 4K Ultra High-Definition (3,840-by-2,160) is the resolution of the Acer XB271HK’s 27-inch IPS panel.

Does XB271HU support HDR?

The XB271HU’s display has two major flaws: poor black uniformity and no HDR support. It’s important to note that there is some significant backlight bleed, which is less evident in a well-lit room but more apparent in dimly lit ones.

Conclusion:

What does this mean in terms of a monitor’s overall quality? The fact that it’s nice but not flawless is due in large part to its age.

This well-built monitor has a wide screen, a clear and crisp high-resolution display with G-Sync, and boasts a high refresh rate, as we’ve already established. Overall, the aesthetics and performance are well-balanced.

Aside from the backlight leakage and lack of HDR support, the panel has significant shortcomings. While the former can be unsettling, the latter isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s something we’d like to see in a monitor of this caliber and price range anyway.