This $159 Acer Nitro KG272 monitor is a game-changer for budget PC setups — and it's now my favorite affordable display

If I told you to check out a monitor with a 100Hz refresh rate with limited brightness at 1080p resolution, you'd probably laugh and point me toward other options on our best gaming monitors list.

Understandable, so why would I recommend the Acer Nitro KG272 E anyway? A look at its $159 / £129 price tag says it all. High-end monitors like the $1,099 MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED and $799 Alienware AW3425DW keep up with the latest in gaming hardware to deliver splendid visuals. But for those with budget setups, that's a lot of pennies going down the well.

Instead, the Nitro KG272 E answers the call of value with its entry-level specs that surprisingly deliver smooth, clear visuals in real-world views, even though it may not come across as well on paper. But it also goes a step beyond with its adjustable tilting for a better viewing angle 100 x 100 VESA mountable compatibility.

Despite many gamers who would make the most of far greater refresh rates and quality, those who are perfectly fine with entry-level stats or need a capable secondary display will find the Acer Nitro KG272 E to be a solid bet.

Could it fit the bill as one of the best monitors on a budget? Considering its cheap price, yes, but those who opt for it will also have to temper their expectations. Let's dive into it all.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A budget 27-inch gaming monitor with low-end specs yet great value.
• Who is it for? Entry-level gamers with budget gaming PCs looking to save a huge chunk of change or those in need of a secondary display.
• How much does it cost? A dirt-cheap $159 in the U.S., if you can find it. But similar models with higher refresh rates can be found for the same price. In the U.K., it can be found for as low as £109 (or less with a deal).
• What do we like? Its extreme value, surprisingly clear image quality with great color production, adjustable viewing angles and big-screen appeal with thin bezels.
• What don’t we like? Expect limited setting customizations, aging specs and speakers that can sound hollow.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: Specs

Acer Nitro KG272 E: The ups

No premium frills here, but the Acer Nitro KG272 E exceeds expectations once it's put into action. It makes for a decent display for gaming and a second monitor for productivity — something the best laptops for students can take advantage of.

Valuable visuals

With displays sporting top-of-the-line features like 240Hz refresh rates on OLED panels with 0.03 response rates, along with multiple display modes geared for specific games, it's easy to write off the Nitro KG272 E as a monitor that can't keep up.

But not everyone needs to take advantage of all these specs, and sometimes, a simple screen can go a long way. That's exactly what the Nitro KG272 E offers, and I was impressed by the color accuracy, clarity and smoothness it boasts.

In our tests, the KG272 E produced the lowest numbers we tested, but not by much. And considering the price of the other monitors it's matched up with, it does an admirable job. Although it still falls behind another budget banger: the Lenovo L27i-4B ($109 / £159).

Despite its numbers, the screen can still pull off detailed colors during work and play, as in real-world testing, nothing looked washed out.

I watched "28 Weeks Later" on Netflix in anticipation of "28 Years Later," and it comfortably presented the vicious infected running down the hill after our understandably freaked-out lead, Don (Robert Carlyle).

This is at 1080p on a 27-inch LCD display, so it's not the clearest of details out there, but I still was terrified by the bloody, rage-induced faces of the infected.

Even in more recent, visually stunning shows like "KPop Demon Hunters," it captured the bright gold and deep purple of the Honmoon barrier, keeping the human and demon worlds apart.

I also used it as my main monitor, plugging it into my 13-inch MacBook Air M3, and it reflected exactly what I'd expect to see on the MacBook's display. Using its "Normal" color mode (there's no specific "Mac" display mode), details, smoothness and color accuracy were on point.

Lenovo's L27i-4B also manages to offer some impressive visuals for its price, but the Nitro KG272 E one-ups it in one area...

Made to game

The Nitro KG272 E may only have a 100Hz refresh rate, but it still offers a super-fast 1ms response rate and AMD FreeSync for virtually zero-lag, tear-free gameplay. That works in favor of both fast-paced multiplayer titles and single-player games.

I tested out The Finals, Doom: The Dark Ages and Cyberpunk 2077, and despite the Asus TUF Gaming A18 with an RTX 5070 that can pump out over 200 FPS at high settings on its 1600p resolution display, the Nitro monitor could still deliver smooth frame rates with fine details (if only a tad dark in some areas and without those real crisp textures, but more on that later).

While demolishing walls in The Finals, with settings set to Epic at 1080p resolution and Nvidia's multi-frame gen at x4, I could easily nail headshots and manage my way through the madness of all the destruction around me. Even in a frantic, fast-paced game such as this, I never felt I was at a disadvantage.

I didn't get the same visual spectacle of the demon-torn landscape in Doom: The Dark Ages as I would in other displays. It was a tad grainy, but it could keep up with the bloody action of tearing down hulking beasts with Doom Guy's chainsaw shield. Even visual cues, such as the green orbs you can parry back at enemies, were clear.

Cyberpunk 2077 pulled off better lighting reflections and neon-infused visuals of Night City's skyline, and with brightness on the monitor at max, I was happily cruising through the streets.

Effective design

It's not something I see often on budget gaming monitors, but the Nitro KG272 E comes with some adjustability. There's no way to swivel or change the height of the display, but it does have some tilt action.

It has a vertical and horizontal viewing angle of 178 degrees, but this can be adjusted by tilting it up or down. This makes it easier to get the right angle when setting it up on a desk, as there's nothing worse than having a fixed monitor that's slightly off viewing angle-wise and there's nothing you can do to change it.

It helps that the Nitro KG272 E is relatively light, too. It only weighs 11.9 pounds with the stand (compared to the 24 pounds of the MSI MPG 272URX), so it's light enough to shift around to get the right angle. Better yet, it looks sleek with its nearly bezel-less borders.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: The downs

The Acer Nitro KG272 E may triumph due to its price, but it falls into the usual pitfalls of being budget. That includes low brightness and just passable speakers.

Not a fan of sunlight

If your PC setup is in a room that's filled with sunlight, the Nitro KG272 E will struggle to show a lot on its display.

Generally, it's best to keep a monitor out of sunlight's way, but the Nitro's max 196.2 nits of SDR brightness (no HDR here) can also make darker elements in games or shows harder to see.

It isn't surprising that it falls behind its pricier competition, but even the Lenovo L27I-4B offers a wealthy number of nits to offer acceptable viewing. This isn't a deal breaker, especially in darker rooms that I usually find myself in, and I was able to comfortably play games without it being a hassle.

That said, in certain games such as Doom: The Dark Ages, trying to find hidden passages to crash through to find secrets was tricky in darker tunnels or hallways (I had to fire off a few rounds to illuminate the areas).

Passable audio

Finding speakers on a monitor is always a win, but they don't usually offer the best sound. That's certainly true of the dual speakers of the Nitro KG272 E.

While they do just fine if you're watching shows in the background, it's far from an immersive experience or being able to let you hear the footsteps of foes in competitive multiplayer games.

They can sound hollow without that oomph from the bass, and it makes shots fired out of guns in The Finals, Doom and Cyberpunk sound weak. You won't be blown away by the audio it fires, so you may want to get one of the best gaming headsets instead.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: Verdict

There are some premium, ultra-fast gaming monitors out there sporting jaw-dropping visuals on OLED panels, but all that comes at a high price. The Acer Nitro KG272 E strips down those features for a pocket-friendly price.

For those who don't need the full spectacle of stunning details at sky-high frame rates, especially for entry-level or casual gamers with budget systems, the Nitro KG272 E is a fantastic shout for its budget price. Just keep in mind that it won't keep up with the latest in PC or console hardware, along with its low brightness, and this gaming monitor will shine.

It's now my favorite budget gaming monitor to use, as I believe it even surpasses the cost it's set at from what I get out of it. But if you have the funds to get something flashier, our list of the best gaming monitors will point you in the right direction.