I'm a die-hard OLED fan — here's why I'm super excited about Acer's new Predator gaming monitors
OLED, G-Sync and ludicrously fast refresh rates? Yes please
As someone who appreciates OLED as much as oxygen, I’m super excited to see Acer announce a new trio of monitors with “Organic Light-Emitting Diodes” with Computex 2024 just around the corner. Because this display tech can turn off its individual pixels, you end up with perfect black levels, leading to vastly greater contrast quality compared to standard LED panels.
Naturally, Acer’s new lineup of Predator monitors are squarely aimed at gamers like me who love playing the best Steam games. Said displays are the new Acer Predator X27U F3, Predator X34 X5 and the Predator X32 X3. (For deals on these and other Acer gear, check out our Acer promo codes page).
The first ever ultrawide display I bought many moons ago was an older version of the Predator X34, and it was one of the best curved monitors of its time. It was also the first screen I’d ever owned that supported Nvidia G-Sync, which naturally these newly announced panels also sport. Oh, and they’re being treated to AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, too.
In case you’re not familiar with either of these features, they’re a type of display technology that helps smooth out frame rates in games while also preventing screen tearing. They do this by synchronizing the refresh rate of your monitor to match the fps output of your GPU. It’s a literal game-changer, and I’d never buy a display again that didn’t utilize either Team Green or Team Red’s fabulous frame-smoothing tech.
Looking at each of these new Acer products individually, first up we have the Acer Predator X27U F3. This puppy is a 1440p (2,560 x 1,440) monitor with an ultra speedy refresh rate of 480Hz. Hoo-boy is Doom Eternal ever going to play like a dream on this baby.
It also has two HDMI 2.1 ports which is pretty rare to see, while its stand comes with a tripod mount socket. The Predator X27U F3 will hit the market in the third quarter of this year, and will set you back $1,200, which is quite pricey for a 27-inch monitor.
Need for speed
Next up, there’s the Predator X32 X3. This model has a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) OLED screen, which I feel is slightly overkill for a 31.5-inch monitor because it's tough to appreciate the level of pixel density such a high resolution brings on what’s a comparatively small screen. Of course, you can obviously dial down the resolution to boost performance in the best PC games. With the monitor set to its highest res, the refresh rate maxes out at 240Hz, but at 1080p, the X32 X3 can reach an astonishing 480Hz. This monitor starts at $1,200 and you can pick it up in Q4 of this year.
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Last but not least we have the Predator X34 X5. This is another curved monitor, and sports a 34-inch OLED panel with 1800R curvature, a native pixel count of 3,440 x 1,400 and a refresh rate of 240Hz. I’m all about ultrawide, as that 21:9 aspect ratio really helps to immerse you in games, providing a far wider field of view than a standard 16:9 widescreen display can offer. Pricing for the Predator X34 X5 begins at $1,100, and it's also set to release in Q4 like the previously mentioned X32 X3.
If you’re a serious PC gamer, I'd go as far to say an OLED display is a must-buy at this point. And these Acer models are all seriously kitted out. Mostly though, I’m just proud of myself for getting through this article without telling you to “GET TO DA CHOPPA!”
Dammit.
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Dave is a computing editor at Tom’s Guide and covers everything from cutting edge laptops to ultrawide monitors. When he’s not worrying about dead pixels, Dave enjoys regularly rebuilding his PC for absolutely no reason at all. In a previous life, he worked as a video game journalist for 15 years, with bylines across GamesRadar+, PC Gamer and TechRadar. Despite owning a graphics card that costs roughly the same as your average used car, he still enjoys gaming on the go and is regularly glued to his Switch. Away from tech, most of Dave’s time is taken up by walking his husky, buying new TVs at an embarrassing rate and obsessing over his beloved Arsenal.