Acer Predator X27U X1 Hands-On
I'm spoiled by OLED these days, with the high-end display tech in my TV, some of my favorite laptops, and in an increasing number of reasonably priced desktop gaming monitors.
Acer’s Predator X27U X1 pairs a 26.5-inch QD-OLED panel with a high refresh rate, HDR support, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. It’s a monitor for gamers who care about image quality as much as they do high frame rates, and it's also good for some creative work on the side.
This is a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution display, sometimes called 2K or WQHD, which I think is the sweet spot for PC gaming right now, for both desktops and laptops. A higher 4K resolution is great for larger screens (like a TV) and older or simpler games, but for new games and high/ultra graphics settings, you'll probably default to this resolution.
The X27U X1 is regularly $599, but as I write this, it's currently discounted to $499. There's also a version with an even higher 360Hz refresh rate for $699.
Design and setup
Right out of the box, the X27U X1 has a clean, angular look that’s more subtle than flashy. The heavy v-shaped stand is rock-solid and highly adjustable, with support for height, tilt, and swivel. I especially appreciated the smooth height adjustment, which I always find key for getting the perfect ergonomic angle. Of course, it also supports standard VESA mounts if you want to attach it to a monitor arm.
Read more: What to Know Before Buying a Monitor Arm
The included two HDMI 2.1 ports and DisplayPort 1.4 make it compatible with both your PC and devices like game consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Steam Deck, etc.). There’s also Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes for multitasking across devices, which is a nice bonus for streamers or multi-system users.
Onboard controls for monitors are always tricky, but I prefer the system here, using a single joystick-style controller that's right under the bottom edge, over those little buttons you have to feel around the back of the system for. Besides brightness, volume, and HDR options, there are also a handful of presets to flip through for gaming, sports, etc.
The two 5-watt built-in speakers aren't going to blow you away, but are fine for everyday use. Nice headphones or standalone speakers would enhance your overall experience.
Key Specs
- 26.5-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) quantum dot OLED display
- DCI-P3 99% color gamut
- Up to 240Hz refresh rate
- 0.03 ms response time
- AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support
- HDR10 support, with up to 1000 nits peak brightness
- 178-degree viewing angle
- Two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4
- Ergonomic stand with height, tilt, swivel
- Built-in 5W speakers (x2)
- VESA mount compatible
- PIP/PBP for multi-source viewing
The OLED difference
The star of the show is the QD-OLED panel, which delivers truly dark blacks and bright, punchy colors and highlights. Color accuracy is excellent, too, with 99% DCI-P3 coverage, making it viable for content creators or photo editors who want reasonably accurate color without jumping to a pro monitor.
Read more: HDR Monitors: What You Need to Know About High Dynamic Range Displays
I fired up some of my favorite recent test games to see how this compared to my usual gaming setups, a 16-inch OLED gaming laptop and a 77-inch OLED TV connected to a gaming PC. Cyberpunk 2077 is great for mixing shadowy corners with bright, neon-like glows, all filled with a ton of gritty detail; Space Marine 2 has huge draw distances and big explosions; and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle packs in tons of outdoor brightness with detailed vegetation and ray-traced light and water effects.
Every game I tried looked great and the HDR performance added a lot, but note that the 1,000-nit peak is for specific HDR scenarios, not typical sustained brightness. Regular full-screen SDR brightness is closer to 250 nits. Still, games and media look better in HDR mode, with vivid highlights and deep shadows. For console gaming, I hooked up an Xbox Series S and set its output to 2K/HDR/120Hz and tried Forza Horizon 5, which looked great, even streaming from the Xbox cloud.
Overall, the Acer Predator X27U X1 is a feature-rich OLED gaming monitor that brings both console and PC gamers a premium experience in a manageable 27-inch form at a decent price. If you don't have the desk space or budget for something like a 34-inch ultra-wide curved gaming monitor, this feels like the ideal mix of size, features, and price.
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Micro Center Editor-in-Chief Dan Ackerman is a veteran tech reporter and has served as Editor-in-Chief of Gizmodo and Editorial Director at CNET. He's been testing and reviewing laptops and other consumer tech for almost 20 years and is the author of The Tetris Effect, a Cold War history of the world's most influential video game. Contact Dan at dackerman@microcenter.com.
