Although monitor model numbers are never an exciting name for a piece of gaming gear, the features they have can make a huge difference to the visual quality and comfort of a game. After all, they are what you use to view what’s going on in the digital world. Which is why the fact that Acer has now released a version of its popular G-Sync supporting, XB270HU but with Freesync support, is so important.
To date Nvidia fans have enjoyed the G-Sync, frame-syncing abilities of Acer’s high end 144Hz display, leaving AMD users to look elsewhere for their v-sync alternative technologies. Well, no longer, as with the release of the XF270HU display, everyone can enjoy the ability to do away with screen tearing for good.
Of course you will need a compatible AMD GPU and one that is happy handling the 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, but those two usually go hand in hand.
Other features of the new display include a full 27 inches of IPS panel, and a refresh rate of 144Hz. It also features DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0, MHL, and DVI ports for additional connectivity (as per TechReport). It also has a strong pivot and tilt base that lets you orient the display just how you like.
Currently available on Amazon and similar sites priced at $600, the Acer XF270HU costs just over $100 less than its G-Sync enabled countepart. This is expected as with on-board hardware for handling the frame syncing, G-Sync monitors tend to be that bit more expensive.
However they do arguably deliver a better screen-tear-avoidance experience and practically guarantees that there will be no additional GPU overhead. Freesync on the other hand has slightly less consistent performance and can suffer from ghosting, so it’s a toss up with cost versus performance, which is the same, age-old AMD-versus-Nvidia debate anyway.
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