Gamers looking for a fast, responsive monitor will find that Acer’s new Nitro XF2 series of monitors check off a lot of boxes on their wish list, including ultrafast and responsive performance.
The new monitors are available in both 25- and 27-inch formats and are built using twisted nematic LCD technology, rather than IPS, giving them a wide 170-degree viewing angle side-to-side or 160 degrees vertically. Resolution is capped at full 1080p HD, so if you were hoping for a higher 4K or ultra-wide aspect ratio, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Where the new Nitro XF2 really shines is in its whopping 240Hz refresh rate. This makes the monitors great for fast-action games, where you’ll definitely gain an edge over opponents with this type of display performance.
The Nitro XF2 is also a good match for gamers looking to pick up one of AMD’s new Radeon graphics cards, as the display supports FreeSync for responsive performance. Nvidia gamers, however, may still be able to get G-Sync support from this FreeSync monitor thanks to some recent drivers; we have a detailed guide on enabling this feature. Acer claims that native response time is 3 milliseconds, but it could drop down to as low as 0.2ms in overdrive mode. Brightness is rated at 400 nits, and the stated contrast ratio is 100 million to one. The panel also supports HDR 10 content.
“A 1920 x 1080 resolution delivers excellent visual detail, perfect for advanced 1080p Full HD gaming, multimedia, and productivity applications, including Blu-ray disc console gaming and widescreen cinematic playback,” Acer said in a prepared statement. “Built-in black boost provides 11 black level options, so gamers can optimize their visual advantage, while 6-axis color adjustment lets them fine-tune color, hue and saturation.”
The panels ship with an intuitive Acer Display Widget that makes it easier to adjust the monitor settings, the company says. There are also a number of preset display profiles that come with optimizations for viewing content such as action games, sports, or movies. If you’re looking to use the display for video watching, the panel comes with two 2W seapers, though gamers will likely want to bring their own headphones or gaming speaker for a better, more immersive audio experience.
The 25-inch Nitro XF252Q is available now at select retailers and through Acer’s web store with a starting price of $349, while the larger 27-inch Acer Nitro XF272 X will be available later this month with a starting price of $449. Should any manufacturing issues arise during the first three years, you’re covered with Acer’s three-year display warranty on parts and labor. If you’re still not sure what you’re looking for in a monitor, be sure to check out our buying guide for displays.
