TL;DR at the bottom.
I've owned this monitor for about nine months, during which time the monitor has primarily been connected to the PC I built at the same time. The unit itself has performed in its intended purpose admirably and has a few very nice pros going for it in addition to following through on the promises of its tech specs:
- Sturdy base and mounting plate, while heavy, are secure and stable, able to withstand the bumping and shaking of most tables under normal use
- Size works well for a gaming setup, fitting the viewer's effective field of view comfortably
- USB ports. I don't personally use these too often, but the four USB 3 type-A ports provide a lot of flexibility for those who may like to have extras available and within reach
The monitor itself delivered on its promises for my needs for approximately 6 months of regular use and fits nicely in a gaming setup (my personal setup is included in the attached images). However, the problem that presented after these six months is what led to me removing two stars:
This product took my system completely out of commission for three months with a very unexpected and hard to diagnose issue.
For some background: my PC had worked very steadily until one day on reboot, the computer froze. All subsequent attempts to boot would either freeze or cause the system to fail its POST checks before even displaying to the monitor. After months of diagnosis and sending in suspect parts, nothing could be found that would cause such a failure - every part needed to perform startup was tested or replaced with new parts, and yet the system still refused to POST. Just recently, I discovered the source of my issues quite by accident and it was something no one I was in contact with had considered.
The display port cable that had been provided with the monitor was defective and potentially violates display port standards.
I discovered the solution as a result of this Reddit post of a user with a similar inexplicable issue (I'd post the link here, but that's not allowed by Amazon). In summary, cheaper display port cables may have a power connection pin at both ends which allows for bi-directional power transfer, which can cause issues as the computer attempts to boot, all while receiving power from another unexpected source (pictures of both ends of my own stock cord are attached for visual reference). Covering up the pin as suggested in the post solved the issue that had plagued my system for months and the cord was replaced. Since then, no issues have occurred and my system is back up and running healthily.
My biggest concern as a result of this whole issue is the risk Acer is setting up their customers for by supplying sub-standard connectors with their very sensitive (and expensive) products, which could potentially destroy other components in the end user's machine. I haven't personally seen other failures because of price cutting on this monitor yet, but I'm very wary now knowing that a relatively simple and important part of this product is being distributed - likely with many of Acer's displays - and features such a system breaking flaw. My recommendation to potential buyers would be to invest in an industry standard display port cord rather than the one in the box from the very start. It's too much of a risk to rely on defective equipment and a few extra dollars can save you the dangers the stock cord presents.
TL;DR: The monitor has worked wonderfully and according to it's specifications, but the included cords may break your system due to being substandard quality and below regulation.
| Standing screen display size | 27 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 2560 x 1440 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 2560 x 1440 Pixels |
