Background information
The big monitor preview 2024
by Samuel Buchmann
New monitors from Acer for CES 2024 rely on both mini-LED and OLED. The largest of these is similar to the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, but has a lower frame rate.
Acer is presenting four new gaming screens at the CES 2024 electronics trade fair: the Predator Z57 and the Predator X34 V3 come with mini-LED, the Predator X39 and the Predator X34 X with WOLED. The panels for the first two monitors probably come from Samsung, the OLED panels from LG.
All new Acer monitors support AMD FreeSync Premium, have a USB hub with KVM switch and deliver up to 90 watts of power via USB-C. They will be available from Q2 2024.
In addition to Acer, many other manufacturers have also presented new monitors for 2024. Click here for the big overview:
The Predator Z57 is the largest screen in Acer's new line-up. The manufacturer calls it "the first of its kind". However, the specifications are largely a deja vu of Samsung's Odyssey Neo G9: A 57-inch diagonal in 32:9 format, a curvature of 1000R and a resolution of 7680 × 2160 pixels. The mini LED backlight has 2304 zones and a brightness of 1000 nits. The last specification probably only refers to HDR mode.
The frame rate is 120 hertz. This is only half of what the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 achieves. In practice, this shouldn't matter for most games at the moment. Even the fastest graphics cards cannot achieve such high frame rates in the native DualUHD resolution. Acer's model also differs from Samsung's when it comes to connections: the Predator Z57 does not have a DisplayPort 2.1. Instead, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port and one USB-C port.
The Predator Z57 costs 2399 euros at launch. As Samsung's Odyssey Neo G9 is already available at a lower price, the street price of the Z57 is also likely to fall quickly. Especially as it offers less high frame rates. At a lower price, it could become an interesting option for anyone who is happy with 120 hertz and prefers Acer's design.
For smaller desks, Acer offers the 34-inch Predator X34 in 21:9 format. It also has a mini LED display, although the number of dimming zones is not specified here. The resolution is 3440 × 1440 pixels and the frame rate is 180 Hertz. The X34 is less curved than the Z57 - namely only with 1500R. Information on brightness is missing.
The interfaces for HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C are not the latest versions, but this is not necessary given the resolution and frame rate. The recommended retail price of the Predator X34 V3 is 849 euros.
Acer's two OLED monitors are likely to use the new panels from LG Display. The brightness in monitors has not been officially confirmed - but for TVs it is 1300 nits at peak and around 250 nits picture-filling. This puts the WOLED displays on a par with Samsung's QD OLED. The display is now also available with a diagonal of 39 inches, as in the Acer Predator X39. LG announced its own monitor with this a fortnight ago.
The remaining specifications are solid, but not groundbreaking: both the Predator X39 and the Predator X34 X have a UWQHD resolution of 3440 × 1440 pixels, a curvature of 800R and a frame rate of 240 Hertz. The colour space coverage of 99 percent DCI-P3 is excellent for a gaming screen. The Predator X39 costs 1499 euros, the Predator X34 X 1299 euros.
Cover image: AcerMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.