Acer Predator X27U F5 Gaming Monitor Review

The Acer Predator X27U F5 gaming monitor combines a 500 Hz refresh rate with a QD-OLED panel. That’s an impressive pairing for fast-paced games, though the picture quality makes it appealing well beyond competitive shooters. After using it for work, gaming, and movies, here is my review.

OLED goodness

As soon as you turn the X27U F5 on, the 27” 1440p display looks fantastic. Colours are vibrant, blacks are properly black, and HDR gives bright highlights plenty of impact. Games and movies benefit enormously, while I dialled the brightness down for everyday work.

Putting it alongside my usual daily monitor made me appreciate it even more. The difference was obvious, right down to moving the mouse between screens. If you use multiple monitors, be prepared for this one to make your other display feel a little underwhelming and in need of an upgrade.

Let’s get gaming

My RTX 3080 isn’t the newest GPU, but the 1440p resolution of this high refresh rate monitor suits it well. In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, I was playing at over 380 FPS, and the combination of high refresh rates and OLED’s fast response made movement look exceptionally clean and feel responsive.

Reaching 500 FPS is another challenge. Some games have lower caps, while others need powerful hardware and reduced settings. Competitive games like Valorant and Overwatch 2 can push beyond 500 FPS on sufficiently powerful hardware, though you’ll of course need a PC that can keep up.

Thankfully, you don’t need to reach 500 FPS to enjoy this monitor. I’m convinced there’s a noticeable benefit beyond 240 Hz, and being able to let games run at high frame rates without immediately hitting the display’s ceiling is fantastic. 

For more taxing games at lower frame rates, the X27U F5’s picture quality remains a big attraction thanks to that QD-OLED.

At your desk

I mounted the X27U F5 on a monitor arm, though the included stand is nicely adjustable. 

There are plenty of connections, with two HDMI inputs, two DisplayPorts, and USB-C with 65W charging. There’s also a USB hub and KVM switch for sharing a keyboard and mouse between computers.

The biggest potential downside of this monitor is the glossy screen, which can catch reflections if placed poorly. I’d avoid setting the X27U F5 up opposite a window, as you will definitely suffer.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by Acer.