Acer has an extensive range of Predator monitors aimed at enthusiasts. The company is expanding that family with four new models at CES, covering three panel sizes to appeal to a broad swath of hardcore gamers. The smallest offerings are 34 inches, while the largest is the new 57-inch Predator Z57.
Starting with the Predator Z57, this mammoth gaming monitor has a 56-inch DUHD (7620 x 2160) VA panel with Mini LED backlighting with a 120Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium support. Looking at the Predator Z57 would be like viewing two 4K (3840 x 2160) monitors side-by-side. We’ve seen similar offerings from Samsung with its 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9. To keep black levels in check while still providing top-notch image quality, the Mini LED panel features 2,304 zones (1,000,000:1 contrast ratio).
Given its expansive reach, you’re looking at a 32:9 aspect ratio and a 1000R curvature to give you a more immersive gaming experience. Maximum brightness for the panel tops out at 1,000 nits, and Acer claims 98 percent DCI-P3 coverage. The Predator Z57 features two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a USB-C 3.2 hub (with four downstream USB ports). We should note that gaming at DUHD resolution at 120Hz is supported across HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C interfaces. Whether your currently installed graphics card can handle that heavy graphical load is for you to decide. Although someone buying a high-end gaming monitor like the Predator Z57 likely has an equally potent audio system to match, the monitor does include two 10W speakers onboard.
If you like Mini LED-backed VA panels but want something less ostentatious, there’s the Predator X34 V3. As its name implies, this steps down to a 34-inch panel size, albeit with a more commonplace UWQHD (3440 x 1440) resolution. The Predator X34 V3 features a 1500R curvature, is VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certified, and covers 94 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Regarding connectivity, you’ll find two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and USB-C with 90-watt Power Delivery support. The HDMI ports support a 100Hz refresh rate at 3440 x 1440, while opting for the DisplayPort or USB-C connections up the maximum refresh rate to 180Hz (AMD FreeSync Premium is supported).
While Mini LED is great, OLEDs are the “new hotness” in the gaming monitor field. And to satiate those needs, Acer has two new offerings: the Predator X34 X and the Predator X39. They both feature a UWQHD resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz with a response time of just 0.01ms. Likewise, the Predator X34 X and the Predator X39 support AMD FreeSync Premium, have a typical SDR brightness of 257 nits, and offer peak brightness of 450 nits in HDR mode. HDMI 2.1 (x2), DisplayPort 1.4 (x1), and USB-C (90-watt PD) connectivity are supported and all three support 240Hz and the native panel resolution. Given how similar the two monitors are in specs, the only significant difference between them is panel size (34 inches versus 39 inches).
All the new Predator monitors are scheduled to be available in Q2 2024. The top dog Predator Z57 will carry an eye-searing price tag of $2,499, while the Predator X39 will retail for $1,499. The Predator X34 X will cost $1,299, while the more budget-oriented Predator X34 V3 is the cheapest of the bunch at $899.