Acer 27-inch IPS panel monitor; resolution 2560 x 1440; LED Backlight AMD FreeSync Technology; Flicker-Free; DVI-in; HDMI-in; USB 3.0

I purchased the IPS version of this monitor (XF270HU), despite some worry over the quality control issues other users outlined. I decided to take a chance, assuming that a higher percentage of people received defective monitors and skewed the reviews. I decided before ordering that I would review it after a month, whether my experience was good or bad, and hopefully give people an idea of what to expect.To begin with, there was minor cosmetic damage to the external packaging on arrival, probably done by careless shippers. Not a big deal, as the contents were unharmed. The monitor came with HDMI and DVI cables as well, though I had purchased a DP cable to take advantage of the FreeSync functionality (one of the main draws of this monitor for me).Pros:+Basically the only 1440p FreeSync IPS panel being sold.+Beautiful, crisp colors+High quality frame, stand takes minimal desk space while still being quite solid and flexible+No backlight bleed and very little IPS glow+No dead pixels/dust/etc. or other defects to speak of+Physical OSD buttons+Significantly less expensive than its GSync counterpart+USB ports on monitor and slot for cables in stand minimizes cord clutter+After a month of gaming I haven't noticed any higher input lag than I had on my old TN panelCons:-OSD resets all settings when switching to or from "gaming mode", making that feature functionally useless-Monitor speakers are fairly low-quality. Still a nice feature, but for something of this price I expected a bit betterOverall I'd rate this monitor a definite "buy" for any AMD user wanting a 1440p FreeSync monitor. If you're not after those features specifically, there are better options out there: the G257HU (Acer G257HU smidpx 25-Inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) Widescreen Monitor) is 25 inches, 1440p IPS for less than *half* the price of the XF270HU. This monitor is really catered towards gamers who are willing to spend a bit (or a lot!) extra for better quality and performance out of their monitor. It's up to you if that's worth the price, but I'm very happy with my purchase and expect to get a lot of use out of this monitor.TL;DR: best (only?) 1440p IPS FreeSync panel out there. If you care about all three of those things, this is what you want. If not, keep looking.

First off, I am not someone who write reviews often but the arduous experience of trying to find a quality monitor for gaming, work, and photography much harder than it should be for spending this much money.TLDR: I tried 4 IPS monitors and this is the one I ended up keeping. I tried two ASUS MG279Q WQHDs, one Acer XF270HU 27-inch WQHD and finally the NIXEUS 27' EdgeAbout me: I am a software developer who's hobbies are gaming and photography. Which means I look at a screen all day every day. It means I understand technology, demand performance, and need visual accuracy.Why IPS: There are really two main technologies out right now IPS and TN. There are variations of these technologies. The Nixeus uses AHVA which is a variation of IPS panel. TN is arguably better for gaming because of the minuscule response time (usually 1ms) and lack of ghosting. Low response time = no input lag, No ghosting = no blur or jitter when you move around in the game. I chose an IPS variant because as a photographer I want 100% or near 100% sRGB spectrum. The main issue I have with IPS panels is the slower response time ~10ms (even if they say 5ms is closer to 10ms) and "IPS GLOW" I HATE IPS GLOW. This is an unavoidable characteristic (not a flaw) of IPS screens.Monitor 1: ASUS MG279QOf the monitors, this was the best looking visually. The colors were vibrant, accurate and pleasing to look at. The screens menu system was the best of the three, and I like the build quality the most out of the three. Why did I return two of them? Backlight bleed. and a lot of it. IPS glow is often mistaken for backlight bleed. Backlight bleed will cast a yellow hue over the edges of the screen while IPS glow affects the luminance of the area, making the edges of the screen seem slightly brighter and almost a blue hue. I can deal with a little backlight bleed but it bleed through a good 8 inches from the lower right corner and about 3 inches from the upper right.Monitor 2: ASUS MG279QThis monitor was pretty much the exact same as the first. less backlight bleed but still present in the same locations.Monitor 3: Acer XF270HU 27-inch WQHDMore money, better screen right? not really. This screen had NO backlight bleed, but the IPS glow was very strong. Which I was willing to deal with but I had a few issues with the screen. 1) the box arrived with the box obviously opened (Acer security tape cut and box all beaten up) 2) the screen didn't have as much punch when it came to the colors. 3) the monitor had difficulties syncing with free sync. The free sync wasn't as smooth as the Asus screen, and some games like destiny would only sync up to 60 fps, where the Asus would sync up to 72 fps (these were settings just in Destiny 2). So I ultimately returned it.Monitor 3: Nixeus 27' EdgeNow I had my reservations with Nixeus. I had previously owned a Nixeus and wasn't that impressed. The speakers were tinny, the colors were meh, and the black were horrible and "crushed", that was the old Nixeus. The new Edge looks GREAT. The colors aren't as good as the Asus but on par with the Acer. The menu system is meh, and the stand is a bit ... silly. (It looks like one of Batman's throwing stars). But there was ZERO blacklight bleed, and the IPS glow was the best managed of the three screens I tried. The screen synced at 144hz (freeSync) in Destiny two and all implementations of freeSync must not be created equal because I was taken aback by how much smoother and crisp the image was in games compared to the other two monitors (each around $100+ more than the Nixeus).Back To Back Comparison:ASUS MG279Q: Best overall picture, best menu structure, and great build quality. Best features (I loved its in-game features including the sharpening boost) I would recommend for someone that was only using the screen in a bright room and who cares about the best color representation.Color: 5Stand: 5FreeSync: 4 (smaller sync range)Dark Room Viewing: 2Acer XF270HU 27-inch WQHD:Great picture, ok menu structure, best speakers of the group. The stand was meh, the features were ok, and an overall a good performer, but since this screen was the MOST expensive of the group I was expected great. not 'OK' I would recommend for someone that is squeamish about going to an 'off-brand' like Nixeus, but wants a screen with decent quality control.Color: 4Stand: 3FreeSync: 3 (smallest range of the group and it didn't work that well;Dark Room Viewing: 3Nixeus 27' Edge: Great picture (although requires calibration), worst speakers of the group, the stand is ok, the menu structure is not great, but the lack of backlight bleed and controlled IPS glow is amazing. Top it off with a noticeably smoother and crisper freeSync performance and you have a winner.Color: 4Stand: 3FreeSync: 5Dark Room Viewing: 4

This will be an ongoing review, as I am currently in midst of exchanging it.Beautiful monitor -- the combination of IPS, 1440p, 144hz, and FreeSync is just excellent for all purposes.Zero backlight bleed on my monitor with minor IPS glow -- the worst of it coming from the bottom right hand corner, which diminished significantly after lowering the near-blinding level of brightness that was set out-of-the-box. It's nearly flawless.But there's a dead pixel in the top left-hand corner. This is flat out unacceptable on a high-end monitor like this, so back it goes. Will update both score and review when new monitor comes in.Edit:Exchange monitor has arrived. Zero dead pixels. Very nearly zero bleed, very nearly zero glow. This is near flawless.It's a keeper. A beautiful keeper.Four stars. No item that requires a lottery deserves five.

Came with a dead pixel mid left of the screen. Not very happy spending 450 on a monitor and getting a dead pixel already.

Had terrible backlight bleed and a dead pixel in the center of the screen. Don't expect a quality product from Acer at any price point.