Gaming
31.5″ Acer Predator Z321QU Review
Summary
The Acer Predator Z321QU is a mid-range gaming monitor. It has a resolution of 1440p. A refresh rate of 144hz, and a 4ms response time. The majority of reviewers have been giving it positive feedback.
1440p
1440p is becoming the new standard for PC gamers and you don’t want to be last to the party. 1440p brings a whole new amount of pixels to your screen. It’s a whole lot of eye candy. You can still see a massive difference in-game without needing to go for an expensive 4K display which will cost you an arm and a leg.
Can my PC handle 1440p gaming?
To test this, take a game and max it out in 1080p. A good example would be a demanding game like The Witcher 3. How does that game perform without the unnecessarily taxing hair effects. If you’re struggling to keep at 60fps, then you should probably stick to 1080p unless you’re willing to upgrade your PC. Or if you’re not going to be playing super demanding titles like CS Go, Overwatch, League of Legends etc.
31.5 inch display
31.5 inches is plenty for a gaming monitor. It leaves you with plenty of display to be immersed in games and not too much display where you’re having to move your head. With the 1440p resolution, there’s plenty of pixels to go around without the image looking stretched.
144hz (165hz overclocked)
If you’re planning on gaming competitively or just playing online, 144hz is a must. Hertz or Hz refers to how many times your screen will refresh per second. The more hertz, the smoother your games will play and you’ll also have the ability to see things appear on the screen sooner.
G-sync
G-sync is a technology which does 3 incredibly beneficial things for your gaming experience:
1. Gets rid of screen tearing
2. Reduces input latency
3. Allows for a smoother gaming experience
What is screen tearing?
Screen tearing is when your graphics card produces more frames than your monitor can display. This then gives an affect on your display which makes the image look torn or cut.
4ms response time
Having a low response time dictates whether the monitor will experience ghosting. Ghosting is when there’s a movement on the screen but there’s also an after image. This can of course destroy your gaming experience. You don’t want to be in a game and have to wait for your monitor to catch up with what’s going on. Typically, if a monitor has a response time of above 5ms, it will experience ghosting. This monitor has a response time of 4ms and does not experience ghosting.
Cool design
The Acer Predator Z321QU has a cool, modern, and robust design. It looks sleek and it will definitely give your desk setup that wow factor.
Specifications
| Size | 31.5" Curved |
| Technology | Nvidia G-sync |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 WQHD |
| Refresh Rate | 144Hz (OverClocking to 165Hz) - Using Display Port |
| Panel Type | VA |
| Response Time | 4ms |
| Ports | 1 x Display Port 1.2, 1 x HDMI 1.4 & 4 x USB 3.0 Ports |
| Speakers | 2 speakers, 7 watts per speaker |
| Cable Included | Display Port, HDMI & USB Cables |
What customers have to say
Customers have been loving this monitor. They’ve even updated their review a few months later to mention it still hasn’t given them any issues. The colors are excellent and 1440p is pure eye candy. When playing games, 144hz looks and feels buttery smooth.
Some people mentioned Ghosting on reviews, but that will only occur if the settings are incorrect and not set up properly. Make sure the ratio is 1:1, max refresh is set and set up properly and you have the video card and power to display on it.