Key Points
- Gaming monitors have better features than standard monitors to provide better performance for gamers, including a higher refresh rate, faster response time, better display panels and colors, and more.
- The Acer KB272 HBI is an entry-level gaming monitor with entry-level specifications.
- The Acer KB272 HBI has a VA panel, which delivers mediocre colors and could benefit from an IPS panel.
- The refresh rate of the Acer KB272 HBI is only 100Hz, which is a small step up from a standard monitor and may not provide the expected advantage for gamers.
- The colors on the Acer KB272 HBI are mediocre and not very consistent, falling short of monitors that cost slightly more.
Gaming monitors have better features than standard monitors to provide better performance for gamers, including a higher refresh rate, faster response time, better display panels and colors, and more. The Acer KB272 HBI is a very affordable gaming monitor, but keep in mind it is an entry-level gaming monitor that comes with entry-level specifications.
However, the lower budget also determines the quality of entry-level gaming monitors. Let’s break down the 8 best reasons why you should avoid an Acer KB272 HBI gaming monitor today.
Background on Gaming Monitors
The early version of gaming monitors was CRT monitors, which offered a good refresh rate but were very bulky and difficult to transport. LCD revolutionized gaming monitors in the late 1990s with better visuals, aesthetics, and colors.
However, the biggest change for gaming monitors came with the rise of LED and IPS panels. With these panels, gaming monitors benefited from better viewing angles, faster refresh rates and response times, and even additional gaming features like FreeSync and G-Sync.
The refresh rate was the biggest improvement for gaming monitors, setting them apart from other monitors. Gaming monitors can offer refresh rates of up to 360Hz, which is well above the standard 60Hz or 75Hz. A higher refresh rate gives gamers the advantage of smoother gameplay, a fluid display, and less motion blur. All of this is important in competitive and fast-paced games.
Nowadays, gaming monitors also have technologies that can synchronize the refresh rate and in-game frames for an even smoother gaming experience. Gaming monitors are some of the most advanced monitors you can match with your gaming computer. Let’s break down the 8 main reasons to avoid an Acer KB272.
- 27" Full HD (1,920 x 1,080p) screen
- ZeroFrame Design
- AMD FreeSync technology
- 100Hz
- 1 ms (VRB)
- Low blue light
- Tilt
- HDMI and VGA ports
8 Reasons to Avoid an Acer KB272 HBI 27” Gaming Monitor
The Acer KB272 HBI meets most of the above-mentioned features, but it also has some weaknesses. It’s best to look at each one to see if it would affect your gaming experience.
It’s a VA Panel
VA monitors are a good choice for gaming monitors as they can deliver great colors, especially in dark environments. However, the Acer KB272 HBI could be a bit better if it came with an IPS panel. The Acer KB272 delivers mediocre colors, which is still okay in this price range, but it would deliver better visuals with an IPS panel instead of a VA panel.
The Acer KB272 should display and highlight dark colors better, but this entry-level monitor just has a hard time keeping colors bright. There’s an option to get this monitor with an IPS panel, but it increases the price.
Refresh Rate of Only 100Hz
100Hz is becoming the new standard for monitors. So, a gaming monitor with a refresh rate of 100Hz is only a small step up compared to a standard monitor. Some gamers might not even notice the difference, and it doesn’t bring the expected advantage.
The Acer KB272 would be a much better monitor for gaming if it had a refresh rate of at least 144Hz. Otherwise, this gaming monitor will quickly become outdated compared to other gaming monitors.
Colors are Mediocre
With a brightness of 250 nits, this gaming monitor can display vibrant colors, but the colors aren’t very consistent. The VA panel offers a wide viewing angle and better colors than monitors with TN panels but falls short of monitors that cost just a bit more.
Even though the Acer KB272 HBI is considered a cheap entry-level gaming monitor, it could have offered better graphics for the same price. While color reproduction is suitable for gaming, it’s not particularly good for image editing and certain tasks like video editing.
Pixel Density
The Acer KB272 HBI is a 27” monitor that is quite large but only offers a full HD resolution, which is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Therefore, the pixel density of this gaming monitor isn’t particularly high and you can easily see the pixels up close.
Competitive gamers who like to stay close to the monitor during an intense game won’t be able to do so, as the gaming experience will be affected by the lack of pixels. The Acer KB272 has about 81.59 pixels per inch but it’s recommended to choose a gaming monitor with a PPI between 95 and 110.
Also, keep in mind that a very high PPI isn’t good, so you should stay in the mentioned range. Otherwise, smaller texts and icons won’t be visible.
The Visuals Aren’t Very Sharp
Due to the lower pixel density and mediocre colors, the display on the Acer KB272 HBI gaming monitor isn’t very sharp up close. If the monitor was 22” or 24”, it would have been much better.
It could be hard for gamers to enjoy games that are full of graphical details using the Acer KB272 monitor. However, if you’re not much of a gamer and are more interested in entertainment, this monitor is a better choice for watching movies.
©DC Studio/Shutterstock.com
The Frameless Design Lacks Pixels
The Acer KB272 HBI gaming monitor already lacks pixels, considering its size and resolution ratio. The Acer’s feature of eliminating the edges on the sides and top of the monitor still doesn’t show off the image as well as it should.
The reason for this is that while there are very narrow borders, there is also a line of no pixels, which still makes the borders look a bit too big considering it’s a frameless monitor. If there were pixels next to the narrow bezel, the image would stand out much more and the bezel would look even thinner.
Only One HDMI Port
If you plan to use this monitor for two sources and switch between them, you won’t be able to do that easily. The Acer KB272 only has one HDMI port, whereas the standard today calls for at least two HDMI ports. There is also only one VGA port, which is quite outdated for modern gaming monitors.
Besides, the VGA port doesn’t make much sense if you want to game at a refresh rate of 100Hz. You’ll have to connect the Acer KB272 to your computer with an HDMI cable to get a higher refresh rate.
Value-to-Price Ratio
The Acer KB272 HBi 27” is a good entry-level gaming monitor, but its price is still a bit too high considering the competition. For the same price, you can get a smaller gaming monitor from Acer that offers a higher refresh rate, a slightly better ZeroFrame design, and the same response time.
For about the same price, you can also get a gaming monitor with slightly better specs from other brands. And if you spend about $50 more, you can get a curved gaming monitor of the same size and a better refresh rate.
- 27" Full HD (1,920 x 1,080p) screen
- ZeroFrame Design
- AMD FreeSync technology
- 100Hz
- 1 ms (VRB)
- Low blue light
- Tilt
- HDMI and VGA ports
Wrapping Up
The Acer KB272 HBI isn’t a bad gaming monitor, but it has features that don’t match modern gaming needs. Instead, you could downsize it and get a much better gaming monitor with better specs for the same money from the same brand.
If you consider shopping around for other brands, you can also get pretty interesting gaming monitors with slightly better specs for a bit more money. As such, the Acer seems a bit dated due to its refresh rate and use of a panel that doesn’t make sense for its specs.
Summary Table
| Reason | Issue |
|---|---|
| 1 | It’s a VA Panel |
| 2 | Refresh Rate of Only 100Hz |
| 3 | Colors are Mediocre |
| 4 | Pixel Density |
| 5 | The Visuals Aren’t Very Sharp |
| 6 | The Frameless Design Lacks Pixels |
| 7 | Only One HDMI Port |
| 8 | Value-to-Price Ratio |
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Anton Watman/Shutterstock.com.
