Thus far, the combination of 4K resolution (aka UHD), a 144Hz refresh rate, HDR and adaptive sync in a gaming monitor has proven to be an expensive proposition. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27 will both extract at least $1,800 from your wallet. Acer also offers the Predator XB273K for around $1,200. But if you’re willing to go with AMD FreeSync (the aforementioned three offer Nvidia G-Sync) and a little less HDR contrast, the Nitro XV273K offers 4K and 144Hz for under a grand ($900 / £900).


OK, we’re still talking about a premium gaming monitor at a premium price, but the Nitro offers quite a bit to owners of high-end gaming rigs. It’s a 27-inch IPS panel that’s equipped for AMD FreeSync 2 HDR down to 40Hz but has also earned its way onto Nvidia’s G-Sync Compatible list. We’ll show you how to make this happen and play a few games to compare the monitor’s performance with the two competing technologies.

Specifications


Until recently, gaming in 4K meant a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz. That all changed with the introduction of Asus’ ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27. Both those monitors, as well as the Acer Predator XB273K, can run at a reliable 144Hz while delivering a super-sharp pixel density of 163 pixels per inch (ppi) at 4K resolution. It’s hard to image clearer detail, and if you have enough graphics horsepower (a GeForce GTX 1080 should be considered the minimum), you can run your games at the highest resolution available today at over 100 frames per second (fps).

Gamers will also athe Nitro XV273K either FreeSync or G-Sync, depending on their graphics card choice. That’s because the monitor passed Nvidia’s tests in order to be placed on its G-Sync Compatible monitors list, which is for monitors that Nvidia certified to support G-Sync after being released.

All this goodness wouldn’t be much without DCI-P3 color and HDR, and the Nitro XV273K offers both. The panel is also VESA-certified to DisplayHDR 400, which means bright highlights and deep blacks in HDR mode and vivid color that goes well beyond sRGB.