The Acer does comparably well with the medium background (middle row) but also performs well for the dark background (top row) and light background (bottom row). Bracketed numbers in our analysis refer to shades on the printed sheet or right side of the screen if they’re ordered consecutively from top left to bottom right. There was certainly a lack of depth and atmosphere compared to models with much stronger static contrast, but quite good for an IPS-type model. The AOC presented shades in a more vibrant and saturated way, with some quite striking neon shades. These are both quite useable strobe backlight settings and make appropriate references. The screen surface was not quite as smooth as on the aforementioned AOC, either, although didn’t impart the sort of ‘smeary’ graininess that some matte anti-glare solutions provide. Again, if you're a Valorant player that puts everything on the lowest settings to get the highest frames possible, you probably won't care very much about a high dynamic range — you probably turn shadows off completely in your games. Whilst the competitive edge was certainly less important here, the fluid experience with reduced perceived blur and superior ‘connected feel’ was still enjoyable. It helps lift out detail in a natural way, with a superior range of very closely matching dark shades. Ensure the ‘Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible’ checkbox and ‘Enable settings for the selected display model’ is checked as shown below. And actually quite useable for those who are happy to put up with the drawbacks and find the competitive edge it brings attractive. No additional monitor drivers or ICC profiles were specifically loaded and the monitor was left to run for over 2 hours before readings were taken or observations made. This is really just a digital brightness slider, so you lose contrast by adjusting it. Towards the bottom of the screen strobe crosstalk is introduced behind the object, essentially replacing the overshoot. This, coupled with the low input lag, provides an excellent ‘connected feel’. So whilst this wasn’t the cleanest strobe backlight setting we’ve seen, it was far from the worst. AMD LFC (Low Framerate Compensation) is also supported by this model, which means that the refresh rate will stick to multiples of the frame rate where it falls below the 48Hz (48fps) floor of operation for FreeSync. This section of the video review runs through the technology and some of the issues we described above when using it on our GTX 1080 Ti.Our suggestions regarding use of VSync also apply, but you’re using Nvidia Control Panel rather than AMD Radeon Software to control this. The video review is designed to complement the written piece and is not nearly as comprehensive. Some will find this brightness level fine and will adjust to it, particularly if the room isn’t too bright. Bright elements stood out quite well against darker surroundings, with a bit of graininess from the screen surface but nothing extreme. VRB (Visual Response Boost)Earlier in the review, we introduced the ‘VRB (Visual Response Boost)’ feature, its principles of operation and how it performs using specific tests. And applies a high brightness level plus the ‘Super Sharpness’ filter by default. Including both components, the bezel is ~5.5mm (0.22 inches) at the top and ~6mm (0.24 inches) at the sides. And just a touch less impressive than on the AOC 24G2(U) with its slightly stronger static contrast IPS-type panel. Lagom’s tests for viewing angle tests help explore the idea of colour consistency and viewing angle performance. The ‘Normal’ setting again curtails this slight ‘powdery’ trailing and replaces it with overshoot. The darkest blue block blended into the background just a touch too readily.Performance on the black level test was strong. Darker areas certainly highlighted limitations in the HDR performance, too. They often catch the eye due to their dynamic nature, on models where they manifest themselves in this way. This is strongest for the medium background but is less pronounced than at 60Hz with the same setting. The segments are distinct and the notches easy to count. Some IPS-type models (such as the AOC 24G2/U) show some shifts here including a dulling towards the edges, which this model didn’t exhibit.The green block appeared a consistent saturated green chartreuse shade throughout.

This could be counteracted only by reducing brightness in the HDR OSD setting (which, oddly, doesn’t automatically activate under HDR) before an HDR signal is detected. This is a good practical speed to take such photographs at, highlighting both elements of perceived blur nicely. Will Blizzard's New Multi-Box Rule Destroy The WoW Economy? The backlight brightness control of the Acer is really rather unusual under HDR.

The first few blocks blended into the background readily, which is expected for a monitor tracking the ‘2.2’ gamma curve correctly. The Acer does comparably well with the medium background (middle row) but also performs well for the dark background (top row) and light background (bottom row). You can set ‘HDR’ to ‘Auto’ or ‘HDR-400’ in the ‘Picture’ section of the OSD (both settings seem to be identical).