Acer ConceptD CP7 CP7271KP
An unusually flexible monitor that’s great for both gaming and HDR work
SCORE
PRICE £1,424 (£1,708 inc VAT) from alza.co.uk
Acer has created a wood/metal aesthetic for its ConceptD workstation range, so it’s no surprise to see hints of both in this accompanying, stylish monitor. Acer doesn’t lose any crucial functionality: you can still adjust the height by 180mm, swivel it round 360° and tilt it back a full 35°.
The only thing you can’t do is pivot it into portrait mode, but doing so would make the supplied hood fall off anyway. While its “brushed velvet” texture is odd, the hood is effective at blocking out surrounding light and means you can fully appreciate this panel’s finer qualities. Out of the box it covered 96.6% of the sRGB gamut with 101.2% volume, and minor tweaks took this to 97.6% and 99.9%; mix in average Delta E of 0.35 and you have one colour-accurate panel.
Unusually, Acer’s preset modes aren’t labelled Adobe RGB or DCI-P3, but the likes of CAD/CAM, Graphics and Movie. Both Graphics and Movie gave us similar returns for Adobe RGB (an excellent 98%/110%) and DCI-P3 (90%/113%), and if you have access to a calibrator then you can fine-tune this and create your own User setting.
Note that Acer has obtained Pantone validation too.
The OSD marries plenty of controls with easy-to-understand instructions, although whoever decided to place the on/off switch next to one of the shortcut buttons should be severely disciplined.
Unusually for a professional monitor, it supports G-Sync Ultimate – Nvidia’s highest accolade. This panel can even push up to 144Hz and promises 4ms response times, giving it an unusual set of skills. Add DisplayHDR 1000 support and, equally unusually, it’s also a great system for checking HDR videos you’ve created. Just don’t rely on the echoey built-in speakers.
Given that HDR certification, it’s no surprise that it can peak at 588cd/m2 in general use, ensuring this is a screen that has impact in every way. The Acer’s unique set of skills (and higher resolution) make it a fine alternative to the Eizo.