Acer Predator XR341CK 34" 144Hz Curved Gaming Screen with G-sync

geok1ng said:
Now i am doubly confused. The thread with banding reports has the title "XR341CK" which is the freesync model. the gsync model is XR341CKA, or goes by the nickname " Predator". Also every other sources states that the Gsync is unreleased
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The thread was started 8 months ago. It refers to the g-sync flavor in the thread title, which probably didn't have a model name/number at the time.
 
I thought this was hilarious...

900x900px-LL-188afbff_acer-comic.jpeg
 
they've said they will have an update on firmware fix for the banding issue very shortly too. So it probably won't be an issue for stock once it's available, apart from the people who bought it early in Germany. Don't think it's even available in the UK or USA or other places yet so hopefully by the time it is, the firmware fix will be in place :)
 
igluk said:
Here is tftcentral review, that was quick!

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/acer_predator_x34.htm

Confirms the blue banding issue, this needs fixing.
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Looks like a pretty darn good monitor with one major issue that needs to be fixed (blue banding). It seems like that is just a firmware bug and should be fixable though. It really looks like the firmware is dropping a bit of precision in the blue. Everything else matches up really favorably with the competition. Color and contrast is on par with other 34inch. Refresh rate, pixel response, and input lag is best in class for 34inch. It has G-sync. Overall the only major blemish is the firmware bug.

I will wait and see if that gets patched and then I think this becomes a buy for me (especially if I can get it from a store with a decent returns policy).
 
Hopefully that date holds AND they get the firmware issue sorted by then.

I still like the look of this one as a potential centerpiece to replace my UM95.
 
jackstar7 said:
Hopefully that date holds AND they get the firmware issue sorted by then.

I still like the look of this one as a potential centerpiece to replace my UM95.
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Apparently the firmware issue was already resolved for the stock that is hitting the UK.

See here.
 
Erasmus354 said:
Shoulda kept reading the thread...

See here

Not fixed yet, planning/hoping to fix it with a firmware update.
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My mistake, I only read the single post that was linked from overclock.net

In any case, Acer is obviously aware of the issue and they will address it. With that in mind, I wouldn't suggest being an early adopter on this display. Let others bite the bullet until you hear confirmation of everyone receiving it with the fixed firmware.
 
Review is up :)

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/acer_predator_x34.htm

Looks quite good except the banding & no ULMB... I've no experience with ULMB, would you say it's usefull in desktop use?
I guess I would use G-sync when gaming or what are your experiences please?
Arrg what to get ...X34 (ultra wide & 100hz oc) vs Asus 27" (16/9, native 144hz, ULMB) vs Z35 (ultra wide VA with better contrast, ULMB & native 144hz, 200hz oc, but bigger pixels)
I'm concerned the oc will not work on all panels & might give problems in the long run vs native support. I'm leaning to the Z35, native 144hz, easier on the gpu, VA contrast & no ips bleed.
 
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Blade-Runner said:
Okay so the color banding is going to be fixed, now what about panels that are unable to reach 100hz?!
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It's just not guaranteed it seems. Most owners have been hitting 100 though judging from the thread over at overclock.net, and a few that didn't still managed 95.

Annoying but won't prevent me from buying it, I'll just exchange with the retailer if it doesn't hit 100 I guess.
 
x3sphere said:
It's just not guaranteed it seems. Most owners have been hitting 100 though judging from the thread over at overclock.net, and a few that didn't still managed 95.

Annoying but won't prevent me from buying it, I'll just exchange with the retailer if it doesn't hit 100 I guess.
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That's where US buyers are at an advantage, no questions asked return/refunds. Unfortunately where I live computer suppliers don't have such a policy and are not obliged to accept a return unless the item has been misdescribed, is not fit for purpose or is otherwise faulty.
 
Blade-Runner said:
That's where US buyers are at an advantage, no questions asked return/refunds. Unfortunately where I live computer suppliers don't have such a policy and are not obliged to accept a return unless the item has been misdescribed, is not fit for purpose or is otherwise faulty.
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Can't you just say it's faulty since it can't do 100Hz as advertised? :p
 
Blade-Runner said:
That's where US buyers are at an advantage, no questions asked return/refunds. Unfortunately where I live computer suppliers don't have such a policy and are not obliged to accept a return unless the item has been misdescribed, is not fit for purpose or is otherwise faulty.
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You have same policy in Europe as long as order your screen through webpage.
 
MistaSparkul said:
Can't you just say it's faulty since it can't do 100Hz as advertised? :p
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Except it isn't advertised as a 100Hz guaranteed monitor. It is very specifically advertised as up to 100Hz with overclocking.

Look, if you want a 34" UW-IPS this is something you simply have to deal with. There is a single panel being made by LG for this so everyone is going to have the same exact limitations. Whether you get the LG, Dell, Acer, or Asus. The differences are going to be in feature set, and some minor tweaks that are capable with the control logic. The Acer and Asus obviously have an advantage because they have GSync and have made as many tweaks as they possibly can. They are both limited by the panel though, and it simply isn't guaranteed to be able to hit 100Hz. Until another player like AUO decides to move their high refresh rate IPS technology to the large format ultra wides, that is where we sit.

So either you wait another year or two for new panels, or you make your decision between slightly different versions of the same panel. The one outlier here is the Samsung VA ultra wide.
 
This picture comparing black levels with Vega's OLED is astounding...

f1219f25_IMG_0379.jpeg


LCD just looks like trash in comparison.
 
I can't speak for the predator but LCD tech blacks are not that bright in actual usage on a good panel, especially VA type LCD used in most tvs. The blacks can get fairly black on a good lcd (especially VA), the problem is that you can't make the blacks black enough without losing detail so you have to settle for a middle ground on brighter settings vs content. This issue can be less obnoxious on a zone lit backlight rather than edge lit but those tv's are usually much more expensive.
That picture looks like just the backlight on without any feed, probably trying to show the unevenness of the backlight rather than the black depth on content/in scenes.

OLED that I've seen at bb does look slick with deep rich blacks, reminiscent of plasma. Unfortunately unlike plasma it doesn't have any pixel blinking or other tech to reduce motion blur, which plasma does by around 60%. It's also 60fps-hz max in the back which is much less motion articulation and smoothness, and no blur reduction via high fps-hz.

100fps-hz/120fps-hz/144fps-hz:
~40/50/60% blur reduction
5:3/2:1/2.4:1 increase in motion definition and path articulation
g-sync rides the fps graph +/- without screen aberrations
 
Blade-Runner said:
This picture comparing black levels with Vega's OLED is astounding...

LCD just looks like trash in comparison.
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LOL. Did you really just compare OLED blacks to an IPS panel?

If that picture is accurate though, it shows the impressiveness of OLED black levels. That TV looks like it's powered off... The image quality is pretty terrible with all that noise, but there is no distinction between the panel and the bezel. A better comparison would be with some content running on the display. Depending on the features that I enable in the menu (Smart LED, etc.), my Samsung JS9000 (VA) can get pretty darn close to that when there is nothing to display (such as black loading screens).
 
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The X34 does not have ULMB, could someone with experience with ULBM please tell me his/her experience in desktop use?
I had G-sync for gaming & ULMB for desktop in mind for my next monitor so now I'm considering the Z35, except I'm a bit afraid of the 1080p.
 
Can we stop comparing a $4000 OLED TV to a $1100 computer monitor already? They are completely different market segments. Of course OLED is going to have better blacks, it is the entire point of the technology. The reason why it looks like the TV is off is because for all intents and purposes it is off. OLED black is true black, each pixel is producing zero light, that is just the way the technology works.
 
Kinawa said:
The X34 does not have ULMB, could someone with experience with ULBM please tell me his/her experience in desktop use?
I had G-sync for gaming & ULMB for desktop in mind for my next monitor so now I'm considering the Z35, except I'm a bit afraid of the 1080p.
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Why would you want ULMB for desktop? Ultra-low motion blur isn't needed at all in desktop. Do you know what ULMB is? It strobes the backlight on and off very quickly. It helps with the perception of motion blur. It works well at high frequencies, but when you get below ~85Hz people can notice the strobing and it becomes distracting.
 
Erasmus354 said:
Why would you want ULMB for desktop? Ultra-low motion blur isn't needed at all in desktop. Do you know what ULMB is? It strobes the backlight on and off very quickly. It helps with the perception of motion blur. It works well at high frequencies, but when you get below ~85Hz people can notice the strobing and it becomes distracting.
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It can also reduce eye strain for some users.
 
Nicholars said:
Flickering the backlight would make eyestrain worse.
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Depends on the speed, and the person. 100 Hz double pulse is very quick. It's also full screen, not scanning like CRT was. If you've seen slo-mo CRT capture, no wonder that flicker caused headaches. It was actually a very bright strip.
 
Kinawa said:
The X34 does not have ULMB, could someone with experience with ULBM please tell me his/her experience in desktop use?
I had G-sync for gaming & ULMB for desktop in mind for my next monitor so now I'm considering the Z35, except I'm a bit afraid of the 1080p.
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I don't see much benefit to using ULMB on the desktop. I'd be more afraid of 1080p for desktop usage than lack of backlight strobing.
 
Erasmus354 said:
Can we stop comparing a $4000 OLED TV to a $1100 computer monitor already? They are completely different market segments. Of course OLED is going to have better blacks, it is the entire point of the technology. The reason why it looks like the TV is off is because for all intents and purposes it is off. OLED black is true black, each pixel is producing zero light, that is just the way the technology works.
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the 1080p 55" LG OLED has been available new for as low as $1500.
 
Odellus said:
the 1080p 55" LG OLED has been available new for as low as $1500.
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Who cares? There aren't any 34" OLED monitors, so the comparison is useless. It' like comparing a Honda to a Porsche just to make the Honda owners hate their Honda more. It's stupid.
 
officer921 said:
Who cares? There aren't any 34" OLED monitors, so the comparison is useless. It' like comparing a Honda to a Porsche just to make the Honda owners hate their Honda more. It's stupid.
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Hey man I actually like my S2000 :p anyway nobody should be surprised by the OLED vs IPS black levels. We all knew IPS has poor contrast and OLED is the king of contrast.
 
MistaSparkul said:
I don't see much benefit to using ULMB on the desktop. I'd be more afraid of 1080p for desktop usage than lack of backlight strobing.
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Ok, thanks for the input guys.
I guess I'll get the x34 , the updated conclusion (TFT central) now says that Acer fixed the banding issue.

Comparing oled & ips is indeed like comparing the starship Enterprise to the nasa shuttle Enterprise. Just silly and pointless.
 
Agreed on the OLED comparisons, though it is a consideration for me. $1300 is frankly a lot to drop on an LCD so I'm personally holding off on making a decision until CES, in case LG decides to make a smaller 40" range 4K OLED at around $1500-2000. Considering the 55" already hit $3K on sale, that pricing seems completely plausible sometime next year.

Of course, if it happens, I doubt it'll be high refresh rate - DP 1.3 is still a few years away most likely. So I expect this monitor wil be king of the kill for awhile as far as resolution + refresh rate goes. I just value PQ too much though.
 
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