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Acer delivers two speedy 27-inch gaming monitors

Acer double downs on G-Sync with two new gaming monitors.

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Eric Franklin led the CNET Tech team as Editorial Director. A 20-plus-year industry veteran, Eric began his tech journey testing computers in the CNET Labs. When not at work he can usually be found at the gym, chauffeuring his kids around town, or absorbing every motivational book he can get his hands on.

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Eric Franklin

Jan. 3, 2015 8:00 a.m. PT

The XB270HU attempts to deliver the best of both worlds for gamers. Acer

Acer has announced two new G-Sync monitors, each with a unique feature intended to grab the attention of hardcore PC gamers.

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G-Sync is Nvidia's monitor technology that better syncs your monitor's refresh rate with the output of your video card. The resulting affect is a more stable image with less instances of screen tearing when playing games. You'll need a PC equipped with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 650Ti Boost GPU or higher, however, to take advantage of the tech.

Most monitors using G-Sync so far have housed twisted nematic (TN) panels, which are known for their fast refresh rates and narrow viewing angles. The XB270HU is the first In-Plane Switching (IPS) monitor to use G-Sync. IPS panels are known for their wide viewing angles so this should give gamers the best of both worlds: clear sharp images with minimal input lag.

The XB270HU has a resolution of 2,560x1,440 pixels, a 144MHz refresh rate, and a 178-degree viewing angle. Ergonomic options include tilt, swivel and height adjustment.

The XG270HU-02 with its edge-to-edge screen. Acer

Acer's other new monitor, the XG270HU, eschews the fancy IPS panel for an even fancier edge-to-edge frameless display. It has a quick 1 millisecond response time and includes HDMI 2.0, DVI and DisplayPort 1.2 connections. Like the XB, the XG features a 2,560x1,440-pixel screen resolution.

The Acer XB270HU and XG270HU will begin shipping globally in March 2015. Pricing has yet to be announced.