Acer - S271HL 27" LED FHD Monitor - Black

======= Summary ======= The Acer S271HL Gbidx 27" monitor (1080P, VA panel) - with minimal backlight bleeding, 1080P resolution, and a thin-bezel panel design - offers great value and good performance that will meet the needs of most people. ======= Design ======= With so many thin-bezel panel and slim monitor designs out there these days, the Acer S271HL doesn't really stand out very much. There are prettier and flashier models out there. However, its design and color doesn't offend or distract either due to its "safe" black color theme (except for the Power Button - more about it down below). The panel bezel is made of matte black plastic and the plastic base has a glossy black coating to it. The panel bezels are nice and slim allowing for space-savings and puts into center focus the viewing material, which is good. There is no height adjustment but you can tilt the monitor back-and-forward a bit. VESA mounting is supported. The power button is located on the lower-right side and all the other buttons next to it are easy to locate just with feel. All the buttons worked well and allowed me to easily switch between settings and make my selections. I found the Power Button kind of annoying, though. Besides protruding down quite a bit from the bezel, it always glows blue. In a dark room, the always-on blue light can be distracting. I couldn't find any options within the Monitor Settings to turn it off. It would've been better if the light was dimmer. Overall, the design is "clean" and well put together. ======= Connectivity Options ======= On the back of the monitor, you'll find the following connectivity options: DVI, VGA, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, and the power connector. Inside the box, you're provided with only a VGA cable (despite what the Acer website says). I hooked up the monitor via HDMI and it was quickly recognized and synced with my desktop. No issues there. ======= Performance ======= The 27" VA-panel monitor is a decent performer but not great. Its 178-degree viewing angle was good, the monitor had a minimal & acceptable amount light bleeding on the left and right edges of the panel (not a dealbreaker), and the 16:9 1080P resolution made most content look sharp and good. However, due to its large 27" size, even 1080P can look blurry when watching movies and music videos. Reading text was no issue. I personally think a 27" monitor should be at least 2K in resolution. 1080P, in my opinion, is good enough for 24" or smaller monitors but not for 27" and bigger monitors. As for colors, it was also just adequate and good but not excellent. Although the color reproduction was good, they lacked vibrancy, richness, and "pop" despite playing around with the monitor settings. The blacks were also not really black but muted & dark grayish instead of being deep. Despite the 4 ms response rate, I often detected motion blur during fast-moving scenes. I wouldn't recommend this monitor for enthusiast gamers who require fast and non-blurry experiences. For everyone else, the response rate won't be a problem or bother. As for audio support, the monitor would not play any sounds despite being advertised on the Acer website as having two 4W speakers. So it is either a typo/mistake on the website or my monitor is defective. I think it is a mistake on the website because even within the Monitor Settings, there was no options to adjust any audio volumes. The audio option had no "arrow" button pointed toward it and I couldn't select it within Settings. Although it sounds like I don't like the performance of this monitor, I rate its performance a 7.5 out of 10 due to its price and the value it offers. If you want a slim-bezel 27" monitor with good performance but don't want to spend more than $250, then the Acer S271HL Gbidx is a good choice. ======= Is it any good? A good buy? ======= Yes, it is good (for its price) and offers good value. If you don't want to spend more than $300 but still want a large 27" monitor that is a better than a TN panel (better color reproduction and display viewing angle), then get this Acer monitor. If you're willing to budget more, then get yourself an IPS-panel display with at least a 2K resolution for extra crispness, vibrancy, and faster response times.

As I took this monitor out of the box the first thing I noticed was how light it was, thin, and the frame less border. Acer's Zero Frame takes less space to provide more screen area. However, the monitor needs to be handled carefully during the base stand assembly because of the Zero Frame. In five minutes I had the base stand fastened and monitor ready to install. The stand and base hardware only require an ordinary standard, slotted flat blade screwdriver, the only tool you will need. It took me fifteen minutes to disconnect my old monitor and install this new one in its place. I used a HDMI cable over VGA and DVI to connect the monitor to my desk-top because of its superior performance for playing HD multi-media from my computer, gaming units, streaming media player, and Blu-Ray player. Here is what is included in the box: * S271H GDIBX Wide-Screen LCD-LED Monitor. * HDMI Cable * DVI Cable * VGA Cable * Power Cord * Base Stand w/Hardware * User Quick Start Guide My existing monitor was a 21”, 720P, LCD screen. Going from a 21” to 27” full, high definition, wide-screen monitor was sort of an 'eye-opening', panoramic visual shock. The dynamic colors and depth were extraordinarily striking and just blew me away. WooHoo! I was finally taking advantage of my video card, which always supported much higher resolutions (1080P). Why did it take me so long? Some Key Features of the Acer S271HL-GBIDX FHD Monitor: * VESA standard, mounting hole pattern on the back of the monitor (for wall mounting). * Tillable screen (-5° to 15°). * Anti-glare screen * White LED back-lighting. * 16:9 Screen aspect ratio. * Maximum resolution – 1920 x 1080 full high definition for pics, videos, and movies. You can connect this monitor to an HDTV, Streaming Movie Player, etc. for home entertainment. * Horizontal/Vertical viewing angles – generous 178 degrees, especially, for side viewing. * Response Time – 4ms, applicable for gaming. * Refresh Rate – 60hz, applicable for gaming. * Weighs approximately 8.82 pounds with the base stand – very lightweight. * Dimensions – 24 ¼” wide x 16 3/4” (with base stand). * Acer eColor - Adjust display colors according to what you are watching – multi-media, movies, videos, photos, or documents and data. * ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED - Rating, 25.80 W. *Color Supported - 16.7 million. * Contrast Ratio – 100,000,000:1. * On-Board Controls – At bottom right-hand of the monitor * Adaptive Contrast Management – Whites and blacks are more pronounced with much more detail in the various hues displayed on this monitor. What the ACER S271HL GBIDX does not have: * Speakers – There are no speakers although it indicates (2) 4w speakers. * Video Camera – No video camera. * Sound Capabilities – Not able to input or output any sound. * No workable audio jack for sound output even though a 3.5mm jack exists on the back of this monitor unit – it is unusable. Disregard the 3.5mm sound jack on the back of the monitor. * No TV tuner. I have no problem with the absence of speakers or lack of any sound capabilities of the Acer S271HL since most monitor speakers are 'cheesy', 'tinny', and too small to be impressive, anyway. I use a quality sound system with a sub woofer and am very pleased with it for playing my sound files, on-line music stations, gaming, streaming, movies, and videos. This wide-angle, full high definition monitor is great for multi-purpose uses. Most impressive for me is the editing of my photos, and videos. This wide-screen display is totally awesome and energizing. Even in a room with bright sunlight the display is exceptional. I love it. For its price-point this is an outstanding value for all the features it offers. I highly recommend the purchase of this monitor for your own personal use, or, for any family member or friend, who is serious about high resolutions, gaming response times, and awesome color renditions. This monitor allows you to see fine details and amazing color dynamics in a comfortable wide-screen format. Impressive Monitor for Home Entertainment and Multi-Purpose Uses. As I took this monitor out of the box the first thing I noticed was how light it was, thin, and the frame less border. Acer's Zero Frame takes less space to provide more screen area. However, the monitor needs to be handled carefully during the base stand assembly because of the Zero Frame. In five minutes I had the base stand fastened and monitor ready to install. The stand and hardware only require an ordinary standard, slotted flat blade screwdriver, the only tool you will need. It took me fifteen minutes to disconnect my old monitor and install this new one in its place. I used a HDMI cable over VGA and DVI to connect the monitor to my desk-top because of its superior performance for playing HD multi-media from my computer, gaming units, streaming media player, and Blu-Ray player. Here is what is included in the box: * S271H GDIBX Wide-Screen LCD-LED Monitor. * HDMI Cable * DVI Cable * VGA Cable * Power Cord * Base Stand w/Hardware * User Quick Start Guide My existing monitor was a 21”, 720P, LCD screen. Going from a 21” to 27” full, high definition, wide-screen monitor was sort of an 'eye-opening', panoramic visual shock. The dynamic colors and depth were extraordinarily striking and just blew me away. WooHoo! I was finally taking advantage of my video card, which always supported much higher resolutions (1080P). Why did it take me so long? Some Key Features of the Acer S271HL-GBIDX FHD Monitor: * VESA standard, mounting hole pattern on the back of the monitor (for wall mounting). * Tillable screen (-5° to 15°). * Anti-glare screen * White LED back-lighting. * 16:9 Screen aspect ratio. * Maximum resolution – 1920 x 1080 full high definition for pics, videos, and movies. You can connect this monitor to an HDTV, Streaming Movie Player, etc. for home entertainment. * Horizontal/Vertical viewing angles – generous 178 degrees, especially, for side viewing. * Response Time – 4ms, applicable for gaming. * Refresh Rate – 60hz, applicable for gaming. * Weighs approximately 8.82 pounds with the base stand – very lightweight. * Dimensions – 24 ¼” wide x 16 3/4” (with base stand). * Acer eColor - Adjust display colors according to what you are watching – multi-media, movies, videos, photos, or documents and data. * ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED - Rating, 25.80 W. *Color Supported - 16.7 million. * Contrast Ratio – 100,000,000:1. * On-Board Controls – At bottom right-hand of the monitor * Adaptive Contrast Management – Whites and blacks are more pronounced with much more detail in the various hues displayed on this monitor. What the ACER S271HL GBIDX does not have: * Speakers – There are no speakers although it indicates (2) 4w speakers. * Video Camera – No video camera. * Sound Capabilities – Not able to input or output any sound. * No workable audio jack for sound output even though a 3.5mm jack exists on the back of this monitor unit – it is unusable. Disregard the 3.5mm sound jack on the back of the monitor. * No TV tuner. I have no problem with the absence of speakers or lack of any sound capabilities of the Acer S271HL since most monitor speakers are 'cheesy', 'tinny', and too small to be impressive, anyway. I use a quality sound system with a sub woofer and am very pleased with it for playing my sound files, on-line music stations, gaming, streaming, movies, and videos. This wide-angle, full high definition monitor is great for multi-purpose uses. Most impressive for me is the editing of my photos, and videos. This wide-screen display is totally awesome and energizing. Even in a room with bright sunlight the display is outstanding. I love it. For its price-point this is an outstanding value for all the features it offers. I highly recommend the purchase of this monitor for your own personal use, or, for any family member or friend, who is serious about high resolutions, gaming response times, and awesome color renditions. This monitor allows you to see fine details and amazing color dynamics in a comfortable wide-screen format.

Pros: -Nice size (27” is the upper limit for 1080p, IMO) text is nice and clear -Looks great with thin bezels and not a large footprint on desk -Great price Cons: -Lack of DisplayPort -Power supply is not built in (power brick instead) -Colors look washed – see explanation below I bought this monitor to hook up to a Surface Book 2 15" that I recently bought. I intended to use it with my docking station to have bigger display for regular office tasks/homework for pharmacy school, along with occasional gaming. I figured the 1080p resolution would allow me to make it a bit easier on the integrated GTX 1060 6GB that is included in the SB2 for gaming. I also purchased a USB-C to HDMI cable to allow me to connect directly to the monitor while also having my charger connected to the Surface port. (The Surface Dock will not provide enough power via the Surface port to allow for charging while gaming. The battery will drain if connected that way). There are a couple things I noticed as soon as I connected the monitor to my SB2 to the monitor. Some of these issues I understand are a result of the SB2 (like not being able to use the NVIDIA Control Panel to adjust the color settings for the monitor) as opposed to the monitor so I'm going to stick to just rating the monitor. The color out of the box seem extremely washed. There is a lack of vibrancy and sufficient settings within the monitor itself to remedy the issue. No matter how much I tinkered with the settings the problem persisted. I tried everything from downloading multiple ICC profiles, to Acer software for monitor calibration, the built-in Windows color calibration, and of course, the OSD settings within the monitor itself. Nothing, and I mean nothing, led to any result that I would consider acceptable. I am in no way a stickler nor do I work with any video or photography programs but after staring at a decent display (SB2 integrated display) this monitor just pales in comparison. I also own a Dell S2716DG which is a 27” 1440p 144Hz G-SYNC monitor. This monitor happens to have a TN panel but I will say that the colors are leaps and bounds better than what is being displayed by this Acer. I know that this monitor has better specs but for those saying that this Acer produces better colors than a TN panel, that is simply not true. As a disclaimer, I was only able to try the monitor while connected via HDMI. The only reason I mention that is that I have run into a color issue with an old Dell monitor some years ago while connected to an integrated GPU (Intel 2500K). For some reason, when I connected that monitor to the same computer motherboard via an DVI or VGA cable, I had way better color output. I believe in the past I read that the Intel drivers for integrated GPUs recognized anything connected via HDMI as a television as opposed to a monitor and therefore switched the color profile accordingly. I have not had the opportunity to try this monitor with any other computer or type of cable since I don’t have any lying around. Bottom Line: If you are looking for a 1080p monitor that looks great on a desk and are upgrading from something smaller/older with not great colors, you might be fine with this monitor. If you are coming from any decent IPS, VA, or TN panel, the color reproduction will be noticeably worse on this Acer. Unfortunately, this monitor will be going back as the color reproduction is just not acceptable in my use case since going from staring at a well-calibrated display in the SB2 to this Acer unit is simply not a pleasant experience. I have included some images below that hopefully demonstrate my description a little better. Note that the task bar at the bottom should be black and the Acer shows this as almost a light gray. Also, the blues look much deeper and vibrant on the SB2 screen as opposed to the Acer. **(Best Buy automatically compresses the original uploads which makes it harder to see but the differences are still clear in my opinion.) I would be willing to post the originals elsewhere and add the link here if someone would like to see them uncompressed. **

Out of the box, this monitor looks great and is easy to setup. Note that even though this is an “edgeless” or “zero-frame” monitor, Acer creates a ¼-inch black frame around the edge of the monitor. So the screen extends to the edge but when turned on, there is a black frame created on-screen anyway. You will see this in one of the attached photos below… the screen is on but there still appears to be a quarter-inch border around the content – that’s still screen material. APPEARANCE: • Very sleek and thin. Screen “surface” goes all the way to the edge of the monitor’s top and sides. • Monitor can be angled slightly or straight up and down – HOWEVER, the connecting piece between the base and the monitor itself needs to be removed from the monitor body before adjusting as the metal plate and hinge is very tight and may damage components on the monitor if adjusted while already inserted into the monitor body. • Lit-up power button when in the “on” or “standby” mode. • Power cord has an in-line transformer block. The cord segment from the block to the monitor is very thin which helps with concealment and appearance. PROS: • Great and crystal clear VGA/DVI picture. The 27” screen pops with color and brightness, both of which are adjustable. • Videos as smooth as laptop processor will allow on full screen. • No-glare screen • Monitor offers DVI, VGA, and HDMI inputs • Rubber feet, sturdy CONS: • HDMI picture from HP ENVY PC causes much video loss… black lines are missing, colors are off quite a bit. I was unable to fix via graphics card options or screen resolution troubleshooting. • HDMI picture from a set-top box (I have AT&T U-Verse) provided an ok picture but not as clear and crisp as a regular 1080p TV. I was able to see some minor wavy lines in the picture… the best picture came with VGA/DVI connections via PC. • When providing an HDMI input to the monitor and then using the audio jack on the back of the monitor, the audio is weakened greatly in quality and volume range. You will need to use the main audio source (cable box, PC, etc) instead of using the audio jack on the back of the monitor. You lose a great deal of sound quality using the monitor's audio/headphones jack. • There is no remote, so you will have to use the buttons next to the power button on the underside of the right side of the monitor. It was a little cumbersome at first and hard to navigate, but once you see how to maneuver the menu, you can eventually get everything set like you like. Since this is only done once, this isn’t a huge negative. • It would have been nice to have the picture extend all the way to the edge of the screen instead of creating a black ¼” border on-screen. I’m not sure why that was done when you’d have more real estate the other way… even if by ½ inch total. Overall, if using VGA/DVI, this is a great monitor with a great picture. You may end up avoiding HDMI use, as PC inputs provided a much better experience. I use as a secondary monitor with a DVI cable and audio directly from my PC so my experience has been nothing but superb with this model so far. But work could still be done to improve HDMI and audio shortcomings.

Acer S271HL Gbidx 27” Monitor Setup/Testing/Conclusion Let me first state that Acer has done an awesome job with this monitor in my opinion. What I would’ve liked to see is perhaps better box design. I know… Box? Yes! I feel like anyone and everyone that releases a product should have some sort of packaging that hooks the customer. It needs to stand out from the competition. Upon opening the box the monitor is well packaged with styrofoam. You’ll find the monitor of course, along with a VGA cable and the stand to put together. Putting the monitor together was really easy to do. After removing all the protective film, it was time to power on this thing. You have the ability to plug in either HDMI, DVI or VGA as it has all 3 inputs. I went with HDMI of course. First thing I noticed was how thin the bezel/frame was around the screen of this monitor. Acer does advertise that its “Zero Frame”, I really liked this personally. As soon as it powered on you are greeted by a yellow Acer logo. After my PC booted up, I immediately changed the refresh rate to the max which was 75Hz. I then proceeded to surf around the web for images to compare colors and images. First off, this monitor produces some very nice looking images and colors. Everything is extremely vibrant and it looks beautiful. One thing that my wife and I noticed though was that there was a slight yellowish undertone. So some of the images we saw were a bit off. But nonetheless I still enjoyed looking at everything on this monitor. Some people may not even notice. The next thing I did was start a game that people still play… That’s right, Counter-Strike Global Offensive. For the monitor’s response time I couldn’t tell the difference between 4ms and 5ms. From what I was told a 1ms monitor makes a difference though. One thing I can tell you is that the refresh rate of 60Hz compared to 75Hz, you can see the difference here in my opinion. Playing CS:GO was definitely smooth and I really enjoyed the zero frame/small border on this monitor. It made things look… Bigger! My old monitor was a 24” while this Acer is a 27”, this even made a difference. Again… The Zero Frame is where it's at for this monitor. I also didn’t experience any eye fatigue here when gaming for about 2 hours. Overall the monitor is honestly better than I expected. The base is nice and heavy so it’s sturdy. The build construction on the monitor itself seems normal, nothing crazy out of the ordinary I’d say. I would rate this monitor a 4 out of 5. Why? Because for the price (if you spend a little more) you can get a 144Hz refresh rate monitor with 1ms response time. Does this matter to some folks? Absolutely, especially if you’re going to be gaming. But I’d still recommend this monitor because it's not bad at all. I’ve actually already recommended this monitor to a couple coworkers and my company. Features & Specs Full HD LED (Mercury Free) 1920 x 1080 FHD Zero Frame ComfyView Blue Light Filter Flicker-Less 4ms Response Time 75 Hertz Screen Refresh Rate (max) What's in the box? 27” Acer S271HL Gbidx Monitor (with neck and stand) User Guide VGA Cable Power Cable with AC Adapter

I'm not going to go into a ton of details on this review because it is for an LCD display, and it does what an LCD display does, it gives you a display for your computer, game system, or whatever you plug into it. What I will say, is that Acer has done a very nice job of putting a high quality HD (1900x1080) into a virtually bezel less frame, gave it great viewing angles, and did it all for just a bit over $200! If that isn't enough for you to go out and buy this, I'm not sure what you are looking for! I've attached a couple of pictures to this review so you can see the Acer monitor flanked by a 4k iMac and a new Samsung Notebook 9 Pro with a 1920x1080 screen as well. As you can see from the picture, they all look great. The Acer is a bit brighter though I think the picture does the screen some disservice because of the camera. While it is the brightest of the three it does not look as washed out as the photo would seem to indicate. Is is as rich in color as the other two, no, but it is still a very nice display. That is also putting the monitor on the eco mode which I think is actually the nicest out of all the modes and it was the 'darkest'. BTW, the laptop is driving the image on the screen and they obviously have a pixel perfect match between the two screens which is nice considering this is how this monitor will be used. I do a lot of conferences and presentations for work and sometimes I use a projector (a really great one that I just got from Best Buy and reviewed as well) and now I have this to use at our display booth rather than just having my laptop open. This will also allow me to throw up an image and lock it in while I have my laptop behind the screen and can keep working. Wait, I don't know if that is actually a positive! The screen is a fabulous size at 27", it is super light, and has three input options (DVI, HDMI, and VGA) so I'm covered no matter what the source. This will really up the quality of our displays at our booth and I'm thinking of using it for some of our smaller presentations where I don't really need to throw up a screen and projector. I would also be very happy using this as a work display as well. I'm going to see if my boss will let me swap out my current dual display setup for one using two of these monitors considering I can use the same VESA mount and it gives me some more screen space. Finally, I attached a picture that gives a closeup of some of the minor text in the corner of the screen just to show how it does when pixel-peeping. I've noticed that now I don't notice as much when going up to high res displays but I really notice an inferior one right away. This one looks outstanding right out of the box and provides a nicely sharp display. As nice as the 4K on my iMac, no, but it isn't jarring as some screens can be, and it held up quite nicely. If you are looking for a beautiful display for really any purpose, and at a great price, you really can't go wrong with the Acer S271HL. It perfectly met all my needs and I'm looking at going to get a couple more! Can't give a more rousing endorsement than that!

Got this on Black Friday for a new PC for the kids. They needed something for elementary school work (3rd and 4th grade) and games. After setting everything up, my first impression is people are writing reviews without ever seeing this monitor in person. You will not see a screen grid of pixels using this. It is simply too big to sit close enough to to see the pixels. At normal viewing distance there is no grid. Maybe with your face on the screen doing professional photo editing and design work, but not for regular use. Using this for web surfing and office tasks it does what it should. Where it really shines is with games. Wow! It is like day and night when you run the standard kids games like Roblox, T.A.B.S., Minecraft, Amazing Frog and Steam. If you need super hi res, yes, you need more than 1080p, but with a GTX 1050 3gb and these games, this monitor is beyond perfect. Also, because it’s only 1080p, you will have text big enough to actually read, which is not happening at 4K. Which is one of the reasons I got this—to keep the kids eyes off the smaller screens like laptops and iPads, because this is better for their eyes. This is a solid 4 Star monitor. Yes, there are better monitors, but this is an all around great 1080p 27” monitor. You do not need more resolution than this for most uses, even the games look great on this. It definitely is a true 4ms screen, if not faster. If you are looking for something to double as a 1080p TV this will work, but not on lower res source material, like 720p, which will be box pixelated, there are other screens that may do better with less res on a 1080p screen. But most monitors aren’t as good as TVs with that. Note: This monitor will do 75hz via HDMI, but the picture looks washed out that way, using a good quality DVI-D cable at 60hz produces much better color.

This monitor is one of the nicest monitors I've ever owned. The monitor is fairly thin (and lightweight) which makes it portable and easier to fit into tight spaces. I found the colors to be quite crisp, bright and vibrant.   Once I unpacked the monitor it required assembly to the base (two screws). This took approximately 1 minute.  I suggest that you place the monitor on a flat surface during this process.  EASY!   You will immediately notice the size of this monitor.  It is very impressive and you will love the expanded viewing pleasure that it gives you. The connection to my computer was uneventful with no connectivity issues. When powered on, the power button is quite visible and there is no mistaking whether the monitor is on of off.   From the second that I turned the monitor on, it was nothing short of stupendous. My new monitor didn't need any calibration adjustment, as the display was picture perfect.  The only adjustment that I had to manually tweak was the screen resolution (which was a Microsoft issue). There are no built-in speakers supplied with this monitor, nor is there a Web-cam.  So, for those of you planning on listening to music or using SKYPE/FaceTime you will have to purchase a Web-Cam and a set of external speakers.  For me this wasn't an issue as I already own external speakers and a Web-cam as they are relatively inexpensive. I thought that I would mention it, as I know this might be a selling point or a deal breaker for some consumers.   What I found a little cumbersome was the adjustment of the viewing angle for the monitor.  Being very honest, when I first assembled the monitor to the base, I attempted to adjust the viewing angle and tilt the monitor to a comfortable angle.  It did not budge an inch since I wasn't applying enough pressure to successfully adjust it. The ability to tilt this particular monitor forward and backward was very stiff.  When I applied enough pressure it adjusted as necessary. Overall this is a very nice monitor. With its borderless 27 inch viewing area, photo-editing becomes easier, watching movies becomes more pleasurable, video gaming comes alive, etc. The Acer monitor is fantastic.  Happy Viewing!