Acer XB253QGP Review: 1080p 144Hz IPS FreeSync Gaming Monitor

The Acer XB253QGP is a 24.5" 1080p 144Hz gaming monitor based on an IPS panel with fast response time, accurate colors, and Adaptive-Sync.

Bottom Line

Thanks to its IPS panel, the XB253QGP offers vibrant colors and wide viewing angles while its rapid response time, 144Hz, and VRR support ensure buttery-smooth performance ideal for FPS games.

It offers plenty of additional features including backlight strobing, an ergonomic stand, and rich connectivity options. However, it is somewhat pricey, so be sure to check out some 240Hz IPS models too.

Design:
(5.0)
Display:
(4.6)
Performance:
(4.5)
Price/Value:
(2.5)
4.2

The Acer Predator XB253QGP is a 24.5″ 1080p 144Hz gaming monitor based on a fast IPS panel with 2ms GtG response time and vibrant colors.

Its full model name is Acer Predator XB253Q Gpbmiiprzx which will be shortened to ‘XB253QGP’ in order not to confuse this monitor with the Acer Predator XB253Q Gxbmiiprzx which is a 240Hz model (XB253QGX).

Image Quality

The monitor is based on an AHVA (IPS) panel by AU Optronics (M250HAN01.6).

It has 178° wide viewing angles, which will ensure that the picture won’t shift in color, contrast, or brightness regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.

In addition, the Acer XB253QGP monitor offers accurate, consistent, and vivid colors with 99% sRGB gamut and 8-bit color depth support for 16.7 million colors.

In the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu, you will find the pre-calibrated sRGB picture preset for excellent color accuracy out of the box, allowing you to even use the monitor for entry-level color-critical work.

Unlike many monitors, the Acer XB253QGP allows for the brightness to be adjusted in the sRGB mode, so you’ll be able to reduce it without substantially affecting the color accuracy if you prefer to work in a dark room.

Other panel-related specifications include a strong 400-nit peak brightness and a standard static contrast ratio of 1,000:1, which is pretty common for an IPS panel at this price range.

The monitor can get very bright while the contrast ratio of ~1,000:1 offers good depth of blacks shades and detail clarity in shadows, though blacks appear grayish in comparison to VA models with ~3,000:1 contrast ratio.

While VA panel monitors do offer better contrast ratio and have no IPS glow, they have disadvantages of their own such as inferior viewing angles, color accuracy, and pixel response time speed.

Moving on, the Full HD screen resolution of 1920×1080 pixels results in a decent pixel density on the 24.5″ viewable screen of the Acer XB253QGP.

With roughly 90 PPI (pixels per inch), you get sharp details and text, as well as a good amount of available screen space. What’s more, 1080p is not very demanding on your GPU, allowing you to reach higher frame rates in games.

Performance

freesync and gsync

Now, you could get the same picture quality as that of the Acer XB253QGP on a cheaper monitor. What makes this monitor exceptional is its gaming performance.

To start with, it has an imperceptibly low ~4ms input lag and a high 144Hz refresh rate, which offers a night and day difference in games when it comes to motion clarity and responsiveness, as opposed to standard 60Hz/75Hz displays.

Further, it has a rapid 2ms GtG (gray to gray pixel transition) response time speed, which will effectively eliminate trailing behind fast-moving objects in fast-paced video games.

The Acer XB253QGP has three pixel response time overdrive modes (Off, Normal, and Extreme).

Since the Extreme mode is too aggressive and adds too much pixel overshoot (inverse ghosting), we highly recommend sticking with the Normal mode.

At lower refresh rates (60Hz – 100Hz), the ‘Off’ mode is fast enough.

Next, the monitor supports AMD FreeSync and it’s certified as ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ by NVIDIA for flawless tear-free performance via VRR (variable refresh rate).

Once enabled, FreeSync/G-SYNC allows the monitor to change its refresh rate dynamically according to your frame rate, which in turn eliminates screen tearing and stuttering up to 144Hz without any noticeable input lag added.

In order to enable the ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ mode, you’ll need a DisplayPort cable, Windows 10, and at least 417.71 or newer NVIDIA drivers while FreeSync works with all recent AMD cards, and even with many older GPUs.

Make sure that ‘Adaptive-Sync’ is enabled in the monitor’s OSD menu in the ‘Gaming’ tab.

Note that you cannot use FreeSync/G-SYNC at the same time as the Extreme response time overdrive mode.

Features

acer xb253qgp monitor osd menu layout

To navigate the OSD menu, you can use the joystick at the back of the monitor, or you can download the Acer Display Widget desktop application and make any adjustments using your keyboard and mouse.

Above the joystick, there are three additional hotkeys (one changes the input source while the other two can be assigned to different shortcuts) as well as a power button/indicator.

Useful gaming features include Black Boost (improves visibility of objects in shadows by altering the gamma curvature), custom crosshairs (Aim Point), and a refresh rate tracker (Refresh Rate Num).

The Acer XB253QGP 144Hz gaming monitor also supports a Motion Blur Reduction technology called Visual Response Boost (VRB), which via backlight strobing reduces perceived ghosting.

VRB can only be activated when the monitor is set to 85Hz or 120Hz and when Adaptive-Sync and HDR are disabled.

This technology improves motion clarity in fast-paced games at the cost of picture brightness. There are two modes: Normal and Extreme. The Extreme mode has a higher brightness penalty, but better motion clarity.

While the Acer XB253QGP supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) and has VESA’s entry-level DisplayHDR 400 certification, HDR content won’t look really any better as the monitor lacks wide color gamut and local dimming.

Basically, it can accept the HDR10 signal and display it, but it lacks display capabilities for a noteworthy HDR picture.

This is the case with all monitors with this type of ‘HDR support,’ and you can essentially ignore it. Some content might look slightly better with it, but you’ll mostly prefer it disabled.

Lastly, note that the monitor has a flicker-free backlight (unless VRB is enabled, which introduces flicker by backlight strobing) and a low-blue light filter.

These two features can prevent eye strain and headaches caused by using the monitor for extended periods.

Design & Connectivity

acer xb253qgp monitor back

The Acer XB253QGP has a sturdy and versatile stand with up to 115mm height adjustment, -5°/25° tilt, +/- 20° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

It has a low-haze anti-glare coating, which eliminates reflections and the ZeroFrame design with thin bezels.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a headphones jack, dual 2W integrated speakers, and a quad-USB 3.0 hub (1 upstream + 4 downstream USB ports).

Unlike the ASUS VG259Q monitor based on the same panel, the Acer XB253QGP doesn’t have the same image filter, which makes text appear blurry to some VG259Q users.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Acer XB253QGP price ranges from $230 to $280, just like the ASUS VG259Q model. So, if you’re worried about the image filter of the VG259Q, we recommend going with Acer’s model.

In other regions, the Acer XB253QGP is available as the Acer Nitro XV253QP with the same image quality, performance, and features, but a slightly different design (without the ‘Predator’ branding).

There’s yet another model that uses the same panel, the Acer Nitro VG252QP, with a basic tilt-only stand.

Now:

If you’re really into competitive gaming, you can actually find a 1080p 240Hz IPS gaming monitor at this price range, such as the Dell S2522HG that’ll provide you with better performance and equally good image quality.

In case you’re just looking for a budget 144Hz monitor, the AOC 24G2 and the LG 24GN650 offer a similar viewing and gaming experience as the XB253QGP for up to $100 less.

Visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide for more information, and the best monitor deals currently available.

Conclusion

Overall, the Acer XB253QGP is an excellent gaming monitor with a very fast response time speed, gorgeous colors, smooth VRR performance, and plenty of additional features, including VRB, an ergonomic stand, and a USB hub. 

However, in the US, the 240Hz IPS models are only slightly more expensive. So, if you’re competitive enough to pay extra for the XB253QGP over the 24″ 1080p 144Hz IPS models, you should definitely invest a bit more for 240Hz.

Specifications

Screen Size24.5-inch
Resolution1920×1080 (Full HD)
Panel TypeIPS
Aspect Ratio16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate144Hz
Response Time2ms (GtG)
Adaptive SyncFreeSync (48Hz-144Hz)
G-SYNC Compatible
Speakers2x2W
PortsDisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0
Other Ports4x USB 3.0, Headphone Jack
Brightness400 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio1000:1 (static)
Colors16.7 million (true 8-bit)
99% sRGB
HDRDisplayHDR 400
VESAYes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

  • Accurate and consistent colors
  • sRGB mode with adjustable brightness
  • Fully ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options
  • Plenty of gaming features including FreeSync and MBR
  • Fast pixel response time speed

The Cons:

  • Expensive
  • IPS glow and mediocre contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)

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Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.