Acer XF250Q Review: 1080p 240Hz 1ms FreeSync Gaming Monitor

The Acer XF250Q is the most cost-efficient 1080p 240Hz 1ms gaming monitor. Plus, it's G-SYNC compatible and has an ergonomic stand!

Bottom Line

The Acer XF250Q is one of the most affordable 240Hz gaming monitors. In addition to 240Hz, it offers low input lag and quick response time for a flawless competitive gaming experience. It’s the perfect display for hardcore players on a budget.

Design:
(5.0)
Display:
(4.0)
Performance:
(4.8)
Price/Value:
(3.0)
4.2

Whether you want to upgrade your old 144Hz monitor to a faster model or you’re new to fast-paced competitive gaming and want to go for 240Hz straight away, the Acer XF250Q is one of the cheapest 240Hz displays you’ll find. Here’s how it performs.

Note that the full model name of the unit we’re reviewing is the Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx.

The Acer XF250Q Abmiidprzx (XF250QA) is the same monitor with an extra DVI port, a quad-USB 3.0 hub, and Motion Blur Reduction technology.

Image Quality

Just like most 24.5″ 1080p 240Hz 1ms models, the Acer XF250Q is based on a TN panel with a 400-nit peak brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 8-bit color depth and 160°/170° viewing angles.

So, as far as the image quality goes, you’re getting the same viewing experience that you would get on most 240Hz monitors.

In comparison to IPS and VA panels, you get washed out colors and narrow viewing angles, but you do get a rapid 1ms response time speed for minimal ghosting.

With proper calibration, the Acer XF250Q monitor does offer a decent image quality while the narrow viewing angles aren’t troublesome as long as you’re in front of the screen.

It goes without saying that at this point, you have to sacrifice image quality for performance. So, if you want a better image quality, you should opt for a 1440p monitor or a 1080p 144Hz display with an IPS or VA panel instead.

In order to secure fluid performance, the Acer XF250Q features 1080p resolution, which is not very demanding on your GPU/CPU and will thus allow you to easily reach and maintain high frame rates in the eSports titles.

Performance

Acer Xf250q Buy

Thanks to its low input lag of ~3ms and quick response time, the monitor delivers a buttery-smooth gaming experience without any ghosting, motion blur, or perceptible delay.

Now, going from 144Hz to 240Hz won’t be nearly as noticeable as it is going from 60Hz/75Hz to 144Hz, but the difference is definitely there. And if you’re a serious competitive gamer, you’re going to want every millisecond of advantage you can get.

Additionally, the Acer XF250Q supports AMD FreeSync, which provides a variable refresh rate (VRR) between 48-240Hz/FPS (Frames Per Second). VRR removes all screen tearing and stuttering with minimal input lag penalty (~1ms).

The monitor is also certified by NVIDIA as ‘G-SYNC Compatible,’ thus ensuring flawless VRR performance when using FreeSync with compatible NVIDIA graphics cards (GTX 10-series or newer).

Features

Acer Xf250q Abmiidprzx Review

Besides the standard alterations such as brightness/contrast, color temperature, gamma, 6-axis hue/saturation, etc., the Acer XF250Q 240Hz monitor offers Black Boost, which raises visibility in darker video games and Aim Point which consists of customizable crosshairs.

The OSD (On-Screen Display) menu can be navigated via the six hotkeys placed beneath the bottom bezel at the right side of the monitor.

While the menu isn’t particularly user-friendly nor intuitive, it contains all the settings/features you’ll need. When OSD is closed, the hotkeys can be used as shortcuts for certain functions such as volume, input source, and overdrive (Off, Normal, Extreme).

Design & Connectivity

Acer Xf250q C back

The build quality of the Acer XF250Q gaming monitor is somewhat cheap with simple plastics, but the stand is fully ergonomic with up to 150mm of height adjustment, -5°/35° tilt, +/- 60° swivel, 90° pivot, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, two 2W integrated speakers and a headphone jack. FreeSync works over both HDMI 2.0 and DP with a 48-240Hz VRR range.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Acer XF250Q price ranges from $230 up to $280, which makes it one of the cheapest 240Hz gaming monitors.

However, we highly recommend getting the Dell S2522HG instead for ~$250. It’s just as fast, but uses an IPS panel with much better colors and wider viewing angles.

Visit our best monitors for FPS games buyer’s guide for more information and the best deals available.

Conclusion

Overall, the Acer XF250Q is a decent 240Hz gaming monitor, but there are better options at this price range.

Specifications

Screen Size24.5-inch
Resolution1920×1080 (Full HD)
Panel TypeTN
Aspect Ratio16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate240Hz
Response Time1ms (GtG)
Adaptive SyncFreeSync (48Hz-240Hz)
Speakers2x2W
PortsDisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0
Other PortsHeadphone Jack
Brightness400 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio1000:1 (static)
Colors16.7 million (6-bit + FRC)
VESAYes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

  • Quick response time and low input lag
  • Plenty of gaming features including FreeSync up to 240Hz, G-SYNC Compatible
  • Fully ergonomic design
  • Good value for the price

The Cons:

  • Narrow viewing angles
  • Inferior image quality to IPS and VA panels

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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.