Acer's new monitors for CES 2021 are a gamer's dream

Acer’s showing off its 2021 bounty ahead of this year's all virtual CES. The new products include some flashy, 275Hz monitors that track your mouse and military-grade Chromebooks. The upcoming Chromebook Spin 514 looks like it’ll be an awesome affordable laptop for students and office workers. Meanwhile, the new gaming monitors are loaded with just about any feature you could ask for (as long as you have the cash).

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-1H/CP514-HH)

We’ve seen some great models from the Spin line in the past, and the Chromebook Spin 514 seems like it will be no exception. The convertible’s beautiful silver aluminum chassis has been certified for military-grade durability, so it should withstand drastic temperature changes, drops, and shocks without any damage to the internals.

The Chromebook Spin 514’s full HD screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which makes this touchscreen more durable than usual. On the inside, the Chromebook packs an AMD Ryzen processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage, so its performance should be as sturdy as its body.

If it’s anything like the Acer Spin 3 we tested last year, it could be an amazing 2-in-1 that packs a powerful punch, great battery life, and a fantastic viewing experience that would make it a great value for the money.

There’s also an Enterprise version, which features Zero-touch Enrollment. This means that these Enterprise models automatically connect to a company’s administration network when they’re connected to the internet for the first time, so you’ll automatically get all the apps, configurations, and patches that your IT department issues without ever having to visit the office.

We’re excited to get it in our hands this February. The base version will sell for $479.99 and the enterprise version will later sell in March for $749.99.

Monitors

Acer has a few new gaming monitors coming up, as well. They’re not cheap, but they’re really exciting for those ready for high-refresh 4K gaming (like new Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 owners). They could be just the ticket if you’re not already after a gorgeous OLED high-refresh TV.

Predator XB323QK NV 31.5-inch monitor

This 31.5-inch 4K monitor offers a 144Hz refresh rate and will come with Nvidia G-Sync to keep the monitor’s refresh consistent with your source’s output refresh rate. It’s also VESA DisplayHDR certified, so it should have no problem with HDR visuals for impressive brightness and contrast. It’s pricey at $1,199.99, so we’ll have to wait and see if it’s worth purchasing this May over our current favorite monitors.

Predator XB273U NX 27-inch monitor

This WQHD monitor is super cool—while it will run at 240Hz normally, it can be overclocked up to 275Hz. That’s insane, especially for a 2560p x 1440p monitor. It also features even better color accuracy than the aforementioned 31.5-inch Predator monitor, as well as Nvidia G-Sync.

The 27-inch monitor will come with NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer out of the box, which claims to measure your peripherals’ latency in order to keep the image as accurate to your inputs as possible. For esports gamers who need as much accuracy as possible, this monitor could be an awesome new option, but it’s overkill (and overpriced) for most gamers. Expect to see it in May for a whopping $1,099.99.

Nitro XV282K KV

This much more affordable 28-inch Nitro monitor is aimed at console gamers (not that PC gamers couldn’t also enjoy it). With 4K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, and AMD FreeSync (AMD’s answer to Nvidia G-Sync), it should be able to show what the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 can do when they’re pushed to the limit. In addition, thanks to TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe certification and Acer VisionCare 3.0, it should also be a much more comfortable experience on the eyes for long-term sessions.

Sadly, there is no mention of VESA HDR certification, but something has to give to bring this monitor’s price down from the very similar 31.5-inch Predator monitor. It’ll come out this May for a more reasonable (but still expensive) $899.99.