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Are you into gaming but you are not as hard core as some avid enthusiasts? Have you been browsing monitors on the market and scoffing at some of the prices you see? I hear you! A fairly decent gaming monitor can cost up to a whopping $700!
If that’s too rich for your blood but you also don’t want to go with a standard, run of the mill computer monitor, I come with good tidings! I’ll review the Acer SB270 Bbix with you here which is available on Amazon for a budget friendly price.
While it is super affordable, it still offers some great features for gaming which we’ll go over. While the refresh rate is decent and the response time is stellar, its performance is not quite high enough for this monitor to be ideal for highly competitive game play like First Person Shooter games (FPS).
However, the aspect ratio, viewing angles, and IPS Panel allow for some really immersive and visually striking play. Before we dive into some of the features as well as the pros and cons of this monitor, ask yourself some questions and keep your answers in mind as we review.
Will you be playing competitive games with the need for high performance and response time? Or, is your cup of tea closer to the highly atmospheric games on the market which will require great visually appealing graphics and color magnificence? Also, what features in a monitor are deal breakers for you personally?
While this monitor has some excellent benefits, it still falls short in some areas like most monitors, so you will want to think about whether or not the cons are deal breakers for you. Let’s dive in!
Technical Specifications
Before we jump into the review, let’s take a quick look at the specs, so we can see how good (or bad) the Acer SB270 Bbix looks on the paper:
- Size: 27”
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Resolution: FullHD (1920×1080)
- Panel Type: IPS
- Refreshing Rate: 75hz
- Response Time: 1ms
- Brightness: 250 cd/m²
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- I/O Ports: HDMI, VGA, 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Weight: 7.8 lb
- Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Design
The Acer SB270 Bbix is a 27” flat monitor design and looks both elegant and simple. It’s really compact and easy to set up at under 8 lbs so you won’t have to deal with the hassle of complexity when you’re pulling it out of the box.
The monitor stand is standard and unimpressive but this quality isn’t necessarily the most important when you’re looking for a sleek but functional monitor. The setup also doesn’t take up much real estate on your desktop. It measures at 24.4″ x 17.9″ x 8.3″ with the stand included so it is a good monitor to use if you want to set up multiple monitor displays and you still want to keep a clean desktop.
The super thin borders on this monitor and the really thin bezels contribute to an immersive experience and make this a good monitor for you if you like those atmospheric and visually appealing games.
Physical adjustments of the monitor are limited, however. You can adjust the tilt between -5° and 15° but it does not allow for height or angle adjustments. If the 17.9” height is too short for you, you may want to look at swapping out the stand, adding a second stand for increased height, or possibly mounting the monitor on the wall which would save even more desktop real estate.
Be cautious, though, when you’re making adjustments or adding additional height as the stand and monitor setup is a bit wobbly. You don’t want it to tip over or crash down and cause itself damage.
Display
This monitor does have some appeal in is its visual display. The 1920 x 1080 resolution gives sharp graphics and some crisp color visuals so your visual experience will be relatively enjoyable. Also, As with most FullHD monitors, you don’t need to worry as much about the GPU, as long as you have a average performing graphics card, you’ll be fine.
With the larger 27” screen, you may notice a lower Pixels Per Inch (PPI) in general which could cause some irritating smudge and jagged edges on your graphics. This monitor’s In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel is a step above standard TN panels so you get great 178 degree viewing angles and great color quality from many angles.
Sharing your screen with someone next to you will, therefore, be easier to do than with a standard TN panel monitor which is good since the monitor doesn’t swivel well physically. Note that with IPS panel you may notice a glow when viewing very dark content which is intensified at wider angle viewing.
An aspect ratio of 16:9 as well as glare reduction material makes for pretty great viewing so, again, atmospheric games are great on this monitor and you’ll find a highly immersive experience. With the IPS panel, the contrast ratio of 1000:1 is pretty poor. Colors may seem a bit washed out and the contrast between your deep blacks and bright whites will not be as intense as some other monitors with 3000:1 or higher contrast ratio.
As with all Acer monitors, the brand offers VisionCare technology which reduces eye strain and offers a bit more comfort visually when using the monitor. This means that if you are doing some really long gaming sessions, the straining impact on your eyes will be a lot less than with some other brands.
Performance
For a budget friendly monitor, the Acer SB270 Bbix does perform pretty well. It has a stellar response rate of 1ms and a fairly decent refresh rate of 75Hz (Not 144Hz, sorry!). FreeSync technology helps with the lower refresh rate and reduces screen stutter and input lagging – as long as you have an AMD graphics card.
The technology also helps with nuisances like ghosting and screen tearing. As previously mentioned, however, with the 75Hz refresh rate, you will find that this monitor is not ideal for super competitive games like CS:GO, Apex Legends, or Overwatch. Your display won’t be as smooth and you might also experience some frame drops with really fast moving objects which will significantly and negatively impact your performance.
If you’re a junkie for competition, you’ll definitely need a monitor with a response time of at least 144Hz to be satisfied. The lower refresh rate in the Acer SB270 Bbix, however, is perfectly acceptable for you if you are a casual, weekend warrior type of gamer.
For example, if you’re into turn-based games or atmospheric and visually appealing games like Blade Runner or Assassin’s Creed, the lower refresh rate is less important than the high resolution and higher rated IPS panel that is offered in this monitor.
I/O Ports
A significant drawback to the Acer SB270 Bbix is its limited connectivity options. You will find one HDMI port and one VGA port. There are no built-in speakers on this monitor but it does have a 3.5mm audio output for headphones or speakers which is what the monitor’s volume controls.
All are located on the back panel of the monitor and can be accessed on the left side of the monitor when facing it. There is no USB connection which especially hurts with the absence of a USB-C port. This popular connection enables device compatibility and makes data transfer fast and seamless.
It also gives you the ability to charge external devices. If you have this port on your PC or your PC case, it shouldn’t be a huge issue that it’s missing on the monitor but it’s worth mentioning that it is absent. If you were hoping to connect a USB-C laptop, think twice before buying this monitor. OSD controls are also very limited and not very user friendly as discussed in the Acer ED273UR review.
Final Verdict
The Acer SB270 Bbix certainly has someme significant drawbacks when it comes to performance and other areas, but its budget price might be its biggest selling point.
All monitors have pros and cons but the key is finding a monitor that suits you specifically. The Acer brand is a trusted one in monitors so you can be confident in its build quality as well as its warranties.
You will be hard pressed to find a monitor with similar features at a lower price. For example, its counterpart option in a competitor would be Dell’s SE2717HR 27” monitor. Dell’s monitor has similar features in refresh rate, resolution, and contrast ration. It also has FreeSync technology and similar connectivity options but it is offered on Newegg currently at $280.
The price varience is likely due to the more elegant and sleek build of Dell’s option. If you are less concerned about aesthetics for your monitor, the Acer option is the obvious choice for you between the two options.
At the end of the day, however, your monitor choice should depend not only on your budget, but on what features are vital to your personal experience and which features you could save money on by foregoing.
While the Acer SB270 is not ideal for highly competitive game play due to its lower refresh rates, it has great color quality and is perfectly acceptable for casual game play and visually appealing atmospheric games.
If you’re on a hunt for a BUDGET gaming monitor, that’s actually fairly good for the money you spend on it, the Acer SB270 Bbix might be a perfect choice for you.
Read Other Reviews:
Acer SB270 Bbix
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Pros
- Compact size and optimal for multi-screen setup
- Excellent response times
- Great viewing angles
- Budget friendly price
- Good color reproduction for atmospheric gaming
Cons
- Incapable of height and swivel adjustments
- Low refresh rates for competitive game play
- Low PPI
- Low contrast ratio
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