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OLED screen technology has become the go-to choice for premium gaming monitors. The impressive color range and contrast ratios of OLED monitors help them stand out from displays that use other tech, such as IPS or VA. That’s true of all sizes: 27-inch OLEDs like the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED, 32-inchers like the Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD-OLED, and even the 45-inch Acer Predator X45 ($1,599.99) reviewed here. This giant OLED monitor turns any movie or game into a feast for the eyes, while its tight curve never feels drastic despite its size. The only major downside is its price—OLED brilliance, in general, is reserved for deep wallets.Design: Reigning In the Ultrawide SprawlWith a commanding 45 inches measured diagonally, the Acer Predator X45 sprawls out to a 21:9 aspect ratio. But in truth, you might not realize it’s actually that wide thanks to its super-tight 800R curve. This R value represents the radius measurement in millimeters of a circle that would be created by a hypothetical ring of these monitors placed edge to edge. (The lower the millimeter count and the R value, the tighter the curve is.) Monitors at the larger end of the size spectrum have the real estate for tighter curves—just take a look at examples like the 45-inch LG 45 UltraGear OLED or the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, which curve at 800R and 1000R, respectively.
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
A tighter curve sounds intimidating on paper, but in person, it’s far more approachable than you’d expect. Measuring 23.6 by 39.1 by 12 inches (HWD), the monitor is slightly smaller than the aforementioned LG 45 UItraGear OLED and weighs 29 pounds, considerably lighter than the UltraGear’s 35 pounds. The all-black aesthetic is an obvious contrast to the LG’s light gray branding, and the Acer’s lack of logos (except for a tiny one, near the base of the stand) does give the Predator X45 a clean, simple look.The back of the monitor is just as simple. You won’t find any RGB lighting here. In the port hub, the monitor offers two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort, a headphone jack, a USB-C port, two USB-A ports, and a USB-B upstream port. This is standard fare for a gaming monitor, though note the lack of an HDMI 2.1 port. HDMI 2.1 ports are faster than HDMI 2.0 ports, allowing a maximum transmission bandwidth of 48Gbps, compared with 18Gbps of bandwidth for HDMI 2.0. This is necessary if you want to run a game at 4K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. You won’t be able to tap into the higher refresh modes available on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 either.
But because the Acer Predator X45 offers a maximum resolution of 3,440 by 1,440 pixels, shy of 4K, the omission of HDMI 2.1 is understandable (even if it’s a little disappointing for a monitor in 2024—the LG 45 UltraGear, for instance, offers two HDMI 2.1 ports). This monitor is meant for gamers who aren’t interested in 4K, and have no problem sacrificing visual fidelity for performance—the Predator X45’s redline of 240Hz at 1440p offers an incredible PC gaming experience, as we’ll explain below.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The Predator X45 also comes with two 5-watt speakers that deliver decent sound if you don’t have external computer speakers or headphones of your own. The downside is that the bass is low and the output doesn’t hold up well at higher volumes, sounding imbalanced. It’s something often observed with the speakers of cheap laptops. The upside? The monitor’s tight curve creates a dome effect that does at least give the illusion of surround sound.I’ve long been a proponent of 1440p monitors, which I find are a perfect fit for both console gaming and midrange to low-end PCs. This is doubly so when you factor in an OLED screen. OLED monitors are the go-to choice for gamers with deep pockets who really want the best of both worlds (that is, in terms of performance and visuals). OLED displays outclass IPS and VA panels in just about every category, from power efficiency to color-gamut support, but they come at a much higher cost. The recent fleet of 32-inch 4K OLED monitors, for example, mostly cost more than $1,000, while similarly sized 4K IPS options like the Lenovo Legion Y32p-30 fall well below that.Testing the Acer Predator X45: Another Worthy OLED ContenderWith a wide wingspan and an opulent OLED panel, Acer’s big-screen gaming machine makes a solid first impression, but the next step in our review process is the most important. To quantify the monitor’s performance, we test the color gamut, brightness, color accuracy, and contrast ratio using Calman monitor calibration software, a Murideo Six-G signal generator, and a Klein K-10A colorimeter. We also run the monitor through a gauntlet of games to measure input lag and get a better idea of its real-world performance.In our first test, we check the monitor’s maximum brightness in its default picture mode with an SDR signal. Here we observed 366 nits (candelas per square meter) of brightness. Switching over to HDR, we measured 386 nits—roughly the same level. Testing peak HDR brightness next, we reached 720 nits. (We measure sustained HDR brightness at a 10% window size, but to measure peak brightness, we drop the test size down to 2%.) A kernel of a caveat: OLED displays become brighter as the test patch size gets smaller, but few scenes in video games and movies have highlights that reach this brightness level for long. In light of this, the peak HDR number is not bad, but it does come in under the monitor’s HDR10 rating (HDR10 signifies a max brightness of 1,000 nits).
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The color range of OLED panels has historically impressed, and the Predator X45 is no exception. In our tests, it spanned 139% of the sRGB color gamut, 92% of Adobe RGB, and 96% of DCI-P3. These are great numbers, especially for a monitor this size, but the latest fleet of 32-inch OLED monitors display even better Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 numbers. Still, we’ve yet to meet an OLED that doesn’t dazzle, and that remains true here.A note about the 139%: Tipping beyond 100% on the sRGB color gamut doesn’t necessarily mean the sRGB color coverage is better. An sRGB of more than 100% can potentially over-saturate the content, even leading to color inaccuracies when viewing sRGB images, particularly in applications that do not support color management. It’s not all bad, though, as sRGB ratings that break above 100% can also exhibit improved color grading and color vibrancy.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Luckily for potential owners, the Predator X45’s color accuracy proved more than competent. In testing, we recorded an excellent Delta E measurement of 1.5. The higher the Delta E, the more colors tend to stray from their intended hue. A value under 2 is ideal, and gaming monitors in general mostly hover around this number, while OLEDs in particular almost always dip below (see the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED, the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED, and the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM). Similar to the color range, the accuracy isn’t quite as high as those of recent OLED gaming monitors, but it’s still quite good. The Predator X45 is rated for a peak contrast ratio of 1,500,000:1, an incredibly deep contrast ratio that’s common in mini LED and OLED monitors. When dealing with contrast ratios that high, it’s hard to tell the differences with the naked eye. OLED and mini LED panels can reach dramatically higher contrast ratios than other panel types, and far beyond the contrast ratios of VA and IPS panels, which target contrast ratios of 3,000:1.Media and Game PerformanceWith color and brightness tests out of the way, we turn to our final formal test—measuring input lag. To quantify this, we use our HDFury Diva HDMI matrix to measure the monitor’s input lag in addition to playing a handful of games from our library. So what’s the verdict? In a word, excellent: We recorded a nearly imperceptible amount of input lag—less than 1 millisecond (ms). Both casual and hardcore gamers alike will be able to appreciate the gains here, especially those who enjoy games that hinge on super-fast reflexes and super-high refresh rates.On the gameplay end of testing, we ran Counter-Strike 2, Returnal, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hitman on the large OLED. Returnal and Cyberpunk 2077, visually stunning games in their own right, looked gorgeous on the OLED screen, and Counter-Strike 2 ran smoothly at higher frame rates. Ultrawide gaming has come a long way, stretching beyond strategy games and flight simulators to encompass just about every genre of game, but chances are that not every game in your Steam library supports the ultrawide aspect ratio, so be sure to investigate before investing in the X45.Screen tearing and ghosting aren’t a problem thanks to AMD FreeSync Premium, but the monitor is also G-Sync Compatible, so you can enjoy the benefits of smooth gameplay no matter your GPU. Verdict: Impressive and Large, If Not Fully in ChargeAs we’ve said before, it’s hard to find a fault with an OLED screen, though after spending time with the Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD-OLED, we would find it difficult to spend so much money on an OLED screen that doesn’t reach a full 4K resolution, no matter the size.Ultimately, the Acer Predator X45 is a great OLED screen for ultrawide gamers, even if it’s not the best. Our favorite big 1440p ultrawide, the LG 45 UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor, is still our pick as far as 45-inch gaming monitors go, but the Acer Predator X45 is no slouch. It is just simply missing a few features, like HDMI 2.1 ports and DTS: Headphone X support, that help the LG model stand out. Still, if you’re intrigued by big-screen OLEDs and are tempted to tap in, you might find the Predator X45 worthwhile, especially at a discounted price—we’ve seen it drop as low as $1,199.
Pros
Large, gorgeous OLED screen
Tight curvature doesn’t distract from the picture
Lighter and smaller than competing monitors with similar panel size
Good color gamut and accuracy
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The Bottom Line
Acer’s Predator X45 is an ultrawide OLED screen for gamers with ultra-deep pockets. It’s no performance standout, but it does enough to impress if you’re in the market for a big screen with a tight curve.
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