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Acer G257HU Smidpx Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Sep 04, 2018 at 09:25 am
Latest change: Retest Jul 02, 2021 at 11:59 am
Acer G257HU Smidpx Picture
6.8
Mixed Usage
6.9
Office
7.2
Gaming
6.7
Multimedia
6.6
Media Creation
4.9
HDR Gaming

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is a decent 1440p IPS monitor with decent picture quality and great peak brightness. The IPS display delivers good viewing angles but has very bad black uniformity. It has excellent low input lag, but gamers will be disappointed by the limited 60Hz refresh rate and lack of VRR.

Our Verdict

6.8 Mixed Usage

The Acer G257HU is an alright monitor for mixed usage. It has an excellent contrast ratio, but very bad black uniformity so it isn't a good choice for a dim room. The stand is mediocre and has almost no ergonomic adjustments, and it can't be VESA mounted. The IPS panel delivers good viewing angles and excellent gray uniformity.

Pros
  • Picture remains accurate when viewed at an angle.
  • Great response time.
Cons
  • Terrible black uniformity.
  • Stand has bad ergonomics.
  • Temporary image retention could be distracting.
6.9 Office

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is okay for use in an office setting. It has wide viewing angles and a high 1440p resolution, good for multitasking or sharing your work with others. The stand is mediocre and has very few adjustments so it is hard to place it in an ideal viewing position. Great peak brightness and good reflection handling make it a good choice for a brighter room.

7.2 Gaming

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is a decent monitor for gaming. It has decent motion handling, with a great response time and no flicker. It has excellent low input lag, but gamers might find the 60Hz refresh rate too low and will be disappointed by the lack of FreeSync or G-SYNC. The 1440p resolution is a great balance of higher detail without needed a top-end graphics card for most games.

6.7 Multimedia

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is alright for watching videos and movies as long as you are in a bright room due to the horrible black uniformity. It has good viewing angles and good reflection handling, so you can easily share a video with multiple people.

6.6 Media Creation

The Acer G257HU is only okay for creating media. The 1440p resolution makes it easier to multitask or to see more of high-resolution files. It has excellent color accuracy once calibrated, and good coverage of the s.RGB color space, but professionals in media creation fields will find the Adobe RGB coverage too limiting.

4.9 HDR Gaming

The Acer G257HU Smidpx doesn't support HDR.

  • 6.8 Mixed Usage
  • 6.9 Office
  • 7.2 Gaming
  • 6.7 Multimedia
  • 6.6 Media Creation
  • 4.9 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Jul 02, 2021: Changed height adjustment result from 'N/A' to '0' to match our methodology.
  2. Updated Sep 04, 2018: Review published.
  3. Updated Sep 02, 2018: Early access published.
  4. Updated Aug 31, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Aug 31, 2018: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Acer G257HU Smidpx, which is a 25" 1440p monitor. 

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their monitor doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.

Model Size Panel Type Resolution Native Refresh
G247HYL 24" IPS 1080p 60Hz
G257HU 25" IPS 1440p 60Hz
G257HL 25 IPS 1080p 60Hz

Our G257HU Smidpx was manufactured in Feb. 2017.

Compared To Other Monitors

Comparison picture

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is a decent 1440p IPS monitor, but there are better choices out there that are much cheaper. See our recommendations for the best monitors under $200, the best budget gaming monitors, and the best 1440p monitors.

Dell U2515H

The Dell U2515H is much better than the Acer G257HU Smidpx. The design of the U2515H is far superior, with far more ergonomic adjustments as well as VESA mounting ports. The U2515H has much better gradient handling with less banding, and is free of distracting temporary image retention. The U2515H also has better features, including the ability to daisy chain to another monitor, as well as USB charging ports.

ASUS VG245H

The ASUS VG245H is somewhat better than the Acer G257HU Smidpx. The ASUS has a much better design, with a stand that can be easily adjusted to an optimal viewing position. The Acer G257HU is a bit brighter and has better wide viewing angles. The VG245H has a faster response time and produces clearer motion with less blur, and supports FreeSync VRR for gaming.

Acer GN246HL Bbid

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is better than the Acer GN246HL Bbid. They both deliver similar overall picture quality, but the G257HU has wider viewing angles. The G257HU has a flicker-free backlight. The Acer GN246HL has a higher refresh rate and better response time, great for gaming.

ASUS VG248QE

The ASUS VG248QE is better than the Acer G257HU Smidpx. The VG248QE has a higher refresh rate that delivers a nearly instantaneous response time, and the backlight can introduce flicker to further reduce motion blur. The VG248QE has lower input lag, great for gaming. The Acer G257HU has a higher native resolution, but at this size, this doesn't have a significant impact on the overall quality.

LG 27UK650-W

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is slightly better than the LG 27UK650-W. The Acer supports local dimming and has better HDR performance thanks to its wider color gamut and higher HDR peak brightness. The LG has slightly lower input lag and feels more responsive, and this is excellent for gaming.

HP 27Q

The HP 27Q is somewhat better than the Acer G257HU Smidpx. The HP 27Q has a better refresh rate that leaves a smaller blur trail in fast-moving content and has more screen area as it is a 27" monitor. The Acer G257HU, on the other hand, has a better input lag which makes it more responsive to your inputs and can be great for many usages.

LG 24MP59G-P

The LG 24MP59G is slightly better than the Acer G257HU Smidpx. Both monitors have an IPS panel with wide viewing angles. The Acer G257HU has a simple 60Hz refresh rate and no VRR support, whereas the LG 24MP59G has a better 75Hz refresh rate, and supports FreeSync VRR. The Acer has a slightly larger, 25" screen, and a much better 1440p resolution, better for multitasking or for a more immersive gaming or multimedia experience.

LG 32GN50T-B

The LG 32GN50T-B and the Acer G257HU Smidpx are very different monitors. The LG is a gaming monitor with a 1080p resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate, while the Acer is a basic 1440p monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate. The LG has a VA panel with a much higher contrast ratio, VRR and HDR support, and much lower input lag. However, the Acer has a higher pixel density to deliver sharper images and text, and its IPS panel has much wider viewing angles.

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Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Size 25"
Curved No
Curve radius N/A
Weight (without stand)
N/A
Weight (with stand)
7.3 lbs (3.3 kg)

The Acer G257HU Smidpx has a mediocre design. The stand cannot be removed, and unlike most monitors currently on the market, it cannot be VESA mounted. The stand is extremely basic, and has bad ergonomics. It has a narrow tilt range but cannot swivel and there is no height adjustment.

Design
Stand
Width
10.0" (25.4 cm)
Depth
7.3" (18.5 cm)

The stand supports the monitor well, but it has a large footprint and cannot be removed. The stand creaks when moved or adjusted and does not seem well built.

1.2
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
0.0" (0.0 cm)
Switch portrait/landscape No
Swivel Range N/A
Tilt Range -15Ā° to 5Ā°

Update 07/02/2021: We previously had incorrectly listed the Height Adjustment as 'N/A' as opposed to '0'. The review has been updated to reflect this change, as the Ergonomics score has dropped slightly.

This monitor has terrible ergonomics. There is no height adjustment, and it doesn't swivel. There is a very limited tilt range.

Design
Back
Wall Mount N/A

Very plain back. The Acer G257HU Smidpx cannot be VESA mounted, and there is no cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.3" (0.8 cm)

There is no gap between the bezel and the screen. The borders are not distractedly large, but they aren't thin either.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
4.5" (11.4 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
1.6" (4.1 cm)

The monitor looks good from the side. The stand prohibits the monitor from being placed too close to the wall.

6.0
Design
Build Quality

Mediocre build quality. While there are no major issues with the build, there is nothing that stands out either.

Picture Quality
6.6
Picture Quality
Contrast
LCD Type
IPS
Native Contrast
1,422 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
N/A

The Acer G257HU Smidpx has a decent contrast ratio that is above average for an IPS monitor. The only IPS monitors that perform better are the HP V320 and the LG 34UC79G-B.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

The Acer G257HU does not have local dimming. The above video is for reference only.

8.0
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
351 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
361 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
366 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
365 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
365 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
360 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
365 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
364 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
363 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
363 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.001

Very good peak brightness in SDR, very similar to the ASUS VG248QE. There is very little variation in brightness across window sizes.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

HDR is not supported.

7.5
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Shift from Left
42Ā°
Color Shift from Right
42Ā°
Brightness from Left
50Ā°
Brightness from Right
49Ā°
Black Level from Left
75Ā°
Black Level from Right
75Ā°
Curve Radius N/A

Very good horizontal viewing angles. The image doesn't degrade when viewed at an angle, which is good for sharing your work with a colleague, and the edges don't fade when sitting close to the screen either.

6.2
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Shift from Below
26Ā°
Color Shift from Above
29Ā°
Brightness from Below
35Ā°
Brightness from Above
36Ā°
Black Level from Below
20Ā°
Black Level from Above
24Ā°

Mediocre vertical viewing angles, which can be a problem as the stand has very little adjustments, so it is harder to be in an optimal vertical viewing position.

8.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.552%
50% DSE
0.115%
5% Std. Dev.
0.494%
5% DSE
0.055%

Excellent gray uniformity. There are some brighter spots in the center but these shouldn't be too distracting.

1.8
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
4.782%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

Bad black uniformity. While IPS monitors typically have bad uniformity, this is worse than most. Only the HP 22CWA and LG 29UM69G-B are worse. There is noticeable backlight bleed and flashlighting is a major issue. This is not a good monitor for dark room use.

5.4
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
User
Luminance
297 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
75
Contrast Setting
50
RGB controls
100-100-100
Color Temperature
6,052 K
White Balance dE
4.66
Color dE
4.78
Gamma
1.90

Disappointing color accuracy out of the box. The most accurate picture mode is 'User -> User'. The gamma curve does not follow our target at all, and most scenes are significantly darker than they should be. White balance is significantly higher than our threshold of 3 and it is noticeable to most people even when browsing the web. Colors are just as bad.

9.6
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
User
Luminance
101 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
18
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Controls
98-100-99
Color Temperature
6,463 K
White Balance dE
0.62
Color dE
0.52
Gamma
2.18

After calibration, the Acer G257HU has excellent accuracy. Color and White Balance dEs are much closer to the target, and most people won't be able to tell the difference. The gamma curve is almost perfectly corrected.

We chose the 'User' picture mode, as it provides the most control over the settings.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here.

8.8
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
98.5%
Adobe RGB xy
75.8%

sRGB Picture Mode: User (calibrated)
Adobe RGB Picture Mode: User (calibrated)

Excellent coverage of the s.RGB color gamut, which is great for daily usage, but professional users in the print and publishing industries will be disappointed by the limited Adobe RGB coverage. The 'Graphics' picture mode did not improve the color gamut coverage.

8.8
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB in ICtCp
94.7%
Adobe RGB in ICtCp
80.7%

sRGB Picture Mode: User
Adobe RGB Picture Mode: User

Excellent color volume. Most of the gaps in the color volume are due to the gaps in the color space. The limited contrast ratio limits the Acer G257HU's ability to produce deep, dark colors.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 xy
N/A

HDR gamuts are not supported.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 in ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 in ICtCp
N/A

HDR color volumes are not supported.

1.4
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.54%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.54%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.35%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.29%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.14%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.09%

The Acer G257HU Smidpx shows signs of image retention, even after a 10 minute cooldown from our test clip.

7.3
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

The Acer G257HU Smidpx has one of the worst gradient performance that we have measured. There is 8 bit banding in all colors.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel row error
0.000%
Pixel column error
0.000%

Perfect color control, there is no bleed between pixels.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections

Good reflection handling, similar to most monitors we have tested. The screen remains clear with a decent amount of ambient light but can't overcome strong glare in a bright room.

Motion
8.4
Motion
Motion Blur
80% Response Time
6.0 ms
100% Response Time
13.9 ms
Best Overdrive Setting
Off

OD Off
OD Normal
OD Extreme

The Acer G257HU has a great fast response time, slightly better than the Dell P2417H. The best setting is with OD 'Off', as 'Normal' and 'Extreme' introduce a lot of overshoot but don't help the response time. With the 'off' setting there is no overshoot in any of the transitions.

7.5
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No
BFI Maximum Frequency
N/A
BFI Minimum Frequency
N/A

The Acer G257HU Smidpx is flicker-free and uses DC dimming to dim the backlight, so there are no duplications in moving objects. It can't introduce flicker to reduce motion blur.

6.7
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
No
Native Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Factory Overclock
N/A
Variable Refresh Rate
No
G-SYNC Compatible
No
VRR Maximum
N/A
VRR Minimum
N/A
VRR Maximum With OC
N/A
VRR Supported Connectors N/A

The Acer G257HU does not support a variable refresh rate.

Inputs
9.0
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
8.4 ms
Non-Native Res @ Native Refresh
8.6 ms
Native Resolution @ 60 Hz
8.4 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
N/A
10 bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
N/A

Excellent low input lag, one of the lowest of any 60Hz monitor we have tested. It is consistent across any input resolution, great for gaming at a lower resolution.

8.3
Inputs
Resolution and Size
Native Resolution 2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 3.7 MP
Pixel Density 118 PPI
Screen Diagonal 25.0"
Screen Area 266 inĀ²

The QHD resolution is great for this size of screen. The resolution is high enough that individual pixels aren't noticeable.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.2)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 1 (HDMI 1.4)
DVI 1 (DVI-D, dual link)
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB No
USB C No
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Microphone In 3.5mm 1
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply Internal

There is a headphone out port with adjustable volume. This is decent for connecting speakers or headphones to your monitor, but the DAC might cause some loss in sound quality compared to if you connected your speakers directly to your computer.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
Yes
HDR10 No
Multiple input display
No

This monitor has a limited set of features. There are internal speakers, and a 3.5mm output to connect external speakers or headphones. It doesn't support HDR and has no USB charging ports.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)

Changing some of the settings causes the brightness to reset back to the maximum setting.

Features
Controls

The controls are not very intuitive, and the buttons themselves are quite small so it can get some getting used to.

Features
In The Box

  • HDMI Cable
  • DisplayPort Cable
  • 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable
Not shown:
  • Power Cable