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
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.
- Picture remains accurate when viewed at an angle.
- Great response time.
- Terrible black uniformity.
- Stand has bad ergonomics.
- Temporary image retention could be distracting.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Acer G257HU Smidpx doesn't support HDR.
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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.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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