Price When Reviewed

$1,499.99

Best Prices Today: Acer Predator CG48

$1,499.99

PC avid gamers searching for an enormous display screen monitor have nice choices in 2022, together with new 42-inch and 48-inch displays with OLED panels. These have many advantages over the IPS and VA panel displays that got here earlier than them, but in addition promote at a better worth. The Predator CG48 proves the premium is price paying. It’s slightly much like LG’s different, although, so worth could develop into the deciding issue.

Note: This evaluate is a part of our ongoing roundup of the best monitors. Go there to study competing merchandise, what to search for in a monitor, and shopping for suggestions.

Acer Predator CG48: The specs

The Acer Predator CG48 is a 48-inch 4K monitor with an OLED panel. While Acer doesn’t element the panel utilized by the monitor, it’s most likely the identical LG-produced OLED panel discovered within the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B.

• Display dimension: 48-inch, 16:9 facet ratio
• Native decision: 3480×2160
• Panel sort: OLED
• Refresh charge: 138Hz
• HDR: Yes, HDR10
• Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts Power Delivery, 1x 3.5mm audio out, 4x USB-A 
• Stand adjustment: None
• VESA mount: Yes, 200x200mm TV wall mount
• Speakers: 2x 10-watt stereo audio system
• Price: $1,499.99 MSRP

Despite its TV-like dimension, the Predator CG48 is a monitor, not a tv. It lacks a TV tuner and might’t be linked to a coaxial enter. It additionally lacks the good options discovered on many trendy TVs similar to built-in apps and a processor able to smoothing jerky movement (like that of 24 FPS motion pictures). The CG48 makes up for this with quite a few PC-friendly connection choices together with DisplayPort and USB-C.

Acer Predator CG48: Design

The Acer Predator CG48 is a 48-inch monitor meant as a substitute for shopping for a tv, similar to LG’s 48-inch C1 or C2 OLED. This comes throughout in its design, which is analogous to most OLED TVs.

Matt Smith

It begins with the profile, which consists of a super-slim panel connected to a bulkier low half that incorporates the monitor’s brains and ports. The consequence is an easy silhouette that’s nearly similar to the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B, LG C2 OLED, and Sony Bravia XR A90K. All of those shows are about 1.5-inches thick at their thickest level. There are variations in supplies, as Acer opts for silvers and grays as an alternative of the black and charcoal of opponents—however that is solely apparent from the rear, which most homeowners will solely see when unboxing the show. 

The major useful distinction is the stand. Acer opts for a pair of legs, at both finish of the show panel. It’s a easy, secure design, but in addition requires a desk or TV stand that’s practically as large because the 48-inch monitor. LG’s Ultragrear 48GQ900-B as an alternative makes use of a wedge-shaped stand, extra like a conventional monitor, making it simpler to place on a small floor. This is a small win for LG. Neither of those shows supply top, tilt, or swivel adjustment.

Wall mounting is an possibility, and can work higher than another large-screen displays. The Acer’s ports face to the aspect, not the rear, which is much simpler to work with when making an attempt to mount the show flush with a wall.

Acer Predator CG48: Features and menus

Matt Smith

The Acer Predator CG48 ships with 4 HDMI ports, plus DisplayPort and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. That’s a complete of six video inputs, which is probably the most of any comparable monitor I’ve examined. 

Just one of many 4 HDMI ports helps HDMI 2.1: the remaining solely assist HDMI 2.0. That’s a limitation for avid gamers who personal each an Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. One of the 2 consoles must join over HDMI 2.0 and, in so doing, lose out on 4K at 120Hz (although you should utilize an HDMI switcher, in fact).

The monitor’s USB-C port helps each DisplayPort Alternate Mode and as much as 65 watts of USB Power Delivery, that means it will probably cost a linked gadget. It additionally functions as a USB-C hub which connects to 4 downstream USB 3.2 ports.

A 3.5mm audio output can ship audio to a soundbar or residence theater system. It works advantageous, however the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B additionally has optical audio, which is a higher-quality connection. This is a vital level if you wish to use the monitor with high-end residence theater audio.

A bundled distant is included with the Predator CG48 and controls the on-screen menu (controls are additionally discovered on the monitor, however the distant is extra handy). Unlike LG’s Ultragear 48Q900-B, which has an odd distant constructed round an enormous dial, the Predator CG48’s distant is slim and constructed round a circle that navigates up, down, left, or proper, with an enormous “OK” button within the center. This is much like most TV and streaming field remotes and feels extra approachable.

Matt Smith

The menus are intuitive—for PC fanatics. Acer makes use of the identical menu system it does for some other monitor. It’s not as slick as that utilized by Dell, and the font dimension is on the small aspect, however choices are clearly labeled and straightforward to navigate with the distant. In truth, the distant makes the menu a lot simpler to make use of than most displays. There’s no must awkwardly lean ahead and fiddle with buttons. 

I did discover just a few quirks. The show lacks a manufacturing unit reset possibility, which is unusual. HDR was not set to automated out-of-the-box, so HDR content material received’t look its greatest till that setting is turned on. And the “standard” coloration gamut, though very large and correct, appears notably oversaturated and a bit too yellow with some SDR content material. Fortunately, the monitor has many different coloration modes, together with an sRGB mode, plus six-axis coloration customization. 

A pair of 10-watt audio system spherical out the choices. They present acceptable audio in much less advanced conditions: the beeps and boops of Vampire Survivors had been crisp. Content with a extra advanced soundscape, like music, motion movies, or open-world video games similar to Cyberpunk 2077, can overwhelm the audio system and muddy the presentation. Maximum quantity is lackluster, too, so the audio system are solely appropriate for a small room.

Acer Predator CG48: SDR picture high quality

The Acer Predator CG48 is an enormous OLED monitor with 4K decision and a large coloration gamut. These traits result in efficiency that, whereas not good in each class, is bound to impress most individuals. 

Matt Smith

Maximum full-screen SDR brightness is available in at 213 nits. This is increased than the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B, which restricted SDR brightness to only 143 nits. 

The Predator’s CG48’s brightness remains to be low when in comparison with extra standard displays, and approach, approach decrease than the Asus ProArt PA32DC, a high-end 32-inch OLED monitor. However, I discovered the brightness greater than satisfactory in use. 

The Acer additionally advantages from an efficient anti-glare coating that helps preserve the show usable in vivid rooms. It works nicely in most conditions, although a robust gentle supply (like a sunlit window) will nonetheless trigger issues.

Matt Smith

Contrast ratio is the place OLED stands out, and the Acer Predator CG48 isn’t any exception. OLED can management every pixel individually and even flip a pixel off fully when required, offering a very abyssal black stage in darkish scenes. It additionally doesn’t endure from bloom, an issue that may trigger a vivid halo round small objects on a Mini-LED or edge-lit LED monitor with dimming zones. 

The distinction ratio of the OLED displays I’ve examined is successfully infinite, since they will all obtain a luminance studying of zero nits. None of them clearly outperform or overperform their opponents on this metric, however all of them beat an IPS monitor. The distinction is clear, particularly when utilizing a monitor in a darkish room.

Matt Smith

The Acer Predator CG48 has a large coloration gamut that covers greater than one hundred pc of sRGB, 98 p.c of DCI-P3, and 89 p.c of Adobe RGB. This is similar to the efficiency of LG’s Ultragear 48GQ900-B and a bit higher than Alienware’s ultrawide AW3423DW. Asus’ ProArtwork PG32DC leaps forward, because it covers a powerful 98 p.c of Adobe RGB. 

In real-world use, the Predator CG48’s coloration gamut is lots large to do content material justice. It can deal with all kinds of content material creation together with graphics design, video modifying, and picture modifying, and it’ll look extremely saturated and vivid in motion pictures and video games. 

[color accuracy]

Matt Smith

Color accuracy is nice, as nicely, beating the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B, which had points with coloration accuracy at default settings. The Acer can’t beat both the Asus ProArtwork PG32DC or Alienware AW3423DW, however the hole is sufficiently small that it received’t be apparent in use. The Predator CG48’s coloration appears sensible and convincing out of the field.

The Predator CG48 scored nicely in coloration temperature with a default studying of 6400K, barely off the goal of 6500K. This gives a heat, inviting picture, and is an enormous enchancment over the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B, which was approach off course at 10200K out of the field (and 7100K after some tweaks). My testing additionally turned up a gamma results of 2.1, which is close to the goal of two.2. This means content material appears roughly as vivid as supposed.

Sharpness is an issue for the Predator CG48. 4K decision on a 48-inch display screen works out to about 91 pixels per inch—about the identical as a 24-inch 1080p monitor. To make issues worse, this monitor doesn’t seem to make use of an RGB pixel association (a standard concern amongst inexpensive OLED displays), which ends up in issues round advantageous fonts and interface parts. I noticed “fringing” round fonts, a problem the place the font seems to have a shadow or border that shouldn’t be seen. The LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B and Alienware AW3423DW each share this concern, whereas the costly Asus ProArtwork PG32DC avoids it.

Despite this, the Acer Predator CG48’s SDR picture high quality is nice total. It’s fitted to PC gaming, streaming video, and high-quality 4K motion pictures, all of which play to the strengths of its distinction and coloration whereas avoiding points with sharpness and brightness. And it appears even higher with HDR turned on.

Acer Predator CG48: HDR picture high quality

The Acer Predator CG48 claims a most HDR brightness of as much as 900 nits, but it surely’s not VESA DisplayHDR licensed. My testing confirmed that its full-screen HDR brightness was 228 nits, barely increased than the SDR results of 213 nits. Testing in a ten p.c window (that’s, with solely 10 p.c of the show lit) didn’t change this consequence. It does seem that the show achieves a a lot increased brightness when a slim fraction of the show is lit, as could be seen when displaying stars in an evening sky, however I’m unable to check the brightness of particulars this small.

Despite this, the Predator CG48 supplied a convincing HDR expertise when utilized in a darkish room. Its brightness is nowhere close to that of Mini-LED, however nonetheless vivid sufficient to pack a punch in a house theater. This is much less true when utilizing the monitor on a desk in a well-lit residence workplace, nonetheless. 

The HDR expertise is supported by its superior distinction ratio and large coloration gamut. These strengths present a variety of luminance to work with and loads of colours to seem vivid. 

Lumiance stability is respectable in HDR. Some OLED shows, such because the Alienware AW3423DW, have issues with the general show brightness swinging noticeably when minimizing or maximizing home windows. The Predator CG48, just like the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B, reveals a touch of flicker in probably the most excessive conditions, similar to opening a Word doc on a desktop with a darkish background, but it surely’s barely noticeable. I’d desire that it not be seen in any respect, however that is the truth of present OLED panel expertise. Even the high-end Asus ProArtwork PA32DC has this concern.

The Acer Predator CG48, just like the LG48GQ900-B, solely helps the HDR10 customary and never different HDR requirements, similar to Dolby Vision. That’s advantageous for those who intend to make use of the monitor with a pc, as a result of practically all HDR content material proven on a pc can be supposed to be considered in HDR10. Dolby Vision is extra related for those who wish to stream reveals from main streaming platforms or stay dedicated to 4K Blu-ray discs. 

Overall, the Acer Predator CG48’s HDR efficiency is nice. It leans extra closely on its distinction ratio and coloration efficiency than its brightness, which implies it is going to by no means hit the eye-searing heights of a Mini-LED different just like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. But it does present shadow element, good highlights in darkish scenes, and vivid coloration. It’s greatest to be used in a darkish room, as this may make its lack of full-screen brightness more durable to note.

Acer Predator CG48: Motion readability

The Acer Predator CG48 has a most refresh charge of as much as 138Hz and helps AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. The LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B has each of those options, plus official G-sync assist, giving LG a slight edge right here. 

Matt Smith

Motion readability is great. A refresh charge of 138Hz is nowhere close to the very best accessible at the moment, but it surely’s excessive sufficient to offer a beautiful sense of fluidity and loads of element. Small objects are seen when transferring shortly throughout the display screen and quick digicam pans protect sufficient element to know what you’re . Very advantageous parts, like small fonts exhibiting a personality’s identify in League of Legends, stay exhausting to learn—for that stage of movement readability you’d want a 240Hz or 360Hz refresh charge, which isn’t accessible in an OLED monitor (but).

It helps that OLED displays have very low pixel response instances. This means a pixel’s coloration can change shortly, additional aiding in movement readability. The advantage of that is improved movement readability even at decrease refresh charges, similar to 60Hz. 

The lack of HDMI 2.1 assist for all HDMI ports is a limitation, because it means not all HDMI ports could make full use of the improved refresh charge (HDMI 2.0 tops out at 4K/60FPS in most conditions).

Still, this doesn’t spoil the Predator CG48’s glorious movement efficiency. This is a transparent, crisp monitor that appears nice when displaying video games and feels fluid in on a regular basis use. The LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B can match it, however not exceed it, and aggressive displays with IPS or VA panel expertise can’t evaluate.

Should you purchase an Acer Predator CG48?

The Acer Predator CG48 is a good 48-inch OLED monitor and a good selection for anybody trying to go massive with their subsequent monitor. It has glorious coloration efficiency, a variety of connectivity, and a helpful distant.

Compared to the LG 48GQ900-B, the obvious different, the Predator CG48 feels higher suited to PC use and fewer suited to make use of with recreation consoles. The Acer solely has one HDMI 2.1 port, in comparison with the LG’s three. But the Acer has USB-C with Power Delivery, which the LG lacks, and has extra video connections total. The Predator CG48’s on-screen menu choices and structure are a greater match for PC use than these of the LG, which has fewer choices and depends on a bigger, extra awkward distant. 

Pricing and availability is the wildcard. The Acer Predator CG48 and LG 48GQ900-B each retail at an MSRP of $1,499.99. However, the LG 48GQ900-B dipped as little as $849.99 throughout Black Friday gross sales and was usually $1,199.99 previous to that. Acer’s monitor remains to be listed at MSRP.

At sale costs, the LG is the plain decide. The two displays are extra related than they’re totally different, so it is smart to choose the inexpensive possibility. If the 2 occur to be equally priced when shopping for, although, the Acer is the higher alternative total.