The Acer Predator X38 is one of the most intriguing gaming monitors I’ve seen in a long time. It boasts a massive 37.5” display. It’s curved – but so gently that you can hardly notice while sitting in front of it. It boasts a 144Hz refresh rate out of the box and can be overclocked to a more-than-respectable 175Hz. And it features a 90% DCI-P3 color gamut and Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate.
But if you want all the bells and whistles, you’ll have to be ready to pony up. The X38 costs a whopping $1,799. Can any monitor be worth that?
Acer Predator X38 – Design and Features
The first thing I noticed pulling the monitor out of the box is that it's surprisingly light. It’s no featherweight, but at 20.8 pounds, you could stick it in on many VESA mounts without much issue.
But don’t be deceived – the monitor is huge, with a gentle 2300R curvature. It’s just enough curve to bring the sides into view without feeling like it’s wrapping around your head. Underneath the panel, you’ll find an audio jack, a DisplayPort 1.4, 4 USB 3.0 ports, and two HDMI 2.0 ports. Unfortunately, there’s no HDMI 2.1 available.
Despite the name, the monitor is 37.5” at 3840 x 1600 resolution. Out of the box, it can support a 144Hz refresh rate or 175Hz when overclocked. It’s got an Agile-Splendor IPS display that can support 178-degree viewing angles, and Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate.
The monitor is VESA certified for DisplayHDR 600. If you’re not in the know, that certification means the monitor can reach at least 600 cd/m brightness, local dimming, and more. 600 is decent, but it may be a bit of a disappointment for those hoping for the DisplayHDR 1400 offered in something like the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX or even 1000 in the Acer Predator X35.
The X38 sits on a sturdy stand that offers a generous tilt (about 35°) and can be raised and lowered 5.12”. That, plus the two USB ports easily accessible on the left side of the monitor make plugging in cords a cinch. (And that’s pretty rare for a monitor this large!)
In the box, you’ll find the monitor, a DisplayPort cable, a power cord, an HDMI cable, and a USB 3.0 cable.
Acer Predator X38 – Performance and Gaming
There’s quite a lot to love about this monitor, and that starts with its size and shape. The X38 is just big enough – that is to say, it’s massive, but not comically so. The curve is especially great – it’s shallow enough that you almost don’t notice it at first, but it makes the entire experience more immersive.
I vastly prefer this sizing to something like a TV format, which would have my eyes reaching skyward while trying to peer at the top quadrants. The X38 is still taller than you might expect, at 19.2” tall – but it’s completely manageable. Response time is also impressive, with a refresh rate of 144Hz out of the box using the DisplayPort – and can be overclocked to 175Hz.
The monitor fared well using Lagom’s LCD tests as well, with relatively clear contrast levels, though the darkest blacks and lightest whites were often indecipherable, despite monitor tweaks. There was also a small, but noticeable, amount of banding in the gradient tests and a very slight pixel walk in the inversion tests.
The base is enormous and got in my way enough that I decided to try it with a VESA mount. Not every VESA mount will work under the monitor’s weight, but mine held the X38 steady and removed the 11” spikes the X38 sits on. The 7-watt speakers can work in a pinch, but they’re muddy enough that you won’t want to rely on them.
Switching between user modes refreshes your brightness, which can be irritating. Thankfully, there’s an auto-brightness toggle in the OSD. However, I found its brightness scaling always a little on the dark side. Its Blue Light blocking feature was easy to activate and constantly useful – I found myself toggling between 80% and 70% constantly.
The power button has a slightly raised bump so you don’t activate it unintentionally while trying to draw up OSD features. Unfortunately, I still hit it one too many times, but your luck will vary.
There are no two ways around it, input switching was a total pain. Switching between computers took ages, both manually or through input switching, and it often wouldn’t register when a device first turned on. Plus, unlike its smaller cousin the XV28, the USB-C port doesn’t deliver power – meaning if you use something like a MacBook for work, you’ll have to plug it into the wall as well.
The X38 sports Nvidia G-Sync through its HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort inputs. There’s far less reason to want HDMI 2.1 on an Ultrawide that already features G-Sync, but again given the price, you’d be forgiven for wanting absolutely everything. Similarly, I found the HDR600 more than serviceable, and the SDR/HDR variable Backlight helps contrast levels, but still, for many HDR600 just won’t cut it at this price.
The X38 might be marketed solely to gamers, but it excels just as much for video or photo editing. That’s in part because of the gargantuan size, but the X38 is shockingly color accurate. I haven’t encountered very many monitors of this size with a 98% DCI-P3. (Only the Dell U3219Q 4K comes to mind). Even Apple’s outrageously expensive Pro Display XDR falls short of the X38’s numbers, and it costs a whole lot more. That color accuracy can easily justify the monitor’s price if you’re a creative looking for color accuracy.
Finally, I never once heard the fan, which is pretty impressive given how long I used this under peak brightness.
