Should you invest in a smart monitor in 2025? This Acer makes that decision easy for me

Acer Nitro 27-inch smart display GA271U

Follow ZDNET:Add us as a preferred source, it took aim at competitors like Samsung, LG, and Asus with a comparable but more affordable option starting at $299. Available in black or white colorways, the Nitro GA271U P is a solid budget smart monitor for students, gamers, or anyone with limited space.

The more accessible price couldn’t be more relevant now — in the face of market uncertainty and the threat of increased prices on consumer goods. I recently went hands-on with it by setting it up in my home office and using it for both work and entertainment over the course of a few weeks, and it’s grown on me as a capable budget option — with a few important notes. Let’s dive in.

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A good smart monitor should be able to go back and forth between work and play: swapping seamlessly between your laptop or desktop, and then Netflix after hours. By design, they consolidate multiple screens into one device and are ideal for small spaces like apartments or dorms, or in dens, home offices, or guest rooms.

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In that sense, Acer’s Nitro GA271U P understands the assignment, swapping easily between modes and looking good while doing it. Featuring a matte, 27-inch IPS WQHD display with a variable 180Hz refresh rate that’s compatible with both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, it caps out at 250nit brightness so it’s not the brightest on the market, but this is a display geared toward everyday use.

In other words, it works equally well for both productivity and gaming or entertainment, but it’s obviously not the best in either arena. For work, connecting your laptop or desktop is as easy as hooking the HDMI (which caps out at 144Hz refresh rate) or DisplayPort (the aforementioned 180Hz) and using the remote to swap modes.

As with most smart monitors, the Nitro GA271U P has some productivity apps, including a portal to access Microsoft Office programs like Word and Outlook – super helpful if you want to do some work or check email but don’t have your laptop with you. You’ll just need to connect a mouse and/or keyboard via Bluetooth.

But this is a 27-inch monitor, let’s not spend all day in Excel. The previously-mentioned 144Hz refresh rate and QHD resolution make for a good display for gaming and entertainment, although there’s one thing that holds it back: the built-in speakers leave much to be desired.

The dual 5-watt speakers sound comparable to a laptop’s speakers, and although it gets loud, the audio is tinny and shallow, even for voice-only audio.

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After connecting the Nitro to my soundbar in the room, however, the bump in audio quality made a massive difference to the experience, making it feel much more like a proper TV. In that sense I highly recommend users connect an external speaker – even a portable one like the JBL Charge 6 will go a long way toward making this device feel more premium.

Other useful features include screen mirroring – a fast and reliable way to share content from your smartphone or other device – and the Multiview function, a staple for smart monitors that allow you to divide up the screen’s real estate with different applications, doubling down on its work/play duality.

Regarding the monitor’s physical form: it’s sturdy and errs on the gaming/entertainment aesthetic side with Acer’s signature V-shaped monitor legs. The screen itself is easily adjusted by sliding up or down on the Y-axis, and further rotates on the X-axis for the optimal viewing angle.

ZDNET’s buying advice

I’d recommend Acer’s Nitro GA271U P smart display