Acer ConceptD CM3271K 4K Monitor Review: Colorful and Bright 27-Incher

Color gamut options that'll make pros smile

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Acer ConceptD CM3271K
(Image: © Acer)

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To switch the CM3271K into HDR mode, we applied an appropriate signal and toggled the manual control in the OSD. It won’t change over automatically despite an HDR option labeled “Auto”. Once Auto is engaged, all image controls are locked out.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The CM3271K has plenty of brightness available for HDR content with a peak of over 464 nits. There is no dynamic contrast in play here, so the black level is about the same as it is for SDR. Contrast is therefore just 1,009.4:1 in HDR mode. Though the EOTF luminance curve is accurately rendered, this monitor doesn’t provide any more impact with HDR content. It’s displayed correctly, but there is no visual benefit to running HDR mode.

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Acer ConceptD CM3271K
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Grayscale, EOTF & Color

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Acer ConceptD CM3271K
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Despite the lack of extra contrast in HDR mode, the CM3271K does display HDR content accurately. Grayscale errors are minor with a slight purple tint visible from 40% and higher. The luminance curve is close to spec with a soft transition to tone-mapping at 65%.

There is plenty of color available for the CM3271K to cover both DCI-P3 and a large portion of Rec.2020. When measured against the DCI standard, only red and green come up slightly short. Inner targets are a bit over-saturated which is fine since it makes the image look more vivid. Rec.2020 is the same story with inner targets nearly spot-on and only a little less saturation at the triangle’s perimeter. This is some of the best HDR color performance we’ve seen to date.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

3 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ingodwestream
    Is this a better pick for video/photo/office vs BenQ PD2700U? 4K and color accurate is top priority.
    Reply
  • kkruecke
    Thanks for the CM3271K review and for the suggested User mode settings mentioned in the review.
    Reply
  • Pro.swe
    Thanks a lot for this great review. I have one of this and a colorimeter. Which are the differencies is using "Acer Calibrator" software for calibration or the colorimeter software with icc profile? Does this monitor support hardware calibration? I cannot find clear information about this
    Reply