Acer EB321HQ 31.5" Black 2020

A big, cheap 1080p office monitor that's fine for spreadsheets and terrible for gaming. Buy it for the screen size, not the specs.

The IPS panel is the saving grace here. Colors are decent for the price, and 300 nits of brightness means it won't look washed out in a normal office. But the 60Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time put this firmly in 'productivity only' territory. Our database puts its performance in the 39th percentile, which is a polite way of saying it's below average. The 1080p resolution stretched across 31.5 inches also means text and icons look noticeably soft compared to a 1440p panel at this size.

Against something like the MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 or the LG UltraGear 27G810A-B, the Acer looks like it's from a different decade. Those are high-refresh gaming monitors with real color chops. The Acer isn't trying to compete there, and it shouldn't. The more honest comparison is against other budget 32-inch 1080p office panels, and even there, the single HDMI input and weak stand make it feel dated. The BenQ MA270U is a better pick if you want a sharper 1440p image and better ergonomics without jumping to OLED prices.

At USD 170 to USD 232 across US listings, this monitor is cheap, but the spread matters. The best deal we're seeing is at Best Buy, where it's been listed at the lower end of that range. For a basic office display, that's fine. But you're not getting a bargain, you're getting exactly what you pay for. If you can stretch to a 1440p panel at this size, do it.

The Acer EB321HQ is a big, cheap 1080p monitor that gets the basics right and not much else. It's a 31.5-inch IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, 4ms response time, and exactly one HDMI port. If you just need a lot of screen real estate for spreadsheets, email, or casual browsing, this thing does the job without making your wallet cry. But if you're expecting anything remotely gaming-focused or color-critical, keep walking.

If you're looking for a gaming monitor, this isn't it. Go get something like the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR or the Alienware AW2725D instead. If you want a sharper image for photo editing or design work, skip this and grab a 1440p or 4K panel. This monitor is for people who just need a big screen for documents and don't care about refresh rates or pixel density.

The Acer EB321HQ is a fine second monitor for a home office or a cheap way to get a big screen for basic tasks. It's not a gaming monitor, not a color-accurate creative tool, and not a portable option. If you need a big dumb screen that just works, this is it. If you need anything more, spend a little extra and get a 1440p panel with better connectivity.