Acer SB220Q bi Review – The ultimate budget monitor

by mwbis

ACER SB220Q bi

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ACER is a brand that has repeatedly proved itself as one that works for the interests of the budget-conscious consumer. Time and time again they have led their competition in providing cheap monitors, laptops, desktops and other devices for affordable prices without the loss of the key features we all know and love.

With the SB220Q bi, Acer has once again established itself as the king of computing on a budget. Keep reading to find out exactly what makes us so excited to bring this product to your attention in our review below…

Acer SB220Q bi Review

Are you sick and tired of trying to work out if you really need G-Sync compatibility? Or which kind of IPS display is superior?

When I was searching for my first computer monitor I vividly remember spending hours researching confusing technological mumbo jumbo that only made my decision harder.

I just wanted a simple, affordable and reliable monitor that I could use for my studies, for streaming Netflix and for playing Minecraft with my friends. I didn’t need an advanced contrast ratio and I wasn’t looking to splash out on an expensive ultra thin gaming monitor. I found myself scrolling through endless reviews that left me with more questions than answers.

It was almost impossible to figure out what features I actually needed and what would amount to nothing more than a waste of my valuable money I could be spending on drinks and ramen noodles.

So what about today?

A few years later and the market is more confusing than ever with the introduction of touchscreens, curved and vertical displays and monitors with more pixels than stars in the milky way.

That is why, here at MWBIS, we have spent days united together combing through the vast world of computer monitors in search of a model that meets are core criteria for a budget monitor.

Is it affordable?

Is it reliable?

Is it practical?

After careful consideration we are confident the ACER SB220Q bi is the perfect budget monitor for you.

Picking the right monitor size

One of the first and most important decisions you must make when buying any monitor is which screen size to choose. This will ultimately shape your experience with the monitor and so picking the right display size is crucial. The Acer SB220Q comes with a traditional 21.5 inch 1920×1080 image resolution screen.

This screen size is not unique for a budget monitor but its frameless design allows for the image to feel much larger than it really is while also improving the immersion felt when watching a movie or gaming. This sets it above similar budget devices which often include thick frames that make you feel like you’re using a monitor from the 80s.

While a 30 inch curved ultra thin full HD monitor may let you watch all three Lord of the Ring’s at once, keeping it simple with the Acer SB220Q medium-sized display is the way to go for those just looking to satisfy their everyday computing needs.

Design: Ultra thin & 21.5 inch

If you’re looking for a budget monitor, chances are you’ve come across your fair share of ugly, cheap-looking contraptions that look exactly like something your Grandpa writes his emails on. Here at MWBIS we are united in the belief that this is just not good enough for the modern consumer. We believe design is one of the most undervalued characteristics people often overlook when browsing lists of potential monitors.

A well-designed monitor should be visually appealing and highly functional. It should not appear cheap or mass-produced as this detracts from the user experience. The Acer SB220Q perfectly captures this growing need for an affordable design that feels premium in nature. Its sleek thin black frame combined with an ultra thin screen elicits a sense of elegant simplicity that is often sacrificed when brands attempt to create a budget product.

Another feature to consider when trying to compare monitors is the stand as a poorly designed stand can lead to a disappointing user experience. The SB220Q utilises a simplistic free tilt oval stand to offer optimal stability and provides users with the option to tilt the frame panel to their desired settings.

Display

So it looks thin and pretty but what about the image?

Well with full HD on an aspect ratio 16:9 and with screen size 21.5 inches, the SB220Q turns any image into a high definition experience. No more will gaming need to be played on a 24 inch 1080p quality resolution. Its display capabilities are further enhanced with the 1080p IPS panel which combines with a computers graphics card to produce a wider variety of vivid viewing angles.

For those less technologically savvy, an IPS panel refers to one with In Plane Switching, a relatively new technology that provides a far more in-depth quality color performance than the traditional TN panels. While we did notice that IPS panel in this monitor did not cover 99% of sRGB color gamut, it is nevertheless strikingly beautiful and can be used for gaming on low performance games.

Refresh Rate

In addition to that, one of the most distinguishing features of this monitor is the 75hz refresh rate. Conventional monitors have a 60 Hz refresh rate performance. Even though most brands are gradually adopting the 75hz refresh rate standard, this is one of the first and cheapest models available on the market today.

Refresh rate, as the name implies, is the amount of times the image on a screen refreshes in a second. The benefit of a higher refresh rate is that it puts less strain on your eyes which is incredibly beneficial for those who spend extended periods of time staring at their screen while working.

Furthermore, the 75hz refresh rate combined with the built in image AMD Radeon FreeSync Technology provides an incredible gaming experience with high frame rate and the frameless display makes you feel like you’re playing on a bigger 24 inch screen.

Response time

The response time is a decent 4ms. This is the same you would expect from a high end gaming monitor with an IPS display. A low quality IPS panel generally has a response time of 7ms. A faster response time means that your screen would not suffer from ghosting effects which can ruin your gaming monitor experience.

Ports

In the connectivity department Acer SB220Q bi offers one HDMI port and one VGA port. There is no DVI, DP, or Audio out port. While this would be a deal breaker for a high end monitor, for a device that will be primarily used for low-end gaming and Microsoft office, these ports are more than enough.

Furthermore, most other budget monitors only manage to offer VGA and DVI-D so the inclusion of HDMI VGA compatibility sets the SB220Q apart from its closest competitors as significantly more devices can be connected. The HDMI port is version 1.4 which allows for high speed streaming in a variety of dynamic colours all within the beautiful 1920 x 1080 frameless display.

Other features

Unfortunately, the Acer SB220Q monitor lacks built in speakers. This means that you will need to spend extra on separate speakers which can lead to desk space clutter. On top of that, the lack of audio out port means that you will need to connect your audio devices to your CPU or graphics card. This is troublesome if the CPU is placed far away from the display but with a little bit of organisation this shouldn’t be a problem.

Value for Money

So how does the price of the Acer SB220Q bi fare with the rest of the 21.5 inch monitors in the market? Most affordable computer monitors are designed cheaply and thus look and feel low quality. With the SB220Q, Acer has created a product with a premium user experience at an affordable price-point.

In terms of features, the monitor is filled with all the most important, with its high 75hz refresh rate for an ultra-smooth visual image experience or the frameless display that maximises the ultra thin, full HD 1920 x 1080p screen to really make you feel like your immersed in whatever you’re watching. It has a multiple sync capability and is free of pointless features designed to strip you of your money.

The only major feature missing from the Acer SB220Q is the inclusion of built in speakers but the cost of an external speaker has decreased significantly over the years so we do not feel this is a dealbreaker. The lack of multiple HDMI ports is not a major concern as when you compare the ports with similar devices on the market, the inclusion of HDMI is in of itself rare and highlights the quality of this technology at such a low price

What about the competition?

You may be wondering about the alternatives available . We found after searching through lists of potential IPS monitors that the majority lacked HDMI ports, a 75hz refresh rate and the performance capabilities in contrast to the SB220Q. However we have included links to our review of similar monitor with technology that feature similar ports, settings and frame rate as well as price. Read our reviews and compare the devices performance.

BenQ GW2270

The BenQ GW2270 is good looking, offers an excellent VA monitor with a 1080p IPS contrast ratio and has VESA mount capacity. It also includes AMD freesync which is usually found on a size 21.5 monitor. However it falls short with a slower refresh rate than 4ms and includes a VGA port but not a HMDI VGA port. It is vesa mount compatibile allowing for a gaming image that other models struggle to compare to.

HP 22ER

HP 22ER is a great looking gaming monitor with a 1920 x 1080 full HD screen and AMD freesync but is much more expensive and does not come with a 75hz refresh rate. its 4ms response rate allows for great gaming performance, especially with the use of freesync technology. It can be used with external speakers and can be united with a tilt mount for a greater gaming, especially when combined with the freesync resolution.

HP Pavillion 21.5 inch

HP Pavillion 21.5 inch is the only monitor that comes very close to Acer SB220Q bi in terms of features and price range. While it does include freesync resolution technology, it also suffers from a slower response time and lacks a 75hz refresh rate.

In the end, the design aspect is a personal preference. For example, you may be inclined more towards HP Pavillion 21.5 inch for its looks and AMD freesync. But as far as the specs are concerned, Acer SB220Q bi is the reigning king of the 21.5 inch category.

Warranty

The warranty of the Acer SB220Q is dependent on the retailers warranty policy. MWBIS is not responsible for the providing of warranty for any products we review and thus we encourage our readers to conduct their own research into a retailers warranty policy prior to making a purchase.

Acer SB220Q bi Review Conclusion

Before deciding to review the Acer SB220Q we set out to find the ultimate budget monitor. After analysing the competition we strongly recommend this monitor due to its high 75 hz refresh rate, ultra thin frameless display, 1080p IPS panel and very competitive price point.

Verdict:

9/10

While lacking in-built speakers and ports the Acer SB220q is a reliable, affordable and practical monitor for anyone looking to stream videos, play low-intensity games and work in the office.

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