ACM Monitor

If you use an Acer laptop or monitor, you might find an ACM monitor setting within Acer’s EcoDisplay. It changes your screen contrast, but what exactly is it, and should you use it?

Adaptive Contrast Management (ACM) dynamically adjusts the contrast ratio of an input image to achieve a very sharp picture quality. It enhances the color quality by analyzing images frame by frame and produces deep blacks and bright whites. At the same time, it reduces energy consumption in LCD monitors.

What Does ACM Mean?

acer laptop screen

Adaptive Contrast Management (ACM) is a setting on Acer monitors that automatically changes the contrast ratio of an image. Color quality is adjusted frame-by-frame to output dark blacks and bright whites. It also saves power in LCD monitors while producing very sharp images.

You should not use ACM if you prefer to calibrate your monitor settings manually. You can adjust color temperatures using RGB sliders instead.

Should You Use ACM Monitor Setting?

acer laptop on wooden table

Adaptive Contrast Management (ACM) dynamically alters color and contrast to make images clear and easy to watch. It is best to use ACM to save energy while promoting environmentally-friendly devices. However, you should not use ACM if you prefer to calibrate your monitor settings manually. You can adjust color temperatures using RGB sliders instead.

If you play video games, you will enjoy the extra sharpness ACM gives images. However, you should keep this setting off if you prefer color and contrast consistent gameplay.

What is Acer EcoDisplay?

acer laptop using netflix

Acer EcoDisplay promises energy-saving features that make LCD screens more environmentally friendly. The main differences that separate an Acer EcoDisplay monitor and a regular LCD monitor include:

  • Adaptive Contrast Management that reduces power consumption and sharpens images
  • 2 CCFL lamps replaced by 4 LED lamps with 36% power savings
  • Many color modes to improve viewing experiences according to different scenarios

Additionally, Acer EcoDisplay aims to achieve an environmentally friendly and sustainable design in the following ways:

  • Power-saving design that does not compromise on display quality
  • Recycling of products is encouraged
  • Reduced packaging design

Products often use certifications to indicate environmentally-friendly designs. The Acer EcoDisplay logo is one example, as they are usually placed on top of Acer laptop screens.

How to Change Contrast on Acer Monitor

acer monitor with keyboard and mouse

ACM is a useful, power-saving feature, but you may prefer a more contrast-consistent viewing experience. Depending on your preference, you can change the contrast of an Acer screen with these simple steps:

  1. After logging in, click on the Start button and select Control Panel from the menu.
  2. Select the Display icon, enter the Settings tab, and set the Color Quality setting to medium or high. You should set this setting to high for better quality, but the medium setting saves more battery.
  3. Press the MENU or e button on your monitor to activate your on-screen display. Select Picture and navigate to the Contrast setting.
  4. Use your monitor’s side arrow buttons to adjust the contrast to your preference.

How to Change Brightness on Acer Monitor

woman using acer laptop
  1. Hold the Fn key and the right arrow button simultaneously to increase the screen brightness. Or, hold down the Fn key and the left arrow button to decrease the screen brightness.
  2. Alternatively, press the MENU or e key on your monitor to bring up your on-screen display. Select Picture, then navigate to the Brightness setting.
  3. Finally, use the side arrow buttons on your monitor to change the display brightness.

Frequently Asked Questions

pair of acer monitors

Is ACM Good for Gaming?

With the ACM setting enabled, monitors will change the display contrast dynamically while saving power. While this may produce sharp and vibrant images, the color and contrast may be too inconsistent for gaming. As a result, the ACM setting may improve gaming immersion but may be inappropriate for games that require consistent colors.

What is Acer eColor Management?

Acer eColor Management is a downloadable driver with different viewing modes that change display contrast, brightness, and sharpness. It features User Mode, ECO Mode, Standard Mode, Graphic Mode, and Movie Mode. For instance, Movie Mode presents images with high clarity, even in poorly lit environments.

Conclusion

acer laptop using adobe lightroom

Adaptive Contrast Management is a monitor setting that dynamically changes contrast while saving power. It is a feature of Acer EcoDisplay, which provides many other features designed to make monitors more environmentally friendly. Although ACM makes colors more vibrant, you may prefer manually calibrating your monitor for more contrast-consistent images.

If you enjoyed this guide on Acer monitors, you could learn how to change your monitor’s refresh rate.

Liam Weissman

A lover of MacBook Air and the Dell XPS line of laptops, Liam has been researching and writing as a guest blogger for numerous websites for over 10 years. Now, he blogs about tech trends, PCs, laptops, gadgets, and other emerging gadgets on FancyAppliance.com.

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