Ask any hardcore gamer what matters most and nine out of 10 times you'll get a one-word answer—speed. It's no secret that fast frame rates not only give you smoother game play but they can also give you an edge over those unfortunate souls who have to deal with lag and choppy motion. You can spend thousands on a tricked out gaming rig but if your monitor can't display the action smoothly you're not getting the most out of your hardware investment. With the Asus VG248QE ($286.99 at Amazon), you don't have to worry about ghosting, lag, or choppy action. This 24-inch gaming monitor offers a 1-millisecond (gray-to-gray) pixel response and a 144Hz refresh rate, and it is 3D capable. Its color accuracy is good (not great) and its stand lets you position the panel in any direction for optimal (and comfortable) viewing. Off angle viewing is less than stellar though, and a few more I/O ports would be nice.
Design and Features
The VG248QE uses a design similar to its bigger sibling, the Asus VG278HE. It sports thin glossy black bezels, a glossy black cabinet, and a matching stand that consists of a round base with a Lazy Susan swivel mechanism and a telescoping mounting arm that offers pivot, height, and tilt adjustability. The base has a 3D logo, signifying that the panel is 3D ready, but as with the Asus VG278HE, the monitor does not come with the Nvidia 3D Vision 2 kit needed to view multi-dimensional content, although you can pick one up online for around $130 or so.
There are six clearly labeled function buttons (including the power switch) nestled beneath the lower bezel on the right side. Several of the buttons act as hot keys for things like picture presets and the GamePlus feature, which offers a game timer and an aiming scope to help zero in on your targets. All three video inputs are digital (HDMI, DisplayPort, dual-link DVI) and all are located at the rear of the cabinet facing downward. They are joined by an audio input and a headphone jack. There aren't any USB ports on this model, nor is there an analog video input or a webcam. However, it does include a set of embedded 2-watt speakers that are moderately loud but slightly tinny sounding.
As with every Asus monitor I've reviewed in recent years, the VG248QE offers Splendid Technology, which is really just a fancy name for picture presets. This monitor has six presets, including Scenery, Standard, Theater, Game, sRGB, and Night View modes. Other picture settings include Brightness, Contrast, Color Saturation, Skin Tone, and Color Temperature. There's also a Smart View setting that adds luminance for side angle viewing, but the view from dead center is compromised when this setting is enabled and is best left disabled.
Similar Products
BenQ XL2420TX
Viewsonic VG2437mc-LED
The VG248QE comes with a dual-link DVI cable and an audio cable but you're on your own when it comes to HDMI and DisplayPort cables. The monitor is covered by a three year parts, labor, and backlight warranty.
Performance
For the most part, the VG248QE is a solid performer. Its color accuracy wasn't terrible but it wasn't ideal either. As shown in the chromaticity chart below, the 1920 x 1080 TN panel produced oversaturated greens, but blues and reds were much closer to their CIE (International Commission On Illumination) coordinates. Greens did appear to be a bit heavy in my test photos but not heavy enough to cause tinting.
The VG248QE was able to display almost every shade of gray from the DisplayMate 64-Step Grayscale test, but darks shades of gray could have been a bit darker. There was a hint of clipping at the light end of the scale, which is not uncommon for a TN panel.
As is the case with most TN monitors, the VG248QE has relatively narrow viewing angles. There was some color shifting at around 50-degrees from center from the side and the view from the bottom was dark. This becomes more of an issue when the panel is rotated and the bottom angle becomes the left side angle.
The panel's 1-millisecond pixel response and 144Hz refresh rate combined to deliver an outstanding gaming experience. There was no apparent lag or image smearing while playing Burnout Paradise while connected to a PS3 console. Results were similar while playing the PC-based Far Cry 2 and while watching 2012 on blu-ray disc. Panning scenes were crisp and stutter-free.
The VG248QE used 25 watts of power during testing, which is comparable to the BenQ XL2420TX (28 watts). Neither could touch the efficiency of the Viewsonic VG2437mc-LED($159.99 at Amazon), which used only 19 watts of power.
The Asus VG248QE is a capable 24-inch gaming monitor that uses 144Hz refresh technology and a speedy 1-ms pixel response to deliver smooth game play. Its viewing angle performance comes up short and it lacks the gear needed for 3D gaming, but if smooth motion handling is a must, this monitor delivers. That said, our current Editors' Choice for mid-sized gaming monitors, the BenQ XL2420TX, also offers very good motion performance and comes with a multitude of I/O ports and a 3D Vision 2 kit, but it'll cost you a couple of hundred dollars more.
The Asus VG248QE is a 24-inch gaming monitor featuring a 144Hz refresh rate, a speedy pixel response, and a highly adjustable stand. It's a good performer but could use a few more gamer-centric features.
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