Solid monitor for a TN panel, not sure if worth the price
review by
orange ghost
Overall, this monitor is "sufficient" - it's certainly not amazing, but it's not terrible either.
Let's talk about the positives first:
The narrow bezel and large screen provide for an overall good looking monitor for the exterior. The response time is quite good for gaming, and I didn't experience any ghosting issues while doing so. Dual HDMI is convenient if you are looking to perhaps plug in a console while also having your PC plugged it at the same time. Also, the monitor is VESA mountable, which you may want to look into considering the flimsy stand.
Speakers were okay, nothing special, but good if you just want a bit of sound when watching a quick YouTube video or console gaming.
Negatives:
Right out of the box, the stand is blatantly terrible. It is somewhat difficult to attach to the monitor, and is
very wobble-prone. Adjusting the tilt also requires some force (I was concerned that I would break it).
The lack of DP or DVI was not an issue for me, but this definitely would have been an added benefit if either of them were there. Some might find this frustrating. Also, the part of the monitor where you connect your power and HDMI or D-Sub cables are underneath the monitor, so you need to pick it up in order to plug them in. The flap protecting these ports is rather flimsy as well.
The on-screen display menu is somewhat easy to use after learning how to use it, but since the buttons are located underneath the monitor, they are not easy to access. Hitting the wrong buttons was a frequent issue for me.
The color/picture of the monitor was good for a TN panel, but compared to an IPS monitor (PB238Q) it stood no chance. Even after being adjusted, the color accuracy did not come anywhere near the IPS - instead, the color looked overly white and bright (this could have been my mistake). However, if this is your first monitor, I doubt it'll be very noticeable.
Finally, the price. $170 (the price I bought it for) seemed a bit high, even though it was $20 off. When you can get 23" IPS monitors with the same/better features for less, it is a hard buy.
Would I recommend this to a friend? Eh, probably not. There are better choices out there.
Pros | Cons |
---|
Narrow bezel, large screen, response time, dual HDMI, VESA mountable, speakers | Flimsy stand, no DP or DVI, difficult-to-use OSD buttons, mediocre color, price |
Ratings