Review: 24" 1080p LED 144hz Refresh Rate Gaming Monitor from Monoprice

When you think of Monoprice you probably think of inexpensive cables and other accessories, but did you know the company also sells inexpensive desktop monitors? Well, they do. And they recently sent me one of their new gaming-focused budget monitors for review. The gaming monitor is a 24-inch 1080p LED with a 144hz refresh rate, adjustable stand (height, tilt, and swivel), and matte screen. But perhaps the best part is the price which comes in at $249. Yes, you read that correctly: $249.

Now, if you prefer the greatest displays on screen, this may not be as appealing. But mind you, it has very similar, if not the same or better parts. Which means it still delivers crisp and images and vibrant colors. Read the following to learn more about this gaming monitor from Monoprice.

The monitor comes with various different ports: 1 DisplayPort, 1 HDMI, 1 Dual Link DVI, and 1 VGA. So basically, you can connect it to pretty much anything. It also has two speakers built-in, but they are pretty weak and chances are you will want a good pair of headphones or speakers. But hey, you can’t have it all for $249. The monitor runs at a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 144hz with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

In terms of design, well, let’s just say it serves its purpose. The enclosure is sturdy enough, it’s not super heavy either (weighs in at 12.6 lbs). I do like how the monitor can be adjusted easily, making it great for different configurations. It’s worth noting that while it does ship with a DVI cable, it doesn’t come with an HDMI or DisplayPort cable so if you want to use either of those which I assume you do, make sure you have one handy.

But how does it perform?

Many gamers know that you typically get better response times and less motion blur with a TN display over an IPS display. However, with a TN display, which is what this Monoprice monitor is, you give up viewing angle and good color reproduction. Something to definitely keep in mind. Being that I’ve been spoiled by the MacBook Pro’s Retina display for several years, I had to spend a decent amount of time on my computer adjusting the color profile as well as in the settings of the monitor itself adjusting the red, green, blue, brightness, etc to get it to my liking. It still wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to use.

In my tests, the monitor performed well. I had it connected to my 15″ Retina MacBook Pro via HDMI and it was able to handle games like CS:GO with ease, even with graphics settings turned up. No little jaggies here. Another thing you need to consider in whether to buy this monitor vs a more expensive IPS one is that with adaptive vertical sync in most modern games, refresh rate isn’t as big of a concern anymore. So an IPS display will give you better color reproduction and in most modern games perform just as well with motion blur and refresh rate.

At $249 for a 24-inch monitor, you can’t complain. This monitor will get the job done for what it is — a good budget monitor.