First up was Battlefield 3 where the contrast performance was pretty decent overall. Its certainly an interesting development, but its not something we are currently prepared to test and discuss extensively in our reviews due to the unofficial, restrictive and forced nature in its current state. The colour gamut corresponds fairly closely to sRGB. Some units may be better whilst others may be worse, but its good to be aware of the issues and not to be shocked if you encounter them yourself. The basic method is fairly limited in its accuracy. This isnt unusual to see after major corrections and transformations have been applied from a full calibration. The visible trailing is reduced further as a result and the snapshots become even less representative of what the eye sees. The visible reduction in trailing (particularly at TF60 and above) is unmistakable and these pictures are now much less representative of what your eye actually sees than at 60Hz. TF0 and TF20 things are essentially similar in this snapshot to at 60Hz. Because LightBoost strobes the backlight to give rapid on and off pulses you only see a given frame for a fraction of the time you normally would. This actually accounts for a significant proportion of perceived blur you might see on an LCD no matter how fast the LCD appears on paper. Due to the way the human visual system works, your eyes constantly move to track motion on the screen. Whilst certainly not unique in this respect, the ASUS VG248QE has been given a regular and rather heavy matte antiglare surface. Trailing 60Hz TF20 Occasional faint overdrive artifacts in places but nothing to worry about really. The first blue band blended into the black background whilst the next 3 blue were also difficult to see. Trailing 120Hz TF0 ):Net Weight with Stand : 5.5 Kg|Net Weight without Stand : 3.75 Kg|Gross Weight : 8.1 KgAccessories (vary by regions):Audio cable|Dual-link DVI cable|Power cord|Quick start guide|Support CD|Warranty Card A given shade appeared notably lighter further down the screen with additional but more subtle shifts in shade horizontally. The monitor put in a strong performance and brought the aforementioned fluidity benefits to the table. We tested a range of game titles and a movie on the VG248QE to bring everything together. In CRT displays the horizontal scan rate is the frequency, at which the CRT moves the electron beam from the left to the right of the display in a cycling manner, thus specifying the number of horizontal lines displayed per second. Information about whether the stand allows height adjustment. TF0 and TF20 things are essentially similar in this snapshot to at 60Hz. Brightness= 54 (according to preferences and lighting) At the high end there was plenty of brightness. Using a range of familiar desktop backgrounds, icons and applications (including the Lagom website) and a Spyder4Elite colorimeter we assessed the image performance of the ASUS VG248QE. The following observations were made on the VG248QE. Observing a black screen fill in a dark room revealed a small strip of bleed at the very bottom of the monitor. View. Information about whether the stand can be dismounted. Youd have to be looking out for it and know what to look for. When it comes to the uniformity of lighter colours it is best to observe the other extreme of the scale. This is now 144Hz with the car moving extremely rapidly there are 2.4 times as many frames crammed in each second as at 60Hz and 1.2 times as many as at 120Hz. For users with Nvidia graphics cards you also gain the option of gaming in 3D if you buy either the Nvidia 3D Vision 1 or 2 stereoscopic glasses and transmitter. Information about additional software features, technologies, functions and services of the model. Information about some of the main accessories included in the standard packaging of the current model. Trailing 60Hz TF60 Rather than looking like a richer and more full-bodied version of the original shade, they looked a different shade entirely. Obviously this is a TN panel and, as such, the usual colour consistency and viewing angle issues apply. 22.4 x 13.4 x 2.3 / 56.9 x 34.0 x 5.7 mm (without Stand) Weight: 12.1 lb / 5.5 kg: Packaging Info. For users with Nvidia graphics cards you also gain the option of gaming in 3D if you buy either the Nvidia 3D Vision 1 or 2 stereoscopic glasses and transmitter. Responsiveness in games and movies Tips and Tricks, Which are the Best Korean 4k Monitors? The gamma curve below, from Theater Mode, shows odd gamma behaviour which is fairly typical of most Splendid modes. 3D gear not included. Instead they appeared as a collection of muddy olives, greens and greys. The ASUS VG248QE gave some good static contrast ratios, averaging 1020:1 in Standard Mode. It is still a difference, though, and to coin the phrase of a popular British supermarket chain; every little helps. At TF80 the trail is weaker still, but takes on a course woven appearance. As frame rate decreases, visible trailing increases; the monitor is displaying each discrete frame for longer and will duplicate some frames. VG248QE Mount Question. Earthy browns, golden greens and khaki colours in the environment were also quite nicely represented on the whole. This results in your eyes being in different positions throughout the frame, even though the image itself is static during the held frame. If you are after a really responsive gaming monitor without any input lag or potentially distracting levels of inverse ghosting to worry about then this is really a key player at the moment. Trailing 144Hz TF40 When testing responsiveness on our movie titles we had to revert to a 120Hz refresh rate. There is no noticeable secondary trail and no troublesome overdrive artifacts such as inverse ghosting. You can also rotate (pivot) the screen into a portrait orientation although the restrictive vertical-come-horizontal viewing angles of the TN panel limits the practicalities of this. BenQ then followed suit with their 24 XL2411T, a model also sporting a 144Hz refresh rate. At TF80 the trail is weaker still, but takes on a course woven appearance. We also tested the Blu-ray of Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder. TF100 is, again, a mess. Essentially what this does is to strobe the backlight on and off very rapidly to give pulses of high brightness on the on phase. The static contrast shows the ratio between the brightest and the darkest color, which the display can reproduce simultaneously, for example, within one and the same frame/scene. This is designed to be a gaming monitor that delivers a super-responsive experience in fast paced games. If you live in the United States then this monitor comes at a truly excellent price and is again easy and cheap enough to return to the big retailers. The sRGB preset gave the best balance and shade variety but was hampered by ASUS nonsensical decision to chop off all user control in this preset. There was a touch of very faint inverse trailing in places (for example looking at some white objects lit up by headlights at night) but it didnt jump out at all. Further information on supporting our work. Even on some of the fastest 60Hz LCDs cornering will produce noticeable blur. Blue= 89 that dont use the profiles properly. The following observations were made on the VG248QE. Good static contrast performance across most presets and good detail shown in dark areas on games and movies One thing that isnt glossy, or anything near, is the screen surface. Similar in effect to BenQs Black eQualizer, this ensures visibility in such areas is not something to worry about even if things dont look as they are supposed to. Similar item to consider 7 Inch Security Monitor, Small HDMI Monitor Support VGA AV HDMI USB Mini Portable Computer Desktop Display with Built-in Dual Speakers Remote Control for Gaming Camera Raspberry Pi PC CCTV DVR Car (72) $65.99 When it comes to the responsiveness of a gaming monitor the input lag is often the first things people want to know about. Whereas the other lacks it. It gives a pretty much spot on white point and average gamma of 2.3. At 144Hz we ran into exactly the same problem as in the BenQ XL2411T where the image appeared completely scrambled like white noise. Newer IPS, PLS and some VA models have demonstrated that there is really very little benefit in such an aggressive anti-glare surface. ICC profiles By . Interacting with the world was buttery smooth, whilst the very low levels of trailing kept everything in focus. Standard Mode allows basic settings such as contrast, brightness and colour temperature to be adjusted. Trailing 144Hz TF20 Once the ICC profiles are applied (mileage may vary) this monitor does give a pleasing performance on applications where theyre supported. This shortens the length of a visible refresh and reduces the amount of time eyes are tracking across the visible period of a refresh. Shown below are the snapshots taken at 144Hz, again with the respective increase in Trace Free value. Based upon the area, you might also get an HDMI cable, a DisplayPort cable, and a Dual-link DVI cable with both of these monitors. By making full use of the monitors refresh rate and running the game at 144fps you could observe very little trailing. You dont really gain anywhere near the sort of responsiveness benefits with films as you do with games by running a faster refresh rate. A clever Canadian chap called Mark Rejhon (who runs The Blur Busters Blog) was the first to widely publicise the fact that this strobing can be used to beneficial effect during 2D viewing as well. One thing that isnt glossy, or anything near, is the screen surface. But sadly, not only Mechlab seems locked at 60fps (and 60Hz ) but also in game I only get 60Hz refresh rate. Even when driving like a lunatic in any environment on the game (different pixel transitions) there was no troublesome overdrive trailing, either. Whichever way you cut it this is an absolutely minuscule amount of input lag and it wont cause anybody problems no matter how sensitive they are to input lag. Even compared to a 60Hz LCD with zero input lag the ASUS has an advantage in fluidity in the form of its refresh rate. Approximate width of the display. This actually accounts for a significant proportion of perceived blur you might see on an LCD no matter how fast the LCD appears on paper. Furthermore, some people may like a better solution for general desktop work and those games where ICC profiles are used correctly and to full effect. Theres also an information label just under the ports containing the serial number and date of manufacture. Similar in effect to BenQs Black eQualizer, this ensures visibility in such areas is not something to worry about even if things dont look as they are supposed to. The image was nowhere near perfect but it seemed to be the best way to get the image to look vivid in all applications at 144Hz without extreme shade crushing or bleaching. TF0 and TF20 tell a fairly similar story to the other refresh rates. A well thought-out design with full stand adjustability, VESA mounting and the inclusion of DisplayPort, DVI and HDMI. Shown below are the snapshots taken at 144Hz, again with the respective increase in Trace Free value. The more muted minty shades also lacked variety and the appropriate pastel hues. To gauge a representative figure for input lag on we used a recently revised camera and stopwatch method. Under this mode the monitor tended to go from very bright to extremely bright during mixed scenes and was uncomfortable to view. The image below shows the colour gamut of the monitor under our test settings (red triangle) compared to the sRGB colour space (green triangle). Whilst certainly not unique in this respect, the ASUS VG248QE has been given a regular and rather heavy matte antiglare surface. Dont forget the vital importance of refresh rate. 1) Download the appropriate ICC profile below and save it to a suitable place This was particularly the case for very lively bright reds, highlighter yellows, neon greens and cyans on car bodies and around the track. Additionally they dont run at a frame rate that will match the refresh rate at all 24fps or so is standard. Just the other day I got my Acer GN246HL monitor, capable of 144hz. It requires a little bit of software and driver tweaking and isnt truly an out of the box feature of the monitor. TF0 and TF20 things are essentially similar in this snapshot to at 60Hz. Much better balanced than any of the Splendid defaults. Weight without stand in different measurement units. The large blocks of a single shade on this film, particularly on the characters themselves, demonstrated this nicely. Luminance uniformity table Using our calibrated profile the second and third blocks also became difficult to see. The basic method is fairly limited in its accuracy. A highly sensitive luminance meter (Konica Minolta CS-200 Chroma Meter) was used to measure the brightness of white and black using a range of monitor settings. At TF40 the primary trail becomes fainter but takes on a woven appearance indicative of RTC (Response Time Compensation) errors. Because LightBoost strobes the backlight to give rapid on and off pulses you only see a given frame for a fraction of the time you normally would. Similar in effect to BenQs Black eQualizer, this ensures visibility in such areas is not something to worry about even if things dont look as they are supposed to. Oversaturation and bright-shade crushing reduced significantly. The blue block appeared a reasonably rich blue that was solid throughout. Green= 90 Many modern games also use these profiles correctly. The NTSC (1953) color space is introduced in 1953 by the FCC with the appearance of color television and has a wider gamut than the sRGB. This ASUS VG248QE supports LightBoost, which is an Nvidia technology to complement its 3D Vision 2 system. Trailing 144Hz TF80 Both the monitors have a 24-inch wide-screen display with an aspect ratio of 16:9. This is useful if you want to switch to default colour settings (essentially no ICC profile active) when running certain applications (games etc.) At 144Hz the monitor is outputting 2.4 times as much visual information every second. The tool is set to the maximum tempo (fastest motion speed) whilst a high-sensitivity camera is used to capture any trailing. This isnt unusual to see after major corrections and transformations have been applied from a full calibration. This time we were using CyberLink PowerDVD 10 which is a slightly more recent version but the end result was the same as that shown in the video below. It offers a homely glossy look that many users are after whilst providing full adjustability and VESA mountability should the user wish to use it. Trailing 120Hz TF0 The second game title tested was Dirt 3. It was certainly not the worst case of clouding weve seen. This is, again, not entirely unexpected when a calibration has to make massive changes from a monitors native settings. Trailing 144Hz TF60 At the bottom right there are labels for the monitor control buttons; Splendid mode (presets), GamePlus (on-screen crosshair and timer)/down, menu, brightness/up, source select and power. Youd have to be looking out for it and know what to look for. As frame rate decreases, visible trailing increases; the monitor is displaying each discrete frame for longer and will duplicate some frames. At 144Hz we ran into exactly the same problem as in the BenQ XL2411T where the image appeared completely scrambled like white noise. It offers a homely glossy look that many users are after whilst providing full adjustability and VESA mountability should the user wish to use it. BenQ then followed suit with their 24. The gamma curve now followed a more sensible pattern but still went a bit wacky towards the upper end. There was some fairly noticeable clouding and a generally patchy appearance under such conditions. 3) Follow these instructions on how to activate the ICC profile. Convoluted testing methodology aside, we measured. If the manufacturer does not provide such information, the height is calculated from the diagonal and the aspect ratio. Responsiveness The video below gives a brief run through of the OSD and also the GamePlus on-screen aimpoint and timer functions of the VG248QE. Most users suffer no ill consequences, though, and there is quite a bit of PWM paranoia going around at the moment. To give a visual indication of the pixel performance on a range of typical grey to grey transitions we used a tool called PixPerAn (Pixel Persistence Analyser). Many modern games also use these profiles correctly. Some reports of eyestrain and discomfort that people believe comes from the use of PWM are actually due to prolonged viewing without a break and dehydration. Essentially what this does is to strobe the backlight on and off very rapidly to give pulses of high brightness on the on phase. The more muted minty shades also lacked variety and the appropriate pastel hues. To use our ICC profiles, do the following. Trailing was reduced in some instances compared to TF60 without any particularly conspicuous overdrive artifacts being introduced. Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Color Temp, Skin Tone, Sharpness, ASCR. Trailing 120Hz TF60 The backlight pulses on and off very extremely quickly, with pulse frequency decreasing at lower brightness. Good static contrast performance across most presets and good detail shown in dark areas on games and movies We did test LightBoost on the VG248QE in a 2D capacity using our secondary (Nvidia) GPU and do think that it is something some users will love to use. It was certainly not the worst case of clouding weve seen. One thing that isnt influenced by any monitor settings and that also eats away at distinct shade variety is the viewing angle limitation of TN panel technology. The snappy feeling and instantaneous responses to mouse movement was unmistakable when using the monitor. Its important to look more broadly at how visible trailing actually is during a wide range of different pixel transitions, between different colours and at various speeds. In particular, the environment and tracked retained excellent sharpness during race modes. Negatives One of the features designed to enhance brightness during 3D viewing, LightBoost, can also be forcefully enabled during 2D viewing. There was a small amount of trailing here and there but it was very faint and short-lived. The trademarks, marques and logos of the manufacturers of devices, software, hardware, etc. Although not a perfect solution it should give users a much more pleasing image on the desktop which is where pleasing colours are often most in demand. Conclusion Very bright by default but excellent balance and a much richer look than anything you can achieve through the OSD at 144Hz. We have also included our observations using our test settings and after applying a custom calibrated ICC profile as detailed below. By making full use of the monitors refresh rate and running the game at 144fps you could observe very little trailing. It requires a little bit of software and driver tweaking and isnt truly an out of the box feature of the monitor. Trailing 60Hz TF60 Responsiveness in games and movies Because the frames are all shown multiple times to fill up the refresh rate there was a slim increase in smoothness compared to running at 60Hz but it really wasnt anything to write home about. Where possible, youll be redirected to your nearest store. The characters skin tones generally had a mildly sunburnt look whilst some other shades became a bit bright and gaudy. The visible trailing is reduced further as a result and the snapshots become even less representative of what the eye sees. Fortunately they didnt suffer from any trailing (overdrive or conventional) as a result of the monitors pixel responses, though. The black level test was fairly good under our test settings with all but the first block visible. As always, it depends. has been added to your Cart Include Add a Protection Plan: Sorry, your monthly warranty plan was removed because these plans are currently only available for single-item orders. Where possible, youll be redirected to your nearest store. Objects remained visible enough for manoeuvring and didnt meld into a blurry mess. Also remember that these snapshots only look at a fairly limited range of pixel transitions. If you want to use LightBoost for a CRT-like 2D experience on the VG248QE then instructions are included on the thread follow the first link in the initial post for full guidance. Both the monitors also have a cable management compatible stand. Trailing 120Hz TF40 There were some clear uniformity issues on our review unit When it came to the colour performance of the monitor a bit of a mixed picture emerges. If a user did become bothered by this then they could always reduce Trace Free back to the default setting of 60 to minimise such things further. Some fires, for example, looked vivid and intense but too red without licks of more muted oranges and yellows. It picks out far more trailing than our previous camera regardless of settings and it wouldnt be fair to compare them in this way. Some vegetation and woody tones also looked a bit off. For those who prefer a visual representation the contour map represents the deviation graphically. Trailing 120Hz TF100 The ASUS VG248QE 144Hz fast gaming monitors half the effects of motion blur to deliver a perceivable difference for natural movement and crisp edges on fast paced gaming environments. 4. height 499mm The height represents the vertical dimension of the product. At TF40 the primary trail becomes fainter but takes on a woven appearance indicative of RTC (Response Time Compensation) errors. Note that these images are not to be compared directly with models weve reviewed prior to 2013 as a new and far more sensitive camera is now used to capture them. Image is overly bright and looks washed out in places with overpowering whites and many shades lacking depth. Lower monitor latency gives a gamer the opportunity to improve . At an input RGB of 85 it becomes suddenly very flat giving a sort of upside down hockey stick effect. The calibrated settings increased banding as you would expect given the severity of the colour and gamma changes. It is good that ASUS gives such freedom to users with its Trace Free settings and that even at TF80 there are no nasty surprises in this test. At TF40 the primary trail becomes fainter but takes on a woven appearance indicative of RTC (Response Time Compensation) errors. ASUS also gave the monitor rather funky gamma tracking and specific low-end colour values. Asus VG248QE 3.5 See It $194.94 at Amazon MSRP $269.99 Pros Fast pixel response. Further information on supporting our work. The blue block appeared a reasonably rich blue that was solid throughout. Given the sorts of adjustments you have to make to spruce up the image, though, you soon start losing that static contrast. ASUS are fairly unambiguous in their marketing of the VG248QE on their website, on their printed materials and on the base of the monitor itself. It was the fastest paced FPS title we cared to test, anyway. To gauge a representative figure for input lag on we used a recently revised camera and stopwatch method. Objects remained visible enough for manoeuvring and didnt meld into a blurry mess. ICC profiles offer much relief on the desktop and some games but arent a magic bullet covering all situations Information about the average amount of time, in which the pixels change from one color to another. Unfortunately for these users, all 120Hz+ LCDs on the market at the moment use PWM. The most widely used panels are those with 6, 8, and 10 bits for each of the RGB components of the pixel. Furthermore an Nvidia GPU was used for some specific feature tests included in the Responsiveness section. There was certainly blur but it was down more to a combination of the games in-built motion blur filter and simply the way the human eye tracks motion. An additional Nvidia-specific ICC profile was also created to take into account slight differences in colour handling. Driving vehicles on the ground and piloting aircraft was also a joy, without any troublesome trailing. One thing that isnt glossy, or anything near, is the screen surface. Under our test settings the brightest point, quadrant 5 at the centre of the screen, yielded 191.3 cd/m2. Trailing 60Hz TF100 The sRGB mode took a slight hit to 906:1 due to the adjustments made to colour channels. The visible reduction in trailing (particularly at TF60 and above) is unmistakable and these pictures are now much less representative of what your eye actually sees than at 60Hz. This was preferable to running the monitor in in its washed-out 144Hz standard mode, though, which makes it look duller than dishwater. Trailing was reduced in some instances compared to TF60 without any particularly conspicuous overdrive artifacts being introduced. Static contrast remained strong in most other presets, too, with the notable exception of Night View mode where a dismal 514:1 was observed. Red= 100 1) Download the appropriate ICC profile below and save it to a suitable place When on foot the character responded instantaneously to mouse input. The upper 2 red, purple and white bands were fairly indistinct and blended into one another. Positives It is good that ASUS gives such freedom to users with its Trace Free settings and that even at TF80 there are no nasty surprises in this test. A monitor could tick all of the other boxes for gaming but then spoil the experience for some users with high input lag. Test Settings (Theater Mode with various modifications) 2.1 6500K Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Color Temp, Skin Tone, Sharpness, ASCR. During the insanely fast-paced Gymkhana mode the monitor performed admirably. The screen surface texture was visible, preventing light sources and suchlike looking pure and lifelike. This indicates a high level of viewing angle dependency to the monitors gamma curve and is typical for a TN monitor. The purple block appeared a striking lilac at the top, quickly gaining a pink hue which is most intense towards the bottom. Given the sorts of adjustments you have to make to spruce up the image, though, you soon start losing that static contrast. Image still has a bleached, overly sharp and very oversaturated look with poor shade variety at the high-end. Information about the maximum vertical viewing angle, within which the image on the screen is of acceptable quality. about us | Gamma curve Theater Mode This shortens the length of a visible refresh and reduces the amount of time eyes are tracking across the visible period of a refresh. Color Temp= User Mode At TF100 the grey to grey acceleration is far too aggressive, creating a mess of inverse and bright trails. The matte screen surface offered good glare-reduction and ensured reflections were never an issue Test Settings Contrast ratios This ran from the inside of the bottom bezel where the minor bleed was present to around an inch above. And the 2nd monitor on our list weighs about 5.5 kgs. On the second game title, Dirt 3, the VG248QE presented some shades nicely. Degree of pivoting the display counterclockwise. To the right is a selection of downwards-facing ports; DisplayPort, Dual-Link DVI, HDMI, audio in (line-in) and audio out (headphone jack). There was certainly blur but it was down more to a combination of the games in-built motion blur filter and simply the way the human eye tracks motion. LightBoost There was some fairly noticeable clouding and a generally patchy appearance under such conditions. Negatives Without the stand, the dimension is W: 569.4 x H: 340.4 x D: 57.3mm. Asus VG248QE 3.5 See It $199.99 at Amazon MSRP $269.99 Pros Fast pixel response. Download for 1. It must be understood that each individual VG248QE is slightly different and you may need to make some further adjustments of your own. Weight (without stand) 6.6 lbs (3.0 kg) Weight (with stand) 11.5 lbs (5.2 kg) The ASUS VG248QG has a simple design similar to other ASUS gaming monitors but with thick bezels.