Asus VG248QE: A 24-Inch, 144 Hz Gaming Monitor Under $300

Results: Color Gamut And Performance

Color gamut is measured using a saturation sweep that samples the six main colors (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) at five saturation levels (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%). This provides a more realistic view of color accuracy. Since there are no color management controls on the HP E271i, we're only showing the post-calibration graphs (although we’re sure they'd look pretty much the same out-of-box).

We’ve seen the oversaturation of blue on a few other screens, so this chart is not out of the ordinary. You can also see that green, yellow, and magenta are clocked slightly away from their targets. The errors are fairly small, as shown on the bottom Delta E chart. In fact, things look pretty good until you pass the 60 percent saturation level. Color luminance (middle chart) also dips for red, magenta, and blue as the saturation level rises.

Thanks to its excellent mid and low saturation color accuracy, the VG248QE’s color error average stays just below the visible level of three. HP's ZR30w is the only screen we’ve tested this year that finishes over three. This tells us that most monitors out there are pretty close to either the Adobe RGB 1998 or sRGB standard. It’s getting harder to buy a bad screen these days!

Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998

There are basically two categories of displays in use today: those that conform to the sRGB/Rec 709 standard (like HDTVs) and wide-gamut panels that show as much as 100 percent of the Adobe RGB 1998 spec. We use Gamutvision to calculate the gamut volume, based on an ICC profile created from actual measurements. The chart is also expanded from previous reviews to include the sRGB gamut volume.

None of the sRGB-compliant screens we’ve tested reach the 100-percent mark. At 93.1 percent, the VG248QE does pretty well. This is more than adequate performance for any sort of entertainment use, from movies to games.

Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

  • CaptainTom
    I gotta wonder if 1 ms vs 5 ms really makes a difference...
    Reply
  • ff6shadow
    I own this. Bought when it was first available. Great monitor for gaming. I use 2x GTX Titans with it.
    Reply
  • iam2thecrowe
    i don't like the sound of this dithering BS, i guess that's why its cheap....
    Reply
  • SWEETMUSK
    if I have $300 dollars I will not buy for 24 inch "TN" screen
    IPS is much better then TN
    Reply
  • Axonn
    People who think 144 Hz is more important than an 8-bit panel are in for a big, big fail.
    Reply
  • ryude
    This monitor uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) for the backlight, which causing flickering. The only 144hz monitor that does not use PWM is the BenQ XL2420TE.
    Reply
  • Plusthinking Iq
    they only sell BenQ XL2420T version in my country, so i bought the asus for the double pwm hz. pwm, the scourge og the lcd monitor.
    Reply
  • CraigN
    ryude - yes, it uses PWM, however, as an owner of one of these monitors, I have not noticed any flickering at all. It's a really solid performing monitor. That same PWM comes in real handy when running in Lightboost mode for even more reductions to input lag.

    CaptainTom, 1ms makes a huge difference over 5ms. I didn't think it would at first until I bought one of these. Next to my old 24" HDTV that was my monitor for awhile, the difference is insane.

    Reply
  • CraigN
    PS , Christian, your SmartBuy award photo at the end of the article is the wrong ASUS monitor ;) Also, would you guys mind releasing the ICC profile you guys calibrated for your tests?
    Reply
  • Turik
    The final picture is not of the VG248QE?
    Reply