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

Results: Viewing Angle And Uniformity

Aside from GeChic's On-Lap 2501M, this is the only TN monitor we’ve tested this year. Off-axis viewing is the weak point of any non-IPS or PLS screen. For a high-refresh rate display like the VG248QE though, TN is the best choice for stability and fast screen draw performance.

Side to side, the image quality is pretty solid. There is a little discoloration in the brighter signal areas, but blacks remain stable and you can still tell the darkest bars apart. Top to bottom is another story. Viewed from 45 degrees below the screen center, the image is almost completely wiped out. From 45 degrees above, the bars are very light, though still defined. When we shoot these photos, we set our camera to manual exposure so each shot is taken with the same aperture and shutter speed. The side to side performance is exceptional for a TN screen. The top to bottom is fairly typical.

To measure screen uniformity, zero percent and 100 percent full-field patterns are used, and nine points are sampled. In a change from previous reviews, we’re now comparing the results to other monitors we’ve measured. First, we establish a baseline measurement at the center of each screen. Then the surrounding eight points are measured and their values expressed as a percentage of the baseline, either above or below. This number gets averaged. It is important to remember that we only test the review sample each vendor submits. Other examples of the same monitor can measure differently in this metric.

First up is black field uniformity:

Out of the 12 monitors we’ve reviewed this year, exactly half are above 10 percent and the other half are below. At 7.98, the Asus is comfortably in the better-performing segment. You shouldn't see any bright or dark spots in a black field.

Here’s the white field measurement:

Looking at the 100-percent white field, there's a slight hotspot in the center of the screen and a slight dark area in the upper-left. These are admittedly pretty minor, and don't impact the quality of content.

Screen Uniformity: Color

Starting with our review of the AOC Q2963PM, we added a new uniformity test to our benchmark suite: color. The above measurements only address luminance. Now we’re measuring the white balance variation in an 80-percent white field pattern. The results are expressed as a variation in Delta E, in other words, the difference between the highest and lowest value.

Since this metric is so new, we only have results for the last three monitors we reviewed. With a Delta E variation of only .29, the VG248QE performs extremely well. There is no visible variation in color at any point on the screen.

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