Asus VG245H 24-inch FreeSync Gaming Monitor Review

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Conclusion

We have no doubt that the VG245H will attract plenty of buyers. It represents a price breakthrough for sure and is about the only display from a major company that offers adaptive-refresh in any form for less than $200. And it manages to offer nearly every perk of its more expensive competition. In fact, the only thing your extra cash will buy in most cases is additional Hertz.

So how important is that? It depends largely on your system, and in particular, your video card. If you have a Radeon R9 Fury X, then yeah, 75Hz might be a problem. It just wouldn’t be a good match; like pairing high-end stereo speakers with a budget receiver. But for more modest gaming systems, a 75Hz monitor is an ideal pairing. If you’re running an R9 285 like we do, the VG245H is likely the perfect monitor for you. The only issue you’ll run into is the 40Hz lower FreeSync limit. That’s not likely to be an issue unless your card is powered by a rat on a wheel.

We’ve established that refresh rate is about the only thing that separates this budget Asus from its competition. Every other thing a gamer could want is here. You get a quality TN panel with a flicker-free backlight, game-oriented picture modes, FreeSync, and the same build quality that goes into more expensive products, including ones from Asus’ Republic of Gamers line.

Looking at the benchmark tests, the performance is definitely there, but you have to dig for it. The factory default Racing mode is OK but runs a little blue with gamma tracking that clips some highlight detail. sRGB provides decent accuracy and is our go-to mode for non-calibrators, but a few users might find the fixed 195cd/m2 output level to be an issue. We urge buyers of the VG245H to use our recommended settings, particularly the contrast value, to ensure proper rendering of all details and a natural, accurate color palette.

With these tweaks, the VG245H becomes nearly the equal of its more expensive sibling, the PG248Q. It won’t offer the smooth motion possible with a 180Hz refresh rate. But when used with the right system and video card, its gaming experience comes pretty close to awesome. If price is important, and you don’t want to spend more on your monitor than all your remaining system components put together, then you’ve found the ideal value choice.

With no major flaws and only a couple of minor ones that can be easily adjusted away, we see no reason not to give the VG245H a strong recommendation. Its value is hard to beat at this point. For that reason, we’re giving it our Tom’s Editor Recommended Award.


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Christian Eberle
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.

17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ohim
    75Hz should not have the "Gaming" Tag next to the product, this is Office class hardware territory, even with the FreeSync tech. I have 60Hz FreeSync monitor and i`m alwasy outside the range of Freesync.
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    I was wondering... Is there a chance for Toms to include Monitor OC? I have a feeling this monitor, as it is out of the box, is not telling the whole story...

    In any case, thanks for the review. For the price, it doesn't appeal to me, TBH. Not even for mundane tasks/use.

    Cheers!
    Reply
  • ahnilated
    What is up with all these 24" crap resolution and refresh rate displays?
    Reply
  • newton75x
    it is nice and everything but 75hz is a deal breaker for a gamer even in a low budget .
    Reply
  • huilun02
    LG has 75Hz IPS Ultrawides...
    Just sayin
    Reply
  • eklipz330
    i got a 32" 2K freesync VA panel for $100 more....
    Reply
  • Michael_498
    @Ohim: This is a nice sentence. One says it, the others copy it. Like in School. But let's think about it (which is different from School). If we synchronize the whole line from game over graphics Card to, finally, the Screen, we don't Need really more than 50-60 Hz because we cannot recognize it. More is only needed without Synchronisation, if it works the way I mentioned, which is still a long way to go for the industry. So be careful with your claims, especially with "even with G-Sync".
    Reply
  • ohim
    19027733 said:
    @Ohim: This is a nice sentence. One says it, the others copy it. Like in School. But let's think about it (which is different from School). If we synchronize the whole line from game over graphics Card to, finally, the Screen, we don't Need really more than 50-60 Hz because we cannot recognize it. More is only needed without Synchronisation, if it works the way I mentioned, which is still a long way to go for the industry. So be careful with your claims, especially with "even with G-Sync".

    I know what i`m talking about since i own a product as such, do you ? I`m gaming on a 3440x1440 34" LG monitor with freesync in the range of 40 to 60. In games like Battlefield 1 at Ultra i have the game sitting in that range and it is ok, but every other game will be way outside this range and thus making the FreeSync useless, Gsync at 60 Hz is just as useless.

    You might say turn v-sync on and/or cap frames at 60, that`s a no go, unnecessary input lag induced for the joy of smooth frames. If you play games competitively (you do call yourself a gamer and buy a gaming product) then you want as much FPS as you can get for fast reactions. Some might say what`s the point of 150 FPS if you have a 60 Hz monitor, it is all about input and reactions and it helps, so if you come with a 60Hz/75Hz monitor and call it a "gaming" monitor i will laugh in your face.

    Manufacturers are milking the hell out of the "gaming" tag, at this point this monitor has nothing special about it, it`s a TN 24" monitor with added Freesync (this costs almost nothing to implement) so why ask 200$ for a monitor that is normally 100-150$ and doesn`t have anything to do with gaming ?
    Reply
  • Verrin
    I think the value here is fantastic, with FreeSync. I can understand that most people reading this are enthusiasts with bigger budgets and higher standards, but outside of this readership I don't think most people want to spend more than 150-200 dollars on a monitor.
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    19028432 said:
    I think the value here is fantastic, with FreeSync. I can understand that most people reading this are enthusiasts with bigger budgets and higher standards, but outside of this readership I don't think most people want to spend more than 150-200 dollars on a monitor.

    And why would an enthusiast with a lesser budget want a Freesync monitor?

    For that price you're 100 times better off with a non-Freesync 120Hz TN monitor like this:

    https://www.amazon.com/Acer-GN246HL-Bbid-24-Inch-Display/dp/B00KO4518I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482255634&sr=8-3&keywords=120hz+monitor

    Cheers!
    Reply