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LG 24GM77: A Solid Gamers' Choice
We’ve stated in other gaming monitor reviews that we don’t hold these screens to quite the same color accuracy standards as professional or luxury business-class displays. LG’s 24GM77 transcends our more lax standards, delivering some of the best accuracy we’ve ever recorded.
Here we have a monitor with every feature a gamer could ask for (except one of the two variable refresh capabilities) and pro-level image quality with fantastic out-of-box color and grayscale accuracy. You even get above-average contrast levels and one of the best-implemented backlight strobes we’ve seen. The icing on the cake is that it sells for around $300, which isn't significantly more than a well-built 60Hz display at 24 inches.
Even though there is plenty of brightness available, LG chooses a minimalist approach with its Motion 240 blur-reduction feature. By only cutting output 15 percent, there is almost no visible change in the image except for less motion blur. The fact is, when it comes to backlight strobing, it doesn’t take much to see a noticeable improvement. Other gaming monitors employ a variable pulse-width feature that just isn’t necessary on the 24GM77. You truly get the best of both worlds.
We only observed two minor flaws during our evaluation. Gamma tracking is almost perfect except for that dip at the 80- and 90-percent brightness levels. Since the rest of the trace is right-on, we believe a firmware update could solve the problem.
The other issue, and it’s a minor one, is the reduction in contrast caused by Motion 240. Typically, a backlight strobe reduces output but does not affect black level. In the 24GM77’s case, the black level doubles, causing a 36-percent drop in contrast. Considering how good the blur-reduction is otherwise, we think it’s a reasonable tradeoff.
You may find yourself leaving Motion 240 off for two other reasons, though. First, you can’t use it with a 144Hz refresh rate. And second, it locks out the input lag-reducing DAS feature. Speed is the principal reason to buy a monitor like this, so ultimately we think that makes a greater impact on gaming than blur-reduction. When we turned DAS off, it almost doubled the input lag in our 144Hz test. That alone may convince many users to simply leave it on and dispense with the backlight strobe.
If you’re still holding out for FreeSync or a cheaper G-Sync screen, the 24GM77 may not be for you. But gamers shopping for fast refresh rates from a well-built monitor sporting accurate color, a solid feature-set and a low price may want to give serious consideration to the this new LG.
For its superb out-of-box accuracy, gaming-oriented features and good value, we’re giving the 24GM77 our Tom’s Hardware Editor Recommended award.
