Nixeus NX-VUE24A Monitor Review

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Brightness And Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs.  Brightness and Contrast testing is covered on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

We have more than enough FreeSync and G-Sync monitors in our database to create a group of solid contenders for comparison. Acer is well-represented with its XB270HU (G-Sync), XB280HK (UHD G-Sync) and XR341CK (curved FreeSync) monitors. From BenQ we have the curved XR3501 which runs at 144Hz and has no frame-rate matching. And finally we’ve included the Asus MG279Q FreeSync screen. Both the Nixeus and BenQ run at 1080p resolution. The rest are QHD or UHD.

Nixeus claims 300cd/m2 for the NX-VUE24A but we couldn’t get any brighter than 224.1385. To do this set Color to User Define and turn Gamma On. In the default 6500K mode, we only measured 170.341cd/m2. While this is enough output for just about any situation, we’d like to see a little more headroom.

The lower-than-average backlight results in a good black level but it still can’t match that of the AMVA panel used in the XR3501. The NX-VUE24A delivers shadow detail and quality on par with its more-expensive competition.

Nixeus doesn’t quite match contrast levels with more mainstream products but it isn’t too far behind. And it handily beats Acer’s Ultra HD model. At this price point we’re satisfied with its performance so far.

Uncalibrated – Minimum Backlight Level

We’re always a little mystified when a manufacturer sets the minimum backlight level so low. There is no situation we can imagine where you’d only want 9cd/m2 maximum output. To set a level of 50cd/m2 up the Brightness control to 14.

Of course the Nixeus’ minimum black level is equally low but it still can’t come close to the incredible XR3501. We know it’s only 1080p but those black levels and contrast aren’t found in many other displays.

Contrast stays reasonably consistent throughout the brightness range. It’s only a 10-percent difference which is negligible in our opinion. You’d likely never drop the backlight level to the bottom anyway.

After Calibration to 200cd/m2

Since the NX-VUE24A’s RGB sliders start below their maximum settings, it’s possible to retain black levels and contrast when making adjustments. Changing RGB settings in a balanced fashion nearly always improves the results in this test. Our review subject is only a tiny bit behind the pack.

After all is said and done, the NX-VUE24A posts a higher calibrated contrast result than in its out-of-box modes. We couldn’t quite top 1000:1 but it’s close enough and the image has plenty of depth and good color saturation. As you’ll see later, color is very accurate and that adds to the picture quality.

ANSI Contrast Ratio

Despite the NX-VUE24A’s low price, it is made from good parts that show solid quality control. They’re good enough to move it up two places in the contrast rankings. If you lined up the middle four screens, calibrated them and displayed the same image; you’d be hard-pressed to pick a winner. Nixeus certainly wins the price contest though.

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.

  • utroz
    Not too bad for the price I guess..
    Reply
  • iam2thecrowe
    Just cant wait for the day where every monitor is freesync/gsync and dont have to toss up between features/price/panel quality so much to find what suits me best.
    Reply
  • thor220
    It's good to see Free-Sync monitors getting larger ranges, especially at this price point. I'm waiting for one's that can use the full Free-Sync spec down into the single digit FPS, that way even people with entry level cards will be able to benefit from this technology.

    No USB isn't a huge deal for 99% of the people and I don't think it should really be a strike against this monitor. Sure it's present on higher end models but who's to say that contributes to a monitor's worth in the first place? USB hubs are so cheap, I don't think anyone uses USB as a metric for picking a monitor.

    While they did fudge the brightness number, this monitor can still go above safe brightness settings. Unless you need to burn out your eyes, most people won't even notice it.

    Perplexed as to why "TN Panel" is listed as a con when in this very review it's stated that being a TN panel isn't indicative of poor quality or color. This monitor has good color, especially considering it's a gaming monitor.
    Reply
  • photonboy
    thor220,
    As said "viewing angles" are one drawback. As for color, the TN may not be "poor" but it is not as good as IPS (IPS has drawbacks like more ghosting though).

    Other:
    It should be "LCD panel" not "LED panel" in the article. It is an LED monitor but that just refers to the choice of backlight. The "panel" is the IPS, TN or other technology that filters the backlight to produce individual pixels.
    Reply
  • crisan_tiberiu
    Thor220, i dont know about the range of freesync and gsync on the low side, but under 24 Hz the slideshow effect kicks in. It is all about the human eye.
    Reply
  • iam2thecrowe
    16877315 said:
    Perplexed as to why "TN Panel" is listed as a con when in this very review it's stated that being a TN panel isn't indicative of poor quality or color. This monitor has good color, especially considering it's a gaming monitor.
    Coming from a TN panel to a VA panel, i would never go back to TN. Considering recent VA and IPS panels have low response (not quite as low as TN but good enough to minimize ghosting/blur), low input lag and high refresh rate capabilities, I would say they are now preferable over TN, but a premium price is normally paid. Maybe some competitive gamers may see TN as preferable for lower response times, but i would say most gamers aren't on a competitive level and can enjoy the higher image quality of a VA or IPS panel.
    Reply
  • quilciri
    response time and ghosting are separate issues. Refresh rate helps with ghosting, but response time does not. IPS/PLS panels are unfortunately not as good as TN (on average) with ghosting and overshoot (and of course, response time).

    http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/response_time.htm

    http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/motion_blur.htm

    Both technologies have not yet achieved the gold standard of response an motion clarity that was CRT, though :D
    Reply
  • DongleKin
    If you want to test freesync at low frame rates, just underclock the graphics card until you're in the 30s of FPS.
    Reply
  • milkod2001
    Unless you are professional FPS gamer who really needs very fast response times you might be better served with 27' 1440 PLS korean imports for the same price.
    Bigger screen and resolution not to mention colours.

    This monitor would be great if sold under $200. $350 for TN 1080p panel even with fast response time is a joke.
    Reply
  • quilciri
    16881305 said:
    Unless you are professional FPS gamer who really needs very fast response times you might be better served with 27' 1440 PLS korean imports for the same price.
    Bigger screen and resolution not to mention colours.

    This monitor would be great if sold under $200. $350 for TN 1080p panel even with fast response time is a joke.

    The Last widely manufactured overclockable Korean IPS, the QNIX 2710, has issues; one of which is being hit or miss when overclocking and getting the true frame rate you've overclocked to vs. skipping frames. It also has significant ghosting and overshoot. It's a good monitor, but definitely has compromises. "you get what you pay for" is true here.

    http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/qnix_qx2710.htm

    ...it's a damn shame about overlord computers; I hope Scribby recovers. Even so, I don't think the company was going to be around much longer with the falling prices of 120hz+ adaptive sync monitors.

    That reminds me... Manufacturer refurb'd Acer XG270HU's are on Ebay from the Acer store for $330 & free shipping right now. I totally bought one then posted on slickdeals :)
    Reply