Nixeus NX-VUE24A Monitor Review

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FreeSync and G-Sync monitors are selling at a premium but Nixeus breaks that trend with a value-priced 24-inch model the runs FreeSync from 30 to 144Hz. Today we check out the NX-VUE24A.

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Conclusion

We try to review a wide variety of monitors at Tom’s Hardware; both from mainstream and from smaller manufacturers. Often times, the latter are the ones to make big moves in price and performance and that’s certainly what Nixeus has done here. The NX-VUE24A leaves out a few minor features but it certainly gets FreeSync right and does so up to a stable 144Hz.

For those concerned about the TN panel used here, remember that we’ve reviewed plenty of TN-based gaming monitors, some of which are quite expensive. While our favorite screens use IPS or VA technology, TN is still the mainstay in the gaming category. The only performance area where it consistently lags behind is in viewing angles. There just isn’t a way to improve upon that metric. But as long as you keep the screen size to 27 inches or less and face the panel correctly, it’s a minor issue.

If you look back at previous Tom’s monitor reviews you’ll see that there are no problems with contrast, color accuracy, brightness, clarity or uniformity inherent to TN monitors. In some cases, they perform even better than more-expensive IPS screens.

So we don’t think that you should dismiss the NX-VUE24A solely on that basis. As of this writing it is the least-expensive FreeSync monitor available and it beats some of its competition by offering a 144Hz refresh rate and frame-rate-matching up to that level.

For the gamma issue we don’t have an ideal fix. As shipped, the image looks a bit dark and drab but by turning Gamma On and setting the Color mode to User, you can enjoy the monitor’s full brightness along with color accurate to an error of 2.13dE, grayscale tracking at a low .89dE and a maximum output of around 224cd/m2.

Selling for under $300 at this writing there are only two things we’d like to see improved. A firmware fix for the gamma tracking issue would further improve image quality and it would make color even more accurate. Second, the stand while functional and secure could benefit from a little lubrication. Even after several weeks our sample moved only with effort. It’s a minor nitpick but also an easy fix.

The NX-VUE24A isn’t perfect but it does the important stuff right. FreeSync and 144Hz all work without issue and that’s the reason to buy a monitor like this. At this price, other companies will hopefully be compelled to follow suit. IPS and VA screens are still selling at the premium level but Nixeus is offering a solid alternative. For that reason we’re giving it our Tom’s Editor Approved Award.

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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Monitors and TVs.

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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.

15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • 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