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Conclusion

We often talk about the ‘last 1%’ rule. There are many displays that provide 99% of the performance of the premium products but for more reasonable prices. Squeezing out that extra percent of performance requires more than a little additional investment. But there are some monitors that attempt to defy established pricing norms. Though IPS panels have come down in price over the past several years, they still represent the top of the cost spectrum in every category. The Pixio PX247, however, is an outlier.

For $170 at this writing, the PX247 delivers a reliable 144 Hz refresh rate and FreeSync, and we even got G-Sync to work equally well. In addition to an effective overdrive, video processing cuts no corners and delivers the same smooth tear-free motion we’ve seen on dozens of more expensive displays.

There are three things we’d like to see added to this monitor. The color temp should be set to Warm by default, as it would put the PX247 on our Calibration Not Required list. That simple change lowered the average error from 6.12dE to 2.39dE. The second thing would be gamma presets, or a tweak to the default gamma to make it a little darker. Our calibration improved the average value a little, but at 2.12, it’s still a tad low, meaning you won’t get the best possible image depth and color saturation. (Speaking of that, we managed an impressive 1.49dE score in the color gamut test. That’s professional monitor territory) Finally, the PX247’s stand, while solid enough, is too low for most desktops. A taller upright could fix that easily.

The Pixio PX247 is more than merely competent. It provided hours of fun and we never felt like we were missing out due to the lack of extra features, like HDR or extended color. Plus, frame rates will always be at or near 144 fps with most video cards.

For budget systems, it’s hard to imagine a better value than the PX247. Of course, there are larger screens out there, and today’s standard is more in the 27-inch realm. But if you are looking for maximum bang for the buck, definitely check out the Pixio PX247.

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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.

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