Asus VG245H 24-inch FreeSync Gaming Monitor Review

Reviews
By Christian Eberle
published

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Brightness & 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.
AOC G2460PF
AOC C3583FQ
Asus MG24UQ

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

We’ve been reviewing lots of Ultra HD gaming monitors lately. These offer less speed and response than the VG245H. Nevertheless, one is included in the group today: Asus’s MG24UQ. While pricier, it still represents one of the best values in UHD screens and it includes FreeSync. We also have Nixeus’ NX-VUE24A, AOC’s G2460PF, and ViewSonic’s XG2401. All are 24" TN/FHD displays with FreeSync. To bring the count to six, we’ve included AOC’s ultra-wide C3583FQ.

Image 1 of 3

The VG245H isn’t a light cannon but it does measure brighter than its specs claim. 309.9160cd/m2 easily beats Asus’ 250cd/m2 number. That’s plenty of light for gaming in just about any interior environment. And without ULMB, there’s no need for any additional output.

Black levels are mid-pack (remember that the C3583FQ is VA and therefore quite a bit darker than its TN competitors). The resulting contrast ratio is a respectable 1019.4:1. This provides plenty of depth and good color saturation for gaming, video, graphics work, or productivity.

Uncalibrated – Minimum Backlight Level

Image 1 of 3

Reducing the brightness slider to zero results in an ideal 50.5917cd/m2. No other adjustments have been made at this point. When we calibrated the VG245H and lowered its contrast control, minimum output dropped to around 45cd/m2. Contrast remains constant at just over 1000:1, which is as it should be. We might be looking at an inexpensive panel here, but it seems to be outperforming its price-point so far.

After Calibration to 200cd/m2

Image 1 of 2

Fixing the grayscale and gamma issues we encountered cost the VG245H around 10% of its sequential contrast, which isn’t too bad and makes our changes worthwhile. The gain in color and gamma accuracy is noticeable and definitely improves overall image quality. We’re not looking at any sacrifices for the sake of cost here.

ANSI Contrast Ratio

A slightly hot area down the VG245H’s right side spoils an otherwise decent ANSI test result. Black levels are a tiny bit elevated there, which puts the panel in last place. White zones remain bright and clean so intra-image contrast with real-world content still looks pretty good. Since uniformity is a factor in this test, a different sample might measure better.

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.

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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