The ViewSonic VX2457 is part of the VX line of gaming monitors and is a very tempting proposition for gamers not looking to spend a fortune on their next monitor. There are a few models filtering on to the market offering faster refresh rates and adaptive sync tech but this has got to be one of the cheapest to date. The marketing blurb boasts a flicker free TN panel and a blue light filter.

This really redefines what you can expect from a low cost gaming monitor. It’s not perfect, it won’t compete with modern screens three or four times the cost, but the inclusion of FreeSync and a 75hz refresh rate makes the ViewSonic worthy of a close look.

My first gaming monitor was made my ViewSonic and I have to say I really liked it, it was a long time ago but it did give a 75hz refresh rate which was fairly unusual in the early days of flat screens. I always stood by the difference those extra frames gave me and the advantage I had in gaming from that. It’s not the 144hz that serious gamers crave but it still has an impact in my humble opinion.

Build Quality

Unfortunately the value price target of the ViewSonic VX2457 does bear out in its appearance. It has a fairly basic glossy plastic type feel that a splash of silver can’t really improve. The stand is just a great big glossy circle and it won’t win any design prizes. But then this is not a premium monitor so let’s get our expectations into line.

A further let down is the lack of adjustments available to the end user. You can’t change the height nor move it from side to side. All you get is a vertical tilt option. This doesn’t have to be a deal breaker but TN panels do need to be position carefully in front of your line of view as this has a real impact on image quality. My current monitor is stacked on a pile of books to counter this problem! If you are cutting costs, then you may well be prepared to live with this. Otherwise, fingers crossed the natural monitor height will fall right for your own requirements.

Connectivity is handled by VGA, HDMI and DisplayPort. Just one of each though but that should be enough to handle a variety of setups. You can comfortably accommodate a PC and console. Headphones and internal speakers are also catered for, but don’t go expecting top quality sound in a low end monitor. Better than nothing though and handy for watching a DVD or playing console games.

Performance

The out of the box image quality is nothing to get excited about according to the professional testers. The default picture settings are too bright and the text looks fuzzy but fortunately you can calibrate the screen yourself or seek out recommended configuration online that will give you a better picture. TN panels are best avoided for professional work but with some work you can get an improved image out of this model.

But what about gaming? First off, the monitor is touted as having a low lag mode which reportedly delivers excellent results. Measurements show it’s latency is comparable with gaming monitors at much higher price points so you’ll find this screen to be responsive during fast action games.

Another massive bonus for this monitor is inclusion of AMD’s FreeSync technology. With a compatible card this will give you smooth stutter and tear free gaming during moments of high action. Typically budget monitors won’t include adaptive sync technology so this is a big win for the ViewSonic. Unlike Nvidia’s G-Sync this system only works within a specific range. In this case it will kick in between 48hz-75hz. If your graphics card drops below 48 frames per second you lose the benefit.

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The S24E370DL is a white glossy monitor that will appeal to buyers looking for a gaming monitor that stands out from the usual grey and black designs. And to be fair it does a good job of coming across as a sleek and stylish little unit. It’s a 24″ screen, a good size for gaming and work although many gamers are progressing to larger screens (this model has a big brother). But if you don’t have the desk space or, like me, have difficulty taking in everything on a big screen then this format is a good choice.

The other stand out feature of this screen is the built in Qi wireless mobile phone charging capability. Samsung are expecting you to place one of their Galaxy phones to charge but other Qi compatible phones will work just fine too. This seems to be a useful feature as I always have a charging cable draped across my desk and I do use wireless charging on my Nexus phone. That said, should this really be the deciding factor when buying a monitor? Probably not! But the S24E370DL has lots more to offer too.

Build Quality

The Samsung is an attractive monitor, it clearly stands out from what is typically a world of black and grey in the world of PC hardware. So if you are hoping for a more hipster look in your living room then this model should go straight on your short-list. The bezel is slim and features a semi-transparent blue finish on all four sides, they’ve thought of everything! As mentioned, a Qi wireless charger is included and whilst this is a nice innovation in the otherwise steady world of PC monitors I don’t know if it’s enough to swing many buyers purchasing decision.

Round the back you get the standard ports all squashed in together: HDMI, DisplayPort and even VGA. There is also a headphone socket and a little joystick to help you navigate around the setup menus.

Performance

The Samsung S24E370DL uses a Plane to Line Switching (PLS) panel. This can be thought of as equivalent to IPS technology, and if you aren’t aware of what this means you just need to know that it should provide you with bright vibrant accurate colours and that the screen should still look good as you move around the monitor. The cheaper TN panels often suffer from problems with the colour accuracy deteriorating when not viewed from head on.

The monitor includes FreeSync adaptive synchronisation tech, this is built in to help gamers get a smooth game experience, in theory at least. You’ll still need a modern graphics card capable of keeping up. If the frame rate drops too low then even FreeSync won’t be able to save you from getting wiped out! It does make a difference and if you’ve ever been frustrated by juddering images and tearing then you’ll find that FreeSync is worth investing in.

It’s a 1080p HD screen which makes a lot of sense at 24″ across, you don’t need 1440p or even 4k to get a good clear image at this size so you won’t be missing out. Sticking to 1080p also gives your old graphics card a chance of keeping up.

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The G2460VQ6 is a budget gamer friendly monitor with FreeSync and it has a number of things going in it’s favour. Given the price you get a lot of gamer functionality baked in; ultra fast response times, AMD FreeSync technology and it also manages to break free from the standard 60hz frame rate, not by a lot, but it can jump up to 75hz. As a previous owner of a 75hz monitor I can recommend even this small increase in refresh rate, there are big gains to be had from small increases, the improvement diminishes as you go up the scale.

It’s only a 24″ screen and many are now moving to bigger displays for the gaming. I actually quite like the 24″ size, it’s good enough and not all of us have big desks. Two of these set next to each seems a nice set up to me, affordable too. If a bigger screen is your preference then you’ll have to look else where but if you love the 24″ form factor then you can save yourself a lot of money.

Build Quality

The G2460VQ6 falls into the budget monitor range, and is one of the cheapest screens you can buy right now with adaptive sync technology (FreeSync). If you are familiar with AOC’s other monitors you’ll notice it is a standard looking affair, with a touch of red to ensure you know it’s a gaming monitor! With VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort connectors you should have no problem hooking this up to your graphics card.

Whilst the stand provides a stable base it isn’t the most adjustable, according to what I’ve been able to find out, you only get a tilt option included.

The monitor does feature speakers but owners have reported that they are a bit of a let down, still, I don’t think sound quality is the number priority for buyers and you can always connect up your own speakers or use the included headphone socket.

Performance

One of the advantages of sticking with full HD is that you don’t need a high end graphics card (or two) to power the monitor. It’s easy to lust after a 1440p screen or even 4k but at the time of writing you’ll need an “enthusiast” level GPU to get decent performance.

The G2460VQ6 features a TN panel which gives you super fast response times, the downside of this is that the colour accuracy is not so hot and deteriorates when viewed from odd angles. This isn’t the monitor’s fault, it’s an issue with the technology. If colour accuracy is important then you might want to consider an IPS screen, but these can be more expensive and typically have slower response times.

AMD’s FreeSync system ensures beautifully smooth tear free images even during the fiercest fire fight, assuming you have a compatible AMD card of course. Note that you can use the monitor with other cards but you won’t be able to turn FreeSync on. This is handy to know if you are future proofing and looking to buy a new card later. The extra boost to 75hz gives you an edge over 60hz screens, and personally I found this to be very useful back when I was playing competitive FPS games.

The AOC also comes with their Anti-Blue Light Technology, which reportedly “takes care of your eyes”. I don’t know if this makes a real difference or not but it’s nice to know they’ve got your back. Owner reviews on Amazon do mention that it makes for comfortable reading so maybe there is something in it! If you buy one of these monitors, do let us know what you think!

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We don’t see many gaming monitors below the 24″ size these days but we aren’t afraid to list them on Gaming Monitors UK when they do come up. Personally I consider 24″ a minimum I would want to work on play on but of course everyone has their own tastes and needs. If you are looking for a small gaming monitor then the G2260VWQ6 is one to look at. It won’t take up much space on your desk and it also won’t take out a big chunk of your wallet. On the down side you don’t get a lot of space for your applications to run and games aren’t quite as fun on a small screen, at least that’s my experience – it’s no fun trying to shoot at a small figure you can barely make out – or perhaps it’s time I got a pair of glasses!

Let’s recap the specs, this is a 21.5″ monitor, although seems to be listed as 22″ in stores. It has a TN based panel and what’s more it comes with the open adaptive sync tech, FreeSync. This helps keep the cost down but you’ll need a compatible graphics card, most likely a modern AMD GPU.

Build Quality

This tight little unit has a simple enough design, which personally I appreciate – I’m not one for the “gamer” friendly splash of colour and design features that look like they are meant to appeal to teenage boys. But each to their own! The bezel is thin and this goes in the monitors favour, if you specifically need a small monitor you don’t want a lot of wasted space wrapped around the monitor. This is also good for a dual monitor setup, you don’t want a big block between the two screens. Note that the monitor does not include speakers, this is no problem for headphone gamers but it’s worth noting if you like a little sound output from time to time.

Performance

It’s worth noting that this monitor can run at 75hz, it’s generally accepted that even small gains in refresh frequency can have a big impact and as someone who used to own a 75hz monitor I am a believer in this. So whilst this doesn’t get up to the much sort after 144 refresh rate, trust me – it’s worth having compared to 60hz! With a responsive TN panel and the included FreeSync system this turns out to be a game friendly monitor. In fact the biggest downside is the small size!

According to owners the default colour settings aren’t perfect so you’ll need to look at doing some calibration to get the best out of the screen. This is a TN panel so you should expect the limitations that come with the technology, for example the poor viewing angles. But remember this monitor is at the budget end of the range so you’ll need to set your expectations accordingly, this isn’t the monitor for a professional photo editor.

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