Sceptre C248W-1920RN 24" Silver 2018

The Sceptre C248W-1920RN scores 38.4 out of 100 overall, dragged down by a 9th percentile performance score thanks to its 75Hz refresh rate and 8ms response time. The 3000:1 contrast ratio is the one genuinely good spec here, and the 4.6-star average from 22,619 reviews shows most buyers knew what they were getting. At USD 78 it's a fine budget curved display. At USD 202 it's a bad deal.

Let's talk about that 9th percentile performance score, because it's the number that defines this monitor. The 75Hz refresh rate is technically above the 60Hz baseline, but barely. You'll notice smoother scrolling in documents and slightly less blur in casual games, but anyone coming from a 144Hz panel will feel like they're wading through molasses. The 8ms response time is also nothing to write home about, and VA panels are known for ghosting in dark scenes, so fast-paced shooters are going to look smeary.

The one bright spot is the 3000:1 contrast ratio. That's genuinely good for a budget VA panel and means blacks look deeper than you'd expect at this price. The 250 nits brightness is fine for a dim office but struggles near windows. And the 8-bit color depth is technically there, but the color score sits in the 17th percentile, so don't expect the 98% sRGB claim on the box to translate into anything you'd want to edit photos on.

Against the competition, this Sceptre gets lapped. The ASUS ROG Strix XG27JCG and LG UltraGear 27GS75Q-B both offer higher refresh rates and better color out of the box, though they cost significantly more. The Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx brings a 1440p panel to the table, which is a whole different league for sharpness. Even the SANSUI 27 inch, another budget player, gives you more screen real estate for similar money. The Sceptre's only real advantage is the curve at this size and the rock-bottom entry price. If you can stretch your budget by USD 50 to USD 100, you'll find dramatically better panels. If you can't, this will get the job done, just don't expect it to impress.

Pricing on this thing is all over the map. In the US, you'll find it anywhere from USD 78 to USD 202 across three listings, which is a USD 124 spread for the exact same monitor. That's wild. If you're paying the low end, this is a perfectly reasonable budget curved display. If you're paying the high end, you're getting fleeced. The best deal in our data is at the USD 78 mark, and honestly, that's about what this panel is worth. Canadian buyers face an even wider gap, with prices ranging from CAD 125 to CAD 341. At CAD 125 it's a decent budget pick. At CAD 341 you're in territory where much better monitors live.

The Sceptre C248W-1920RN is a 24-inch curved VA panel that lands at 38.4 out of 100 in our database. That's not a typo. The social proof is doing some heavy lifting here, sitting in the 95th percentile with a 4.6-star average across 22,619 reviews, but the actual performance numbers tell a much rougher story. The 75Hz refresh rate and 8ms response time put this thing in the 9th percentile for performance, which is one of the worst we've seen for anything marketed as a gaming monitor.

What you're really getting is a budget office display with a curve. The 3000:1 contrast ratio is the one spec that genuinely impresses, and the 1800R curvature does make a 24-inch screen feel a bit more immersive than it has any right to. But with 250 nits of brightness and color scores in the 17th percentile, this is not a panel for anyone who cares about accuracy or vibrancy. It's cheap, it's curved, and it works. That's about the whole pitch.

If you care about color accuracy, skip this. The 17th percentile color score means photo editing, video work, or even just enjoying vibrant content is going to feel flat and washed out. The 250 nits brightness also makes this a poor choice for bright rooms or anyone who sits near a window. And if you're buying this for competitive gaming, the 75Hz refresh rate and 8ms response time will frustrate you within the first match. Creative work scores just 19.9 out of 100, which is the weakest area by a wide margin. This is an office monitor with a curve, not a gaming monitor with a future.

The Sceptre C248W-1920RN is a budget monitor that knows what it is, mostly. The 3000:1 contrast ratio and 1800R curve give it a bit of personality, and the 95th percentile social proof suggests most buyers are happy with what they got. But the 9th percentile performance and 17th percentile color scores are hard to ignore. If you need a cheap curved screen for office work or light media and you can find it near the USD 78 mark, it's a reasonable buy. If you're paying anywhere near USD 202, or if you actually want to game on it, look elsewhere. This is a monitor that survives on price alone.