ASUS VG248QG 24" Black 2019

Blazing fast 165Hz gaming monitor with a TN panel that looks mediocre at everything except winning. Buy it for competitive speed, not for pretty pictures.

This thing is fast. The 165Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time put it in the 92nd percentile for performance, which is genuinely impressive for a monitor in this price range. What surprised us is how well the ELMB technology works alongside G-Sync. You get the blur reduction without completely tanking brightness, which is rare at this price point. The 350 nits brightness is solid for indoor gaming, though you won't want this near a window. For fast-paced shooters and competitive titles, the motion clarity is the real deal.

Against the MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 or the Alienware AW2725D, the VG248QG gets absolutely destroyed on color and contrast. Those OLED panels are in a different universe for image quality. But they also cost significantly more. The Samsung Odyssey G7 G75F offers a curved VA panel with better colors and similar refresh rates, but it's pricier and the curve isn't for everyone. The LG UltraGear 27G810A-B gives you a larger 27-inch screen with better color accuracy, but you lose the ultra-fast 0.5ms response time. For pure competitive speed on a budget, the VG248QG holds its own. For anything else, look elsewhere.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US, you'll find this monitor anywhere from $175 to $350 depending on the vendor, and that $175 spread is wild. Newegg has the best deal at the low end, while Amazon's renewed listings sit higher. At $175, this is a steal for competitive gamers. At $350, you're getting into territory where better panels exist. In Canada, the spread is even worse at CAD 250 to CAD 710, so shop carefully. If you can snag it near the low end, the value proposition is strong.

The ASUS VG248QG is a speed demon wrapped in a budget TN panel. If you're a competitive gamer who cares about response time and refresh rate above all else, this 24-inch 1080p monitor delivers where it counts. The 165Hz overclockable refresh rate and 0.5ms response time put it in the top tier of our performance rankings, and G-Sync Compatible certification means tear-free gaming out of the box with NVIDIA cards. But that TN panel comes with real trade-offs, and the display quality lands near the bottom of our database.

If you care about color accuracy, contrast, or viewing angles, this isn't your monitor. The TN panel's display quality ranks in the bottom 8% of our database, and that's not something you can fix with settings. Content creators, photo editors, or anyone who watches movies on their monitor should grab an IPS panel instead. The BenQ MA270U or even a cheaper IPS option will serve you far better. This is a competitive gaming tool, not a general-purpose display.

The ASUS VG248QG is a one-trick pony, but it's a really good trick. If you play competitive shooters and need every millisecond of advantage, this monitor delivers top-tier motion performance at a budget price. The TN panel's washed-out colors and terrible viewing angles are the price you pay, and the display quality ranking in the bottom 8% of our database is hard to ignore. But for the right gamer, the speed makes up for it. Just don't buy it for anything other than fast-paced gaming.