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The ASUS MG24UQ is a great option for gamers looking for a dedicated 4K FreeSync gaming monitor for a reasonable cost. It’s fast, flexible, has special gamer-oriented features and plenty of connection options. A 28" model is also available.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Extremely sharp thanks to 4K panel
The MG24UQ uses a 4K-display with a resolution of 2160 x 3840 pixels, which is four times the amount of pixels of a Full HD display. This results in an extremely sharp image and overall great image quality. The fact that the MG24UQ is relatively small further increases pixel density and sharpness. In terms of pixels per inch (ppi), the MG24UQ measures at 183 ppi. For comparison: a Full HD monitor of the same size would only reach half of that - 91 pixels per inch.
Pro Works well in brightly lit environments
The MG24UQ's brightness can reach up to a maximum of 300 nits, meaning it will look well even in brightly lit rooms. It also features an anti-glare panel, which significantly reduces or eliminates reflections and loss of clarity due to light, fingerprints and smudges.
Pro Has dedicated gaming features
Gamers will particularly like the added gaming centric features to this monitor. Aside from gaming visual profiles, the monitor also has the ability to set different overlays on the screen like crosshairs, a timer and even an FPS counter. It also offers flicker-free backlight and night mode options to alleviate eye strain from long gaming sessions.
Pro Excellent response time and input lag
Even the most serious gamers will appreciate the excellent motion response on this monitor. Pixel response time measures just 1 ms and input lag is 9.9 ms, making this the fastest Freesync monitor you can buy. Furthermore, Asus has included a function called Trace Free, where you can fine tune the pixel response time if there is any ghosting visible.
Pro Superb calibration options
This monitor can be set up and calibrated to anyone's personal needs. Colors, skin tones, brightness, contrast and resolution can all be fine-tuned. It also has dedicated visual profiles for different game genres. All of this is easy to setup and control with a joystick on the back of the screen.
Pro Reasonable visual performance
It has a good contrast ratio and decent brightness for most purposes. Color spectrum coverage is good, but not totally accurate. This is an issue if you plan on also using this for editing photos, videos or digital art. Viewing angles are terrible as colors start to fade when viewed 35 degrees off-centre.
Pro Very good connectivity
The monitor comes with a wide variety of inputs to choose from. It has dual HDMI 1.4 inputs, one HDMI 2.0 and one DisplayPort input. So gaming in 4K@60hz or at lower resolutions will not be a problem. It also has two USB 3.0 inputs and one reversed USB 3.0, meaning you can connect external devices or storage devices to the screen. The ports are easy to reach as they are located at the bottom of the screen, facing downwards.
Pro Well built and designed
The MG24UQ is made from a black matte plastic and there are only a couple of red accents showing that this is a gaming monitor. Overall, it is a quite sturdy product, and the base of the monitor contains seven large rubber pads to prevent accidental sliding of the display. The panel itself slides into the base via a metal insert, but VESA wall-mounting options are available as well. In terms of design, the base provides an easy way to route cables out of sight and all connections are clearly labeled.
Pro Great color reproduction, reaches 100% of the sRGB spectrum
Thanks to the IPS panel ASUS has used in its MG24UQ, color reproduction is excellent. This monitor can display the full 100% sRGB color range -good for graphical editing. Without calibration, the MG24UQ is able to reach 78% of the AdobeRGB coverage. For comparison: an average monitor reaches about 76% of the AdobeRGB color spectrum. After calibration however, over 79% of the spectrum can be achieved and the average color accuracy delta E can also be reduced significantly from a little over 2 to 1.06 which results in an even better color reproduction. Anything less than 1 deltaE is imperceptible to the human eye. As a result, color accuracy is near perfect in practice.
sRGB is the color spectrum that is most commonly used on cameras and prints, and is also used for most images on the web. AdobeRGB however offers a wider color spectrum and as a result, more vibrant and lifelike colors.
Pro Detailed OSD menu's for easy navigation
ASUS has handled the on-screen display (OSD) of the MG24UQ very well in a clear and easy to navigate interface. You can choose from a different number of presets on the fly, and all attributes such as brightness, contrast and refresh rate are adjustable. The blue light filter can also be adjusted in intensity. You can also create your own presets for easy switching between settings.
Cons
Con Not perfect for photo/video post-processing
Although it covers 97% of the sRGB gamut range, there are some inaccuracies even when calibrated. There are also some uniformity issues on the screen. While this is not a big issue for gamers, it may be a concern for photo/video post-processing.
Con Low maximum refresh rate of 60 Hz limits fast-paced action
Compared to some other gaming monitors, this ASUS display isn't as fast. The maximum refresh rate is limited at 60 Hz, which is the industry standard for all monitors. Some fast-paced games greatly benefit from a higher refresh rate such as 120 or 144 Hz as it increases fluidity.
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
Pro Excellent viewing angles
The viewing angles of the MG24UQ are excellent; no color shifting occurs when looking at the display from an horizontal or vertical angle.
Out of Date Pros + Cons
Con High-end GPU required in order to enjoy 4K gaming
Because 4K offers four times the amount of pixels compared to a Full HD screen, that also means your graphics card will have to work a lot harder. You'll need a high-end GPU or even multiple graphics cards in order to fully enjoy games in 4K resolution with maximum settings, although you can always choose to display in 1080p.