The ASUS VG248QE 144hz monitor is an excellent screen for 3D gaming. In this regard it is a worthwhile purchase and will cost around £100 less than the bigger 27inch ASUS VG278HE 144hz which we reviewed back in October 2012.
While we can't find the VG248QE on sale yet in the United Kingdom, ASUS informed us that it will be priced around the £300-£320 mark, inc vat. At this price it does face stiff competition, especially from products already in the ASUS portfolio. The Asus VN247H Super Narrow Bezel monitor costs only £170 inc vat, so if 3D gaming isn't a primary concern then you could pick up two VN247H for almost the price of a single VG248QE. They feature the same quick refresh characteristics for gamers and exhibit similar image quality for 2D duties.
The VG248QE isn't the most technically proficient screen we have tested. The most commendable characteristic is the lightning quick refresh which ensures that artifacting/ghosting will never be a concern, but there are some image quality issues which reduce the overall score.
Viewing angles on this screen are slightly worse than the bigger 144hz VG278HE and colour degradation is noticeable if you aren't viewing the screen from close to perfect conditions, head on.
Black Definition is only slightly above average, with noticeable shift in the corners. If you don't have a critical eye then it will be fine, but in some situations pooling and less than stellar blacks could ruin the immersive experience when viewing high definition movies.
White purity is below average and when viewing bright outdoor scenes a ‘dirty screen effect' was noticeable, meaning that pure whites never looked the way they should. Again, if your don't have a critical eye, then this should not be an issue. We noticed similar DSE problems with the larger VG278HE last year.
If you only want to play 3D games then the VG248QE is a good buy. For everyone else however it is an expensive screen which delivers average image quality for 2D duties. There are much better 2D monitors available today for around the £300-£320 mark.
We award this a ‘WORTH CONSIDERING' award if you have a primary focus on 3D gaming.
Pros:
- Nice build quality.
- great stand system.
- 3D gaming is fantastic.
- 144hz refresh rate.
- Displayport connector.
- quick refresh eliminates ghosting and artifacting.
Cons:
- 2D image quality is only average at best.
- glossy finish gets dirty quickly.
- white purity and black definition.
Kitguru says: Not the best ASUS monitor we have tested. If you want to play 3D games all the time however, then it is worth considering.