Iiyama G-MASTER GB2530HSU Black Hawk Gaming Monitor

Iiyama G-MASTER GB2530HSU Gaming

As discussed in the Image Quality section of this review, the first thing to do with your G-MASTER GB2530HSU when about to play some games (or movies, for that matter), is to set the Black Tuner to at least -1, preferably -2 unless playing a competitive FPS. Next knock Color Saturation up to at least 7, or higher depending on how rich you like your colours. After this we can worry about the usual suspects.

Aside from the large selection of Game presets which are mostly redundant due to their poor levels of image quality, this Iiyama offers a very handy selection of three customisable User Modes. Just enter your favourite settings including the above tweaks, select Store User Setting from the OSD, and from then on they’re no more than a few button presses away.

The only potentially worthy preset contender is FPS Game, which could be useful for bringing out hidden dark detail – just be aware that it washes everything out severely, so you lose a lot of image quality and immersion.

Naturally, at this kind of price point there are no motion blur reduction technologies, such as the black frame insertion found on the MSI Optix MPG27C. However, TN panels tend to be naturally quicker than their IPS or VA counterparts, and we didn’t experience any motion issues or ghosting.

There’s no denying that a 75Hz panel refresh isn’t as tantalisingly smooth as one of those fancy 144Hz or even 240Hz gaming monitors out there, but the important thing to remember is that it still provides a superior experience to the average 60Hz display, and it will hurt your wallet a lot less.

And while we’re on the topic of budget, if you don’t have a £500 graphics card in your PC or gaming laptop, it’s also a lot easier to push high levels of detail at a more modest refresh rate and Full HD resolution. Unfortunately, since our test system uses an Nvidia card we could not check the AMD-only FreeSync features of the GB2530HSU, but Iiyama claims a decent 48-75Hz range.

Iiyama G-MASTER GB2530HSU Closing Thoughts

Once a few easy adjustments have taken care of the G-MASTER GB2530HSU Black Hawk’s frankly terrible default contrast and image quality, what’s left is a diamond in the rough. If you’re after a no-frills monitor for gaming on a budget, this offering does a really competent job overall.

Obviously you can’t expect the best of everything for this price. Due to its use of a TN panel, viewing angles are limited, and its 75Hz refresh won’t exactly blow your socks off – nor will its mediocre 2W speakers. However, its Full HD resolution looks reasonably sharp on a 24.5in panel, image quality is decent once set up properly, and the fully adjustable stand and three-sided bezel-less design are very pleasant surprises on a £125 monitor. Iiyama has even included a USB hub, albeit of the older 2.0 variety.

If you’re prepared to spend a little more there is a wide selection of monitors available that offer higher resolution, a larger screen size, or a better panel type – or even all three! A nice example is the 32in AOC Q3279VWF, which gives you a 2560 x 1440, 75Hz VA-type panel for just under £200 (although you do lose out on the GB2530HSU’s lovely adjustability and three-sided bezel-less design). But not everyone can afford even this much extra outlay, and that’s why the GB2530HSU comes recommended as a bit of a budget champion.

The Iiyama G-MASTER GB2530HSU Black Hawk is available for £124.98 HERE.

Pros:

• Great value.
• Fully adjustable stand including pivot.
• 75Hz panel with FreeSync support over HDMI & DP.
• Decent image quality (after some tweaks).
• Three-sided ‘bezel-less’ design.
• Good build quality.
• Two-port USB 2.0 hub.
• Programmable user presets.

Cons:

• TN panel has the usual limitations.
• Truly awful contrast at default settings.
• Dull, washed-out colours at default settings.
• No advanced gaming features.

KitGuru Says: Iiyama has produced a little budget gem here, with nice surprises such as a fully adjustable stand and three-sides ‘bezel-less’ design. Though it requires a little polish before showing its shine, if you’re after a decent gaming monitor on a strict budget, you could do far worse than the G-MASTER GB2530HSU Black Hawk.

Become a Patron!

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here