Best budget VA panel monitors

[UviSoft]

Im planning to do a PC build but want to get a good monitor for content and gaming for =< 200£.

In my understanding the middle ground is VA panel monitors since you get decent colors, contrast, viewing angles + high refresh rates and low latency that normally comes with TN panels and I am not willing to spend 300£ or more for IPS panel that maybe has all of that.

 

Give some ideas and thoughts. My options so far:

• AOC C24G1
• MSI Optix MAG241C
• Acer ED242QRA

 

 

 

[redbread123]

Actually VA has the highest latency/input lag out of the three, these past years lots of TN's have been improved massively with color, I recommend having a requirement for how much sRGB performance in a monitor, there are plenty of cheap TN with good colors.

[boggy77]

8 minutes ago, UviSoft said:

Im planning to do a PC build but want to get a good monitor for content and gaming for =< 200£.

In my understanding the middle ground is VA panel monitors since you get decent colors, contrast, viewing angles + high refresh rates and low latency that normally comes with TN panels and I am not willing to spend 300£ or more for IPS panel that maybe has all of that.

 

Give some ideas and thoughts. My options so far:

• AOC C24G1
• MSI Optix MAG241C
• Acer ED242QRA

 

 

 

ViewSonic VX2458-C-MHD is also an option. I'm in the same boat as you. Looking at these 4 monitors and can't decide. I'll probably wait for Black Friday and buy the cheapest one then.

[TheBean]

are the prices simmilar where you live? prices vary quite a bit where I live

are you sure you want curved?

the msi is brighter than the acer and has directional toggles which is better

AOC has a better stand

 

the best screen is msi, acer is cheapest, AOC is best looking and has best stand. up to you now

[GoldenLag]

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/6ktQzy/msi-optix-mag241c-236-1920x1080-144-hz-monitor-optix-mag241c

 

Would look at this one.

 

Its a bit more, but you get a bit more brightness to contrast the blacks VA offers. Which should make the panel more vivid.

[SolarNova]

47 minutes ago, redbread123 said:

Actually VA has the highest latency/input lag out of the three, these past years lots of TN's have been improved massively with color, I recommend having a requirement for how much sRGB performance in a monitor, there are plenty of cheap TN with good colors.

Incorrect.

Panel type has no affect on input latency. So VA's do not have higher input latency.

 

Panel type can affect pixel response time, and in that respect VA has the slowest 'average' response time, thanks to it dark transitions dragging down the average. brighter transitions are as fast as IPS.

 

You can find information confirming this by looking at any competent review site, like those linked further down.

 

51 minutes ago, UviSoft said:

Im planning to do a PC build but want to get a good monitor for content and gaming for =< 200£.

In my understanding the middle ground is VA panel monitors since you get decent colors, contrast, viewing angles + high refresh rates and low latency that normally comes with TN panels and I am not willing to spend 300£ or more for IPS panel that maybe has all of that.

 

Give some ideas and thoughts. My options so far:

• AOC C24G1
• MSI Optix MAG241C
• Acer ED242QRA

 

 

 

 

https://www.rtings.com/

https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/

 

These 2 sites are good to find reviews on any worthwhile monitor u may be considering. if its not been reviewed by either, chances are its either very new, or not worth reviewing.

 

In regards to Budget VA displays, i would advise u avoid them, Any VA display u find that cheap will have significant issues, likely with pixel response times and/or Uniformity.

Uniformity is the Achilles heel of LCD monitors (TN, IPS, and VA), with even the best only getting a 6-7/10 rating, many below 5/10 can look very bad in dark scenes, and when viewed in a dark room.

In addition VA dont have good viewing angles, so u can forget that.

 

Your going to have to accept that ur very much in the low end budget category, anything u get is going to be objectively bad in some area or other.

 

Here are some options using rtings search tool.

https://www.rtings.com/monitor/tools/table/12587

You'll have to check UK price individually, but its set to $300, the price filter isnt all to accurate tbh.

 

For individual reviews, especially those not available on rtings, u can search for them on tftcentral.co.uk. they have a different testing methodology so results wont be comparable to rtings, however they do still have displays reviewed that rtings does not. Unfortunately tftcentral doesnt have any good search tool, so u just have to go through them.

 

Final note: Take manufacturer specs , especially response time, with a massive grain of salt, they are VERY misleading.

[UviSoft]

7 hours ago, redbread123 said:

Actually VA has the highest latency/input lag out of the three, these past years lots of TN's have been improved massively with color, I recommend having a requirement for how much sRGB performance in a monitor, there are plenty of cheap TN with good colors.

I guess I got atracted to the high contrast 1:3000. VA gives very nice blacks which you don't get with IPS and TN. The question is if the input lag of VA in comparison to TN is noticable or not?

[UviSoft]

7 hours ago, Saksham said:

are the prices simmilar where you live? prices vary quite a bit where I live

are you sure you want curved?

the msi is brighter than the acer and has directional toggles which is better

AOC has a better stand

 

the best screen is msi, acer is cheapest, AOC is best looking and has best stand. up to you now

I feel like getting curved one. What is your expeirence? what are the pros and cons for either? 

[UviSoft]

6 hours ago, SolarNova said:

Incorrect.

Panel type has no affect on input latency. So VA's do not have higher input latency.

 

Panel type can affect pixel response time, and in that respect VA has the slowest 'average' response time, thanks to it dark transitions dragging down the average. brighter transitions are as fast as IPS.

 

You can find information confirming this by looking at any competent review site, like those linked further down.

 

 

https://www.rtings.com/

https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/

 

These 2 sites are good to find reviews on any worthwhile monitor u may be considering. if its not been reviewed by either, chances are its either very new, or not worth reviewing.

 

In regards to Budget VA displays, i would advise u avoid them, Any VA display u find that cheap will have significant issues, likely with pixel response times and/or Uniformity.

Uniformity is the Achilles heel of LCD monitors (TN, IPS, and VA), with even the best only getting a 6-7/10 rating, many below 5/10 can look very bad in dark scenes, and when viewed in a dark room.

In addition VA dont have good viewing angles, so u can forget that.

 

Your going to have to accept that ur very much in the low end budget category, anything u get is going to be objectively bad in some area or other.

 

Here are some options using rtings search tool.

https://www.rtings.com/monitor/tools/table/12587

You'll have to check UK price individually, but its set to $300, the price filter isnt all to accurate tbh.

 

For individual reviews, especially those not available on rtings, u can search for them on tftcentral.co.uk. they have a different testing methodology so results wont be comparable to rtings, however they do still have displays reviewed that rtings does not. Unfortunately tftcentral doesnt have any good search tool, so u just have to go through them.

 

Final note: Take manufacturer specs , especially response time, with a massive grain of salt, they are VERY misleading.

OK. Thanks for the insight. I have been looking at review sites like https://pcmonitors.info/ and https://www.displayninja.com/

PCmonitors seems trustable. They recommend AOC C24G1 in the price range. claiming very good uniformity. and even less ghosting than Samsung QLED monitors.

 

Since I am not a professional content creator neither a hardcore gamer I considered the monitors in such price range to be suffient for myself. I guess I am looking for something that is balanced. It's fine if it's average. I guess the buying point is the deep black levels for VAs that look very attractive and especially noticable in darker rooms.

 

Are there any you could suggest for low budget?

[TheBean]

18 hours ago, UviSoft said:

They recommend AOC C24G1 in the price range. claiming very good uniformity. and even less ghosting than Samsung QLED monitors.

tht could have been a one off. monitors vary in quality even whithin models. just like the silicon lottery, you also have a monitor lottery

[UviSoft]

48 minutes ago, Saksham said:

tht could have been a one off. monitors vary in quality even whithin models. just like the silicon lottery, you also have a monitor lottery

I see what you mean. I've heard that it's very hard to acheive the same quality per panel when manufacturing. Unless you are willing to pay the extra price for all the failed panels that have to be thrown out.

[SolarNova]

19 hours ago, UviSoft said:

OK. Thanks for the insight. I have been looking at review sites like https://pcmonitors.info/ and https://www.displayninja.com/

PCmonitors seems trustable. They recommend AOC C24G1 in the price range. claiming very good uniformity. and even less ghosting than Samsung QLED monitors.

 

Since I am not a professional content creator neither a hardcore gamer I considered the monitors in such price range to be suffient for myself. I guess I am looking for something that is balanced. It's fine if it's average. I guess the buying point is the deep black levels for VAs that look very attractive and especially noticable in darker rooms.

 

Are there any you could suggest for low budget?

At £200, no i cant recommend any specific model of the top of my head.

I have a hard enough time recommending any LCD monitor these days as most have some sort of terrible flaw, or dont have all the required specifications that someone wants.

 

The problem with looking for something that is "balanced", and "average", is that it doesnt exists. Every LCD monitor trades performance in one area for another, at all price points.

A cheap VA may well have ok contrast, middling uniformity, but will likely have terrible pixel response along with the usual terrible viewing angles.

A cheap TN may have passable pixel response but will have terrible contrast and uniformity along with bad viewing angles.

And any  IPS that cheap likely will only have viewing angles going for it , with middling color coverage and accuracy and bad uniformity and poor pixel response.

 

IMO a better budget ..budget .. would be ~£500. Thats where you start seeing monitors that are passable by todays standards, with performance in one or two areas being high enough to be considered worth the sacrifice in performance in other areas.

 

Best i can recommend is to simply use the review sites suggested so far, along with those you linked to find something.

 

 

Based on the review by pcmonitor of the C24G1, it would seem like a relatively good monitor for the price. However having not used that site myself before, i have nothign to compare against without spending significant time reading through everything, so take from that what you will.

[CTR640]

I have BenQ 2270H and 2280, both are VA monitor and no latency input. The only one issue VA has is the ghosting in black scenes but they have been improved. So for me, VA all the way. They have the best blacks and colors.

 

And damn, do people still hate on VA panels? Really, get a grip. My BenQ monitors are both €99 and I am very happy with them and this coming for someone who plays GTA, GTAO and fast games like NFS.

[UviSoft]

Thanks for replies. I guess somple people are more sensitive to certain inaccuracies, like gamma shifts, uniformity issues, contrast, colors. But for me who has been using very bad monitors, anything will look much better. Yet I believe I can get something that will do the job around 200£. I can'y justify 500£ for a monitor ATM.

 

AOC 24G2U (24G2) is looking good. Recently released. Increadibly good price for IPS 144Hz. 170£ here in UK.

First thought was that there is something definitely wrong with it at that price point. Yet PCMonitors reviewed it and conluded it to be superior over AOC C24G1 with only contrast being worse than the VA panel. I guess the, luminance uniformity and DeltaE variations are a lottery game. Which in PCMonitors reviews were better for VA model. 

[SolarNova]

4 hours ago, UviSoft said:

Thanks for replies. I guess somple people are more sensitive to certain inaccuracies, like gamma shifts, uniformity issues, contrast, colors. But for me who has been using very bad monitors, anything will look much better. . 

Indeed, subjectivity is a big thing when it comes to displays.

 

14 hours ago, CTR640 said:

And damn, do people still hate on VA panels? Really, get a grip. My BenQ monitors are both €99 and I am very happy with them and this coming for someone who plays GTA, GTAO and fast games like NFS.

 

its easy to compare objective stats, and in that regard it may come across as bashing certain panel types, but it really isnt. Most of the time its just that we tend to focus on bad points. So if ur talking about VA's, and then one talks about the objective bad points of VA's, it will sound harsh, but its the same for both IPS and TN, both of those have objective bad points that are easy to 'bash' on.

 

When it comes to subjective view points i for one have a real hard time with LCDs. Having only owned CRTs and Plasma, of which i still use the latter., moving on to a LCD is a terrible experience. Depending on ones experience with displays it will either be easy or difficult to spot issues. Coming from a Plasma, pointing out issues with LCD displays is very very easy, pixel response, viewing angles, contrast, black levels, uniformity, all look terrible vs a Plasma regardless of LCD panel type. However if ones only experience is with low end LCDs, the newer higher end models will look great in comparison, especially if one has no experience with any other display type.

[CTR640]

5 hours ago, SolarNova said:

Indeed, subjectivity is a big thing when it comes to displays.

 

 

its easy to compare objective stats, and in that regard it may come across as bashing certain panel types, but it really isnt. Most of the time its just that we tend to focus on bad points. So if ur talking about VA's, and then one talks about the objective bad points of VA's, it will sound harsh, but its the same for both IPS and TN, both of those have objective bad points that are easy to 'bash' on.

 

When it comes to subjective view points i for one have a real hard time with LCDs. Having only owned CRTs and Plasma, of which i still use the latter., moving on to a LCD is a terrible experience. Depending on ones experience with displays it will either be easy or difficult to spot issues. Coming from a Plasma, pointing out issues with LCD displays is very very easy, pixel response, viewing angles, contrast, black levels, uniformity, all look terrible vs a Plasma regardless of LCD panel type. However if ones only experience is with low end LCDs, the newer higher end models will look great in comparison, especially if one has no experience with any other display type.

I agree with you on that. I have tried many TN and IPS and they all have pretty bad blacks but good colors. And I wanted really good blacks so VA it is for me. And yes, I do have slight ghosting in dark scenes but then again, every LCD has their good and bad points.

 

And I can totally relate with that about plasma tv's! I had a plasma tv and I loved it but then I had to buy a new tv. Luckily my parents wanted a new tv too and they got a ips led tv. It sucks big time and the backlights are way too strong and bad blacks. The good thing, since I knew and saw how it looks in terms of viewing angles, blacks, contrast and picture, I knew it is NOT an option for me! So I was looking for a OLED tv and found one cheap for €949, not kidding. It's a FHD oled tv but I was very aware I won't use any of the new tech like 4K, 120hz, hdmi 2.0, HDR and so on. I have it since september last year and still happy with it. But next time I'll make sure to get a 65" oled tv lol.

 

I had a oled monitor for two days. It got the best blacks I've ever seen on a monitor and best colors too. Really really loved it! Imagine RDR2 on oled monitor   However, RGB strips are really horrible as blue tints started to appear after exact two days. I returned it and got full refund. Really, I think oled will never make it mainstream to the regular consumers and not even starting about the pro-grade shit. It sucks LG won't make oled to monitors. RGB strips are not good.