ASUS VA249HG 24" 23.8" Review

It's a budget gateway drug to high refresh rates. You get the smooth 120Hz, but you sacrifice on picture quality and features to hit that low price.

The ASUS VA249HG is a classic case of a monitor that's good at one specific thing and just okay at everything else. If you're looking for a cheap 120Hz IPS panel to get your feet wet with high refresh rates, this is it. But the one thing you need to know is that you're buying a basic, no-frills screen. It's a 1080p, 24-inch panel that prioritizes smooth motion over everything else, including picture quality and features.

The 120Hz refresh rate is the star of the show here, and it's what pushes its performance score into one of the best on the market territory. For a budget monitor, that's genuinely impressive. The motion clarity is a huge step up from a standard 60Hz office screen. But the surprise is how average the actual display quality is. With a display score in the bottom quarter of our database, the picture isn't great. Expect things to look a bit flat and text to be less sharp than you might hope, which lines up with what some users say.

Here's the wild part: we see this listed from $99 all the way up to a laughable $22,800. Ignore the crazy high listings. At its real street price of around $100-$150, it's a solid value for the 120Hz smoothness alone. You're not getting premium features or amazing image quality, but you are getting a functional high-refresh-rate IPS panel for peanuts. Just make sure you're buying from a reputable seller at the low end of that range.

This sits in a crowded field. The LG UltraGear 27" often goes on sale for not much more and gives you a bigger, better screen. The MSI MAG 27" series typically offers better color and more gaming features for a slightly higher price. If you absolutely must stay at 24 inches and $150, this ASUS has an edge with its IPS panel over some VA alternatives, but you're giving up picture quality. For most people, saving a bit longer for a 27-inch 144Hz monitor from LG or MSI is a better long-term buy.

If you're a content creator, photo editor, or anyone who needs accurate colors and a sharp image, this isn't it. The display quality just isn't there. Go get a monitor with better color accuracy, like one from BenQ's design series. Also, if you hate basic stands, skip it and find something with height adjustment.

We can recommend the ASUS VA249HG, but with very specific conditions. If your budget is locked at $150 max and your top priority is experiencing 120Hz smoothness for light gaming or general use, and you're willing to accept so-so image quality and a basic stand, go for it. It gets the job done. For anyone who cares about color accuracy, needs adjustability, or can stretch their budget by $50, there are noticeably better options that won't feel like a compromise.