Acer GN246HL Highlights -
Pros: Competitively priced 144Hz monitor. Excellent refresh rate and picture quality. VESA compatible.
Cons: Non-adjustable height. No speakers.
Acer GN246HL also known as Acer GN246HL Bbid is a 24 inch widescreen LCD monitor with support for full high definition (HD) resolution (1920x1080 pixels). It is a fairly new model released in early 2014 and one of the cheapest 144Hz monitors currently in the market. It's other specifications are equally great with 100M:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 350 cd/m2 brightness, 1ms response time and 170?/160? degree viewing angles. Acer GN246HL also supports NVIDIA 3D Vision hardware that is capable of delivering full HD 3D images.
Acer has advertised this monitor primarily as a gaming monitor which obviously raises the question of what makes a monitor good for gaming. If you're a casual user then probably a monitor with great color reproduction and color accuracy will satisfy your needs. Acer GN246HL definitely produces good picture quality (see video below) that ensures a crystal-clear viewing experience and will be great for watching HD videos and Blu-ray movies. Apart from color reproduction, there are other critical points that we believe should be looked at when considering a gaming monitor. Firstly, the monitor's response time. The slower the response time of pixels, the more motion blur or ugly streaking you'll see behind moving objects on the monitor screen. This is highly undesirable, especially whilst playing fast action games. Generally speaking a monitor with less than 5ms response time is considered to be good enough, but Acer GN246HL features a response time of 1ms which makes it highly suitable for gaming. Next, consider the refresh rate of the monitor expressed in Hertz(Hz), which refers to the number of times images are sent to the display every second. The faster the refresh rate, the sooner you'll see images on the screen. Acer GN246HL's refresh rate of 144Hz at 1080p full HD is a definite advantage. This means you stand to get every frame 10ms sooner than a fellow gamer on a 60Hz display. Whilst 10ms may not sound like much, but it is critical for games where you need to be quick in your response. The lag is minimum and every in-game detail is smoothly rendered on this display.
Designwise, the Acer GN246HL features a slim body with an X-shaped stand that allows you to fit the monitor into a compact space. It is very sturdy and the screen doesn't shake. However please note, the height cannot be adjusted but it can be tilted forward or backwards.
Screen Size : 24 inch
Backlight Technology : LED
Panel Technology : TN
Response Time : 1ms
Aspect Ratio : 16:9
Horizontal Viewing Angle : 170?
Vertical Viewing Angle : 160?
Maximum Resolution : 1920x1080
Refresh Rate : 144 Hz
Contrast Ratio : 100,000,000:1
Brightness : 350 Nit
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A good gaming monitor needs to have good connectivity options. Most gaming monitors these days will have DVI, a Display port and a HDMI port. Acer GN246HL too includes multiple connectivity options including DVI, VGA and HDMI. However, it misses a Display port which is not really necessary for 1080p monitors. One disappointing thing to note is that the monitor doesn't have any speakers. The monitor measures 22.2 x 7.05 x 15.8 inches and weighs 9 pounds.
ReviewsBucket's Verdict:
We think the Acer GN246HL is a very responsive monitor which will be great for gaming. Gamers and professionals alike would most likely enjoy using this monitor. With only 1ms response time and 144Hz refresh rate, the images appear instantly on the screen and only your reflexes will make the difference while playing your favorite action games. If you currently have a 60Hz monitor, you'll notice the amazing difference with this 144Hz monitor. The wide viewing angle will make sure that the image quality is preserved even when viewing it from the side. The only negative review points we have heard about the Acer GN246HL is it's non-adjustable height, lack of speakers and that the stand doesn't feel sturdy enough. We think these three negatives are definitely overcome by the responsiveness and the picture quality that this monitor offers. For the price, we think Acer GN246HL is a top-notch product, if you're looking for a good gaming monitor with no frills.
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