★★★★★ 4.5
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The Pros
- Ultrafast response times;
- Highly adjustable stand with headphone dock;
- Fast 144Hz refresh rate at 1080p;
- AMD FreeSync support
The Cons
- A few unneeded features
The black design of ViewSonic XG2401 is quite plain, though the stand and rectangular base sport of the monitor wear wast enough red stripes to remind you that it’s a gaming peripheral device.
It has a little hook near the top of the stand that allows you to dock your headphones, but the circular red ring below allows you to coil together whatever wires there are connected to the monitor.
ViewSonic XG2401 is also highly adjustable monitor. You can raise or lower the display up to 4.7 inches, as well as tilt it 5 degrees forward and 22 degrees back. It’s possible to even swivel it 90 degrees and use it in portrait mode.
Ports and Interface
The XG2401 has a good deal of connections for your console or PC, with DisplayPort and two HDMI inputs. In order to plug in headphones and peripherals, there are two USB 3.0 ports (a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB 2.0 type B port).
The interface of XG2401 is simple and pretty easy to navigate for a gaming monitor. There’s a specific button for activating the various genre-specific game modes of the monitor, as well as one for switching video sources with just a single click. If you wish to go more in-depth, you need to tap the “1” button and from there the XG 2401's robust main menu pulls up.
Gaming Performance
The speedy 144Hz refresh rate creates a sensation of ducking into cover and popping off terrorists in Rainbow. The two-shooter presets of the 1080p monitor serves a unique purpose, for example, when playing Siege; the high contrast of FPS2 mode makes it easy to spot enemies, while FPS1 offers duller colors to avoid eyestrain.
As for Dota 2, the XG2401 does a brilliant job highlighting the flowing rivers, lush forests and colorful fantasy characters, making it effortless to keep up with the action. MOBA and RTS modes of the monitor create the image almost ridiculously sharp.
FreeSync Performance
AMD FreeSync is supported by ViewSonic XG2401, which on AMD-powered machines reduces screen-tearing by syncing the display straight with the graphics card of your computer. Although this is a handy feature, it seems almost not needed because of the strong performance the monitor already has when on the standard mode. However, when it comes to responsiveness, the XH2401 is the best in its class.
Features and Audio
The XG2401 offers three adjustable “Gamer” profiles that you can set up with whichever combination of color, brightness and specific features you like.
The SmartSync feature of the monitor automatically picks the best refresh rate and response time regardless what you’re playing. This might sound awesome on paper but activating the mode actually darkens the screens ruins the sharpness in most games. For highlighting dark in-game areas, there’s a black stabilization feature. It allows pinpointing enemies and locations that are otherwise hard-to-see.
An interesting note regarding XG2401s audio: the built-in speakers of XG2401 are particularly loud!
