The Acer ED242QR is a sub-$200 display solution for gaming with its curved 144Hz screen that will look smoother and feel faster. It uses a curved VA panel that has the advantage in contrast and saturation, but it’s not as fast as TN or the Fast-IPS models offered at a very close price point. The Acer ED242QR is facing tough competition such as the AOC 24G2 in today’s market, so let’s see how it stacks up.
Acer ED242QR Specifications
- Screen Size: 24 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 FHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate:144Hz
- Response Time: 4ms
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1
- Brightness: 250 cd/m²
- Speakers: No
- Stand: Height – No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Stand: Pivot – No
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, HDMI 1.4 x 1, DVI-DL x 1, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- VESA Compatibility – No
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 21.49” x 15.92″ x 7.65”
- Weight: 7.4 lbs
Design and Features
The Acer ED242QR adopts a modest aesthetic compared to the brand’s Predator and Nitro offerings so you can easily mistake it for an office variant. The monitor comes in a glossy black finish that looks nice but is difficult to maintain since it is prone to scratches and fingerprints. The monitor has thin bezels, so they aren’t distracting compared to some models we’ve seen.
It is also worth noting that there is a white variant of the monitor, but that model has a lower refresh rate and has a cheaper price. It’s easy to get along with the Acer ED242QR since it isn’t too far from most office monitors we use when it comes to dimensions. The monitor once assembled and upright doesn’t need a lot of space, so placement shouldn’t be too difficult even if you have a lot of peripherals.
Build quality isn’t the best, but we reckon the Acer ED242QR will survive a good amount of years if you take care of it. There were no cosmetic defects or manufacturing imperfections on the product but remember that its very easy to scratch the shiny plastic. The stand also has a slight wobble if you tap or touch the screen due to the low center of gravity.
What the Acer ED242QR got right, however, is using an OSD joystick instead of pesky buttons which are confusing to use. It’s located at the back, but it is difficult to miss even if you aren’t looking since the knob is quite big compared to the usual. We’re glad brands are now implementing this with their budget offerings since it makes life easier for the gamers.
But the biggest weakness of the Acer ED242QR is its stand which only offers tilt for adjustments. The optimal position for a curved monitor is at its dead-center, but for some, this model might appear too short. You also can’t rely on VESA mounts with this model since it doesn’t have holes for it, so you have to consider that before buying this model.
The Acer ED242QR’s connectivity layout includes a slot each for DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, and DVI-DL as video inputs. That isn’t a lot by today’s standards, but you can at least connect one gaming console to it. There are no USB ports that would have been handy, but there is a 3.5mm jack for your speakers or headset.
The Acer ED242QR also doesn’t have a pair of speakers so it’s one of the variants out in the market that doesn’t have much to offer. That’s understandable since most of the money you are paying goes to the high-refresh screen.
Display and Performance
The Acer ED242QR sports a 24-inch VA panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 4ms response time. The backlight is limited to 250 cd/m2, while the contrast ratio is rated at 3000:1 like most VA panels. The screens curvature is 1800mm, so it isn’t as pronounced as some of the more modern models and at this size.
24-inch 1080p screens are still great since many users won’t have to get acclimated to using it for everyday tasks. Visibility is excellent and it’s easy to run with any GPU, so it is still widely preferred for competitive gaming. It doesn’t offer a lot of space for productivity, but your eyes won’t struggle with reading walls of text or browsing for hours.
The Acer ED242QR covers 110% of the sRGB gamut which is great for daily use and gaming, but excellent for a budget panel. Color accuracy is slightly off with a deltaE average of 2.51, but most wouldn’t know the difference to warrant a full calibration. The color temperature is also slightly biased towards the warmer side, but a few tweaks in the OSD can reduce it.
Calibrating the Acer ED242QR with the help of a colorimeter can improve its accuracy drastically with a dE average of around 1.24. However, it isn’t worth it for a budget or gaming variant, so most should settle with manual tweaking. You have to look elsewhere if color fidelity is your priority, and you will most likely spend more.
The Acer ED242QR’s backlight reached 259 cd/m2 at 100% brightness which is reasonable, but it won’t be able to fight off a lot of glare. The screen’s contrast ratio hovered below 2100:1 at 70% brightness, but that’s still a lot compared to most monitors. The screen is capable of deep blacks and rich saturation, so it isn’t a limiting factor for it.
Panel uniformity for the Acer ED242QR sample could be better since there is some clouding on the screen’s corners. It’s most noticeable in dark or all-black images, but full-color pictures aren’t as affected. Take note that this aspect varies between every unit due to tolerances, so there are better models out there.
The Acer ED242QR has a 144Hz refresh rate which should help its motion handling, but it is still a VA panel with no MPRT or boosted features. Its still prone to blurring especially in contrasting transitions, so the Fast IPS alternatives will be better for competitive gaming. You can set the overdrive to help alleviate it but be wary of using too much since overshoot will appear instead.
The Acer ED242QR is a FreeSync gaming monitor, but it also works with Nvidia’s G-Sync compatibility. This duality extends the value of every dollar you pay for it since you don’t have to ditch it if in case you switch to the other GPU brand. Input lag sits at 6ms at 144Hz, so there is no need to worry about delays or de-synced instances.
Thoughts on the Acer ED242QR
The Acer ED242QR is a suitable option if you are looking for an affordable gaming monitor with great contrast and decent colors. It isn’t the fastest when it comes to pixel response time, but it is still great to use for games other than competitive titles. The monitor also works with both FreeSync and G-Sync, so it should be a great buy if you have either an AMD or an Nvidia GPU.
The main issue we have with the Acer ED242QR is its very limited feature set which can hinder important aspects like display orientation and functionality. It doesn’t fare well against better-equipped monitors like the AOC 24G2 at around the same price range when it comes to this. It is, however, capable of richer images than the Fast IPS monitors out there, and that’s worthy of consideration for the right type of gamer.
Pros:
- Affordable Price
- G-Sync/FreeSync Compatible
- Great Gamut Coverage for a Budget Monitor
- Low Input Lag
Cons:
- Panel Uniformity Needs Improvement
- Limited Features
- Stand Irreplaceable (Non-VESA Compliant)
-About the Author:
Paolo is a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since his junior high years. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations and he believes that it’s every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.