The Acer KA242Y Ebi is a very affordable 24-inch monitor that satisfies the need for an easy-to-own and viable daily-use monitor. It doesn’t have special features, but this is a perfect budget-friendly solution for those who need a secondary display or an office or schoolwork monitor. Let’s take a closer look and see what kind of qualities we can expect at this price point.
Acer KA242Y Ebi Specifications
- Screen Size: 24 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p FHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 100Hz
- Response Time: 1ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 250 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 2 watts)
- Stand: Height – No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes (-5°/+15°)
- Stand: Swivel – No
- VESA Compatibility: Yes 100 x 100
- Connectivity: HDMI x 1, VGA x 1, 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 23.5” x 15” x 5.38”
- Weight: 9.16 lbs
Design and Features
The Acer KA242Y Ebi looks like any typical office monitor, except that it has a zero-frame design which makes it look more modern. The device has a matte black finish on its chassis and a piano-black base which is prone to scratches if you are not careful in wiping it down. The device is bezel-free on three sides thanks, but you still get panel borders like with most modern displays.
One of the appealing qualities of a budget monitor like this is its modest dimensions. The device only needs a little over five inches of depth, so it should be a challenge to find a spot for it. It also weighs next to nothing at 9.16 pounds, so it is very easy to move around as needed.
Its build quality is decent but plasticky just like most budget monitors out there. That’s expected and acceptable for the monitor and similar models in this price range. The stand is a bit wobbly, but its not a big deal if your desk is stable and firm.
The Acer KA242Y Ebi has an OSD joystick with hotkeys at the back for easy access to its settings and features. It’s located near the right edge of the display, so it won’t be too hard to reach for most. Other budget models have to make do with a set of buttons, which take more time and effort to utilize appropriately.
The connectivity layout on this model isn’t much, but that’s also acceptable for the price. The package only includes HDMI 1.4, VGA, and a 3.5mm jack, although some variants have only HDMI 1.4. USB ports would be handy, but based on what we’ve seen in the market, they usually belong to higher-tier models.
You will also find a pair of speakers with 2 watts of power each for this model. It’s surprising to see such an addition, although most office models include a basic set for work-related audio. It’s not entertainment or gaming-grade, but it’s nice to have in case you don’t want to wear headsets.
Display and Performance
The Acer KA242Y Ebi sports a 24-inch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 100Hz refresh rate, and a 5ms response time. The backlight has a 250 cd/m2 while the contrast is listed at 1000:1. This model doesn’t have HDR capabilities, but that’s expected since it’s a budget model.
1080p monitors work great for most uses, such as gaming and business or school purposes, so they are still prevalent in the market. They are also very affordable and do not need a ton of power for efficient performance. They are also very easy on the eyes when it comes to reading, browsing, and processing documents.
The Acer KA242Y Ebi covers 99% of the sRGB gamut and 79% DCI-P3 for decent color in any situation. Its default accuracy had a deltaE average of 2.15, which is good and balanced for gaming and business use. Most users won’t need to calibrate it, so it’s ready for use once it’s out of the box.
Calibrating reduced the dE average to 1.34, making it better suited for content creation and some editing. However, it’s not worth spending twice as much on a colorimeter based on these results. We recommend going with a better monitor first before thinking about colorimeters to make the upgrade a better investment.
The Acer KA242Y Ebi’s backlight reached 251 cd/m2 at 100%, so it can’t get very bright like other models for daytime use. Its contrast fared worse since it only reached 977:1 at 50% brightness, making it incapable of deep blacks like the VA variants. Note that this is well-documented for IPS panels, although some newer versions have higher contrast outputs.
Panel uniformity for the test sample had some issues due to backlight bleeding on the top and bottom edges of the screen. They showed up as clouding in dark or all-black backgrounds, but lighter ones, like browsers, are not as affected. Note that this can vary between every monitor made due to tolerances, so there are better units out there.
The Acer KA242Y Ebi has better motion clarity and pixel response time than most office monitors, but it is not entirely blur-free. Setting the overdrive to moderate levels helped, but there is still a bit of persistence. It’s less of an issue compared to what the 75Hz VA model has.
The Acer KA242Y Ebi is compatible with FreeSync, but G-Sync doesn’t work since it will need a DisplayPort slot. VRR is important for gamers, but that’s not the focus of this model. Its input lag sits at 6ms at 100Hz, so it’s a bit better than a typical business model when it comes to responsiveness.
Thoughts on the Acer KA242Y Ebi
The Acer KA242Y Ebi is one of the best deals you can buy at the moment, thanks to its general performance. Its 100Hz panel works great for tasks that include gaming since its motion handling is a bit better. It looks clean and sophisticated, even if it is not as heavily equipped as the more sophisticated options in the market.
It is far from perfect, but the biggest deal-breaker for us is its lack of basic features like DisplayPort or height adjustments. It’s not fair to expect these at the current price, which sometimes dips below a hundred bucks. It’s a great basic use monitor, but we’d rather spend a bit more on something like the AOC 24G4 to get more functionality.
Pros:
- Excellent Price
- 100Hz Budget Model
- Decent Image Quality
Cons:
- Limited Features
- Not G-Sync Compatible
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen has the 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 and create reviews that accentuate the seldom-explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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