Acer K242HYL review: An affordable monitor for any occasion

Best Prices Today – Acer Okay242HYL

The funds monitor market is tough to understand. This isn’t due to the expertise, which is simple to grasp, however the sheer wealth of choices. You can discover a whole lot of displays with a 24-inch, 1080p show for between $100 and $200 . Acer’s Okay242HYL is one such instance, however its picture high quality nudges forward of the pack.  

Acer Okay242HYL: Specs and options  

The Acer Okay242HYL is a typical 24-inch, 1080p monitor save for a couple of notable specs. These embrace a 75Hz most refresh price, fairly than 60Hz, and assist for AMD FreeSync. Around again you’ll discover a VGA port and only one HDMI port.  

• Display dimension: 23.8 inches 
• Native decision: 1920×1080 
• Panel kind: IPS 
• Refresh price: 75Hz 
• Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync 
• Ports: 1x HDMI, 1x VGA 
• Stand adjustment: Tilt 
• VESA mount: Yes, 100x100mm 
• Speakers: No 
• HDR: No 

Pricing is aggressive at $149.99, consistent with, or barely undercutting, options just like the HP 24mh and Samsung CF396. Sceptre is the one model that constantly beats Acer on worth, and solely by a couple of {dollars}. This units a low bar the Acer Okay242HYL simply clears. 

Acer Okay242HYL: Minimal design

Uninspired design isn’t a surprise in any funds monitor, and the Acer Okay242HYL locations as little emphasis on seems as attainable. The monitor has slim bezels on three sides and a chin on the underside. This chin gives room for the Acer brand and on-screen menu controls. Around again you’ll discover an expanse of matte-black plastic with few ridges and one other Acer brand. It’s not a lot however, at this worth, avoiding offense is the objective, and the Okay242HYL manages that. 

The small included stand clips on the underside of the monitor. Tilt is the one adjustment supplied and the stand’s default top shall be far too low for customers round 6 toes tall or taller. The lack of adjustment is disappointing however commonplace at this worth level. A 100x100mm VESA mount is included, at the least, so a third-party monitor stand can remedy the monitor’s ergonomic points for tall customers. Or you possibly can place the included stand on a platform.

My solely severe criticism with the Okay242HYL’s design is minor, however not trivial. The energy LED, which faces ahead, is just too vibrant and distracting in a darkish room. I discovered no choice to show it off within the menu, so I coated it with a chunk {of electrical} tape.  

The Acer Okay242HYL has simply two video inputs: one VGA and one HDMI. The inclusion of VGA is perhaps a perk for these with older computer systems who want a contemporary show. 

The lone HDMI enter is a matter. The monitor basically has one enter for many customers as a result of trendy gadgets can’t simply connect with VGA. Many opponents to the Acer, like HP’s 24mh and Scepter’s E248W, supply an extra enter. 

There’s higher information within the menu system. The Acer Okay242HYL, like all funds displays, is slim on picture changes, however a couple of stand out. It affords a number of gamma presets and coloration temperature presets which might be efficient in adjusting the show’s image. There’s additionally a customized coloration mode for extra fine-grain coloration changes. These choices are simple to seek out as a result of the menus are properly labeled.  

The Okay242HYL doesn’t have audio system or USB-out and doesn’t assist HDR. I missed these options, particularly the USB ports, however their absence is typical for the funds class. 

Acer Okay242HYL: Image high quality

No one expects nice picture high quality from a funds monitor, however I’d argue this makes picture high quality much more essential. Any $500 monitor can supply a top quality image. The similar isn’t true under $200. Fortunately, Acer’s Okay242HYL is among the many higher displays within the funds enviornment. 

Matt Smith / Foundry

Brightness is available in at a most of 287 nits, an above-average end result for this class. Many opponents are nearer to 200 nits. This means the Acer Okay242HYL can seem vibrant and vivid even when utilized in a vibrant sunlit room with no blinds or curtains. In my workplace, which has some mild management, I set the monitor at simply 60 % of its most.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

The Okay242HYL delivered a good distinction ratio of 640:1. While not wonderful, that is higher than what you’ll discover within the least-capable funds displays available on the market and avoids a hazy, dour look. The lack of depth is noticeable in films and video games, nonetheless, making this content material much less immersive. Samsung’s CF390 sequence is a better option for leisure although, as I’ll element later, however has its personal points in video games.  

Color gamut is respectable at 98 % of sRGB and 78 % of DCI-P3. This units a greater baseline than options which have a extra slim sRGB gamut. In explicit, it helps the monitor show clear and even colours with much less banding than many on this class.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

Color accuracy is extraordinarily good with a mean coloration error of 1.57. This beats each monitor I used for comparability besides the Asus ProArt, which targets coloration accuracy as a key function (and is at the least $150 costlier). 

Despite good ends in checks, I used to be a bit dissatisfied within the Acer Okay242HYL’s picture out of the field. The picture appeared heat and musty. As the checks indicated it may do higher, I attempted bumping the gamma setting to its most (2.4) and turning the colour temperature from the default (heat) to regular. These tweaks mounted my complaints.  

This is a 24-inch, 1080p monitor with a pixel density of about 92 pixels per inch. That’s commonplace for a monitor on this class however a bit low for displays general. Despite this, the monitor seems moderately sharp and gives respectable textual content readability. A 1440p monitor is best, sure, however I had no drawback utilizing the monitor to put in writing in Word or edit spreadsheets. 

On steadiness, the Okay242HYL has stable picture high quality for its worth. The monitor’s excessive brightness, respectable coloration gamut, and good coloration accuracy make for a sensible and lifelike picture. It lacks the aptitude or drama of costlier displays however is pleasant sufficient day-to-day.  

Acer Okay242HYL: Motion efficiency

The Okay242HYL isn’t bought as a gaming monitor however does supply two options of use to avid gamers. It’s suitable with AMD FreeSync and has a 75Hz refresh price. However, it didn’t perform with G-Sync on the Nvidia-powered desktop used for testing. That was disappointing.  

With a pixel response time of 4ms, movement readability is nice for a monitor on this worth vary. It’s nowhere close to as crisp as a 144Hz IPS gaming monitor however it lacks the extra severe ghosting and smearing points that may be an issue within the funds area. Samsung’s CF390, for instance, has higher general picture high quality. But that line of displays typically has important pixel response time points in darkish content material which may trigger an unpleasant smear behind objects. 

It helps that the Okay242HYL has above-average picture high quality for its worth. The monitor’s correct coloration and excessive brightness present punch to video games. Vivid, vibrant video games like Overwatch or Valorant look particularly good, as these rely much less on distinction to look their finest.  

Bottom line 

The Acer Okay242HYL is a simple monitor to suggest for funds consumers. It’s not spectacular—nothing on this worth vary is—however it’s enticing sufficient and didn’t fall flat in any state of affairs. That makes it a secure guess.