The Acer GN246HL created quite a buzz back when it was announced in 2014. It was among the first sub $250 144Hz monitors, and its support for full HD 3D imaging was also quite impressive. Today, many alternatives exist, but the Acer GN246HL trumps a lot of them in terms of power consumption. The Acer monitor’s LED backlight technology slashes power consumption by 68%, thereby keeping costs down. It also has good connectivity with a HDMI, VGA and DVI-D port, but unfortunately doesn’t have a DisplayPort port. For gamers on a budget, the GN246HL is definitely one of the best computer monitors for gaming at under $200. If you’re interested in a dual monitor setup, our review of how Phillips puts two audio’s in one might interest you too.
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Why We Like It – Acer GN246HL
If you’re not looking to spend too much on a gaming monitor, the 24-inch widescreen Acer GN246HL could be for you. For about $200 you’ll get a Full HD LED monitor that has an impressive 144Hz refresh rate for faster screen action, a 1ms response time for much less ghosting, and a decent 1000:1 contrast ratio that keeps your blacks dark and your whites bright. The LCD Monitor also comes with the Acer Eco Display feature that uses white LED Backlight technology that is mercury-free, making it environment-friendly.
- Great bargain for a 144Hz monitor
- LED backlight technology saves power
- Fast 1ms response time eliminates screen tearing
- Input lag is high at 10ms
- Not flicker-free
Performance
The Acer GN246HL shares the same 144Hz refresh rate as the Acer ED273, and that is among the best reasons why it’s a great gaming monitor. Unfortunately, that specific range can only be attained through a DL-DVI connection, which is a connector type if you’re wondering what is DVI. With HDMI though, the ranges vary between 60Hz and 76Hz. Input lag is also on the lower side at 10ms, which is not good for gamers that prefer high game responsiveness. In terms of image quality for 3D gaming fans, the viewing experience can be improved by turning on LightBoost to fix motion blur and eliminate ghosting. If you prefer to work with a 27-inch widescreen monitor with a 6ms response time, click on the Acer G276HL review.
Design
Similar in size to the Asus VG245H, the Acer GN246HL is made of plastic and has a generally good build quality. Its stand is X-shaped giving it a larger footprint, and it’s also sturdy enough for zero wobbling. The stand can also be removed if you want to wall-mount the monitor. The Acer GN246HL monitor doesn’t have any form of cable management, but its thin side profile makes it look quite good. Viewing angles are so-so, but the vertical angle is much better than the horizontal. A different gaming monitor from Acer with 1ms response time and AMD FreeSync technology is described in our Acer KG241Q review.
Value
In terms of value, what you’ll find in other GN246HL reviews & comparisons is that there are a lot of many other gaming monitors that you can get for around the $200 price range or even lower, with the same specs or even better. A good example would be the Lepow Portable Monitor. Problem is, they’re probably from a brand you’ve not heard of before. You should choose the Acer GN246HL because Acer is a well-known brand in terms of both quality and product lifetime. To add to that, a casual gamer who can do without HDR support can also go for this pick, but more competitive players should consider more capable monitors such as the Asus VG245H.
Acer GN246HL Wrap Up
As we conclude this Acer GN246HL review, we have to acknowledge that it’s not as popular as it used to be. Its low input lag of 10ms has also long been surpassed by many other more recent monitors. The fact that it is not flicker-free and does not have a low blue light filter also speaks to how dated the monitor is in today’s market. For those who have cared to monitor Acer over the years, however, you will notice that this is something they’ve introduced in their more recent releases.
