Philips new E-line monitors offer a budget way of getting 144Hz at Full HD, albeit with one caveat
Using a monitor designed for business use for gaming has many issues, but the biggest is the limited refresh rates and the lack of support for variable framerates. The reason that many users end up using that type of monitor to game is purely cost, as anything with the word ‘gaming’ connected to it appears to attract a premium. But you can get a monitor that has some gaming credentials that won’t break the bank, as you’ll see in our review of the Philips 242E1GAJ. I’d contest that for gaming 24in panels are the bottom limit in size most players should be considering unless available ergonomic space is very tight indeed. The 23.8in Philips 242E1GAJ comes with a couple of video cables, a laptop-style PSU, the support foot detached and the manual on a DVD-R. Provided instructions tell the new user to connect the foot and then lift the whole assembly out of its expanded foam protection. The two connect using a thumbscrew, but I’d recommend you use a screwdriver to tighten it more than finger secure. What struck me as this point was how light the 242E1GAJ is fully assembled at just over 3kg, strongly hinting that most of the structure of this design is plastic and not metal. However, the support shaft is metal, and it connects to an internal frame where the panel is mounted. Another reason that it is light is that the PSU isn’t part of the panel, but a power brick. These aren’t our favourite solutions but placing it outside makes it a bit slimmer. The construction is acceptable, though it wouldn’t handle much intentional abuse. It’s certainly not for the gamer who throws things in reaction to failure. The designers of this screen stayed focused on delivering a practical solution and avoiding anything superfluous. Therefore, they went with a 1080p resolution and a 144Hz refresh but no USB hub or HDR support. It also only offers two video inputs, one each of HDMI and DisplayPort. If you have a PC and a previous generation console, then you’ll be fine, but those that also have a streaming box might find this limitation a deal-breaker. The 242E1GAJ’s design doesn’t shout “gaming” and actually looks more like a regular monitor so may not be the right choice for those that prefer the more loud and angular style of many gaming products. Sound is provided by 3W speakers, or you can use headphone from a 3.5mm audio jack if you are connected via HDMI. Most gamers will have satellite speakers or headphones connected to their system, but some might find the internal sound or through connections useful on occasion. As a design, there are a few things about this model that are more old-school than I’d like. The most obvious is the OSD menu that’s driven by a row of buttons on the bottom left of the frame.
