Gigabyte G24F 2 Review: 1080p 165Hz 1ms FreeSync IPS Gaming Monitor

The Gigabyte G24F 2 is yet another budget 24″ 1080p high refresh rate IPS gaming monitor with FreeSync! Here’s how it stacks up against its many alternatives.

Image Quality

Unlike the first Gigabyte G24F model that uses Innolux’s M238HCA-L7Z panel, the newer G24F-2 version is based on an LC238LF4F panel by BOE/Panda.

The main difference between the two is that the G24F2 has a bit wider color gamut and a slightly higher contrast ratio, but not quite as fast pixel response time speed.

With a 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage, the Gigabyte G24F 2 offers rich and saturated colors with dithered 8-bit color depth (6-bit + FRC, 16.7 million colors) for vibrant image quality. It’s equivalent to around 125% sRGB gamut size, so SDR content will be over-saturated.

You can use the provided sRGB emulation mode to clamp down the gamut to 100% sRGB for better accuracy, but most users will prefer the extra vibrancy provided by the unclamped gamut. Note that you can adjust the brightness in this mode.

Further, the IPS panel features 178° wide viewing angles, ensuring that the image will remain flawless regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.

Next, the monitor has a decent peak brightness of 300-nits, so it will be able to get more than bright enough under normal lighting conditions.

The specified static contrast ratio is 1,100:1, which is a bit higher than the usual 1,000:1 ratio for IPS panels. Depending on the unit, it’s possible that the contrast ratio gets even higher (up to ~1,500:1), but unless you’re comparing it to another IPS model with ~1,000:1 contrast side by side, the difference won’t be that noticeable.

You still won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA panels, which have a contrast ratio closer to around 3,000:1, but VA gaming monitors have other drawbacks, especially at this price range, such as particularly slower response time that causes black smearing.

IPS monitors also suffer from IPS glow. It can be characterized as visible glowing around the corners of the screen at certain viewing angles, however, it’s mostly noticeable when viewing dark content in a dark room with high brightness settings, so there are ways to alleviate it.

The 1920×1080 Full HD resolution on the 23.8″ viewable screen of the Gigabyte G24F 2 monitor results in a pixel density of 92.56 PPI (pixels per inch), which means you get a decent amount of screen real estate with fairly sharp details and text.

Naturally, the image is not as crisp as that of higher resolution displays, but it’s notably clearer in comparison to 27″ 1080p displays with 81.59 PPI.

What’s more, 1080p is not very demanding on your CPU/GPU, allowing you to maintain higher frame rates more easily.

Performance

There are five response time overdrive modes: Off, Smart OD, Picture Quality, Balance and Speed.

The ‘Speed’ mode is too aggressive and introduces pixel overshoot, so we recommend sticking with the ‘Balance’ mode at high refresh rates.

If you’re gaming at a lower refresh rate, or you’re using variable refresh rate (VRR) and getting a low frame rate, you should dial back the overdrive to ‘Off’ to avoid inverse ghosting.

Some trailing is visible behind fast-moving objects, but it’s tolerable. There’s no dark level smearing that’s usually associated with VA monitors. In fact, most gamers will find the amount of ghosting negligible, or not notice it at all.

The Gigabyte G24F 2 is overclockable to 180Hz from its native 165Hz refresh rate for a small boost in motion clarity. Input lag is imperceptible at around 3ms of delay.

VRR is supported with a 48-180Hz dynamic range for tear-free gameplay up to 180FPS. FreeSync Premium works over both DisplayPort and HDMI for AMD GPUs, and while the monitor lacks official ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ certification by NVIDIA, VRR works without issues with supported GeForce cards over DisplayPort.

Gigabyte’s Aim Stabilizer technology is supported too, which can use backlight strobing to reduce motion blur at a cost of picture brightness, but it can’t be active at the same time as VRR.

The backlight of the monitor is flicker-free (unless Aim Stabilizer) is enabled, and there’s a built-in low-blue light filter.

Features

The OSD (On-Screen Display) menu of the monitor is well-organized and easy to navigate thanks to the directional joystick.

You can also download and use the OSD Sidekick desktop application to make your adjustments via keyboard and mouse.

Noteworthy gaming features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes by altering the gamma curvature), Color Vibrance (adjusts color saturation), crosshair overlays, on-screen timers, a refresh rate tracker and various picture presets, including three custom profiles.

The Gigabyte G24F 2 also supports the Dashboard feature, which allows you to track your system’s performance (GPU/CPU temperature, utilization, etc.) on the screen once you connect it to your PC via a USB cable.

Besides the standard image settings (brightness, contrast, color temperature, etc.), the monitor also offers a few advanced adjustment tools, such as gamma presets and sharpness. Input Auto Switch is available as well.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers a good range of ergonomics, including up to 130mm height adjustment, -5°/20° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility, while the screen has a matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.0 ports, Displayport 1.2, a USB 3.0 hub (1 upstream + 2 downstream), and a headphone jack.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte G24F 2 price ranges from $160 to $180, which makes it the best budget gaming monitor.

Other similar monitors in this price range include the AOC 24G2 and 24G2SP, but they don’t have a USB hub and their sRGB mode has locked brightness.

The LG 24GN600/650 and the HP X24i/h offer a bit faster response time speed, but they don’t have as wide color gamut, so it comes down to your personal preference here. We find that the difference in the color gamut is more noticeable than the difference in response time speed though, which is why we recommend the G24F 2.

The older G24F model is also a great option, but it goes for up to $250.

In the end, all of these models offer excellent image quality, performance and features. For the best value for money, it will come down to which model is on sale at the time of buying, so you should check them all out.

We also have a list of all 24″ 1080p 144Hz-180Hz IPS gaming monitors, in case a certain model happens to be on a huge discount!

There’s also the 27″ version of this monitor, the G27F 2, but it has fewer pixels per inch, so the image won’t be as crisp. However, if you prefer screen size over image quality and you mostly want a monitor for just gaming and watching videos, it’s also worth considering.

For competitive players, keep in mind that there are 240Hz models that can be found on sale for $200 – $250, such as the LG 27GP750/GN750, the Dell S2522HG and the ViewSonic XG250.

To learn more about monitors and ensure you’re getting the model most suited for your personal preference, visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

All in all, the Gigabyte G24F 2 is so far the most full-featured budget 24″ 1080p high refresh rate IPS gaming monitor yet it’s also sometimes the cheapest model!

You get a wide color gamut, quick response time, plenty of features and an excellent design with rich connectivity options – so you can’t go wrong at this price.

Specifications