Bottom Line
The HP 24mh is an affordable 24″ 1080p IPS monitor with accurate colors and a crisp image quality. Further, it features diverse connectivity options and an ergonomic stand, but it’s missing some gaming features usually available at this price range, such as AMD FreeSync.
Looking for the best budget monitor for around $100?
Well, the HP 24mh might be just what you’re looking for!
It features an IPS panel for vibrant colors and wide viewing angles – plus some extra features usually not available at this price range: an ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options!
Alas, it lacks some gaming features that are available in similarly-priced alternatives.
Image Quality
The HP 24mh monitor is based on a standard IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel that’s found in most budget 24″ 1080p monitors.
This panel technology provides you with wide 178° viewing angles, meaning that the picture will remain perfect regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.
Further, it offers the most consistent and accurate color reproduction out of the other two panel types (TN and VA) available at this price range.
So, the monitor is even fit for some entry-level color-critical work. However, for serious work, you will need a more expensive factory-calibrated display or a dedicated colorimeter to calibrated the HP 24mh yourself.
Just how accurate the colors are on the HP 24mh varies across individual units as each monitor is at least slightly different, but you can expect around 95% – 100% sRGB color space coverage.
Moving on, the monitor has a peak brightness of 250-nits. This is pretty much the minimum when it comes to modern LED-backlit displays, but the screen gets more than bright enough under normal lighting conditions.
However, if you have particularly strong lighting in your room, you will need to dim the lights or add some curtains or blinders for the optimal viewing experience.
Next, the static contrast ratio amounts to 1,000:1, which is standard even for much more expensive IPS and TN panel monitors. You won’t get quite as deep blacks as that of VA panel displays, but the image quality is overall very good considering the price.
Of course, VA panel monitors at this price range have disadvantages of their own, such as slower response time and not as consistent colors or wide viewing angles.
Lastly, we get to the resolution; 1080p results in a decent pixel density of 92 PPI (pixels per inch) on the 23.8″ viewable screen of the HP 24mh.
Consequently, you get a decent amount of screen real estate, as well as reasonably sharp details and text. The image quality won’t appear pixelated as it would on a larger 1080p monitor.
Performance
The HP 24mh input lag amounts to ~10ms meaning that you won’t be able to notice or feel any delays between your actions and the result on the screen.
Next, it has a pixel response time speed of 5ms (GtG – gray to gray pixel transition), and there’s no particularly noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects.
Naturally, for really smooth motion clarity, you would need a gaming monitor with a higher refresh rate, such as 144Hz.
You can, however, set the refresh rate of the HP 24mh to 75Hz for a small (but noticeable) boost in motion clarity in fast-paced games.
If the 75Hz refresh rate option doesn’t appear in your display and graphics card’s driver settings, create a custom resolution.
Unfortunately, the monitor doesn’t support Adaptive-Sync, which provides you with a variable refresh rate (VRR) if you have a compatible graphics card by AMD (FreeSync) or NVIDIA (G-SYNC Compatible).
VRR gets rid of screen tearing and stuttering by synchronizing the monitor’s refresh rate to GPU’s frame rate.
However, on low refresh rate monitors, the VRR range is usually limited to 48-75Hz/FPS (Frames Per Second). So, below 48FPS and over 75FPS, VRR wouldn’t work anyway.
Because not everyone is equally sensitive to screen tearing in video games, some people might find the lack of Adaptive-Sync deal-breaking, while others won’t mind it at all.
Another thing to keep in mind regarding the performance of the HP 24mh display is IPS glow, which is often characterized as visible glowing around the corners of the screen.
IPS glow is present on all IPS monitors, and its intensity varies across different units of the monitor – just like backlight bleeding and stuck/dead pixels. In all except for the most extreme cases, IPS glow is completely tolerable and manageable.
Features
There are five hotkeys placed at the bottom bezel, at the right side of the monitor (four for menu navigation and a power button).
Besides the standard image adjustment tools such as brightness, sharpness, contrast, and color temperature settings, you’ll find a feature called ‘Black Stretch’ that improves visibility in darker scenes by manipulating the gamma curvature.
You’ll also find several pre-calibrated picture presets, such as Low Blue Light, Reading, and Night for a more comfortable reading experience at night.
There are five pixel response time overdrive options (from Level 1 to Level 5) that alter the speed at which pixels can change from one color to another.
At Level 5, the pixels are pushed too hard, thus creating pixel overshoot (or inverse ghosting), so we recommend setting this option at Level 3.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is fairly sturdy and even offers a good range of ergonomics including up to 100mm height adjustment, -5°/23° tilt, 90° pivot, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
Further, the monitor has ultra-thin bezels, while the screen has an anti-glare coating that eliminates reflections.
Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, VGA, and an audio line-in port for the dual 2W integrated speakers.
Price & Similar Monitors
The HP 24mh usually goes for ~$150, and it’s a decent monitor for that price given its ergonomic stand, decent connectivity options, and IPS panel.
However, note that you can nowadays find a 24″ 1080p IPS monitor with a higher 100Hz refresh rate and a fully ergonomic stand for $100, such as the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx.
Visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide for more information and the best deals currently available.
Conclusion
While the HP 24mh is a decent monitor overall, there are better options in this price range.
Specifications
Screen Size | 23.8-inch |
Resolution | 1920×1080 (Full HD) |
Panel Type | IPS |
Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
Refresh Rate | 60Hz (75Hz OC) |
Response Time | 5ms (GtG) |
Speakers | 2x2W |
Ports | DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, VGA |
Brightness | 250 cd/m² |
Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 (static) |
Colors | 16.7 million (6-bit + FRC) |
VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- Good value for the price
- Ergonomic stand
- Accurate and consistent colors
- Fast response time and low input lag
- DisplayPort and integrated speakers
The Cons:
- Design lacks swivel option
- No AMD FreeSync
- Not as high contrast ratio as that of VA panels