The 6 Best 24-25 Inch Monitors - Spring 2020
Reviews

The best 25 inch monitor we've tested so far is the Dell U2518D. It's a 1440p monitor that performs well for any type of use, and the colors are extremely accurate out-of-the-box and it shouldn't need any sort of calibration. With an IPS panel, it has good viewing angles, but not as good as some other IPS monitors. You can still share your screen with people next to you or sit close to the screen without losing much image accuracy.

Unfortunately, the contrast ratio is mediocre and the black uniformity is inadequate, so blacks look gray in dark rooms. If you're planning on using this monitor in a bright environment, such as an office, it can get really bright and it handles reflections well to combat glare. The gray uniformity is also excellent, so uniform colors on the screen, such as web pages or documents, won't be distracting.

Gamers will appreciate the excellent response time and great input lag, but the 60Hz refresh rate and lack of variable refresh (VRR) rate technology will disappoint serious gamers. Overall, this is the best 25 inch monitor we've tested.

The best 24 inch gaming monitor that we've tested so far is the Dell S2417DG. It has a 144Hz refresh rate that can go up to 165Hz with the factory overclock setting, and it uses G-SYNC VRR technology to reduce tearing in games. The input lag is exceptionally low in native resolution, but it does increase a bit with VRR enabled. The response time on the TN panel is fantastic, so there's minimal motion blur, and it includes a black frame insertion feature to help reduce motion blur.

Unfortunately, the use of the TN panel comes at the cost of good picture quality. The contrast ratio is poor, black uniformity is bad, and the viewing angles are inadequate if you need to share your screen with others. On the upside, it can get fairly bright and it handles reflections well, so the monitor performs well even in bright rooms.

Overall, it performs well for gaming, making it the best 24 inch gaming monitor we've tested so far.

The Dell P2417H is the best 24 inch monitor in the budget category that we've tested so far. It's a simple 1080p monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate and it comes in the same frame as most Dell monitors, with the same good build quality and great ergonomics, so you can adjust it however you like. Its IPS panel has decent viewing angles, but like most IPS monitors, it doesn't look good in the dark due to its low contrast ratio. It gets bright enough for an average-lit room, although it's best to avoid bright environments with a lot of light shining on the screen.

If you care about accurate color reproduction, the good news is that it has an impressive color accuracy out-of-the-box. Motion handling is very good and input lag is low; however, it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing when gaming. There are four USB ports for charging, with two of them conveniently located on the side of the monitor, and the backlight is flicker-free, which can help reduce eye strain.

Overall, if you're looking for a small monitor on a budget, this is a very decent choice. It doesn't have the sharpest resolution or the most features, but for a monitor this size, it performs remarkably well.