At the current price 199 € computer game players can get a monitor with a not very memorable name, ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD. It is a solid-looking piece – it manages to impress especially with the paper specifications, which look a little too promising compared to the price. But what is it like in practice? This review on ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD.
ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD Review: Build and Design
The processing of the monitor is not bad at all. It is made of plastic, the frames around the screen are relatively thin, and only the lower strip of shiny plastic is thicker. The brand logo is located in its middle ViewSonic. Already after unpacking you will notice quite visible 1500R curvature to draw the player into the action of the game. On the bottom edge there are five smaller buttons designed for navigation in the firmware menu and in front of them there is an LED indicating the power on / sleep status of the monitor.
Package contents
Connector equipment
There is a very noticeable logo on the back ViewSonic and four holes for screws on 75 x 75 VESA assembly. During testing, I kept the monitor on my arm because I don’t have too much desk space. Of course, a stand is included, the design of which you can see in the product photo. Unfortunately, it does not allow for height adjustment, it only allows adjustment of the vertical tilt and therefore it would not suit me personally. Please note this before purchasing. The connectors are located on the back and not on the bottom of the monitor, which I consider a minor disadvantage.
- Dimensions: 611 × 475 × 25 mm
- Weight:
- With stand: 3.9 kg
- Without stand: 3.3 kg
ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD review: Screen and speakers
The main point of attention is 27-inch VA panelwhich is characterized by 1500R curvature a Quad HD by resolution, that is 2560 x 1440 pixels. Refresh rate 165 Hz it will bring great joy in this price category and will be enjoyed by players in particular. It is also excellent response level 1 ms. What freezes, on the other hand, is very high screen ghosting. I have to say that I have not yet encountered a worse display in terms of ghosting. It was terrible at first. I already noticed this when moving the white mouse cursor over a black background – the white color started to change to red with the movement and the traces dragged behind the cursor very significantly. An attentive, trained eye that has used more expensive monitors will of course also notice this in games.
The experience of playing FPS titles, where you will quickly change movements and rotate with the mouse, can be very negatively affected by ghosting. This is a tax on the low price of the monitor. I think that if it is intended for undemanding gamers or children, it does not matter at all, and the user will be very happy for a large and fast screen that curvature draws into the plot. There is also an anti-reflective layer on the surface of the panel. I recommend you regularly clean the panel with a dry dust cloth.
If the sun starts shining on it, you won’t be able to see much on the display due to dirt on this anti-reflective layer, especially in dark gaming scenes. Quite low luminosity is also to blame. Maximum brightness 250 rivets so there is no miracle. The manufacturer also states HDR support, but forget about it completely. The highest brightness is simply not built for this and 10-bit rendering of colors is also not supported. Moreover, it is VA panel, HDR I consider it a useful function mostly only when OLED screens that are much more expensive.
As far as color rendering goes, it’s not that bad. Color deviations measured by other reviewers are acceptable. It is completely sufficient for games and I dare say that you can also do light photo editing on the monitor. I am on ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD it worked perfectly normally in graphics programs and there was no problem with that. However, if you are looking for a monitor directly for productivity purposes, this product is not for you, but you probably realize that.
The monitor has two speakers and both have power 2 W. In my opinion, there are only up to the number. They will only serve for critical cases when you do not have another type of audio output available. I would definitely not use them primarily, they sound very low-quality, tinny. However, they are relatively loud, monitors often have quieter speakers. Their frequency range is quite limited, and many times I couldn’t understand people’s conversations and I couldn’t even distinguish individual sound elements in the game.
ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD Review: Firmware and Settings
The firmware menu with settings does not support Slovak, but Czech is available. The translation is not perfect, but you will get the idea. Navigation in this menu is very difficult at first. It is very difficult to figure out which button is for what, despite the fact that icons are drawn above them indicating their action. The menu looks simple, but the controls are not the most intuitive. Allows switching between individual outputs (2x HDMI 2.0 and 1x DisplayPort).
From the settings, it is worth mentioning the Eco mode, which you can set to “Standard”, “Optimize” and “Conserve”. It is convenient to set the automatic transition to sleep mode after a certain period of inactivity. The monitor supports the function AMD FreeSync Premiumwhich you can use if you have an AMD graphics card to synchronize the refresh rate of the monitor with the framerate of the game.
The result is a limitation of “tearing” of images. I definitely recommend players to turn it on Response Time into fashion Ultra Fast. As you can see in the attached photos, several color modes are built in. I preferred to use the monitor menu in English.
Sleep timer
Eco mode
ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD Review: Connectors
On the back, there is a space for connecting cables that will unusually stick out from the background of the monitor. It would be more elegant to place them facing down, but what can be done. There is a power supply here DC connector, into which a larger external adapter is connected. A network cable must be connected to it. The electronics for powering the monitor did not fit into its interior. The pair follows HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort. The last connector is 3,5 mm jack to connect the audio output. That’s all from the connector equipment, look no further.
ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD Review: Final Evaluation
ViewSonic X2718-2KPC-MHD is a great “entry-level” gaming monitor, which freezes the most with its “ghosting”. I also consider the impossibility of more advanced adjustment of the monitor’s position on the included stand to be a disadvantage. But then there are a number of benefits, which include support AMD FreeSync Premiumnice color reproduction, relatively narrow frames, fast response, Quad HD resolution a 165 Hz refresh rate. 1500R bend you will either fall in love immediately, or you will prefer a straight panel. It’s a matter of habit, give it a few days and you’ll probably forget about turning.
Speakers are present, although very weak. However, I consider their presence an advantage, because they are definitely not commonplace in this price category. If you can survive the very visible “ghosting”, ViewSonic X2718-2KPC-MHD will be a great buy. However, for a better gaming experience, invest in a better, more expensive monitor. Likewise, if it is to be a monitor intended primarily for work purposes, choose something else. If you occasionally want to play games or if this product is to belong to your child, for example, its user will probably be satisfied.
ViewSonic X2718-2KPC-MHD parameters
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Competition for ViewSonic X2718-2KPC-MHD
A great option, in my opinion, is to pay extra for IPS panel instead VA. IPS monitors are roughly €100 more expensive and include, for example, the following models:
Z VA alternatives worth mentioning:
Our tip
Source: www.mojandroid.sk
