Asus PA246Q ProArt 24-Inch LCD Monitor Review
Introduction
When we heard Asus was coming out with a P-IPS display, we were a bit taken aback at the thought of Asus getting into the high end monitor game. But as the old cliche goes, there's a first time for everything, and the PA246Q ProArt 24-inch LCD monitor is Asus' first foray into the professional display market.Every other monitor Asus has come out with has been of the TN variety, some of them very good, but there's a clear divide between what you get with an IPS panel and a TN display. The former boasts better viewing angles, much improved color accuracy, and in recent times have even proved up to the task of gaming. The latter is usually lighter on the wallet, though.
There are many kinds of In-Plane Switching panels on the market, one of the newer ones being Professional IPS (or P-IPS), as found on Asus' PA246Q. P-IPS is really a marketing derivative of H-IPS (Horizontal IPS) now commonly used to denote a 10-bit panel capable of reproducing 1.07 billion colors. Wading through all the nomenclature can be a dizzying task, but what you should take away from all this is that Asus is going for gold by using a top-of-the-line panel.
As such, the PA246Q commands a premium price, going for about $500 on the street. That's a bit on the high side even for an IPS display, though there's plenty of marketing bullets Asus hopes will help convince you to loosen your money clip. The PA246Q provides 98 percent of Adobe RGB, boasts a wide 178-degree viewing angle, a built-in 12-bit Look-Up Table (LUT), Picture-in-Picture, portrait and landscape rotation, and a QuickFit Virtual Scale so you can fit photos and documents to the exact size you need printed.
Each PA246Q comes pre-calibrated out of the box so you can plug it in, turn it on, and start using it right away without futzing around with trying to fix color or geometry issues. What's more, Asus even includes a unique color calibration testing report showing sRGB, Adobe RGB, gray-scale tracking, and gamma value measurements. It's akin to receiving a custom benchmark report with an OEM system and gives you warm fuzzies that your unit's not a dud.
If this all sounds like gibberish to you, then welcome to the world of professional monitors. Whereas TN panels are typically judged by their brightness, contrast ratio, and response time, there's quite a bit more to consider with a high end display like the PA246Q. Gamers are welcome to dive in, and so are enthusiasts who demand the best hardware, but unlike TN panels, professionals such as graphic designers and those who are knee deep in CAD work stand to benefit the most from all the advanced features that sound like gobbledygook to the average Joe.
As such, the PA246Q commands a premium price, going for about $500 on the street. That's a bit on the high side even for an IPS display, though there's plenty of marketing bullets Asus hopes will help convince you to loosen your money clip. The PA246Q provides 98 percent of Adobe RGB, boasts a wide 178-degree viewing angle, a built-in 12-bit Look-Up Table (LUT), Picture-in-Picture, portrait and landscape rotation, and a QuickFit Virtual Scale so you can fit photos and documents to the exact size you need printed.
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|
| Display Size |
24.1" Widescreen |
| Resolution |
1920x1200 |
| Aspect Ratio |
16:10 |
| Brightness |
400 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio |
50,000:1 (ASCR) |
| Response Time |
7 ms G-T-G (16ms) |
| Viewing Angle |
178º (H) / 178º (V) |
| Display Type |
P-IPS |
| Connectors |
D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort |
| Power Consumption |
<75W (On), <1W (Power Savings Mode) |
| Speakers |
No |
| Stand |
Height, pivot, swivel, tilt |
| I/O Ports | USB hub (1 up, 2 down), memory card reader |
| Dimensions (with stand) |
21.8" x 14.99" x 9.25". (WxHxD) |
| Weight |
16.09 lbs |
| Included Accessories |
Power cord, DVI cable, VGA cable, DisplayPort cable, USB cable, Quick Start guide, support CD, Warranty card, diagnostics report |
| Warranty |
3 Years Parts and Labor (Limited) |
Each PA246Q comes pre-calibrated out of the box so you can plug it in, turn it on, and start using it right away without futzing around with trying to fix color or geometry issues. What's more, Asus even includes a unique color calibration testing report showing sRGB, Adobe RGB, gray-scale tracking, and gamma value measurements. It's akin to receiving a custom benchmark report with an OEM system and gives you warm fuzzies that your unit's not a dud.
If this all sounds like gibberish to you, then welcome to the world of professional monitors. Whereas TN panels are typically judged by their brightness, contrast ratio, and response time, there's quite a bit more to consider with a high end display like the PA246Q. Gamers are welcome to dive in, and so are enthusiasts who demand the best hardware, but unlike TN panels, professionals such as graphic designers and those who are knee deep in CAD work stand to benefit the most from all the advanced features that sound like gobbledygook to the average Joe.
