When it comes to monitors, I have always found myself at a crossroads. I want a monitor that offers a higher resolution (I always gravitate towards 2K or QHD monitors). I also want a faster refresh rate for my gaming needs. Finally, I also want a display panel that has great viewing angles so I can continue watching movies even when I need to change spots. Unfortunately, as many enthusiasts know, you’ll only get all three in the higher price range with some costing an arm and leg for a standard 24-inch monitor. Fortunately, smaller companies have started offering feature-packed monitors at a much more reasonable price, one of them is PRISM+ who let us test their F240i gaming monitor.
Design: 4/5
PRISM+ is a Singaporean startup brand that offers various monitors for different price ranges. Most of their current line-up in the Philippines is directed towards gaming with higher refresh rates monitors.
As a budget-centric monitor, you won’t get much when you open the box. Inside is a basic stand, which you assemble using the included screws. There’s also an included VESA mount which you can use in case you want to upgrade to a monitor mount instead of the included stand. You also get a DisplayPort cable and the power brick. In terms of build quality, the monitor is mostly quality plastic with the stand being the only aluminum piece in the set.
Speaking of, the Monitor has a 24-inch IPS panel with an FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution. It’s also one of the brand’s fastest monitors with its 180Hz refresh rates. Bezels are fairly thin thanks to the brand’s ZeroBezel design. Ports-wise, at the back you only get an HDMI 2.0 port, a DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm audio port. Finally, there’s also some lighting beneath the monitor.
Hardware: 4.5/5
The PRISM+ F240i may be the closest all-around monitor you can find for an entry to a mid-range price point.
This 24-inch monitor has an IPS panel. According to PRISM+ the display panel supports 120% of the sRGB color gamut. The display panel is also fairly fast for an IPS with a 180Hz refresh rate and a 1ms MPRT response time. There’s also a built-in adaptive sync feature, but it’s just basic adaptive sync.
PRISM+ included several built-in profile settings within the monitor such as FPS mode, MOBA, RTS, and several customizable picture/ color profiles. There’s also an option to activate a crosshair in the middle of the screen, for FPS players who might need it.
User Experience: 4/5
I always have a small apprehension when it comes to PC peripherals. Like many gamers, I want no compromises, especially for my investment in my gears. I have my doubts about cheap monitors, especially when it comes to quality. So I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the PRISM+ F240i.
The first thing that surprised me was how it looked when I opened it for the first time. The display was pretty bright and vibrant. Since the display was also an IPS the viewing angles were great. Most monitors at this price range use either a TN or a VA panel which while faster, really loses out in color and viewing angle.
I think that this monitor would be the perfect secondary monitor because of the IPS panel. As for color accuracy, what I can say is that the monitor can get pretty vibrant in certain picture profiles. However, I feel that the colors still needed some tuning for graphic-sensitive work.
The second that amazed me was the customizability of the monitor. There were a lot of personalization options within the monitor’s menu, you can control not only the color hue, sharpness of the display, shadow balance, and gaming features such as response time and adaptive sync.
In terms of ergonomics, the F240i is pretty basic. The stand only allows tilt movement. Height adjustment will need your creativity. Fortunately, I didn’t need to adjust the height since my desk was already fitted to my usual setting. For those who want to make a more ergonomic desk setup or want a vertical monitor, you might want to consider getting a monitor mount along with the monitor.
The monitor was a great fit for me. I gravitated to the “Natural” picture profile with it being more vibrant than the rest and a bit more colorful than my daily driver. In terms of gaming, the monitor does reach 180Hz no problem with games like Valorant fully taking advantage of this. But for other games, like DOTA 2 and Persona 5 Royal, it a bit of an overkill.
180Hz is a massive shift for people coming from a 60Hz, 120Hz or even 144Hz monitor. You’ll immediately notice that the display is much smoother than the slower monitors.
I was also pleasantly surprised 180Hz was stable on the PRISM+ F240i and I did not encounter any tearing whatsoever. Just a couple of years ago, even major brands had massive tearing issues with high refresh rate monitors, for PRISM+ to achieve this is a feat in by itself.
One of the major qualms I have about the PRISM+ F240i is accessing the settings menu. The way to access the menu is through the joystick at the back. Moving the joystick opens certain quick menus. It can get confusing, especially since you can see the joystick and move it based on feel. I needed quite some time to get used to it.
Another thing I need to note here is the lack of instant access to adjust the monitor’s brightness by default. The only way to adjust this is by going through the complicated menu and manually adjusting it there. You can change the quick menu to include brightness, but it still needs to go through the confusing menu setting. Once you get used to the complicated menu, navigation does become easier though I still get confused from time to time.
Value: 4.5/5
Coming in at just PHP7,999, the PRISM+ F240i offers great value for those looking for a cheap yet performance-packed monitor. Combining basic features with necessary performance, it is perfect for gamers looking to upgrade their current setup.
Bottomline:
The PRISM+ F240i is a great monitor for gamers on a budget.
What’s Hot:
- Price
- Bright and Vibrant display
- IPS Panel
- 180Hz
What’s Not:
- Tricky Menu system
- Only single ports for Display Port and HDMI.
Specifications:
- Display size: 24-inch
- Panel Type: IPS
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Refresh Rate: 180Hz
- Response Time: 1ms MPRT
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Color Gamut: 120% sRGB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Ports: HDMI 2.0 x1, DisplayPort 1.4 x1, Headphone x1
- Power: External Adapter
- Dimensions: 334.5 x 542.4 x 174.9mm (without stand) 412.3 x 542.4 x 174.9mm (with stand)
- Weight: 2.4 kg (without stand), 2.9 kg (with stand)
Reviewed by Gabriel Pe
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE March 2024 Issue.