Gaming monitors don't have to be big and expensive - the demand for compact and inexpensive Full HD models has always existed and is not going to disappear. But if earlier this niche was occupied by TN models with very mediocre image quality, now in this category you can find a monitor with a high-quality IPS panel and a high refresh rate - such as the Gigabyte GS25F2.
Features of Gigabyte GS25F2
| Diagonal | 24.5” |
| Curve | No |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Screen type | SS IPS |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Pixel pitch | 0.2825 mm (90 PPI) |
| Update frequency | 200 Hz |
| Color gamut | Extended, 120% sRGB |
| Brightness | 300 cd/m² |
| Contrast | 1000:1 |
| Wall mount | VESA 100×100 |
| Regulation | forward-backward tilt |
| Connectors | 1× DisplayPort 1.4, 2× HDMI 2.0, headphone output |
| Additional functionality | AMD FreeSync Premium, built-in speakers (2×2W) |
| Dimensions (including stand), W × H × D | 557×402×179 mm |
| Weight | 3.11 kg |
| Price in Ukraine | 5,599 UAH |
Design
The monitor has the expected appearance for a budget model: black matte plastic of the case, a simple stand and a practical absence of "gaming" decoration elements - in this regard, it is practically no different from a typical monitor for work.
We should also note that we have already seen almost the same design in another model from the manufacturer, the Gigabyte GS27Q. The only significant difference is that the new product, the GS25F2, is made in a "frameless" design, when the screen is hidden under protective glass, and when turned off, it seems that it is framed only by a thin side frame of the case.
After turning on, an additional frame appears under the protective glass, so the total width of the black field around the image is 6.5 mm on the sides and top, and 13 mm on the bottom, and the screen is also visually "supported" by an additional panel with the manufacturer's logo in the center.
The stand has only one adjustment – forward/backward tilt (-5°..+20°). The height does not change, the lower edge of the image is located at a distance of ~ 10 cm from the table surface – for gaming sessions this may seem too low, because not the center of the image, but its upper part is at the same level with the player's eyes.
All connectors are located in a small niche to the right of the stand mount - two HDMI 2.0, one DisplayPort 1.4 and a mini-jack for headphones. The Gigabyte GS25F2 has a built-in power supply.
To organize the connected cables, a plastic clip is provided that attaches to the back of the leg.
Menu
The monitor is controlled using a 5-position joystick located at the bottom center, under the manufacturer's logo.
Pressing the joystick brings up a quick menu with selected functions and access to the main menu. The first item in it is "Game" with gaming parameters such as activating overdrive and adaptive frequency. The next section is "Image", here you can choose one of the video modes set by the manufacturer or make your own settings in a special mode.
As with other Gigabyte monitors that we reviewed, a very convenient approach to menu organization is also implemented here: detailed image settings are not placed in a separate section, but are available right there, after selecting the video mode, and they are individual for each of them - and the user immediately sees, for example, in which mode manual adjustments are blocked.
Accordingly, in the "Display Mode" section there are a minimum of parameters - video input selection and RGB range when connected via HDMI ( overscan is not available on all connection options). The "System" section contains sound settings, on-screen menu, "hot keys" and other system parameters.
A separate item in the main menu is the interface language - Ukrainian localization is present, and unlike all other monitors we have seen so far, in the Gigabyte GS25F2, after resetting to factory settings, the menu is immediately displayed in Ukrainian - there is no need to go into the system settings to switch to it from the "default" English.
Functionality
The Gigabyte GS25F2 uses a 24.5-inch panel made using Super Speed IPS technology. As the manufacturer notes, it involves a thinner liquid crystal layer and higher control voltage, making SS IPS panels 4 times "faster" than regular IPS. So, for this model, the manufacturer states a response time of 1 ms (GTG).
The panel resolution is 1920×1080 pixels, the pixel density is almost 90 PPI, and the dot size is 0.2825 mm. These are typical characteristics for a budget model, and on such a relatively small diagonal, the pixel density is sufficient to not pay attention to individual dots in the image - and the resolution is as "forgiving" as possible for system performance.
The maximum refresh rate is 200 Hz (both via DisplayPort and HDMI) – this is not very typical for a budget monitor, let alone a gaming one. The Gigabyte GS25F2 is also AMD FreeSync Premium certified and, although not officially, is compatible with NVIDIA G-Sync.
The brightness in this monitor is adjusted by changing the current strength, PWM is not used across the entire brightness range, so it does not have screen flickering.
We also note the presence of built-in speakers (2×2 W).
Image quality of Gigabyte GS25F2
The screen coating is "semi-matte": it has almost no ghosting on a dark background when viewed from a typical PC user's position. When tilted to the side, the screen becomes slightly more glossy, but this does not interfere with working on it at all.
However, the typical pattern of the reflection-scattering layer can only be seen in a macro image.
In the gaming section of the menu, you can activate overdrive, and unlike other manufacturers, which display its various levels as a percentage of the maximum, here they have individual names: balance, speed, quality, and "smart overdrive".
The Gigabyte GS25F2 panel is not called Super Speed for nothing: it really has an excellent response time at the maximum refresh rate, objects moving quickly across the screen look sharp, and there is very little blur even without overdrive.
The Picture Quality option has the weakest overclocking, with blurring remaining almost the same as with overdrive turned off. Next comes "Balance": here the overclocking is more noticeable, but still not strong.
The best result in our tests was shown by the Smart OD option: there was practically no blurring in it, and no overdrive artifacts were observed. They appeared, and quite strongly, in the last option, "Speed". Considering that the clarity of dynamic scenes in it is about the same level as in Smart OD , we would recommend using the latter option.
Overdrive: Off, Smart OD, Picture Quality, "Balance", "Speed" (200 Hz):
In general, the Gigabyte GS25F2 is very well suited for dynamic games, such as online shooters: even with rapid changes in camera angles, the image is practically not blurred and retains high clarity.
Black uniformity is not bad for a budget model: in a dark room on a black background at maximum brightness, you can see lighter and darker areas, but in normal use this is not noticeable at all.
The glow effect is typical of an IPS panel: if you look at the screen from the side and from above, a noticeable glow appears on the black background.
As for viewing angles, they are good, although slightly worse than IPS monitors of a higher price level. When viewed from the side, the brightness drops significantly, and the image takes on a noticeably warm hue.
After the first power-up (or resetting the settings to factory settings), the "Standard" video mode with reduced brightness is activated - if you try to change it, the monitor warns of increased power consumption, after the user's consent, the settings are unlocked. In fact, this approach is an analogue of the eco-mode, which is the default for most manufacturers (here, by the way, it is also present, but for some reason it is not the default).
Let's start with the "Standard" mode. The color gamut is expanded in it: over 100% sRGB, 84% Adobe RGB, 88% DCI-P3. In all other modes, except for " sRGB" , it remains practically the same - in the latter it narrows down to the dimensions of this space and is 97 sRGB, 73% Adobe RGB, 72% DCI-P3.
It's a bit unusual for a gaming monitor, but the Gigabyte GS25F2 has the ability to choose a gamma from as many as five different options — Gamma 1... Gamma 5, plus a slightly strange option in which this parameter is disabled. They change the value of this parameter in the range of 1.9..2.7, the closest to the standard 2.2 is Gamma 3 (and "disabled") - here it is 2.3.
The maximum brightness is almost 380 cd/m², the static contrast is 1000:1. These are good indicators for a budget gaming IPS panel , and the brightness is also significantly higher than the official specifications. The minimum brightness value is 48 cd/m², at this level you can comfortably play or work at the monitor even in an almost completely dark room.
The color temperature is initially set to Normal, which is the average among those offered by the manufacturer, and the actual temperature value is 7000K. This is slightly higher than the standard (6500K), so the image may seem colder than it should be. The next value, Warm, offers a significantly lower temperature (5300K) and, accordingly, a warmer shade.
If the image in the Normal option seems a bit cold, you can get closer to the standard temperature value using the "Blue Filter" parameter. It reduces the proportion of blue in the backlight and offers as many as 10 steps of this reduction - options 2 and 3 are the closest to 6500 K.
The uniformity of color temperature in different areas of the screen is frankly mediocre: the maximum deviation ΔE is almost 6 (the most accurate match is on the right side of the screen, the least accurate is on the left).
The uniformity of the white field could also be better: the brightest point on the Gigabyte GS25F2 is the center of the screen, while the corners are 12-23% dimmer than it.
But with the accuracy of color reproduction, this monitor is very good - it seems that it undergoes factory calibration, because its maximum ΔE deviation is two, the average is only 0.72. Recall that it is believed that the average user is unable to notice the difference between the reference color and how the monitor reproduces it, if this parameter does not exceed two or even three.
The Custom mode (translated as simply "Mode" in the Ukrainian localization) is almost no different from the "Standard" mode (except for the contrast reduced to 900:1) - apparently, this option is specially designated by the manufacturer as "user", in which you can make your own settings and not break those created by the manufacturer.
In the sRGB mode, all adjustments are blocked except for brightness (it is set at 145 cd/m², but the user can change it in the range of 45-355 cd/m²). The contrast here is even lower – 800:1, but the gamma ideally corresponds to the standard 2.2. However, the color reproduction accuracy in it is somehow lower than in the previous modes, although not critical – the maximum ΔE value is almost 3, the average – 1.5.
Other video modes differ in their initial brightness, contrast, sharpness, gamma, and color temperature settings — you can visually compare them in the following gallery.
Standard, Gaming, Movie, Reading, sRGB, Mode, ECO:
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