24″ Gateway FHD2401 LCD

Closer Look (continued)

The main positive of a TN panel is its response time; they are fast! The FHD2401 has an official response time of 5 milliseconds (ms). However, when the Ultra Response technology is activated in the menu, the panel functions at a very nippy 2ms.

Some persons may not be sensitive to it, but I could tell the difference and it must be said, “Well done Gateway” because it is in no way a gimmick. It works! How do I know? I play a lot of games and usually ghosting is most noticeable for me in FIFA or PES.  If I play a long ball across the field, I used to see the ball ghost all the way. That is not visible anymore, thanks to this LCD. Even with an andrenaline-inducing racing game such as Need For Speed: Shift, there was none! With Ultra Response on, there is simply no ghosting to be seen.

The menu system employs touch sensitive input controls along the right side, at the front of the bezel. This is a controversial feature among  many users. The fact is, you are either for it or against it. There is hardly any middle ground on this one. I think it is a very intuitive design and it stands to reason that this is the direction a lot of the new technology is taking. Love it or hate it guys, touch sensitive devices and/or controls are here to stay.

The glossy screen may be another point of contention with this monitor. This one though is strictly a matter of personal preference. It’s either you love it or not, or you learn to like it. I have used both matte and glossy panels and I do prefer the glossy panels for the simple reason that it makes images and video seem more vivid and colours seem to ‘pop’ at you. I will concede though, that if you have any light source behind you, it can be rather distracting and annoying. I always position mine with the light source to either side, so I have no issues.

The previous model, the FHD2400, was made famous by both positive and negative factors. All the positives, except for the USB hub and the pivot, was carried over and even improved upon in some cases. The big negative was its notorious backlight bleed. The dreaded backlight bleed issue from the FHD2400 model seems to have been fixed for the most part. There is hardly any bleeding on my FHD2401 panel.

My only gripe is that the pivoting stand and the USB hub were not also carried forward to this model but then again I would have to pay more. The lack of height adjustment does not really affect me but it may have a bearing on others, so keep this in mind if you are considering purchasing this model. In any case, for the price, you really cannot have your cake and eat it too.