Asus PA248Q - Anyone have one?

loafer87gt

Limp Gawd
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Feb 2, 2005
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My aging Dell 2405 is on it's last legs and I need to find a quality replacement for it. Usage will be about 70% graphic and design work, and 30% gaming. As far as size goes, 24" seems plenty big on my desk, and I am somewhat concerned that going to a 27" would almost be overwhelming.

Anywhoo, while doing my research I stumbled upon the Asus PA246Q and the Asus PA248Q. From what a gather the differences are as follows. The 246 has a P-IPS panel, CCFL backlight, is wide gamut, and has a 12 bit LUT table. The 248 has an unknown panel, white LED backlight, is normal gamut, and the LUT depth is unknown (although I would guess 8 bit).

I am just wondering if anyone has used either of these, and if so, how is the anti-glare coating on them, and how is the depth of the blacks? I have found plenty of reviews of the 246 model which say it is a great overall display, although the contrast and black levels left a little to be desired. I haven't been any to find any reviews of the 248 model to see if any of these things have been improved upon with its sucessor.

I see they are available for sale and in stock in Canada, and that the 248 is about $125 cheaper than the older 246 model. Is this due to the LED panel, or is the unit of lesser quality than the 246?

Thanks in advance for any info!
 
Thanks Neel, the one KitGuru review is very positive! I think I may have just found my new monitor. :)
 
I have one arriving on Monday - time to retire my old 22" HP.
 
Thanks for the review links, guys. Looks like ASUS is trying to move in on NEC's niche market (fans of the LCD2490/2690 and P/PA series monitors). And they are doing a decent job of it, too, from those reviews; similar features, not-quite-comparable-but-still-acceptable quality, but with considerably lower prices. And somewhat similar exterior design to the NEC models.
 
Just wonder what the anti-glare is like, whether it is U2711 like, or say S24A850 like? Seems like a fairly reasonable panel though, if input lag is low then it might be a really good general purpose screen
 
I just received mine from Newegg. I haven't put it through all the paces, but can offer some initial comments. I was looking for a monitor with component inputs, but it looks like that wouldn't happen unless I just stayed with my Dell/Samsung 2408.
(Just to note I don't do any gaming.)

Pros;
1. Power consumption and heat. There basically isn't much of either. It turns my electric meter backwards and makes the room cooler in comparison of my power hog/space heater Dell 2408, :eek:
2. LED backlighted,
3. Multiple inputs: DVI, HDMI, VGA & DisplayPort. (but see below),
4. Non TN panel,
5. No overscan from 'video' sources like what the Dell 2408 had (even though both sets were set to 1:1),
6. Boots up faster than the Dell 2408,
7. Price (especially compared to what I paid for a Dell 2408),
8. Easy to pivot stand that came pre-assembled. (very unusual not to attach a stand),
9. USB3 with four left side ports (not any benefit for me),

Cons;
1. No component (there are plenty of component only devices still out there),
2. Hard to use menu joystick control. It's very touchy when you use the navigation function (joystick),
3. Bulky looking stand (minor cosmetic),
4. PIP/PBP inputs are limited. You can't use HDMI & DVI together, (which makes it mostly use for me)
5. The input and power buttons should be separated from the other buttons. Black buttons with a black bezel makes finding any button difficult unless you have a light behind or to the side of the monitor. (which you shouldn't in the first place),
6. Only two fixed Gamma settings. (nothing continuously adjustable),

As far as PQ, the 1st thing I noticed over the Dell/Samsung 2408 was text was clearer. Photos I had taken also looked "sharper" (I did check the Sharpness setting and it was properly set using a Sencore VP403 signal generator)

As of now, I can't comment on color quality until I do a side by side comparison.
 
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I've been having issues trying to calibrate it to eliminate a red push. The right quarter of the screen in particularly gives me pinkish whites and violet blues. I set the color to User mode and run the Windows 7 calibration tool. Once I lower the brightness the red push becomes more pronounced. Dialing down red causes green to pop up. After that its a game of whack-a-mole - every time I lower one the other color stands out. I tried lowering the brightness to around 25 and running my Spyder colormeter but that really makes the green pop. I'm about ready to send it back to Newegg. I really like certain aspects of it - the matte finish on the bezel, the incredible stand (why can't every monitor be so adjustable?). I also like the minimalist industrial look of the monitor. Still, this red push is starting to irritate me, however slight..
 
I've been having issues trying to calibrate it to eliminate a red push. The right quarter of the screen in particularly gives me pinkish whites and violet blues. I set the color to User mode and run the Windows 7 calibration tool. Once I lower the brightness the red push becomes more pronounced. Dialing down red causes green to pop up. After that its a game of whack-a-mole - every time I lower one the other color stands out. I tried lowering the brightness to around 25 and running my Spyder colormeter but that really makes the green pop. I'm about ready to send it back to Newegg. I really like certain aspects of it - the matte finish on the bezel, the incredible stand (why can't every monitor be so adjustable?). I also like the minimalist industrial look of the monitor. Still, this red push is starting to irritate me, however slight..

Thanks for your input. I was thinking this monitor would be good for color work (photos, painting) but after your finding I doubt I'll bother with this model. What about sending yours back and getting the older model PA246Q?
 
The right quarter of the screen in particularly gives me pinkish whites and violet blues.
That's not a "calibration" issue, thats a panel issue. Send that back and ask for another monitor. ;)

The default 6500 still seems a little 'blueish' to me.
 
It went back yesterday to Newegg. Got a bunch of Amazon gift certificates for my b-day, but the shipping says 2-4 weeks with Prime (I'm in CA, so ordering from Amazon means no sales tax or waste disposal fee to boot). Still kicking around what to do - may just go with something else.
 
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I've got 3. The panel is pretty good, the AG coating is a touch heavy, but the bezel is just plain fugly.
 
I've got 3. The panel is pretty good, the AG coating is a touch heavy, but the bezel is just plain fugly.

The design was one of my favorite features. I despise all that cheap, glossy, rounded "piano black" crap you see on most monitors these days. I did wonder if perhaps too much AG coating on the right side of my monitor contributed to my distorted colors.
 
Those are PA246Qs. This thread is about the PA248Q (new LED model with a thinner bezel).
 
but the bezel is just plain fugly.
For the life of me, I can't see why there is all this whining about the appearance of this monitor. The bezel is like most others, black. Period. What's the big deal?
I despise all that cheap, glossy, rounded "piano black" crap [/Q] About as bad as stainless steel appliances, especially laundry that are in colors. :rolleyes:

Granted the base is another story, as it is bulky in appearance, but that is surely no deal breaker.
 
Oldie;
That's a 246, this is the 248 thread.

BTW, the 248's don't have that red stripe across the lower bezel. ;) (admittedly, that is distracting)
 
Well the monitors seems to hae around 20ms of input lag :eek:

But it really looks interesting
 
Oldie;
That's a 246, this is the 248 thread.

BTW, the 248's don't have that red stripe across the lower bezel. ;) (admittedly, that is distracting)

Doh. Asus needs better model numbers. ;)
 
Thanks for posting the links to the review guys.
From what I read, it looks like many people thinks that the 246Q (older model that Oldie has) is overall a better monitor.
 
Megalomaniac: Just curious which reviews you read that suggested that. The few reviews I have read through seemed to indicate that the 248 had better blacks, contrast, and still 100% of the sRGB range. I am curious as to which of the two offers the better picture quality, especially as the newer 248 model is priced quite a bit less. If you have any other reviews other than the ones linked, can you please share?

Thanks
 
The oevrclockers review linked to on the first page.
A lot of the comments were to that same effect also.

I was really looking forward to this monitor since I could use an upgrade at home. I have a HP ZR24w at work and its great. The Dell U2412M is also in the running. I would need AG coating on mine and good response time for gaming. the 248Q seems to offer all that, and it might have acceptable flaws. Most people mentioned though that they should have left the matrix from the 246 and not gone to a new screen.
 
The only downside i see on this monitor is the input lag but would need to see it in person to really check out if it would be noticable
 
Picked up this monitor the other day and love it. The quality is better than I have seen from other IPS. So glad I found this one! A friend had one and I was impressed by the build and picture.

This is superior to the Samsung S24A850DW I had before. And I like how there's minimal back light bleed compared to most monitors I've seen. My friends copy is even better. The text also is not grainy or jumpy like on other panels I've seen. Great, great monitor.

I paid $349 at Tiger Direct. There's a $20 rebate, too.
 
I have had mine for over a year and like it, mostly for the lower power consumption and the lack of heat produced compared to my older 'space heater' Dell 2408.

Though the backlighting uniformity isn't as good as the 2408. I even tried a 2nd model and it was virtual identical to the first (which really surprised me).
 
I cannot pimp this monitor enough. Anyone who went through the Samsung S24A850 debacle should jump on in! The water's warm, and the build quality and back light bleeding are far superior.

Very picky, and very pleased to have finally found the right IPS.
 
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