Acer Nitro KG240Y: A Perfect First Monitor
With a high refresh-rate and a low price, the 24-inch Nitro is an easy recommendation for any up-and-coming gamer.Reviews
When I built my first PC on a college budget, I remember thinking one thing: I’m thrilled that my FPS counter is in the hundreds, but why can’t I see a difference? I had picked my first monitor based entirely on price, which meant it was a pretty average, run-of-the-mill monitor. As it turns out, even if the computer is absolutely pumping out frames, a standard, 60Hz monitor will completely bottleneck your system. Which is why, if I was building today on that same shoestring budget, I would absolutely choose something like the 24-inch Acer Nitro KG240Y.

If you understand that more frames are good, but not quite why refresh rate is important, here’s a quick rundown. Entry-level monitors tend to operate at 60Hz, meaning they update with a new image 60 times per second. Say you’re getting 100 FPS in Valorant while using a traditional monitor. In this case, the monitor is the limiting factor, and will still only update 60 times per second, leaving 40 frames per second on the cutting room floor. That’s a lot of power completely wasted.
Set up was a breeze, using only a snap-on base held together with a screw to ensure it stays on. The base itself has one of the smallest footprints of any monitor I’ve worked with, with a slender, two-pronged design that barely takes up any space. Of course, if space is truly limited, it is VESA compatible for easy mounting. And with two HDMI 2.0 ports and one Display Port 1.4, it offers a variety of connections.

Once I had it all hooked up, it did feel a bit dim out of the box compared to the 1440p monitor sitting next to it. But I quickly found out that there are tons of options under the hood to really dial in the visuals. Five minutes and some brightness and contrast adjustments later, it’s ready for gaming. I put the KG240Y through the wringer with Helldivers 2, Apex Legends, and Hunt: Showdown, three games with distinct visual styles and distinct challenges.
Up first: Helldivers 2. With a wide swatch of planets, each featuring their own ecosystem, challenges, and design, it's a great place to get a feel for what the Nitro is capable of. From the bug infested, fire-tornado spouting fields of Hellmire to the dense, bot-filled jungles of Malevelon Creek, it did not disappoint. Every planet I visited was beautiful and vibrant and aside from a few blue lasers solar flares, I saw everything that I tried to kill or that tried to kill me in crystal clear clarity.
Apex Legends is the most competitive of the three games I tested the Nitro on, and while it can’t make me better at the game, it can make me better at seeing a sniper quicker than ever before. High refresh rates can offer a serious edge in competitive games, with more information being displayed quicker than those using a 60Hz monitor. That’s why it sometimes looks like CS:GO steamers are psychic, shooting before viewers see anything; they’re just playing with a high refresh rate and FPS while Twitch only displays at 60fps. Plus, Olympus and Kings Canyon looked crisp and infinitely more readable than a lower-quality monitor.

Lastly, Hunt: Showdown is a personal favorite of mine for its moody vibes, deep shadows, and wildly varied weather system. It’s also a game where a misstep can lead to a swift death from a single bullet. The perfect testing ground for a high refresh rate monitor. And, much like Apex, I can’t say it made me better at the game. But I did notice enemies lurking in shadows a bit easier and got off a few clean shots before being unceremoniously dumped back at the main menu with only myself to blame. Try as it might, the Nitro couldn’t save me from myself.
No matter what I booted up, the Nitro KG240Y handled it with aplomb. Even less-intensive indie titles like Balatro look great on it. It’s a great option whether you’re looking for something to go with your first-time build or a reliable second monitor.
Note: During Micro Center's Monitor Madness Sale, the Nitro is currently $99.
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