KTC 24-inch 180Hz Review UK (2026) – Best Budget Gaming Monitor

I’ve spent over a decade measuring panel uniformity, tracking down the source of backlight bleed, and explaining why that “1ms” claim on the box means absolutely nothing. So when a 24-inch curved gaming monitor with 180Hz refresh lands on my desk for under £100, I approach it with equal parts curiosity and scepticism. About a month of daily use later, here’s what the KTC 24-inch actually delivers.

The 180Hz refresh is the real story here. That’s genuinely fast for the budget bracket, and it’s a native refresh rate rather than an unstable overclock. You’re getting smooth motion without the compromises that come with pushing a panel beyond its design spec.

I measured the static contrast at around 2800:1 in my testing, which is solid for this tier. That’s three times what you’d get from a budget IPS panel. Blacks actually look black rather than grey, which makes a noticeable difference in dimly-lit games. Horror titles and space sims benefit particularly.

The downside is VA smearing. When dark objects move across dark backgrounds, you’ll see trailing. It’s not terrible on this panel, but it’s there. Fast IPS would be cleaner in motion, but you’d sacrifice that lovely contrast.

Right, let’s be honest about that “1ms” claim. It’s rubbish. Real grey-to-grey transitions average 6-8ms with the overdrive on Medium. That’s perfectly acceptable for a VA panel at this price, but it’s nowhere near 1ms. Dark transitions are slower at around 12-14ms, which is where you’ll notice the VA smearing I mentioned earlier.

The overdrive has three settings. Low is too slow and leaves visible ghosting. High introduces obvious inverse ghosting (overshoot), where you see bright halos trailing moving objects. Medium is the sweet spot. Still not as clean as a good IPS, but totally usable for most gaming.

Input lag measured at 4.2ms, which is excellent. You won’t notice any delay between your actions and what appears on screen. Combined with the 180Hz refresh, the overall responsiveness feels good in competitive games.

The HDR implementation is pointless. There’s no extra brightness in HDR mode, no local dimming, and the tone mapping just crushes detail. When I enabled HDR in Windows, games looked worse. This is HDR in name only, added to tick a box on the spec sheet. Just ignore it and stick with SDR.

I calibrated the display using my X-Rite i1Display Pro and managed to get Delta E down to around 1.8 with custom RGB values. But honestly? For gaming, just drop the brightness a bit and you’re sorted. Don’t overthink it unless you’re doing colour work (which you shouldn’t be on this monitor anyway).

In Valorant and CS2, the monitor performs brilliantly. The high refresh rate gives you that competitive edge, and the low input lag means your shots land where you aim. The VA smearing isn’t really an issue in these brightly-lit competitive titles.

Where the VA panel excels is in atmospheric games. Elden Ring, Resident Evil, and similar titles benefit massively from the 3000:1 contrast. Dungeons and night scenes have actual depth rather than that washed-out grey look you get from budget IPS panels. The difference is night and day (literally).

For console gaming, both HDMI 2.0 ports support 120Hz at 1080p, so your PS5 or Xbox Series X can take advantage of the high refresh rate in supported games. FreeSync works over HDMI too, though you’ll need to enable it in the monitor’s OSD.

Build quality is what you’d expect in the budget bracket. Plastic construction throughout, thin bezels that flex slightly if you press them, and a glossy finish that attracts fingerprints. Nothing feels premium, but nothing feels like it’s going to fall apart either. It’s functional.

The OSD controls are basic buttons on the bottom right. They’re a bit fiddly, and the menu system isn’t particularly intuitive. You’ll spend a few minutes hunting through options to find what you need, but once you’ve set it up, you won’t need to go back in often.

The Z-Edge 24-inch is cheaper but only offers 75Hz. That’s a massive difference in smoothness. Unless your budget absolutely won’t stretch, the extra for 180Hz is worth it.

If you can afford to step up, the Samsung 27-inch 180Hz gives you a larger screen with similar performance, though you’re paying notably more.

This is proper budget gaming done right. KTC has focused the money where it matters: a fast VA panel with high refresh rate. Everything else is stripped back to essentials. No fancy stand, no USB hub, no real HDR, no speakers. Just a screen that refreshes quickly with decent contrast.

For someone building their first gaming PC or upgrading from a basic 60Hz office monitor, this represents exceptional value. You’re getting the smoothness of 180Hz without spending mid-range money. Yes, you could get a better panel in the mid-range bracket, but you’d be paying twice as much for improvements that matter less in fast-paced gaming.

The VA panel’s 3000:1 contrast makes atmospheric games look properly atmospheric. The 180Hz refresh makes competitive games feel responsive and smooth. The low input lag means your actions translate instantly to screen movement. These are the things that matter for gaming, and KTC has nailed them.

What you’re giving up is equally clear. The stand is rubbish. The colours aren’t accurate. The HDR doesn’t work. The build quality won’t impress anyone. But here’s the thing: none of that matters if you’re mounting it on an arm and playing Valorant or Fortnite. You’re getting the gaming performance that matters at a price that makes sense.

Is it the best budget gaming monitor? For pure gaming value in 2026, yes. It’s the smartest way to get high refresh rate gaming without spending mid-range money. Just make sure you’re buying it for gaming, not for colour work or HDR content.