Z Z-Edge Z-Edge 24.5 Inch Gaming Monitor 300Hz Review UK 2026

Panel technology debates are genuinely fascinating, but they only matter if the monitor you're actually buying delivers on the numbers it prints on the box. The Z-Edge 24.5 inch 300Hz gaming monitor is making some bold claims for the budget bracket: 300Hz refresh, IPS panel, 1ms response time, 99% sRGB coverage. At a sub-£150 price point, that's either a brilliant entry point for competitive esports players or a spec sheet full of asterisks. The owner reviews (4.4 stars from 331 people) lean positive, but the details matter enormously here, and the details are exactly what we're going to pull apart.

The short verdict: this is a genuinely solid budget high-refresh monitor for 1080p competitive gaming. The 300Hz headline is real, the IPS panel delivers decent colour and wide viewing angles, and the price is hard to argue with if you're running a capable GPU and want silky-smooth esports performance. But there are compromises, and if you're hoping for meaningful HDR, a premium stand, or the kind of colour accuracy that content creators need, you'll want to look elsewhere. For pure gaming at this price, though, it earns its place.

The 24.5-inch size is a sweet spot for competitive 1080p gaming. It's large enough to feel immersive without the pixel density dropping so low that text becomes soft. At 1080p on a 24.5-inch screen you're looking at roughly 90 PPI, which is perfectly acceptable for gaming and general use, though it's noticeably less sharp than a 1440p panel at the same size. The IPS panel type means you're getting better viewing angles and colour consistency than a TN alternative, which is a genuine step up for a monitor in this price bracket.

Adaptive sync support is listed, with FreeSync compatibility expected at this spec level, though the exact VRR range should be confirmed against the product listing before purchase. The monitor connects via DisplayPort (required for 300Hz) and HDMI, covering the two main connection types for desktop gaming. Below is a full spec summary.

The trade-off with IPS has always been contrast. Native contrast ratios on IPS panels typically sit around 800:1 to 1000:1, compared to VA panels which can hit 3000:1 or higher. That means blacks on an IPS display look more like a very dark grey in a dim room, and you'll see the characteristic IPS glow in the corners if you're viewing dark content at an angle. For competitive gaming in a normally lit room, this rarely matters. For watching films in the dark or playing atmospheric single-player games where shadow detail is part of the experience, it's a real limitation. The Z-Edge's IPS panel will exhibit this behaviour like any other IPS at this price point, no local dimming to compensate.

What IPS does give you here is colour accuracy that TN alternatives at the same price genuinely can't match, and response times that have improved dramatically over older IPS generations. Modern fast IPS panels are a completely different proposition from the sluggish IPS screens of a decade ago. The 99% sRGB coverage claim, if accurate, means this panel covers essentially the entire standard colour space used in gaming and web content. Owner reviews back this up, with multiple buyers commenting positively on colour vibrancy out of the box, which aligns with what you'd expect from a well-tuned IPS panel at this spec level.

The anti-glare coating on IPS panels in this price range is typically a matte finish, which handles ambient light well but can add a slight haze to the image compared to a glossy panel. This is the right trade-off for a gaming monitor that might be used in a room with windows or overhead lighting. Owner feedback doesn't flag glare as a problem, which suggests the coating is doing its job. Brightness uniformity is harder to assess without direct measurement, but IPS panels at this size generally perform acceptably, with any backlight bleed tending to appear at the very edges rather than across the panel face.

The 99% sRGB coverage claim is the headline colour spec, and it's a realistic figure for a well-sourced IPS panel. If accurate, it means essentially every colour in the standard gamut used by games, browsers, and most creative software is reproduced faithfully. Several owner reviews specifically mention the image quality looking better than expected for the price, which is a good sign. One pattern that does appear in the reviews is that the out-of-box brightness can feel high for some users, so spending a few minutes in the OSD to dial brightness and contrast to comfortable levels is a sensible first step. The OSD itself is reported as functional if not particularly elegant, which is par for the course at this price.

The 300Hz maximum requires a DisplayPort connection. HDMI tops out at 240Hz on this monitor, which is still excellent and covers the vast majority of gaming scenarios. If you're connecting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X via HDMI, you'll be capped at 120Hz regardless of the monitor's maximum, so the 300Hz headline only becomes relevant with a PC and a DisplayPort cable. Make sure you have one, because HDMI cables are frequently in the box but DisplayPort cables often aren't included with budget monitors. Check the listing before assuming.

Adaptive sync support via AMD FreeSync means the monitor can synchronise its refresh rate with your GPU's output frame rate, eliminating screen tearing without the input lag penalty of V-Sync. The practical VRR range for FreeSync matters here: a wide range (say, 48Hz to 300Hz) with Low Framerate Compensation means tear-free gaming even when your frame rate dips below the monitor's minimum. The listing doesn't specify the exact FreeSync range, so if your frame rate frequently drops below 100fps, confirm the LFC floor before purchasing. For Nvidia GPU owners, G-Sync compatibility isn't explicitly confirmed on the listing, though many FreeSync monitors work in G-Sync Compatible mode. Worth testing if you're on Team Green.

In practice, a genuine GtG response time in the 3ms to 5ms range on a 300Hz panel means pixel transitions are fast enough that ghosting and smearing are minimal in normal gaming conditions. The 300Hz refresh rate itself helps enormously here: each frame is displayed for only 3.33 milliseconds, so even a 4ms GtG response time means pixels are transitioning within the frame window. The result is clean motion in fast-paced games. Owner reviews don't flag ghosting as a significant problem, which aligns with what you'd expect from a modern fast IPS panel at this refresh rate.

Where you might see issues is in aggressive overdrive settings. Many monitors at this price offer overdrive modes that push pixel transitions faster at the cost of inverse ghosting (a bright halo trailing behind moving objects). The sweet spot is usually the middle overdrive setting. If the Z-Edge's OSD includes an overdrive or response time setting, the middle option is almost always the right starting point. A handful of owner reviews mention the image looking slightly over-sharpened at default settings, which could be an overdrive artefact, and adjusting this in the OSD typically resolves it. The Wikipedia article on display response time has a solid breakdown of these measurement methods if you want the full technical picture.

Factory calibration on budget monitors is always a question mark. High-end panels ship with individual calibration reports; budget panels ship with a factory profile that may or may not be particularly accurate. The 99% sRGB claim tells you about gamut coverage (how many colours the panel can produce) but not about accuracy (whether those colours are reproduced correctly). Delta-E values, which measure colour deviation from a reference, aren't published for this monitor. Owner feedback is generally positive on colour quality, with several reviewers describing the image as vibrant and pleasing, which suggests the panel isn't wildly miscalibrated out of the box. But if you need Delta-E below 2 for colour-critical work, you'd want a panel with a published calibration report.

For content creation, the honest answer is that this monitor is serviceable but not ideal. The 99% sRGB coverage means colour-accurate work within the sRGB space is possible, and if you're editing photos for web delivery or creating graphics for digital use, the gamut is there. The unknown factory calibration accuracy is the limiting factor. Serious content creators who need reliable colour should be looking at monitors with published Delta-E figures and ideally a factory calibration certificate, which typically appears on mid-range and premium panels rather than budget ones. For gaming and casual creative work, the Z-Edge's colour is genuinely good for the money.

An IPS panel in the budget bracket without local dimming will not deliver impressive HDR. The native contrast ratio of around 1000:1 means that even with peak brightness cranked up, the blacks in an HDR scene will still look grey rather than black. True HDR impact requires either a very high native contrast (VA panels, OLED) or local dimming zones that can selectively dim parts of the image. Neither is present here. The HDR mode on this monitor will technically activate when HDR content is detected, and some games and media will look slightly brighter and more saturated, but it won't be the transformative HDR experience you'd get from an OLED or a premium Mini-LED panel.

The practical advice is to use this monitor in SDR mode for gaming and not worry about HDR. The SDR image on a well-tuned IPS panel at 300Hz will look excellent for competitive gaming, and forcing HDR mode on a panel that can't genuinely support it often results in washed-out colours and inaccurate brightness rather than an improvement. Several owner reviews don't mention HDR at all, which suggests most buyers are using it as a pure gaming monitor in SDR, which is absolutely the right approach. Don't buy this monitor for HDR. Buy it for 300Hz IPS gaming at a budget price.

Peak brightness for IPS panels in this price range typically falls between 250 and 350 nits. The Z-Edge listing doesn't publish a specific nits figure, which is a minor frustration. At 300 nits or so, the panel is bright enough for use in most rooms, including ones with decent natural light, without the image looking washed out. In very bright rooms with direct sunlight hitting the screen, you might find yourself pushing brightness to maximum. Owner reviews don't flag brightness as a problem, with some actually noting they run it below maximum for comfortable extended use, which suggests the peak brightness is adequate.

Dynamic contrast modes, which artificially boost the stated contrast ratio by dimming the backlight in dark scenes, are present on many budget monitors and are generally best left off. They create a pulsing effect as the backlight adjusts to scene changes, which is distracting in gaming. If the Z-Edge's OSD includes a dynamic contrast or ECO mode, the fixed brightness setting will almost always produce a more consistent and comfortable image. The monitor's native contrast, while not class-leading, is perfectly workable for the gaming use case it's designed for.

The good news is that 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility is listed, which means a third-party monitor arm is a straightforward upgrade. A decent monitor arm costs from around £20 upwards and gives you full height, tilt, swivel, and often rotation adjustment. Given the monitor's budget price, spending an extra £20 to £30 on an arm to get proper ergonomics is a reasonable approach if the fixed stand height doesn't work for you. Several owner reviews mention mounting the monitor on an arm, which suggests this is a common choice among buyers.

Build quality for a monitor in this price bracket is functional rather than impressive. The plastic construction is expected, and the stand base footprint is reported as manageable for typical desk setups. The bezels are slim on three sides, which is a positive for aesthetics and for multi-monitor setups. The overall impression from owner feedback is that the build feels solid enough for daily use without feeling premium. No widespread reports of wobble or structural issues in the reviews, which is the baseline expectation. The cable management on the stand is basic, but at this price that's entirely par for the course.

There's no USB hub on this monitor, which is common at the budget end. No USB-A ports for peripherals, no USB-C with Power Delivery, no built-in KVM functionality. If you're used to plugging your keyboard and mouse into your monitor's USB hub and switching between a PC and a laptop, this monitor won't support that workflow. It's a pure display device: signal in, picture out. For a dedicated gaming monitor in a simple single-PC setup, that's fine. For a more complex desk setup, the port selection is a limitation.

Audio output via a 3.5mm headphone jack is listed, which is useful if your audio setup runs through the monitor rather than directly to your PC. There are no built-in speakers mentioned in the spec listing, which is typical for gaming monitors in this category and honestly not a loss. Built-in monitor speakers at this price are almost universally poor, and any decent headset or desktop speakers connected directly to your PC or sound card will sound dramatically better. The headphone jack on the monitor is handy for routing audio from a console connected via HDMI, though.

The Acer Nitro XV252Q is a closer comparison: a 24.5-inch IPS panel with 280Hz refresh rate, similar 1ms MPRT response time claim, and FreeSync Premium support. It's from a more established monitor brand with wider availability of published measurements and a longer track record in the market. The Acer typically costs a bit more than the Z-Edge, but the brand recognition and more detailed spec transparency may be worth it for buyers who want more certainty about what they're getting. The Z-Edge's 300Hz edge over the Acer's 280Hz is marginal in practice.

What the Z-Edge has going for it is the 300Hz headline at a price that undercuts most branded alternatives. If you're choosing between this and a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor from a bigger brand at a similar price, the Z-Edge's refresh rate advantage is real and meaningful for competitive gaming. If you're comparing it to a 240Hz or 280Hz monitor at a slightly higher price, the decision comes down to how much those extra hertz matter to you versus the peace of mind of a more established brand. Owner reviews suggest Z-Edge's quality control is generally good, with 4.4 stars from 332 being a solid indicator.

The compromises are real too. The stand is basic, height adjustment is absent, HDR is checkbox territory rather than a genuine feature, and the 1ms response time claim is MPRT rather than GtG. None of these are dealbreakers for the target audience, but they're things you should know before buying. The port selection is minimal, the build is plastic and functional rather than premium, and Z-Edge doesn't have the brand recognition or published measurement history of AOC or Acer. The owner reviews compensate for some of that uncertainty, and the numbers are encouraging.

If 300Hz genuinely matters to your gaming, this is the cheapest credible way to get it on an IPS panel in the UK right now, and that's a compelling position. If your GPU can't consistently push above 200fps at 1080p, though, a 165Hz monitor from AOC or a 144Hz panel from a more established brand at a similar or lower price will serve you just as well and probably come with a better stand and more transparent specs. The Z-Edge earns its place for the buyer who specifically needs maximum refresh rate on a tight budget. Everyone else should consider whether those extra hertz are actually going to matter in their setup before committing.

Rated 7.5 out of 10. Strong value for competitive gaming at 300Hz; held back by a basic stand, opaque HDR specs, and the inherent uncertainty of a less-established brand.