Iiyama G-MASTER GB2530HSU Black Hawk Gaming Monitor

Rating: 8.0.

Much as we might all like to own the likes of the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ 27in 4K/144Hz HDR Monitor, at over £2,000, this kind of display is way beyond most budgets. Luckily, the gaming display market has exploded in recent years, so now there is a model to suit pretty much every budget from a variety of brands.

Iiyama has a very broad range of affordable monitors and, for those with slim wallets, their G-MASTER GB2530HSU Black Hawk might be just the ticket, since it’s currently available for as little as £125. For this modest outlay you get a 24.5in, Full HD screen with a 75Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync support, slim bezels, a USB hub, and even a fully height-adjustable stand offering tilt, swivel and pivot! So is this Iiyama the bargain it at first appears?

Inevitably given the features and price of the G-MASTER GB2530HSU Black Hawk, it features a TN panel. While this type usually supports the quickest pixel response, it also tends to offer the worst colours, contrast and especially viewing angles. In this regard, IPS/PLS and VA panels will usually offer a far superior experience, so if this is important to you, it might be worth upgrading to a more premium option like the Iiyama G-MASTER G3266HS-B1 – which will also nab you a stunning 5000:1 contrast ratio and faster 144Hz panel, incidentally.

A few of the other specs aren’t too impressive either. With a maximum brightness of 250 cd/m² (a value of luminance also known as ‘nits’) this may not be the best monitor for a sunny environment, there’s no curve to the panel for extra immersion, and the USB hub is of the 2.0 variety so should not be used for plugging in fast external storage. However, if this is the sum of our complaints for a £125 monitor then Iiyama may well still have a winner on its hands, so let’s see how it holds up.

Iiyama G-MASTER GB2530HSU Specs

• Screen size: 24.5″/ ~62cm
• Curved: no
• Native resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Bit colour depth: 8 (6bit +Hi-FRC)
• Refresh rate (Hz): 75
• Panel type: TN
• Contrast ratio (typical): 1000:1
• Brightness (cd/m²): 250
• Response time (ms): 1 (GTG)
• HDR: No
• Bezel (colour, finish): Black, matte
• Display inputs: 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x VGA
• Audio connections: 1x 3.5mm in, 1x 3.5mm out (headphone)
• Speakers: 2x 2W
• USB hub: 2x USB 2.0
• Tilt: Yes
• Height: Yes
• Swivel: Yes
• Pivot: Yes
• VESA mount: Yes (100 x 100)
• Power (plug type, internal/external): Kettle, internal
• Cables provided: Power, HDMI, USB
• Depth on desk (cm): ~22.5
• Weight (kg): 4
• Other: FreeSync

Price (retail): £125.00 inc. VAT at time of review

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