The Sceptre C248B-144RN is one of the display maker’s affirmed attempts at catering specifically to enthusiasts shopping on a budget. This 24-inch display has everything you need to play competitively – ultrafast response times, game-specific display modes – and is sprinkled with decent extras such as curved display and a sleek design.
Between its robust feature set and AMD FreeSync support for tear-free gaming, the C248B-144RN is an excellent value for gamers who want to play shooters, strategy games and more at optimal settings.
Design
The Sceptre C248B’s black design is pretty plain, though the monitor’s V-shaped stand and curved screen are just enough to remind you that this is a gaming peripheral. What this monitor lacks is flashiness, however, it makes up with practicality. A small dock on the back of the stand lets you organize all your cables well, whereby you can coil together whatever multitude of wires you have connected to the monitor.
It uses a Vertical Alignment (VA)panel, just like its bigger sibling, the Sceptre C328B-144KN and has a 1,800R curvature, but is not as pronounced as the 34-inch Samsung CF791’s 1,500R curvature, but is handsomely curvier than the Acer Predator X34 bmiphz.
For starters, a screen’s curvature is measured in R figures, and for a fixed screen, the larger the R value, the less the curvature. Our review unit has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, fast 144Hz refresh rate, a decent 16:9 aspect ratio, a 250 cd/m2 peak brightness and a 3-millisecond (3ms) pixel response rate.
Inputs & Presets
The Sceptre C248B-144RN packs plenty of connections for your PC or console, with two HDMI inputs as well as a DisplayPort (the latter is required when you want to use the monitor’s FreeSync model). It also has a pair of built-in speakers and a 3.5mm mini-jack for external headphone or headphone, but it doesn’t include any USB port – which is understandable at this price point.
On the C248B-144RN, there are multiple color modes depending on the task at hand. In total, you have five picture presets: Standard, User, Movie, Eco, FPS, RTS for adjusting you viewing modes, as well as two game presets: RTS (Real Time Strategy), FPS (First Person Shooter).
Gaming Performance
Offering a speedy 144Hz refresh rate, the Sceptre C248B-144RN makes a sensation out of most modern AAA titles including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the Red Dead Redemption 2. The 1080p monitor’s two shooter presets both serve a unique purpose when playing a title like Siege; where FPS1 mode offers duller colors to prevent eyestrain, while RTS makes it especially easy to attack enemies.
The Sceptre C248B does an excellent job displaying the lush sceneries. Flowing rivers and the colorful fantasy characters of Dota 2, giving you ample time to keep up with the action. The monitor’s RTS and FPS modes make the images excessively sharp – though, they don’t look especially pretty, but these modes create visible outlines around every character that could potentially help pro gamers spot allies and enemies.
With AMD FreeSync support, screen-tearing is minimized on AMD-powered machines – like the SkyTech Archangel or the CYBERPOWERPC GXiVR8020A6, by simply syncing the display directly with your computer’s graphics card. At some point, you might find it almost unnecessary due to the monitor’s already string performance on standard mode.
Few genres are as dependent on low-input as fighting games are, and we’re happy that games like Street Fighter V will play smoothly on the Sceptre C248B. You’ll have no problems pulling off combos that require frame-perfect timing.
Sceptre C248B-144RN Review: Verdict
If excellent gaming is your priority but you’re on a tight budget, the Sceptre C248B curved monitor is the best in its class. This 24-inch monitor offers ridiculously fast response times, dedicated FPS and RTS modes, and packs AMD’s FreeSync to ensure extra smoothness for those gamers playing AAA games on AMD cards.
It looks premium and its design, especially the 1800R curvature makes and V-shaped stand make it ideal for multi-monitor setups, and handy extras such as a wire organizer make it easy to connect your peripherals without creating a clutter.
If you want a similarly responsive experience and would do with a shorter response rate and a more pronounced gamer aesthetic, the 24-inch AOC C24G1 is an excellent alternative. It boasts a short 1ms (gray-to-gray) response rate, offers height adjustment and support for AMD FreeSync as well. However, the amount of bells and whistles found on the Sceptre C248B-144RN make it one of the most compelling packages in its price range.
Our Pick
