[section_title title=”Performance”]Performance
To test the performance and the colour accuracy of the Hanns.G HT231 monitor, I used a device called the Spyder 4 Elite, which is a tool for monitor calibration. It is very accurate and can tell you things the naked eye cannot.
To get started, after the installation and calibration of the Hanns.G HT231, the results are as follows included a description of what each one means and how this relates to the monitor.
So to sum it up in a way everyone will understand, although sRGB and AbodeRGB are both RGB, they are very different. sRGB is the most common colour-space used today but AdobeRGB has a wider colour-space which can mean more colours but not as accurate when looking at colours which overlap on sRGB. This is mainly used for photographers and people just using their monitors for normal tasks such as web browsing or gaming will never need to worry about this.
The sRGB performance of the HT231 was as close to perfect as you are going to get at this kind of price range, 99% is an amazing score and given how great the colours look on the screen it is no surprise. The NTSC and AdobeRGB performance was also pretty good, especially compared the last monitor I reviewed which was the Phillips 24” 24G5. With scoring of 74% and 77% respectively, it is a monitor more geared towards general consumers but 77” in AdobeRGB isn’t too shabby indeed, especially for the price.
Overall the performance was brilliant, especially the sRGB which scored 99%, 1% from having perfect general colour reproduction.
With the Hanns.G HT231 having touchscreen capability, I thought it would be fitting to try it out as previously, I have only had the chance to use tablets/mobiles with this function. To enable the touchscreen on the Hanns.G HT231, there is a supplied USB cable which must be plugged in before it becomes active. Once that was done, I thought I would have a play around with Metro on Windows 8 and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t think much of it at first when I opened the box but this monitor really comes into its element when you factor in the touch screen capability.
Touchscreen
The touch screen was very accurate and was actually a joy to use. Even for simple little menial tasks such as pressing the start button made me want to carry on using this monitor. I even opened paint up and had a little play and I was really impressed with the accuracy of the screen. The only thing that I feel lets the monitor down is how glossy the screen is; it reflects light and at times I could even see my face in the screen!
Overall the experience I had with the touchscreen was very good and although this was my first experience with a desktop PC with touchscreen but I was impressed and I feel it works very well with Windows 8/8.1.
Gaming
Since Hanns.G is the gaming brand of the global company Hannspree, I thought it would be fitting to test the gaming capability and performance of the HT231. I was quite unsure on how it would perform so I picked a couple of games which I thought would put it through its paces; the same as other monitors I have previously reviewed.
The first game I decided to test on the monitor was FIFA 14, which should make any ghosting issues apparent. With this monitor being 60Hz and having a response time of 5ms, I wasn’t expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised at how little ghosting there actually was; there was a little due to the nature of a fast moving ball flowing fast over the screen but it didn’t become a concern, I have seen much worse. The true testament of the HT231 was the colour reproduction; the greens were vibrant and the player’s strips really stood out also.
Next up was F1 2012, which like FIFA 14 is a sure fire way to bring out any blur or ghosting problems. I didn’t actually really notice any other than spinning out once or twice very fast but that is to be expected. Overall the colours looked vibrant, good and clearly distinguished, which made playing F1 2012 a pleasurable experience.
Last but not least was Battlefield 4 which is the latest FPS from DICE/EA. With a lot of different effects such as ambient occlusion, plenty of fast action and pre-defined blur it was going to be a ghosting haven for any monitor not up to the task. The colours weren’t as vibrant as they were in the previous games I had tested but it is set in a total war zone and what’s vibrant about that right? The gameplay was enjoyable and although I didn’t notice any ghosting or untoward blur but I was convinced it was there; if it was it was surely well hidden.
Overall, this monitor performs quite well in gaming and although it is a little plagued with some ghosting, most 60Hz monitors with anything over a 2ms refresh rate usually do but now it’s time for my final thoughts…
