Lenovo’s $99 280Hz gaming monitor is built for the ramen-budget crowd - Digital Trends

Fresh off launching a metallic Hall effect keyboard and a 59g gaming mouse for flashy esports setups, Lenovo has turned its attention to gamers working with much tighter budgets. The Legion 24-1r looks made for college dorm rooms and first gaming setups where most of the money has already gone into the PC and dinner still comes in a cup. It costs just 669 yuan, equivalent to around $99, yet offers a 23.8-inch IPS panel running at up to 280Hz. Lenovo is also offering the 27-inch Legion 27-1r with the same core specifications for 789 yuan, or roughly $116. For the ramen-budget crowd chasing competitive frame rates, both look like seriously tempting deals. Competitive games are the natural fit A 1080p resolution paired with a 280Hz refresh rate makes sense for games such as Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Overwatch 2, and Rainbow Six Siege. The lower resolution places less pressure on the graphics card, giving players a better chance of reaching the high frame rates needed to make use of the faster panel. Lenovo also claims a response time as low as 0.5ms MPRT, while AMD FreeSync Premium and VESA Adaptive-Sync help keep gameplay smooth when the frame rate moves around. There is one detail worth keeping in mind. DisplayPort is required to reach the full 280Hz refresh rate, while the two HDMI connections top out at 240Hz. Enabling the MPRT mode also disables FreeSync and may introduce some flickering, so players may need to choose between the clearest motion and smoother variable refresh performance. AAA games reveal the compromises Both monitors should still handle slower, more cinematic games perfectly well, but visual quality is not their strongest selling point. Full HD should look reasonably sharp on the 23.8-inch model, while the same resolution will appear softer on the larger 27-inch screen. HDR10 support is included, but the 400-nit brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and lack of DisplayHDR certification mean HDR performance will probably be fairly basic. Lenovo has at least avoided cutting back on everyday usability. Both models include stands with height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustment, along with 100 x 100mm VESA mounting. Recommended Videos Lenovo has not officially announced a wider rollout. However, the monitors’ appearance in its global product specifications reference database suggests they could reach other markets soon.