How Much Does it Cost?
The Cooler Master GM25FP 180Hz Gaming Monitor is available right now with an MSRP of just £129.98, which is great value for money given the level of features that are on offer. However, at the time of writing it was on sale for just £108.98, a saving of £21 is pretty impressive given the monitor was already pretty affordable, and that makes it simply too good to ignore for those looking for a budget gaming monitor, or just a quality small screen for their home office, or a second monitor to put alongside something more expensive.
Conclusion
When it comes to gaming, the GM25FP delivers a smooth and responsive experience. Naturally, the 180Hz refresh rate is immediately noticeable, it’s a very smooth experience from moving the mouse around when you’re bored to playing fast-paced games like Doom Eternal. The image feels fluid and tear-free thanks to the Adaptive Sync, and I didn’t notice any significant motion blur, even during frantic action sequences with high contrast.
Panel
Colours look vibrant and accurate, and while the 250 nits brightness isn’t dazzling, it’s perfectly adequate for daily use and obviously looks a lot more striking in a light-controlled room. I did try enabling HDR in Windows, but as expected, it didn’t make a dramatic difference other than washing the black levels out due to the 100% backlight, It’s there if you want to experiment, but it’s not really “HDR” in the true sense. The 24.5″ panel may be a little small for some of you, but I think it’s fairly reflected in the price, and it’s a good panel size for the Full HD resolution, giving a nice crisp image overall.
Quality
The GM25FP feels well-built for its price. The plastics are sturdy, and there are no creaks or wobbles. The stand, while basic, is stable enough, and I appreciate the slim bezels that minimize distractions. It’s also very lightweight, so it’s easy to move around your desk should you need to. Plus, the OSD is easy to navigate with the joystick control. However, the only real issue is a lack of height adjustment on the stand, which might be an issue for some users, but it supports VESA mounts, so a cheap wall mount or arm mount on Amazon would easily take this monitor to the next level.
Should I Buy One?
For the price, the Cooler Master GM25FP is a fantastic value proposition. It delivers a smooth, responsive 1080p gaming experience with decent colour accuracy and a good range of features. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of a premium monitor, it excels in the essentials and is priced to be very affordable to virtually any PC gamer or even console gamer needed a competent display.
