The Bottom Line
After swapping out my daily work screen for the Gawfolk 24.5-inch Curved Gaming Monitor over the past 30 days, I found it to be a surprisingly capable gateway into high-speed gaming. It makes smart sacrifices to keep the price brutally low, shedding heavy metal stands and premium connectivity to focus entirely on delivering a liquid-smooth 120Hz refresh rate and deeply saturated contrast. It is the perfect entry-level upgrade for casual gamers or students who are tired of the sluggish, smeary motion of a standard office monitor.
What We Liked
• The Glassy-Smooth 120Hz Motion
If you have spent years staring at a standard 60Hz display, the jump to 120Hz is a sensory revelation. The jagged, stuttering blur of fast-moving targets vanishes. Simply dragging your mouse across the desktop feels glassy and frictionless. In fast-paced shooters or racing games, this translated into a distinct feeling of control, allowing my eyes to track movement without fatigue.
• Inky Shadows and a Gentle Wrap
Unlike cheap IPS panels that glow with a washed-out grey in dark rooms, this VA panel swallows light to produce deep, inky shadows. Sneaking through dimly lit game environments feels genuinely atmospheric. This is paired with a subtle 3000R curve—it isn't aggressive enough to distort spreadsheets, but it gently cups your peripheral vision to make the 24.5-inch canvas feel slightly larger and more enveloping than a flat board.
• Hidden Gem: The Legacy VGA Port
In a world obsessed with phasing out old technology, the Gawfolk panel hides a very practical secret on its rear I/O: a legacy VGA port right next to the modern HDMI. For users who want to run a modern gaming rig on one input but need to connect an older work laptop, a retro console, or a test-bench PC without rummaging for a sketchy adapter, this is a massive, unexpected convenience.
Room for Improvement
• The Rigid, Desk-Hogging Stand
To hit this budget price point, the stand takes a major hit. It is entirely rigid—offering only a slight tilt, with zero height or swivel adjustment. Worse, the wide, plastic "V" shaped legs jut forward aggressively, eating up valuable mousepad real estate if you play with a low sensitivity. Pro Tip: The monitor features standard VESA mounting holes on the back; do your neck a favour and attach it to a cheap desk arm.
• Hollow, Tinny Speakers
While the inclusion of built-in speakers is nice on paper, the reality is less impressive. The audio sounds like it is trapped inside a tin can. They are perfectly fine for hearing a Windows notification ping or watching a quick tutorial video, but if you want to actually immerse yourself in a game or movie, you will absolutely need to plug in a proper gaming headset.
Final Verdict
The Gawfolk 24.5-inch Curved Gaming Monitor strips away the expensive fluff to deliver exactly what budget-conscious gamers crave most: speed and contrast. It is not designed for competitive esports professionals or color-grading graphic designers, but it absolutely shines as a dramatic everyday upgrade from a standard 60Hz office screen.
If you can look past the rigid stand and the lackluster built-in audio, you are left with a panel that makes every mouse swipe and in-game movement feel significantly more responsive and visually engaging. It’s a smart, focused purchase for anyone looking to build their first gaming setup without overspending.