KOORUI 24E3 165Hz Monitor — The Ultimate $120 Gaming Hack?

High refresh rate gaming doesn't have to be expensive. We tested the KOORUI 24E3, a 165Hz IPS gaming monitor that costs less than a new AAA game. Is it a hidden gem or a cheap trap?

GEAR REVIEWS

Team PGS

6/15/20261 min read

Upgrading from a standard 60Hz office monitor to a 144Hz+ gaming monitor is the single biggest "wow" moment a PC gamer can experience. But for years, high refresh rate IPS panels were painfully expensive.

Enter the KOORUI 24E3. It’s a 24-inch, 1080p, 165Hz IPS monitor that frequently goes on sale for around $110 to $120. On paper, it sounds too good to be true. At PGS Gaming Lab, we bought one, put it on our desk, and played hundreds of hours of Valorant and Apex Legends to see if it’s actually worth your money.

🖥️ The Panel: IPS Magic on a Budget

In the past, ultra-cheap gaming monitors used VA or TN panels, which meant terrible viewing angles and washed-out colors. The KOORUI 24E3 uses a genuine IPS panel. The colors are surprisingly vibrant right out of the box. While it won't win any awards for professional photo editing, games look punchy, and the contrast is more than acceptable for the price.

⚡ Speed and Motion Clarity

This is what you are paying for. Running at 165Hz with a 1ms (MPRT) response time, the motion clarity is fantastic. In fast-paced shooters, tracking enemies feels buttery smooth. We noticed very minimal ghosting (motion blur) compared to older budget monitors. If you are trying to climb the ranks in competitive games, this monitor gives you the exact same competitive edge as screens that cost $250.

📉 The Compromises (What You Give Up)

To hit this price point, KOORUI had to cut corners:

  1. The Stand: It’s terrible. It only tilts up and down—no height adjustment. We highly recommend spending $25 on a cheap VESA monitor arm to fix this.

  2. The Menu Buttons: Navigating the monitor's settings using the clunky buttons under the bezel is a frustrating experience. Luckily, you only have to do it once.

  3. Brightness: It maxes out at 250 nits. It’s perfectly fine for a normal room, but if you have a window with direct sunlight hitting the screen, you will struggle to see dark areas.

🏆 The Lab's Verdict

The KOORUI 24E3 is a triumph of budget engineering. It strips away all the useless gimmicks (no RGB, no fancy stand, no built-in speakers) and delivers exactly what budget gamers need: a fast, colorful, and smooth IPS panel.

If you are still playing on a 60Hz screen and have a tight budget, buy this immediately. It will change the way you play games forever.

KOORUI 24
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