Review: Viewsonic VX2880ml

Design, setup and specifications

The falling cost of 4K monitors has led to the first budget panels shuffling into view, and ViewSonic's VX2880ml is looking to lead the line.

4K monitors come in all different shapes and sizes, but none have looked quite like 28-inch VX2880ml. It's distinctive, for sure, thanks to a two-part stand that makes it look like its rearing up on its hind legs. Like ViewSonic's logo (a pair of Gouldian Finch birds), the VX2880ml could be described as a bit of an animal.

ViewSonic recently said that it wanted to "bring 4K to the mainstream" with the VX2880ml, which is keenly priced at £399 (around US$623, or AUS$765). You can find it for around £40 less on various online retailers' websites, making it one of the most affordable models out there. Similarly-priced low-end models include the Acer 4k2k CB280HK, AOC U2868PQU and Dell's 24-inch P2415Q.

The VX2880ml has a 4K pixel-resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, which is four times greater than that of conventional 1080p (or 1,920 x 1,080). It measures 659mm x 510mm x 240mm and comes in a plain-looking brown and red box.

Setup

While setting the VX2880ml up isn't difficult, it's not a quick exercise. The stand's two parts join together using a finger rotatable screw that doesn't require a screw driver. Once assembled, it slots into a groove in the back of the monitor and is fixed into place with another screw (a thin screwdriver is required this time).

It feels relatively sturdy once assembled, though its stand's three-pronged design makes susceptible to being knocked over from the left and right sides.

Connectivity

The VX2880ml's connections, which are located on a rear lip, aren't the most accessible due to pointing downwards, rather than straight out. The advantage of this is that the VX2880ml can be easily wall mounted and using a four-bolt VESA mount.

Around the back is Displayport, mini DisplayPort and HDMI 1.4. All three ports can be used to drive the monitor set to its native 3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution. There's also an MHL port for displaying a mobile device's contents on the display.

The VX2880ml's menus are operated using touch-sensitive buttons located below the monitor's bezel. Pressing the '1' button toggles the on-screen menu, while the '2' button through the various menus and input sources. While they don't beat tactile buttons, they're functional and let you quickly cycle through the various options.

Performance and verdict

The VX2880ml uses a TN panel, rather than IPS, and its viewing angles are slightly narrower as a result. Image quality is excellent, producing images that are sharp with bold colours and inky blacks.

Viewsonic has aimed to make the monitor one of the most affordable in its class, which could explain why it has gone with a 30Hz refresh rate, rather than the conventional 60Hz used by computer monitors.

At 30Hz, whether you're using the desktop, playing games or doing anything else, there's a tendency for 'ghosting' to occur, which makes cursor trails visible and operation is juddery, rather than smooth. The VX2880ml supports DisplayPort 1.2 in its settings, but selecting it doesn't make any difference to the 30Hz limitation.

It's a shame the ViewSonic didn't go the whole hog and make the VX2880ml 60Hz, as picture quality is impressive. I loaded up Skyrim on our test machine, which displayed fantastic colours with a sharp picture that packed in detail.

Unfortunately it wasn't smoothly playable at 30Hz. It only became playable by lowering the resolution to 2,560 x 1440, or 1920 x 1080p, which brings the refresh rate back up to 60Hz. Of course, that renders buying a 4K monitor somewhat pointless unless you're prepared to switch between resolutions for general use, gaming and viewing video content.

The monitor has an inbuilt front-facing speaker which is built into the chin below the monitor. While it's fine for watching YouTube videos, it's not as good for listening to music due to a lack of mid-range and bass tones. You would be best off hooking up a dedicated stereo headset or headphones for that.

Verdict

The VX2880ml finds itself in a tricky position due to the 30Hz limitation meaning you would find yourself not wanting to use it in full 4K mode for anything other than viewing multimedia content.

We liked

We liked the sharp images and attractive and distinct design of the VX2880ml. It stands out from the crowd and would look good on mosts desk. It produces sharp and crisp images with vibrant colors.

When set to 1440p or 1080p, its low 5ms response time makes it more than suitable for gaming, even if you'll get less detail than at 4K resolution. There's a good range of connectivity ports on its rear that are well-positioned for wall mounting.

We disliked

The 30Hz limitation is the VX2880ml and will be a deal-breaker for many. While the monitor is suitable for use as a TV to stream or play 4K video, doing any actual work or gaming is a compromised experience due to ghosting.

The VX2880ml also has poor speakers and its menu controls are fiddly to use. While its stand looks good, it does make the monitor susceptible to falling over if knocked from certain angles. And while image quality is good, its TN means that viewing angles aren't as strong as those that use IPS panels.

Final verdict

If you're looking to use a 4K monitor at full resolution to do work or play games or even day-to-day general computer usage and productivity tasks at 3,840 x 2,160, the VX2880ml isn't for you.

However, if you accept that by lowering the pixel-resolution you can use it at a full 60Hz, but not at its full 4K resolution, then it's still a smartly designed and affordable monitor.

With an increasing amount of monitors on the market offering true 4K capabilities at a similar price point, it's worth considering alternative options to find one more suitable for your needs. If doing everything on your PC in 4K at a buttery smooth 60Hz is at the top of the list, the VX2880ml is simply not up to the task.

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