Lenovo ThinkVision S24e-20 23.8" Raven Black 2022

A dirt cheap office monitor that's great for spreadsheets and terrible for anything fun. Buy it at USD 148, not USD 285.

The 250 nit brightness is fine for a dim office but feels dim next to a window. The VA panel gives you a 3000:1 contrast ratio, which means blacks look deeper than on a typical IPS budget panel, and that's a nice surprise at this price. The 4ms response time is okay for spreadsheets and email, but you'll see smearing in fast games. FreeSync is there, but with a 60Hz ceiling, it's more of a checkbox than a feature. The TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort certification is a real plus if you stare at this thing for eight hours a day.

Against the Dell S2725QC, you're giving up 4K resolution and USB-C connectivity, but the Dell costs a lot more. The ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B and LG UltraGear 27G810A-B are in a completely different league for gaming, with high refresh rates and better color, but they're also way more expensive. The BenQ MA Series MA270U is a better all-rounder if you need color accuracy for design work. The ThinkVision S24e-20 only wins on price, and only when you find it at the low end.

At USD 148 from the cheapest US listing, this is a steal for a basic office monitor. But the price spread is wild, up to USD 285, and at that point you're paying way too much for what you get. In Europe, the EUR 303 to EUR 401 range is even worse. If you're in the US, hunt down the low end of that range. If you're paying more than USD 180, you're overpaying for a monitor that's really only worth it as a budget pick.

The Lenovo ThinkVision S24e-20 is a no-frills 23.8 inch office monitor that nails the basics and ignores everything else. It's a 1080p VA panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, 4ms response time, and FreeSync support, but the real story is the price. You can grab one for as little as USD 148, which makes it one of the cheapest ways to get a decent second screen or a fleet of office displays without crying about the budget. Just don't expect it to impress anyone who cares about color accuracy or gaming speed.

If you want a monitor for gaming, photo editing, or anything color-critical, this isn't it. Go get a high refresh rate IPS panel like the Acer Nitro XV272U or a 4K option like the Dell S2725QC instead. This ThinkVision is for spreadsheets and email, and that's about it.

If you need a cheap, reliable second monitor for office work, spreadsheets, or a home office setup, the ThinkVision S24e-20 is a solid buy at the right price. It's not exciting, it's not fast, and the color is mediocre, but it does the job without fuss. Just don't pay more than USD 180 for it, and don't buy it for gaming or photo editing.