Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor Review: The Budget Curve That Punches Above Its Weight

For years, my gaming setup was bottlenecked by a component I foolishly overlooked: the monitor. I had a powerful GPU and a lightning-fast SSD, yet every time I jumped into a fast-paced shooter like Apex Legends or a visually rich world like Cyberpunk 2077, something felt… off. The experience was sluggish, marred by motion blur and screen tearing that pulled me right out of the immersion. My old 60Hz screen simply couldn’t keep up, turning competitive moments into a frustrating slideshow. I knew upgrading was essential, but the world of high-refresh-rate gaming monitors felt like a minefield of exorbitant prices and confusing specifications. The challenge was finding that elusive sweet spot: a monitor that could deliver the fluid, responsive gameplay of a premium model without emptying my wallet. This search is what ultimately led me to the desk-dominating curve of the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor, a display that promises high-end features at a distinctly entry-level price point.

What to Know Before You Buy a Gaming Monitor

A gaming monitor is more than just a screen; it’s the window into your digital worlds and the critical link between you and your game. It’s a key solution for eliminating visual artifacts like screen tearing and motion blur, which can mean the difference between victory and defeat in competitive play. The main benefits are a smoother, more responsive, and more immersive experience. A high refresh rate allows you to see and react to in-game events faster, while technologies like Adaptive Sync ensure the image remains whole and coherent, no matter how chaotic the action gets. A curved screen, meanwhile, aims to wrap the virtual world around you, enhancing peripheral vision and reducing eye strain.

The ideal customer for this type of product is a PC or console gamer looking to make a significant, tangible upgrade from a standard 60Hz office monitor. They are likely on a budget but refuse to compromise on core gaming features like refresh rate and response time. This monitor is perfect for those building their first dedicated gaming rig or upgrading an existing one to be more competitive. However, it might not be suitable for professional graphic designers or video editors who require absolute colour accuracy and higher resolutions like 4K. It’s also not the best fit for someone who only uses their computer for web browsing and office tasks, as the gaming-centric features would be underutilised. For those users, a simpler, non-curved IPS monitor might be a better and more cost-effective choice.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: A 24-inch monitor is a common and versatile size, but the 1500R curvature means it has a slightly deeper footprint on your desk than a flat panel. Measure your available space to ensure a comfortable fit, leaving enough room between you and the screen for an optimal viewing experience. Also, consider if you plan to use a VESA mount, which can free up significant desk real estate.
• Performance: This is paramount for a gaming monitor. A 160Hz refresh rate means the screen can display up to 160 frames per second, resulting in exceptionally smooth motion. A 1ms response time minimises ghosting and blur in fast-moving scenes. The Full HD (1920×1080) resolution is the standard for competitive gaming at this screen size, as it’s less demanding on your graphics card, allowing you to achieve higher frame rates more easily.
• Materials & Durability: Budget-friendly monitors often utilise a primarily plastic construction to keep costs down, and this Minifire model is no exception. While the chassis and bezel are plastic, the stand is typically metal for stability. The key is to check for a sturdy, wobble-free design and to know that VESA compatibility offers a future-proof upgrade path to a more robust mounting solution.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A good monitor should be simple to set up and configure. Look for an intuitive On-Screen Display (OSD) menu system for adjusting settings like brightness, contrast, and gaming modes. For maintenance, an anti-glare screen finish is easier to keep clean and reduces distracting reflections, which is crucial for focused gaming sessions.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor stands out in several areas, particularly its performance-to-price ratio. You can explore its detailed specifications and current offers here.

While the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing the Minifire MFG24C1L: First Impressions and Key Features

The arrival of the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor was met with a mix of excitement and pragmatism. In the world of budget tech, unboxing can often be a telling experience. The monitor arrived securely packaged, with foam inserts protecting the curved panel from any shipping mishaps. Inside the box, we found the monitor itself, a two-part metal stand, a power cord with an external power brick, an HDMI cable, and a small user manual. Assembly was refreshingly straightforward; the stand neck snaps into the back of the monitor and is then secured to the base with a single tool-free thumbscrew. The entire process took less than three minutes.

Our initial impression is that this is a monitor that puts its budget into the panel, not the chassis. The build is lightweight plastic, and the bezels, while reasonably slim on three sides, don’t feel as premium as those on pricier models from established brands. However, once assembled, the unit feels surprisingly stable on its metal stand. The 1500R curve is immediately noticeable—it’s an aggressive but comfortable curvature that feels genuinely immersive at this 24-inch size. Powering it on for the first time revealed a bright, vibrant panel with no dead pixels on our review unit, immediately dispelling some of our budget-brand skepticism.

Putting the Minifire to the Test: A Performance Deep Dive

A monitor’s spec sheet only tells half the story. The real test is how it performs under pressure—in the heat of a firefight, during a high-speed race, or when rendering a breathtaking virtual landscape. We put the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor through its paces across a range of genres and use cases to see if its real-world performance lives up to its on-paper promises.

Gaming Performance: Speed, Fluidity, and Immersion

This is where the Minifire was born to shine, and it does not disappoint. The jump from 60Hz to 160Hz is transformative. In titles like Valorant and Call of Duty, the difference is night and day. Aiming feels incredibly fluid and responsive; tracking fast-moving targets becomes intuitive rather than a struggle against motion blur. We were able to consistently hit higher frame rates, and the monitor displayed every single one of them flawlessly. The advertised 1ms response time (likely MPRT, a motion picture response time metric common in VA panels) does an admirable job of minimising ghosting. While a trained eye might spot a tiny amount of smearing on the darkest transitions—a common trait of VA panels—it was virtually unnoticeable in the heat of battle and a massive improvement over older VA technology. Many users have expressed surprise at the clarity, with one noting “zero motion blur,” and our testing largely confirms this sentiment for its price class.

Activating Adaptive Sync (FreeSync) with our AMD graphics card worked seamlessly, completely eliminating the screen tearing that plagued my old monitor. Gameplay was perfectly smooth from top to bottom. The 1500R curve also played a significant role in the experience. While some find curves on smaller screens to be a gimmick, we found it genuinely added to the immersion, especially in single-player adventures like The Witcher 3. The subtle wrap-around effect pulls you deeper into the game world, engaging your peripheral vision and making the experience feel more expansive than a flat 24-inch panel. For gamers looking to gain a competitive edge and deepen their immersion without a hefty investment, this monitor’s gaming performance is a compelling reason to consider it.

Visual Fidelity: Colour, Contrast, and Clarity

While speed is king for competitive play, a great gaming monitor must also deliver a visually pleasing image. The Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor surprised us here. The manufacturer claims 130% sRGB color gamut coverage, and while we don’t have the professional tools to verify the exact percentage, the colours are undeniably rich and vibrant. Games look punchy and alive, with deep reds and lush greens that pop off the screen. This is a significant step up from the washed-out look of many budget TN panels.

The monitor’s VA (Vertical Alignment) panel technology is the star of the show when it comes to contrast. With a specified 2000:1 static contrast ratio, the blacks are genuinely deep and inky. This was immediately apparent in dark, atmospheric games like Alan Wake 2 and during movie playback. In dark scenes, where lesser monitors show a hazy grey, the Minifire maintains detail and depth. This aligns with one user’s experience, who was so impressed by the black levels they thought their “screen is off during black tests.” The Full HD (1920×1080) resolution is the perfect match for a 24-inch screen, providing a pixel density of around 92 PPI (pixels per inch). This results in a sharp, clear image without being overly demanding on your GPU, making it easier to achieve and maintain those high frame rates that are so crucial for a 160Hz panel.

Design, Ergonomics, and Usability

Minifire has clearly prioritized panel performance over physical luxury, which is a smart trade-off at this price point. The monitor’s chassis is constructed from black matte plastic that resists fingerprints well. The three-sided “frameless” design looks modern and is excellent for multi-monitor setups. At just 2.45 kg, it’s incredibly lightweight and easy to handle during setup.

The primary ergonomic weakness is the included stand. While it’s made of metal and provides a stable base with no significant wobble, its functionality is limited to tilting. There is no height adjustment or swivel. For us, the default height was comfortable, but this is a critical point for users who need a more tailored setup. Thankfully, Minifire included a standard 75x75mm VESA mount. This is a massive plus, as it allows you to easily attach the monitor to an aftermarket arm for full ergonomic freedom, a highly recommended upgrade. The On-Screen Display (OSD) is controlled by a set of physical buttons on the bottom right of the monitor. The menu is functional, offering all the standard controls for brightness, contrast, color temperature, and various gaming presets. A noteworthy tip, echoed by several users online, is to navigate to the “Other” section of the OSD to disable the “Frame Rate” option. By default, this can display a persistent refresh rate counter in the corner of the screen, which can be distracting if you don’t know how to turn it off.

What Other Users Are Saying

Diving into feedback from other buyers, a consistent theme emerges: pleasant surprise. Many, like one user who was weighing it against a more expensive MSI model, felt they got “a quality panel” that exceeded their expectations for the price. The vibrant colours and deep blacks of the VA panel are frequently praised, with several people noting it was a significant visual upgrade from their previous monitors.

However, the feedback isn’t universally positive and highlights potential quality control concerns, which are not uncommon in the budget sector. A few users reported receiving units that were dead on arrival, displaying persistent vertical lines on the screen right out of the box. One German user described a “broad, white stripe” appearing shortly after powering it on. Others have mentioned issues like flickering when trying to run at the maximum advertised refresh rate or problems with the included cables. While our test unit performed flawlessly, these reports serve as an important reminder that when buying in the budget space, there can be a slightly higher risk of receiving a faulty unit. It underscores the importance of purchasing from a retailer with a reliable return policy.

How Does the Minifire Compare to the Competition?

The budget gaming monitor space is fiercely competitive. While the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor offers a compelling package, it’s crucial to see how it stacks up against some popular alternatives.

1. KOORUI G2421V 24 Inch 180Hz QHD Gaming Monitor

The KOORUI G2421V presents a fascinating alternative. Its biggest advantage is the QHD (1440p) resolution, which offers a significantly sharper and more detailed image than Minifire’s FHD (1080p). It also uses a Fast IPS panel, which typically provides better viewing angles and slightly more accurate colours, though it can’t match the deep blacks of the Minifire’s VA panel. With a slightly higher 180Hz refresh rate, it’s a strong contender. However, running games at 1440p requires a much more powerful graphics card to achieve high frame rates. This monitor is a better choice for gamers with mid-to-high-end PCs who prioritise image sharpness over raw frame rate performance and prefer a flat screen.

2. AOC Gaming 24G15N 24 Inch 180Hz Monitor

The AOC Gaming 24G15N is perhaps the most direct competitor. Coming from a well-established brand in the gaming monitor world, it offers a slightly higher 180Hz refresh rate and similar FHD resolution and 1ms response time. It also features HDR10 support, which the Minifire lacks, potentially offering better highlights in compatible games and media. The main trade-off is that the AOC is a flat panel, not curved. The choice between the two comes down to brand trust and a preference for screen shape. If you value the immersion of a curved screen, the Minifire is the clear winner. If you prefer a traditional flat screen and the peace of mind of a legacy brand, the AOC is an excellent alternative.

3. Minifire 24 Inch 100Hz FHD Monitor

This alternative from Minifire itself is geared more towards business and office use than pure gaming. Its key feature is the USB Type-C port, which can be a game-changer for laptop users, allowing for video, data, and power delivery over a single cable. However, its refresh rate is capped at 100Hz, which is smoother than a standard 60Hz monitor but falls well short of the 160Hz on our review model. This monitor is the ideal choice for someone who does a mix of productivity work and casual gaming and values the convenience of USB-C connectivity above all else. For dedicated gamers, the higher refresh rate of the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor is the far superior option.

Final Verdict: Is the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor Worth Your Money?

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor is a formidable contender in the budget gaming arena. It successfully delivers on its core promise: providing a high-refresh-rate, immersive, and responsive gaming experience at a price that is accessible to almost everyone. The 160Hz refresh rate is buttery smooth, the VA panel provides surprisingly vibrant colours and excellent contrast, and the 1500R curve genuinely adds to the immersion.

Of course, compromises were made to hit this price point. The build is lightweight plastic, and the stand’s lack of height adjustment is a notable omission. However, the inclusion of VESA compatibility provides a perfect solution for this. While there are reports of quality control issues, our experience was flawless. We recommend this monitor to any budget-conscious gamer looking to make their first leap into high-refresh-rate gaming or anyone who wants to add an immersive curved screen to their setup without breaking the bank. It offers 90% of the experience of a monitor twice its price, making it an incredible value.

If you’ve decided the Minifire 24 Inch 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor is the right fit for your gaming setup, you can check its current price and purchase it here.