Aorus kd25f review in Spanish (full analysis)

Finally it came to us, the AORUS KD25F gaming monitor was a reality at the Computex 2019 event in which we were. This monitor is built for gaming, offering spectacular performance in speed, with 240 Hz refresh rate with FreeSync and just 0.5 ms response on a TN panel with good color space. And what about design? Minimal frames, RGB lighting, and an impressive stand base.

We will see all this in our review, but not before thanking AORUS for their trust in us and for the temporary transfer of the product to carry out this in-depth analysis.

AORUS KD25F technical characteristics

Unboxing

AORUS is always used to giving us impressive presentations and this case is no exception. We have a monitor inside a suitcase cardboard box inside another neutral cardboard box. This main case is fully printed in the brand's gray and black colors along with two huge front and rear monitor photos showing all of its external design features.

Inside, we find a disassembled three-piece monitor, the base, the support arm and the monitor, along with a bunch of accessories in the form of cables. But major elements like stand and monitor are neatly packaged in a sandwich of two huge expanded polystyrene corks that keep you safe.

Doing an evaluation of accessories and components we have a bundle with the following:

• AORUS KD25F Monitor VESA Support Arm 100 × 100 mm Legs HDMIC Cable DisplayPort USB Type-B - Type-A Data Cable European and British Power Connectors User Manual Driver CD

And it would be, everything we have, we can mount it just by using a screwdriver. The bundle is really complete and we don't need any extra cables to start using this AORUS KD25F.

Bracket mounting and design

And as we have already advanced, we will have to dedicate a few seconds to DIY and assemble this monitor. We start by looking at the legs, which is basically an element made of solid metal with a distribution of two V legs with approximately 120 degrees of opening. In the central area we have a star / flat head screw to fix it to the support arm.

This arm is also practically entirely made of metal, except for certain beautification elements in the rear area and support. Be very careful when handling it, because the vertical movement system is hydraulic and you know that without weight it will always tend to go upwards with great force. In fact, initially it brings a plastic brake to keep it in the low position so that it engages in the cork mold. Do not remove this brake until you have the monitor installed.

Looking closely at the anchoring system, we see that it is a variant of the standard 100 x 100 mm VESA. Following with the manufacturer's product line, mounting the AORUS KD25F monitor on the mount will be as easy as hooking the top two tabs on the mount and then attaching it to the two latches below. In the rear area there is a button to uninstall the monitor again if we wish.

Let's finally look at the four-pin connector below, you will understand then that the arm has built-in RGB lighting.

In fact, this lighting is located at the rear, right on the falcon's AOURS logo, and on the two sides just below. You will see later the impressive result. And from the outset, the support has very aggressive and sharp lines, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful we can find in the gaming monitor market.

It takes up a lot of space, yes, but the result and ergonomics are magnificent. At the top we have the corresponding handle to transport the equipment on site. And elements in shiny black plastic that gives it a refined and well-worked look.

Monitor design and measurements

After making the “titanic” effort to mount AORUS KD25F, we have this result that we see in the photo. A relatively small monitor in length, due to its 24.5 inches, and fairly large support. In fact, it's the same size as the 27-inch AD27QD. Personally I see it a success due to its great quality.

Around the panel we have the typical informative feature stickers. We do not see it necessary to stop at them, because we will all see them in their corresponding section. The energy category is type B, we already know that TN panels consume a lot of energy. In this case about 46 Wh in normal mode and a maximum of 60W according to the manufacturer.

Undoubtedly the most remarkable thing about this panel is its excellent anti-glare finish, blurring them in a very complete way, and also the very small frames we have. The entire casing is made of hard plastic, and these frames are practically non-existent on the sides and top, although of course, later we will see that the screen itself has a few tiny ones.

The only one with a larger size is the lower one, which barely exceeds 20 mm thick. But a rather interesting detail of the AORUS KD25F logo area, is that a microphone is also included, we will notice it for the small hole installed in the central part. And that later we will verify due to a Jack connector on the back. It would have been very interesting to also have a webcam to close the loop.

Let's review the measurements of this monitor, so we can see the useful surface we have in hand. The mink area is 573.7 x 302.6 mm, while the monitor area is 558 x 333 mm. Doing some small calculations of areas, we will have a useful area of ​​93.4% which is simply spectacular. Great job from AORUS.

Ergonomics

The monitor support arm consists of a ball joint that is capable of moving the monitor in all three directions of space by incorporating the ability to rotate clockwise. In this way, we can place the monitor vertically in reading configuration.

In addition to this, it is possible to configure its height by means of the hydraulic link of the main support. It supports a range of 130 mm no less, from the lowest position almost touching the ground and occupying a space of 485 mm, to the highest position, occupying 548 mm.

We can also orient it on the Y axis (frontally) at an angle of + 21 ° (upwards) and -5 ° (downwards).

Finally it is possible to move it with respect to the Z axis in lateral orientation at an angle of 20 ° to the right or to the left. If someone does not see the perfect image and to their liking, it is because they do not want to, as they have options.

And the support system is still as good as in the previous model, since it does not cause any kind of wobble when we hit or move the table, which will facilitate image quality. In addition, we must consider that it is a small monitor, thus reducing vertical forces due to weight, which incidentally, is about 6.8 Kg.

Connectivity

We now turn to see the connectivity of the AORUS KD25F, which has not changed too much compared to other previous models, and is very complete. It will be entirely located at the rear, which on the one hand is good because it leaves nothing in view of the user, but on the other hand it is bad, since the USB ports are a bit out of hand.

In total we will have the following ports:

• 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-B (for data and configuration) 1x Display Port 1.22x HDMI 2.02x 3.5mm Mini Jacks for headphones and microphone Kensington slot for universal padlock Three-pin 230V power connector Button for off and on

Not bad at all, right? You will already know that we will have to connect the USB-B if we want to use the normal USB ports to connect flash drives and to manage the lighting through RGB Fusion and the configuration through the OSD Sidekick.

It is also important to know that both the HDMI port and the Display Port will support connections at Full HD resolution and 240 Hz, so we can choose the interface that we deem appropriate. Remember to choose the ADM FreeSync option in the OSD menu and those 240 Hz to take advantage of them.

And finally realize that we have the power supply tucked inside the monitor itself, and also a button to completely disconnect it. Perhaps it would have been interesting to have the two USB sticks in the lateral area more at the user's hand.

Lighting system

AORUS KD25F has a complete lighting system with RGB Fusion technology that can be managed directly from the integrated OSD panel, or through the Gigabyte RGB Fusion software. We can install it with the CD-ROM or by downloading it from the support section of the monitor file on the website.

We have a total of three lighting zones, one integrated in the screen, and another two integrated in the support arm. We will have the possibility to choose between a few animations or fixed color settings.

Something that we must consider is that the power of this lighting will not be enough to illuminate the wall that we have behind the monitor, so we do not expect to create a highly powerful environmental framework.

Display and features

It is already well of so much design, so now it is time to analyze the most important thing, the performance of the AORUS KD25F screen and its image quality. Well, you know that we are facing a 24.5-inch panel capable of offering us a native Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080 pixels). We also know that the useful surface is 93% and we add that the pixel size is 0.283 x 0.280 mm, or what is the same, 90 pixels per inch.

The panel is made of TN technology with a WLED lamp for lighting, the most used for E-Sports gaming monitors, as is the case here. The reason? It is capable of offering a refresh rate of 240 Hz with AMD FreeSync technology for dynamic refreshment and a response speed of no less than 0.5 ms MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time), being one of the fastest on the market.

Regarding the panel's capabilities in image quality, the manufacturer ensures an ANSI contrast ratio of 1000: 1 and a maximum brightness of 400 nits. Of course, we must know that HDR capacity is not certified, inherent properties of IPS honeycombs in general. But we do have solutions such as Flicker-free technology and of course TÜV Rheinland certified blue light filter to protect our eyesight from hours of use. Finally, the color space where this AORUS KD25F works is 100% sRGB.

Looking at the images, we can already see that the mink angles are not comparable to those of an IPS panel, it is one of the disadvantages that we have in terms of TN technology. AORUS offers information from a maximum angle of 160 degrees vertically, and 170 degrees horizontally. Although it is true that even at these angles the image is acceptable, the chromatic variation occurs well before reaching them, especially in the vertical, greatly increasing the whites upwards, and greatly increasing the blacks downwards.

In addition, we will have the typical AORUS monitor technologies such as PiP (image in image) and PbP (image by image) mode to be able to see different video sources simultaneously. We can do exactly the same with audio, selecting either the main audio or the second output. And we must not forget the gaming-oriented solutions that the manufacturer classifies as tactics:

• AORUS Aim Stabilicer - Reduces motion blur for sniper actions and FPS games. Panel or Dashboard: that will be able to monitor the properties and state of our CPU, GPU and DPI of our mouse, as long as we have the USB-B connector installed and the driver installed. Dynamic Black Adjustment: To lighten dark areas and improve vision in Game Assist games: a utility that allows you to place a minute hand on the screen for the elapsed time, and an advanced adjustment in the position of the image. OSD Sidekick: the software that extends the properties of the monitor in terms of game-oriented image.

Calibration and color proofing

We will proceed to analyze the characteristics of the AORUS KD25F TN panel to verify its basic characteristics and its calibration. For this we will use the Colormunki Display colorimeter with X-Rite certification, and the HCFR software with its own internal color palette. Likewise, we will verify these properties with the sRGB color space and also DCI-P3.

Maximum brightness and contrast

The first measured feature is the brightness and contrast of the monitor in practice. Recall, in theory we had 400 nits (cd / m ²) of brightness and a contrast of 1000: 1. In our captures and at the maximum brightness capacity, we have obtained a contrast of 919: 1 ANSI, and a maximum of 418 nits and a minimum of 375.

The truth is that the brightness distribution in the panel is not bad, we have a maximum delta of 43 nits, and in all cases we are very close to the promised 400 nits, yes, without reaching or exceeding them in the left area.

SRGB color space

AORUS KD25F has a 100% sRGB color space, it is time to check if it is fully complied with.

Delta-E calibration

We indicate that at no time does the manufacturer specify that there is a certified DeltaE> 2 calibration, so we must be flexible, it is also a TN panel. And what we see is quite positive, because most values ​​stay very close to the value of 3, considered the threshold at which the human eye is able to distinguish between color shades.

The delta level in gray colors to which the human eye is much more sensitive, does not exceed 4.5, so, we can say that the calibration is quite good, at least in the sRGB color palette.

Color levels and curves

It is time to check the color curves for this space. Let us remember once again that the dashed lines of the graphs are the ideal reference, while the continuous ones are those thrown by the monitor.

In all the charts we see a common tendency to have very light blacks, so to speak, this is also a feature of TN panels, and is not solvable. Note that in all these graphs there is a greater deviation of the curves from the reference, and always at a higher level of darkness.

As we get closer to the targets the matter is better enough, having graphics practically adjusted perfectly to the reference. If we move to the DIE diagram of the sRGB color space, we observe a slight shift to the right, favoring a reference red and green color different from that of the palette. If we ignore this displacement, yes we would comply with sRGB practically 100%.

DCI-P3 color space

We must understand that AORUS KD25F is not going to meet this color space, which is much wider than sRGB. But, being oriented to video editing and design, let's see what measurements we get.

And the truth is that, first of all, the DeltaE calibration for this color palette is very good, even better than in sRGB. And ignoring a smaller color space, we also see that the black adjustment is of better quality in this space, which coincides with a better adjustment in the obtained graphics.

So we can determine that the color fidelity of this TN panel is even better than we expected. It is a great leap in quality improvement, for a panel that is entirely oriented to gaming and e-Sports.

Calibration

We have not resisted performing a calibration with our colorimeter in order to achieve a somewhat warmer and better contrast color setting. Let's see how this is translated in terms of color checking in the sRGB palette.

Fortunately, we see interesting improvements in almost all the colors compared. Take for example the gray palette, which has now been improved to values ​​close to 3, instead of the 4.4 we had at the beginning.

We have obtained the file with ICC extension with this calibration to share it with all of you and that you use it if you want to buy this monitor. Thus we will have a somewhat better calibration than the factory one.

USE experience

As it could not be otherwise, in a review we must tell our experience of using this AORUS KD25F, and as always we can divide it into several sections.

Games

It is undoubtedly a monitor oriented for use in e-Sport, or better known as competitive games, in which the most important thing is the pure speed and low latency of all our hardware.

In this monitor, of course, this will not be a problem, since those 0.5 ms of response and the 240 Hz, far exceed the reaction speed of our eyes or body. The human eye is not capable of differentiating 144 or 240 Hz, but our graphics card can. And to achieve these impressive refresh rates we will need a high-end card such as the Nvidia RTX 2080 or similar.

The experience will be perfect if we look for, that, performance. But if we are looking for a high quality in the textures, enjoy the RPGs quietly and the graphic quality, better to go to something more "normal" and with a 2K or 4K resolution. AORUS KD25F is for competition, not for field trips.

Films

In this case we can extend what was said previously. It is not a monitor oriented to watch movies, obviously we can do it, but in 24.5 inches we are not going to get the maximum quality from a 4K movie for example.

In addition, the viewing angles are limited and we do not have HDR support either, although we do have enough image modes and about 400 nits of brightness that may well provide us with a good multimedia experience.

Design

More of the same, a TN panel is not technically conceived to carry out content creation or graphic design work, due to the simple fact that it does not have colors that are 100% true to reality. However, we have seen that in the calibration process the DeltaE levels are quite good and show colors quite faithful to the reference palette.

So the biggest handicap that we see here is having a small diagonal, 24.5 inches, and a full HD resolution that limits the size of the work desk for UHD textures.

OSD panel and Sidekick

This AORUS KD25F does not disappoint in this regard and incorporates an OSD panel as complete as for example the AD27QD, and undoubtedly the best we can find in current gaming monitors. The control is carried out entirely by a joystick located in the lower area of ​​the screen and right in the center, very manageable and comfortable access.

First of all, we will have a total of four quick menus that will be activated with the four addresses of the space. These menus will be the following:

• Image mode selection among many preset color settings Black Equalizer to configure overexposure in excessively dark games Audio output volume for headphones, since we do not have integrated speakers Video input selection, between HDMI and DisplayPort

And with a simple press, we will remove the graph of access to the different functions. We will have a total of four accesses in the four directions of space, only by orienting the controller to the side in question, we will access the options.

Again, in these four directions we will have:

• Above: in the main monitor configuration menu Below: turn off the monitor Left: activation and configuration of the Dashboard or monitoring panel of our basic hardware Right: Game Assist menu that configures an advanced interface for when we are playing, being able to align the image, activate a timer, crosshair, and other options.

And after a good time of browsing, we arrived at the main menu with a total of 6 sections and a top list of options that shows us the status of the main tactical characteristics of the monitor. From this panel we can configure everything related to the monitor hardware, for example, AMD FreeSync, gaming technology, output performance, color balance and brightness, and of course the rear lighting with RGB Fusion technology of the monitor.

Regarding the OSD Sidekick program, we are not going to stop to see its configuration, since it is exactly the same as what we saw on the AORUS AD27QD monitor. We have a series of sections corresponding to the image modes for different uses, and within each one enough configuration options to customize the output and performance of the monitor.

The same happens with the RGB Fusion software, the use is exactly the same, download, install and make sure we always have the monitor connected to the USB port of our motherboard to manage it.

Final words and conclusion about AORUS KD25F

We hope this review has been productive as well as long, but we are already at the end. AORUS KD25F is an impressive machine built by, and for video games, as reflected by its TN Full HD panel with 240 Hz and 0.5 ms response. Complaining of lag and jerky image on this monitor is not an option, and we also have AMD FreeSync compatible with G-Sync, as it should be in an e-Sport.

As for design, we see that it is at the level of the best of the brand, I see it very successful to have that beautiful and aggressive metal support that expands the rear RGB lighting of the monitor. Also giving it complete ergonomics in height, rotation and orientation. To this we add a useful area of ​​more than 93%, with almost Smartphone frames and also a built-in microphone.

The implemented gaming solutions are also a great claim, elements such as GameAssist, black equalizer or the hardware Dashboard, are interesting solutions that were incorporated into the AD27QD and that, luckily, we also have here. And what about one of the most complete OSD menus on the market ? Well that same, huge number of options and functions, also extensible with OSD Sidekick.

Visit our updated guide to the best PC monitors on the market

Regarding calibration, I must admit that it is better than expected for a TN panel. Far are those colors excessively saturated, because it has a good factory calibration, and good color fidelity in the sRGB and DCI-P3 palettes, although with a slight shift in the sRGB space that does not enforce it 100%. Brightness and contrast also mark practically what was promised, although without exceeding the theoretical level, a little extra would not hurt.

Finally, to say that it is an e-sports oriented monitor, for users who are not looking for quality UHD textures and a large screen to immerse themselves in, but pure performance and speed with gaming technology. AORUS KD25F we will find it on the market for a price of 500 euros, one of the first to have 0.5 ms response.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ 240 HZ PANEL + AMD FREESYNC AND 0.5 MS RESPONSE	- TYPICAL LIMITATIONS OF A TN PANEL: BLACKS AND ANGLE OF VISION
+ SPECTACULAR DESIGN AND MINIMUM FRAMES	- BETTER SITUATION OF USB PU ERTS
+ OUTSTANDING OSD PANEL
+ SURPRISINGLY GOOD CALIBRATION
+ RECOMMENDED FOR E-SPORTS AND COMPETITIVES
+ PERFECT ERGONOMICS

The Professional Review team awards you the gold medal and recommended product:

AORUS KD25F

DESIGN - 94%

PANEL - 91%

CALIBRATION - 83%

BASE - 87%

MENU OSD - 100%

GAMES - 100%

PRICE - 85%

91%

Recommended for e-Sports for being one of the fastest monitors on the market