FIRST LOOK: TCL is making a calculated move in the budget gaming monitor market by focusing heavily on performance where it matters most. Through its FFALCON brand, the company has introduced the Thunderobot Q5AD YYDS Edition in China, a 24.5-inch display built around a simple idea: competitive players do not need unnecessary extras – they need speed.
At first glance, the specs are familiar. A 1080p resolution on a 24.5-inch panel is hardly cutting-edge in 2026, but that combination continues to hold its place in esports for a reason. Higher resolutions demand more GPU power, and in games where milliseconds matter, players often prioritize frame rate stability over visual sharpness. This monitor is clearly designed with that trade-off in mind.
The Q5AD's standout feature is its refresh rate. It runs at 280Hz out of the box and can be pushed to 300Hz over DisplayPort. That extra headroom helps keep motion smooth when frame rates fluctuate. In fast-paced shooters like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant, smoother frame delivery can directly affect reaction time and tracking accuracy. TCL is not trying to reinvent the category here; it is refining a formula that already works.
The panel itself comes from CSOT, TCL's display manufacturing arm, and uses Fast IPS technology. Response time is rated at 1ms gray-to-gray, and the monitor includes overdrive and MPRT+ motion blur reduction.
