A monitor is the best gaming accessory to make the most of the stunning graphics and speedy refresh rates your gaming PC is capable of. What’s the point of investing in a rig with a top-tier graphics card and CPU if your display can’t keep up? That’s why we’ve found 11 gaming monitors with crisp pictures and motion fidelity to play all the best PC games as intended.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Gaming Monitors:
Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro – Best overallXiaomi G Pro 27i Mini-LED – Best budget monitorAOC Agon Pro AG456UCZD – Best ultrawideHP Omen 27QS – Best for esportsDell Alienware AW2725QF – Best 4KAsus ROG Swift PG27AQDP – Best 1440pAsus TUF Gaming VG279QM – Best 1080p Alienware AW3423DWF – Best curved
Your gaming monitor should offer specs that match up with your PC; there’s no point in grabbing one of the best 4K monitors if games will be virtually unplayable with a GeForce RTX 4060 at that resolution. Likewise, pairing a Radeon RX 7900 XTX with a 1080p display is a waste. The best gaming monitors will show off all the capabilities of the rig you’ve invested in, delivering solid picture quality, speedy response times, and a host of gaming features. Of course, high refresh rates help frames remain silky smooth and those extra milliseconds could mean life or death for competitive gamers.
Whether you’re after a beastly future-proof option with a sharp 4K picture, OLED panel, and wild 240Hz refresh rate – like our top pick, the Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro – or you have a more modest setup that’s better suited for a great budget monitor, we’ve got your covered. All our favorite gaming monitors have been thoroughly vetted and are ready to suit just about any need.
Additional contributions by Georgie Peru, Danielle Abraham, and Jaqueline Thomas.
Looking for savings? Be sure to check out the best gaming monitor deals happening right now.
1. Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro
Best Gaming Monitor
If you want proof that OLED is the new mainstream for the best gaming monitors, just take a look at my thorough review of the Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro. This is a gorgeous 32-inch 4K gaming monitor with an extremely thin panel and one of the brightest displays I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. And while it is a bit on the pricey side, the best is never the cheapest option, and you’ll be well rewarded for the money you invest in this gorgeous piece of kit.
This gaming monitor is extremely forward-facing, too. While most of the best graphics cards aren’t really able to drive a 4K gaming monitor at 240Hz, the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 supports that high refresh rate anyways. That means even after upgrading your PC a few times over the next few years, you won’t really need to buy an all-new gaming monitor for a very long time. Hell, this monitor supports DisplayPort 2.1 technology, which isn’t even in most current-generation gaming PCs right now.
But even in the current day, the gorgeous OLED panel is extremely color accurate. Supporting up to 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, you’d be hard pressed to find any screen with better color representation, at least without forking over the cash for a display meant for creative professionals. Combine that with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and a contrast ratio of 1.5M:1 and this will make any game, movie, or even your desktop seem like it’s popping off of your screen.
Of course, because it’s a flagship gaming monitor in 2024, it also comes with quality-of-life features like picture-in-picture and an automatic black equalizer that’ll help you tune how your monitor looks. You can even download the Gigabyte Control Center, plug the monitor into an open USB port (in addition to your standard HDMI/DP port, obviously), and control image settings on your desktop rather than fiddling with an OSD.
This is a dream gaming monitor, and while it’s a bit expensive, you’re genuinely getting what you pay for.
2. Xiaomi G Pro 27i Mini-LED Gaming Monitor
Best Budget Gaming Monitor
The Xiaomi G Pro 27i is the best budget gaming monitor we’ve seen this year, and it’s a new high water mark for what you should expect at this price. It seems that Xiaomi wanted to make a statement with this release, offering features and picture quality that are usually reserved for monitors well over double its price. At around $330, it’s not the absolute cheapest but it is an incredible value and well worth saving up for if you’re on a limited budget.
What makes this monitor so great is its mini-LED backlight. It’s not the only monitor around this price to offer this technology but it sets itself apart with its number of local dimming zones. Under $500 (with a few exceptions, really under $1,000), it’s rare to find gaming monitors with more than 550 local dimming zones. The G Pro 27i has a whopping 1,152, giving it much finer control over the dark and light areas of the screen. It completely sidesteps the usual weakness of backlight bleed that effects IPS panels and delivers a picture that’s surprisingly close to the best OLED gaming monitors. Given that those displays usually start at $700 and extend well over $1,000, that’s more than a little impressive.
If that weren’t enough, those tiny LEDs get exceptionally bright and allow the G Pro 27i to achieve a 1,000-nit peak brightness rating. Between it’s high brightness and deep, mini-LED contrast, it offers a killer HDR gaming and movie watching experience.
Of course, to hit that price, some things had to be left behind. There’s no USB connectivity, for one, and the “gaming features” are limited to its 180Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync (Nvidia G-Sync also works fine). There’s technically a Game Mode, but it only offers a few picture presets for FPS, MOBA, and RPG genres that aren’t noticeably different from its normal picture modes. But, to find this kind of picture quality and performance at this price, we’ll gladly leave those features behind because its core gaming experience is outstanding.
3. AOC Agon Pro AG456UCZD
Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
If size is what matters most, it’s hard to beat the AOC Agon Pro AG456UCZD we reviewed in spring 2024. With this massive ultrawide gaming monitor comes a sprawling 45-inch screen featuring a slight curvature for a display that stretches and wraps around your field of view bringing a wildly immersive gaming experience. Plus, there’s plenty of space for multitasking. Admittedly, the 3,440 x 1,440 resolution diminishes the pixel density, resulting in softer details, but we hardly noticed this during the fast-paced action in games.
The OLED panel offers a near-infinite contrast ratio for true blacks. In HDR mode its brightness is commendable, allowing highlights to pop, and because this display supports HDR 10, you can enable HDR no matter what device you pair it with. Unfortunately, SDR brightness is underwhelming with a noticeable glare when hit with direct light. Luckily, colors are still vibrant and saturated, and the AOC Agon Pro AG456UCZD achieved 100% coverage of sRGB, 92% of AdobeRGB, and 96% of DCI-P3 color spaces. It’s not the most color-accurate option out there, so creatives may want to find another display. Still, this monitor’s picture is stunning.
Where the AOC Agon Pro AG456UCZD really shines is gaming. A 240Hz refresh rate makes for buttery-smooth action, while FreeSync Premium and G-Sync compatibility keep your display and GPU on the same team for tear-free gaming. Given it’s an OLED panel, this monitor also benefits from a near-instantaneous pixel response time, which helps prevent ghosting, taking that speedy refresh rate even further.
The AOC Agon Pro AG456UCZD is a large display, so it’s paired with an equally huge (and sturdy stand) that consumes a good amount of desk space. At least that stand comes with excellent adjustability and a hint of cable management. Plenty of ports are on board, though the HDMIs are limited to a 100Hz refresh rate. Sticking to the DisplayPort lets you take full advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate.
4. HP Omen 27QS
Best Esports Gaming Monitor
In esports, speed is key, and our hands-on testing of the HP Omen 27qs reveals a 240Hz refresh rate that’ll let you cruise through maps while catching all the visual detail you need to get the drop on your opponents. It hits those high frames at a sharp 1140p resolution, and when your screen and GPU struggle to keep a consistent frame rate, FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync compatibility will step in with motion clarity assistance.
This 27-inch monitor uses a fast IPS panel that produces a bright and colorful picture. It’s HDR certified, though that shouldn’t be the reason you purchase this monitor. The mediocre contrast ratio and hazy IPS glow also mean it’s not ideal for darker scenes. But given the price tag, these minor flaws can be forgiven.
5. Dell Alienware AW2725QF
Best 4K Gaming Monitor
The Dell Alienware AW2725QF is an excellent choice for a 4K gaming monitor if you don’t want to go OLED or mini-LED. This display is classic IPS: rich, accurate colors and great viewing angles ensure a high quality viewing experience. But when you get down to gaming, it’s all about options.
The AW2725QF has a native 4K resolution that’s crisp and clear and able to reach a respectable 180Hz refresh rate. But with a simple toggle, you’re able to drop to 1080p and rocket that refresh all the way up to 360Hz. Since 1080p scales perfectly from 4K, you won’t suffer the usual softness from scaling to lower, imperfect resolutions. This key option allows you to have the best of both worlds: the crispness of 4K for single-player and graphics-intensive games or the fluidity and motion clarity of 1080p at 360Hz.
The panel Dell has applied is impressive. Not only does it shift seamlessly between resolutions, it can also reach a peak brightness of 600 nits. While it’s not quite the 1,000 nits you’d find on an OLED or mini-LED, some of which also offer alternate resolution and refresh modes, it still offers an improved HDR experience compared to most gaming monitors around its price. It’s also rated to cover 95% of the DCI-P3 color space and is factory calibrated an average of Delta E <2, so it’s also a good match for color sensitive work like digital art and content creation.
It’s also designed with console players in mind. It features two HDMI 2.1 ports with full 4K 120Hz compatibility, so you can run your console at full speed. Its ports are also eARC compatible, so you can easily connect external speakers or a sound bar, including those with Dolby Atmos.
6. Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDP
Best 1440p Gaming Monitor
The Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDP is the best 1440p monitor for esports and everything else. Priced below than many of its competitors, this monitor has something for everyone. It has great HDR performance thanks to the exceptional peak brightness and infinite contrast of its WOLED panel and impressive out-of-the-box color accuracy, one of the best I’ve tested and reviewed so far.
What really sets it apart is its incredibly fast refresh rate. The monitor is able to hit a top speed of 480Hz, putting it a hair’s distance away from the fastest gaming monitors you can buy today (which currently peak at 500Hz). It’s so close, in fact, that even pros would be hard pressed to tell the difference. And for the paltry 20Hz it lacks in comparison, it offers a much better picture. Unlike the 4K variant which has a 480Hz “mode,” you don’t sacrifice image quality just to achieve that high frame rate.
The screen is seriously gorgeous. You don’t need to be a display expert to appreciate its rich colors and impeccable contrast. Playing games on it is a joy thanks to its stunning picture, but so is watching movies, and even pretty much anything with photo or video content. During my review, I just couldn’t get enough and boxing it back up to return was a sad day indeed.
Its fast refresh rate and the incredible 0.03ms responsiveness all but eliminate motion blur. You can perform quick flips and snaps without the usual smearing. It’s a noticeable improvement even over 240Hz monitors, which themselves are better than the 120Hz to 180Hz monitors widely available today.
The PG27AQDP also features the widest array of OLED protections I’ve encountered. It features the usual pixel shifting and pixel refresh cycles, but it’s also able to detect and dim static elements like your task bar. There’s even a mode to dynamically dim different parts of your screen in real time based on what’s being displayed to ward off image retention. Internally, a high performance cooling system is at play to draw heat away, also reducing the risk of burn-in. And if you do happen to get unlucky and face issues, Asus offers a three-year warranty with burn-in coverage.
There’s no KVM or USB video input, which is a bit disappointing, but when considered with everything you’re getting here, this is a monitor that’s tough to beat.
7. Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM
Best 1080p Gaming Monitor
People might be clamoring over 4K displays and 1440p has a home in the hearts of many gamers trying to balance visual quality with value, but 1080p monitors still have their place. The Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM is a prime example where FHD fits in because, for less than $300, you get a screen that delivers an overclockable 240Hz refresh rate, a one-millisecond response time, and low input lag, which will see your games run as smooth as hot butter. FreeSync support and G-Sync compatibility also ensure your monitor and GPU are on the same team for visuals that look great without tearing.
The Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM stretches its 1080p picture across a 27-inch screen, which is reasonable for the resolution. Although, you may do some pixel peeping in exchange for a more immersive viewing experience. Its IPS panel offers decent viewing angles and color reproduction, while the 400-nit brightness means you can use it in brighter spaces. It’s been DisplayHDR 400 certified, but given a mediocre contrast ratio and no local dimming, HDR support shouldn’t be why you buy this monitor.
Some other quality-of-life boxes can get ticked off, too, with a height-adjustable pivoting stand, two HDMI ports, and one DisplayPort for ample connectivity opportunities.
8. Dell Alienware AW3423DWF
Best Curved Gaming Monitor
With a screen that wraps around your field of vision, the best curved gaming monitors can give you a leg up on the competition. The best of the bunch is the Alienware AW3423DWF, which I gave high marks in my review. This ultrawide display sports a 34-inch screen, crisp 2K resolution, and an 1800R curve that helps with your peripherals for a far more immersive gaming experience than your average monitor.
The OLED panel featuring quantum dots allows control down to each individual pixel for a stunning picture with near-infinite contrast far superior to other panel types. Blacks will remain truly black with no blooming around bright objects, and the display is VESA True Black 400 certified. HDR is where this monitor shines, getting exceptionally bright for highlights that pop while enhancing shadowy details in darker scenes that might be lost on other displays.
As for colors, they were consistently rich and vibrant in our testing, with quantum dot technology making the hues just a touch more luminous. The monitor is factory-calibrated straight out of the box and the color gamut covers 99.3% of the DCI-P3 color space and 149% of sRGB, so it’s well-suited for creative work on top of being an exceptional gaming display.
A 165Hz refresh rate aided by FreeSync Premium support is perfect for the midrange AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, ensuring silky smooth frames without tearing. Response times are also wicked fast – the norm for OLEDs – so ghosting was never an issue during testing, even in games like Battlefield 2042. Input lag is equally impressive, with controller presses reflecting almost instantaneously on screen.
How to Choose a Gaming Monitor
There are four key things to consider when shopping for a gaming monitor: screen size, resolution, panel type, and aspect ratio. We’ll also briefly explain a few of the more technical aspects of computer displays, such as refresh rate and the variable refresh rate technology, to help you make the best shopping decision.
Screen size: “How big?” will probably be the first question, and the answer really comes down to your unique situation. Are you in a tiny dorm with barely any room or looking for a gaming monitor that’s capable of replacing your TV? How you answer will ultimately determine the display size you need, so take note of your space and bust out the measuring tape if necessary.
As a general rule of thumb, here are some guidelines to ensure your size and resolution are well matched and images remain crisp, without screen door effect. For 1080p, which is the easiest to run, anything up to 27 inches will work well. For 1440p, 27 to 32 inches is a good choice. For 4K, 32 inches is a good choice for a typical viewing distance at a desk. If you’ll be sitting back farther, a 43-inch monitor or even larger can be a good choice.
Aspect ratio: The aspect ratio of your monitor is closely related to its size because it determines which shape your display will have. The majority of monitors fall into the widescreen category with 16:9 aspect ratios. Ultrawide displays have been rising in popularity recently, and these screens often feature the 21:9 aspect ratio you would typically see at the movie theater. Modern displays have only been getting even wider, and there’s a growing crop of 32:9 displays as well.
Screen resolution: This determines how sharp your gaming monitor will be and, for the most part, there are three choices: Full HD (1,920 x 1,080), Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440), and Ultra HD or 4K (3,840 x 2,160). Like screen size, as the numbers go up so does the price, and they’ll require a higher-end graphics card if you hope to maintain a high frame rate.
Panel type: Although most monitors might look the same on the surface, a few different panel types offer specific benefits and shortcomings. Twisted Nematic (TN) panels are the worst and should be avoided. While they used to be the fastest you could buy, the advancement of technology has minimized that benefit such that there is little to no reason to choose this type of monitor today.
In-Plane Switching (IPS) is the next-most prevalent type of display. Rather than focusing on speed, IPS panels are known for rendering excellent colors while offering wider viewing angles in exchange for slightly slower response time, usually hovering around 3–5ms. So-called “Fast IPS” and “SuperSpeed IPS” panels are common options and can lower that to 1ms.
Vertical Alignment (VA) panels split the difference between TN and IPS panels, offering great image quality with decently quick response times and better contrast the competing IPS displays. VA panels aren’t perfect, though. Sometimes fast-moving objects will give off ghosting effects due to the slower response time. This varies display to display, so it’s important to read reviews.
The final types are mini-LED and OLED (organic light-emitting diode). Mini-LED is technically not a panel type by itself but is instead a kind of backlighting technology that provides monitors with a large amount of local dimming zones and improved brightness. It can be great, but has the downside of causing light objects to glow in dark scenes. Monitors using mini-LEDs are often marketed with this technology as a leading feature, so true “panel type” or not, it’s important to know what they offer.
Finally, there are OLED monitors. These displays control their brightness pixel by pixel. This allows them to offer the best contrast and HDR experience of any monitor type. Their picture quality is often applauded for their vibrant colors and deep, inky blacks. These displays use more power and can suffer from image retention (a.k.a. burn-in), so they can’t maintain high levels of brightness for extended periods. They’re not a good fit for use in direct sunlight because of this but can be just fine in most rooms otherwise. The best OLED monitors are rated for peak brightness above 1,000 nits, allowing for fine highlights that seem to jump from the screen. They require more care and taking best practice steps like auto-hiding your taskbar and desktop icons, but can deliver a truly next-level gaming experience.
Response time: Competitive shooters and MoBAs demand the quickest response times, so it’s best to play these types of games on monitors that offer a 1ms response time. Playing indie games and most single-player experiences shouldn’t be a problem on a display with a response time between 3-5ms – and it’s pretty much impossible to find a monitor slower than this.
Refresh rate: This is another important measure of how responsive the display is, and it defines how often your screen can display a completely new image – essentially, it dictates your frame rate. 60Hz is the standard refresh rate for silky smooth PC gaming, but there’s a long list of monitor options that feature even higher refresh rates of 120Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz, 360Hz, and even up to 500Hz.
Basically, the higher the refresh rates, the more times the image on your screen will update every second, resulting in a smoother gameplay experience. Beyond the visual appeal of high refresh rate displays, they can be useful for gamers who need to keep up with the rapid movements competitive games demand. Generally, you’ll be at an advantage if you see your opponents and react before they do.
G-Sync vs FreeSync: Variable refresh rate (VRR) technology is a fairly recent invention that ensures consistently smooth and responsive gaming experiences. Currently, there are two types of VRR – Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync – and they come with the prerequisite that you own a compatible graphics card from the corresponding brand. Nvidia GeForce cards allow you to enable VRR on any FreeSync monitor, but your results will vary.
At the most basic level, VRR syncs your monitor’s refresh rate with the number of frames your GPU outputs. This prevents screen tearing caused by the graphics card feeding your display multiple frames while it’s in the middle of refreshing its picture. If your graphics card is running your game at 60fps, you’ll see your monitor refresh at exactly 60Hz with wonderfully smooth gameplay.
Our only other piece of advice when buying a gaming monitor is to make sure your video card can handle the resolution and refresh rate of the display you’re considering. It would be a waste of money to buy a 4K monitor when your GPU can only handle 1080p gaming.
Gaming Monitor vs. Gaming TV
Choosing a display to game with depends on personal preference and how you want to play. Below, we discuss gaming monitors vs. TVs.
Both monitors and TVs have their own advantages when it comes to image quality. Mid-range and high-end TVs excel in brightness, contrast, and color thanks to their OLED panels or mini-LED backlights. That also lets them take on HDR content better than many monitors. However, some 4K monitors can keep up and often deliver even better image sharpness.
As for gaming performance, you want a display with a low input lag, high refresh rate, and soild pixel response times. Generally, this is where monitors go a notch above even the best 4K TVs.
The majority of monitors offer a super low input lag, often adding just a few milliseconds delay between the input and the input appearing on screen. TVs are hit or miss, so it’s important to do your research before purchasing.
As for refresh rate, even budget monitors hit high frame rates, though you sacrifice resolution. At this point, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a gaming monitor with a refresh rate below 120Hz, with some going up to 360Hz or even 500Hz. There’s also probably some type of VRR baked in for the smoothest frames possible. Gaming TVs still lag behind, with most 4K options landing on either 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rates, while adaptive sync technology is sometimes included.
Then there’s pixel response time, which is essential to avoid ghosting on screen. Both monitors and TVs perform similarly, though OLED panels often seen in TVs have an almost instantaneous response time.
Gaming monitors often provide better value in terms of price. Monitors that go for $200 still offer a wealth of gaming features, including a high refresh rate and adaptive sync. TVs around that same price are more than likely going to lack any type of gaming features. Even budget gaming TVs will set you back a good chunk of change with limited gaming features.
Gaming Monitor FAQ
What’s the difference between G-Sync and FreeSync?
FreeSync and G-Sync are similar, using VRR technologies to synchronize the refresh rate of the display and the frame rate of the PC or console you’re gaming on. Both types of monitors have the same VESA Adaptive-Sync technical standard, and most FreeSync displays work as G-Sync-compatible, or vice versa, even if manufacturers can’t make the claim outright.
The only exceptions are G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate monitors, which require additional hardware, only work with Nvidia GPUs, and handle adaptive sync through a display’s entire refresh rate – other VRR usually taps out around 48Hz. That means these monitors are often pricier.
What’s the best resolution for a gaming monitor?
The ideal resolution for your display really depends on your needs. If you’re after ultra-high refresh rates or have a more modest graphics card, 1080p is the way to go. These monitors are also going to be the most budget-friendly option.
For those that prefer a crisp display, 4K monitors keep pixel peeping to a minimum and are ideal for a 27-inch screen size or bigger. However, you won’t hit 500Hz like some Full HD offerings, and to enjoy a speedy refresh rate – like what the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM offers – you need to be willing to drop a good chunk of change. Driving those high frame rates will also be taxing on your system.
That leads us to the perfect middle ground: a 1440p display. You’ll enjoy a sharper resolution than 1080p, and hit impressively high frame rates. You will still need a mid-range or better graphics card, but if you have the hardware, these monitors are great for competitive gaming. Plus, you’ll find they’re often cheaper than UHD options.
Is HDR worth it?
HDR, or High Dynamic Range, typically brings more vivid colors, improved brightness, and better contrast than SDR, or Standard Dynamic Range on supported monitors, making images pop. In HDR games, that increased clarity provides richer details for a more enjoyable viewing experience and can possibly give you an edge over opponents. For those who gravitate towards those cinematic games, it’s worth finding a solid HDR monitor.
However, not all monitors that claim HDR support deliver a true HDR experience, so finding an option with ample local dimming zones and high peak brightness or an OLED panel is your best bet to make the most of HDR. Check out our guide on HDR for more info.
When is the best time to get a gaming monitor?
It’s no secret that gaming monitors can get pretty pricey, so it’s definitely worth checking out some of the big sales events that happen every year. Some of the best gaming monitor deals are available during Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Otherwise, whenever big tech companies like Asus or Dell announce new lineups of gaming monitors, you should check whether retailers have put previous models on sale.
Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom’s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today’s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.
