Saturday, July 04, 2020
If you're looking to get into PC gaming — or you want to take your current PC gaming experience to the next level — you should strongly consider getting your hands on a good gaming monitor. The market for gaming monitors is filled with a wide variety of different options, and it's hard to pin down which monitor is truly the best. Overall, though, we think that the LG UltraGear 27GL850-B is the best gaming monitor out there due to its well-rounded specs, excellent design, and approachable price point.
Best Overall: LG UltraGear 27GL850-B
The LG UltraGear 27GL850-B is the best overall monitor out there if you're looking for something high-end with awesome performance. It's a 27-inch QHD monitor with a wonderful 2560x1440p resolution. There's no HDR, but the monitor has a stellar 144Hz refresh rate maximum and a fantastic 1ms response time. Paired with the thin bezels and superb color accuracy, these features mean your games will look more immersive. The benefits extend to gameplay as well, as a higher refresh rate and low response time mean that gameplay will look cleaner, crisper, and smoother.
The monitor itself comes with the ability to adjust the height, swivel, and tilt so that you can find a viewing angle that works for you. It also has NVIDIA G-Sync technology, which helps prevent screen tearing and ensure smooth gameplay. All of what this monitor has to offer is awesome, and while it is a bit of a pricey display, you get what you pay for without a doubt.
Pros:
- Awesome display
- Amazing refresh rate and response time
- Full swivel, tilt, and height adjustment
- Thin bezels
Cons:
- No HDR
- A little pricey
Best Overall
LG UltraGear 27GL850-B
Premium performance at a fair price
The LG UltraGear 27GL850-B is an incredible gaming monitor that offers high-end performance for a fair price, making it our top pick.
Elite Pick: Acer Predator X27
The Acer Predator X27 is a ridiculously capable PC gaming monitor that will blow your mind, and also a hole through your bank account. This 27-inch beast features a glorious 4K display with HDR support and incredible lighting and color depth. It also comes with NVIDIA G-Sync Ultimate, which pretty much guarantees you'll never experience any screen tearing. It comes with a 4ms response time, which is admittedly disappointing for a monitor this expensive, but it's still fine and will be fast enough for nearly everyone.
Also, the refresh rate is 120Hz and can be overclocked to 144Hz, which means that you'll be able to play games in 4K at over 100 frames per second (FPS) provided you have a computer powerful enough to do that. The monitor can also be tilted for a customized viewing angle, and you can adjust the height as well. It even comes with detachable light-blocking shields that people who have their PC near a window will appreciate.
Ultimately, if you want the absolute best of the best and don't mind dropping a fortune for it, the Acer Predator X27 is for you.
Pros:
- Incredible display
- Amazing refresh rate
- HDR support
- Light-blocking shields
Cons:
- Extremely expensive
- Response time disappointing at this price
Elite Pick
Acer Predator X27
The cream of the crop
The Acer Predator X27 is for you if you want the ultimate PC gaming monitor and don't mind shelling out a ton of cash to get it.
Affordable 4K: VIOTEK NV32Q
If you want to enjoy the gorgeous look of 4K without dropping a ton of money on a monitor, then the VIOTEK NV32Q will be a great choice. Its 32-inch 4K display comes with HDR support and features both AMD Free Sync and a great color gamut, meaning that games and all other visual media will look excellent on it, though not as excellent as it would on an Acer Predator X27. The bezels are super thin, too, which is always a plus.
Also, this display has a refresh rate of just 60Hz, which, while currently the standard, is starting to become dated. Like the previous monitors on the list, this one has a 4ms response time. Also, while you can adjust the tilt of the monitor, you can't adjust the height or swivel, which is disappointing. Even with these caveats, the VIOTEK NV32Q is an awesome monitor if you want to get your hands on affordable 4K capability.
Pros:
- 4K at an affordable price
- Display looks awesome overall
- HDR support
- Thin bezels
Cons:
- Lower refresh rate
- Can't adjust height or swivel
Affordable 4K
VIOTEK NV32Q
Higher resolution, lower price
The VIOTEK NV32Q is an incredible way to enter the 4K gaming space without breaking the bank, although you'll be restricted somewhat.
Ultra Ultra-Wide: Samsung CHG90 QLED Gaming Monitor
Feast your eyes upon this 49-inch (!) Samsung monitor, a curvaceous behemoth with a jaw-dropping 32:9 aspect ratio. If you're someone who finds curved or wide screens more immersive when playing games, you'll love this monitor.
The resolution is only standard 1080p, but the refresh rate is an excellent 144Hz, and the monitor comes with both HDR support and AMD Free Sync 2. This means that, while the picture itself isn't as crisp as some higher resolution monitors, the standard HD image will look as amazing as you can make one look. The display's response time is a blazingly fast 1ms, and also, the monitor can be swiveled, tilted, and height-adjusted. Lastly, you'll be able to see quite a bit more in your peripheral vision than you would with a standard 16:9 monitor, giving you a distinct edge in the visibility department during gameplay.
Pros:
- Incredibly wide screen
- Amazing refresh and response rates
- HDR support
- Full swivel, tilt, and height adjustment
Cons:
- Only 1080p
- Pricey
Ultra Ultra-Wide
Samsung CHG90 QLED Gaming Monitor
Surround yourself
This is an absurdly large monitor that fans of ultra-wide will love, though it doesn't have the best picture quality.
Best Mid-Range: Dell Gaming Monitor S219DGF
Gamers looking for something affordable yet still great should look no further than the 27-inch Dell Gaming Monitor S219DGF. It features QHD 2560x1440 resolution, which looks quite sharp and is a noticeable upgrade compared to the standard 1080p. Also, the color gamut and lighting depth are pretty good on this monitor, although the lack of HDR means that it won't be as excellent as the previous options.
In terms of adjustment, you can tilt, swivel, and adjust the height. Additionally, the monitor has the best refresh rate out of every option on this list, coming in at 155Hz. Also, it has a fantastic 1ms response time. Ultimately, while this monitor doesn't offer the same quality or features that the more expensive ones do, it's still quite good, especially when you consider the lower price.
Pros:
- Display looks great
- Affordable
- Extreme refresh and response rates
- Full swivel, tilt, and height adjustment
Cons:
- No HDR support
- Fewer overall features
Best Mid-Range
Dell Gaming Monitor S219DGF
Middle of the road
The Dell Gaming Monitor S219DGF offers a great balance between price and performance, solidifying itself as a fantastic mid-range choice.
Best Budget: BenQ ZOWIE RL2455S
People who want to get a solid monitor while only spending the bare minimum should opt for the 24-inch BenQ ZOWIE RL2455S. It's got a standard 1080p HD display and a refresh rate of 75Hz, which is only slightly above the aging standard of 60Hz. Also, while colors and lighting look good on it, there's no HDR support, and the other monitors on this list look a lot better. One thing it does have going for it, though, is the fact that it comes with a 1ms response time. Still, this monitor is a far cry from being as good as the previous options.
When you consider the rock bottom price of the BenQ ZOWIE RL2455S, though, it's easy to see just how good of a deal it is. While you aren't getting top-of-the-line quality with this monitor, you are getting solid quality for a very low price, which is excellent if you don't have much money to spend on a display.
Pros:
- Rock bottom price
- Slightly above-average refresh rate
- Awesome response time
Cons:
- Only 1080p
- No HDR support
- Fewer features overall
Best Budget
BenQ ZOWIE RL2455S
Solid quality for a low price
This is far from being a high-quality monitor, but it offers solid performance when you consider its rock bottom price.
Bottom line
You might not think of it this way, but a gaming monitor can make or break a gaming PC build. You can have all the strong hardware in the world in your PC, but without a monitor that can display what that horsepower can do, you won't be able to reap the benefits. Resolution, color accuracy, support for HDR, response time, refresh rate, and screen size are all critical factors that you need to consider and weigh when picking a gaming monitor that will suit your tastes, your playspace, and your rig.
Each of these monitors will appeal to somebody depending on what their wants and needs are. Ultimately, though, we think that the best overall gaming monitor you can get right now is the LG UltraGear 27GL850-B, as it offers excellent quality for a fair price that's accessible to many PC gamers.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's relatively new to the writing scene, but he counters that lack of experience with a rock-solid work ethic and a desire to improve at every opportunity. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.
Rich Edmonds is a staff reviewer at Windows Central, which means he tests out more software and hardware than he cares to remember. Joining Mobile Nations in 2010, you can usually find him inside a PC case tinkering around when not at a screen fighting with Grammarly to use British words. Hit him up on Twitter: @RichEdmonds.
Cale Hunt is a staff writer at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on PC, laptop, and accessory coverage, as well as the emerging world of VR. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.
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