Just like pretty much everything else these days, the prices of the best gaming monitors have risen significantly, especially if you’re looking at displays with OLED panels, massive screens, and high refresh rates at sharp resolutions. Luckily, there is still an excellent pool of affordable monitors out there that don’t sacrifice image quality and features as much as you’d think. Just look at the Xiaomi G Pro 27i, with its incredible mini-LED, quantum dot screen for well under $400. It's my top pick for a reason: it competes with monitors that cost hundreds of dollars more and is an object lesson in the kind of quality that's available on a limited budget... if you know where to look.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Budget Gaming Monitors:
The best budget gaming monitors may lack certain technology and features, but they still provide an excellent display to enjoy all the capabilities of your gaming PC. Even mid-range graphics cards and CPUs can be pushed to the extreme, as high-refresh and 4K monitors can go for relatively cheap. While there are often trade-offs, like height-adjustable stands on the low-end and value-adds like KVM switches on the high-end, by focusing on performance and your personal "must haves," you can find truly great values at every price point.
Now, not all budget gaming monitors are created equal, and if something appears too good to be true, it probably is. A $100 monitor might be a great deal upfront, but chances are good it’ll die quickly and/or strain your eyes as you game, doing more harm than good in the end. Our picks may cost a bit more than $100, but their solid builds, excellent panels, and gaming features make for a better experience. However, just like any other gaming accessory, nicer gaming monitors are available if you’re willing to spend.
Additional contributions by Danielle Abraham, Matthew S. Smith
1. Xiaomi G Pro 27i Mini-LED Gaming Monitor
Best Overall Budget Gaming Monitor
The Xiaomi G Pro 27i is the most surprising gaming monitor I've reviewed so far in 2024. At around $330 at the time of writing, it's a high water mark for what you should expect from affordable gaming monitors. While it's not the cheapest, even for a 27-inch 1440p display, it truly offers more than the competition and offers a fantastic picture and gaming experience.
Unlike most budget gaming monitors, the Xiaomi G Pro 27i uses mini-LED technology to backlight its display and has full array local dimming (FALD). This allows the display to intelligently dim dark areas of the screen for improved contrast.
There are other FALD mini-LED displays out there around its price, but none of them so far hold a candle to the G Pro 27i. That's because of its incredible 1,152 local dimming zones, an amount typically only found on monitors upward of $700. This reduces blooming (glowing around bright objects) substantially and makes for a better viewing experience. Its HDR experience is fantastic, head and shoulders above any other monitor on this list. In fact, its picture is much closer to OLEDs, which typically cost double, triple, and sometimes quadruple its price, but doesn't have the risk of burn-in or have issues with text clarity.
Xiaomi used a killer panel for this display. It's able to clock up to 180Hz for ultra-smooth gameplay and low motion blur. In its DCI-P3, sRGB, and Adobe RGB color modes, it offers accurate colors for content creation. It's also compatible with variable refresh rate systems with AMD FreeSync and, though the manufacturer doesn't say it, Nvidia's G-Sync also worked fine in my testing.
It's no exaggeration to say that this monitor blew me away, but it's not perfect. To keep the price low, Xiaomi chose to get leave out any kind of USB hub or USB Type-C connectivity. It also only supports HDMI 2.0, but since its resolution is only 1440p, it still works well with Xbox and PlayStation consoles. There's also a dearth of gaming features.
But for a monitor of this caliber at this price, those trade-offs are completely worthwhile. Simply put: this is the gaming monitor to buy right now if you want picture quality similar to an OLED without the usual drawbacks and hefty price tag.
2. Asus TUF Gaming VG277Q1A
Best Budget 1080p Gaming Monitor
The Asus TUF Gaming VG277Q1A is a killer value that's able to run with ease on a wide range of hardware. You won't need the latest graphics card to push this display to its limits, and thanks to its VA panel, you can enjoy deeper blacks and wider dynamic range in all types of games. With a 1ms gray-to-gray response time and game-enhancing features to give you an edge in competitive shooters and esports, it offers great "bang" for the buck.
In this price range, I tend to look toward VA panels. Though IPS panels are known for their colors, VA panels like the one used here are often just as good (or close to it) while offering a substantially better gaming experience due to their improved blacks. This model is also decently bright for the price at 350 nits, so colors will pop and gaming in well-lit rooms won't be an issue.
It also offers some game-enhancing features designed to give you an edge in competitive matches. You can enable an on-screen reticle for games that lack one, turn on Shadow Boost to peek into the dark and easily identify enemies, and turn on an Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) mode to reduce motion blur for a smoother, clearer gaming experience.
There are only two big drawbacks worth knowing before pulling the trigger. First, like a lot of gaming monitors around this price, the stand isn't height adjustable. It supports VESA mounting (100 x 100mm), so you can grab your own aftermarket stand or monitor arm if you can't get its positioning to your liking, but that means spending a little extra money if it's not a perfect fit right out of the box. Second, while its spacious 27-inch screen is a Pro for immersion and taking up more of your field of view, it's a Con for total crispness, given its 1080p resolution. This monitor is as big as you can go before the screen door effect sets in, so while it looks good, it's not as sharp as a 24-inch display at this resolution.
What it brings to the table is far more than what it lacks, however, and this is an upgrade I recommend if you want noticeable improvements to your gaming experience without over-spending.
3. LG UltraGear 27GN800-B
Best 1440p Budget Gaming Monitor
The LG Ultragear 27GN800-B is a great upgrade for gamers on a budget. For under $300, you get a boost in resolution to 2,560 x 1,440, which brings a serious increase in sharpness compared to a 1080p monitor. Those crisp visuals will pop even more thanks to great color accuracy and decent factory calibration. Its 27-inch screen is spacious enough to deliver an immersive gaming experience that perfectly balances crisp details with reasonable system requirements.
This 27-inch gaming monitor excels in other areas, too. It has a 144Hz refresh rate and is compatible with AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync for smooth, tear-free HDR gaming. One aspect that I place a lot of value on is that it features Low Framerate Compensation. If your system struggles to hit the 144Hz maximum, the monitor is able to insert frames and sync with the refresh rate, making games that would otherwise be choppy play more smoothly.
The biggest drawback to this display is that its stand isn't height adjustable. Depending on your desk setup, you may find that it's not positioned perfectly for your height. It supports a standard 100 x 100mm VESA mount, however, so it's easy to swap the included stand with something more adjustable if height is an issue. Still, it's got the feature set and affordable price to make this a prime pick.
4. KTC H27P22D
Best 4K Budget Gaming Monitor
The KTC H27P22D is an object lesson in how far the budget gaming monitor market has advanced. Coming in at $400, and regularly on sale for much less (as of this writing, it can be had for as low as $340) shows that you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to get a great, high refresh rate, 4K gaming experience. In truth, I find it hard to find too much to criticize about this display. It's a well-rounded package at an exceptionally reasonable price. If you have the hardware to run it, it is absolutely worth considering.
In addition to its crisp 4K resolution, the H27P22D offers an impressively speedy 160Hz refresh rate. This comes with full support for AMD FreeSync Premium and compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync, so you can enjoy a smooth gaming experience even if you can't quite hit that high refresh rate. It's a stellar pick for console gaming too, thanks to its dual HDMI 2.1 ports. Just bring a headset or pair of speakers because there are none included here, though given the quality of most monitor speakers, I don't consider that a major drawback.
As is common with budget gaming monitors, there's a bit of overpromising in the marketing, but its real world performance remains impressive for the price. While its 400 nits of peak brightness isn't bright enough for true high dynamic range, it's certainly bright enough to deliver a vivid SDR gaming experience. Its color coverage is also great, though, unlike more expensive 4K gaming monitors, it's not calibrated at the factory. It's fine for gaming where perfectly accuracte colors are less important, but for creative work, you'll need to invest in a colorimeter or find a downloadable ICC profile. It also lacks a USB hub (it's sole USB Type-A port is for software upgrades only), so you won't be able to connect peripherals directly.
Given everything you're getting here, its shortcomings are more than forgiveable. These same features would have cost hundreds and hundreds more only a couple short years ago. The KTC H27P22D is a gift to budget-conscious gamers interested in upgrading to Ultra HD.
5. Dell S3422DWG
Best Ultrawide Budget Gaming Monitor
An ultrawide curved monitor is a great choice if you want an immersive gaming experience, and the Dell S3422DWG stands out as the best budget ultrawide. It has a contrast-rich VA panel with a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 that provides a vibrant, sharp image that looks great in any genre of game. The 21:9 aspect ratio and slight curvature of the screen wrap around your field of vision, so you can focus on the action occurring in your games rather than outside distractions.
When it comes to large ultrawides like this one, I always prefer the "1440p" resolution over the ultrawide equivalent of 1080p. Though it does require a bit more graphics power to run than a 16:9 1440p monitor, the higher pixel density makes for a much better image.
The monitor features a solid 144Hz refresh rate and supports AMD FreeSync. This means your games should play butter-smooth. The S3422DWG can suffer motion blur behind dark objects, but motion clarity is otherwise strong.
Despite its competitive price, the S3422DWG is an attractive monitor. It has a height-adjustable stand, two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and can even be used as a USB hub.
How Much Should You Spend on a Gaming Monitor?
If you're looking for a budget gaming monitor, a good sweet spot to aim for is around $200-$300. You can find plenty of gaming monitors that are cheaper than that, but then you start running into issues with quality. You're going to have to make compromises either way, but in general, a gaming monitor should last 3-5 years, and a $100 gaming monitor probably isn't going to do that.
In order to find a gaming monitor that hits that price tag, you'll need to know what to look for in a gaming monitor, and figure out which areas are most important to you, so you can make the right compromise for your needs.
Gamers on a tight budget don’t have to make as many sacrifices as they once did, but there’s still a need for some compromise. In general, you can go for a higher resolution, or you can go for a higher refresh rate, but you sadly won’t be able to snag both in a budget gaming monitor.
1080p remains the standard go-to resolution in budget displays. It certainly lacks the clarity of modern 4K TVs, but on the plus side, the low display resolution means you won’t need high-end hardware to play new games and achieve high frame rates. 1440p resolution is a nice upgrade, and a better overall value if you can stretch your budget. A 1440p monitor with a 27-inch screen actually has a higher pixel density than a 48-inch 4K television. However, this means a 240Hz refresh rate will no longer be affordable.
4K is available on a budget but you should expect to pay closer to $400 or to make bigger sacrifices in brightness or screen size. You should also bear in mind the higher system requirements to run 4K resolution at high frame rates. In any case, this is the compromise you must make if you want to play at 4K for as little cash as possible.
The refresh rate of budget gaming monitors is generally 60 to 240Hz, with most landing at 144Hz or 165Hz. A refresh rate of 144Hz is a great all-around choice that can handle most games with ease, but 240Hz is a noticeable upgrade for players who only care about competitive games. 360Hz is also now more in reach for cheaper gaming monitors than it used to be.
It’s important to note that a monitor’s maximum refresh rate may not be supported by every input. For example, many monitors that reach up to 165Hz will only support 144Hz over HDMI. DisplayPort is the best bet if you want to use a high refresh rate.
A monitor’s display panel technology is an important and often overlooked factor. All the monitors we recommend use either an IPS or VA panel. IPS panels are prized for motion clarity, vibrance, and responsiveness, all of which makes them great for competitive gaming. VA panels have a much better contrast ratio and far superior dark scene performance, so they’re better for games with immersive, high-end graphics.
Screen size is less of a limitation than it used to be. Our budget gaming monitor guide focuses on 27-inch options, alongside a 34-inch ultrawide. Smaller monitors (24-inch) tend to be less expensive and are also preferred by competitive gamers, who want the entire display to be firmly within their focus. Larger monitors (32-inch and up) are more immersive, but will start to lose detail if not accompanied by a higher resolution. With that said, it is possible to buy a monitor that’s too large for your desk, so make sure to measure if you’re unsure. If in doubt, a 27-inch monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio is a safe bet.
It’s wise to buy a monitor with Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync support, depending on whether you have an Nvidia or AMD video card. Many budget gaming monitors support both. My preferred picks all list the standards they support.
Finally, a note about HDR. While HDR is marketed on many affordable monitors, it unfortunately remains unimpressive on most as they only get up to a maximum 400-nits of screen brightness. A maximum brightness of 400-nits is considered "HDR compatible" because it will technically display this content but it will lack the dynamic range required to display more than SDR.
Budget Gaming Monitor FAQs
What is the best type of panel?
Budget gaming monitors typically come with either a VA or IPS panel. One of my picks is an IPS monitor with a mini-LED backlight and trumps both other panel types due to how the technology is implemented. Go with that if your budget and needs allow for it. Otherwise, the choice between VA and IPS comes down to three things: response time, colors, and contrast.
For response time and color accuracy, IPS panels are the way to go, though the former is much less of a concern than it used to be. These days, 1ms panels exist for both types. IPS monitors still tend to offer the most vivid and accurate colors, however.
For contrast, unless the monitor uses a mini-LED backlight like my top pick, VA has a major advantage. Because it doesn't use edge-lighting like IPS panels do, dark colors and blacks look much more rich. Because of this, VA panels can offer a better dynamic range.
While there is no "best," there are certainly better choices depending on what you value most in a gaming monitor.
When are gaming monitors most affordable?
The best time to buy a gaming monitor for a reasonable price (or a budget gaming monitor for even cheaper than usual) is during shopping events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. Gaming monitor deals can also pop up during Back to School sales, and major retailers usually lower the price on older models to make way for new releases.
What size gaming monitor should I get for gaming?
It’s really a matter of personal preference when choosing a gaming monitor, but there are some general rules of thumb to keep in mind. The first is the most obvious: consider your available space. You don't want to get excited for your new monitor to arrive only to find that it won't fit into your gaming space. Next, consider the resolution of the monitors you're considering and how it relates to pixel density. A 24-inch monitor is more compact and is a good fit for 1080p gaming. For 1440p, 27 to 32 inches is a good fit, offering plenty of detail and a bigger-screen gaming experience. For 4K, I recommend a minimum of 27 inches to take advantage of its higher pixel count. Also beware of 1080p monitors larger than 27-inches as each pixel becomes visible at this size, leading to a screen door effect.
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, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on X at @gamebynight.
