Top budget-friendly gaming monitor offers available right now
Cheap gaming monitor deals can be found at any given moment, and we're always keeping an eye out for them. Whether you're upgrading to a higher resolution after snagging a new graphics card or adding a second screen to your home office setup, there's usually plenty to choose from at discounted prices.
If you've just scored one of the best graphics cards, it's crucial that your monitor can deliver its optimal resolution at a decent frame rate. Otherwise, you're not getting the most out of your fancy GPU, and you're creating an unnecessary bottleneck.
For the competitive gamer, frame rate is king. Resolution be damned! Thankfully, we've spotted gaming monitors with refresh rates up to 270Hz lately, and 144Hz seems to be the new standard minimum.
Here's our list of the best cheap gaming monitor deals we've found. We've used our years of panel testing expertise to bring you this list, organized by resolution. You can also compare these to some of the best gaming monitors. While those top screens don't always go on sale, the ones on this list can offer a solid alternative if you're looking to save some cash. We'll let you know if they go on sale.
1080p
Never pay full price for a 1080p monitor, in our humble opinion. Here are some deal options for those on a budget:
- ASUS TUF VG24VQ1BY - 23.8 inches, 1080p, 165Hz, 1ms, $97.49 at Newegg (save $12.50) - This is the cheapest 1080p monitor we'd recommend right now. It's a slightly curved screen with a 1ms response time and 165Hz refresh rate, making it a solid daily driver and a great second monitor.
- Acer Nitro KG241Y P3bip - 23.8 inches, 1080p, 180Hz, 1ms, $99.99 at Newegg (save $30) - The cheapest monitor on our entire list, the Acer Nitro KG341Y P3bip is just shy of 24 inches and comes with a full HD screen capable of a 180Hz refresh rate. This could be a decent choice for a budget to mid-range rig or even a solid second monitor on a tight budget.
- Acer KC242Y - 23.8-inch, 1080p, 100Hz, VA, $99.99 at Amazon (save $18) - Ok, so it's pretty small, and a VA panel. But for this price, from a well-known and trusted manufacturer, with AMD FreeSync and a 100Hz refresh rate? It's a pretty good deal if you ask us. This would make an excellent second monitor or a pretty quick main monitor on a very tight budget.
- ASRock Phantom PG27F15RS1A - 27-inch, 1080p, 240Hz, IPS, FreeSync, $134.77 at Newegg (save $85.22) - ASRock's gaming monitors are always pretty cheap, especially during busy shopping periods. This 1080p panel offers a potent PC gaming combo, although the built-in Wi-Fi antenna might be unnecessary for some.
1440p
For those looking for a step up from 1080p, 1440p offers a balance between performance and image quality:
- ASRock Phantom PG27Q15R2A - 27-inch, 1440p, 165Hz, VA, $152.77 at Newegg (save $87.22) - ASRock's gaming monitors are always so darned cheap, we love them for that. This 1440p panel offers resolution and a rapid refresh rate for a potent PC gaming combo, though the built-in Wi-Fi antenna helps it stand out from the crowd. That's hardly essential, but could come in useful for some.
- Acer Nitro ED270U - 27-inch, 1440p, 170Hz, VA, $149.99 at Walmart (save $50) - This is a respectable brand and a respectable spec, although it might be worth holding out for an IPS panel. Still, a good price on a great little screen and more than enough for a mid-range rig to get some lovely sights.
- Acer Nitro XV271U M3bmiiprx - 27-inch, 1440p, 180Hz, IPS, $199.99 at Amazon (save $90) - This Acer monitor is a steal for competitive gamers, hitting a high refresh rate and low response time sweet spot (0.5-1ms gray-to-gray). It's the same price as the Odyssey G5 below but is better for those who prefer an IPS panel to a VA.
4K
For those with the hardware to support it, 4K offers a level of detail and sharpness that can't be beat:
- ASUS TUF VG27UQ1A - 27-inch, 4K, 160Hz, 1ms, $289 at Amazon (save $60) - The cheapest decent 4K monitor we can find right now, this ASUS TUF panel is quite small at 27 inches but still good in its own right, and plenty snappy thanks to the refresh rate and response time. It also has a good tilt angle in the base and can be wall-mounted, making it a solid choice as your primary or secondary monitor.
- Gigabyte GS27U - 27-inch, 4K, 160Hz, $329.99 at Amazon (save $20) - Gigabyte is a staple of the budget 4K monitor market, and the biggest reason it gets removed from our deals list is that it occasionally sells out. This 27-inch 4K panel is a great price, with some good specs to go alongside it.
- Gigabyte M28U - 28-inch, 4K, 144Hz, IPS, $399.99 at Newegg (save $20) - Here's a monitor we really rate from our Gigabyte M28U review. We actually loved this package for its blend of speed and resolution, even at its original $650 price tag. At this tantalizingly cheap price, it's that much better.
- Gigabyte M32UC - 32-inch, 4K, 144Hz, VA, Curved, $539.99 at Newegg (save $90) - Here's our pick for the best budget 4K gaming monitor, but now it's even cheaper. That's a deal we can't pass up. It's a gloriously simple panel with a no-frills look paired with a speedy refresh of up to 144Hz and a handy USB hub. Our Jacob uses this panel daily, and he's had no complaints with it so far.
Ultrawide
Ultrawide monitors offer a wider field of view, making them ideal for immersive gaming and multitasking:
- LG UltraGear 34GP63A-B - 34-inch, 3440x1440, 160Hz, VA, Curved, $338.99 at Amazon (save $61) - At its current price, this LG ultrawide is a genuine bargain. By comparison, Alienware's fancy QD-OLED 34-inch panel is around $800 even on sale. This LG matches its size, resolution, aspect ratio, and refresh rate for less than one-third of the price, although it is a VA panel, not an OLED. It's also not the brightest gaming monitor ever, but it is a very good deal.
- Acer Nitro EDA343CUR V3bmiippx - 34-inch, 3440x1440, 180Hz, VA, $289.99 at Amazon (save $40) - Yes, this is the Acer Nitro EDA343CUR V3bmiippx, not the Acer Nitro EDA343CUR Hbmiippx. Totally ridiculous naming, but the V3bmiippx as opposed to Hbmiippx indicates 180Hz as opposed to 100Hz. And that's a lot of Hz on a 34-inch ultrawide for well under $300.
- Samsung Odyssey G5 - 34-inch, 3440x1440, 165Hz, VA, Curved, $313.99 at Amazon (save $86) - 34-inch ultrawide 1440p gaming remains one of our firm favorites. It's a great compromise between lots of detail and decent frame rates. This Samsung panel gives you all that with 3,440 by 1,440 pixels, 165Hz refresh, and 1ms response. It's not the brightest at 250 nits. But if you can live with that, it's an awful lot of monitor for the money.
- Samsung Odyssey G9 - 49-inch, 5120x1440, 240Hz, 1ms, $769.99 at Amazon (save $230) - Okay, this monitor is definitely over the top, being a 49-inch curved ultrawide screen that costs nearly as much as a budget rig. However, for that price, you are getting a good panel, great refresh rate, and an impressive 5120x1440 resolution. It's a much more reasonable choice now that it's over $200 off.
OLED
OLED gaming monitors offer breathtaking visuals due to their excellent contrast, color accuracy, and speed:
- AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 - 27 inches, 2560x1440, 240Hz, 0.03ms, OLED, Curved, $479.99 at Amazon (save $90) - OLED really makes a huge difference to the way games look, and it's fantastic that impressive OLED monitors are finally starting to hit the more budget/mid-range price point. AOC's choice is a 1440p screen with a super high refresh rate and response time, so it not only looks great but feels fast.
- Acer Predator X27U X1Bmiiphx - 27 inches, 2560x1440, 240Hz, OLED, $499.99 at Newegg (save $100) - Both 1440p and OLED, this 27-inch monitor from Acer has almost everything you may want to pair with your rig. It's even better now that it's $150 off, making it the cheapest OLED on our entire list right now. To top it off, it comes with a 240Hz refresh rate, up to 0.01ms response time, and a solid selection of ports with a Display port, 2 HDMI ports, and USB Type-C.
- Samsung Odyssey G61SD - 27-inch, 2560x1440, 240Hz, OLED, $549.99 at Amazon (save $250) - The cheapest OLED monitor on our list, Samsung's 27-inch 240Hz screen is now over $200 off, making it the perfect choice for someone who wants their games to look great but has limited space for their monitor.
- Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ - 49-inch, 5120x1440, 144Hz, QD-OLED, Curved, $989.99 at Best Buy (save $150) - The Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ is a lot of monitor for the money, as we found in our review. Those rocking the RTX 4090 might be better off with the higher refresh rate of the Samsung Odyssey G9 G93SC, but the rest of us can take advantage of this very wide, very pretty-looking panel for a bit less.
- LG UltraGear 32GS95UE - 32-inch, 4K (240Hz @ 1080p), WOLED, $996.99 at Amazon (save $403) - There was just one thing obviously wrong with this stunning 32-inch 4K monitor when we reviewed it. The price. At $1,400, it was just so expensive. But now that it's been trimmed by a full $400+, it's much more competitive. Okay, it's still not exactly affordable. But this is one of the best 32-inch 4K gaming OLEDs available right now.
[1] monitorgateway.com/en/compare/size[2] monitorgateway.com/en/compare/resolution[3] i.redd.it/fj69uizjozq51.jpg[4] monitorgateway.com/en/comparison/1440p-vs-1080p-vs-4k#1Img
- If you've just won a best graphics card, it's crucial to bet on a monitor that can deliver its optimal resolution at a decent frame rate, otherwise you're not getting the most out of your fancy GPU, creating an unnecessary bottleneck.
- For the competitive gamer, frame rate is king. Resolution be damned! Tournaments can be won with a decent refresh rate, and 144Hz seems to be the new standard minimum.
- Fans of racing games might want to check out the ASRock Phantom PG27F15RS1A monitor, a 27-inch, 1080p, 240Hz gaming monitor with a built-in Wi-Fi antenna.
- For those looking for a step up from 1080p, the ASRock Phantom PG27Q15R2A offers a balance between performance and image quality with a 27-inch, 1440p, 165Hz, VA, panel.
- Technology advancements have made it possible to find OLED gaming monitors, like the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2, with breathtaking visuals due to their excellent contrast, color accuracy, and speed, available for less than $500.
