It’s never too early to scope out cheap gaming monitor deals. Maybe you’re upgrading to a bigger screen size or just adding a second panel to your desk. Either way, there’s a lot to consider when searching for a gaming monitor. You may favor a higher refresh rate over a 4K display for competitive gaming. Or maybe you’re ready to pull the trigger on a fancy curved ultrawide monitor and turn your workspace into the cockpit of a Formula 1 car? If you picked up one of the best graphics cards, you need to make sure it plays well with your new monitor that feature FreeSync or G-Sync options. Most importantly, you should make sure you have the features most important to you.
We’ve put together a list of all the best cheap gaming monitor deals this month. You can even see how they compared against some of the best gaming monitors. They don’t always go on sale but when they do we will be sure to let you know.
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Our favorite gaming monitors
1. ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q
The best gaming monitor with G-Sync
Screen size: 27-inch | Panel type: IPS | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Response time: 4ms | Refresh rate: 144Hz (overclocks to 165Hz) | Weight: 15.4 lbs
Tremendously quick refresh rates
Very low input lag for an IPS display
1440p with 144Hz refresh rate, overclockable to 165Hz
Demands an Nvidia graphics card in order to use G-Sync
Hits the wallet
In our eyes, the top gaming monitor out there right now is the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q. This 27-inch monitor has a 2560×1440 resolution—which we currently consider the sweet spot for high-end gaming—and it offers substantially more pixels than 1080p without being as demanding as a 4K panel. This results in games looking super sharp at 27 inches, but the display won’t bring a good GPU down. In addition to this, higher than 60Hz refresh rates are still doable—something not possible on the current crop of 4K displays.
Much like its main competition—the Acer Predator XB271HU—the PG279Q is an IPS panel with a refresh rate that can be boosted to 165Hz. (It’s worth noting, though, that the difference between 144Hz and 165Hz is negligible.) Inputs include one HDMI 1.4 and one DisplayPort 1.2a, and the monitor also features Nvidia’s G-Sync technology for variable refresh rates (assuming you’re using an Nvidia graphics card). If you’re an AMD user, however, you won’t benefit from G-Sync and should probably consider the FreeSync monitor.
Unfortunately, and a bit predictably, the biggest drawback to this great monitor is its price, and while you can find it below the $800/£700 mark, it is not by much currently. However, we consider a monitor an excellent investment in your PC setup, and you never want to buy something you’ll have to replace in two years; you want to buy a terrific monitor that will still be going strong in five or so years, ideally. There are 144Hz IPS monitors similar to Asus’s offering, but with FreeSync instead of G-Sync. The Asus ROG Swift PG279Q, however, is the best choice, and all its bang will be worth every one of your bucks.
2. Acer Predator XB273K
A quality and value for money 4K and HDR gaming monitor
Screen size: 27-inch | Panel type: IPS | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Response time: 4ms | Refresh rate: 144Hz | Weight: 15.9 pounds
Brilliantly detailed pictures
Offers fast refresh and response times
Excellent value for a high spec monitor
HDR is not the highest
The newest Acer Predator X model is a beast of a screen. The XB273K has a flat IPS panel with the ability to kick out 4K and HDR while retaining a 144Hz refresh rate and a 4ms response time is quite the thing and, to be fair, you do pay for the tech. It looks lovely in any gaming set-up, and even has neat little extras like privacy panels to keep the sunlight out, and a glowing ASUS logo beneath the main panel.
It performs superbly, offering finely detailed images, rich colors, and a superbly smooth picture across all games. We tried it out with games that offered both vibrant colors and large vistas, like AC Odyssey, and tight, dark titles like Metro and the XB273 manhandled them all with precision. Yes, it’s expensive, and will regularly clock in over $1000, but that’s far less than the previous X27 model and what you get here is very, very similar in terms of performance. It’s a big investment, but anyone looking for a serious gaming monitor for a serious gaming set-up is advised to take a punt.
3. ASUS MG279Q
The best Freesync gaming monitor
Screen size: 27-inch | Panel type: IPS | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Response time: 4ms | Refresh rate: 144Hz | Weight: 15.9 lbs
Exceptional picture quality straight from the box
IPS, 144Hz, 2560×1440
No blur reduction function
Adaptive refresh range is limited to 35-90Hz
For those AMD users who want a FreeSync display, there is no better monitor than the Asus MG279Q. It’s a 1440p IPS screen that can refresh up to 144Hz, but because it uses the open FreeSync technology instead of G-Sync, it’s not as pricey.
The base design makes for a sturdy monitor while also allowing for plenty of tilting, pivoting, and height adjustments, and the bezel is pretty thin, which is suitable for a 27-inch monitor that already takes up a bit of space. It also has a light anti-gloss coating: —something that some older IPS displays went too heavy on, which resulted in affecting the image quality, but it works very well on the MG279Q.
Due to the great IPS screen, colors look fabulous even from off-angles, and the contrast ratio is fantastic too. Elsewhere, the ability to support multiple inputs offers excellent flexibility, particularly to those who might want to add a second system like a console. This is thanks to the presence of the internal scaler—one of the main differences between G-Sync and FreeSync. With no other IPS FreeSync displays that can match the MG279Q on specs, this is a terrific monitor and easily the best choice for those that have an AMD graphics card.