g sync lcd panel brands

The best G-Sync monitors make for a silky smooth gaming experience. This is because a G-Sync monitor will synchronize the frame rate to the output of your graphics card. The end result is a tear-free experience. This is just as great for high frame rates as it is for sub-60fps too, so you"re covered for whatever games you love to play.

But what is G-Sync tech? For the uninitiated, G-Sync is Nvidia"s name for its frame synchronization technology. It makes use of dedicated silicon in the monitor so it can match your GPU"s output to your gaming monitor"s refresh rate, for the smoothest gaming experience. It removes a whole load of guesswork in getting the display settings right, especially if you have an older GPU. The catch is that the tech only works with Nvidia GPUs.

G-Sync Ready or G-Sync Compatible monitors can be found, too. They"re often cheaper, but the monitors themselves don"t have dedicated G-Sync silicon inside them. You can still use G-Sync, but for best results, you want a screen that"s certified by Nvidia(opens in new tab).

Here"s where things might get a little complicated: G-Sync features do work with AMD"s adaptive FreeSync tech monitors, but not the other way around. If you have an AMD graphics card, you"ll for sure want to check out the best FreeSync monitors(opens in new tab) along with checking our overall best gaming monitors(opens in new tab) for any budget.

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Brand new gaming monitor technology comes at a premium, and the Asus ROG Swift PH32UQX proves that point. As the world"s first Mini-LED gaming monitor, it sets a precedent for both performance and price, delivering extremely impressive specs for an extreme price tag.

The PG32UQX is easily one of the best panels I"ve used to date. The colors are punchy yet accurate and that insane brightness earns the PG32UQX the auspicious DisplayHDR 1400 certification. However, since these are LED zones and not self-lit pixels like an OLED, you won"t get those insane blacks for infinite contrast.

Mini-LED monitors do offer full-array local dimming (FALD) for precise backlight control, though. What that means for the picture we see is extreme contrast from impressive blacks to extremely bright DisplayHDR 1400 spec.If you want to brag with the best G-Sync gaming monitor around, this is the way to do it.

Beyond brightness, you can also expect color range to boast about. The colors burst with life and the dark hides ominous foes for you to slay in your quest for the newest loot.

Of course, at 4K you"ll need the equivalent of one of the best gaming PCs(opens in new tab) to get 144fps. I did get Doom Eternal to cross the 144Hz barrier in 4K HDR using an RTX 3080 and boy was it marvelous.

That rapid 144Hz refresh rate is accompanied by HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports, along with two USB 3.1 ports join the action, with a further USB 2.0 sitting on the top of the monitor to connect your webcam.

As for its G-Sync credentials, the ROG Swift delivers G-Sync Ultimate, which is everything a dedicated G-Sync chip can offer in terms of silky smooth performance and support for HDR. So if you want to brag with the best G-Sync gaming monitor around, this is the way to do it. However, scroll on for some more realistic recommendations in terms of price.

OLED has truly arrived on PC, and in ultrawide format no less. Alienware"s 34 QD-OLED is one of very few gaming monitors to receive such a stellar score from us, and it"s no surprise. Dell has nailed the OLED panel in this screen and it"s absolutely gorgeous for PC gaming. Although this monitor isn’t perfect, it is dramatically better than any LCD-based monitor by several gaming-critical metrics. And it’s a genuine thrill to use.

What that 34-inch, 21:9 panel can deliver in either of its HDR modes—HDR 400 True Black or HDR Peak 1000—is nothing short of exceptional. The 3440 x 1440 native resolution image it produces across that gentle 1800R curve is punchy and vibrant. With 99.3% coverage of the demanding DCI-P3 colour space, and fully 1,000 nits brightness, it makes a good go, though that brightness level can only be achieved on a small portion of the panel.

Still, there’s so much depth, saturation and clarity to the in-game image thanks to that per-pixel lighting, but this OLED screen needs to be in HDR mode to do its thing. And that applies to SDR content, too. HDR Peak 1000 mode enables that maximum 1,000 nit performance in small areas of the panel but actually looks less vibrant and punchy most of the time.The Alienware 34 QD-OLED"s response time is absurdly quick at 0.1ms.

HDR 400 True Black mode generally gives the best results, after you jump into the Windows Display Settings menu and crank the SDR brightness up, it looks much more zingy.

Burn-in is the great fear and that leads to a few quirks. For starters, you’ll occasionally notice the entire image shifting by a pixel or two. The panel is actually overprovisioned with pixels by about 20 in both axes, providing plenty of leeway. It’s a little like the overprovisioning of memory cells in an SSD and it allows Alienware to prevent static elements from “burning” into the display over time.

Latency is also traditionally a weak point for OLED, and while we didn’t sense any subjective issue with this 175Hz monitor, there’s little doubt that if your gaming fun and success hinges on having the lowest possible latency, there are faster screens available. You can only achieve the full 175Hz with the single DisplayPort input, too.

The Alienware 34 QD-OLED"s response time is absurdly quick at 0.1ms, and it cruised through our monitor testing suite. You really notice that speed in-game, too.

There"s no HDMI 2.1 on this panel, however. So it"s probably not the best fit for console gaming as a result. But this is PC Gamer, and if you"re going to hook your PC up to a high-end gaming monitor, we recommend it be this one.

4K gaming is a premium endeavor. You need a colossal amount of rendering power to hit decent frame rates at such a high resolution. But if you"re rocking a top-shelf graphics card, like an RTX 3080(opens in new tab), RTX 3090(opens in new tab), or RX 6800 XT(opens in new tab) then this dream can be a reality, at last. While the LG 27GN950-B is a fantastic gaming panel, it"s also infuriatingly flawed.

The LG UltraGear is the first 4K, Nano IPS, gaming monitor with 1ms response times, that"ll properly show off your superpowered GPU. Coming in with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync adaptive refresh compatibility, this slick slim-bezel design even offers LG’s Sphere Lighting 2.0 RGB visual theatrics.

And combined with the crazy-sharp detail that comes with the 4K pixel grid, that buttery smooth 144Hz is pretty special.The color fidelity of the NanoIPS panel is outstanding.

While it does suffer with a little characteristic IPS glow. It appears mostly at the screen extremities when you’re spying darker game scenes, but isn"t an issue most of the time. The HDR is a little disappointing as, frankly, 16 edge-lit local dimming zones do not a true HDR panel make.

What is most impressive, however, is the Nano IPS tech that offers a wider color gamut and stellar viewing angles. And the color fidelity of the NanoIPS panel is outstanding.

The LG UltraGear 27GN950-B bags you a terrific panel with exquisite IPS image quality. Despite the lesser HDR capabilities, it also nets beautiful colors and contrast for your games too. G-Sync offers stable pictures and smoothness, and the speedy refresh rate and response times back this up too.

The MSI Optix MPG321UR is kitted out for high-speed 4K gaming, and it absolutely delivers. Despite the price point this monitor doesn’t have a physical G-Sync chip, it is officially certified and has been tested by Nvidia to hit the necessary standards for G-Sync compatibility. It does also offer FreeSync Premium Pro certification, as well as DCI-P3 RGB color space and sRGB.

That makes this a versatile piece of kit, and that 3840 x 2160 resolution is enough to prevent any pixelation across this generous, 32-inch screen. The 16:9 panel doesn"t curve, but does offer a professional-level, sub 1ms grey-to-grey (GTG) response rate.

Sadly, there"s been no effort to build in any custom variable overdrive features, so you’ll have to expect you"ll get artifacts on fast moving objects.

Still, the MSI Optix MPG321UR does come with a 600nit peak brightness, and Vesa HDR 600 certification, alongside 97% DCI-P3 colour reproduction capabilities. All this goes toward an amazingly vibrant screen that"s almost accurate enough to be used for professional colour grading purposes.

The Optix is one of MSI"s more recent flagship models, so you know you"re getting serious quality and performance. Its panel looks gorgeous, even at high speeds, managing a 1ms GTG response time.

Though MSI"s Optix is missing a physical G-Sync chip, it"ll still run nicely with any modern Nvidia GPU, or AMD card if you happen to have one of those lying around.

The Xeneon is Corsair"s attempt at breaking into the gaming monitor market. To do that, the company has opted for 32 inches of IPS panel at 1440p resolution. Once again we"re looking at a FreeSync Premium monitor that has been certified to work with GeForce cards by Nvidia.

It pretty much nails the sweetspot for real-world gaming, what with 4K generating such immense levels of GPU load and ultrawide monitors coming with their own set of limitations.

The 2,560 by 1,440 pixel native resolution combined with the 32-inch 16:9 aspect panel proportions translate into sub-100DPI pixel density. That’s not necessarily a major problem in-game. But it does make for chunky pixels in a broader computing context.It‘s punchy, vibrant, and well-calibrated.

Here, you"re looking at a swanky cast aluminum stand, which adjusts for height, tilt, and swivel, and is a definite cut above the norm for build quality. The OSD menu UI is clearer and more logical than many, too, and those unusually high levels of polish and refinement extend yet further.

That sub-3ms response, combined with a 165Hz refresh, means the thing isn"t a slouch when it comes to gaming capability, though there are certainly more impressive gaming monitors out there.

The two HDMI 2.0 sockets are limited to 144Hz, and the DisplayPort 1.4 interface is predictable enough. But the USB Type-C with power delivery for a single cable connection with charging to a laptop is a nice extra. Or, at least, it would be if the charging power wasn’t limited to a mere 15W, which is barely enough for something like a MacBook Air, let alone a gaming laptop.

The core image quality is certainly good, though. It‘s punchy, vibrant, and well-calibrated. And while it"s quite pricey for a 1440p model, it delivers all it sets out to with aplomb. On the whole, the Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 doesn’t truly excel at anything, but it"s still a worthy consideration in 2022.

Housing Nvidia’s tech alongside a 4K resolution and HDR tech means that this is an absolute beast of a monitor that will give you the best of, well, everything. And by everything, we mean everything.

The XB273K’s gaming pedigree is obvious the second you unbox it: it is a 27-inch, G-Sync compatible, IPS screen, that boasts a 4ms gray-to-gray response rate, and a 144Hz refresh rate. While that may not sound like a heck of a lot compared to some of today"s monitors, it also means you can bag it for a little less.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey looked glorious. This monitor gave up an incredibly vivid showing, and has the crispest of image qualities to boot; no blurred or smudged edges to see and each feature looks almost perfectly defined and graphically identified.The contrasts are particularly strong with any colors punching through the greys and blacks.

Particular highlights are the way water effects, lighting, reflections and sheens are presented, but there is equal enjoyment to be had from landscape features, the people, and urban elements. All further benefiting from a widespread excellence in color, contrast, shades (and shadows), and tones.

The contrasts are particularly strong with any colors punching through the greys and blacks. However, the smaller details here are equally good, down to clothing detail, skin tone and complexion, and facial expressions once again. There is an immersion-heightening quality to the blacks and grays of the Metro and those games certainly don’t feel five years old on the XB273K.

The buttons to access the menu are easy enough to use, and the main stick makes it particularly simple to navigate. And the ports you have available increase your ability to either plug and go or adapt to your machines’ needs: an HDMI; DisplayPort and five USB 3.0 ports are at your service.

The Predator XB273K is one for those who want everything now and want to future-proof themselves in the years ahead. It might not have the same HDR heights that its predecessor, the X27, had, but it offers everything else for a much-reduced price tag. Therefore, the value it provides is incredible, even if it is still a rather sizeable investment.

The best just got a whole lot better. That’s surely a foregone conclusion for the new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. After all, the original Odyssey G9 was already Samsung’s tip-top gaming monitor. Now it’s been given the one upgrade it really needed. Yup, the Neo G9 is packing a mini-LED backlight.

Out of the box, it looks identical to the old G9. Deep inside, however, the original G9’s single most obvious shortcoming has been addressed. And then some. The Neo G9 still has a fantastic VA panel. But its new backlight doesn’t just have full-array rather than edge-lit dimming.

It packs a cutting-edge mini-LED tech with no fewer than 2,048 zones. This thing is several orders of magnitude more sophisticated than before. As if that wasn’t enough, the Neo G9’s peak brightness has doubled to a retina-wrecking 2,000 nits. What a beast.

The problem with any backlight-based rather than per-pixel local dimming technology is that compromises have to be made. Put another way, an algorithm has to decide how bright any given zone should be based on the image data. The results are never going to be perfect.

Visible halos around small, bright objects are the sort of issue you expect from full-array dimming. But the Neo G9 has its own, surprisingly crude, backlight-induced image quality issues. Admittedly, they’re most visible on the Windows desktop rather than in-game or watching video.Graphics-heavy titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Witcher III are what the G9 does best.

If you position a bright white window next to an all-black window, the adjacent edge of the former visibly dims. Or let’s say you move a small, bright object over a dark background. The same thing happens. The small, bright object dims. Even uglier, if something like a bright dialogue box pops up across the divide between light and dark elements, the result is a gradient of brightness across the box.

All this applies to both SDR and HDR modes and, on the Windows desktop, it’s all rather messy and distracting. Sure, this monitor isn’t designed for serious content creation or office work. But at this price point, it’s surely a serious flaw.

Still, that 1000R curve, huge 49-inch proportions, and relatively high resolution combine to deliver an experience that few, if any, screens can match. Graphics-heavy titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Witcher III are what the G9 does best. In that context, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 delivers arguably the best visual experience on the PC today.

In practice, the Neo G9’s mini-LED creates as many problems as it solves. We also can’t help but observe that, at this price point, you have so many options. The most obvious alternative, perhaps, is a large-format 120Hz OLED TV with HDMI 2.1 connectivity.

G-Sync gaming monitor FAQWhat is the difference in G-Sync and G-Sync Compatible?G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate monitors come with a bespoke G-Sync processor, which enables a full variable refresh rate range and variable overdrive. G-Sync Compatible monitors don"t come with this chip, and that means they may have a more restricted variable refresh rate range.

Fundamentally, though, all G-Sync capable monitors offer a smoother gaming experience than those without any frame-syncing tech.Should I go for a FreeSync or G-Sync monitor?In general, FreeSync monitors will be cheaper. It used to be the case that they would only work in combination with an AMD GPU. The same went for G-Sync monitors and Nvidia GPUs. Nowadays, though, it is possible to find G-Sync compatible FreeSync monitors(opens in new tab) if you"re intent on spending less.Should I go for an IPS, TN or VA panel?We would always recommend an IPS panel over TN(opens in new tab). The clarity of image, viewing angle, and color reproduction are far superior to the cheaper technology, but you"ll often find a faster TN for cheaper. The other alternative, less expensive than IPS and better than TN, is VA tech. The colors aren"t quite so hot, but the contrast performance is impressive.

The speed at which the screen refreshes. For example, 144Hz means the display refreshes 144 times a second. The higher the number, the smoother the screen will appear when you play games.

Graphics tech synchronizes a game"s framerate with your monitor"s refresh rate to help prevent screen tearing by syncing your GPU frame rate to the display"s maximum refresh rate. Turn V-Sync on in your games for a smoother experience, but you"ll lose information, so turn it off for fast-paced shooters (and live with the tearing). Useful if you have an older model display that can"t keep up with a new GPU.

G-SyncNvidia"s frame synching tech that works with Nvidia GPUs. It basically allows the monitor to sync up with the GPU. It does by showing a new frame as soon as the GPU has one ready.

AMD"s take on frame synching uses a similar technique as G-Sync, with the biggest difference being that it uses DisplayPort"s Adaptive-Sync technology which doesn"t cost monitor manufacturers anything.

When movement on your display leaves behind a trail of pixels when watching a movie or playing a game, this is often a result of a monitor having slow response times.

The amount of time it takes a pixel to transition to a new color and back. Often referenced as G2G or Grey-to-Grey. Slow response times can lead to ghosting. A suitable range for a gaming monitor is between 1-4 milliseconds.

TN PanelsTwisted-nematic is the most common (and cheapest) gaming panel. TN panels tend to have poorer viewing angles and color reproduction but have higher refresh rates and response times.

IPSIn-plane switching, panels offer the best contrast and color despite having weaker blacks. IPS panels tend to be more expensive and have higher response times.

VAVertical Alignment panels provide good viewing angles and have better contrast than even IPS but are still slower than TN panels. They are often a compromise between a TN and IPS panel.

HDRHigh Dynamic Range. HDR provides a wider color range than normal SDR panels and offers increased brightness. The result is more vivid colors, deeper blacks, and a brighter picture.

ResolutionThe number of pixels that make up a monitor"s display, measured by height and width. For example: 1920 x 1080 (aka 1080p), 2560 x 1440 (2K), and 3840 x 2160 (4K).Round up of today"s best deals

NVIDIA G-SYNC Displays with Reflex have the world’s first and only system latency measurement tool that detect clicks coming from Reflex compatible mice and measure the time for the resulting pixels (gun muzzle flash) to change on screen. With tear-free refresh rates up to 360 Hz, exceptional responsiveness, built-in esports mode, and stunning image quality, NVIDIA G-SYNC® displays will change the way you look at competitive gaming.

Only the best G-Sync monitor for you, your setup, and your budget will ensure you"re getting the most out of your Nvidia graphics card. These screens will combine Nvidia"s stellar anti-screen tearing and image stabilization technology with the vivid color palette and viewing angles afforded by the top dogs on the market right now.

Nvidia G-Sync is the manufacturer"s proprietary technology to synchronize the video outputted by your graphics card with the native refresh rate of your gaming monitor. As the name would imply, it"s a suited-up version of V-sync (vertical sync) optimized specifically for the hardware, and games/software, that accommodate its usage. G-Sync effectively completely eradicates ghosting, screen tearing, visual artifacts, and other inconsistencies that can occur when not implemented, which becomes all the more of a necessity when gaming in higher frame rates on one of the best gaming monitors.

Marrying up your gaming PC to the best G-sync monitors on the market is essential to getting the absolute greatest performance out of some of the best graphics cards for gaming right now, especially the newest RTX 30 series from Nvidia, to push the company"s core functionality - such as DLSS, adaptive ray tracing, Nvidia Reflex and other features to the forefront of your gaming experience.

Due to how Nvidia G-Sync is set to work with GTX and RTX series graphics cards, these monitors can carry a higher price tag than what we typically see with their AMD FreeSync equivalents. And while the GSync-compatible-FreeSync market has grown and offers great contenders, there"s nothing like the real thing is there? We"ve rounded up all the best G-sync monitors for great price points in a wide variety of styles and functions to ensure the optimal setup for your battle station.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

It’s been an awfully long time coming. But with the new Alienware 34 AW3423DW, OLED technology has finally come to the best G-Sync monitors for gaming. And, boy, does it deliver. This screen has better contrast and a faster response than any LCD panel we’ve ever seen. It looks richer, more convincing, and more immersive, it’s faster, it’s sharper, it’s clearer.

It’s not absolutely perfect. The supposedly brighter HDR 1000 mode actually results in a duller image most of the time than the more usable HDR 400 setting. You will rarely if ever see the full 1,000 nits. The low pixel density also means this isn’t a great choice for an all-purpose display. It’s likewise not a good fit for console gaming. And strictly speaking, higher refresh panels will offer better latency. But for most types of gaming, it’s an absolute revelation. Concerns involving OLED burn-in do linger, a little. If that proves unfounded, OLED could take off on the PC in a big way.

This is a great G-Sync monitor, and one that doesn"t add quite as much of a premium to its price for the luxury of offering the tech. The Acer XB241H tones everything down ever so slightly in terms of resolution, screen size and panel type but the subsequent changes are combined to make one of the best G-sync monitors that won"t destroy your bank balance.

The XB241H is a 24-inch monitor that has a 1080p resolution on a TN panel. It offers the oft-seen 144Hz refresh rate as standard but, as it"s a TN panel, can offer much faster response times - it comes in at just 1ms. Lightning. Its port setup could be seen to be a bit stingy though: it only has one HDMI and one DisplayPort. However, the price point of the monitor combined with the G-Sync, as well as all the above genuinely good gaming specs and pedigree that Acer offers means you will not be disappointed by this wonderful, smaller monitor. If you had to get two 24-inchers for a multi-monitor setup then I couldn"t think of any better model to go for.

This is a beastly monitor in almost every respect. This is the most expensive and chock-full of quality specs model on this list and offers pretty much the best G-Sync monitor going right now if you have a big budget (but not crazy big) - thus there is still some value to this monitor"s price tag and what it gets you.

The headline spec for the Acer XB273K is that it is a 4K gaming monitor - a whopping resolution of 3840 x 2160. The second headliner is that it"s a 4K monitor that also offers HDR. High dynamic range really takes colors and contrasts to another level, and until relatively recently was limited to our TVs only. Now it"s a welcome addition to gaming monitors. On top of that, the XB273K offers that sweet G-Sync and applies it to an IPS panels capable of 144Hz refresh and 4ms response. For a 4K monitor, this is exquisite. You"ll need a beastly PC to really push the monitor to use all its bells and whistles to its maximum but anything remotely close will be a true treat too.

If we"re really strict, the HDR is fine, but not mind-blowing. However, if you really wanted to chase the HDR dream, you"d be looking at adding hundreds more to the price so that"s why this is your best bet to get a 4K HDR G-Sync monitor in terms of value and what you get for your money.

(Small note: this monitor has two different variants which are very similarly named so note which one it is you"re interrogating through the links below. One is G-Sync "proper" and one is G-Sync compatible - they are both very good!)

The price tag of this monitor will raise eyebrows quickly but when you cram so much quality tech into one monitor, the price is expected to be lofty. But that"s also because its a premium worth paying for and will likely last many, many years to come. It"s a quality monitor in its own right before you get to the fact that its G-Sync and 4K. And you can boost the refresh rate to 144Hz and above, plus it"s a great desk-size of 27-inches, has HDR and is well suited to a multi-device setup. It really is the whole package and, as a result, one of the best G-Sync monitors going if you have a large budget to play with.

However, along with the price tag which will be too high for most, the other downside is more "invisible" at first: you"ll need a beast of a machine to enjoy PC gaming beyond 60Hz at the 4K resolution. That"s why this is a great multi-device G-Sync monitor, though consoles won"t make use of the G-Sync good-ness. Nonetheless, if you"re after the most premium G-Sync monitor then this is it, and if you have a machine to make use of everything it can offer, then kudos to you.

Our variant of the X38 - there are a couple floating about so make sure to interrogate the specs list to make sure you get the one you"re after - is the X38 Pbmiphzx model and features a whole bunch of gaming-focused specs that produce a glorious ultrawide playing experience. The screen is a 38-inch Agile-splendor IPS panel, and there"s a 1ms GtG response time, and a 175Hz refresh rate which is plenty fast enough for such a sizeable ultrawide monitor. Throw in G-Sync functionality too and you are flying with the smoothest images. The image quality is beautiful, crisp, and vibrant (despite a "just OK" HDR performance), and the amount of game, landscape, or spreadsheet you can take in is spectacular.

The gentle curve of 2300R is nowhere near as harsh or aggressive as those going for the 1000R measure, but the immersion doesn"t really get impacted by this - there"s just so much screen to take in, and your eyes are really blessed.

I really value the extra inches of screen compared to the 34- or 35-inch ultrawide monitors that colleagues have, and the extra height, as well as width, makes it a great monitor for work as well ensuring there"s plenty of space no matter the task. It"s even comfortably light enough to be mounted on a monitor arm despite its size. It has gaming at its forefront, but the Acer Predator X38 is easily one of the best ultrawide monitors whatever you"ll use one for.

Yeah, we"re cheating a bit here as this is "only" G-Sync compatible, but it is so good it;"s worthy of inclusion, but you should always keep your options and mind open too - even when considering the best G-Sync monitors.

1440p has been the sweet spot for PC gaming for several years. But the Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 stretches the appeal of 1440p to breaking point courtesy of its 32-inch proportions and premium pricing. We found it to be a very nicely calibrated panel with excellent colour coverage thanks to the use of quantum dot technology in its backlight. It’s also pretty quick, with sub-3ms GtG pixel response and user-configurable overdrive, not to mention 165Hz refresh. But it’s not exceptional by any of those measures. And at this price point, it needs to be.

Now, wait a minute. We know what you might be thinking - and we are bending the definition of "monitor" a little by including the 48-inch LG C1 here - but the modern ranges of LG Tvs are genuinely awesome as gaming screens, and that includes as gaming monitors.

As well as having that beautiful LG OLED panel, it"s gotta ll the gaming specs a modern gamer could need - especially one with multiple devices, and someone who isn"t always chasing the ridiculously fast refresh rates. There"s HDMI 2.1, there"s that all-important G-Sync, a super-low response time (thanks, OLEDs) and genuine HDR chops too.

The C1 is almost certainly the OLED screen every new-gen gamer will be lusting after now and, for us, it"s also one of the best G-Sync monitors as a result.

With four 4K 120Hz-capable HDMI inputs, plus a dedicated Game Optimizer control panel, it takes playtime nearly as seriously as we do and immediately gave us a great experience in testing. We found a superb, premium image quality, which leans more heavily on AI smarts than we’ve seen to date, which is spectacular, both with native 4K and up-scaled HD, and something that presents games incredibly beautifully. Offering deep blacks, vibrant hues, and almost three-dimensional levels of details, this is an OLED to be ogled.

We also found that motion handling has had a tweak. TruMotion Smooth is still around if you like a slick interpolated look, but there’s also a Cinematic Movement option that does something clever with frame merging, so movies always look filmic. It works well. HDR performance is also extremely good. The C1 supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HGiG, and HLG, but there’s no support for HDR10+ which we find a bit disappointing.

While 48-inches might still be a bit big, we reckon the likes of the LG C1 will pave the way for more desktop-friendly sizes of OLED TV-gaming monitor mixes to come in the near future.

The second of the curved options on the list, this Alienware monitor is an equally great 21:9 option as the AOC above. It feels slightly more compact tho with its 34-inch monitor and its sleek design - the aesthetic is true to Alienware"s heritage and reputation of awesome-looking gaming hardware and is a great looking thing in and of itself, let alone when displaying in-game pictures beautifully.

The G-Sync on this great monitor combines wonderfully with the 120Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time to offer some solid gaming speed specs that you can have confidence in. The ports are pretty standard - one HDMI and one DisplayPort - but the 1900R curve is really a thing of beauty and allows for great viewing angles.

The user-experience, cold, hard specs, and design that this monitor offers, as well as its slick design may win over some who want to splash out a bit on a curved, G-Sync monitor. If you are OK with stomaching the slight Alienware premium that the monitor demands, too. If you"re a fan of keeping your equipment on brand, then this would be one of the best G-sync monitors to pair up with an Alienware PC or laptop(opens in new tab).

Now, we know this is being a little loose with the term "G-Sync" as this wonderful panel is only of the compatible variety not the full fat. However such is the prevalence and now quality of those G-Sync compatible monitors, we thing it"s worth noting in this conversation.

For most gamers, 1440p and 144Hz is the current sweet spot; the best compromise between speed and visual detail. However, for esports aficionados, it’s all about frame rates and response. This is where the Acer Predator XB253QGX comes in.

Resolution-wise, it’s only 1080p from a 25-inch panel. But it clocks in at fully 240Hz refresh and is good for an ultra-low MPRT pixel response time of 0.5ms (GtG response is 1ms claimed). The Predator is also Nvidia G-Sync capable. HDR support is entry-level stuff in the form of DisplayHDR 400 certification. But that at least ensures punchy peak brightness of 400cd/m2.

The IPS panel tech likewise makes for more accurate and vibrant colours than an equivalent TN screen. For online shooters right through from Counter-Strike: Source to Call of Duty: Warzone, this panel is a peach. It’s very quick and blur-free and feels super responsive - thus showing that it can be one of the best G-Sync monitors, even with it being limited to being "only" G-Sync compatible.

It’s less impressive rendering the latest eye candy in the likes of Cyberpunk 2077. The relatively low res makes for much fuzzier image quality than 1440p or 4K panels. But if speed is what you demand, the Acer Predator XB253QGX does that better than most while not entirely giving up on image quality.

If you"re looking to try your luck for individual Nvidia RTX 30 series GPUs, then these are the best places to find out about the latest stock and availability in their various forms.Is a G-Sync monitor worth buying?In short, yes. Marrying your Nvidia graphics card with a screen that"s been made with that component in mind is one of the best methods of enhancing your setup. It will mean you"ll get even smoother screen pictures, less screen tearing, and more stable framerates even when there is fluctuation.

While it was once a bonus feature, and one that had its own cost and premium, it can be affordable nowadays and so, if your budget allows, we wholeheartedly recommend getting G-Sync on your gaming monitor.Do I need G-Sync with 144Hz refresh rate?Having G-Sync will mean that your gaming at high refresh levels of 144Hz (or anywhere north of 60Hz really) will likely be free of even the east bad frames per second fluctuations and will ensure you have smooth pictures. So, while it"s not essential to have G-Sync on your 144Hz panel, if you do, you"ll be guaranteeing better and smoother picture quality.Do pro players use G-Sync?A whole host of pros do indeed use G-Sync monitors! Such is its fame and such are the genuine benefits it provides in terms of guaranteeing smooth pictures uninterrupted by screen tears or stutters.

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The Dell Alienware AW3423DW is the best G-SYNC monitor that we"ve tested. It"s an excellent gaming monitor with a ton of features, and while it"s starting to become more available at various retailers, it"s best to buy it directly through Dell"s website. It"s an ultrawide display, which provides an advantage if you play atmospheric or FPS games, as you can see more of your screen at once. It has a 3440x1440 resolution and a 34-inch screen, and it delivers exceptional picture quality as it has a QD-OLED panel with perfect black levels in black rooms, but it doesn"t look as good in bright rooms because the black levels raise. It also displays a wide range of colors and gets bright for a satisfying HDR experience if you play HDR games.

In terms of gaming performance, it has a near-instantaneous response time that results in minimal motion blur behind fast-moving objects, and it has low enough input lag for a responsive gaming experience. It also has a 175Hz refresh rate that you can achieve over a DisplayPort connection, and like many native G-SYNC monitors, you can use its G-SYNC VRR support either through DisplayPort or HDMI connections.

There are four different possibilities of results for this test. Each result tells us something different about the monitor, and while native FreeSync monitors can still work with NVIDIA graphics cards, there are a few extra advantages you get with a native G-SYNC monitor too.

No:Some displays simply aren"t compatible with NVIDIA"s G-SYNC technology as there"s screen tearing. This is becoming increasingly rare, as most monitors at least work with G-SYNC.

Compatible (NVIDIA Certified):NVIDIA officially certifies some monitors to work with their G-SYNC compatible program, and you can see the full list of certified monitors here. On certified displays, G-SYNC is automatically enabled when connected to at least a 10-series NVIDIA card over DisplayPort. NVIDIA tests them for compatibility issues and only certifies displays that work perfectly out of the box, but they lack the G-SYNC hardware module found on native G-SYNC monitors.

The simplest way to validate that a display is officially G-SYNC compatible is to check the "Set up G-SYNC" menu from the NVIDIA Control Panel. G-SYNC will automatically be enabled for a certified compatible display, and it"ll say "G-SYNC Compatible" under the monitor name. Most of the time, this works only over DisplayPort, but with newer GPUs, it"s also possible to enable G-SYNC over HDMI with a few monitors and TVs, but these are relatively rare.

Compatible (Tested):Monitors that aren"t officially certified but still have the same "Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible" setting in the NVIDIA Control Panel get "Compatible (Tested)" instead of "NVIDIA Certified". However, you"ll see on the monitor name that there isn"t a certification here. There isn"t a difference in performance between the two sets of monitors, and there could be different reasons why it isn"t certified by NVIDIA, including NVIDIA simply not testing it. As long as the VRR support works over its entire refresh rate range, the monitor works with an NVIDIA graphics card.

Yes (Native):Displays that natively support G-SYNC have a few extra features when paired with an NVIDIA graphics card. They can dynamically adjust their overdrive to match the content, ensuring a consistent gaming experience. Some high refresh rate monitors also support the NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer to measure the latency of your entire setup.

Like with certified G-SYNC compatible monitors, G-SYNC is automatically enabled on Native devices. Instead of listing them as G-SYNC Compatible in the "Set up G-SYNC page", Native monitors are identified as simply "G-SYNC Capable" below the monitor name. We don"t specify if it has a standard G-SYNC certification or G-SYNC Ultimate, as both are considered the same for this testing.

For this test, we ensure G-SYNC is enabled from the NVIDIA Control Panel and use the NVIDIA Pendulum Demo to ensure G-SYNC is working correctly. If we have any doubts, we"ll check with a few games to ensure it"s working with real content.

Gaming monitor options keep growing with new brands, features, and ever-growing capabilities. It"s an exciting time to be a PC gamer, but that also means that selecting the best gaming monitor for your rig is growing more complicated every day. The selection can be overwhelming, from screen-smoothing technologies (Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync) to ultra-fast refresh rates that can reach a mind-blowing 360 Hz.

For pixel addicts, there are dense 4K screens that are just as hard on your wallet as they are on the latest graphics cards. Thankfully, we have plenty of excellent picks for you to upgrade your tired old monitor.

Why you can trust Tom"s HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

When seeking the best gaming monitor for your rig, there are different panel types vying for your eyeballs — IPS(opens in new tab), TN(opens in new tab), VA(opens in new tab) and even OLED(opens in new tab)— each with its own pros and cons. You can"t forget about screen size and aspect ratio, which affect your views, desk space and, again, bank account. And we haven"t even discussed bonuses, like speakers, RGB or port selection. How"s a gamer to choose with all of these options?

For a deep dive into how to pick the best monitor--gaming or otherwise--check out our PC Monitor Buying Guide(opens in new tab). Below is a list of the best gaming monitors out there right now, based on our own tests.

G-Sync or FreeSync? G-Sync only works with PCs with Nvidia graphics cards, while FreeSync only works with systems using AMD ones. You can technicallyrun G-Sync on a FreeSync-only monitor, but performance isn"t guaranteed. FreeSync monitors tend to be cheaper, but performance is comparable. For a detailed comparison of the two technologies’ performance, see our Nvidia G-Sync vs. AMD FreeSync comparison(opens in new tab) article.

For image quality, TN < IPS < VA. Generally speaking. Typically, TN monitors are the fastest but cheapest, due to weaker viewing angles. IPS displays have slightly slower response times but better color than VA monitors. The best gaming monitors for contrast are VA, but VA also has slower response times.

Refresh rates: bigger is better. This number explains the number of times your monitor updates with new information per second — stated in hertz (Hz) — and, therefore, how many frames per second (fps) the monitor can display. Bigger numbers mean smoother images. Refresh rate is especially important for gamers, so you’ll want to shoot for a monitor with at least 75 Hz (most gaming monitors offer at least 144 Hz), combined with the lowest response time you can find.

Resolution: Full HD, QHD, 4K. The most popular screen resolutions for gaming monitors are Full HD (1920 x 1080), QHD (2560 x 1440) and 4K (3840 x 2160). The more pixels a screen has, the sharper its image should look. So a 4K monitor will be able to show a more crisp image and more detail than a lower resolution Full HD monitor. Generally speaking, the lowest resolution monitors push the fastest refresh rates, reaching upwards of 360Hz. Because they have to push many more pixels, 4K monitors usually top out at a 144Hz refresh rate.

The Dell S3222DGM is just a great, all-around pick as the top gaming monitor thanks to its excellent image quality, plentiful features and typical solid build quality. At the heart of this display is a 2560 x 1440, curved VA panel that supports both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync at up to 165 Hz.

The S3222DGM"s delivers an enviable contrast ratio thanks to its 1800R curved VA panel. While the IPS competition often struggles to break much past 1,000:1, the S3222DGM"s VA panels shot to 4209:1 in our tests. The display also reproduced 122 percent of the sRGB color gamut and 85 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut on our tests along with an incredibly accurate gamut error rate of 2.07dE.

Desktop-class OLEDs used to be a rarity in the gaming monitor segment, but over the years, prices have come down, and more entries have entered the fray. The latest comes to us from Alienware, and it’s the jaw-dropping AW3423DFW.

This is a 34-inch ultra-wide monitor with a 1800R curve and a resolution of 3440 x 1440. However, the most important spec is its use of a Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) panel, which offers an extremely wide color gamut and the blackest blacks you’ll find in a gaming monitor.

The QD-OLED “heart” of the AW3423DFW gives it unmatched contrast and excellent color saturation and we felt no need to calibrate the panel further out of the box. Throw in premium build quality – as we expect from Alienware – and top-notch video processing and the AW3423DFW hit all the high notes without any demerits worth mentioning for enthusiast gamers.

With a price tag of around $250, the Monoprice Dark Matter 42770 is an easy to recommend 1080p gaming monitor with a wide color gamut, excellent contrast ratio for an IPS display and solid build quality. At this price, you"re getting a relatively barebones monitor, but Monoprice spent its time throwing in the features that matter most to gamers on a budget.

The Dark Matter 42770 offers a 1ms GTG response time and tops out with a 144 Hz refresh rate. Another feather in its cap is that the monitor supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync Adaptive-Sync technologies.

Although the monitor doesn"t support HDR, its native dynamic range is excellent, and it features a wide color gamut and excellent gamma tracking. Its deep blacks are welcome here given that this is an IPS panel, with its color and contrast on part with monitors that costs hundreds of dollars more.

The Gigabyte G27F2 represents a revamp of theG27F we first reviewed in late 2020. While the original monitor was highlighted by a 144Hz panel, the new G27F2 revision ups that figure to 170Hz. While that might not be as fast as more high-end Full HD gaming monitors, we have to remember that the G27F2 has a bargain basement price of just over $200.

However, that low price doesn"t mean that Gigabyte skimped on quality. You"ll still find low response times and input lag compared to others in this segment. In addition, the build quality throughout is excellent, as is color accuracy and contrast (which is somewhat of a revelation given that the G27F2 uses an IPS panel instead of VA).

The Dell G3223Q is a stellar entry in the 4K gaming monitor segment, offering a 32-inch panel size, low total input lag (measured at just 30ms) and an excellent balance between response and motion resolution. As you might expect for a 4K gaming monitor, we have a 144Hz refresh rate with support for both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Adaptive Sync technologies.

Not only does the Dell G3223Q nail the basics, but it also offers a bright and colorful picture. And color accuracy straight out of the box is top notch in both DCI-P3 and sRGB color gamuts. With DisplayHDR 600 support, accuracy and color reproduction were also well represented in HDR mode.

The HyperX Armada 27 is one of those standout monitors that offers the whole package. This is a 27-inch QHD display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 165Hz refresh rate HDR and premium built quality that we expect from HyperX.

One thing that makes the Armada 27 stand out (along with its smaller Armada 25 sibling) is the inclusion of a gaming mount for attaching the monitor to your desk instead of a traditional stand. This gives customers greater flexibility in positioning the Armada 27 for height, swivel and tilt.

If you like your games to look extra colorful, the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is the best gaming monitor for your rig. This monitor posted the widest color gamut we’ve ever recorded: 112.19% of DCI-P3 after our recommended calibration. 90% of DCI-P3 would be impressive, so this is one color-saturated screen.

Contrast is also strong for an IPS panel, hitting 1,129.1:1 after our calibration. And for those concerned about speed, this 165 Hz screen kept up with the 170 Hz Gigabyte M27Q in our testing

Color purists, however, will lament the lack of an sRGB mode, considering the MAG274QRF-QD’s sRGB coverage is at 166.33%. Its backlight strobe for fighting motion blur is also a disappointment. You can’t use Adaptive-Sync with it, the brightness goes down by about 50% and it created ghosting that resulted in a parallax effect with fast motion. In addition, this is yet another gaming monitor to offer HDR but without any noticeable image boost over SDR.

The Viotek GNV34DBE is a well-performing and affordable curved gaming monitor. Its 1500R curve proved to add an immersive touch while gaming, helping to fill our peripheral vision. Despite its tight curve, we still found the GNV34DBE fit for working. There was no distortion, and we enjoyed having multiple windows open for boosted productivity.

But it’s not just about the GNV34DBE’s curve. You also get a 144 Hz refresh rate and response times and input lag that kept up with 144 Hz rivals during our testing. On the battlefield, we realized the high pixel density of a 1440p screen and smooth gaming without any screen tearing, thanks to FreeSync. Color and contrast were competitive with pricier gaming displays too.

Gigabyte’s Aorus CV27Q is the best 1440p gaming monitor when it comes to high-speed gaming performance. With its impressive specs, it shined in our input lag and response time tests when pitted against 144 Hz rivals. Sure, you could get slightly better performance from the 1080p version, the Aorus CV27F, but then you wouldn’t be getting that sharper QHD resolution or higher pixel density (109ppi).

With a VA panel offering 3,000:1 contrast, image quality is no joke either. The CV27Q has a low black level that made image depth look great, particularly with HDR titles. But as far as HDR goes, this monitor only goes up to 400 nits brightness; we prefer HDR displays that hit at least 600 nits.

If you have extra room in your budget and want to squeeze out that additional drop of performance from your 1440p screen, the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQ may be the best gaming monitor for you. This screen is ready to compete with the speediest of screens, competing well against other 165-170 Hz screens in our response time test and falling just 1-3ms behind in our input lag test.

Out of the box, we recorded solid IPS contrast (1,158.4:1). Of course, you’ll want to calibrate to get rid of some visible grayscale tracking errors, but our recommended settings can help you there. This is also an excellent HDR monitor, thanks to a dynamic contrast feature that bumps contrast up to a whopping 22,506.9:1.

Not only does it have the sharper resolution of your dreams, but it’s one of the rare monitors to allow you to run blur reduction alongside side screen tear-fighting Adaptive-Sync.

The Razer Raptor 27 is the best gaming monitor for 144 Hz refresh rates. It"ll make any gamer you know jealous with premium touches, like an RGB stand, flat green cables for cable management and drool-worthy build quality. Plus, HDR delivery is some of the best we’ve seen in an edge-lit panel yet.

Despite its 144Hz refresh rate, the Raptor 27 was able to stay competitive with 165Hz monitors in our benchmarking. There wasn"t significant motion blur, but finicky, pro-level players will have to choose between dealing with it or activating the backlight strobe, which limits you to 120Hz, reduces brightness by 40% and grays out FreeSync and G-Sync Compatibility.

For speed demons, a 240 Hz monitor hits the spot. Up until recently, that level of speed required two things: settling for 1080p resolution and a TN panel. But the Asus" 27-inch ROG Swift PG279QM is the best gaming monitor in this class. It manages that speed with a color-accurate IPS panel. Not only does it deliver a huge color gamut, but it also has excellent video processing and premium build quality.

The 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G7 is in a class all its own. It’s one of Samsung’s 1000R screens, meaning it’s one of the curviest gaming monitors you can find on the market. If you’re a fan of the immersive feel of a curved monitor, the 32” Odyssey G7 will elevate this experience even higher.

At 32 inches, the Odyssey G7’s amazing 1000R curve drew us in, whether we were playing games or doing work. With this curvature, we could view productivity apps without any image distortion, and when gaming our vision was filled with action. The 32-inch, 16:9 build offers ample height for productivity and, coupled with 1440p resolution, hits a sweet spot for gaming.

In terms of image quality, the 32-inch Odyssey G7 proved accurate before we even calibrated it while boasting a 2,121:1 contrast ratio, according to our testing.

The 27-inch gaming monitor competition is crowded, but the Viotek GFI27DBXA stands out with an incredibly colorful image that’s also bright and sharp. The 1440p panel covers 101% of the DCI-P3 color space, according to our testing. Contrast, meanwhile, proved comparable to your typical IPS panel, but the dynamic contrast feature helped when gaming. Combined with the wide color coverage, the image impressed during gaming.

Speed-wise, the GFI27DBXA is ready to play. In our benchmarks, it showed a competitive 6ms response time. With a 180 Hz refresh rate, it fell behind 165 and 170 Hz screens from more premium brands but only by 2-6ms. Plus, its overdrive is one of the best we’ve seen, ensuring zero perceivable delays for mainstream players. Plus, the monitor feels strong and reliable, despite its lower price.

The Dell S2422HG might be small in stature at just 23.6 inches across, but it packs quite a punch at a very attractive price point. Not everyone has the cash to drop $400 or $500 on a gaming monitor, so it"s nice to see Dell providing a value-conscious entry here.

The S2422HG has a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a relatively fast refresh rate at 165 MHz. Dell uses a VA panel here, so you get excellent contrast at 3,000:1 (we measured better at 3,261.8:1) and a factory-rated brightness of 350 nits (although we only measured 324 nits). We also commend Dell for including both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility in this budget-oriented monitor.

Video processing for the S2422HG was good in our testing, and the low input lag was appreciated. However, we did have to knock the motor for its lack of sRGB mode, no integrated speakers, and a lack of USB hub functionality.

The Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey G9 is one of the most extreme monitors on this page. Not only is it a massive 49 inches diagonally, but it also carries a 1000R curve, the most dramatic curve offered on a gaming monitor today. From a 2-3-feet distance, this panel will fill your view. It’s like having two 27-inch, 1440p monitors in one. You"ll need nearly 4 feet of desk width and 17 inches of depth to accommodate it, but if you do, you’ll enjoy a wraparound gaming environment without image distortion. Are you looking for a smaller ultrawide? The Acer Predator X38is also excellent.

Testing of the 49-Inch Odyssey G9 revealed excellent contrast (2,152.9:1 after calibration), which climbed to 58,881.7:1 when it came to HDR testing. This is a bright monitor with a sharp picture and accurate DCI-P3 and sRGB color.

Currently going for $660(opens in new tab), the ViewSonic Elite XG350R-C is cheaper than many other 35-inch ultrawides and ultrawides with fewer features (there’s even RGB lighting on the back of the XG350R-C). But what you’ll really love about the XG350R-C is its vivid and accurate color that makes textures pop, skin tones look natural, and everything looks more realistic.

If you’ve wanted to try out an HDR monitor but can’t afford the best HDR monitors with FALD backlights, the ViewSonic Elite XG270QC (available here(opens in new tab)) is worth a look. Admittedly, it’s not quite FALD-quality, but with edge-lit backlighting, the runner-up, and a VA panel, this monitor’s HDR performance will give you a noticeable upgrade over SDR.

This monitor kept up with other 165 Hz screens in our benchmarks, such as the Dell S3220DGF above. ViewSonic"s XG270QC also delivers 1440p resolution with on-point gamma. Even without HDR, contrast hit 2,897:1 with our calibration settings. Plus, you get a surprisingly loud pair of 3W speakers.

The Asus TUF Gaming VG259QM isn’t the only 240 Hz monitor here, but it’s the only one that overclocks to an impressive 280 Hz so impressively. It’s not only about the high refresh rate, though. It’s also the ability to incorporate FreeSync (despite lacking certification) or G-Sync Compatibility alongside Asus’ Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) feature that bests any monitor’s overdrive. With those features and 280 Hz, our inputs almost felt predicted. This is the kind of monitor that could help your game. Asus’ VG259QM topped our response time test and did admirably in terms of absolute input lag.

One of the downsides of this monitor is its HDR capability. Using an IPS panel with 1,000:1 contrast and only DisplayHDR 400 certification, HDR won’t look much better than SDR content. And, of course, you’ll need a decent graphics card to make the most out of this high-refresh screen.

If you"re the kind of gamer who can take advantage of things like 8,000 Hz mice, the most advanced GPU, and play at a competitive level, the MSI Oculux NXG253R is as good as it gets. We’ve tested a few 360 Hz monitors, namely the Asus ROG Swift PG259QN, Alienware AW2521H, and Acer Predator X25, and they’re all amazingly fast and impressive. However, MSI’s 360 Hz monitor stands above them all as the fastest screen we’ve ever tested.

Our benchmarking recorded the NXG253R’s absolute input lag at 17ms, 1ms faster than the next fastest 360 Hz monitor (Asus’ PG259QN). The NXG253R matched the other 360 Hz screens with a 3ms result when it came to response time. You also get Nvidia’s Reflexlatency analyzer, plus G-Sync all the way down to 1 Hz. Nothing is missing for gaming performance here.

There are some things missing, though. Despite the high price (especially for a 1080p monitor), the NXG253R doesn’t have speakers. And its color gamut is sRGB, rather than the more colorful DCI-P3 that’s increasingly popular among gaming monitors. But this is still a bright screen with decent contrast (1,190.6:1) for an IPS panel. HDR is aided by a variable backlight, which brings contrast to a high 7,972.5:1 with HDR content.

The Samsung 27-inch CRG5 provides incredible speed at 1080p resolution, and the Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27 takes things to the next level, including a higher resolution, shorter response time, and a price tag that’s more than twice the size.

For most, the CRG5 is in the sweet spot for a 240Hz monitor. Its 1080p resolution will require less graphics power than the 1440p PD27. When it came to our speed benchmarks, the PD27 was 1ms faster than the CRG5 in the response time test and 2ms slower in the absolute input lag test. So performance there is comparable, but the PD27 is also in a different style class.

With a unique metallic stand reminiscent of a racecar’s roll cage, LED lighting, including a projector that casts a customizable Porsche Design logo, and even its own remote, this monitor is as much about premium looks as it is about premium performance. If you want a little bit of it everything, it’s tough to beat this stylish monitor.

When shopping for any gaming monitor, including those above, you may save some money by checking out our lists of best computer monitor deals, Dell Coupon Codes, Lenovo coupon codes, LG coupon codes or Newegg coupon codes.

It’s difficult to buy a computer monitor, graphics card, or laptop without seeing AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync branding. Both promise smoother, better gaming, and in some cases both appear on the same display. But what do G-Sync and FreeSync do, exactly – and which is better?

Most AMD FreeSync displays can sync with Nvidia graphics hardware, and most G-Sync Compatible displays can sync with AMD graphics hardware. This is unofficial, however.

The first problem is screen tearing. A display without adaptive sync will refresh at its set refresh rate (usually 60Hz, or 60 refreshes per second) no matter what. If the refresh happens to land between two frames, well, tough luck – you’ll see a bit of both. This is screen tearing.

Screen tearing is ugly and easy to notice, especially in 3D games. To fix it, games started to use a technique called V-Syncthat locks the framerate of a game to the refresh rate of a display. This fixes screen tearing but also caps the performance of a game. It can also cause uneven frame pacing in some situations.

Adaptive sync is a better solution. A display with adaptive sync can change its refresh rate in response to how fast your graphics card is pumping out frames. If your GPU sends over 43 frames per second, your monitor displays those 43 frames, rather than forcing 60 refreshes per second. Adaptive sync stops screen tearing by preventing the display from refreshing with partial information from multiple frames but, unlike with V-Sync, each frame is shown immediately.

Enthusiasts can offer countless arguments over the advantages of AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. However, for most people, AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync both work well and offer a similar experience. In fact, the two standards are far more similar than different.

All variants of AMD FreeSync are built on the VESA Adaptive Sync standard. The same is true of Nvidia’s G-Sync Compatible, which is by far the most common version of G-Sync available today.

VESA Adaptive Sync is an open standard that any company can use to enable adaptive sync between a device and display. It’s used not only by AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible monitors but also other displays, such as HDTVs, that support Adaptive Sync.

AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible are so similar, in fact, they’re often cross compatible. A large majority of displays I test with support for either AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync Compatible will work with graphics hardware from the opposite brand.

AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible are built on the same open standard. Which leads to an obvious question: if that’s true, what’s the difference?

Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, the most common version of G-Sync today, is based on the VESA Adaptive Sync standard. But Nvidia G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate, the less common and more premium versions of G-Sync, use proprietary hardware in the display.

This is how all G-Sync displays worked when Nvidia brought the technology to market in 2013. Unlike Nvidia G-Sync Compatible monitors, which often (unofficially) works with AMD Radeon GPUs, G-Sync is unique and proprietary. It only supports adaptive sync with Nvidia graphics hardware.

It’s usually possible to switch sides if you own an AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync Compatible display. If you buy a G-Sync or G-Sync Ultimate display, however, you’ll have to stick with Nvidia GeForce GPUs. (Here’s our guide to the best graphics cards for PC gaming.)

This loyalty does net some perks. The most important is G-Sync’s support for a wider range of refresh rates. The VESA Adaptive Sync specification has a minimum required refresh rate (usually 48Hz, but sometimes 40Hz). A refresh rate below that can cause dropouts in Adaptive Sync, which may let screen tearing to sneak back in or, in a worst-case scenario, cause the display to flicker.

G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate support the entire refresh range of a panel – even as low as 1Hz. This is important if you play games that may hit lower frame rates, since Adaptive Sync matches the display refresh rate with the output frame rate.

For example, if you’re playing Cyberpunk 2077 at an average of 30 FPS on a 4K display, that implies a refresh rate of 30Hz – which falls outside the range VESA Adaptive Sync supports. AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible may struggle with that, but Nvidia G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate won’t have a problem.

AMD FreeSync Premium and FreeSync Premium Pro have their own technique of dealing with this