best lcd panel for gaming free sample

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So, why would anyone ever buy a TN panel? For starters, they’re cheap. They don’t cost a lot to produce, so they’re often used in the most budget-friendly options. If you don’t value color reproduction or need excellent viewing angles, a TN panel might be fine for your office or study.

TN panels also have the lowest input lag—typically around one millisecond. They can also handle high refresh rates of up to 240 Hz. This makes them an attractive option for competitive multiplayer games—especially eSports, where every split-second counts.

IPS technology was developed to improve upon the limitations of TN panels—most notably, the poor color reproduction and limited viewing angles. As a result, IPS panels are much better than TNs in both of these areas.

In particular, IPS panels have vastly superior viewing angles than TNs. This means you can view IPS panels from extreme angles and still get accurate color reproduction. Unlike TNs, you’ll notice very little shift in color when you view one from a less-than-ideal perspective.

IPS panels are also known for their relatively good black reproduction, which helps eliminate the “washed out” look you get with TN panels. However, IPS panels fall short of the excellent contrast ratios you’ll find on VAs.

While high refresh rates were typically reserved for TNs, more manufacturers are producing IPS panels with refresh rates of 240 Hz. For example, the 27-inch 1080p ASUS VG279QM uses an IPS panel and supports 280 Hz.

Previously, TNs exhibited less input lag than any other panel, but IPS technology has finally caught up. In June 2019, LG announced its new Nano IPS UltraGear monitors with a response time of one millisecond.

Despite the gap being closed, you’ll still pay more for an IPS panel with such a low response time than you would for a TN with similar specs. If you’re on a budget, expect a response time of around four milliseconds for a good IPS monitor.

One last thing to be aware of with IPS panels is a phenomenon called “IPS glow.” It’s when you see the display’s backlight shining through it at more extreme viewing angles. It’s not a huge problem unless you view the panel from the side, but it’s something to keep in mind.

VA panels are something of a compromise between TN and IPS. They offer the best contrast ratios, which is why TV manufacturers use them extensively. While an IPS monitor typically has a contrast ratio of 1000:1, it’s not unusual to see 3000:1 or 6000:1 in a comparable VA panel.

In terms of viewing angles, VAs can’t quite match the performance of IPS panels. Screen brightness, in particular, can vary based on the angle from which you’re viewing, but you won’t get the “IPS glow.”

VAs have slower response times than TNs and the newer Nano IPS panels with their one-millisecond response rates. You can find VA monitors with high refresh rates (240 Hz), but the latency can result in more ghosting and motion blur. For this reason, competitive gamers should avoid VA.

Compared to TNs, VA panels do offer much better color reproduction and typically hit the full sRGB spectrum, even on lower-end models. If you’re willing to spend a bit more, Samsung’s Quantum Dot SVA panels can hit 125 percent sRGB coverage.

For these reasons, VA panels are seen as the jack of all trades. They’re ideal for general use, but they either match or fall short in most other areas except contrast ratio. VAs are good for gamers who enjoy single-player or casual experiences.

When compared to CRT monitors, all LCD panels suffer from some form of latency issue. This was a real problem when TN panels first appeared, and it’s plagued IPS and VA monitors for years. But technology has moved on, and while many of these issues have been improved, they haven’t been eliminated entirely.

Uneven backlighting is another issue you’ll find on all panel types. Often this comes down to overall build quality—cheaper models slack on quality control to save on production costs. So, if you’re looking for a cheap monitor, be prepared for some uneven backlighting. However, you’ll mostly only notice it on solid or very dark backgrounds.

LCD panels are also susceptible to dead or stuck pixels. Different manufacturers and jurisdictions have different policies and consumer laws covering dead pixels. If you’re a perfectionist, check the manufacturer’s dead-pixel policy before you buy. Some will replace a monitor with a single dead pixel for free, while others require a minimum number.

Office or study use: Your budget should be your primary concern here. VA is the do-it-all panel, with superior viewing angles to TN, but either would do the trick. You can save some money because you don’t need high refresh rates or ultra-low latency. They’re still nice, though. You’ll see a noticeable difference in smoothness just when moving the Windows cursor on a monitor with a 144 versus 60 Hz refresh rate.

Photo and video editors/Digital artists: IPS panels are still generally favored for their ability to display a wide gamut of colors. It’s not unusual to find VA panels that also cover a wide gamut (125 percent sRGB, and over 90 percent DCI-P3), but they tend to exhibit more motion blur during fast-paced action than IPS panels. If you’re serious about color accuracy, you’ll need to properly calibrate your monitor.

Programmers who mount monitors vertically: You might think TN panels are great for programmers, but that’s not necessarily the case. TN panels have particularly bad viewing angles on the vertical axis. If you mount your monitor in portrait mode (as many programmers and mobile developers do), you’ll get the worst possible viewing angles from a TN panel. For the best possible viewing angles in this scenario, invest in an IPS display.

Competitive online gamers: There’s no question TN panels are still favored in the eSports world. Even the cheapest models have fast response times and support for high refresh rates. For 1080p gaming, a 24-inch will do just fine, or you could opt for a 1440p, 27-inch model without breaking the bank. You might want to go for an IPS panel as more low-latency models hit the market, but expect to pay more.

Non-competitive, high-end PC gamers: For a rich, immersive image that pops, a VA panel will provide a higher contrast ratio than IPS or TN. For deep blacks and a sharp, contrasting image, VA is the winner. If you’re okay with sacrificing some contrast, you can go the IPS route. However, we’d recommend avoiding TN altogether unless you play competitively.

Best all-rounder: VA is the winner here, but IPS is better in all areas except contrast ratio. If you can sacrifice contrast, an IPS panel will provide fairly low latency, decent blacks, and satisfactory color coverage.

As you probably know, you can usually get a monitor cheaper online than at a brick-and-mortar store. Unfortunately, buying online also usually means buying blind. And with a TV or monitor, that can lead to disappointment.

If you can, check out the monitor you’re interested in in-person before you buy it. You can perform some simple ghosting and motion blur tests by grabbing a window with the mouse and moving it rapidly around the screen. You can also test the brightness, watch some videos, and play with the onscreen display to get a feel for it.

This budget gaming display offers a 144Hz refresh rate, IPS image quality, 1080p resolution and support for both Freesync and G-Sync. It even has a fully adjustable stand, four video inputs and a four-port USB 3 hub. It"s astonishingly great value.

VA panels provide the best contrast of all LCD panel types, making them ideal for movie watching and enjoying a deeper, darker, more atmospheric look to games. The C24G2U provides this with its 3,000:1 contrast ratio, plus it can still provide 144Hz gaming performance. Like its sibling above, it also supposrt support Freesync and G-Sync and its stand is height adjustable.

240Hz, 24.5inch displays are among the best options for high-performance gaming and the XB253Q is among the best out there. It uses an IPS panel for excellent image quality and sports a premium design with a fully adjustable stand and USB hub. It"s the ideal combination of performance and image quality, though while it does support G-Sync, it doesn"t support Freesync.

With its 360Hz refresh rate, this monitor provides blisteringly fast gaming performance. Its IPS panel also offers excellent image quality and it supports Freesync and G-Sync and includes a backlight-strobing blur reduction mode. It is limited to 1080p resolution, which is low for its price, but its sheer performance makes it the ultimate gaming monitor right now.

Offering 144Hz gaming and IPS image quality along with support for both Freesync and G-Sync, this is a really versatile gaming monitor for a great price. It is limited to 1080p resolution despite its 27inch size, though, so isn"t the sharpest looking display.

This 27inch display may only have a resolution of 1080p but with its 280Hz refresh rate, IPS image quality, Freesync and G-Sync support and game-changing ELMB motion blur reduction technology, it"s an exceptionally good gaming display. It"s pretty good for productivity too and it"s competitively priced.

Stepping up to a 1440p resolution, the VG27AQ still offers excellent gaming performance thanks to its 165Hz maximum refresh rate. It also supports Freesync, G-Sync and Asus" fantastic ELMB-Sync blur reduction technology. It"s perhaps the ultimate all-rounder gaming display availale right now.

If you want the ultimate in 1440p gaming performance, the AG273QZ is it. Using a TN panel, it provides an even faster response time than competing IPS panels plus it can hit a 240Hz refresh rate. It also supports both Freesync and G-Sync and offers plenty of extra features like a headphone stand and USB hub.

IPS image quality, 1440p resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate make this a truly do-it-all high-end gaming monitor. It also has fantastic image quality and a stylish design, as you"d hope for its high price.

This 32inch display may only offer a 60Hz refresh rate but its 4K resolution and high-contrast VA panel make for some stunning visuals. It"s great for movies and cinematic games and is very affordable for a 4K screen.

The GB3461WQSU provides both the impressive, big-screen, high-resolution dazzle of a 34in, ultrawide display and the gaming performance of a 144Hz panel. It also provides the great viewing angles and overall image quality of IPS LCD technology and supports both Freesync and G-Sync. It"s a huge amount of screen for its price.

If you want the ultimate 34in, ultrawide gaming monitor, the 34GN850 is it. It offers lightning fast 160Hz gaming performance, with the fastest response time of any panel of its size. It also provides superb image quality. However, while it does support G-Sync, it doesn"t support Freesync and it is rather pricey.

If even a 34in display isn"t large enough for you, the 38GN950 is the next step up. This massive 38in panel provides a massive 3840 x 1600 resolution yet still offers up a 160Hz refresh rate, class-leading response time and generally excellent gaming performance, as well as fantastic image quality. It doesn"t come cheap, though.

If HDR is what you"re after, the PG35VQ provides the ultimate HDR gaming experience for a conventional PC monitor (i.e. not an OLED TV). Its 512 individual backlight zones allow it to produce essentially infinite contrast and a massite 1000nits maximum brightness for truly dazzling HDR. It also offers 200Hz gaming performance and a plentiful 3440 x 1440 resolution, but it"s horribly expensive.

This TV-sized screen, provides 120Hz gaming performance for the latest consoles, or those that like to sit back a little to do their PC gaming. It offers a 4K resolution, Freesync and G-Sync support and looks stunning. It"s reasonably priced for such a large panel too.

The best gaming monitor will probably outlive your PC"s other components, and as a window to your gaming experience it"s one peripheral to avoid compromising too much on. Cyber Monday gaming monitor(opens in new tab) deals are available now, so it"s a good time to go display shopping.

To get the most for your money, you want to match your monitor choice with your PC specs. A 4K monitor with a high refresh rate would be overkill if your rig is only packing a GTX 1060. If you"ve had the cash to drop on an Nvidia RTX 4090(opens in new tab) or a high-end AMD RX 6000(opens in new tab) series GPU, you can take your pick of 4K panels. Those sitting somewhere in the mid-range of things—with, say, an RTX 2070 Super—are better off looking at 1440p displays. Even high-end PC owners might consider skipping 4K, though: 1440p is the sweet spot right now.

For the competitive gamer who values speed above all else, check out our list of high refresh rate monitors(opens in new tab) , which run at 240Hz and even 360Hz. I"ve been constantly testing gaming monitors through my career and have made sure that only the best for each budget have crept onto this guide. It"s extensive, but there are a whole lotta gaming monitors out there, and plenty deserve your attention. This list is updated frequently as newer models pass the rigorous PC Gamer testing ringer.

Why you can trust PC GamerOur 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.

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 color 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.

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.If you"re going to hook your PC up to a high-end gaming monitor, we recommend it be this one.

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.

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, however, 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) or RX 6800 XT(opens in new tab) then this dream can be a reality.

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.

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

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 G27Q proves that you don"t need to spend a fortune for a decent IPS 1440p display. At around $330, Gigabyte"s 27-incher packs in plenty of sought-after features, but more importantly, it provides rich color and smooth gameplay.

As a flat, 27-inch display with a design that wouldn"t stand out in an office environment, it looks pretty pedestrian. But it"s actually one of the best gaming monitors I"ve had the pleasure of using. Not only does it have a gorgeous, vibrant IPS panel, with 8-bit color with 92% DCI-P3 coverage, it"s also HDR capable.

As someone who loves visual fidelity, I appreciate this resolution for clarity and performance. Even the humble GTX 1660 Super in my desktop is comfortably driving games at 60FPS at high settings. If you spend all your time playing CS:GO or Valorant, then the 144Hz refresh could hold you back a bit, but that 1ms response time sure helps.

The Gigabyte G27Q handles gaming with aplomb thanks to adaptive sync via AMD FreeSync Premium. It"s also G-Sync Compatible so whether you are team Green or Red, the G27Q plays nice. I didn"t have an AMD GPU to test but I did use an Nvidia-powered desktop and laptop. Neither had any problems running games with G-Sync enabled.

It"s a bit of a plain Jane compared to other more pricey options, but it packs plenty of useful features designed to enhance your gaming pleasure.It"s also G-Sync Compatible so whether you are team Green or Red, the G27Q plays nice.

It gets eye-searingly bright thanks to its VESA Display HDR 400 Certification, but in gaming, sunny skies and other bright spots tend to blow out and lose definition at max brightness. Dark areas also sometimes get crushed.

Much like the mystical ways of the Force, PC gaming is all about balance. There"s little point weighting your system too heavily in one direction without paying attention to the whole package. Why bother pairing your RTX 3080 Ti with a 60Hz 1080p screen? Likewise, why spend big on a 4K monitor when you"re only sporting a Radeon RX 6600?

The classic 27-inch Dell S2722DGM marries that screen real estate with a 2560 x 1440 native resolution, which gives you a great pixel pitch for fine detail. At 1440p it"s also a decent resolution for getting high frame rates without the GPU demands of a 4K display. It"s also capable of delivering that resolution at 165Hz, which is appreciated.

At 2ms GtG response, it"s just a hair behind the 1ms and 0.5ms ratings of the best IPS panels, so you"re covered when it comes to speed. That said, you can find quicker panels if you really want to chase speed. This VA panel does have a high contrast ratio, at least, given the technology"s inherent strong contrast.This Dell monitor is most importantly available at a great price.

As for picture quality, the Dell S2722DGM is a reasonably punchy and vibrant monitor considering it"s a pure SDR panel. The strong inherent contrast certainly helps with that, ensuring you don"t feel short-changed running games like Cyberpunk 2077, which support HDR, in SDR mode.

We"d steer clear of MPRT mode, which hammers the panel"s brightness and vibrancy. "Extreme" mode, which is rated at 2ms, does suffer from a whiff of overshoot, but that"s only just visible in-game, while "Super fast" resolves the overshoot but allows just a little smearing of darker tones.

This Dell monitor is most importantly available at a great price. Dell delivers high-quality gaming panels, with all the features you need and a few extraneous ones to bump up the price. And that makes it one of the best gaming monitors for most PC gamers today.

Refresh rate, resolution, black levels, panel size: pick two. That"s been the PC monitor buyer"s dilemma for several years now, since we collectively realised that yes, playing at a higher refresh rate does actually make you better at Counter-Strike. MSI"s latest panel, bearing the catchy moniker Oculux NXG253R, aims to at least address the most common tradeoff in modern gaming panels: refresh rate for colour quality.

Whereas the majority of high refresh rate panels are VA or TN screens with limited viewing angle and shallow colours, MSI"s latest is built around an IPS panel, with all the inky blacks and rich colours that technology brings with it. Traditionally IPS has been slower to the party since it"s costlier to manufacture high refresh rate panels, but evidently enough of us are sold on 120Hz and beyond.360Hz does look and feel smoother than 120Hz.

Way beyond, in fact. This is the first 360Hz monitor I"ve played on, and I must admit to being sceptical about whatever marginal gains I might see in performance. 60Hz to 120Hz is transformative, but 120Hz to 360Hz? Surely one"s gaming performance doesn"t increase exponentially. And don"t eyes only see 60 fps anyway?

It turns out that while that performance gain might not exist on a linear curve, 360Hz does look and feel smoother than 120Hz, and the decreased ghosting of any targets in your shooter of choice does make them that bit easier to connect with. If your aspirations for online competition are pretty serious, that"s really all you need to know.

This being an IPS panel with typically darker blacks, it definitely looks more vivid in-game than even a good TN screen, and the colours hold up at any viewing angle. You"ve got a few preset brightness and color balance modes to cycle between on the OSD, arranged by genre. FPS is super-bright and saturated, racing is a bit more subdued by contrast. Out of the box, the default colour and brightness settings are easy on the eye and really sell the IPS benefit.

G-Sync itself is present here too, and although that won"t be a big deal to competitive players due to the miniscule latency increase it adds to the signal chain, for the rest of us dropping this much on a 1080p monitor, it sweetens the deal. Whether or not it actually feels smoother than 300+ fps of non-v-synced gameplay is really in the eye of the beholder, but it has always been, and remains, a useful tool in one"s armoury for those slower games, the Fallout 4s and Cyberpunks, who need all the help they can get to smooth it all out.

The Oculux NXG253R"s mandate is sound, then, but there are still compromises made in this pricey 1080p monitor in order to optimise esports performance. The most obvious are the screen size and resolution, 24.5-inch and 1080p respectively. You could certainly argue that nobody"s getting 360 fps at 4K in… well, anything outside of CS:GO or MOBAs, and quite rightly so. But spending this much on a monitor that won"t even give you 1440p feels like a serious tradeoff, and that resolution dictates a smaller panel size. Nobody wants to see the individual pixels at 1080p on a 32-inch screen.

There"s a real performance benefit here, and a sheer enjoyment multiplier. You just have to make peace with the idea of buying into a piece of specialist equipment, not an all-rounder.

We"d all love to have a thousand bucks burning a hole in our back pockets to blow on a new gaming monitor. But back in the real world, the Dell S3222DGM wants a crack at the kind of budget most of us actually have.

It"s a 32-inch beast with a VA panel running at up to 165Hz and delivering 2,560 by 1,440 pixels. Yup, the tried and tested 1440p resolution, the sweet spot for real-world gaming according to many, the perfect balance between performance and visual detail. The catch is all that normally applies to 27-inch models. 32 inches? That makes for a pretty big panel for 1440p in terms of pixel density.

Where the low pixel density hurts most is actually in Windows. If you like crisp fonts and lots of desktop real estate, this isn’t the monitor for you. For everyone else, well, it comes down to the value proposition. There are faster monitors. There are monitors with superior IPS-powered image quality. There are monitors with all kinds of HDR support not found here. And others with far more pixels or more dramatic aspect ratios.

This is a gaming-centric monitor without any HDR support but based on VA panel technology. So, the peak brightness is 350 nits, static contrast is about as good as it gets at 3,000:1, and there"s official AMD FreeSync Premium certification.Rounding out the basics is a gentle 1800R panel curve.

Rounding out the basics is a gentle 1800R panel curve. It"s a slightly odd, though not actually unique, feature for this class of display. Curvature is a more obvious and natural fit for ultrawide displays. On a conventional 16:9 panel? We still need a little convincing.

Dell quotes 8ms gray-to-gray in "fast" mode, 4ms gray-to-gray in "super fast", 2ms gray-to-gray in "extreme", and finally, and somewhat confusingly, 1ms gray-to-gray in "MPRT" mode. The "MPRT" setting is, for us, a non-starter since it crushes brightness so comprehensively. "Super fast" it is, then, and the result is good but not absolutely great response with no overshoot. Pretty much what you’d expect given the 4ms rating for "super fast".

But add in the 165Hz refresh and you have a pretty convincing monitor for response-critical online shooters. To be sure, if that is your number one priority, you’d be better off with a higher-refresh 1080p IPS monitor with faster response. If you want a larger panel like this, 4K isn’t an all-around win. It comes with a huge additional GPU load and that in turn requires mega-investment levels in a good graphics card

It"s worth remembering that pricing for this class of display—a 32-inch 165Hz 1440p panel—extends all the way up to $800 in the Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165(opens in new tab). So, while the Dell S3222DGM isn"t all that exciting from a technical point of view, for the money, it"s pretty convincing.

The Pixio PX277 Prime is about as barebones as it comes in regards to gaming monitors. Designed with a sci-fi theme in mind, the base is sharp-looking, and a lot of thought certainly went into the thing"s build quality. The thin bezel is always a plus in our book, too.

Here, this 27-inch panel provides frames at a stable 165Hz refresh rate, not the speediest but certainly workable for competitive gaming. The 1ms grey-to-grey response time doesn"t hurt for gaming either. As a FreeSync certified monitor, AMD users can be sure of a tear-free gaming experience.

At 1440p you get a good pixel density for the size of the monitor, and the image is pretty sharp to boot. The screen itself is advertised as anti-glare and we"re seen that it holds its own in most brightly lit environments, though doesn"t do so well in dim spaces.A great entry-level option for those looking for a larger screen.

The biggest selling point of the PX277 Prime, though, is its low price point. A great entry-level option for those looking for a larger screen with a high refresh rate and don"t want to be left totally broke.

While the build quality isn"t as robust as a higher-spec screen, the Pixio panel is perfect for the budget gamer who doesn"t mind missing out on some of the bells and whistles of a higher-end monitor but is keen on top performance.

We"re finally in an era of gaming where an affordable 4K monitor and a fast 4K monitor are one and the same. You could still buy a lower resolution panel for a whole lot less, but as the Gigabyte M32UC proves you can get a whole lot of screen for what feels like a fair price.

You can find this monitor going for as low as $600, which is an awfully competitive price tag for a speedy 4K gaming monitor at this size. Gigabyte has figured out a heady blend of features for that sort of money too, with two HDMI 2.1 ports, 1ms MPRT, FreeSync Premium Pro, and even a USB 3.2 hub.

The M32UC runs at a perfectly reasonable 144Hz out of the box—and you"ll need a powerful graphics card to make the most of that at 4K. However, if you hook this monitor up via DisplayPort 1.4 you can also overclock the panel via the OSD. That bumps the refresh rate up to 160Hz, and while that"s probably excessive for most, if you"re going big with the rest of your rig (or plan to pick up a powerful next-gen GPU sometime in the future) then it"s a decent option to have at the ready.Fine details are well preserved and this panel doesn"t struggle with saturation.

But something to consider with the M32UC"s blend of resolution and refresh rate is that even a high-end GPU won"t always make the most of it. That"s what makes the M32UC"s FreeSync capabilities so crucially important. Keeping this panel in sync with your graphics card when it"s underthe max refresh rate of the screen, as it is likely going to be at times, prevents a whole lot of screen tearing.

It should come as no surprise that the 32-inch panel running at 4K results in a stunningly crisp image while gaming. I"ve been playing arguably too much Destiny 2 right now and the M32UC is a stunning way to experience the game. Fine details are well preserved and this panel doesn"t struggle with saturation, which makes for a luscious and vibrant image.

The M32U also offers a DisplayHDR 400 rating on the box, though I wouldn"t consider it for its HDR capabilities. It"s lacking much of what"s required of a true HDR monitor, such as a higher brightness and local dimming. You also have to look past what is otherwise a fairly bland outer shell on the Gigabyte.

In terms of value for money, Gigabyte has hit the nail on the head with the M32UC. If you look around for competition with similar specs at around the same price, you"ll often only find other Gigabyte models coming close, including a handful of often discounted Aorus models. That makes the M32UC a great choice if you"re planning ahead for a next-gen 4K-capable gaming PC or if you already have a high-end GPU but are not yet making the most of it.

If your mantra for displays is "go big or go home," Acer hears you, and its Predator X38 is a massive 38-inch curved screen that looks stunning. It features a not-quite-4K QHD ultrawide panel with a 3840x1600 resolution. With an aspect ratio of 24:9, the IPS panel looks great, and the size means you have a lot of screen real estate for gaming.

It’s curved a little, with a relatively relaxed 2300R bend, and comes with a sturdy, pre-fitted big metal stand—one that tilts back a full 35 degrees, exposing its display and power ports underneath for effortless, no-fumble plugging in.

The display also features G-Sync technology with up to 175Hz variable refresh rates. That"s a huge boost over lower refresh rate curved gaming monitors, and Acer has overcome the big IPS downside of typically high response times, too. This beast has a 1ms GtG response, which is truly IPS coming of age and doing it all without the compromises of old.

Banding was pretty much non-existent and the backlighting was even, though with a faintly noticeable glow coming from the edges in dark scenes, but nothing to be troubled about and not noticeable at all while gaming.

Pushing the overclock to 175Hz yielded a perfect result with no ghosting visible. Small details like text were rock solid, too, with no shimmering. At such a huge resolution your graphics card will obviously be taxed in many games, and for me while testing this I generally left it at 144Hz, though for several days I used it on 175Hz for everything – including boring work, and it was rock solid and crisp all the time.

It"s a big, bold, and beautiful-looking display. If you"re looking for something to turn heads, this is one of the best widescreen gaming monitors out there.

It"s taller than the 27-inch 16:9 displays and nearly half again as wide, but the higher resolution means the dot pitch is slightly lower than, the lesser panels. And for games that properly support ultrawide resolutions, the surround effect of the XR382CQK is incredibly immersive—sitting at your desk, the 38-inch panel will fill your field of view.

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 is what counts here—it offers far more than just 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.

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.

Best gaming monitor FAQShould 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.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 buy a HDR monitor?With a High Dynamic Range monitor, you can take advantage of the ever-growing list of games and apps that feature HDR support. It offers more vibrant colors and greater contrast but is going to drive up the price a little. Windows" native HDR function also leaves a lot to be desired, and you may find you have to fiddle in the settings to get HDR looking like it should.What aspect ratio should I go for?Today"s movies and games are best enjoyed in a widescreen format at a 16:9 aspect ratio or above. In 4:3, those cinematic moments will look stunted with black strips along the top and bottom. There are a host of minute variations on each ratio, but at the end of the day choosing between these depends entirely on your personal preference.

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.

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

Only the best gaming monitor will give you the best visual experience for your games while catering perfectly for your setup, budget, and preferences. We think it"s one of a handful of ways to guarantee an instant enhancement to your setup too - after all, gaming monitors literally shape the way we see and experience all the awesome games we all play.

However, finding the best gaming monitor can prove to be a melon scratcher: it"s a massive market, and it"s constantly changing with new and exciting entries arriving, and old favourites being phased regularly. So, to navigate this, you"ll have to consider big-picture factors like resolution (1080p, 1440p, and 4K), screen techs (FreeSync and G-Sync), screen size, and more. Our guide will help you navigate this exciting minefield by covering all the relevant specs, and types and we"ll also find you the best prices too. An important point to make too is that these monitors are absolutely not just for PC gaming, as more and more console gamers are using them too nowadays.

As a result, we"re really spoilt for choice for the best gaming monitors around. At GamesRadar+ we"ve been working hard for years to pick out the best gaming monitor by constantly reviewing, testing, and comparing the best in the business to build this very list to help you find the best screen going. Our writers and reviewers spend masses of time with each screen we review and really put them through their paces with hard gaming sessions, as well as noting their qualities for every day and work use.

And to help you make the best decision, we strive to lay out all the facts as plainly as possible. After all, the best gaming monitors have more going on behind the scenes than the best gaming TV(opens in new tab) or the best home projectors(opens in new tab). So if you game separately to where you watch your films and TV content, then a monitor is a great idea to optimize your setup. Whatever your needs, our round-up will help you make the right call and get you something with a brilliant picture, and all the performance and features you need.

It’s been an awfully long time coming, but with the new Alienware 34 AW3423DW, OLED technology has finally come to the best gaming monitor. And, boy, does it deliver. This screen has better contrast and a faster response than any LCD panel we’ve ever seen while also looking richer, more convincing, more immersive, andbeing faster, sharper, and clearer. It really does do everything.

We found that it’s not absolutely perfect, though. 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.

Concerns involving OLED burn-in do linger, a little. If that proves unfounded, OLED could take off on the PC in a big way and for most types of gaming, we think this is an absolute revelation.

Limited to a budget of around $200 / £200? Don’t despair. A high-refresh monitor with a decent IPS panel is within reach and we think could be a top gaming monitor for a lot of folks. Enter the AOC 24G2 and its closely related AOC 24G2U sibling. Inevitably, some compromises have to be made. The 24G2 / 24G2U are mere 24-inch monitors with a modest 1,920 by 1,080 resolution, otherwise known as 1080p. The difference between the two? The 24G2U adds a USB hub.

Good for a seriously zappy 1ms pixel response and with both variable refresh rate support and a low input lag mode, they run at a fulsome 144Hz which was confirmed to us in testing. Of course, that’s a far lower resolution than a 4K panel with just one-quarter the number of pixels. But then fewer pixels means more frames and lower latency which might just give you that critical edge in your Battle Royale or team-based shooter of choice, be that Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, Battlefield 5, or Overwatch.

One obvious omission for us, spec-wise, is HDR capability of any kind. But then very few monitors deliver a true HDR experience from our experience. So, at least AOC doesn’t tease you with the promise of HDR only to ultimately disappoint. What’s more, with slim bezels and both height and tilt adjustment, this panel doesn’t feel or look like a budget option.

The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is not exactly a flashy entry to our best gaming monitor list but it is bursting at the seams with quality. It"s ordinary-looking but that didn"t fool us, as it packs a punch and offers an incredibly speedy monitor for gaming. There"s a 165Hz (featuring Adaptive Sync Support), a 1ms response rate of 1ms, and it is both G-Sync and FreeSync compatible. Add into this ASUS" own Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync technology and the in-game pictures this monitor provides are some of the smoothest and best you can get on a 1440p monitor.

When we tested the monitor, the image quality was excellently crisp, too - it"s not all about the speed. Stir in a rating of HDR10 high dynamic range for colour and brightness levels, too, and they are some of the nicest images we"ve seen on a 1440p. The VG27AQ does a great job of balancing overall picture quality, speeds, and, importantly, the price point. It"s a great do-it-all monitor that we think will serve people well for PC gaming and console gaming.

Dell offers a lotof monitors, from basic 1080p run-of-the-mill office jobs to uber impressive 4K beauties. The S2721DGF slots firmly in the middle, offering gaming performance at 1440p, and while we find that the specs are those you"d expect of a top-notch competitive esports ready screen, when we took it out of the box it certainly doesn"t look like one on the outside.

When any PC gamer is looking for a monitor, two specs are vital; refresh rate and response time. The Dell S2721DGF is almost perfect in this regard, offering 165Hz and 1ms respectively and this was confirmed to us in testing. Another attraction is the IPS panel, which is excellent and contributes to the bang-to-buck value that the monitor offers.The monitor is covered in a matte, all-black finish, with thin, flat bezels around the edge, making it a brilliant choice for anyone looking for a double or triple-monitor set-up.

The only place we think this monitor trips up is in HDR performance, especially in dark areas. The contrast is low, which means it"s often hard to differentiate between subtle blacks and greys, but if you"re using this primarily for gaming and not movie-watching, it"s not too big of a deal. This is one of the best 1440p gaming monitors on the market.

Until now, 4K60fps+ gaming has been a concept only attainable by the hardcore enthusiasts who dedicate everything they have to PC gaming and their best gaming monitors. Not anymore. Thanks to the recent launch of the 30-series cards from Nvidia, and AMD"s RX series equivalents, it"s finally affordable for those who desire it. To reach that level, you need one of the best monitors on the market, but they"re usually more expensive than the graphics cards themselves.

The ASUS XG27UQ changes that entirely, bringing almost the best possible specs on a 4K screen down to a reachable tier for general PC gamers. It"s still not cheap, but for the first time ever a 4K monitor with 1ms response time and a 144Hz refresh rate is below the $1k mark. Quite considerably actually, coming in at around$800/£800. It"s still a hefty price tag, don"t get me wrong, but it"s far cheaper than the other top-tier offerings.

We think that the ASUS XG27UQ is like a gaze into what PC gaming will be like for everyone5 to 10 years down the line. With ray tracing on, Cyberpunk 2077 had my jaw on the floor, with stunning lighting effects and texture detail throughout Night City. As did Assassin"s Creed Valhalla, with the sunrays splitting the treetops. if you have a rig capable of it – seriously, don"t upgrade to 4K if your graphics card is a few years old – then you will not be disappointed with this monitor.

While the viewing angles of its TN panel continue to prove to us in testing that there are better options for viewing, this monitor boasts a shocking wealth of functionality typically found outside a budget monitor"s wheelhouse. If you have an AMD graphics card, the BenQ EL2870U is enhanced with native FreeSync support. Sadly, however, it is not G-Sync Compatible – trust us, we tested it. That said, it does have a utilitarian selection of ports, namely two HDMI 2.0 connections and a single DisplayPort 1.4.

And, should you spend hours on end trying to best your KDR in Apex Legends(opens in new tab) like we did with this monitor in testing, then Ben-Q"s integrated eye-care solution automatically adjusts brightness and blue light to safeguard your eyes from the evils of light-emitting diodes. It"s not perfect, but the fact that this 28-inch 4K HDR screen regularly goes on sale for a fraction of its price is a compelling case for snatching one up no matter what you platform you play on.

We think that the combo of 1440p and 27 inches has been the sweet spot for affordable PC gaming for an age. Does it make sense for consoles, too? The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD likes to think so, in part thanks to a compatibility mode that allows a 4K input from the PS5 to run at 2.5 on this 2,560 by 1,440 pixel panel, which means it offers a different edge in its contention for best gaming monitor.

Even with that quirk aside, this MSI panel still has a lot going for it, we think. For starters, it runs at 165Hz and packs a high-quality IPS panel with colour accuracy that’s well above the norm for a gaming monitor.

Arguably even more important is the fact that this monitor is seriously fast in our testing. Rated officially at 1ms response, it’s one of, if not the, fastest LCD gaming monitors we’ve ever seen. That speed makes it great for all kinds of PC gaming and a particular joy for online shooters which were great to test. It’s also feature-packed, including G-Sync compatibility, plus USB-C connectivity (albeit limited to 15W of charging power).

Looking for one of the best gaming monitors that combines nearly everything that’s best about the latest LCD technology? You just found it in the Samsung Odyssey G7 C27G7. With local dimming, adaptive sync, high refresh, HDR, quantum dot technology, a curved panel, and more, on paper it"s got the works.

More specifically, it comes with a 27-inch diagonal with 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh for what we think nails the sweet spot in terms of balancing detail with speed and response. That"s why it"s our pick for best 240Hz gaming monitor right now.

The main question mark concerns the use of VA panel technology, which is traditionally associated with slow pixel response and generally slightly laggy performance. Not so here. Samsung claims 1ms response times and interesting we found that this monitor feels and looks at least that quick. No question, it’s comparable with the best TN monitors for sheer speed. That it also matches IPS panels for colours and adds excellent contrast into the mix makes for an incredibly compelling package.

As for negatives, they’re limited to a particularly poor HDR implementation given the DisplayHDR 600 certification, plus a niggling doubt that the extreme 1000R curve may be a bit too much of a good thing.

Acer’s beastly 43-inch Predator CG7 has been updated to offer HDMI 2.1 support, and that makes it a shoo-in for our best gaming monitor for Xbox Series X guide now. An early note: as ever, the branding of the new variant is confusing. It’s the Acer Predator CG437KP you want, the additional ‘P’ on the end is the critical indicator of the updated model - the prices you see here are for that and the links will take you to the right place.

Specs-wise, the VA panel is the real 4K deal and good for fully 1,000 nits of brightness and 1ms responses, albeit that 1ms stat is not the usual gray-to-gray, but Acer’s Visual Response Boost mode, which comes at the cost of brightness. Just as important it’ll hit the full 120Hz thanks to that HDMI 2.1 upgrade (connected to a PC it’ll go even faster - 144Hz).

While it"s a massive size, you will get all the support you need for Xbox Series X play. For example, for the record, Acer says it will also run at 120Hz at 1440p on the Xbox Series X, giving you the option to step down the resolution in return for more speed and response. That makes this panel suitable for twitchy online shooters like Fortnite, while the sheer scale and punch of the VA panel is also a good fit for graphics fests like Assassin"s Creed: Valhalla.

As for colour accuracy, Acer reckons the CG7 is good for 90 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut, which isn’t too shabby. The CG7 is also DisplayHDR 1000 certified. However, it only has 14 edge-lit dimming zones rather than full-array local dimming, so it’s not the full HDR deal. That said, the inherent 4,000:1 contrast of the VA panel combined with that powerful 1,000 nits brightness means that this is about as good as it gets with having full-array dimming.

Sony has stepped into the best gaming monitor world with an absolutely beautiful beast. The Inzone M9 is a gorgeous monitor boasting a 27" 4K HDR screen and a sleek PS5-inspired design that looks oh-so-good next to your Sony console.

With some exclusive PS5 features that include autoswapping between cinema and game modes and automatically optimizing HDR settings upon booting up the console. This means you won"t have to fiddle with any settings on your monitor when going between PS5 and PC use, which is a lovely little feature that not a ton of gaming monitors have.

The Acer Predator XB271HU is the Nvidia user’s answer to the Asus MG279Q, and it features many of the same benefits: a vibrant, flicker-free IPS panel with 144Hz refresh, excellent viewing angles and built-in screen tear prevention technology. Like AMD’s FreeSync, Nvidia’s G-Sync lets the GPU and monitor coordinate their efforts, reducing or eliminating screen tearing. Unlike FreeSync, which is part of the DisplayPort 2.1a standard and is free to include in any applicable monitor, G-Sync requires a proprietary Nvidia chipset in the display, which usually incurs a $200 premium over comparable monitors equipped with FreeSync, and even more versus monitors with no adaptive sync support.

True to form, the Predator XB271HU is G-Sync capable between 30 and 144Hz out of the box, up to a maximum of 165Hz if you’re the overclocking type. Most modern computers, even the kind you buy a $700+ monitor for, can’t render a steady 144+ frames-per-second, so right now that much G-Sync headroom isn’t especially useful. As an investment, however, the Predator XB271HU makes a strong argument, as it’ll graciously provide for not only your current GPU, but the next couple of upgrades as well.

Not a fan of curved candidates for best gaming monitor? Then you might want to jog on. Because we think that MSI has definitely doubled down on the notion of bent screens with the MPG Artymis 343CQR. With a mere one metre radius of curvature, this thing is positively twisted.

As it happens, we found that it’s also unbelievably immersive. Partly this comes down to that extreme 1000R curve, but it’s also because MSI has boldly opted for VA rather than IPS panel technology. Combined with a very strong monolithic backlight, the result, confirmed in our testing, is punchy peak brightness of 550cd/m2 and 3,000:1 static contrast. Granted, there’s only entry-level HDR 400 certification. But this monitor delivers the best HDR experience we’ve yet seen from a monitor with no local dimming. CyberPunk 2077 running on this 34-inch, 3,440 by 1,440 pixel beauty is truly something to behold.

Of course, the big worry with any VA panel is pixel response. The 343CQR does need a little time to warm up. But once it’s up to temp, we found the response is nearly good enough to justify the 1ms claim. Add in 165Hz refresh and AMD FreeSync support (for the record, Nvidia G-Sync isn’t officially supported but does work) and you have one heck of an overall gaming package.

Back on the Windows desktop, that extreme curve makes less sense. Likewise, at this price point, the mere 1440p resolution will be disappointing from a productivity perspective. And don’t forget that even the latest consoles don’t support the ultra-wide 21:9. But for the specific job of high-end PC gaming, with the arguable exception of esports, this monitor proved to us that it is absolute madness. And in a very good way.

For most gamers, 1440p and 144Hz is the current sweet spot for best gaming monitor; 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.

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.

In theory, that’s a huge upgrade. In practice, it’s a bit more complicated. This is a big screen, and so even with that many zones, the granularity of the backlight control is actually quite crude. But when it"s performing at its best, the Neo G9 puts on a spectacular HDR show that few if any monitors can match.

It might be one to skip for console play for now - the likes of LG’s 120Hz C1 and CX OLED TVs are better matched for that from a big-screen perspective - but for pure PC gaming, the Neo G9’s wrap-around immersion is awfully hard to beat so that"s why this is the best ultrawide monitor you can buy right now in the search for your best gaming monitor.

Arguably the current daddy, and best portable gaming monitor money can buy, both in terms of stature and price, the Asus ROG Strix XG17 clocks in at 17 inches and around $600 / £600 depending on the configuration.

As standard, it’s a 1080p IPS display cranking out up to 240Hz refresh and comes with a tablet-style folding stand. For a little extra cash, you can have a folding tripod stand that allows for a full range of adjustability.

It’s pretty beefy at over a kilo for the display, to which you can add another 0.65kg for the optional tripod. But then it is 17 inches and sports a 7800mAh battery. That allows for up to 3.5 hours of mains-free use, though the display can also be powered over USB-C. In terms of video inputs, it’s USB-C or HDMI.

It’s a quality bit of kit with a metal chassis, 3ms response, wide color gamut coverage, a gaming-friendly 1080p native resolution, and a full range of OSD menu options including pixel overdrive settings. Unless you want to go 4K or need HDR support, this is probably as good as portable gaming panels get.

The best gaming monitors - FAQWhat brand is best for gaming monitors?This is a tough question with no real stand out, single answer. Much like other areas of gaming tech, like headsets, for example, the best gaming monitor market is a crowded one, and this means pinning down one brand as the best of them all is nigh on impossible. Big name abound like ASUS, Acer, BenQ, Samsung, and Alienware, but thinking about a brand should always be secondary to the specs that you need and the price that you can spend.Is 144Hz or 240Hz better?In what is increasingly becoming a defining factor among the best gaming monitors, and gamers" approach to buying them, the refresh rate is critical. And the difference between these two numbers, 144 and 240 is increasingly becoming a distinction worth making as, 1) games can be noticeably differnt at these speeds, and, 2) monitors are made and sold at these exact numbers.

144Hz is almost certainly enough and games running at this framerate will be buttery smooth, but 240Hz will always be a bit more future proof and allow extra headroom. If a 240Hz monitor is only a small amount more, then it"s probably worth it - but always consider other specs before committing too!What monitor do pro gamers use?You"ll find pro gamers across esports use a variety of different gaming monitors. There doesn"t seem to be a prevailing brand that provides what is considered to be the best gaming monitor for pros - but they do pick and play on ones to their strengths and needs. Fast refresh rates, fast response times, and 1080p resolutions are often the favoured specs here - there"s no need for ultrawide beasts, of 4K gaming monitors.

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Having said that, there"s always a case for a 2nd gaming monitor - I use two at home depending on what PC game I want to play. Such is the range of the best gaming monitors available, if you had the budget and the setup, you could go for one which is best for competitive play and one that"s best for slower-paced role-playing games, and so on. What might work here is also one larger, curved gaming monitor as these can be had at very aggressive price points now too.

So, even though I would like to approach this much like my attitude in the kitchen, that more is more, it might just not be worth it for most folks. Particularly if you"re on a budget; even if you"re set on having two screens, you could splash out on one and pick up a cheap 2nd one for work or admin.

Speed in the screen having a fast refresh rate (Hz) which dictates the level of frames per second you"ll get from your machine; but also in the screen"s response time, (ms) which measures the amount of time it takes for a pixel to change. You want the former to be as high as possible, and the latter to be as low as possible.

And smoothness rolled into this by the screen having FreeSync or, preferably, G-Sync to ensure the transitions between frames are consistent and buttery is the perfect complement to the speeds. The likes of the best G-Sync monitor and best G-Sync compatible FreeSync monitors will be great shouts here.

The best gaming monitors come in such a wide variety of sizes it can be hard to work which size (by inches) to go for, or what will be best for a particular style of monitor.

Using a broad brush, a good starting point is to look at gaming monitors that are 27-inches. We find this to be quite a good sweet spot, particularly for 1440p resolutions. At 32-inches, you can start to really immerse yourself in games, and this size is fast becoming a go-to for 4K resolution monitors.

If you"re into ultrawides to take your immersion to the next level then we"d recommend a minimum of 34 or 35-inches for that ultrawide experience, though the experiences that 38-inch and 49-inch behemoths offer are something to consider - if your budget can be stretched.

There is also a school of thought from those that play esports that something like a 24-inch gaming monitor is perfect as it"s as close a match for what our eyes can take in and process quickly - so if this is you, then keep an eye on those, smaller sizes.

Most gaming monitors now offer in-plane switching, or IPS, panels. Compared with the twisted nematic, or TN, displays of the past, IPS screens have much better viewing angles and color reproduction. That said, competitive gamers who care more about performance