Overview
The best gaming monitors are an important part of true gamers’ rigs. The most important factors for a gaming monitor are a high refresh rate and a fast response time at 1080p resolution or better. There are more factors to choose from if you are willing to pay extra.
Top Picks
These are the top best gaming monitors that we pick out to help you save time while choosing for the best products that suit your needs:
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Best Premium 4k Gaming Monitor: SAMSUNG 49" Odyssey Neo G9 G95NA Gaming Monitor 240Hz Ultrawide curved
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Best 2k Gaming Monitor: LG 27GL850-B 27 Inch 144Hz Ultragear QHD Nano IPS
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Best 1080p Gaming Monitor: ASUS VG248QG 24" G-Sync Gaming Monitor 165Hz 1080p
- Best Budget Gaming Monitor: VIOTEK GFV22CB Ultra-Compact 22-Inch 144Hz Gaming Monitor | 1080P
Buying Guide
There are many factors to consider when you research the best gaming monitors. Some factors are crucial to some people, but some factors are not. Depending on the specific needs of users, you need to put some factors in front of another.
Refresh Rate (Hz)
The gaming monitor refresh rate is the most different from the regular monitors. While the standard refresh rate is 60Hz, the refresh rate on gaming monitors is higher, such as 120Hz, 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, and even 360Hz. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the output image can be, and the more powerful the system needs to render the high FPS output.
Screen Size and Resolution
The higher resolution your monitor has, the more detailed image you can get, as long as your graphics card has enough power to handle. The 1080p resolution is standard, 2160p or higher is the best, and 1440p is the sweet spot resolution between blurry 1080p and expensive 4k.
The size of the monitor is also essential. The 27 inch is the ideal starting point for gaming monitors. The higher resolution you want, the bigger size you should choose.
Response Time
The faster the response time is, the better gaming experience you can have. The monitors that have less than 4ms response time are ideal for gaming.
Panel Types
The IPS panel has made a big leap of improvement to provide accurate color, a wide view angle, a great refresh rate, and a good response time. However, the IPS panel cannot yet compare to TN in response time.
FreeSync & G-Sync
These are the technologies that help match your monitor’s performance with your graphics card. While NVIDIA has a monopoly on G-Sync technology, AMD lets everyone use FreeSync for free.
Widescreen (16:9) or Ultrawide (21:9)
Ultrawide monitors give you a more expansive ingame view if the game you play supports the output ratio. Otherwise, the ultrawide’s image can turn out worse than the widescreen.
Curved vs. Flat
Curved monitors only make significant improvements on ultrawide ones. So do the math if you choose between two wide monitors: a flat monitor and a more expensive curved one with the same specs.
Monitor Bezel
Besides the modern look, the thin bezel monitors can give you a better experience when you use multiple monitors. If you use only one monitor, it does not matter how large the bezel is.
Ports
Ports are easy things to manage, but if you forget about it, things might get worse fast. You need common ports available on your monitor matching your motherboard’s: HDMI, DisplayPort, Type C, DVI, and an old standard VGA.
FAQs
Here are some questions that related to gaming monitors that we think you should check out.
1. Which brand makes the best monitor for gaming?
Many popular brands make good gaming monitors, such as LG, Gigabyte, Dell, Samsung, Asus.
2. Is a 144Hz gaming monitor worth it?
In general, Yes. Especially when you are playing games competitively, and you can afford it. If you only play light games for relaxing moments, maybe you better focus on a better pair of headphones or a nicer speaker.
3. Can I use a gaming monitor as a TV?
Yes. But it only works if you use a TV box and use the gaming monitor as an output screen. Most PC monitors can not operate on their own as TVs.
4. Can I use a TV as a gaming PC monitor?
Yes. It is easy to use a modern TV as a gaming PC monitor because most TVs have HDMI ports. However, if you use a very old TV, you might need a converter jack to connect from new interfaces (HDMI, DP, type-C) to old interfaces (DVI, VGA, AV).
Final Thoughts
Gaming monitors now are better in every angle and more affordable. Pick any range of cash, and you still find some models to compare. Determine your most important factor: high refresh rate, screen size, resolution, or panel type, then the rest is easy. I hope our list of gaming monitors helps to complete your gaming corner.
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