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Best value ultrawide gaming monitor
LG 34” Ultrawide IPS Full HD HDR Monitor
Best value 1440p gaming monitor
Best budget 1080p gaming monitor
Best budget curved gaming monitor
Best cheap 144Hz gaming monitor
Best budget 240Hz gaming monitor
LG 27GN750-B UltraGear 27" monitor
MSI Optix G241VC FHD 24" Curved Monitor
Best 40+ Inch Ultrawide Montior under $600
You don’t need to spend an exorbitant amount of money to get a great gaming monitor. While top-of-the-line monitors can be beneficial for competitive gaming and for showing off games in their best form (provided you have a capable rig, of course), most PC gamers can probably get by just fine with reasonably priced monitors around $300 or less. Regardless of budget, you still want to pick a monitor that’s right for what you’re playing. We’ve rounded up the best cheap gaming monitors in 2022. We’ll continue to add more picks to this list as new monitors release. Each year, it seems as if manufacturers push the bar even further in terms of quality for a decent price.
As mentioned, you should shop for monitors with your needs in mind. FPS and competitive gamers will want a monitor with a high refresh rate–at least 144Hz–to get the edge on their competitors. Those who are more interested in single-player games and want the best in picture quality may go for an ultrawide monitor or even one with a 4K resolution and HDR support to get the most vibrant image.
A number of factors played a role in our picks–the biggest one being our experience with the respective companies and their monitors. We’ve also considered each monitor’s technical specifications, user reviews, and availability, and where possible, we tried to stay under $300 as well–though a couple of our recommendations that we’ve included for various reasons have steeper prices.
See more PC gaming coverage:
How to build a gaming PCThe best PC gaming headset for 2022The best gaming mouse for 2022The best gaming keyboard for 2022The best webcam for streaming in 2022
Editor’s Note: Article updated on July 26, 2022
Best value ultrawide gaming monitor
LG 34” Ultrawide IPS Full HD HDR Monitor
Ultrawide monitors are often the most expensive you can find on the market, but the 34-inch IPS gaming monitor is an excellent budget option that provides a great experience while not breaking the bank. It boasts a 2560×1080 resolution, 75Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync support as well as a 5ms response time. It’s compatible with FreeSync and has a pair of HDMI ports.
Best value 4K gaming monitor
BenQ 27" EL2870U Monitor
4K is a resolution that often comes with a premium tag, but the BenQ EL2870U gaming monitor offers a solid 4K experience at an affordable price. Of course, with the high resolution, you sacrifice the refresh rate. The EL2870U only features a 60Hz refresh rate, but you do get a nice 4K TN display with a 1ms response time and HDR10 that is also supported by FreeSync for smooth and responsive gaming. It holds a 4.5/5 rating on Amazon with over 3,000 reviews.
In addition to its gaming features, it also features adaptive brightness, low blue light, and anti-flicker tech, all of which work to make gaming sessions more comfortable for your eyes. The adaptive brightness adjusts automatically throughout the day as the lighting in your room changes.
Best value 1440p gaming monitor
Gigabyte 27" G27Q Monitor
Gigabyte’s G27Q gaming monitor is an excellent budget monitor if you’re looking for a 1440p option. Its IPS display boasts a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate backed up by FreeSync Premium and G-Sync compatibility. This gives you a higher resolution than 1080p as well as a higher refresh rate than 60, providing both a sharp image and smooth, fluid gameplay. The FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility helps eliminate screen-tearing no matter what graphics card you have.
It also features HDR400 support, though don’t expect the brightest and most colourful image from this budget display. It looks great for its price and is well worth its sub-$300 price tag. It boasts one DisplayPort and two HDMI ports.
Best budget 1080p gaming monitor
Asus 24" VP249QGR Monitor
The Asus VG248QG gaming monitor boasts a 1080p resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync support. As far as gaming monitors for around $200 go, this is one of the best options. The refresh rate allows for fast and fluid gameplay, and the 1080p makes it easier for lower-end and mid-tier graphics cards to hit those high frame rates that it supports mark.Nvidia G-Sync support keeps your image looking clean and smooth when that frame rate fluctuates. Plus, it has a rapid 0.5ms refresh rate.
It’s equipped with Asus’ Eye Care tech, which produces a flicker-free image and a blue light filter. You also have a range of input options here, with HDMI, DisplayPort, and DVI-D supported.
Best budget curved gaming monitor
AOC 32" C32G2 Monitor
The curved craze didn’t quite take hold like some thought it would, but there are still some quality curved gaming monitors out there. One of the best budget monitor makers, AOC, has one that’s well worth its roughly $250 price tag. The 32-inch AOC C32G2 gaming monitor features a frameless curved display that boasts a 1080p resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. It also comes with FreeSync Premium, which helps keep the image smooth and fluid.
AOC’s C-series of monitors is extremely popular, garnering over 20,000 reviews with a 4.5/5 rating. If you don’t shop on Amazon, then you may not have heard of them, but they’re worth paying attention to. There are better monitors out there, but it’s hard to beat AOC at its prices.
Best cheap 144Hz gaming monitor
AOC 24" C24G1A Monitor
AOC also makes an excellent 144Hz monitor for under $200. The C24G1A is a 24-inch curved gaming monitor with a 1080p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time. It also features FreeSync Premium to help with keeping your image smooth and tearless. Pairing that with its 1ms response time and frameless design, and games look and feel great when playing them on the C24G1A.
Additionally, the AOC C24G1A features an adjustable stand that lets you tweak the height, tilt, and swivel of the screen.
Best budget 240Hz gaming monitor
LG 27GN750-B UltraGear 27" monitor
Competitive gamers may want to look into monitors with extremely high refresh rates–sometimes even higher than 144Hz. That’s where 240Hz gaming monitors come in. The LG 27GB750-B UltraGear comes with a 27-inch IPS display that is capable of rendering games in 1080p with a 240Hz refresh rate. It also has a 1ms response time as well as compatibility for HDR 10. As a 240Hz gaming monitor, it’s great for competitive games where the action is fast-paced and every little bit of visual clarity matters. It does all of this while keeping a smooth picture, and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility certainly helps, too.
Best budget monitor for $150
MSI Optix G241VC FHD 24" Curved Monitor
If you’re shopping on a limited budget and aren’t really into competitive games, you might not necessarily benefit from getting a gaming monitor with a high refresh rate–especially if your rig isn’t all that powerful. If that’s the case, you can get a really solid MSI curved monitor for $150. The MSI Optix G241VC has a 24-inch display that renders in 1080p with a 75Hz refresh rate. It has an anti-glare coating and a 1ms response time.
Best 40+ Inch Ultrawide Montior under $600
Innocn 44C1G Ultrawide 44"
When you’re shopping on a budget for a monitor, you’re probably not thinking about monitors that are north of $500. However, when it’s an ultrawide monitor with enough display space to make it truly feel like you’re getting two monitors in one? It definitely becomes more of a bargain. Innocn’s 44C1G 43.8-inch monitor is a great option that’s available for around $550.
This 43.8-inch monitor really can be considered two full displays in one, as it has a 32:9 aspect ratio–the same you’d get when putting a pair of normal monitors next to each other. It has a rapid 2ms response time, which is impressive for a monitor this large. It also supports HDR400 and has AMD FreeSync tech.
The IPS display has a 3840 x 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. These specs are plenty good enough for gaming, but the 44C1G is especially great for multitasking. You can have your game running on one half of the screen and something else on the other. It comes with an adjustable stand (swivel, tilt, height) as well as a mount. It has a DisplayPort, USB-C port, and 2 HDMI ports.
The 44C1G is a great option for those in the market for an ultrawide monitor that can take the place of a dual monitor setup, and it’s less expensive than many monitors in the 40-plus inch range.
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