Summary
- A flood of OLED & mini-LED monitors have driven down monitor prices, making budget 1080p options under $150 widely available.
- Quality 1440p monitors are now available for less than $250 (or under $200 on sale), just ignore their unrealistic HDR claims.
- Budget 4K monitors like the can be yours for about $450, with respectable refresh rates for PC gaming.
The expansion of OLED monitors, in combination with the arrival of mini-LED HDR monitors and ultra-high refresh rate models has caused budget gaming monitors to massively drop in price. Now’s the perfect time to snag one.
1080p Gaming Monitors Are Dirt Cheap
Currently, most PC monitor brands focus on resolutions of 1440p and 4K, with 1080p monitors dropping out of favor. This means that, aside from a few high-end eSports models that deliver crazy high refresh rates, most 1080p gaming monitors fall into the budget category.
That’s bad news for gamers looking for a high-end (maybe even OLED) 1080p gaming monitor, but excellent news for budget-focused buyers because they can snag a 1080p monitor for less than $150.
My recommendation is the AOC 24G4. This is a fantastic 1080p gaming monitor sporting a speedy IPS panel, 180Hz refresh rate, FreeSync support, and a respectable contrast ratio for an IPS panel. It often goes on sale for less than $150. I’d advise everyone to avoid it at MSRP, but wait for a sale and buy it for $150 or less.
Another great offering is the KTC H25T7, which you can find for about $120. The specs are pretty similar to the AOC 24G4, with the differences being better colors on the KTC monitor, whereas the AOC model offers a higher contrast ratio, and better response time. No matter which one you pick, they’re both excellent budget 1080p gaming monitors.
Grab A Quality 1440p Gaming Monitor for Less Than $250
The 1440p monitor market is teeming with pricey OLED and high-end mini-LED models, but the budget market also offers some great deals that are cheaper than ever. If you know where to look, you can score a quality 1440p budget gaming monitor for less than $250 or even less than $200 if you wait for sales.
The ASRock PG27QFT2A is the best budget 1440p monitor deal on the market right now. Its MSRP is $240, but you can often find it for less than $200 if you wait for a sale. That’s a proper bargain for a superb budget gaming monitor. It features an IPS panel with a respectable response time, a 180Hz refresh rate, and impressive contrast for an IPS monitor.
Just ignore the HDR claims. Aside from the AOC Q27G3XMN no monitors mentioned here offer a proper HDR experience. Those HDR stickers are pure marketing and nothing else.
Moving on, we’ve got the Acer Nitro KG271U N3, a 1440p budget gaming monitor that sells for less than $200. This one doesn’t have as good a response time as the ASRock but comes with solid colors, a 180Hz refresh rate, and a decent contrast ratio. The only major downside is the stand, which wobbles a lot and doesn’t offer much in terms of adjustments.
The Gigabyte M27Q is one of the best 1440p budget gaming monitors around, but it costs more than $250. If you’re ready to pay about $260, the typical price it sells for, you’re getting a superb budget gaming monitor with a built-in KVM switch and specs reserved for high-end 1440p gaming monitors just a few years ago.
Gigabyte M27Q
$212 $300 Save $88
Get into 1440p gaming on a budget with the Gigabyte M27Q, a WQHD monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate, a responsive IPS panel, and a KVM switch.
Last, but not least, if you’d like to experience true HDR but don’t want to pay more than $300 for the pleasure, get the AOC Q27G3XMN. This true mini-LED gaming monitor supports full-array local dimming (336 dimming zones), has an impressive contrast ratio, and a max brightness that can surpass 1000 nits when displaying HDR content.
The best part is that you can get it for $280, with regular drops to $250, an insanely low price tag for a mini-LED true HDR monitor.
Get a Budget 4K Gaming Monitor for $450 or Less
Just a few years ago, you couldn’t score a 4K gaming monitor for less than about $700. Now you can find them for about $450 or less. My recommendation would be the GIGABYTE M27UA, a refresh of the excellent M27U.
Aside from the lack of HDR, the M27UA has no significant negatives. It boasts a 160Hz refresh rate, more than a decent contrast ratio, excellent colors, a built-in KVM switch, a very nice stand, FreeSync Premium support, and a ton of connectivity.
Gigabyte M28U
$384 $600 Save $216
Those in the market for a 4K 144Hz monitor should definitely check the GIGABYTE M28U. This is a capable 4K 144Hz IPS monitor made for gaming and productivity. It ticks all the checkboxes aside from HDR and is available at an excellent price.
The Gigabyte M28U is another great budget 4K gaming monitor. While its MSRP is $600, it hasn’t broken the $450 mark on Amazon in the last year or so. Its price usually hovers around $450, but you can get it for $400 if you’re patient. Specs-wise, this is a slightly larger copy of the M27UA, with the only difference being the 144Hz refresh rate instead of the 160Hz you’re getting with the M27UA.
Most of the monitors mentioned here can be considered bargains even at MSRP, but you can save a lot of money at the right time of year. My advice is to wait for a sale before pulling the trigger if the monitor you’d like to buy isn’t already discounted.
Every major retailer launches sales at this time of the year, so buying a monitor for MSRP during the holidays is like paying the full price in an outlet store.
Check out our roundup of the best OLED gaming monitors if you’d rather enter the new year with something beefier. Disappointed I didn’t mention a single ultrawide monitor? Take a look at our best ultrawide monitor list, it includes a few excellent budget options.