The 5 Best 120Hz Monitors - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best 120Hz monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3225QF. It's a high-end gaming monitor with outstanding performance and premium picture quality. You can buy the monitor directly through Dell's website. While it has a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, it's still great to use at 120Hz thanks to its near-instantaneous response time, which results in almost no motion blur with fast-moving objects. It also has a 4k resolution and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can play 4k games with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S up to 120Hz.

Thanks to its QD-OLED panel, the Dell offers outstanding picture quality. This means it displays deep and inky blacks without any blooming and gets bright enough for highlights to pop. Additionally, it displays a wide range of colors in HDR that look extremely vivid and lifelike.

If you're looking for a monitor with equally good motion handling as the Dell Alienware AW3225QF that costs less, check out the LG 27GS95QE-B. It's only 27 inches, compared to the Dell's 32-inch size, but some may prefer this smaller size. Additionally, while the LG has a lower 1440p resolution than the 4k on the Dell, the smaller screen helps minimize the effect of a lower resolution, though it's still not as sharp. The LG can also downscale a 4k signal from consoles for a more detailed image.

Though the Dell delivers a considerably more vivid HDR picture, the LG still displays vibrant and life-like colors and highlights that get bright enough to pop. Because both monitors are OLEDs, they display deep blacks in a dark room. However, in a room with more light, the LG displays deeper blacks than the Dell, as deep blacks on QD-OLEDS, like the Dell, appear slightly purple when a light is shining on the screen. As a result, the LG may be a better choice in a brighter room, though it's not bright enough to overcome strong glare.

If an OLED monitor like the Dell Alienware AW3225QF or the LG 27GS95QE-B is outside your price range, a mid-range option like the Gigabyte M27U is a good alternative. It has worse picture quality than the Dell and LG monitors, as blacks look gray in dark rooms, and colors are less vibrant. However, it still gets bright enough for highlights to pop in games. Though it has a lower 160Hz refresh rate, it doesn't matter if you only use it for console gaming.

However, fast-moving objects have more blur on the Gigabyte, so it's not as good for playing fast-moving games on consoles. You can use the monitor's optional backlight strobing feature to try to reduce this, though this feature causes some image duplication. Like the Dell and the LG, it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and it works extremely well with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, so you can play games up to 120Hz with VRR and HDR without issues. If you find the 27-inch screen too small and want a larger 32-inch screen, consider the Gigabyte M32U, but it costs more than the M27U.

If the Gigabyte M27U is too expensive, there are still great options that cost less. The LG 27GP850-B has a lower resolution than the Gigabyte and the Dell Alienware AW3225QF, though it has the same resolution as the LG 27GS95QE-B and can still provide a sharp gaming experience on consoles. You can also find this monitor as the 27GP83B-B at different retailers, and both variants perform similarly. It works well for console gamers who play a lot of fast-moving games, as motion looks fairly crisp at 120Hz and 60Hz. Additionally, it gets bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room, though deep blacks appear gray in a darker room.

However, HDR performance on this monitor is considerably worse than on the Gigabyte. Colors in games look less vibrant, and HDR highlights don't pop. Additionally, HDR is only available at 60Hz on the Xbox Series X|S, and VRR isn't available on the PS5, as the LG doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. This also means you can't downscale a 4k @ 120Hz signal for a more detailed image than 1440p. If you want a 1440p monitor that does support VRR with the PS5, you can also consider the Dell Alienware AW2724DM, but it has slightly worse motion handling and doesn't have an audio output.

If you're looking to spend a minimal amount of money on a monitor for console gaming, consider the LG 27GR75Q-B. It's similar to the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B but performs slightly worse in most ways. Though fast-moving objects are fairly crisp with the 27GR75Q-B, they are slightly blurrier than with the 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B. However, motion handling is very similar between the two.

However, the 27GR75Q-B is a notable step down in image quality. It doesn't get as bright as the 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B, so it's not as well suited to a brighter room, and HDR colors are less vibrant. However, the contrast is similar with both monitors, and deep blacks appear gray with both monitors in darker rooms. Both monitors also have similar compatibility with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as they lack support for HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. This means that VRR isn't available on the PS5, and HDR is only available at 60Hz on the Xbox Series X|S. If you want a monitor that displays fast-moving objects with greater crispness, consider the Dell G2724D. However, it doesn't have an audio output and can be harder to find sometimes.