The 5 Best 120Hz Monitors - Summer 2023 Reviews

The best 120Hz monitor we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85. It's a fantastic gaming monitor with a native 240Hz refresh rate and performs equally as well at 120Hz. While gaming consoles won't take advantage of its high refresh rate, it works without issue with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, making it the best 4k 120Hz monitor. The high refresh rate is even beneficial if you want to connect a gaming PC, but if you don't think you'll take advantage of it, you can also consider the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, which has a 165Hz refresh rate and tends to cost a bit less.

The Neo G8 has an excellent response time at 120Hz, and its response time at 60Hz remains quick, which is great if your games don't maintain consistently high frame rates. It has extra gaming features like FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing if the frame rate of your game drops. It also delivers great picture quality as it has Mini LED backlighting that lets the monitor get bright, and at the same time, it has a decent local dimming feature to deliver deep blacks for gaming in dark rooms.

If you care about the best motion handling at 120Hz, consider the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM, which has a near-instantaneous response time thanks to its OLED panel. However, it has a lower resolution than the Samsung monitor and doesn't support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it can't take full advantage of gaming consoles like the Samsung.

If you don't need the best of the best in terms of gaming performance but still want something reliable, then consider the Gigabyte M27U. Its picture quality is a step down from the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 because it can't display the same deep blacks, and there's more blooming around bright objects as it has worse local dimming. However, this is only an issue if you want the best picture quality possible, and luckily it has the same 4k resolution for crisp details and sharp images. If you care about picture quality, consider the INNOCN 27M2V, which has much better local dimming but is also harder to find.

The Gigabyte offers an excellent gaming experience with a very quick response time at 120Hz. An optional backlight strobing feature also works at 120Hz to reduce persistence blur. Also, it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth that lets you take full advantage of the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, and you can play games at a high refresh rate without issues. If you find the 27-inch screen too small and want a 32-inch screen like the Samsung, you can also consider the Gigabyte M32U, but it costs more than the M27U for a minimal difference in performance.

Consider a lower-resolution monitor like the LG 27GP850-B if you want something cheaper, and you can also find it as the 27GP83B-B at different retailers. With a lower 1440p resolution and lower pixel density, images aren't as sharp and detailed as on the Gigabyte M27U. Also, it doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can't use it to play 4k @ 120Hz games from the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but it accepts 1440p and 1080p signals at 120Hz without issue. It's excellent for gaming because it has a remarkable response time at 120Hz, resulting in minimal motion blur.

Both of its variants, the 27GP850-B and the 27GP83B-B, perform similarly, but the 27GP850-B model has a backlight strobing feature. This reduces persistence blur and works at 120Hz but doesn't work simultaneously with VRR. It has FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing with the Xbox and PCs, but its VRR support doesn't work with the PS5.

You can still get great monitors for gaming at 120Hz at a budget-friendly price, like the ViewSonic XG2431. As you get into the budget category, you may have to get a lower resolution than the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B if you still want something with great performance. In this case, the ViewSonic has a 1080p resolution and a smaller 24-inch screen than the LG, so you won't see as many details in your games, but the image clarity is still decent. It works well with consoles, but there are some limitations because it doesn't support 120Hz gaming with 1440p or 4k signals from the Xbox or PS5, so you need to play 120Hz games at a 1080p resolution. If you want something that supports 1440p @ 120Hz signals from either console, you can also consider the Gigabyte M27Q, but it has worse motion handling than the ViewSonic.

Speaking about motion handling, the ViewSonic delivers incredibly clear motion with little blur behind fast-moving objects, and it has a few neat features for gamers, including a customizable backlight strobing feature. This feature helps reduce persistence blur and improves the appearance of motion, especially when gaming at lower refresh rates. It even works with a 60Hz signal, which not all monitors can do.

If you need a simple and cheap monitor for 120Hz games, consider the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx. It has a 1080p resolution and a 24-inch screen like the ViewSonic XG2431, but the main trade-off for getting something cheaper is that it has worse motion handling. It means there's more motion blur than on the ViewSonic, but the response time at 120Hz is still great. It has a decent response time at 60Hz, but it has overshoot that causes inverse ghosting when you enable VRR. However, you can disable VRR for better motion handling at 60Hz.

Like the ViewSonic, it has FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing and is also G-SYNC compatible. It means that its VRR support works with the Xbox but not the PS5, which is expected for many cheap displays as they don't normally support HDMI Forum VRR, which is what the PS5 supports. It also has limited 120Hz compatibility with consoles, so you'll need to play 120Hz games at a 1080p resolution instead of a higher resolution, but this is expected with a 1080p monitor anyways.