The 5 Best 120Hz Monitors - Fall 2024

The best 120Hz monitor we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It's an outstanding gaming monitor with premium picture quality. While it has a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, it's still great to use at 120Hz thanks to its near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate, 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, it even offers outstanding picture quality. This means it displays deep and inky blacks in dark rooms 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 life-like. Even if you want to use it in a brighter room, its matte screen coating has fantastic reflection handling, though it doesn't get bright enough to overcome bright glare. If you're gaming in a darker room and prefer something with a glossy screen, the Dell Alienware AW3225QF is another great choice. However, the Dell has a curved screen, which may not be for everyone.

If you find the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 too much out of your price range but still want a premium display, look into the upper mid-range MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED. It has a QD-OLED panel like the Samsung, so it displays the same deep and inky blacks with vivid colors and bright highlights, delivering outstanding HDR picture quality. However, the main difference is that it has a lower 1440p resolution than the Samsung, so images aren't as detailed and sharp, and it also has a smaller screen.

That said, it still has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of gaming consoles, and it also supports downscaled 4k @ 120Hz signals, which are more detailed than native 1440p signals. Although it has a 360Hz refresh rate, it still performs very well at 120Hz, as it has a near-instantaneous response time for sharp motion. If you don't think you need something with such a high refresh rate and prefer a cheaper monitor, the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG is a fantastic OLED gaming monitor, but it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and colors aren't as vivid as on the MSI.

If you prefer a lower-cost mid-range monitor, the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is a good choice if you can find it for a lower price. It's different from the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED because it doesn't have a QD-OLED panel, so it doesn't display the same deep blacks and vivid colors. However, this is the trade-off you must make to get a cheaper mid-range monitor. It still delivers good picture quality, as it has Mini LED local dimming that helps improve its contrast, and there isn't much blooming around bright objects either. It also gets very bright, which is ideal for both HDR gaming and use in bright rooms.

Regarding gaming performance, it doesn't have the same near-instantaneous response time as the MSI, but fast-moving objects still look sharp at 120Hz. It also has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles, and its 4k resolution helps deliver a detailed image. However, its input lag increases at 60Hz, so it's not ideal for fast-paced games at that refresh rate.

If you want a monitor on a budget, check out the AOC Q27G3XMN, which offers great value as a low-cost display. It uses Mini LED backlighting like the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, so it also looks great in dark rooms as it has a high contrast ratio and good local dimming feature, and highlights pop in HDR. However, it has a lower 1440p resolution, so it doesn't display the same detailed images, and without HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, it can't take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Luckily, the AOC has a really quick response time at 120Hz, and while there's black smearing with fast-moving objects in dark rooms, motion still looks sharp. One downside is that it has noticeable VRR flicker with changing frame rates, particularly in dark scenes, but this isn't so much of an issue if you set a frame cap to 120 fps. Also, this monitor sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it available, look into the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx, which is another budget monitor with Mini LED backlighting. However, it has worse motion handling than the AOC.

While you can find the AOC Q27G3XMN for a low cost, check out the Dell G2724D if you need a simple and cheap display. You can get it for cheap directly from Dell's website. It has a 27-inch, 1440p screen like the AOC, but it doesn't have any Mini LED backlighting, so it has much worse picture quality than the AOC, which is the trade-off for getting something cheap. This means blacks look gray in dark rooms, and highlights don't pop in HDR.

On the plus side, it's still good for gaming as it has a fast response time at 120Hz. It has less smearing than the AOC and doesn't have any VRR flicker, either. Another advantage is that its VRR support works with the PS5, which the AOC and other entry-level monitors don't support, so it's a nice touch for a cheap display.