There are a few advantages to getting a 1440p monitor for gaming. They strike a balance between having good enough image quality without being too taxing on your graphics card, allowing you to reach high frame rates. These monitors are available in a wide range of refresh rates, so they're great for almost any type of gamer. Even current-gen gaming consoles, like the Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S, support 1440p signals.
There are a few things to look for in a 1440p gaming display. Its response time is important for sharp motion handling. Determining which VRR format it supports ensures compatibility with your graphics card, and having low input lag results in a responsive feel, which is the case with most monitors anyway. The majority of 1440p options are available with a 27- or 32-inch screen, but choosing the right size is a personal preference.
We've bought and tested more than 380 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best 1440p gaming monitors. Also, see our recommendations for the best 1440p 144Hz monitors, the best 1440p monitors, and if you prefer a higher resolution, the best 4k gaming monitors. For more than just a monitor, check out the best gaming laptops and the best gaming headsets.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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Best 1440p Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming9.4Response Time9.8HDR Picture9.1SDR Picture10Console Gaming9.1Brightness7.5Size27"Panel TypeOLEDMax Refresh Rate720 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440The best 1440p gaming monitor we've tested is the LG 27GX790B-B. It's a high-end OLED with a fast refresh rate, delivering a smooth, responsive feel. It has a 540Hz refresh rate with native 1440p resolution, and you can boost it to 720Hz at 720p using its dual-mode feature. This makes it versatile for playing different games. It has a near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate, so fast-moving objects look sharp, and it supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing. It even has features you'd expect in a premium gaming monitor, like HDMI and DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth to make full use of modern graphics cards and gaming consoles.
Besides its high-end gaming performance, it also delivers fantastic picture quality. Its OLED panel displays deep and inky blacks in dark rooms without any haloing around bright objects. It also displays a wide range of colors, makes small highlights stand out, and colors are vivid. Plus, its Tandem OLED panel gets bright, so it fights glare well in bright rooms, and its matte coating absorbs light well. You may also want to consider the LG 27GX790A-B if you don't need something so bright, but it has a lower 480Hz refresh rate without a dual-mode feature.
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Best Upper Mid-Range 1440p Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming9.2Response Time9.8HDR Picture9.5SDR Picture10Console Gaming9.1Brightness7.2Size27"Panel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate360 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If the LG 27GX790B-B is out of your price range or you won't take advantage of its high refresh rate, check out the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. You can often find it for less than the LG, especially when it's on sale. It offers the same near-instantaneous response time as the LG, and motion is sharp, though it has a lower 360Hz refresh rate, so it's not quite as smooth and responsive. It lacks a dual-mode feature to make it versatile for playing different types of games. Luckily, it has typical gaming features, like support for all common VRR formats and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
It has a few advantages over the LG, though, like the fact that its QD-OLED panel delivers more vivid colors. It also has a glossy coating that results in a clearer image than on the LG. One downside is that blacks look purple in bright rooms on this monitor, so you have to use it in a dark room to get the best performance. You can also consider the Gigabyte MO27Q28G if you want something with a Tandem OLED panel that gets brighter, but it has a lower refresh rate than the ASUS.
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Best Mid-Range 1440p Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming7.1Response Time7.3HDR Picture5.2SDR Picture6.0Console Gaming6.5Brightness7.6Size27"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate280 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you don't have the budget for a 1440p OLED gaming monitor, there are some LED-backlit LCD options you can get in the mid-range price category. One of those is the Dell Alienware AW2723DF, which costs less than the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. The biggest downside is that it has worse picture quality, with blacks that look gray and highlights that don't pop for an impactful HDR experience. It also has a terrible local dimming feature that results in noticeable haloing around bright objects. However, this local dimming feature only turns on in one of the HDR picture modes, so you can use another mode to avoid it altogether.
Although the Dell has worse picture quality, it offers the basics for PC gaming. This includes a 280Hz refresh rate that you can achieve with a DisplayPort connection. While it has more blur than the ASUS, its response time remains consistently quick with any refresh rate. It also supports FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC Compatibility to reduce screen tearing. However, it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of modern PCs and consoles. You can consider the LG 27GR83Q-B if that's important to you, but it sometimes costs more than the Dell.
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Best Budget 1440p Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming8.2Response Time8.5HDR Picture8.0SDR Picture8.2Console Gaming7.4Brightness8.3Size27"Panel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you're on a budget, you can get some budget-friendly 1440p monitors, like the AOC Q27G3XMN. It has a lower 180Hz refresh rate than the Dell Alienware AW2723DF, so gaming feels less smooth. However, it's an improvement in picture quality because it has Mini LED backlighting, which most entry-level monitors don't have. It has a good local dimming feature that helps it display deep blacks next to bright highlights, with minimal haloing around bright objects. It even gets brighter than the Dell in HDR, making it better to use in a bright room.
In terms of gaming, it has a fast enough response time to ensure there isn't much blur trail behind fast-moving objects. However, its response time is slower than the Dell with some transitions, leading to black smearing with dark objects. If you can't find this monitor available, another option is the AOC Q27G40XMN, which is similar and is sold in the US only. It gets brighter and has better local dimming performance, but its motion handling is worse than the Q27G3XMN.
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Best Cheap 1440p Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming7.3Response Time7.9HDR Picture5.4SDR Picture6.9Console Gaming7.1Brightness7.3Size27"Panel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you need a basic 1440p gaming monitor that you can get for cheap, check out the Dell Alienware AW2725DM. It's a 27-inch monitor like the AOC Q27G3XMN, but its biggest downside is worse picture quality. It doesn't have Mini LED backlighting, so blacks look gray, and it fails to make highlights pop in HDR. Plus, its local dimming feature, which only turns on in HDR, performs terribly and causes haloing around bright objects. This means it's a bad choice for gaming in HDR, but this is what you have to expect at this price point. It's still fine to use in a well-lit room, though, as it gets bright enough to fight some glare.
It's a decent gaming monitor with a 180Hz refresh rate, the same as the AOC. It has good motion handling across its refresh rate range. While there's some blur behind fast-moving objects, it at least doesn't have black smearing like on the AOC. It also has a wider viewing angle than the AOC, which is helpful to know if you want to game with a friend sitting next to you.
Notable Mentions
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MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED:
The MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED is a 1440p, 360Hz QD-OLED that competes with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. It performs similarly and you can't go wrong with either. While the MSI may be harder to find, it's worth considering if you can find it for less than the ASUS.
See our review -
Dell Alienware AW2725DF:
The Dell Alienware AW2725DF uses the same QD-OLED panel as the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG and costs less. There are some trade-offs with it, though, as it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. That said, it's worth getting if you want to save some money.
See our review -
ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG:
The ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG is a mid-range gaming monitor with better picture quality and motion handling than the Dell Alienware AW2723DF thanks to its OLED panel. However, the ASUS tends to cost more and can be harder to find.
See our review -
Dell Alienware AW3225DM:
The Dell Alienware AW3225DM is a budget-friendly 32-inch gaming monitor. It's a larger alternative to the AOC Q27G3XMN if you want a more immersive feel. That said, it has worse picture quality than the AOC.
See our review -
ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS:
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is an entry-level 1440p gaming monitor that competes with the Dell Alienware AW2725DM. The ASUS has better motion handling with VRR, but otherwise they're very similar. The ASUS usually costs more, too.
See our review
Recent Updates
Mar 02, 2026:
We added the LG 27GX790B-B as the 'Best 1440p Gaming Monitor' because of its high refresh rate and renamed the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG to the 'Best Upper Mid-Range 1440p Gaming Monitor.' We removed the LG 27GX700A-B because of this. We also replaced the MSI G274QPF-QD with the more readily available Dell Alienware AW2725DM. In the Notable Mentions, we removed the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 and the Sony INZONE M10S, and we added the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED and the Dell Alienware AW2725DF.
Feb 04, 2026:
We removed the LG 27GX790A-B and renamed the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG to the 'Best 1440p Gaming Monitor' because they're close in price, and for consistency with other recommendations. We replaced the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG with the LG 27GX700A-B and renamed it to the 'Best Upper Mid-Range 1440p Gaming Monitor.' We also added the Dell Alienware AW2723DF. Lastly, in the Notable Mentions, we removed the LG 27GS95QE-B and added the XG27AQDMG and the Dell Alienware AW3225DM.
Nov 07, 2025:
We added the LG 27GX790A-B as the best overall, as it has a higher refresh rate than the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG, which we renamed to the 'Best Upper Mid-Range 1440p Gaming Monitor.' We also renamed the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG to the 'Best Mid-Range 1440p Gaming Monitor' and added the MSI G274QPF-QD as the 'Best Cheap 1440p Gaming Monitor.' Lastly, we added the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS to the Notable Mentions.
Jun 26, 2025:
Replaced the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG, as the MSI is hard to find. Also, mentioned the AOC Q27G40XMN in the Best Budget section.
Mar 27, 2025:
We removed the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B because it's hard to find. We also replaced the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP with the Sony INZONE M10S in the Notable Mentions.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best 1440p gaming monitors currently available. They're adapted to be valid for most people. The rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you'd prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our 1440p monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.