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, even up to 480Hz, 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 monitors 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 375 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, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any 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 and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
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Best 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 1440The best 1440p gaming monitor we've tested is the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. It's a high-end OLED that features a fast 360Hz refresh rate. This makes it a great choice even for competitive gamers who crave high frame rates, as it offers a smooth and responsive feel. 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 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 thanks to its QD-OLED panel. However, black levels rise in bright rooms, making them look purple. You can consider the LG 27GX790A-B if you want something with better black levels in bright rooms. It even has a higher 480Hz refresh rate, but its colors aren't as vivid as on the ASUS.
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Best Upper Mid-Range 1440p Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming9.1Response Time9.8HDR Picture9.2SDR Picture9.9Console Gaming9.2Brightness7.8Size27"Panel TypeOLEDMax Refresh Rate280 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG is out of your price range or you like to game in a brighter room, check out the LG 27GX700A-B. You can often find it for less than the ASUS, especially when it's on sale. It offers the same near-instantaneous response time as the ASUS, and motion is sharp, though it has a lower 280Hz refresh rate, so it's not quite as smooth and responsive. It also displays a wide range of colors, but they aren't as vivid as on the ASUS.
It has a few advantages over the ASUS, though, like if you want to use it in a well-lit room. Its black levels don't rise as much as on the QD-OLED panel of the ASUS, so it displays those deep and inky blacks that OLEDs are known for in any environment. It's also bright for an OLED thanks to its RGB Tandem OLED panel, so it fights some glare well. However, it overbrightens content in HDR, making games look inaccurate. You can consider the Gigabyte MO27Q28G if you want a more accurate RGB Tandem OLED monitor, but it's harder to find than the LG.
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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 LG 27GX700A-B. 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 LG, 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 usually 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 Gaming6.9Response Time7.4HDR Picture4.9SDR Picture5.8Console Gaming6.1Brightness7.1Size27"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate170 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you need a basic 1440p gaming monitor that you can get for cheap, check out the MSI G274QPF-QD. It's a 27-inch monitor like the AOC Q27G3XMN, with the biggest downside being that it has worse picture quality. It doesn't have Mini LED backlighting or even a local dimming feature, so blacks look gray, and it fails to make highlights pop in HDR. 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 if you want to use it in a well-lit room, though, as it gets bright enough to fight some glare.
It's a good gaming monitor with a 170Hz refresh rate, similar to the AOC. It has decent 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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Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3:
The Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 is a high-end monitor that competes with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. It performs similarly and has many of the same features. It may be worth getting if you can find it for less, but it's also harder to find at times.
See our review -
Sony INZONE M10S:
The Sony INZONE M10S is a top-of-the-line 1440p gaming monitor with a 480Hz refresh rate, offering a smoother feel than the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. However, it costs more than the ASUS and has less vivid colors.
See our review -
ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG:
The ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG is an upper mid-range 1440p gaming monitor that's more accurate in HDR than the LG 27GX700A-B. However, it's not as bright as the LG 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 has better motion handling than the MSI G274QPF-QD. However, it costs more, so it may be out of your budget.
See our review
Recent Updates
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.
Feb 19, 2025:
We introduced a new format to the article and updated the text to reflect these changes. Additionally, we removed the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM and the LG 27GR83Q-B, as they don't provide as much value as the AOC Q27G3XMN. We also removed the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS as a Notable Mention.
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.