Even if larger sizes are becoming more common, 27-inch monitors are still one of the most popular sizes for gaming on the market today. Ranging from the most basic 1080p monitors to 4k gaming powerhouses, including those with high refresh rates, these gaming monitors are available to match any budget and need. Choosing the right monitor for your gaming setup depends on your budget and preferences, so it's important to think of how you're going to use it and what type of games you're going to play.
We've bought and tested more than 270 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best 27-inch gaming monitors that are available to buy. See our picks for the best gaming monitors, the best 27-inch monitors, and for something bigger, the best 32-inch monitors.
The best 27-inch gaming monitor we've tested is the LG 27GR95QE-B. It's a 1440p monitor OLED monitor that provides fantastic gaming performance alongside excellent picture quality. It has a 240Hz refresh rate that helps offer a smooth gaming experience at a high frame rate and has a near-instantaneous response time for incredible motion handling at its max refresh rate. However, it has overshoot that results in inverse ghosting with low-frame-rate signals, which is a bit disappointing for a high-end monitor, but it's only a concern if you play games at a consistently low frame rate. Luckily, it has low input lag for a responsive feel.
Its OLED panel offers excellent picture quality, especially if you game in dark rooms. It has a near-infinite contrast ratio that displays deep blacks next to bright highlights, and there isn't any blooming around bright objects. However, there are some drawbacks to this technology, as it doesn't get bright, and OLEDs run the risk of permanent burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time, but it isn't a major concern if you play different games or watch varied content, and you still get a fantastic gaming monitor.
If you want a high-end gaming monitor but want to save some money, or you're concerned about the risk of burn-in associated with the LG 27GR95QE-B, then consider the LG 27GP950-B. It's a high-end monitor that's different from the 27GR95QE-B because it has a higher 4k resolution, but a lower 160Hz refresh rate. While you lose out on the remarkable dark room picture quality of the 27GR95QE-B, and you can't play games at a very high frame rate either, it at least delivers crispier images thanks to its higher resolution, making it the best choice for console gaming.
Even if you want to use it for PC gaming, its overclockable 160Hz refresh rate helps provide an excellent gaming performance. It has a quick response time that results in clear motion with minimal blur at any refresh rate you game at, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. It has native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing, and it's also G-SYNC compatible if you have an NVIDIA graphics card. It even has a few extra gaming features, like the ability to add a virtual crosshair that your system won't detect, giving you a competitive advantage in FPS games.
If you want a mid-range gaming monitor, or you don't need the 4k resolution of the LG 27GP950-B, check out the Dell Alienware AW2723DF. Its 1440p resolution and 240Hz native refresh rate are more comparable to LG 27GR95QE-B than the 27GP950-B, as it doesn't deliver the same sharp images as a 4k monitor. With an LED-backlit LCD panel, it also has a worse native contrast ratio and doesn't look as good in dark rooms as the 27GR95QE-B. However, it costs less than both LG monitors and still provides excellent gaming performance.
You can overclock it to a max refresh rate of 280Hz, but you need an NVIDIA 16 Series or newer graphics card that supports Display Stream Compression for it to work. Motion looks smooth over its entire refresh rate range because it has an excellent response time, but it doesn't have a backlight strobing feature to further reduce persistence blur. Like the 27GP950-B, it has native FreeSync VRR support, and it's also G-SYNC compatible, but if you have an NVIDIA graphics card that you want to take full advantage of, the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM is a good alternative with native G-SYNC support, which also costs more.
If you're looking for a low-cost monitor but don't necessarily want something limited in features and performance, a lower mid-range option like the LG 27GP850-B is a good alternative, and it's also known as the 27GP83B-B. It has a 1440p resolution like the Dell Alienware AW2723DF, but the main difference is that the LG has a lower 165Hz native refresh rate. This means you can't play games at such a high frame rate, but if you have a computer without the latest tech that can't take advantage of 240Hz and higher monitors, you'll be satisfied with the LG too. It's available in two different variants, with the 27GP850-B model having an overclock feature to reach a slightly higher 180Hz refresh rate than the 27GP83B-B.
Both variants offer excellent gaming performance with incredible motion handling, especially with high frame rate signals. The 27GP850-B variant also has an optional backlight strobing feature to further reduce persistence blur, but it only works within a narrow refresh rate range, and it doesn't work at the same time as VRR. Speaking of VRR, it has native FreeSync support and it's also G-SYNC compatible if you want to use it with an NVIDIA graphics card.
If you just want a simple 27-inch gaming monitor and are on a budget, the Gigabyte M27Q is a good alternative to the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B. In terms of features, it's very similar to the LG as it has the same 1440p resolution and a similar 170Hz refresh rate, but the main differences are with the performance. It has a slower response time with high-frame-rate signals, meaning that motion doesn't look as smooth as on the LG, which is the trade-off you need to make for getting something cheaper, but it still has excellent motion handling.
Another difference is that it uses another panel with a BGR subpixel layout. This is different from the RGB subpixel layout on the LG, but while this doesn't affect the picture quality or gaming performance, it can affect the text clarity when browsing through the web. Besides those small differences, the Gigabyte is still an impressive gaming monitor with low input lag, FreeSync VRR, and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It even has a backlight strobing feature that you can use at the same time as VRR, which is a neat feature as many monitors can't do that, and it helps reduce persistence blur while improving the appearance of motion.
May 11, 2023: Replaced the Gigabyte M27Q X with the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B because it's easier to find; added the Sony INZONE M9 to Notable Mentions.
Mar 13, 2023: Added the LG 27GR95QE-B as the 'Best 27-Inch Gaming Monitor' and renamed the LG 27GP950-B as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor'; replaced the Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T, LG 27GP850-B, and the ViewSonic Elite XG270 with the Dell Alienware AW2723DF, Gigabyte M27Q X, and Gigabyte M27Q because of current availability and for consistency with other articles; removed the Dell G2722HS; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.
Jan 12, 2023: Replaced the LG 27GL650F-B with the Dell G2722HS, as the price of the LG has gone up considerably and it's no longer worth buying.
Nov 04, 2022: Removed the Gigabyte M27Q X because it's hard to find and renamed the Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T as the 'Best Mid-Range Monitor'; replaced the Gigabyte M27Q with the LG 27GP850-B because it has better motion handling and renamed to 'Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor'; added the ViewSonic Elite XG270 as the 'Best Budget Monitor' and replaced the LG 27GN650-B with the cheaper LG 27GL650F-B; removed the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM because it's expensive; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.
Sep 07, 2022: Restructured article to reflect user needs and for consistency with other articles; moved the LG 27GP950-B to 'Best Monitor' and added the Gigabyte M27Q X; renamed the Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T to 'Best Upper Mid-Range', the Gigabyte M27Q to 'Best Budget', and the LG 27GN650-B to 'Best Cheap'; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best 27-inch monitors for gaming currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our 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.