The 6 Best Budget And Cheap Gaming Monitors - Fall 2024

The best budget gaming monitor we've tested is the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's a 27-inch, 1440p monitor that has better picture quality than most other low-cost displays. It uses Mini LED backlighting, which is something mostly more expensive displays have, so it's a nice touch for an entry-level monitor. It displays deep blacks next to bright highlights, and it gets bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms and makes highlights pop. It even displays a wide range of vivid colors in HDR, which is useful for HDR gaming.

In terms of its pure gaming performance, it has features you'd expect to find in a gaming monitor, like a 180Hz max refresh rate and FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility. It even has a fast response time so that there isn't much blur behind fast-moving objects, but there's still smearing. One thing to know is that this monitor sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it available, look into the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx instead. It costs less and is similar to the AOC, as it also has Mini LED backlighting, but it has worse motion handling.

If you're on a tight budget and are looking for the best cheap gaming monitor, there are some good options you can get. One of those is the Dell G2724D, which you can find for a low cost directly from Dell's website. While it has a 27-inch, 1440p screen like the AOC Q27G3XMN, it's different in a few ways. It doesn't have Mini LED backlighting, and its local dimming feature performs terribly. Blacks look gray, and highlights don't pop either, so it has limited picture quality in HDR. However, that's the trade-off for getting something cheap.

The Dell has a few advantages for gaming over the AOC, though. There's less smearing with fast-moving objects, and it even supports HDMI Forum VRR. This means that the VRR support works with the PS5, which is a neat feature to help reduce screen tearing. Besides that, it's a good monitor if you want something for gaming in bright rooms, as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has good reflection handling.

While the AOC Q27G3XMN and the Dell G2724D are both good 27-inch gaming monitors, if you want something smaller, like if you have limited desk space, then check out the ViewSonic XG2431. It's different from both the AOC and the Dell because it has a lower 1080p resolution, so images aren't as detailed, but it has a higher 240Hz refresh rate. This is useful for competitive gaming, especially if your PC can maintain a high frame rate.

On top of that, fast-moving objects also look crisp thanks to the quick response time across its entire refresh rate range. One of the monitor's standout features is its customizable backlight strobing feature, which allows you to adjust the flicker to your liking to reduce persistence blur. Many monitors can't do this, so it's a nice addition to a budget-friendly display, but it doesn't work at the same time as VRR. 

Also, see our recommendations for the best 24-25-inch monitors.

If you're on a really limited budget and need a cheap 24-inch monitor, check out the AOC 24G15N. It's a very basic gaming monitor with a lower 180Hz refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431, but it has the same 1080p resolution. Besides the refresh rate, the main difference with ViewSonic is its panel type, as it displays deeper blacks. However, the principal trade-off is that it has worse motion handling. There's smearing with fast-moving objects, but this is what you have to expect for such a cheap gaming monitor.

Luckily, it's still useful for gaming, as it has low input lag for a responsive feel, a 180Hz refresh rate, and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. It even has a few gaming perks, like Shadow Control, which makes it easier to see opponents in dark scenes. It also has an optional backlight strobing feature, but it creates image duplication.

Monitors bigger than 27 inches in the budget price range generally don't offer the best performance. However, if you want the biggest possible size within your budget, check out the LG 32GN650-B, which you can also buy as the 32GN63T-B at different retailers, and both variants offer the same performance. It has the same 1440p resolution as the AOC Q27G3XMN, delivering the same amount of details, but because of its larger size, the pixel density is lower, so games and text aren't as sharp.

Although there's smearing with fast-moving objects, it's still fine for casual gaming. While its VA panel displays deep blacks, which is good for gaming in dark rooms, it still doesn't deliver great HDR performance like the AOC, as it lacks a local dimming feature. You'd need to spend more to get a 32-inch monitor with better HDR performance anyway.

Also, see our recommendations for the best 32-inch monitors.

If you find the 16:9 aspect ratios of the monitors recommended above too narrow, there's a class of displays with wider ultrawide screens. These are great for an immersive gaming experience, as you can see more of your game at once. If that's what you're interested in, then look into the Dell S3422DWG. Although it costs more than other budget monitors, like the LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B, it's the price premium you'll have to pay for an ultrawide display. 

It's a decent gaming monitor that has typical gaming features, like a 144Hz refresh rate and VRR support. However, it has smearing with fast-moving objects, but it isn't as bad as on the LG. Besides that, it delivers decent enough picture quality for a low-cost monitor, as it gets bright enough to fight glare, and has good reflection handling. Also, it has a high contrast ratio to make blacks look fairly deep next to bright highlights. However, it lacks a local dimming feature to improve the picture quality.

Also, see our recommendations for the best ultrawide gaming monitors.