The 5 Best Budget And Cheap Gaming Monitors - Winter 2023 Reviews

The best budget gaming monitor we've tested is the ViewSonic XG2431. It's an impressive gaming monitor with more features than even more expensive options. It has a fast 240Hz refresh rate, and even though its 1080p resolution and 24-inch screen size may seem small to you, this is typical of budget monitors, and the lower resolution makes it easier for your graphics card to achieve a high frame rate. Despite its budget price, it's well-built, and the stand offers great ergonomics, making it easy to adjust to an ideal viewing position.

The stand-out feature is the incredible motion handling, thanks to the quick response time across its entire refresh rate range. It also has a customizable backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, where you can adjust the pulse width and phase of it, which is something many monitors can't do, meaning it's a nice addition to a budget-friendly monitor. Lastly, it has native FreeSync variable refresh (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing, and it's also G-SYNC compatible to work with NVIDIA graphics cards.

If you want something bigger, consider the Gigabyte M27Q. There are trade-offs to getting this monitor over the ViewSonic XG2431 as it has a lower max refresh rate of 170Hz, and its backlight strobing feature isn't as versatile. However, it also has a larger screen with a 1440p resolution for sharper images and a more immersive gaming experience, so you have to decide whether you want sharper images or a higher refresh rate.

It's an impressive gaming monitor as it has VRR support to reduce screen tearing, low input lag for a responsive feel, and a quick response time for smooth motion, but there's a bit more motion blur compared to the ViewSonic. It's a great choice if you tend to game in a bright room because it gets bright enough to fight glare, and the reflection handling is decent. It also has a few extra features to improve your overall experience, like a USB hub that features two USB ports if you want to charge your devices, and there's a USB-C port if you need to connect a laptop when you aren't gaming.

If you want an even bigger screen with an ultrawide display, you'll have to pay a bit more than regular budget gaming monitors, but there are still some great ultrawide gaming monitors that cost less than others. If that's something you're interested in, then the Dell S3422DWG is a great choice. It has a 3440x1440 resolution with a wider screen than the Gigabyte M27Q for a more immersive gaming experience, so you'll see more of your game at once. It offers a great gaming experience thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate, native FreeSync support with G-SYNC compatibility, and low input lag.

It has a different panel type than the Gigabyte M27Q, resulting in more black smearing with fast-moving objects, meaning its motion handling isn't as good. However, it delivers better picture quality in dark rooms thanks to its higher contrast and good HDR peak brightness. It also displays a wide range of colors in HDR, meaning it's a decent choice for gaming in HDR, as it's better than most budget monitors.

If you're on an even tighter budget and want a cheap gaming monitor, there are a few great options. You won't find ultrawide monitors like the Dell S3422DWG, so you'll find smaller displays with lower resolutions. If that's fine for you, the HP X24ih is a great cheap gaming monitor with the same 1080p resolution and 24-inch screen size as the ViewSonic XG2431. However, the reason it's cheaper is it has a max refresh rate of 144Hz. It isn't ideal if you're a competitive gamer, in which case you'll be better off with the ViewSonic, but if you want something simple for your first gaming monitor, you'll be happy with this one.

Besides the lower refresh rate, it has many of the same characteristics as the ViewSonic, like the extremely fast response time, low input lag with any signal, and FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing. Although it's a cheap monitor without many extra features, you can add a virtual crosshair that your system won't detect, giving you a competitive advantage while gaming.

If you find the 24-inch screen size too small, there are some cheap 27-inch gaming monitors, like the LG 27GL650F-B. It's very similar to the HP X24ih because it has a 144Hz native refresh rate with a 1080p resolution, and although it has slightly lower pixel density, the image clarity is still good. The main difference is that the LG has worse motion handling than the HP, so if you want amazing motion handling, go for the HP, but the response time on the LG is still fast. Like other budget and cheap monitors, it has VRR support in the form of native FreeSync, and it's also G-SYNC compatible.

Its input lag remains low across its entire refresh rate range for a responsive feel. It has a flicker-free backlight that helps reduce eye strain during long gaming sessions, and it has the option to introduce flicker to reduce persistence blur, but it only works within a narrow range. While it doesn't have many extra features, it does have gamma adjustment and crosshair features to give you a competitive advantage while gaming.