There are plenty of gaming monitors you can choose from if you're on a budget. These models are getting equipped with more gaming features than they once were. While most don't have premium perks like OLED panels or a 4k resolution, you'll still be happy with the performance of most low-cost gaming monitors. They're available in different resolutions and sizes, but size is a personal preference.
There are different factors to consider when looking for a gaming monitor. A fast response time is important for sharp motion, and low input lag is also crucial for a responsive feel, though most monitors have low input lag. Besides that, a high refresh rate is beneficial for competitive gaming as some budget models have very high refresh rates, too. Lastly, good picture quality helps provide an immersive gaming experience, so you'll want to look for monitors with deep blacks, bright highlights, and vivid colors, but that's less common on budget monitors.
We've bought and tested over 370 monitors, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best budget gaming monitors and the best cheap gaming monitors. Also, see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors under $300, the best monitors under $200, and the best budget and cheap monitors. You can also learn about the best monitor brands.
Quick Look
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Best Budget Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming8.2Console Gaming7.4Response Time8.5HDR Picture8.0SDR Picture8.2Brightness8.3Size27"Pixel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440The best budget gaming monitor we've tested is the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's a 27-inch, 1440p model with better picture quality than most other budget displays. It uses Mini LED backlighting, which is something mostly found on more expensive displays. It also has a good local dimming feature that helps it display deep blacks next to bright highlights, get bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms, and make 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 quick response time with fast-moving objects, but there's still black smearing in dark scenes. If you can't find this monitor available, you can also check out the newer and similar AOC Q27G40XMN, which is a Best Buy-exclusive model in North America. That said, it has a better local dimming feature and gets brighter than the Q27G3XMN, but it has worse ergonomics and a slower response time.
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Best Cheap Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming7.0Console Gaming5.1Response Time7.5HDR Picture4.8SDR Picture6.5Brightness7.0Size24"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution1920 x 1080If you're on a tighter budget or don't need the premium picture quality of the AOC Q27G3XMN, then check out the LG 24GS65F-B. It's different from the AOC because it has a smaller 24-inch screen with a lower 1080p resolution, so it doesn't offer the same immersive gaming experience with detailed images. It also has much worse picture quality as it lacks a local dimming feature and has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray. This means it's a bad choice for playing graphically intense games, but this is what you have to expect from an entry-level monitor.
The main upside of getting this monitor is that it has less smearing with fast-moving objects, which helps if you play action games. Although its response time is slower overall than the AOC and there's still blur with fast-moving objects, it at least doesn't have the same smearing in dark scenes. Like the AOC, it also has a 180Hz refresh rate and supports FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing.
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Best 24-Inch Budget Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming7.2Console Gaming5.9Response Time8.1HDR Picture4.6SDR Picture6.2Brightness7.5Size24"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate240 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution1920 x 1080While the LG 24GS65F-B is a decent gaming monitor with a small screen, if you're looking for an entry-level 24-inch gaming monitor without being on a very tight budget, the ViewSonic XG2431 is the best option you can get for a bit more. It's another 1080p display with the main difference being that it has a higher 240Hz refresh rate for a smoother feel.
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. Even if you aren't going to use the backlight strobing feature, motion looks sharp thanks to its fast response time. Like the previously-recommended monitors, it also supports FreeSync VRR with G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing with a gaming PC and an Xbox Series X|S, but not a PS5.
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Best 32-Inch Budget Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming7.6Console Gaming7.3Response Time7.8HDR Picture6.4SDR Picture7.6Brightness7.7Size32"Pixel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you find that the ViewSonic XG2431 is too small, there are some bigger sizes you can get. However, monitors bigger than 24 to 27 inches in the budget price range generally don't offer the best performance. That said, if you want the biggest possible size within your budget, check out the Dell Alienware AW3225DM, which you can often get for a low cost on Dell's website if you can't find it through retailers. 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 some smearing with fast-moving objects, it's still fine for casual gaming, and it's better than other VA panels. While it also displays deep blacks, which is good for gaming in dark rooms, it's much worse for HDR than the AOC, as it has a terrible local dimming feature. You'd need to spend more to get a 32-inch monitor with better HDR performance anyway.
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Best Ultrawide Budget Gaming Monitor
PC Gaming7.6Console Gaming7.3Response Time7.7HDR Picture6.3SDR Picture7.9Brightness7.7Size34"Pixel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3440 x 1440If 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 Alienware AW3425DWM. Although it costs more than other budget monitors, like the Dell Alienware AW3225DM, it's the price premium you'll have to pay for an ultrawide display.
It's a decent gaming monitor that's similar to the AW3225DM, with typical gaming features, like a 180Hz refresh rate and VRR support. However, it has smearing with fast-moving objects, similar to the other Dell monitor. Besides that, it delivers decent enough picture quality for a low-cost monitor, as it has a high contrast ratio with good black levels, so blacks look fairly deep next to bright highlights. However, it has a terrible local dimming feature that you can't turn off in HDR, and it results in noticeable haloing around bright objects.
Notable Mentions
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ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS:
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is an entry-level gaming monitor that's cheaper than the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's something to consider if you don't play games in HDR, as it has worse picture quality than the AOC, but it has better motion handling.
See our review -
Dell Alienware AW2523HF:
The Dell Alienware AW2523HF is a 25-inch gaming monitor that has a higher 360Hz refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431. Although the Dell usually costs more than the ViewSonic, it's still worth getting when it's on sale if you want such a high refresh rate.
See our review -
Dell G2524H:
The Dell G2524H is an entry-level 25-inch gaming monitor with a higher 280Hz refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431, and it can sometimes cost less, but it doesn't have a customizable backlight strobing feature.
See our review -
MSI G274QPF-QD:
The MSI G274QPF-QD is a cheap 1440p gaming monitor with a bigger screen and higher resolution than the LG 24GS65F-B. This is great if you play detailed games, but it can be harder to find at times than the LG.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 14, 2025:
We replaced the Dell G2524H with the cheaper LG 24GS65F-B, which is easier to find. We also replaced the LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B and the Dell S3422DWG with the newer Dell Alienware AW3225DM and the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the Gigabyte GS27QC and the AOC 24G15N with the G2524H and the MSI G274QPF-QD.
Jun 12, 2025:
We removed the Dell Alienware AW2724DM as it's hard to find, and renamed the Dell G2524H to the 'Best Cheap Monitor.' Lastly, we replaced the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B with the Gigabyte GS27QC in the Notable Mentions.
Mar 13, 2025:
We replaced the LG 27G850-B/27GP83B-B with the Dell Alienware AW2724DM because the LG's price went up. We also replaced the AOC 24G15N with the Dell G2524H because the Dell is better, and for consistency with other recommendations. In Notable Mentions, we removed the LG 32GP850-B/32GP83B-B and added the 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the 24G15N.
Feb 19, 2025:
We replaced the Dell G2724D with the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B because the Dell is hard to find. We also removed the Gigabyte M34WQ from the Notable Mentions because of a lack of availability. We introduced a new format to the article and updated the text to reflect these changes.
Dec 11, 2024:
We added the Dell S3422DWG as the 'Best Ultrawide Budget Gaming Monitor' to give another option and to be consistent with other recommendations. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the Dell Alienware AW2724DM with the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS and added the Gigabyte M34WQ.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best budget and cheap monitors for gaming currently available. They're adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. The 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 our budget and cheap 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.