The 6 Best Budget And Cheap Monitors - Summer 2024 Reviews

The best budget monitor is the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx. It has very good HDR performance, which is uncommon in this price range, and it's a great option for watching content and playing HDR games. In addition to its highlights being bright enough to pop, it has excellent contrast, so you can see deep blacks next to bright highlights in a darker room. It also has outstanding brightness, so it easily overcomes glare from bright light sources and works well next to a window. Additionally, the stand is very adjustable, so it's easy to place in your preferred position for a long day at work or an extended gaming session.

However, the monitor isn't perfect for every situation. It has mediocre viewing angles, so it's more difficult to share work with a colleague. Also, its display is only 1440p, so text doesn't look as sharp as on a 4k display. Additionally, while it's very good for gaming, fast-moving objects look slightly blurrier than on some other budget monitors. However, at this price, you have to expect to make trade-offs. If you're looking for a monitor with much better motion handling, consider the AOC Q27G3XMN. However, it doesn't get as bright and can be harder to find.

The best monitor you can get for a cheap price is the Dell G2724D. It's a versatile 27-inch monitor with a 1440p resolution that's good for most uses. It's rather simple and barebones regarding features, but it gets the job done, especially if you don't need anything fancy. You can find it for a low cost directly from Dell's website. Like the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx, it has good text clarity, which is great for reading through webpages and documents, and it's also a good choice for well-lit rooms as it gets bright enough to fight glare, though not as bright as the Acer. Despite its cheap cost, it's fairly well-built and has outstanding ergonomics, making it very easy to place in an ideal position.

Even though it performs well for everyday use, it's mainly designed as a gaming monitor, and it performs well in that regard. It has a good response time, and fast-moving objects look sharper than on the Acer. Additionally, its 165Hz refresh rate creates a smooth and responsive feel while gaming. However, it doesn't perform well in some areas. It has disappointing HDR performance, as highlights don't pop, and deep blacks appear gray next to bright highlights. It also displays a far more limited range of colors in HDR, and they look less vivid than on the Acer. That said, it's still a great value, but you have to expect some tradeoffs with a cheap monitor.

If you're looking for a smaller display and don't need the gaming features of the Dell G2724D, check out the ASUS VG246H. There are a number of trade-offs for getting this monitor instead of the Dell, as it has a smaller screen and lower resolution, so images are less detailed, but it still has decent text clarity. It also has a much lower 75Hz refresh rate and isn't meant for gaming, but that doesn't make a big difference if you need something simple for office work.

It has a few features for productivity and editing, like an sRGB picture mode with great accuracy before calibration. Like the Dell, it also has remarkable ergonomics, making it easy to adjust, which is great if you frequently need to share your screen with someone else. However, like the Dell, it's limited in extra features, like a USB hub. Additionally, while it handles reflections well, it doesn't get bright enough to overcome glare and doesn't get as bright as the Dell.

If you want something mainly for working, check out the Dell S2721QS. It has a higher 4k resolution than the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx, so there's more screen real estate for multitasking, and it also delivers much better text clarity. It's a great choice if you want to use it in a well-lit room, as it gets bright enough to overcome glare, though not as bright as the Acer. Unlike the Acer, the S2721QS has wide viewing angles, so it's easier to share your screen with someone next to you, as the image remains consistent from the sides.

Like the Acer, it delivers good image quality in SDR but with a few extra features. It does have Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes, but unlike more expensive monitors, it doesn't have a USB hub to connect to other devices. If you want something with a USB hub, including a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, you can also check out the higher-end Dell S2722QC, which often goes on sale. These extra features offer great value, but the S2721QS is usually cheaper.

If you're looking for a smaller monitor or you play a lot of fast games, check out the ViewSonic XG2431. Though it has a lower 1080p resolution than many other budget gaming monitors like the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx, it has far better motion handling than the Acer, and fast-moving objects look very crisp. Additionally, it has a higher 240Hz refresh rate for smoother motion and a more responsive feel in games.

It also has some added gaming features, like a versatile backlight strobing feature that you can customize to improve the appearance of motion, which is something many budget monitors can't do. Additionally, like the other monitors, it has great ergonomics, so it's versatile enough to work well if you need a small display for productivity or even co-op gaming. Unlike the other monitors, it even has two USB-A ports to quickly connect your peripherals, like a keyboard and mouse. If you're looking for a monitor with an even higher refresh rate and better motion handling, consider the Dell Alienware AW2523HF. However, it's only available for a budget-friendly price when it's on sale.

If you want a bigger screen, a few budget-friendly 32-inch monitors are decent enough for everyday use, but low-cost monitors of this size aren't as good as smaller displays. Regardless, if that's what you want, the LG 32GN650-B is a decent choice, and you can also find it as the 32GN63T-B at different retailers. Both models perform the same, so you can get whichever you can find for cheaper. It has the same resolution as the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx, but because of its large size, the pixel density is lower, so the text clarity is just okay.

The main downside to this monitor is that fast-moving objects look slightly blurry, and there's some smearing and inverse ghosting, though it's still decent enough if you don't play a lot of fast-moving games. As a VA panel, it displays fairly deep blacks next to bright highlights in dark rooms, though the image looks washed out from the sides, so it's not a good choice if you regularly share your screen with someone else.