The 3 Best Monitors Under $200 - Spring 2021 Reviews

The best monitor under $200 with a 1080p resolution that we've tested is the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx. This is an IPS model that's well-suited for a wide variety of uses. It has amazing ergonomics, which includes a full 360-degree swivel, and the viewing angles are excellent, making it a great choice for sharing content and playing co-op games. Visibility in bright rooms is good, but like most IPS monitors, it isn't ideal for dark rooms due to its low contrast ratio, which makes blacks appear closer to gray.

Motion handling is truly superb for something in this price range. It has a 165Hz refresh rate and exceptional response time, producing clear images in fast-moving as well as providing more responsiveness. It supports FreeSync natively to reduce screen tearing and is compatible with NVIDIA's G-SYNC, though only over a DisplayPort connection. It supports HDR, but as expected for a budget monitor, it can't display a wide color gamut and doesn't get bright enough for a true HDR experience.

There's a pair of speakers built-in, but sadly, there are no USB ports for charging. You can add a virtual crosshair or frame rate counter on the screen and control the monitor's settings through software. The backlight is entirely flicker-free, and there's also a blue light filter that can help reduce eye strain. The price is just a tad above $200, but considering its excellent gaming performance, it's well worth spending a few extra dollars.

The Dell S2721D is the best monitor under $200 with a 1440p resolution that we've tested. This is a very good 27 inch office monitor that provides plenty of screen space for multitasking. It produces sharp images and text thanks to its high pixel density, great for any type of office work or even content creation. It has full sRGB coverage, excellent gradient handling, and no color bleed. It handles reflections well and gets pretty bright, so you shouldn't have any visibility issues in most lighting conditions.

It has a 75Hz refresh rate that makes everything feel a bit smoother and more responsive than a typical 60Hz panel. However, the response time is a bit slow. You can play some slower-paced games on it, but it isn't ideal for fast-moving games. On the upside, it has variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. There's no HDR support, and like most IPS monitors, it has a mediocre contrast ratio that causes blacks to appear gray when viewed in the dark.

Sharing your screen with others might be somewhat complicated because even though it has wide viewing angles, you can't turn the screen at all due to the stand's terrible ergonomics. This might also make it harder for you to get a comfortable viewing position, so VESA-mounting is recommended. There are no USB ports, but it does have a pair of speakers built-in if you don't have dedicated ones. Overall, it's a simple but good office monitor that should satisfy most people.

The best monitor under $200 for dark rooms that we've tested is the Dell S2721HGF. It's a 27 inch curved model with a 1080p resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. As is expected of most VA panels, it has a great contrast ratio that allows it to produce deep blacks. Its viewing angles are reasonably good, fine for sharing content or playing co-op games, though not for work that requires the utmost image accuracy. It handles reflections well and gets decently bright, but visibility might still be an issue in very bright, sunny rooms.

It has a good response time overall to deliver relatively clear images in fast-moving scenes. However, it's a bit slow in the dark transitions, which causes motion artifacts in dark scenes. The same can be said of its response time at 60Hz, making it less ideal for 60fps console gaming. Input lag is incredibly low, and it has both native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Sadly, it doesn't support HDR, which is somewhat expected for a budget monitor.

There are only a few extra features to enhance your gaming experience. You can put a timer or frame rate counter on the screen, and there's dark stabilizer feature that makes your objects more visible in dark scenes. The ergonomics are sub-par because it only allows for height and tilt adjustment, so it's best to VESA-mount it if you need greater adjustability. Nevertheless, it's a great dark room gaming monitor that's also easy on the wallet.