The 5 Best Monitors Under $200 - Fall 2020
Reviews

The best monitor under $200 we've tested is the Dell P2417H. It's decent overall and delivers the performance you would expect for its price, but it should still please people looking for a cheap screen for their at-home office or gaming setup.

This is a 24 inch model that gives you enough screen real estate to multitask while saving you some space on your desk compared to popular 27 inch monitors. However, the 1080p resolution might be too low for some people to see finer details when watching videos. It has great ergonomics, allowing you to place it how you like, and it has wide viewing angles if you need to share your screen with someone else. Gamers should appreciate the great motion handling and incredibly low input lag, and the 60Hz refresh rate is good enough for console gamers.

Unfortunately, it has a mediocre contrast ratio and poor black uniformity, so it doesn't perform well in dark rooms. However, it has great out-of-the-box color accuracy, so you won't need to get it calibrated if you don't want to. Overall, it's good for the office and gaming, and it's the best monitor under $200 that we've tested.

The best computer monitor under $200 that we've tested available in a 27 inch size is the HP 27F. It's a decent overall model that won't cost you much. It's limited on extra features but if you're looking for a simple screen for the office and don't mind the 1080p resolution, this is a good choice.

It has an IPS panel, which provides really wide viewing angles if you want to share your screen with others. It's a good choice for most bright office environments as it has great reflection handling and it gets bright enough to combat glare. Unless you work in a color-sensitive business, like photo editing, you won't need to get it calibrated as it has great out-of-the-box color accuracy. It also has excellent gray uniformity, so solid colors across the screen, like on a web page or a document, look great without any darkened areas.

Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR and it has a low contrast ratio, which is expected from an IPS panel. It has a native 75Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support, but its slow response time results in motion blur and it doesn't have a Black Frame Insertion feature, so it's not ideal for competitive gamers. It also has very limited ergonomics, so it's hard to place it in an ideal position. Regardless, it performs well for its price and its screen size gives you enough space to multitask, so most people should be happy with it.

The best monitor under $200 for gaming that we've tested is the Acer XF251Q. It's simple, well-built, and even though it doesn't have many extra features found on higher-end, more expensive monitors, most people should be happy with it. The stand offers great ergonomics, so it should be easy to place in an ideal position.

It has a native 75Hz refresh rate, which helps provide smoother motion than a 60Hz panel. It has native FreeSync support, but for NVIDIA graphics card owners, it doesn't have G-SYNC support. The input lag is really low, and it stays low with VRR enabled, which is great. It has excellent motion handling too, so fast-moving content looks good. It's flicker-free, but there's no Black Frame Insertion feature to help reduce motion blur. If you game in well-lit environments, it has good reflection handling and decent peak brightness.

Unfortunately, it has a TN panel that results in narrow viewing angles and low contrast. It has a 1080p resolution, which may be too limiting for some, but it doesn't put too much stress on your graphics card. It doesn't support HDR, but this is expected from a budget-friendly monitor. Fortunately, it has built-in speakers, so won't need to buy an external setup if you want to. Overall, this is a decent gaming screen with good motion handling, making it the best monitor under $200 for gaming that we've tested.